2

“What the hell are you talking about? She was just standing on her own when they approached her, why would you accuse her when everyone here clearly saw that?!” Easton is the one that yells at Maverick which breaks Aurora out of her staring spell.

Maverick's eyes landed on her and Aurora wondered how on earth they became so cold over the space of three years. Those frozen blue eyes are the same ones that used to stare at her with warmth, they are the ones that used to assure her.

“It doesn't matter that they were the ones that approached her first or looked for trouble. As the Luna of this pack, she should know how to dismiss them or get out of their sight so as not to ruin my gathering.

The dignitaries present won't remember them but they will hold on to the fact that the Luna of this pack is an immature brat who don't know how to bite her tongue when she needs to,” Maverick replies, not raising his voice a bit but those words rings too loud in her ears.

“I…I…_” She stutters but he cuts her off.

“Save it! I am thoroughly disappointed in you.”

“Well, you don't get to be disappointed in her because you have no right, don't sweat it jackass, the feeling is mutual on her part too,” Easton glares at Maverick, wrapping his hands over her shoulder and pulling her close to himself, Maverick glance at his hands briefly before he scoffs.

“Watch the way you talk to him unless you want to die right this instant,” Alec snaps at Easton from behind Maverick and Easton snickers.

“Kill me all you want, it doesn't matter,”

“So what are you trying to say?” Aurora asks breezily and Maverick snaps his head to look at her in surprise, she surprise herself too, because for some reason whenever Maverick was involved after they became mates, and he started ignoring her, she always find herself speechless, all that she is able to think about is what might be the reason why he deserted her like that.

She would continue to stare at him hoping that she would find her answers.

“What?” Maverick asks.

“Am I supposed to remain silent while they talk shit to me? Sit to the side like a good little bastard hybrid runt that I am? Why should I do that?” Aurora replies, staring straight at her face that used to and still captivates her. “Oh, I forgot. Because they are of course the pack’s helper, Phoebe Brian’s sisters. I should just let them walk all over me,” she answered herself sarcastically.

“I understand that I am the fake Luna, the person you truly want is the lady standing beside you, but don't you think that this is just too much? 

You should at least respect the fact that we are mates and not flaunt your new bitch in my face. I didn't ask for the moon goddess to pair us together,” yeah, she did, she begged her day and night five years ago to please make it happen, she begged her for two years, but these people don't need to know. “I didn't force myself on you, I didn't beg you to accept me as your mate, why the hell must you treat me like I am below every single one of you?!” Her voice is as empty as her aching heart, it has been three years and the heartbreak is still not over.

She is trying, trying so hard, trying her best but she can't just get over him, even though she knows that the forever he promises her is just pretend that ended quickly and one of the many lies he crafted very well.

“That's because you are,” Maverick replies, simply and coldly and Aurora feels her heart break again, the glares and stones she gets from the pack members doesn't break her bones but a harsh word from him is all that is needed for her to crumble.

Maverick told her that their time was fun while it lasted and Aurora already deduced that Maverick was only messing with the pathetic omega of the pack but having him say these words makes her confirm that she is only a one time pass in his life.

The fact that she is only a fleeting moment in his life she had made him her eternity makes her want to double over from the pain she is feeling and hide under a rock.

Good thing that her wolf is as dead as ghosts are, or she will be ripping apart because of the pain she will be feeling.

She straightens up and stares straight at him with determined blank eyes, keeping her tears swimming at the back of her eyes.

“Of course I am, doesn't everyone here know that? You can make Phoebe right here wife, I don't give a fuck, just let me be, as long as you do that, I promise that I will attend your wedding, will also be the bridesmaid if you want, we will end things quietly without hurting any of us,” Aurora can swear that she sees pride flicker in his eyes but it is only for a second before it is gone, why would he be proud? She is sure that she imagined it.

Aurora knows that Phoebe isn't his wife but she will soon be, if anyway they have been flirting with each other every passing day for the past year is anything to go by. It kills her and it's a surprise that her corpse hasn't been packed out already but she just wants out.

They can get married for all she cares, they have her blessings, they can be happy together while she will be crappy alone, she admits to herself that getting over him won't be a day's work.

“Since we are done here, I will get out of your hair,” Aurora adds, she grabs Easton's wrist and walks away from their sight bumping his shoulder on Maverick's on the way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Remind why we are still not out of this shitty place,” Easton says.

“The Luna might be needed anytime, I have to be present,” Aurora states nonchalantly, Easton glares at her and immediately knows that she is not as okay as she says that she is.

“That asshole!” Easton yells when they are standing at the far end of the hall, there's no one around them and they are hidden by the dim light around the place, nobody would notice them standing there but if they focus, they will see both of them there, leaning against each other. “He has been like this ever since the night of the mate awakening ceremony, the petty bastard is cringey enough to use you not showing up as an excuse to leave you.” Easton is now glaring at Maverick who is giving a speech on the stage, a smile on his lips like he didn't just wreck over someone's life with his words.

The day before the ceremony, Aurora has promised to meet Maverick later but it was sabotaged by her mother who ordered her to do loads of chores and had her eyes on her, she couldn't sneak out when she has her eyes on her, it will be too dangerous for both of them.

Then came the day of the party, the mate awakening ceremony is an occasion that is hosted once every five years to help mates find their mates but that time, three years ago, it was a fusion of mating ceremony and crowning Maverick as the Alpha, he would be trained for his position for two to three years before he got the maximum authority because the pack councils didn't want a young man ruling their old asses.

She remembered that his eyes that were supposed to be twinkling in happiness were just unreadable. Aurora hated that expression the most.

She had noticed Maverick avoiding and ignoring her and she had tried to get him to talk to him when she cornered him that morning, because she was going crazy from his muteness but he only stared at her with mild disgust, there was a flicker of hatred too but he didn't said anything, he just pushed her from the way gently and walked away.

That action had hurt her.

She didn't have a cell phone because her mother prohibits her from using it so she used Easton's phone to call him but as soon as he heard her voice, he hung up and blocked the number.

And on the stage when one of the council members asked him if he had found his mate, even though they both knew that they were each other's mate because they felt the bond, Maverick said;

“No, I haven't seen her and I don't think that she is here tonight.”

Aurora's heart had slammed hard against her ribcage and she swore that it stopped for a moment.

Aurora pays attention to Maverick who is still talking on the stage like a happy man, the same way he did that night.

“You are strong Aurora, hell, you are one of the strongest women I know, why can't you just close this and leave all of it behind? You should have moved on!” Easton asks but he is still staring ahead, and Aurora lets out a sad smile.

Easton knows how much everything tears her apart but she knows that leaving isn't going to sort it.

“The stronger the force, the stronger the weakness when the support is gone. I love Maverick more than I love myself and I hate myself for feeling this, it is like I need him somehow. I am scared of leaving this behind, there is still futile hope that he would look at the same way he used to do, that he will get lonely, miss us, he will slip out of her embrace and find me again. Pathetic, I know, but that's how I feel,” Aurora says and Easton can't help but feel sorry for her, he spots a brunette trying to move closer to them and he glares at her which makes her shrink away.

“Thanks to all of you for being here, I appreciate the fact that you agree to this alliance, it would not be possible without your support, I thank the pack members and the former leaders. I especially express my gratitude to Ms. Phoebe Brian, she has contributed immensely to the program, I am afraid that it wouldn't have been possible without her.” Maverick addressed the pack members and turned to place a kiss on Phoebe's cheek which made the pack members cheer, he also seemed to be staring straight at her as he did it.