Chapter 8

AURORA

Night 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. “Thanks, Jada.”

She set the clothes down on a nearby chair, and I picked them up, grateful for something to distract me. I quickly dressed, choosing a simple yet elegant outfit, and combed my hair, trying to shake off the lingering frustration. I wanted to stay back in my room all day, but my stomach grumbled. I was so hungry. I knew that if I stayed back, Ethan was eventually going to come to the room.

There was no escaping him since I was in his palace, so I decided to just go downstairs and eat. When I finally headed downstairs, my heart sank when I spotted Ethan waiting for me in the sitting room. He looked up as I entered, his gaze warm.

“Good morning, Aurora. You look beautiful,” he said with a soft smile.

“Thanks,” I replied, my tone distant as I sat down on the opposite side of the room, keeping my eyes on anything but him.

Ethan’s expression faltered, and he leaned forward, concern evident in his eyes. “Is something wrong?”

I crossed my arms, exhaling sharply. I was not the one for confrontation, but I knew this was going to eat me up inside if I did not ask. I badly needed answers. “Why didn’t you tell me about the curse, Ethan?”

His face fell, and he shifted uncomfortably, clearly caught off guard. “Aurora, I—” He hesitated, his eyes darting away as he tried to find the right words. “It’s complicated.”

“Complicated?” I repeated, the hurt seeping into my voice. “I’m supposed to marry you, and yet you didn’t think it was important to mention that every woman you’ve attempted to marry had died? Did you just think of me to be one of your own trials to see if the still existing curse was existent? Did you bring me here to fucking kill me?”

Ethan’s face twisted and he looked genuinely remorseful. I wanted to smack that look out of his face because I clearly knew he was not remorseful about anything. “Aurora, please understand. I didn’t tell you because the curse is broken. It’s not a threat anymore.”

I shook my head, standing up. “You think of me as a fool to believe you again.”

“Aurora, wait.” He stood up, reaching out as I turned to leave the room. I thought I was going to go outside but instead, I stumbled into another dining room. I immediately recognized Kiara along with two other women I hadn’t met yet.

Had he decided to put me in another room to have breakfast away from his family? I did not know if that was even a good thing or a bad thing.

“Join us.” Kiara spoke with a faux smile on her face. I wanted to leave, but something made me rooted on my feet.

Ethan gestured for me to sit, and after a moment’s hesitation, I took a seat beside him. He looked around the table, his gaze settling on each person. He looked over with a look of gratitude before he turned back to his family.

“I know this is bad manners and the wrong place to say this, but since all of you are here, I want to make something clear. Aurora is the woman I’ve chosen to marry. This isn’t just a contract. It was my decision. I asked her to leave, and I asked her to marry me."

I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, and I forced myself to meet their gazes. This was all useless. I wanted to stand up and leave, but I couldn’t. It felt like I was rooted in my seat.

Ethan turned to me, his expression gentle. “I would never lie to you, Aurora. The reason why I did not tell you was because I did not think it was necessary because the curse had long been broken. I know you may not want to believe me, but I would allow you to research and find the answer to all of this yourself. You can ask everyone about it, within my close family and you can get someone to doublecheck the broken curse if you still do not believe me.”

My heart pounded as I looked around the table. The silence stretched uncomfortably, until Kiara finally spoke up, her voice softer than I’d ever heard it. It almost sounded like it wasn’t her.

“He’s right, Aurora. The curse was broken years ago.”

I looked at her, surprised. “Then I still do not understand why did you not tell me.”

“I am sorry for not telling you. I just thought it would be better if you did not know.” Ethan apologized.

Kiara’s expression contorted into an apologetic one also. “Well, this is a relief knowing you are not here to scam him out of his billions. Also, I admit I didn’t know how to act around you. I was defensive. And rude.” She paused, exhaling slowly. “I owe you an apology.”

I blinked, caught off guard by her sudden change in tone. “It’s fine,” I replied, still processing everything.

Ethan smiled gently and gestured to the two women seated beside Kiara. “Aurora, I’d like you to meet Mila and Sarah. Mila is the daughter of my beta, and Sarah,” he said with a proud smile, “is my sister.”

Mila gave me a polite nod, her eyes kind but reserved. “Welcome to Blackwater, Aurora. We did not get to meet because I have been busy.”

Sarah, on the other hand, grinned at me, her resemblance to Ethan unmistakable. “We’re happy to have you here, Aurora,” she said brightly. “Really.”

“Thank you, both of you,” I replied, smiling a bit. It was nice to meet people who weren’t looking at me like I was an outsider.

The atmosphere around the table gradually lightened as we continued chatting. I found myself enjoying the conversation, learning little details about each person. Mila was a serious, dedicated medical enthusiast while Sarah was bubbly and adventurous, her personality a stark contrast to her brother’s calm demeanor.

As breakfast wrapped up, Ethan turned to me, his expression soft. “Aurora, once again, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner about the curse. I was worried that it would scare you away. But I promise you, I wouldn’t put you in harm’s way.”

I met his gaze, searching his eyes for any sign of deceit, but all I saw was sincerity. I nodded slowly. “Thank you, Ethan. I appreciate you clearing things up.”

He reached out, his hand brushing mine, and I felt the tension between us zap once again. “I want you to feel at home here.”

I nodded, trying to hide away the blush on my face.

As we all stood to leave, Sarah caught my arm, smiling warmly. “If you ever need anything or if you just want someone to chat with, please don’t hesitate to come find me,” she said, her eyes sparkling with genuine kindness.

“Thank you, Sarah. I’d like that,” I replied, feeling a little less alone.

Kiara approached as well, though she looked a bit uncomfortable. She gave me a quick nod, her voice quiet. “Thank you for accepting my apology. You have a good heart.”

I smiled, feeling some of the resentment I’d held toward her fade. “Thank you, Kiara. I understand. It’s hard to trust someone new.”

She nodded, a slight smile on her lips before she turned and left with Mila.

Once the others had gone, Ethan and I lingered in the dining room. He looked at me, his eyes warm. “Are we okay?”

I nodded. I was glad he was taking time to still apologize about it. It was cute.

“Yes. We are.” I grinned at him.

He let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. “Good. I don’t want anything like this to come between us again."

There was a softness in his tone, a vulnerability that caught me off guard. “I don’t want that either,” I admitted, surprising myself with the honesty in my voice.

We stood there in silence for a moment. I saw his eyes wander all over my face, and they settled on my lips for longer than they should have settled. I felt my insides heat. Ethan seemed to come back to his senses immediately after. He smiled at me again weirdly before he muttered, “Bye.” And then left the dining room.

I tried to put out the butterflies in my stomach, but they seemed to multiply even more as I made my way back to my room.