Aurora barely had time to steady her breathing after the impact when a low, threatening growl tore through the air, deep enough to vibrate against her bones.
Before she could fully lift her head, a flash of white shot past her. It was fast, furious, and far more dangerous than its small size suggested. And the next instant, the snow-white cub had already leapt at the man who had shoved her. Its tiny body moved with startling ferocity as its claws raked across the man’s arm, leaving behind a long, angry streak of blood.
The man hissed sharply, instinctively jerking back, his expression twisting into fury as his hand moved to grab the cub mid-air. But Aurora reacted faster than even she expected. Her body moved before her mind caught up, and somehow - despite the weight that usually slowed her every action - she pushed herself upright and lunged forward, scooping the cub into her arms just before the man could lay a hand on it.
The sudden movement startled even her, and a flicker of surprise crossed her mind at how quickly she had acted, though she didn’t let it show as she tightened her hold on the struggling cub, whose small body continued to tremble with aggression.
The man’s gaze snapped to her immediately, sharp and furious, his presence pressing down like a storm ready to break. But before he could take another step forward, Mira intervened. She moved swiftly and placed herself between them as she caught his arm mid-motion. Her grip was firm despite her gentle appearance, effectively stopping him from advancing any further.
"That’s enough," she said, her voice calm but carrying unmistakable authority. Her eyes flashed with warning as she glanced between him and the second man who had earlier pulled her away from the fire.
Both men stilled, clearly not expecting her to interfere like this. The second one stepped forward, his expression softening slightly as he looked at Mira, though his gaze darkened again when it flicked toward Aurora.
"You are too kind," he said, his tone low but edged with disapproval, "to deal with someone like her."
There was something else in his eyes when he looked at Aurora. It was not just disdain, but something closer to disappointment, as if he expected better from her yet had already given up on that possibility long ago.
The first man, however, didn’t bother with restraint. His lips curled back slightly as a growl rumbled from his chest, his eyes locked onto Aurora with barely concealed hostility.
In her arms, the cub responded immediately, letting out a sharp growl of its own. Its small body tensed as it tried to lunge again, forcing Aurora to tighten her hold to keep it from launching another attack.
"Calm down," she muttered under her breath, though whether she was speaking to the cub or the situation as a whole was unclear.
Before the tension could escalate further, Mira released the man’s arm and stepped forward, moving toward Aurora instead. The action alone was enough to shock everyone present.
Both men froze, clearly taken aback, while the group of onlookers that had gathered at a distance exchanged startled looks, murmurs rippling quietly among them as they tried to process what they were seeing.
Mira didn’t pay them any attention. She stopped beside Aurora and placed herself firmly at her side before turning back to face the two men. Her expression was no longer calm but visibly displeased.
"Aurora hasn’t done anything wrong," she said, her voice sharper now. "If there is anyone at fault here, it’s the two of you."
The words landed heavily, causing the men to stiffen.
"So you will apologize," Mira continued, her gaze unwavering, "to her."
Silence fell.
Even the distant spectators stopped whispering.
Aurora blinked once, genuinely caught off guard. Of all the possibilities she had considered, this hadn’t been one of them. Mira standing here, defending her, and that too against her own mates... this wasn’t something Aurora had anticipated. It wasn’t just unexpected, it was... significant.
Her gaze shifted back to the two men. And looked at them. Really looked at them. And in that moment, recognition struck.
It came suddenly, violently, like a flood breaking through a dam.
Memories surged. Emotions followed, not hers but the original owner’s. They were overwhelming and chaotic.
Aurora’s breath stilled for a fraction of a second as she stared at them properly now - the sharp features, the powerful builds, the familiar presence that had once stirred warmth, protection, and something dangerously close to fixation.
These two men were none other than Calix and Soren - chief’s sons and Mira’s beast husbands.
And also the men... the original owner once considered family.
From the memories, Aurora found out the original owner grew up with Chief’s sons and the three of them were as close as real siblings. But things changed when the original owner did, and with her changing personality changed her bond with these two men who had grown up to dislike and distrust her just like the rest of the tribe.
A flicker of something dark twisted through Aurora’s chest. It was like an echo of emotions that didn’t belong to her yet clung stubbornly to this body. Longing, humiliation, resentment - all tangled together in a mess.
Aurora’s grip on the cub tightened slightly as she forced those emotions down, turning her expression colder and sharper as her own mind reasserted control.
Across from her, Calix and Soren were no less affected.
Their gazes lingered on her. Longer than necessary. There was confusion, suspicion, and something else... something they clearly didn’t understand.
Because the woman standing before them... was nothing like the Aurora they remembered.
"You heard her, right?" Aurora’s low yet sharp voice sliced cleanly through the suffocating silence, forcing every wandering gaze to snap back to her. There was no hesitation in her tone, no trace of the submissive, loud-mouthed woman they once knew... but only cold certainty.
"You both should apologise to me."