bAlpha /b

Chapter b216 /b

Aurora’s PO.V

bI /bhad never had so much fun in my entire life. The music was pumping, the room was filled withughter, and I was surrounded by the bestpany. Caleb and I danced like no one was watchingb, /blost in the rhythm, his grin never leaving his face. Every move felt natural, effortless.

I caught Caroline pulling Damien onto the floor next, and I couldn’t help butugh as he tried to keep up with her wild energy. “You look ridiculous!” I yelled over the music, and Damien just shook his head,ughing with me.

But the best part was when Caroline pulled me to the dance floor. Her blue gown sparkled under the lights, and she had that same carefree vibe, making me feel like we could dance for hours. And we did. We danced through the entire night,pletely lost in the music and in each other’spany. At one point, we paused to catch our breath, both of us smiling, hands on our hips. “This is the best night of my life,” she said, her voice a little out of breath but full of joy.

The cake was huge, white with delicate blue details, matching Caroline’s gown perfectly. I swearb, /bbI /bate half of it by myself, and I didn’t care one bit. I couldn’t remember thest time I’d indulged like this–cake, punch, and all theughter–it felt like pure bliss. I was so stuffed I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat dinner, but I didn’t care. The punch had a bit of a kick to it, and I was pretty sure there was alcohol in it, but I didn’t mind. If I was going to get a little tipsy, so be it. This night was for fun, not for worrying about anything else.

As I was enjoying the moment, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. A nce over my shoulder, and there they were–Alpha Camden, standing by the corner with his arms crossed, and Harmona next to him, her eyes locked onto me. I quickly turned my attention back to Caroline, pushing the thought out of my mind.

“Stop overthinking it,” I muttered to myself, trying to focus on the good vibes instead of getting lost in whatever weird feeling I had. Everyone around me was having a great time, and I wasn’t about to let anything ruin it. So, I danced some more,ughed a little louder, and let the night carry me away.

But suddenly…everything began to change.

I could feel the tension building in my body, but I refused to let it show. The clock on the wall ticked away, its rhythm almost mocking me as the minutes inched closer to midnight. There air seemed to shift–something thick and heavy, like the calm before a storm. My head throbbed, and my stomach churned, but I stayed beside Caleb, trying to smile and keep myposure. Caroline deserved a good birthday, and I wasn’t about to ruin it. She wasughing with her friends across the room, oblivious to the way my body was betraying me. I could hear her voice above the rest, a melody of joy that made my heart ache for her even more.

“Are you okay?” Caleb’s voice broke through my thoughts, his hand brushing against mine as he

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bChapter /b216

nced at me with concern.

bI /bforced a smile, pretending everything was fine. “Yeah, just a little tired, that’s all.

He raised an eyebrowb, /bclearly not buying it, but he didn’t push further. “Alright, but if you bneed /bto sit down or anything, just let me know.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak without sounding like a liar. The pain in my head intensified, like a vice tightening around it. My chest started to constrict, the air in the room suddenly feeling too thick to breathe. I blinked a few times, trying to shake it offb, /bbut the dizziness was growing, band /bmy vision was beginning to blur.

“Ten… nine… eight…” The countdown began, the voices around us growing louder as everyone anticipated the start of Caroline’s special moment. I looked at Caleb, feeling a pang of guilt. I should be focusing on her, on making this a night to remember, but all I could think about was the horrible

sensation wing at me from the inside.

Then, the pain hit. It wasn’t just a headache anymore. It was like a burst of pressure in my chest, and the world tilted sideways. I gasped, clutching my chest with one hand, my other grabbing Caleb’s arm for support.

“Aurora?” Caleb’s voice sounded distant, as if it wasing from far away. His hands were on me, steadying me, but I could barely feel them. “What’s happening? Talk to me.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The room spun, and my body felt like it was being pulled in all directions. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowning out the sounds of the countdown. “Caleb…” I gasped, my voice barely above a whisper. “Something’s wrong.”

“Stay with me, Aurora. Just breathe,” he said, his voice panicked now. But no matter how hard I tried to follow his instructions, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

The crowd continued to chant, but all I could hear was the ringing in my ears and my ownbored breathing. I squeezed Caleb’s arm tighter, my vision going ck at the edges.

I met Caroline’s eye across the room, and in that moment, everything felt like it stopped. I saw the wince on her face, the way her body stiffened for a split second, like she felt it too. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to make sense of the sudden jolt that shot through me. It was strange, like some invisible thread had connected us. Caroline’s confused eyes met mine, and I could tell she didn’t know what was happening, just like me. I wanted to say something, to ask her if she felt it too, but before I could even open my mouth, the countdown started.

“Six… five… four…” The voices of the crowd around us faded into a distant hum, the only thing bI /bcould focus on was Caroline, standing there with the same lost look I had on my face. The bseconds /bticked by slower than ever, and my anxiety grew with each passing number. My palms were mmy, my breath uneven, and I had no idea why.

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“Three….. two… ono…..”

bThe /bbcrowd /baround us erupted into cheers, the words ‘Happy Birthday, Caroline!” echoing through the roomb. /bBut the moment the clock struck twelve, everything shattered. I could feel it, that intense surge of energy, and then suddenly, I was on the floor. A scream tore out of me, the pain bsharp /band overwhelming. My vision blurred, my body twisting in agony. I could hear Caroline’s scream from across the room, and it felt like our pain was shared, like we were connected in some way that made no sense. The room felt like it was spinning, as if the air itself was vibrating with power.

I tried to catch my breath, but it felt like my lungs were being crushed. My mind raced, trying toprehend what was happening, why this was happening.

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