Dinner

Aurora’s POV

The name Aurora was all I knew about my identity. I had always been an outsider, one that wasn’t from the pack, and people did not easily accept my kind. And I guess being wolf-less did not make it better, so the hate began when I was just four, brought to the Emberfang Nation by Alpha Alaric.

Alpha Alaric was the only person who treated me better than everyone, so when I found out I was his son Kieran’s mate, I was beyond happy to be part of his family.

Just to be the perfect Luna in training, I stopped the only thing that I knew and was good at, medicine.

The only time I was allowed to operate was on behalf of Aria, she took credit for what I did and became the best doctor in the country and I, well I hid from the limelight to serve my mate, to be the perfect future Luna everyone would love and perhaps, perhaps one day they would look past my flaws and accept me.

How ironic.

I did all that, not knowing that was the beginning of my downfall, the day I had decided to mate with Kieran and love him despite everything he did. But now that I have been given a second chance, I will change my fate.

No longer was the nice and naive Aurora who gave up everything for a man and her best friend.

“You two always seem to be together,” my voice was light as I picked up the phone from the floor before sitting on the bed.

There was a slight shock in Kieran’s expression but he shrugged it off, but Aria’s face was now red as she glanced away from me.

“What do you mean, Aurora? We just came to see you together. We were worried about you.” Aria said.

I looked up as she moved towards me, her arms wrapping around my waist to give me a hug.

“But what happened last night? You gave everyone a scare. I don’t know why you did that, but you shouldn’t have slapped Kieran in front of all those people,” Aria sounded sincere, but there was a hint of joy in her voice.

I stared at Kieran as he looked at Aria with a gaze of affection.

Why hadn’t I noticed this in my past life?

Sigh, I was so stupid.

I did not say anything but continued looking at Aria and my cold stare seemed to make her uncomfortable because she moved away from me with a pout.

“Did I do something wr-”

“I’m not feeling well, so I would like to rest. Is there something you need from me, Kieran?” I spoke up, cutting Aria off, and I could see a glare directed at me before she masked it up with a fake smile.

“You two talk, I will be with the Luna and Lily if you need me,” she said walking out as I cursed under my breath.

I was fighting the urge not to dig out her heart right there. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes to control my anger before opening it to stare at my mate with a deadpan expression.

This should be when he asked me for that favor, right?

“Aurora,” he started, sitting close to me with his usual serious expression. 

Now that I remember, I had fallen in love with Kieran because he always had that serious side to him and he didn’t show me a look of disdain like everyone else. If only I had known he was good at hiding his motives well so he could get what he wanted.

“Are you feeling better?” he paused, and I gave him a nod before he sighed but continued, “I heard you saved Alpha Darius’ younger sister yesterday. He seems fond of you now.”

I closed my eyes and didn’t say anything, the corner of my lips tilting upward.

“Father wants to stay a week here before returning to our pack. We want to discuss a treaty with Alpha Darius, and if you can talk and convince him, then…”

Then it would be easier to form an alliance.

Darius, a man many would call ruthless, is the Alpha of Lunaris Dominion, the most powerful pack in the world. All the packs were here for his younger sister, Ivy’s birthday, so using this opportunity to ally with such a man would be good for our pack.

This alliance had been formed because of me in the past, but all I got instead was a rumor that I had given my body up to Alpha Darius, and that was why he accepted the treaty.

That was the beginning of my bad reputation and the person who spread that rumor was…

I smiled, and I shook my head, placing that naive and love-sick expression on my face.  

“I don’t think he is fond of me, and the matter of saving Ivy was just a coincidence, if people see that I’m with Alpha Darius, it would be bad for my reputation and I know you don’t want your future Luna to have such a stain.”

‘Two can play it that way. I will use your tactics against you.’ I concluded in my mind.

His eyes flashed in annoyance at my disobedience. This was the first time I had said no to his request. The past me would have agreed so readily to please him, but not anymore.

“You can’t even do that for me. You are my mate and future Luna. I was hoping you could just make a good impression,” he said.

I nearly laughed at his words. Now he knew I was his mate? And future Luna? don’t give me that crap, I died before I could be Luna.

“I will think about it, but I can’t promise anything, baby.”

He rubbed his nose in frustration, something he always seemed to do whenever things didn’t go his way.

“Alright, you should rest. All packs are having dinner this evening, so show up presentable, and don’t forget about what we discussed,” he added as he walked out without turning back.

I guess he was furious, but what did that have to do with me?

I flopped on the bed and closed my eyes for a moment. My lips trembled as I thought about Caleb. Even if I had been sent back to the past for my revenge, I would no longer get to meet him. I sniffed back the tears that were about to fall. I did not deserve to cry. I had failed at being his mother and the only thing I could do to redeem myself now was to get revenge on everyone that caused his death.

****

I glanced at the two dresses in Aria’s hand. She smiled, pushing the black revealing dress to me.

“This would look really good on you. Try it!” She screamed, and I held the dress in my arms, shaking my head.

Old habits don’t die, huh?

In my last life, I had worn the black revealing dress because according to Aria, Kieran would not take his eyes off me but that night all the men’s eyes stayed glued on me, everyone called me a slut because of how revealing the dress was and like the idiot I was, I went to talk to Alpha Darius in this dress sparking the rumors.

“You want me to wear this?” I moved my cold gaze to her, and she nodded her head, twirling in her pink dress. 

The dress she had chosen for herself was pretty with delicate and rare crystals, improving her image as the innocent and gentle girl, opposite to how I looked that day.

I nodded my head and smiled. “Thank you. What would I do without you? I will get changed in a bit.”

“Right! You always need me, so don’t forget that and get changed. I will go downstairs and wait for you with the rest of the pack,” she smiled before rushing out of the room.

I threw the dress on the bed and looked at myself in the mirror. Tsk, how brain-dead did love make me exactly?

Opening the room, I peeked my head out the door. When I saw the maid, I heaved a sigh of relief.

“Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but I need a favour.”

The middle-aged woman turned to me, and her eyes widened.

“My dear, you are the one that saved Miss Ivy last night.” A smile bloomed on her face and I smiled, recognising her. 

She was there last night. 

“Tell me whatever you need, and we will help you.” She held my hands, and I looked back to see a group of maids behind her.

“Yes, we will help you, Miss,” they all screamed with sparkling eyes.

I thanked them and grinned. 

‘This might just work.’ I thought.

Twenty minutes later, I look at myself in the mirror and twirl as a couple of gasps fill the room.

“My Goddess, you look gorgeous,” Diana, the head maid of Lunaris mansion, said with a look of satisfaction.

I had worn the black dress, but I made some adjustments to it. I had added black long sleeves that extended from my shoulders down to my hands. The black dress clung to my figure in all the right places but did not reveal too much. The high slit was still there, but black lace had been added and my leg could only be seen from my knees down.

“You are like an angel, Miss,” one of the maids said, and I laughed, looking at myself in the mirror.

The sounds of my heels echoed as I stepped down the staircase. My hands were on the railing, and I looked ahead with a small smile. Many eyes immediately stared at me as I walked, and the slit parting with each step hinted at my leg beneath.

“Damn.”

“Who is she? She’s stunning?”

“Whose pack is she from?”

I stared at Kieran who had a shocked expression and there was something else that I didn’t manage to find a meaning to because a yell sounded through the hall.

“Look, brother, it’s the pretty lady.” A tiny child runs up to me and wraps her hands around my waist.

My eyes shot up, but I awkwardly hugged the little girl, Ivy, patting her back.

I looked up to feel the intense stare from last night trained on me again. My eyes met a pair of expressionless eyes that ranked my body from head to toe, accessing and drinking in every detail.

I gulped and moved my eyes from the Alpha that was leaning leisurely against the wall.

That was Alpha Darius.

The man I had to ignore for the whole night to avoid the rumours.