Chapter 7

AURORA

Every day in Blackwater felt like walking through a circus, only that I was the one being showcased. The stares, the whispers, the looks of barely concealed suspicion were something I couldn’t escape daily. It seemed like everyone in the pack had something against me. And though I tried to brush it off, the weight of their judgment was slowly eating me up inside. I wondered if they were really doing all of this because they were wary of me or because there was something else.

How did all of them know so fast that I was from their enemy pack? I knew some of the people from this pack came to my pack for college and I do not see them getting treated like that. I wanted answers to why I was treated this way so badly that I was desperate. Ethan had told me I’d be safe here, that this could be a fresh start, but so far, it felt anything but welcoming.

This morning, as I walked through the palace, a small group of maids stopped talking as I passed, their conversation shifting to low murmurs. I caught snippets of words like “gold digger” and “unworthy.” My heart sank, but I forced myself to keep my head high, pretending I hadn’t heard a thing.

By the time I reached Ethan’s office, I was fighting to keep my emotions in check. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” he called, and I stepped inside, relieved to be away from the prying eyes outside.

He was seated at his desk, but when he looked up and saw me, he smiled. “Aurora, just in time. I have the results from your tests.”

“And?” My lips formed a thin line as I prepared myself for the worst.

Ethan’s smile widened. “All clear. You’re perfectly healthy.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “That’s great to hear. Thank you for arranging it all.”

Before he could respond, Lola, my lawyer, knocked at the door. I told her to come in and she walked in with a thick file. We’d finalized the contract for our arrangement, and now it was time to make things official. She handed me the paperwork, and I passed it to Ethan, feeling a strange mix of tension and anticipation.

He scanned the first few pages, his expression calm until he reached the section about my demands.

“Half my property?” he asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

I nodded, meeting his gaze firmly. “Yes. If you fail to fulfill the conditions of marrying me and having a child with me in the most comfortable and conducive environment to the best of your abilities, I’ll be entitled to half of everything.”

Ethan leaned back, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the table. “That’s bold.”

I shrugged, feigning confidence. “I wanted to make sure you were as committed to this as I am. I don’t want any surprises.”

He looked at me for a long moment, his gaze intense but not unkind. Then, to my surprise, he smiled. “Fair enough. Let’s do this.”

I released a breath, relieved. I hadn’t been sure he would go through with it, but here he was, signing the last page with a firm stroke of his pen. Somehow, I was expecting him to be rude and tell me that I was delusional about this. I was used to the men in my life behaving this way.

“Done,” he said, sliding the papers back to Lola.

Lola nodded and gathered the paperwork, a look of satisfaction on her face. “It’s all official. Thank you both.” She turned and left, leaving Ethan and me alone.

I glanced at Ethan, feeling the tension dissolve. “I wasn’t sure you’d actually sign it,” I admitted, a small laugh escaping me.

He shrugged, smiling. “I told you, I’m committed. Besides, I’ve got nothing to hide. I am all in”

There was a comfortable silence between us before Ethan leaned forward, his expression turning curious. “So, now that we’re officially partners, tell me more about yourself.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, well… what do you want to know?”

“Anything,” he said, resting his chin on his hand. “How old are you? What do you do for fun?”

I smiled, finding his interest cute. Since I was married when I was nineteen, I never really found anyone interested in me that way. “I’m twenty-three. And for fun? Mostly reading and painting.”

His eyes lit up. “Painting? I didn’t know that.”

“It’s something I do to unwind,” I explained. “It helps clear my mind.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That’s good to know. Anything else?”

I hesitated, but then decided to be honest. “I have an attention deficit disorder. ADHD,” I said, glancing up to gauge his reaction. “I have been struggling with it for a while, because I was diagnosed quite late.”

He looked genuinely curious. “ADHD? I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know much about it. What are the symptoms?”

I appreciated his openness, so I explained, “It makes it hard for me to focus sometimes. I get distracted easily, and I tend to jump between thoughts. But it also makes me… well, intense. I feel things deeply, and I’m always thinking.”

Ethan nodded, his gaze thoughtful. “I see. Thanks for sharing that with me.”

We sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, and I found myself relaxing, enjoying his company more than I’d expected.

Just as I was about to ask him a question, the door opened, and Kiara stepped in. Her eyes immediately narrowed when she saw me sitting there.

Her voice was icy as she addressed Ethan. “Alpha, I need to speak with you.”

I stood, sensing the hostility in her gaze. “I’ll leave you two to talk.”

But Ethan placed a hand on my arm, stopping me. “No, stay. Kiara, if you need to speak with me, you can do it here. She is about to be the luna of the pack, at least for some time. It is okay if she listens to some of the things we talk about.

Kiara’s mouth tightened, clearly unhappy with his decision. She glanced at me, then back at him, and I could see the conflict in her eyes. After a tense moment, she finally muttered, “I apologize for interrupting, Aurora.”

The apology sounded forced, but I accepted it with a polite nod. “Thank you, Kiara.”

I excused myself and left the room, grateful to escape the awkward tension. As I walked back to my quarters, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Kiara’s hostility went deeper than just jealousy or mistrust. There was something about her that made me feel too unwelcome. She looked at me like I was a trash bag. I had an inkling and I needed to know.

When I returned to my room, I found Jada, my handmaiden, busy tidying up. I watched her for a moment before clearing my throat.

“Jada,” I said, and she turned, her expression cautious. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Luna.”

I hesitated, unsure how to phrase it. “Why does everyone here seem to hate me?”

She shifted uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze. “It’s not that they hate you, Luna. It’s just that you’re an outsider. Not from this pack.”

I narrowed my eyes, sensing there was more she wasn’t saying. “Jada, please. Be honest with me.”

She bit her lip, glancing around as if afraid someone might overhear. “Well, I am not sure of it but I heard some of the maids whispering about it. It is also because of… well, every woman that Alpha Ethan has ever planned to marry…” She trailed off, clearly reluctant to continue.

I leaned forward, my heart pounding. “Every woman he’s planned to marry, what?”

Jada lowered her voice to a whisper. “They all died. Every single one. People think you’re just here to take advantage of him and scam him out of his money. That you’re not really serious about this marriage.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. So that was it. That was the reason for the stares, the whispers. They thought I was just here to manipulate him, to take from him without giving anything back. I felt betrayed. So fucking betrayed that this had happened all under my nose and Ethan never bothered to tell me. Was he planning to kill me? Was that why he agreed to sign away half of his property knowing that I was just going to be another casualty gayer marrying him?

I took a deep breath, struggling to process everything. “Thank you for telling me, Jada.”

She looked at me, guilt in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s okay,” I replied, offering her a reassuring smile. “I’d rather know the truth.”

As she left, I sank into a chair, feeling the weight of the betrayal settle over me. I thought he was different, but it was my fault. I was the one that was so easy to trust people, and then got hurt when they eventually showed me their true colors.