CHAPTER 2

Aurora POV

"So what did my stupid brother do?" Noxon asked, passing me another glass of chocolate milkshake.

Sandy's place was quite great. The place was quite a cozy diner with checkered floors, red vinyl booths, and a jukebox humming softly in the corner. It gave a 90's vibe and somehow they serve the best milkshake and apple pie.

I'm practically thinking of living here.

I've had three glasses already, but somehow the sugar was helping. "Found him fucking Rebecca Stone." I stirred the whipped cream into the shake. "In Mr. Wilson's classroom."

"Shit." Noxon's jaw tightened, those grey eyes darkening. "Want me to kill him? Because I've been looking for an excuse since we were eight."

I couldn't help but laugh, even though it came out a bit hollow. "And here I thought you were trying to cheer me up."

"Who says I can't do both?" He leaned back, that dangerous smirk playing on his lips. The sleeve of his leather jacket rode up, revealing more intricate tattoos on his thick veiny arm. "Seriously though, he's a fucking idiot."

I gulped. "Why's that?" I asked, trying not to stare at the way his fingers drummed against the table.

"Because only an idiot throws away something real for cheap bidding." His eyes locked with mine, intense enough to make my breath catch. "You deserved better than being some pawn in his game."

Maybe it was the sugar rush, or the late hour, or the way he was looking at me, but something made me bold. "And what would you have done differently?"

He leaned forward, close enough that I could smell leather and spice. "I wouldn't have played games at all."

My heart stuttered. "No?"

"No." His voice dropped lower, sending shivers down my spine. "I've always preferred being straightforward about what I want."

The air between us became a little tense and difficult to breathe despite the diner being cold with an air conditioner.

I should pull back, and put some distance between us, but I couldn't move.

Didn't want to.

"And what do you want, Noxon?"

His hand found mine across the table, thumb tracing patterns on my wrist. "Right now? I want to get out of here."

I knew this was reckless. Knew tomorrow I'd probably regret it. But tonight, with my heart still raw and his touch setting my skin on fire, I didn't care.

"Then let's go."

We barely made it to the parking lot. The moment we reached my car, Noxon spun me around, pressing me against the door. His eyes looked into mine, offering me one final opportunity to pull back but I seized his jacket and yanked him closer to me.

The kiss was nothing like Nathan's careful, controlled ones. This was wild, desperate, all teeth and tongue and need. His hands tangled in my hair, ruining what was left of my careful styling. I didn't care.

"Fuck," he breathed against my mouth. "We shouldn't—"

I bit his bottom lip. "Shut up."

He groaned, lifting me against the car. "You're trouble, aren't you?"

"Maybe or maybe it's because you're a bad influence," I gasped as his lips found my neck.

"Sweetheart," he chuckled darkly, "you have no idea."

The night air was cool against my flushed skin, but Noxon's touch burned everywhere he made contact. My mind was spinning, caught between disbelief at what we were doing and not wanting to stop. This wasn't me, I didn't make out with guys in parking lots, especially not my ex's twin brother. Yet here I was, my fingers threading through Noxon's dark hair as his lips traced a burning path down my neck.

"We should probably move this somewhere else," he murmured against my skin, his voice rougher than usual. The sound sent shivers down my spine.

I knew he was right. The diner's parking lot wasn't exactly private, and the rational part of my brain was screaming that this was too fast, too soon. But the feel of his solid frame pressed against mine made it hard to think straight.

"My place isn't far," I heard myself say. My parents were away at a pack meeting, the irony wasn't lost on me that it was probably with Nathan's father.

Noxon pulled back slightly, his grey eyes searching mine. In the dim light, I noticed the struggle on his face. "Are you certain about this, princess? Because if we head there..." He stopped speaking, his thumb moving along my lip. "I could lose my cool, I'm not exactly known for my self-control.”

His blunt honesty made my heart beat faster. This was so different from Nathan's calculated charm. Where Nathan had been all careful words and hidden agendas, Noxon was pure intensity and brutal honesty. It should have scared me. Instead, it made me feel more want to do the unimaginable by stripping and letting him have his way with me there.

"Perhaps I don't want you to have control," I said softly, watching his eyes widen at my words.

He leaned his forehead against mine, a low growl escaping from his chest. "Damn, Aurora. You can't just say things like that.”

I smiled, feeling strangely powerful. "Why not?"

"Because," his hand slid down my side, settling on my hip, "you have no idea what you do to me. What I've wanted to do to you for so long."

That caught me off guard. "How long?"

He laughed, but there was an edge to it. "Too long. Way too fucking long to be having this conversation in a diner parking lot."

My mind raced with the implications. Had he always wanted me? Even when I was with Nathan? The thought should have complicated things, but tonight I didn't want complicated. I just wanted to feel something, anything, that wasn't the stinging feeling of betrayal and heartbreak.

"Then take me home," I said, pulling back enough to meet his gaze. "Unless you're all talk, bad boy."

His eyes darkened dangerously, and for a moment I caught a glimpse of the wolf beneath the surface. "Careful what you wish for, princess." He stepped back but kept one hand on my waist. "Keys?"

I fished them from my clutch with slightly trembling hands, hyper-aware of his proximity. As I handed them over, his fingers brushed mine deliberately, sending sparks of electricity up my arm.

The drive to my house was charged with tension, every red light was an exercise in restraint. Noxon kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting on my thigh, his thumb tracing maddening circles on the fabric of my dress. Neither of us spoke we didn't need to. The air between us was heavy with unspoken promises.

I watched him as he drove, noticing things I'd never let myself notice before. The sharp line of his jaw, the way his tattoos disappeared beneath his collar, the subtle flex of muscle as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. He was beautiful in a dangerous way, like a storm about to break.

‘Fuck, Aurora what are you doing?’ I thought, ‘You're not suddenly falling for him, are you? Because that will be a loaded heap of giant mess.’

He's the bad boy, the kind of chaos wrapped in a charming grin that should come with a red sign and keep away label. His presence is like a pull that feels like elation and promises chaos at the same time.

Falling for him would be like lighting a match in a room full of gasoline, reckless, dangerous, and bound to explode.