Chapter 5

Aurora

"Ahh, it hurts, Xander, please be gentle," I pleaded with a hint of allure in my voice. "We've done this so many times, why does it still hurt? Ahh~~~ Xander, you're terrible."

"Quiet down, or I'll have to hit your head," Xander warned, his face flushed. My suggestive tone was affecting him, and I knew it; I was teasing him deliberately.

In the science lab, I looked triumphantly at the blood sample Xander had drawn from my arm. "How much did you collect this time?"

"470ml for $5,000." Xander stopped drawing blood from me after filling one pint and applied some medicine to my skin.

"Could we possibly go for $10,000? I still feel like I'm undervaluing my blood," I suggested, watching Xander treat my blood carefully and place it in the complicated machine that I will ever know how to operate it.

"Don't overstep, or I'll find another donor. I still have to purchase a lot of equipment and run tests. Scientific research isn't cheap. Now you see why I'm always strapped for cash, right?"

"What exactly are you working on, Xander?" I asked, a question I had posed several times but always forgot the answer to, as I moved towards Xander’s secret stash. Xander had tried changing the location of his secret stash several times, but he'd never managed to outwit my keen sense of smell. Consequently, he stopped trying to hide his sweet treats from me, realizing it was futile.

"Just think of it as researching a new antibody for a specific disease. If my research succeeds, I could become a billionaire! Then you'll regret not picking me," he mused.

"Yeah, choosing you now, watching your research fail and go bankrupt would indeed be my biggest regret," I teased, playfully opening his drawer.

Xander was somewhat taken aback by my frankness. "You make a good point. Why haven't I thought of that before?"

"Sometimes, you were really stupid, you know. Who awarded you your PhD, some senile old man?" I laughed as I discovered a cache of chocolates and candies from various countries in the drawer. Xander had a habit of collecting all sorts of sweets, claiming they helped his brain work better.

‘And they were all so lovely and addictive. Once you tried them, you couldn't stop.’

"You relocated here two years ago, solely for my blood, didn't you?" I questioned, eyeing an opportunity to negotiate a better deal. I was also intrigued by how Xander's stash of sweets never seemed to diminish, no matter how much I pilfered. Casually, I pocketed more candies, enough for several nights of indulgence. "I'm valuable to you, right, Xander? My blood's one of a kind. Don't you think that deserves a higher compensation? How about a 20% increase for each bi-monthly donation?"

"Indeed, your blood is unique, but so is the blood of many in this town. It's extraordinarily active and disease-resistant. This opened a path for me to synthesize new antibodies and develop vaccines," Xander remarked, focused on his computer. "And yes, I was searching for you. My journey started when I found your blood at a red cross center. That discovery fueled my confidence in potential success. Tracing your blood back to this town was expensive and time-consuming, but it was worth it. Your blood was unique, showing a purity unlike any other, and it was getting even purer over time."

"What did you mean?" I asked, completing my raid on the sweets and leaving behind some items I didn't like for Xander.

"Your blood improved in quality. I drew it every two months for two years, and the results kept improving. Today," Xander said, examining the new sample, "your blood changed; right now it started to emit a pleasant smell, like pheromones, but more stable."

"Do you think that's why people acted strangely around me?"

Xander glanced at me and stood up to push me out. "I'm talking about a smell detectable only by animals with a keen sense of smell. Humans can't smell it, so it didn't cause the reaction you're mentioning. Except if they are an animal, then yes. Now go, I have a lot of work left."

"Wait, my money?" I asked outside the door.

"It's already in your account!"

"Well, thank you."

As I stepped out of the school happily, it was already dark outside, and I saw Lucas waiting for me in the car park.

"Did you finish your work?" Lucas inquired while smiling at me.

"Have you been waiting for me?" My eyes widened. "For three hours?"

'I didn't realize you cared about me so much.'

'Do you really love me that much?'

"Your grandma asked me to look after you, or my grandpa will suffer at her hand," Lucas clarified.

'You come up with so many excuses, but I know you still have feelings for me. Work harder to impress me, Lucas.'

I smiled sweetly.

‘Will you find any excuse to push me down tonight? Oh... will I accept it or not? I don’t know. I can’t be a bad girl. Do I need to try something to seduce him? For him to find the invitation secretly? How to do it? I've never done it before... argh!! Can't he just figure it out himself? Just push me. Damn it.’

Lucas opened the car door, allowing me to slip in. As the car started moving and we hit the road, I received a text from Nathan.

"Bianca was heading your way in rage; please be careful."

My mood darkened. "Lucas, can we go faster?"

"Sure, is something wrong?"

"No," I replied, keeping the town's secret. "I want to get home quickly."

Lucas accelerated, but suddenly braked and swerved to avoid someone.

Ahead, I saw Bianca blocking their path, forcing Lucas to maneuver around her.

"Are you alright?" Lucas asked, concerned for me.

I recognized Bianca, my troublesome senior from a past encounter, and Nathan’s supposed mate.

"Lucas, just keep driving. Don’t stop," I urged.

Lucas was perplexed by the need to escape from just one girl. But maybe noticing a flicker of worry cross my face, he immediately sensed the seriousness of the situation. He stepped on the accelerator, the car's tires screeching as we quickly put distance between ourselves and Bianca.

"Faster, Lucas!" I yelled, frightened. "She's on our tail!"

“Are you sure?” As the speedometer reached 60 mph, Lucas thought we were out of reach. Yet, a glance in the rearview mirror turned his face ashen. Incredibly, Bianca was sprinting after us, keeping pace even as Lucas pushed the car faster.

Bianca pursued use down the road. As we neared a turning point, Bianca kept going straight while the car began to turn. Consequently, Bianca collided with the side of the car, forcefully pushing the car off the road. The impact caused a violent shudder throughout our vehicle, shaking it vigorously. Lucas fought to regain control, the car spinning wildly as he slammed on the brakes to halt it. The airbags burst open, cocooning Lucas and me in their protective cushion.

"Get out here, Aurora!" Bianca's voice, thick with anger, cut through the air under the dim glow of a half-moon. Known as the town's most beautiful girl and Nathan's top pick, Bianca was the envy of many. She typically carried herself like a celebrity, gracing events with the poise befitting the daughter of one of the town's wealthiest men.

I took out my wolf’s sharp nail and punctured the airbag, then stepped out of the car to confront Bianca. "What's your problem, bitch!" I demanded.

Bianca, widely acknowledged as the future Luna and partner of Nathan, fixed me with a look of deep animosity. "The problem is, you're the omega bitch. My grandmother said you're cursed, and I have to deal with you right here, right now. If I don't, I risk losing my place as Luna!"

"Cursed? What are you talking about?" I was puzzled.

"You're a Luna Fate Stealer!" Bianca lunged at me, seeming like her hatred for her was reaching a crescendo. Bianca, who had grown up believing she was destined to become the Luna, found it unbearable that I might take her place.

***

Bianca

‘Anger, only anger that I feel right now.’

Despite having defeated Aurora in past weeks, teaching her a lesson for not getting close to Nathan again, this Omega who doesn't know her place still continued to captivate my Alpha. Today, after Nathan met this woman, he called me, only to end all his ties with me. Despite my pleas, Nathan turned me away coldly.

‘We have been engaged for eight fucking years, and he easily discarded me! It is impossible!

‘Nathan must have fallen under Aurora's spell. I must break this enchantment and secure my destined role by removing Aurora from the picture... Kill her.’

As rage consumes me, I was running towards her and launching my kick, causing her to be hurled 10 meters away before harshly landing on the road. Aurora's body skids across the asphalt, resulting in injuries to her hands and knees scraped raw by the rough surface.

“I won’t let you steal what’s rightfully mine!” I yelled.

My grandmother, a sorceress that not many people know, claimed that one of Aurora's ancestors carried a witch's blood, a trait seemingly active in Aurora and making her irresistible to Alphas. I pulled out an ornately decorated knife, a family heirloom given by my grandmother to uphold my family's dignity.

‘I've never killed a person before, but tonight, it will be the first. Who says she dares to steal what's mine!’

“Do you know what my father said to me? Better to commit suicide if I cannot kill you! Fucking bitch! You've left me with no way out; you and Nathan have dishonored our family tradition! He canceled our marriage because of you!”

As I attempted to stab Aurora, she quickly dodged, and the knife struck the asphalt instead. Aurora tried to kick me away.

“You’re insane, Bianca! Nathan and the whole community are on their way here!” Aurora yelled.

“That’s all the more reason to finish this quickly,” I retorted, lunging at her again. Aurora tried to evade but wasn't as lucky this time; the knife pierced her right thigh. I, my whole life, trained in martial arts to become a better Luna, contrasting with Aurora, who had only learned to sing.

‘This is a game that I can't lose.’

Blood began to flow from her thigh, and Aurora appeared dizzy. I moved to attack her once more, pinning down her other foot; Aurora lacked the strength to resist or the ability to escape.

The knife in my hand was now aimed at Aurora's neck.

"Die, you bitch! Never steal people's alpha in your next life!"