Chapter 2

AURORA

He looked like he was born of a fruit plucked from Heaven.

The man stood way taller than me, and the authority around him was impossible to ignore. He had medium, well styled raven hair. His skin was tanned and the angles of his face were sharp. His chiseled jawline and high cheekbones made him look surreal. His eyes were piercing and green, almost making me tremble in my shoes. Who was this man and why have I never seen him here before?

From his well styled and obviously expensive suit, I could tell that he was an important and rich man.

“I am so sorry,” he looked down at the spilled wine and then at my clothes. I could not help but notice the little accent in his voice that made my heart flutter. “Come on, let me get you cleaned up.”

“No, that is fine.” I called out for one of the waitresses. When she saw the spill, she cleaned it up with some wipes. I did not want water to touch my clothes yet. I was planning to dry clean it to keep the quality intact.

“I am so sorry again. I am not usually that clumsy, I just got a bit… distracted by a gorgeous lady like you.” He smiled, exposing his beautiful pearly set of teeth. He was really handsome.

“Oh please.” I laughed. I have been called unappealing so many times that I already accepted that I was not beautiful. If I were, my husband would not be avoiding me like a plague and not touching a hair on my body while we were in seclusion. He made me feel so repulsive of myself.

“Would you like to dance?” He asked, stretching out a hand for me.

For some weird reason, I hesitated and my eyes started to search in the crowd, looking for where Damian was. I caught him easily at the edge of the ballroom and he had just leaned in to kiss Lydia. I wondered if he would notice that I was dancing with another man, and then I scoffed at myself when I remembered that he did not even care.

I nodded at the handsome stranger and accepted his hand. His touch was warm and inviting, and it brought comfort to me especially because of all I was going through. I needed it so badly. He guided me to the dance floor and moved smoothly and controlled. There was a look on the man’s face like he was about to say something but then he did not know how to say it. I decided to end the awkwardness by just speaking first.

“What is your name?” I asked him.

“Ethan. Ethan Grey, the alpha of the Blackwater Pack.” He replied.

I froze and my eyebrows shot up. The Blackwater pack is our enemy land. I wondered why they would allow the alpha of our enemies to stand here, dancing with the luna of the pack. Unless of course there was an ulterior motive or we are going to make an alliance with them.

Mid-dance, I could see Ethan’s mouth twitching again like he wanted to tell me something once again. It was awkward because I could feel the attraction we had towards each other tugging us together like a string. Was he feeling it too?

“What is on your mind?” I asked, eyebrows shot up as I tried to not look at Damian and Evelyn.

“I could not help but eavesdrop on your conversation. I did not mean to. I just came over to give you a drink when I spotted the most beautiful woman in the ball. I did not know you were Damian’s wife.” He said Damian’s name like it tasted like poison in his mouth.

I was definitely not the most beautiful woman in the ball right now. I could peep the daughters of all of the Lords, Elders, and Highborn citizens of the pack. They were perfect just as much as they were rich. I always wondered if the reason why Damian never wanted me was because he knew he could do better. There was a mate bond between us but it did not mean anything because he could as easily get a second chance mate.

“So you were listening in on our conversation. How much did you hear?” I raised a brow.

“More than enough to convince me that Damian was once a fool and always a fool. No one should ever be treated that way, like they do not matter. Especially since you have been the luna of the pack for four years.”

I looked away from his eyes, focusing on the brooch of the Blackwater pack on his chest, “It has not exactly been a secret. Damian had always treated me like this and I was expected to always stand by him and be the doting wife while he cheated on me every single minute he was free. It still hurts as the first day he wrapped his hands around that woman.” I could not believe that I was venting to him. If my mother in law caught me, she was going to make sure I paid for telling an enemy something this deep.

“I am sorry about all of that. It took courage to confront him,” his grip on my waist tightened for a moment, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. “But if I may ask, and I hope you won’t offend, why won’t you leave?”

“It is not that easy.” I sighed.

I was sure everyone was wondering that but it was truly not that easy. I always clung to the hope that one day, he was going to change. He was my mate. I could not just discard him because we are supposed to be bound for life. But after today, I knew I had to make up my mind to leave. I couldn’t live with him even if I tried because of the vision.

I felt his thumb brush at my sides which felt oddly comforting, “You deserve better than that.”

“I know.” I pursed my lips.

“I have a solution for you, if you are willing to hear me out.” He leaned in and spoke directly in my ear when the music got louder. He smelled of male cologne and comfort.

“What type of solution?” I asked.

His eyes gleamed with mischief, but also managed to remain deadly serious, “Marry me.”

I blinked, going rigid as the words registered in my head, “What?”

“I am sure you heard that right. I want you to marry me. Odd place to propose, but I want you to marry me.”

I could tell I had a funny look on my face because he chuckled at me while our eyes were still locked.

“You can’t be serious.” I laughed, not believing that this was anything but a prank. It was too audacious and bold, trying to propose to his enemy’s wife.

“I am serious, Aurora,” he looked into my eyes, the mischievousness disappearing away from his gaze and he now looked serious. “I am as serious as I could ever be.”

“Why?” I felt like I was in the middle of a dream, because this did not even feel real. “Why would you want to marry someone that you just met today? We have never met before.”

His voice was calm as his demeanor changed, like he suddenly remembered that he was in a formal event, “It is quite simple, actually. You want to be out of this marriage obviously. It has been years, and you know that he is not going to come around. You can’t waste your years here being unwanted but a lesser man. I need a luna. So we can both help each other.”

“How is that helping me? What if I wanted to stay back?” I did not know why I asked that question because I was pretty sure that I did not want to stay here anymore.

“I am offering you a new start in another pack, away from all of the toxic people here. You are going to move on from your mate, and I will have you well taken care of. It is just for a while until you have my baby and then you can choose whatever you want to do. You can start a new life somewhere else with the billions I am going to put in your name. You can get legal papers drafted up if you do not trust me.” He said the words like he had rehearsed them several times.

I was shocked that he was interested in me. He could have had any other women in the ball who were single and prettier, so why was he choosing me? Was it to piss off Damian? If that was the reason, then I wanted to be part of it. I turned to look at Damian and he was still with her, introducing her to some of his friends while they laughed and she snuggled into his arm.

He had never wanted me. Even if I did not want to admit it, Evelyn was who he wanted to be with him. She was the one hooking her arm around him and the one he introduced to all of his friends. Ethan was right. I did not belong here. And he was offering me freedom. It was just going to be for nine months. It was going to be long, but there was nothing I could not do to gain billions and start my life somewhere else on a private island.

Alone and emancipated.

“Assuming I say yes, do you really think this is going to work? That nothing is going to come in the place of the arrangement and I would leave after the time elapses without any consequences?”

“You can add all of your concerns on a legal paper and write out whatever punishment you want for me if I do not fulfill my end of the contract. I will sign it.” His voice was soft and assuring.

I nodded, thinking hard. I could request half of his kingdom or his wealth to keep myself on the very safe side of things. I had to be smart if I was going to just hand over my life to a stranger I did not know, that is an enemy of my pack. But it was also the only opportunity I was going to have. I needed to take it.

“Fine,” I cleared my throat. “I will do it.”

Something like relief passed over his eyes, “You are not going to regret this.”

Ethan and I continued to dance as I thought of how I was going to break the news of divorce to Damian, and also hoping I did not get out of a box just to be locked down in another dangerous and unfamiliar one.