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.
Maverick does a mental nod in his head when Layla says that Aurora has been using a scent masking spell since she entered the room, it now makes sense when he realizes that must be the reason why he can't smell her when she walks into the room and only realizes that he still can't.Not until she whispers some things to herself and her sea-like scents hit him, the problem is that it hits all too well.Aurora smells like the scent of the breeze that hits you when you have been standing at the ocean while staring at a sea shell and he has always liked it.One doesn't get to see too much of the sea when one is a werewolf and has to be in the woods and forest and small town, so her scent was a fresh difference from the others in the town and calmed him.When those scent play with all the nerves of his sense organs and his wolf rumples at the prospect of finding a another mate, it is happy but the happiness dims and it whines when he sees that it is still the soul that hurt them and they br
Layla leads them from their room in the morning, Maverick and Alec have just finished dressing up when the bubbling woman knocks on their door. She says that she can't let them stay cooped up inside their room while she can take them to see the beauty of their pack.“Is it really necessary that you come and get us so early in the morning?” Alec grumbles and Layla bobs her head.“Of course. It is absolutely necessary, you people have already woken up and got dressed already and all you would do is stare at your phones and laptops in your room before we had to talk at the meeting again.” She replies with a wide smile.“And does it have to be only us? There are others too.” Alec says and Layla rolls her eyes at him.“You are the ones I find most likable among them all, except that beautiful brunette and her sidekick of course, but a woman must get her beauty sleep, I heard that she is the Pack's doctor. So she must have a lot on her hands already, the poor woman must study till late at n
Fucking Zach had to delay the documentation of the contract, apparently there is some freaking glitch in the system of the thing so Alpha Maverick and his representative have to stay here for a few more days, tell your freaking Beta to act like one Easton!” Layla snaps and Aurora rolls her eyes at the drama queen while Easton just ignores her and continues playing some video games on his phone.A lot of things have changed over the years but not his love for freaking games, he can sit with the thing from morning till night and not get bored, Hilton doesn't discourage him since he joins him to play too and Aurora often wonder how they get anything done as the Alpha and Delta of the rogue pack.“Don't you like the presence of them here?” Hilton asks, not bothering to glance at her, Aurora buried herself comfortably in the beanbag.“I definitely don't.” Easton says and Layla glares at him.“Of course you don't, but I do, why won't I like that hunk parading around in our pack, he looks to
Maverick stares at all the members of the supposedly ‘cruel’ pack and tries to pin that word with the image and actions of the people all around him, but it is not making any sense.They were all supposed to have scars when they try to initiate themselves into the pack and hurt themselves for the fun of it, but these all gathered around a grown ass man that tumbled in the field and hurt his toe, as if that is not normal to even the humans, not to mention werewolves but these people are rogues_ the worst kind of werewolves, others first instinct when they see them is to attack and a lot of follow that instinct.Then they are not supposed to be offering sweet cookies to members of a rival pack, not supposed to get chummy with them, neither are they supposed to be this happy about two of them finding their mates, they practically drag them to build the tents with them whilst cracking jokes like they have been buddies all their life.The kids here _ rogues, werewolves and hybrids_ aren’t
“It is late now, we should just head back, there is no use staying around,” Layla says and Aurora removes her hands from Kael’s when she is steady on her feet, she is not going to accept help down the hill and he gets that.“Thanks Kael,” She says with a small smile and Kael nods with another smile of his, he is just happy to be of help and the fact that she chose him instead of the asshole opposite already made him over the moon. She turns to Layla and they both start to walk away.Maverick keeps to himself since then while Kael looks so proud of himself, Aurora has a blank face like she doesn't realize what she is doing or maybe she reads don't, but Layla has never looked so pissed, she keeps shooting glare at Kael who is straight up ignoring it.They never got the wild boar and it is getting very dark so everyone decides to listen to Layla.Aurora and Layla were the first to leave hand in hand.Maverick wants to just go to his room and sleep the rest of the day off but Kael has oth
“Don’t play hard to get, play hard to forget,” Aurora mutters as she stands on the field staring up at the podium. “Unfortunately I failed both, I didn't play hard to get and apparently I am easy to forget too.”Aurora Wells stands at the side with a glass of champagne in her hand, her blank eyes fixed on Maverick Prill and Phoebe Brian who are standing beside each other on the stage and welcoming guests from the other packs.“What is Cliche? It is your everyday life, I am so tired of seeing this, they look so much like the perfect couple, the kind of ones the councils want, I am sure they are glad,” A familiar voice says sarcastically before the person stops beside her. “Do you want to get out of here? We can go to my dad's attic and discover some cool things.” Easton says beside her and Aurora shakes her head at her best friend, the best kind regards of friend she can ever get.Sometimes she wished that she was mated to this nice ass fine man instead.“No I can manage,” She says. “B
“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 c
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 brak