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.AURORANight came not long after that and I lay to sleep, but it did not come, so I did not sleep. Morning came by so slowly. When the morning sunlight eventually streamed through my window, I felt a pang of frustration. I didn’t want to face anyone today. Especially not Ethan. I had trusted him, and believed that he was different, yet he had hidden something so big from me. There was something fishy in everything that was going on. I should have thought of that before I left my pack with him. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling a mix of hurt and anger still bubbling inside of me. Even if he had meant well, which I was sure he did not, he should have told me. That was the least he could have done to me.A soft knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. “Come in,” I muttered, pulling myself up into a sitting position.Jada entered, carrying a small bag with neatly folded clothes. “Good morning, Luna,” she greeted softly. “I brought you some fresh clothes.”I forced a smile.
DAMIAN Evelyn got everything ready in record time while I was trying to get my claim back on the throne to be strong after my mate was gone. They had given me some time to bring her back to the pack and make her my wife once again. I knew that I had to be fast, and Evelyn was quick to make that happen.The road stretched out before us, winding and empty. The towering trees seemed to loom closer with every mile. I sat in the back seat, arms crossed, my thoughts tangled and chaotic while I still tried to catch on with some work. Wyatt, my beta, was driving while Evelyn sat beside him in the front, her eyes flicking back at me from time to time.It felt strange, like this whole trip was a bad idea. It felt like a betrayal to my pack and everything I’d once stood for. But then again, nothing felt right since Aurora left. My anger, emptiness, and everything seemed magnified now that she was gone. She had left me so exposed to my feelings that getting up during the day had become a hassle
AURORAI sat before the mirror, my heart pounding as I stared at my reflection. Today was my wedding day. The reality of it felt overwhelming, and a strange mix of excitement and anxiety filled me. I was about to marry Ethan. He had been nothing but supportive and kind to me. But still, there was that nagging feeling of doubt. Was I doing the right thing?Behind me, Jada, my handmaiden, was gently combing my hair, murmuring softly. “You look beautiful, Luna,” she said, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror with a smile.“Thank you, Jada,” I replied, smiling back, though I wasn’t sure I believed it. I felt nervous and uncertain. I glanced down at the necklace around my neck, the last gift from my mother. Its weight felt familiar and comforting to me. Even though I told myself that I was going to let myself be at home here, I was not entirely sure that I allowed myself to be that. I was still a little bit wary about the pack, and I did not want to beat myself over it because it was too e
AURORA Driving back to Blackwater, I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my mind spinning with anxiety. I knew I’d crossed a line. I had left on my own, slipped away without telling Ethan, and now I had to face him. I did not even want to think twice about what he was thinking at the moment. I did not know how many people he had invited today to witness the wedding, and he just thought that I stood him up. Did he regret deciding to marry me?My chest tightened at the thought of his reaction. He had every right to be angry. If the roles were reversed, I’d feel the same way. I would perhaps even have a worse reaction than he would ever think of having. When I arrived at the palace and stepped inside, I immediately spotted Ethan and Kiara in the sitting room, casually watching a movie. They looked relaxed, and at ease, and for a moment, I hesitated, feeling like an intruder. She was probably there with him when I left. She must have convinced him that she was right to be wary of me in
AURORA The next morning, I woke up with the biggest smile on my face because it was my wedding day. I have been married twice, and it was not a love match but there was something to this one that I liked. The air was filled with the buzz of celebration. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the soft fabric of my dress, my heart pounding. Today was the day I would become Mrs. Grey. It felt surreal, almost like I was living someone else’s life. I never thought I was ever going to get married again. When you get married to the alpha of your pack, you are set to know that you are only going to separate from him when death carries one of you. But I did the impossible and I am out of the clutches of that. I took a breath while I was trying to keep my veil in place. I heard a gentle knock, and Jada entered, her face lighting up when she saw me. “You look beautiful, Luna.”I smiled, “Thank you, Jada. I can’t wait for the wedding to happen already.”She tilted her head, giving me a knowi
AURORA When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was that Ethan wasn’t beside me. The sheets were cold, his side of the bed empty, as though he’d never been there at all. A pang of disappointment crept in, and I felt a flush of embarrassment as I replayed the events of last night. I’d let myself believe, just for a moment, that maybe there was something real between us. But now, lying alone in the morning light, it was hard not to feel foolish. I tried to not have expectations, but it was hard when he held me in his arms like he did last night. I got up, trying to shake the feeling of vulnerability that lingered. I washed up and dressed, mentally reminding myself that this was just an arrangement, nothing more. What had happened between us was part of our agreement, a way to fulfill the contract, and nothing else. As I stepped outside, I spotted Sarah, Ethan’s sister, walking toward me, her usual bright smile in place. She waved, and I forced a smile, trying to bury the disap
DAMIANSitting alone in my chambers, I poured another glass of whiskey, the amber liquid shimmering under the dim light. I’d lost count of how many drinks I’d had tonight, but the bitterness in my chest wouldn’t go away, no matter how much I tried to drown it. Everything had fallen apart, and I couldn’t figure out where it all went wrong.Evelyn had left a few days ago, saying she was taking a trip with some friends, and I hadn’t heard from her since. Her absence gnawed at me, leaving a hollow space that only made me more suspicious. I needed answers. Why had my plans with the witch been exposed? Who had leaked the secret of my attempt to bring Aurora back? And was Evelyn involved? There could barely be a reason why she had left immediately after we had gotten in touch with the witch. A sharp knock on the door broke through my thoughts, and I looked up, bleary-eyed and irritated. “Come in,” I called out, setting the glass aside and trying to shake off the fog of alcohol.A guard ente
AURORA I clutched my diamond emerald necklace on my neck as I felt pain in the lower part of my body. He was doing it again. Damian was cheating on me with his girlfriend Evelyn while I stood there trying to look pretty beside him for the ball. But that was even the least of my concerns, even though I had been married to him for four years and he never attempted to treat me right. I had just found out that my ungrateful and wicked husband had killed my mother. I was not sure of it. I looked at the necklace closely in the mirror. I have owned it for several years but it had never shown me something like this before. When I was getting ready and I was clasping it on my neck, I had a vision and saw Damian standing in front of my mother’s dead body. Could he have really been the one that killed her all those years ago? I could not sit here and continue thinking about it because I was not going to get any answers. I needed to go and ask him. I looked over at the divorce papers