KATHERINE POV
I smelled him before I saw him.
The sharp, acrid scent of blood mixed with something darker, heavier—like old grudges and fresh wounds. Stan. Beta to Jonas. The same Jonas who had brought ruin to everything I held dear.
I froze for a heartbeat, my hands stilling on Aurora’s battered body. The weight of what that meant crashed over me like a tidal wave. But there was no time to dwell on past pain. Not now.
Aurora’s shallow breaths were ragged, each one a battle. Her skin was pale and smeared with ash and blood, but her eyes—my fierce, stubborn friend’s eyes—fluttered open just enough to acknowledge the presence at the door.
When Stan stepped inside, I didn’t expect Aurora to react. I expected fear, anger, maybe even fury. But no.
She looked at him like… like he was somet
