Chasing His Wolfless Luna Back Chapter 196: Would It Be Her?

Thea's POV

I stood there, frozen in shock, staring at the police officers. Everyone seemed paralyzed, unable to process what was happening right before our eyes.

It wasn't until the cops started dragging Aurora away that Roman and Margaret snapped back to reality and sprang into action.

"What the fuck is going on? You've got the wrong person!" Roman roared, veins bulging on his forearms as he stepped forward, but the officer just gave him an icy glare.

They paused and turned toward him. Aurora looked like she was in some kind of trance, as if her mind had separated from her body, disbelief etched across her face.

"We're quite certain we have the right person, Alpha Sterling," the tall officer replied calmly. "She identified herself as Aurora Sterling, and that's exactly who we came to arrest."

Aurora didn't move or struggle. She just stood there, rigid, her gaze lost and confused. I could understand her reaction because I was equally fucking baffled. Why were they arresting her? Why did they think she was responsible for the attempt on my life?

"There must be some misunderstanding. Whatever differences they might have, Aurora would never try to kill Thea," Margaret stepped forward, trying to reason with them.

"Ma'am, we're just following orders," another officer said. "I suggest you start looking for a lawyer."

They dragged Aurora away, with Margaret chasing after them while Roman stayed behind, cursing the police loudly. The rest of us remained rooted to our spots, stunned.

Everything happened so fast—or was it slow? I couldn't tell because my brain was struggling to comprehend what the hell was going on. Aurora couldn't possibly be the one who ordered me shot, right?

"Why the fuck didn't any of you do something?" Roman shouted when he returned, facing us.

"What exactly did you expect us to do?" Damien shot back.

He was right. This had completely blindsided all of us, and none of us were prepared to handle this situation. What did he expect? That we'd openly fight with the police? We might have many flaws, but stupidity definitely wasn't one of them.

Roman turned to glare at Sebastian. That's when I realized Phoenix wasn't with Sebastian anymore. He must have left her with my parents or Mary.

"Is this your doing?" he asked through gritted teeth, voice filled with rage. "You're the one who had her arrested last time; I wouldn't be surprised if you're behind this too."

"Roman, I suggest you watch yourself; I won't tolerate unfounded accusations in my home," Sebastian's eyes turned cold and dangerous. He was angry. Unlike Roman's anger that showed plainly on his face, Sebastian's was different. Sebastian's anger filled the entire room, always feeling like a chill down your spine.

Margaret returned, tears streaming down her face. She was about to say something when Sebastian's phone rang, interrupting whatever she was going to say.

He apologized before answering. Roman and Margaret turned to leave, not bothering to say anything to me or Damien. As the door locked behind them, I sat down, already feeling a headache coming on.

Five minutes later, Sebastian returned with a puzzled expression.

"What is it?" Damien asked him.

I turned on the sofa to get a good look at him. For some reason, I had a feeling I wasn't going to like what he was about to tell us.

"That was Hawthorne," he began, and I looked at him in confusion, not quite sure who that was. "The police chief called to ask if we could come to the station."

"Why?" I asked.

"He didn't elaborate because he said he'd rather tell us in person, but it has to do with your case and Aurora's arrest."

I nodded. I wanted to get there as soon as possible, but we still had guests, and Leo's birthday party was still ongoing.

"Let's finish Leo's party first, then we'll go see Hawthorne," I stood up and told them.

We all agreed to this arrangement and returned to the party.

I'd guessed right; Sebastian had left Phoenix with my parents. I walked over to my friends, who wore concerned expressions.

"What happened? Where are Aurora, Roman, and Margaret?" Iris looked around, probably searching for her mate.

"Aurora's been arrested, so Roman and Margaret followed her to the station."

"What?"

Their shocked exclamations startled a few kids playing nearby. I shushed them before telling them everything that had happened. Jaxon maintained his calm, detached expression, while Iris and Sophia looked completely stunned.

"Why would they think it was Aurora?" Sophia voiced the question that had been bothering me since Aurora's arrest.

"That's exactly what I want to know," I replied. "The police only told us their orders were to arrest Aurora. They didn't give any other explanation."

We sat in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. The party passed quickly. Everything after that became a blur because all I could think about was Aurora and what the police chief wanted to tell us. I couldn't focus on the party anymore. Even when Piper came over to chat with me for a bit, I was distracted.

Iris left early, but I understood. She wasn't Aurora's biggest fan, but she had to be with Roman. At first, she was torn between staying with me or leaving. I assured her I was fine and urged her to go to Roman.

When the party finally ended, I was eager to get to the police station. We said goodbye to the guests, and soon only friends and family remained.

"Mom, can Wyatt stay overnight?" Leo asked, his face still beaming with happiness from the day's activities.

I turned to Jaxon, silently asking if he approved. When he nodded, I faced Leo and gave him a small smile.

"Of course... you two can have a sleepover."

They squealed with excitement, then Leo grabbed Wyatt's hand, and they raced upstairs. A few minutes later, we heard his bedroom door open and close.

"Are you ready?" Sebastian asked me. "If you are, we can leave now."

My parents looked at me questioningly, and I realized I hadn't told them what happened. I gave them and Sebastian's parents a brief rundown of the situation.

"You both go. We can stay here and look after the children," Sebastian's mother offered after I finished.

With everyone in agreement, we left in different cars, but I rode with Sebastian.

"Do you think she's guilty?" I asked after we'd been driving for a while.

I wanted to hear his thoughts, but I also wanted to see his reaction. After all, this was the woman he once loved.

"I don't know," he began, glancing at me before refocusing on the road. "I mean, she certainly had motive, and you two have clashed more than once since she came back."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've caught her verbally attacking you multiple times, warning you to stay away from me. So yes, she might have done this. If it were the Aurora I knew before, I'd disagree, but the Aurora who came back is different, capable of anything."

I remained silent after that. I just didn't know what to believe. I mean, without my memories, I couldn't really judge what kind of woman Aurora had become. Sure, she had been nasty to me after I woke up from my coma, but did that mean she wanted me dead?