3

Easton wraps his hand around Aurora's shoulder when the latter turns stiff, he glares at Maverick in anger. Even though he flaunts Phoebe to every guest, this is the first time he shows affection so brazenly.

Aurora and Maverick's eyes meet briefly and she is sure that she sees a strange emotion in them but before she can figure it out, Easton drags her away and she lets him.

Easton finally stops when they get to the car, Aurora opens the car and sits on the passenger seat, the other man starts the car and they drive off.

“Why the hell did he even accept you as his mate if he doesn't love you? At this rate rejection will be better than all this, at least we can go to Connor or Sally to take care of you, this constant rejection sucks!” He stares angrily, Aurora knows that it is a rhetorical question but she answers anyway.

“Because we had sex that day, the mate awakening ceremony, we had sex that night at the pack house,” Aurora says quietly but Easton hears anyway and he slams on brake, pulling the car into a halt and making them jerk forward.

“What the fuck Aurora?!” Easton yells at her, his eyes wide in surprise. That is a tiny detail that she didn't tell Easton.

“It was not deliberate! You were with me when Sally called me into the pack house right?” Aurora asks and Easton nods.

Easton had taken her away to let her rack her brain for the reason why Maverick denied her that night and she had cried her eyes out, that was the night that marked the beginning of leaking out tears because of him.

Sally, the Luna of the pack and Maverick stepmom had stopped and told them that she would like to talk to Aurora alone, Easton had left them, Sally had collected the drinks Tessie was supposed to deliver to her father that also has a room in the pack house and led her straight to Maverick's room.

“Sally brought me there to talk, you know that she is nice woman so I can't say no to her,”

“Yeah, she is the only decent woman in this godforsaken pack,”

“So she led me to Maverick's room because that's the only she can be without dignitaries from other packs disturbing her, she was having a talk with us before she had to run for a few minutes, she ordered none of us to leave and I seized that opportunity to ask Maverick why he was being the way he was but he doesn't answers me clearly and made me angry but before any of us could leave or anything we started feeling hot, I swear to you Easton, it wasn't raging teenage hormones or anything like that, it was like I was under some sort of spell and had to have sex to relieve myself, it was that same way with Maverick too.

He tried to resist me but I wasn't letting him go, I was way past my sanity and it wasn't long before he lost his reasoning too and the rest was a big blur.

But we knew that we just had sex when we came through and Sally had caught us. He had no other choice than to admit that I am his mate, he investigated the reasoning we were like that but he came back blank, he later let it go.”

“Jesus fucking christ!” Easton exclaims. “I take it that it was then that he told you that he won't have anything to do with you,” Aurora nods and Easton place his head on the steering wheel in frustration.

Maverick Stuart Prill really kept to his promise of not having anything to do with her, he truly announced her to the pack members as the Luna but made no effort to protect her as they talked down to her, nor did he shield her from the pack and her family, her mother still talk down at her and Jerry still insults her, he doesn’t hurt her physically anymore.

Maverick got different rooms for them and never gave her the time of the day to talk to him_ the thing is if Maverick didn't want to talk to her, all her efforts would be in vain. 

They leave her out of the hunting and major pack activities, forced to tend to duty at the kitchen, the excuse is that she doesn't have a wolf and it works every time.

Maverick seemed to grow closer to Phoebe too and there were rumors circulating around the pack that they are dating each other, the pack members respect Phoebe more than they do to her.

A week ago, a guest was in the town and wanted to see Luna, the woman who he asked had led him straight to Phoebe and the woman assumed her role diligently.

Sally and Easton were outraged about the matter but when the matters got to Maverick, he only waved it away nonchalantly.

They went from being ‘everything’ to nothing at all.

It is difficult for her to continue enduring this but she still held on, even though it is clear as day that Maverick hates her, she couldn’t find the heart to hate him too. No matter how much she tried to change his profile in her head, he is still the man who had supported through the hardest part of her teenage years and been there when she needed someone the most. It is not that easy to say goodbye.

After everything, he is still the only love of hers, he is still it for her, she loves him a lot, she really does but he is in the stars now, far away from her reach, she doesn't have his hand to hold anymore and it still hurts, so damn much more than it should.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

When they show up again at the pack, Aurora with red eyes and running nose and Easton with a sullen expression, they notice that something is wrong with the pack members.

Every single person they come across keeps staring at Aurora with a mocking and amused expression, they have a knowing look on their face, they ignore it at first but it gets disturbing at some point.

“Any idea what's going on?” Aurora asks and Easton shrugs.

“No, we have both been at the attic since we left the main hall in the afternoon,” Easton says and Aurora stares at the sky that had turned dark and a bright moon hangs in the sky.

They get to the packed house and to their surprise, Tessa is standing at the door, she seems to be waiting for them because her eyes lit up when she saw them.

“The Alpha and the others are waiting for you at the small field behind the pack house, you are required to come there as soon as you come back from your sexcapades,” Tessa says with disdain and Easton just scoffs at her while Aurora just nods. Tessa is irked that she can't spin a reaction from them but she seems more happy about something else.

“Let's go, Aurora,” Easton says, holding Aurora's arm gently and intentionally bumping Tessa on their way out.

Aurora feels trepidation rise in her heart when she sees the people waiting for her, the former pack leaders, the pack councils, her whole family and Maverick who is sitting beside Phoebe.

“This can't be good,” Easton says, his steps faltering but Aurora dragged him with her.

She is ready to face them or that's what she thought before she sees the witches sitting with them, the dark makeup on their beautiful features, dark dress up, the runes and the rings give their identity away, one of them is chanting a spell as they set up some sort of array.

“You are finally here, Aurora. Seeing how you have been frolicking with Easton, the Alpha has decided to grant you freedom, these witches are here to break the bond between the both of you,” her mother is the one that speaks up, a small smile on her lips. Phoebe and her sisters, the formal leaders and the pack council also have smiles on their lips while Maverick and Annabella’s faces are blank.

Aurora is speechless for a bit while Easton is livid.