Page 42 of Beast of Blood and Roses (Dark Ever After Fairytales #1)

Chapter Forty-Two

Aurora

Fierro handed the phone to Trystan. I couldn’t stop shaking, my entire body trembling as if I were freezing.

Angelo Santi had always terrified me, even when I didn’t know he was a vampire.

And now I realized he was Fierro’s boss—the most feared man on Bourbon Street, the one whose very presence could silence an entire room.

I’d served him drinks countless times at the casino, watched him conduct “business meetings” that left grown men pale and sweating. I’d seen the way everyone deferred to him, the way conversations died when he walked by. Now I knew why.

“Yeah, Angelo,” Trystan said into the phone, his voice carrying the authority of an alpha addressing an equal. “You’re not going to believe this, but the creature in the bayou, the beast everyone’s been talking about? That was Fierro. He was cursed.”

My stomach clenched as I listened to Trystan expose everything so casually. What if Angelo didn’t believe him? What if this made things worse for Fierro?

He glanced over at Tinker Bell, who watched the conversation with mild interest. “Tinker Bell,” he confirmed. “Yeah, the witch.”

I followed his gaze to Tinker Bell, who watched the conversation with mild interest. Even after everything she’d done for us—lifting the curse, revealing my true identity—something about her still made me nervous. She was too powerful, too unpredictable.

He shook his head at whatever Angelo was saying. “No, Enzo’s definitely not here. We would have smelled him the moment he stepped foot on this property. Trust me, I don’t know where the hell he and Joy are hiding.”

I pressed closer to Fierro, seeking comfort in his solid presence as my past and present collided in the most terrifying way possible.

“Go bother Rankin with your problems. He’s the one who keeps track of every lowlife in the city.”

I felt my blood turn to ice. Rankin? Did he mean Keir Rankin?

I’d served him once at Crimson Stakes. He was almost too beautiful to be real: white hair like spun silver and those incredible blue eyes that seemed to change color with the light.

I’d thought he was just another wealthy customer, but now. ..

A bone-deep weariness bubbled up inside me. How many supernatural creatures had I unknowingly served? How many dangerous beings had I been completely oblivious to while I poured their drinks and took their orders?

The thought that I’d been surrounded by monsters my entire working life—vampires, wolves, who knew what else—and never realized it made me feel sick to my stomach .

Fierro picked up my hand and kissed my knuckles, his lips warm against my cold skin. “Are you okay? You look pale.”

His soft kiss sent shivers through me despite everything we’d just been through.

It was strange seeing him like this, human, vulnerable, so different from the beast I’d fallen in love with.

I rubbed my slick forehead with my free hand, trying to process everything.

“All of this is… is just too overwhelming.”

Trystan handed the phone back to Fierro, his expression grim. “He hung up. I wouldn’t want to be in Enzo’s shoes. Angelo considers him a traitor.”

I thought about Enzo—stern but fair, unlike Angelo’s cruel unpredictability. The idea of him being branded a traitor troubled me more than I expected. If Angelo was turning on his own enforcers, if even Enzo wasn’t safe, what did that mean for Fierro?

Fierro didn’t make a comment. I could feel him stiffen next to me.

Tinker Bell held up The Witch’s Heart, its dual colors catching the light. “Trystan, you won’t be getting this. I plan on bringing it home where it belongs.”

Trystan’s ice-blue eyes narrowed dangerously, his alpha authority bristling at being dismissed.

My breath caught in my throat. For a moment, I thought Trystan might actually challenge her, and I had no idea what would happen if two beings that powerful clashed.

When he shrugged it off, I realized I’d been holding my breath, but the tension in the air still crackled dangerously.

But then he shrugged with casual arrogance. “I’ll let you have it this time, witch.”

Tinker Bell’s eyebrows rose, and there was something deadly in her smile. “Let me? ”

“You heard me.” Trystan flashed her a debonair smile.

The air between them crackled with magical tension as if even the slightest spark could ignite a powder keg.

But then Trystan began to shift back into his magnificent wolf form, and this time I could see the entire transformation in vivid detail.

His bones cracked and popped as they reformed, the sound echoing through the destroyed living room like breaking branches.

His muscles stretched and bulged beneath his skin as his human frame expanded into something far more primal and powerful.

His face elongated into a lupine muzzle, his teeth becoming razor-sharp fangs.

White fur erupted across his skin in waves, covering his massive form until he stood before us as the enormous alpha wolf I’d first seen attack us weeks ago.

His ice-blue eyes remained the same—intelligent, calculating, and still holding that arrogant confidence.

He was truly magnificent in his wolf form, pure lethal beauty. Even knowing how dangerous he was, I was awed by the sight.

Without another word, he turned and bounded toward the broken doorway with fluid, powerful strides.

His pack immediately fell into formation behind him, moving like a coordinated military unit.

Within seconds, they had all disappeared into the bayou, leaving only the sound of rustling vegetation and the lingering scent of wild musk.

The sudden silence felt deafening after all the chaos and supernatural confrontations. My entire body sagged with relief now that the immediate threats were gone.

“Is it over?” I whispered, hardly daring to hope.

Fierro—though he’d always be my beast, my true love— kissed the top of my head, his lips warm against my hair. “Yes. It’s finally over.”

“We’ll never be statues again?” Marcel’s voice shook with emotion as he clasped Colette’s weathered hand tightly. His hope was almost heartbreaking after who knows how long of turning to stone every sunset, losing precious hours of their lives.

“Never again,” Tinker Bell confirmed with a gentle smile that reached her sparkling green eyes. She looked almost human rather than the terrifying witch who had cursed us all.

Marcel’s face crumpled with relief and joy. He picked up Colette and twirled her around like they were young lovers. “It’s over!” he laughed through his tears. “It’s finally over, ma chérie!”

Colette threw back her head and laughed—a sound of pure happiness that filled my heart with warmth. “We’re free, Marcel! We can watch the sunset together again!”

Watching their joy made my own exhaustion feel lighter. After everything we’d all suffered, seeing Marcel and Colette’s happiness reminded me that some stories really could have happy endings.

“You’re all free to do whatever you wish.” Tinker Bell glanced down at The Witch’s Heart in her hands, its dual colors pulsing gently. “I have to get this back to the coven where it belongs.”

But then her attention focused entirely on me, her green eyes studying my face with an intensity that made me uncomfortable. “You’re a very powerful witch, Aurora, and you desperately need to learn how to manage your abilities properly. Without training, you could hurt yourself or others. ”

She looked at me expectantly, waiting for an answer, but just thinking about doing more magic made exhaustion crash over me in waves. I could barely keep my eyes open. “I’m...just...” The words wouldn’t come. Everything felt too much, too overwhelming.

Fierro stepped slightly in front of me, his gaze steady and protective. “Not now. She’s been through hell today. She just learned her entire life was a lie, watched her kidnapper die, and nearly lost me. Whatever magical training she needs can wait.”

His fierce protectiveness made my chest warm despite my exhaustion. Someone was finally putting my needs first, finally recognizing I was at my breaking point.

Tinker Bell nodded slowly, understanding flickering in her expression. “Of course. Rest first. But don’t wait too long, Aurora. Power like yours needs guidance.”

“I love hearing my real name, Aurora, ” I whispered, testing the name on my tongue. It felt...right. Like coming home after years of being lost.

“Yes,” Tinker Bell confirmed gently. “Volaris changed your name when he stole you from us. That’s why we could never find you—you were hidden in plain sight.”

Tears of frustration and grief filled my eyes, spilling over as twenty years of living under a false identity crashed over me. “I never want to go by Rosalie again,” I said fiercely. That name belonged to the life of lies and abuse I was finally leaving behind.

Fierro lifted my chin with gentle fingers, his green eyes soft with understanding. “You won’t,” he promised. “You’re Aurora now. My Aurora. Mine.”

Tinker Bell quietly left the house, taking her powerful presence with her. Suddenly it was just the four of us again—Marcel and Colette still holding each other, and Fierro and me .

“Marcel,” Fierro tilted his head. “Take care of the body.”

Marcel nodded grimly, understanding what needed to be done with Volaris’ remains.

I stared at the spot where his body lay, feeling nothing. Twenty years of fake fatherhood had ended in blood, and I was surprised by how empty I felt. I didn’t care what Marcel did to him—burned him, buried him or fed him to the alligators. He didn’t deserve an honorable burial.

Fierro turned his attention back to me and gently lifted me into his arms, cradling me against his chest like something precious. “I need to take care of Aurora,” he said softly, and hearing my real name on his lips made my heart flutter.

I was finally free to be who I really was.

He carried me into my bedroom and gently placed me on the bed. “Can I stay with you?”

I smiled up at him through heavy eyelids and stretched out my hand. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

He immediately climbed into bed next to me, careful not to jostle me too much. I laid my head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The sound was comforting, reassuring. I looked up at him with curiosity. “You have a beating heart?”

“I do, and it belongs to you.” He brushed his lips over mine in a tender kiss. “Sleep, little witch. Tomorrow, I plan on showing you just how much I really love you.”