Aurora’s POV After the whole argument with Kieran, I knew going back in there was out of the option. I honestly was done for the day. I should have made up excuses to avoid attending the dinner party. I'd hoped with the knowledge of my past life, I could change some things but yet it all wasn't as easy as I thought it would be but I was still grateful I remodeled my dress and my nipple didn't slip off during the dance with Alpha Darius. I remembered seeing a bench nearby earlier, so I decided to take a walk there, to tire myself out before heading back to my room. I needed to get some energy out. If I had a wolf, I'd probably shift and go for a run or hunt but since I didn't, my only option was to walk. As I walked down the dark road, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I've been walking for about five minutes, and at first, I thought it was just my imagination playing tricks on me but as the minutes tick by, the sensation grows stronger. I can feel eyes on me,
Darius's POVAfter she walked away, I turned towards the way to my office building that I make use of in the pack for official purposes. Same as her, I was done with the dinner party and had no intention of going back. I was avoiding chances of having to make pointless small talks. Socializing was something I had crossed out of my list. My father had made sure of that.Growing up, my father had been a hard man. He was extremely strict and controlling at home. His idea of teaching me responsibility was through fear and intimidation. He'd often scold me, telling me I was worthless and that I would never amount to anything for being soft. I was always walking on eggshells around him because I never know when he would lash out at me.As I grew older, I began to realize that his behavior was not normal. He was abusive, and not just to me but my mother as well. His actions left deep scars in me. My mother and I had to hide our emotions, pretend that everything was fine when it wasn't. He wa
Darius's POV Leaning back against my chair, I exhaled as I stared at the picture frame sitting on my desk. The photo it holds is one of my most treasured possessions. A picture of my mother, taken during one of the last trips I took her to before she died. My mind wandered back to that day, remembering the way we had secretly planned the trip behind my father's back. Looking at the photo, I could almost hear her laughter and the sparkles in her eyes that day. In the picture, she was caught off guard, her face radiated with joy as she gently rubbed her baby bump. She loved nature and I took her on a picnic. As I sat there, lost in the memories, I felt a pang of sadness. It had been years since she was gone, but the ache of her absence still lingered. She never wanted the pregnancy and she suffered greatly in my father's hand during that period. It was my fault I couldn't protect her. My heart throbbed from frustration of how another woman has waltzed into my life and in an abusiv
Aurora’s PovAfter Alpha Darius left, I took a moment before heading back to the Villa that served as the packhouse. Tonight's dinner party had taken place in the Grand dining hall inside the villa which was the only route I knew back to my room. As I entered the hall, I could hear whisper of hushed conversations, but I ignored them as I made my way to the staircase that leads to my room on the second floor. Just as I reached the stairs, I heard Aria call my name “Aurora”.But I didn't acknowledge her. I saw my mother in law, Avery, coming to my direction, her eyes locked on me but I didn't slow down and quickened my pace when a woman intercepted her in a conversation. The moment I stepped into my room, I exhaled, letting the weight of the evening settle over me. My body ached from tension, and my mind was a mess of twisted thoughts. I had changed something. I hope.In my past life, this dinner had been a disaster. Kieran’s mother had humiliated me in front of everyone, showing e
Aurora’s Pov Immediately I saw through the small gap in the bathroom that it was Kieran, I felt pissed and irritated. As time passes, I find it hard to withstand him but I knew I needed to keep my cool, so I can achieve my goals.I should have known.Of course, he would come looking for me. Not because he cared. Not because he was worried but because I had stepped out of line tonight, and Kieran never liked it when I did something he couldn’t control. I wasn't loving the fact that the events this present time was changing or was I not getting the events right?But how can I forget tonight when it marked the beginning of how my life later turned out. It was a stepping stone to how miserable I later became. How I gave up life and stupid me worshipped the floor Kieran and his family walked on because of duty and love.Stepping out of the small bathroom, I tightened the robe around me, my wet hair clinging to my back as I faced him.He was standing at the edge of the bed, looking all
Aurora’s Pov As soon as Kieran left, I felt relieved. I was half scared he would want to try something funny but thankfully he didn't. I let out a long sigh. Finally, I can lay my head to sleep. I wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger, relief or anger. Relief that he was gone, that I didn’t have to deal with his manipulative behaviors tonight and anger that he even dared to think he could touch me after being with another woman. I wasn’t that weak, stupid, naive girl anymore. I wouldn’t let him have sex with me again. More than anything, I wouldn’t let history repeat itself. I felt my heart clenched as I remembered Caleb. The memories of Caleb came flooding, my heart felt like it was being squeezed. The pain was suffocating, making it hard to breathe. I remembered Caleb, my sweet, innocent child, and the agony I felt when I lost him. I sobbed uncontrollably, the tears streaming down my face. I even made Aria his godmother. A deceitful, two-faced bitch. She honestly des
Darius’s Pov I woke up by dawn, the familiar urge stirring within me. It was time for my daily run, a ritual I cherished a lot. It gives Magnus freedom as well while I get to clear my head and give in to my animal side. I quickly got dressed and headed out. I was eager to let out all the pent up frustration and irritation inside of me. All through the night, I was restless, unable to stop thinking about her. The way she reacted to my touch in the stall had me craving for more. My body ached with desire. Even had wet dreams and my erection ached all through the night.Stepping outside, the morning air filled my lungs, I ran towards the forest in the pack. I put off my shirt and pants, not wanting to rip them apart when I shift. The last thing I needed was to walk home naked, especially when everyone would be awake.The shift was quick due to Magnus' eagerness to hunt. As I transformed, I felt a rush of adrenaline in me, heightening my senses. No matter how far I ran, the thoughts of
Darius's POV I leaned back in the chair, resting my head on the sofa, my fingers tapping against the armrest gently as I thought of the best answer to give Ezra. He sat in silence, looking at me with a look of quiet concentration, expecting what my response will be. Everything happened so suddenly, I haven't been able to process it all without the bond kicking in and making me act all unreasonable but I blame it all on my pent-up hormones. “So I spoke to our investigator about her after you asked me to find everything about her,” he said, seeing I wasn’t saying anything. “He’ll be getting back to me soon with details. Once I have them, I’ll forward everything to you.” I exhaled slowly. Aurora was still too much of a mystery, I really know nothing about her apart from the fact that she was introduced to me as Kieran's mate. I needed to know everything about her. Where she came from, what kind of life she lived before she ended up in my territory, before she became Kieran’s mat
Aurora’s POVThe general study room in the packhouse was one of the few places where I found peace. It was quiet, filled with the scent of both new and old books. I had been spending most of my time here, drowning in medical texts, pushing myself to focus. Rachel had helped with my residency registration and all I had to do now was to appear in person and take an interview. It wasn't really necessary since I was one of the outstanding interns there but they just wanted to follow protocols and not give off the favoritism vibe to the others. My peace didn't last long when I heard the familiar voice.“Aurora,” Aria’s overly cheerful voice broke through my concentration. I didn’t even look up. I already knew the grin she wore before I saw it.“I expect to find you here,” she continued, stepping closer.“How unfortunate for you,” I said dryly, flipping a page in my book.Looking up, I saw Aria roll her eyes as she scoffed, unfazed by my sarcasm. “There’s a package for you outside.”“A pac
Darius's POV Ezra and I climbed the stairs from the basement, stepping into the small room above that serves as the living room, Ezra close the basement door behind us. The air inside was stale and heavy with dust. I moved toward the window, peering out into the darkness of the forest surrounding the small house. The night was still, but I knew it wouldn’t be for long, day will soon break. Ezra leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he studied me. “What’s the next move?” he asked, a strange, faintly eager look flashed in his eyesI turned to face him. “Call the Shadow Team.”“Now that's what I'm talking about.” He grinned widely.“Tell them to regroup and meet us at the north border.” I said, my eyes darkening dangerously.“Also, tell them it’s time we took revenge for our brothers who died at the drop site ambush.” My voice hardened. Ezra’s expression hardened as well. He gave me a sharp nod and pulled out his phone.“And,” I added, “mind-link the warriors at the north border.
Darius's POV “Your clothes Alpha,” he said as he tossed me a clean set of clothes he took from the front seat in the truck.“I've spoken to the cleaners, they are on their way,” his brow wrinkled with thoughts.I took the clothes and stepped to the side, swiftly swapping out of my torn, blood-soaked attire. The fresh shirt and pants were a welcome change, though I still felt the weight of the fight lingering in my muscles. Ezra stood near the bodies, checking for anything useful. After a moment, he turned back to me.“No insignias. No identifying marks. Just as I expected,” he said.“They were mercenaries,” I confirmed. “Hired to take me alive.”Ezra’s jaw tightened. “So Watson, right?”I smirked. “Yes. I didn't expect him to be this stupid.”Ezra didn’t look surprised, but there was concern all over his face. “If he’s bold enough to send mercenaries after you, he might be planning something bigger.”“I know.” My voice was calm, but a cold edge lingered beneath it.Ezra didn’t ask
Darius's POV The mercenary's breath was ragged against my grip, his pulse thumping violently beneath my fingers. Fear clouded his wild eyes, but I could tell he wasn’t stupid. He knew he was dead already and it was only a matter of time. Still, I needed him to talk, I loosened my grip enough to let him gasp for some air and to speak. “I’ll tell you,” he gasped, clawing weakly at my hand. “I’ll talk.”I let him down, his feet touching the ground, my grip still around his neck to give him a taste of freedom. “Start talking,” I commanded. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard and fear glittered in his eyes. “A man hired us,” he said, panting, “He said it was just a test of our skills and it was nothing too serious.”“He picked three of us and asked us to meet his other own personal mercenaries around Millvale.” He wheezed, coughing as my claws barely relaxed around his throat. “We were supposed to bring you in alive to him.” He added. “Who was the man?” My voice was low, a dark
Darius's POV The moment I noticed the black sedan following me, my instincts sharpened and I gripped tightened on the steering wheel, my eyes fixed on the road ahead, pushing all my thoughts behind me. At first I had thought it was a coincidece but after I had noticed it following me for a while now and we were driving in the same direction even though I had taken a few wrong turns and the black sedan took it as well then I knew I was wrong. This was not a coincidence.I pressed my foot harder on the accelerator, the engine roaring as my car picked up speed. A tail wasn’t unusual, but this wasn’t some casual surveillance. Whoever was behind me was persistent, and I intended to find out, who was in that car, and what did they want.I was now going at a speed of 80km/hr and I felt a surge of adrenaline as the car sped up. The black sedan also kept same pace with me, refusing to back off. I took a deep breath and made a sharp turn, hoping to lose it in the streets but to my surprise, a
Darius's POV The question lingered between us. Elena had asked me who the woman in the painting reminded me of. Seeing the changes on her face, she was curious. I hesitated for a second before answering, “A woman I know,” my eyes narrowed at her. Her expression remained polite, but I noticed the flicker of curiosity in her brown eyes. “Oh?” she said, clearly wanting more.I wasn’t going to give her more.“I’ll take it,” I said instead, shifting the conversation. “I’ll have it sent to someone.”She blinked at the sudden change of subject but quickly recovered, nodding. “Of course,” she observed me through lowered lashes.Reaching into her small purse, she pulled out a small red ‘SOLD’ tag and carefully placed it on the artwork’s lower corner. “I’ll have it packaged and delivered once you make your payment,” she said in a voice that seemed to come from a long way off."I will have my assistant make the payment details and send over the delivery address,” I answered with staid calmn
Darius's POV The drive to Millvale was silent and peaceful just like the solace I'd been craving. Ezra was busy with getting more infos about the informant's kidnapping. I'd refused the offer of letting a chauffeur and opted to drive myself. I needed peace and space from everyone. As I drove my mind began to wander, drifting back to the events of today. I didn't even notice the distance I had covered until Millvale came into view. I checked my Google maps, the screen displayed the estimated arrival time. The Albert Verde Gallery was still 10 mins away, giving me time to push pack’s business aside.Getting to the gallery, I parked my car directly in front, handing over my keys to the valet waiting as I stepped out of the car. A man approached me instantly. “Mr Darius?" He asked with a polite tone.I nodded, and a corner his mouth pulled into a slight small."This way, please, Mr. Darius," he said, gesturing with a sweep of his hand. "Mr. Albert has been expecting you." I followed
Darius's POVAs I sat across from Alpha Logan in the conference room, my mind was somewhere else. It wandered back to the message on the informant's body."Gotcha, Alpha Darius.”The words echoed in my head, and I knew without a doubt that it was Alpha Watson's doing, I could imagine the look on his face with that stupid smirk he always has. That arrogant, self-righteous Alpha thought he was above the law, that he could just waltz in here and challenge me.I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my cool as Logan read the content in the alliance proposal he had in his hands. My mind was racing with thoughts of Alpha Watson's sudden confidence. He'd been acting like he owned the place, like he had some kind of upper hand that was why he came here to see me, so he can confirm if I was dead or injured by the attack that happened at his supposed dropsite. That was a bold move, even for someone like him against me.I had knew there was something more to his coming, something that didn't add up. W
Aurora’s POV As I turned to leave, my gaze drifted towards the window, and my heart skipped a beat, quickly I turned my face and got into the car. Standing by the window, was Alpha Darius. I knew he'd been watching me, it will be a surprise if he wasn't. I felt a pang of guilt and regret, knowing that I couldn't give him what he wanted. In another life, perhaps, one I wasn't bound by my mission of revenge and my heart didn't belong to Kieran, I might have considered staying with him. But as what? His mistress? His sex slave? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.I pushed the thoughts away, trying to shake off the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of my stomach. The car ride back to Emberfang was silent for a while until Kiera started talking. “I hope you don’t blame yourself for the alliance falling through,” he said, glancing at me as he drove.I turned my gaze out the window, watching the endless stretch of road ahead. “I don’t.” I answered sharply.“Good,” Kieran s