6

How many people does it take for an unwarranted headache to sizzle up in one’s head and prick one's nerves?

That was the question that the women she was out in the woods with just a moment earlier had been asking each other. They all had different answers, the numbers varied a lot too but they had one united answer despite their differences.

There is none for Aurora, no matter how many people it takes, no matter how irritating or intimidating they are, they can never shake the rock that is Aurora and she had agreed with just a smile on her lips.

How wrong had they all been?

Aurora never thought that she was going to see him again, they were going to cross paths but it is supposed to be later in life and even if they meet, she is not supposed to feel anything.

But looking at his face, she is in a trance, a lump is stuck in her throat, a barricade of conflicting and contradictory emotions that she had never felt in the last five years hit her _ the emotions she thought she has under lock and key bubbles to the surface when those hypnotizing blue eyes met hers once again.

Light shines on the old memories that were kept in the darkest part of her mind_ both the fairy tales and the horrific nightmares. 

Her heart beats wildly and she struggles to control her breathing and she feels the area where he had marked her sizzle in discomfort, but none of these shows on her face, she still looks natural and aloof.

Alec stares at her for a moment before he scoffs, he jerks Easton's hands off.

“What more did I even expect?” He mutters in something akin to disdain and takes his seat beside Maverick who has become still as a statue.

Aurora don't like Alec Hills any more than she hates Maverick Prill, they are both scums_ everyone at Earnest Valley that time were pricks_ but Alec is one of the worst, he was in cahoots with Maverick and assist in the smooth avoidance and neglect from Maverick's side. He once told her that the only reason he had not driven her out of the pack house was because Maverick still needs her empty figure as the Luna and that the place needs more cleaning.

The disdain he has for Aurora is mutual from her side too but nothing can rival the hatred Easton has for him for the shits he put them through as the ‘Beta-in-waiting and Beta’ of the Moonlight Pack.

He freaking sent guys after them that day when they walked out of the pack after the bond was broken and Aurora was half dead but Sally timely intervention as the Luna and help - which was basically forcing her uncle to keep them in his pack against his will, they moved out when they were healed enough though. That's the only reason why they are still alive and breathing, but they did a number on them and the long and deep scars that run up Easton's hand and Aurora's back, are the testimonies of that battle.

Aurora doubts that the prick at the other end of the table had nothing to do with it.

The tension in the room is as thick as fog but both culprits behind it just sit at the top of the table on opposite ends with blank faces, their henchmen continue to glare but the rest of the room don't know how to feel.

“That's what our pack has to offer, take it or leave it,” Aurora says, keeping her eyes on the man that was once her world.

The Moonlight Pack just got themselves involved with a witch coven and with Blood Moon, who is their ultimate werewolves rival, keeping their eyes on them, it would be wiser for them to join hands with Night Pack.

“As if this nonsense of yours can be called a pack? How on earth haven't I figured out once I see this dumbass that you are the witch they scream about, fucking fancy that you would turn to a killing machine, it is very fitting of you,” Dan bites and Aurora just pin him with a bored look.

“A rabid dog like you isn't worthy of talking to me, if it's your father maybe I might have considered that he used to be the most crass old man I have ever known,” Aurora says, and Sadie chuckles with Hilda.

“You are_” Gary says.

“A witch. No one says you have to like it.” Aurora cuts him off, now it is Floyd's turn to chuckle.

“There's drinks! What do our people here want, I have got everything!” A ray of sunshine dressed in leather bustiers and high heels boots enters the room, ignoring the tension and turning to both Aurora and Maverick, they dont answer her but she looks like she won't stop staring them down till they talk, so both of them open their mouths and order at the same time.

“Latte,” Aurora says.

“Americano,” Maverick says.

Both henchmen stare at them in disbelief that is present in their eyes too. It is like they switched drinks they used to drink five years ago.

“Pitiful,” Aurora spits.

“You are in no position to speak.” Maverick replies with a cocky smirk as he watches the woman who will bring the drink go out of the door, seems like he hasn't got rid of his cockiness, in fact it seems to have grown over the years. “There are our rules too. We meet tomorrow, I would say it's simple but there seems to be a lot of issues with simplicity so I won't bother, you always had a hard time understanding it.” he adds.

“And you love complexes a lot too. I won't be shocked if I need extra analysis for it too, but then that won't help too, if Alpha Maverick won't make it clear, he clears the fucking table and no one will be able to make it clear too.” Aurora replies and the woman comes with the coffee.

“Thanks Layla.” Aurora replies while Maverick only smiles at the woman charmingly.

Aurora rolls her eyes at the man, freaking cheat! He is still up and about with his skill!

“You can thank me better Aurora, if you get out of that scent cloak, I know that you can't smell any scent with it and staying too long in it is not healthy for you,” Layla replies and Aurora rolls her eyes at her.

She has a spell that covers her scent and blocks others off at the moment, she uses it when she has to focus on a task at hand and she had used it earlier in the woods.

She mutters words under her breath and the cloak falls off, but she wishes that she didn't because she feels a certain familiar scent do an equally familiar attack on her senses and her wolf talk in the back of her mind.

“Mate.” Her wolf says through her mouth simply and Aurora raises her head at an alarming speed to see that Maverick is also staring at her with the same alarmed gaze that she has on her face.

He knows that she is his second chance mate, the stupid goddess has played one of her mind games and connected them _ two mates that broke their bond by themselves _ together.

The intensity of the pull she feels towards him is ten folds than the first time she discovered that they were mates at that party and that is saying a lot, considering that time, all she wanted to do was go ahead and claim him as hers while standing in the shadows of the pack rules with her best friend rooting for her.

But Aurora knows that the feeling would only last for a minute or so, her wolf is too dormant to tAke any effect, thanks to Maverick.

It is all too different this time, she is not that runt of an omega that couldn't announce out loud that she is the man’s mate when he openly denied her or the one that let them break a bond that almost kill her after she had a fucking break down, neither was she that simpleton that let them walk all over her for three good years like an old doormat.

She is a powerful witch with a bunch of loyal rogues behind her, she is the leader of of the most fear association and have spells and magic at her beck and call, she has the power to voice out her opinion now without being screamed out to shut up or shut down, she has the right to firmly and grimly state the fact that she doesn't

want to have anything to do with Alpha Maverick Prill out loud and clear.