As I clutched my throbbing head, trying to fight my legs, Rook and Liam suddenly blindsided me from the shadows. Each of them grabbed one of my arms, throwing their weight into restraining me.

The invasion infuriated my bear; with an animalistic snarl, I twisted my torso and violently flung Liam away. The impact sent his body flying backward until his spine crashed hard against a tree while Rook scrambled, putting me in a chokehold as I thrashed against his grip.

"Let me go!" I roared, a non-human, guttural sound as my eyes tracked the distance, watching the truck's headlights turn on as Roland drove Aurora away.

I raised my free arm, preparing to punch Rook across the skull to break his hold, when a sharp sting flared at the base of my neck.

I stiffened, my muscles locking up, turning my head with a vicious snarl. I saw Liam standing up from the ground, wincing and holding his back with one hand, while his other hand held a pneumatic sedative gun. The fucker had sneaked up behind me. Roland must have given it to him before they ran out.

I gritted my teeth, desperate to force my consciousness to stay open, but the synthetic downer flooded my bloodstream, making it impossible as knees buckled beneath me, hitting the ground.

"Have a small nap, brother," Liam grunted heavily.

And that was the last thing I heard before the darkness dragged me under.

Aurora's POV

The drive back to the house was tense and a blur as I kept twisting around in the passenger seat, looking back through the rear window continuously, my heart hammering against my ribs. What on earth was happening? We were perfectly fine, happy on the track just minutes ago, until Orion had suddenly started backing away from me.

The moment the truck slammed into park in front of the house, Roland killed the engine and turned to me, her expression dead serious. "I'm going to get you into the house, Aurora. And you are going to stay in your room. I mean never get out of that room tonight, do you hear me?"

I reached across the console, grabbing Roland's arm, my eyes desperately searching her face for answers. "Roland, please. Just tell me what's wrong."

She let out an exhausted sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose as she leaned against the steering wheel. "The sedative Liam hit him with is only going to buy us a little time, and it's going to wear off very soon. He's the clan leader-his superior biology processes drugs and toxins much faster than a normal bear shifter. I just hope to God the boys managed to drag him down to the basement and chain him down securely before he wakes up."

I sat up straight, my breath catching in my throat. "Chain him? Chain him down?! What is going on, Roland? Explain it to me right now!" I demanded, panic laced in my voice.

Roland looked at me, her eyes softening as she gently guided me out of the truck and up the stairs to my bedroom. She sat me down on the edge of the mattress, taking my trembling hands in hers.

"The leader is in his rut," Roland explained gently, her voice low. "A rut is a period of time when a shifter's animalistic urges skyrocket. The rational, human part of their brain completely shuts down, and the biological need to claim their soulbond breeds at a dangerously high level."

I swallowed hard, her words settling heavily in my stomach. "But... why didn't he just tell me?"

Roland shrugged, running a frustrated hand through her styled hair. "Because he was terrified of hurting you, Aurora. During a rut, a male's human reasoning is completely gone-only the raw, territorial instincts remain. He knew how vulnerable as a human you are, and he was afraid of his own strength. He left because he wanted to protect you from himself."

I bit my nails nervously, staring at the floorboards. Suddenly, the thud of the front door opening downstairs echoed through the house as it was followed by a loud, "Ouch!" and the sound of something crashing against the floorboards. The boys were dragging him in.

Roland immediately turned toward my bedroom door. "Aurora, listen to me carefully," Roland warned, her voice dropping into a solemn whisper. "I like you as a friend, and I want to keep you safe. But you must promise me right now: do not release him. No matter what you hear tonight, do not go down to that basement. Don't do it."

I stared at her, my fingers nervously fiddling with one another as the gravity of the situation sank in. I thought of Orion's protective nature and how he had suffered just to keep me safe from his beast.

"I won't," I whispered softly.

Roland offered a relieved smile, patting my knee one last time before stepping out of the room. "Goodnight, Aurora."

"Goodnight," I replied, offering her a small, queasy smile as she closed the door, leaving me alone in the quiet dark.