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 break a bond with, a small pained howl was let out but none of it reflects on Maverick's face.
“I don't want to have anything to do with you, Alpha Maverick,” Aurora says firmly and Maverick nods. “This mate bond is not going to do anything.”
Her words cause his wolf to grunt in discomfort but it makes everyone else in the room go almost crazy and starts murmuring.
“What? They are mates?” Sadie asks with wide eyes.
“Again? I have never heard of two former mates becoming each other's second chances!” Hilda says.
“Are they going to reject each other like the last time?” Floyd asks instead, but none of them gets any answer.
“That has to be the weirdest mate's realization that I have ever seen,” Jared says.
“Me too.” Owen agrees.
“Me three. Normally, it is usually enthusiastic acceptance, dramatic rejections or awkward stare-touches. These two just stand there like blank canvas and converse like voodoo dolls,” Layla says but she doesn't bother to whisper like everyone else in the room is doing.
The other representative of the Rogue pack is surprised that the two used to be mates.
“That's understandable and preferred. Let's keep our distance, I hope that this won't affect our dealings,” he says and she scoffs like it is an insult.
“If you think that it will, then it is already affecting your thinking, we are going to be very diplomatic about this. You go over that file of yours while I run my eyes over mine, then we would meet tomorrow morning and everyone can fuck off, back to where they come from. My delta would lead you to your rooms for the night. Night, Alpha Maverick.” She says and stands up to leave, Alec doesn't fail to continue giving her the stink eyes.
Easton quickly stands up, not so subtly pushing the chairs beside Alec to make it hit him, before him and everyone else in the pack present here except Hilton and the gamma follow Aurora, Layla was chatting her ears off about how unbelievable she is to talk to her mate like that.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
“You have to convince her to be you, Luna, Alpha.” Dan says and Maverick turns to glare at him. He wonders if the leader of the pack council has a death wish.
Everyone else went to their room except for Gary, Dan and his best friend.
“Who the hell do you think you are to tell me what I should do?” He asks with an icy voice and both Dan and Gary flinch.
“Even though we were clearly against coming here before we came because we didn't know their oh-so-powerful witch and the Alpha are ex-members of our pack who went rogue.
Like seriously I am so surprised, that woman was just a Twink and that idiot just followed her around, how people have come to respect her far and wide is over my head. But still…” Gary says and expects either Maverick and Alec to ask him questions but neither of them speaks and just keeps staring at her which makes super uncomfortable leading him to clear his throat.
“We still don't trust them, if anything, we are more on edge because of the history you had with them, they look like they will do any fucking thing to bring you down. So if you manage to get to mark her as Luna, then she will be under you.” He finishes and Alec scoffs.
“And when she is the Luna, will she stop planning against the pack that drove her out? Fucking Hilarious.” Alec says sarcastically.
“Get out of my place, both of you.” Maverick says with finality, he has too much running in his head to deal with these guys’ bullshits.
“You might tell us to go out all you want but I have reported the event of this evening to my dad, and he will have to talk to his friends before they advise you on what to do. It's the pack business now. If you are away from her you will start feeling weak and sick, you are not immune just because you are the lycan king, Alpha.
There is pressure from the rival pack already, we can't have them getting a whiff of this, you are already lucky enough that your mate just happen to be the woman no one can just up and go and kidnap, that's a big bad bonus Alpha~” he says before he pulls Gary out with him.
His dad was the former elder when her father was still the Alpha and have a lot against Aurora, he was also the one that ranted on and on about how unfit Aurora was to be the Luna and got the witches that broke their bonds too, he and ‘his friends’ might have passed the position of the pack councils to their sons and daughters but these people are just puppets who get news back to them.
Fuck if he will allow them to make the decision of what he does with his mate this time too, they did a lot of trampling around the last time.
Maverick has been trying to eradicate them but they are such a pain in the ass and he can't get rid all at once. They are a huge apart of the pack too, so him, Alec, Floyd, Sadie and Hilda are drafting some plans, it was just supposed to be him and Alec but the rest found out, Floyd wants some excitement and excuse to investigate the ‘wrinkling things’ and everyone knows how much Sadie hates them.
“What are you going to do now Maverick?” He asks, his voice has turned soft and Maverick runs over his face and lets his best mate see him for how he truly feels.
Confused, angry, hurt, sad, and fed up.
The emotions he kept perfectly under wraps are bare and open for all to see behind the safety of closed doors and his friend’s understanding.
It is not mate bond that is letting him act this way, it barely has anything to do with that thing, they are even able to feel less since Aurora wolf is still barely at the surface, it is weak naturally and the broken bond must have done nothing to help it. His complex feelings have to do with all the buried tingles and strangles he buries deep, the complicated decisions and well thought brutal actions that come with no choices.
Were they going to go through that endless spin all over again? Aurora clearly announces that they shouldn't deal with each other but unless that addresses the big elephant in the room, nothing will get easier.
It will only be a matter of months after he is back in his pack before he starts feeling post mate-withdrawal symptoms.
“I honestly don't know Alec, I don't know.”
“Why don't you just reject her and get this over with, it hurts you a lot right here, I know that pained look in your eyes, it is just like that night after you ran all around the wood with pains of betrayal in your eyes.” Alec says and Maverick shakes his head and rests his arms on the nearest wall, placing his head on it.
“I can't do it again, Alec.”
“What can't you do?”
“I can't hurt her again, another fucking rejection will end her, I … I am done with.. that. I … fuck, Alec. All I know is that I can't hurt her again.”
“But she won't know the extent of the favor you are doing for her,” Alec says in exasperation and Maverick clenched his fist, the agony in his eyes immeasurable.
“It doesn't matter Alec, I am used to it now.”
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
“You guys have finally decided to do it, especially you spineless, idiotic, selfish, asshole and jerk of an Alpha! First you turn your back on her for absolutely no reason and now you want to kill her?!Everyone knows that Aurora's wolf is the weakest in the pack, a broken bond will kill her!You decide to follow this headless leader and councils and do whatever shits they tell you to do? You turn to the embrace of her worst enemy even though she meant the best for you, wasn't she nice enough to all of you?She put all of you above herself and endured your one sided nonsensical sneers with absolutely no sense, she bit her tongue when you spat out shit and what?You aren't satisfied? You want to end her!” Easton yells, there's nothing to lose, he is all alone and an orphan, what more can go worse?“You…” the council leader and former Beta stands up in anger to rebuke this rude man who is running his mouth but stops when Aurora starts laughing hysterically, it is supposed to be tears bu