Four

“Mother, he freaking attacked me! And you still want him to be my mate? He’s a Goddamn psychopath…”

“No, Aurora, don’t say that. Your father wants the absolute best for you…”

“No, he does not! He hates me! To think I’d actually agree to mate with a lunatic like, Kendrix.”

“Aurora,” Azzura called out sternly.

“I’d rather become one of the Alpha’s omegas and suffer than end up with a psychopath like Kendrix…”

“He is not a psychopath, Aurora! He is your chosen mate,” Azzura thundered unwittingly, her eyes shut. When Aurora didn’t retort, she opened her eyes, realizing the damage she has caused between her and her daughter.

She exhales tiredly, rubbing her temple. She was drained out by Aurora constantly complaining about Kendrix when she was sure he didn’t have a problem and her daughter was being stubborn and overreacting the whole situation. She wanted the best for Aurora and she knew Kendrix was the best for her daughter.

“I honestly don’t know why you’re making this such a big deal, Aurora. Your father and I want the absolute best for you—why don’t you see that? Why do you always see the bad side of things?”

“So, I’m the problem?” Her tears blurred her vision as her throat clogged. She was so angry and disenchanted. She thought if her father wasn’t thinking straight, there was no way her mother would have that same unreasonable thoughts. But she was wrong, they were both on the same page and was about to take her to her grave before it was even her time. “What do you see in this Kendrix guy? Why are you both so obsessed with him?”

She hated how both her parents were licking under the feet of Kendrix. He was no good. They couldn’t just see it yet.

“No, you’re not the problem—no one is. And we see future and potential in him. With Kendrix, I know my daughter would be safe and nothing would happen to you when you’re with him. Don’t you want to be a Luna anymore? I thought that was your dream, Aurora. I thought you wanted to be your own spearhead.”

“You don’t understand, mother. Kendrix is not what you think he is. How could you just trust someone out of our pack with your daughter? When did we start becoming friends with other packs? I thought we hated each other? I thought we were nemesis?”

Azzura gently grabbed Aurora by her shoulders and lightly squeeze it. Aurora was sobbing uncontrollably—her heart was in chaos and the more the thought of Kendrix being her mate, the more she crashes down.

“We never hated any pack. We were never enemies, Aurora. We only protect our packs from any sort of danger when we have to, even if it means killing someone from our pack. The Alpha’s first priority is protecting his family, his pack. So, disregard the thought of being enemies with other packs. And in Kendrix’ case, you refuse to give a chance at least, get to know him before you judge him.”

She hesitantly nodded, not because she was convinced or she was going to give him a chance. He has already proven to her that he wasn’t stout enough to be her mate. He was weak—hurting her for just stating a mere fact. What would he do to her if she does something contemptible?

He was short-tempered and abusive—she could never handle that.

An hour later, Aurora was wandering around the woods when she caught a glimpse of something. She stoops low and picked it up—it was her journal. Muddled, she looked around. She knew the guy she saw last was the one that picked it up and she always saw him reading it while resting on her favorite spot.

She shoulder-shrug and scaled onto the rock. It has been long since she last came out here. It felt relaxing to be out here again. Looking around, she exhales softly. Relishing to every bit of her isolated space.

She kept the journal beside her and brought her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them.

She was turning eighteen in just few months and she never thought in her wildest dreams that she’d stay this long without a mate. Maybe because every werewolf in their pack was afraid to approach her, thinking they’d be punished to think of mating with the Alpha’s only heir.

‘Or maybe because you’re stubborn and chase away all the perfect ones that want you.’

Aurora shook her head, trying to disregard the pathetic thoughts she was having at the moment. She still had some time and she knew the perfect mate was coming. Some delays are a blessing in disguise.

“Hey.”

Aurora jumps in horror, tumbling down the rock but he luckily caught her fall before she hit the hard ground.

Their eyes met and locked and he could swear her orbs changed in the moment they shared a look. His face was so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath fanning her face. His emotions were telling him he needed more of their connection, or that she does, though in reality it’s both of them.

His eyes showed her something—they were softer than she knew eyes could be. His eyes were the one who loves deeply. If it was anyone, she could drop her gaze, but with him she was somehow drawn in closer, wanting more of him.

Then he finally spoke. “I’m sorry I scared you—again. Are you alright?” She nods, taking in every moment for her memory, knowing it is the medication she needs to survive the next few days.

He helps her stand on her feet and freed her. They stood there, not saying a word to each other. For so many reasons, she didn’t feel the urge to run from him this time. She wanted to be with him. She felt connected to him after feeling his strong arms around her.

“You found your book?” He looked behind her to the book sitting on the rock. She looks back and nodded before returning her eyes to him. He was so mesmerized by her eyes—her lips. It made him feel the urge to take her in his arms and crush her lips with his till their feet couldn’t take them anymore.

“I sort of misplaced it the other night I was looking for you,” he said, smiling shamefacedly. He holds the back of his head, feeling mortified for some reason. She makes him feel nervy. No girl has ever made him feel that way before.

“You were looking for me?” Her eyes widened almost sparkling. She knew he always comes out to the woods but she never knew he was looking for her. If not for her book, she’d think he has forgotten about her.

“Every single day…”

The thunderstorm came as if an eternal question, to ask if any had gratitude for them calm?

Aurora gasped, almost falling onto him. She looked up, how did she not notice the clouds becoming dark and low-spirited. “I have to go,” she told him. His eyes never left her sight. He was afraid if he looked elsewhere, she’d run.

“No, please stay. I have a place we could stay until the rain stops.” She looks into his eyes and there wasn’t a single massacre thought behind those brown eyes of his.

She nodded her head. She didn’t know why she trusts him, but she felt safe being around him. He clasped their hands together and led the way to an uncompleted building. He discovered the place couple of weeks ago when he was looking for her. He sometimes went there when it rains and sit by the open window and watch the rain falling from the sky and dropping on the leaves to the hard ground that was filled with dead leaves.

“Are we alone?” She asked him as they walked deeper into the house. He nods his head as he offered her a smile. “I doubt if even an animal comes in here.”

They stood by the window, staring out the woods as rain poured down from the sky and met the ground with a calming noise.

Aurora breaths out, almost smiling. She always loved it when it rains. It calms her down and she felt so much at ease hearing rain drops.

He looks down at her, still feeling as though she wasn’t real. She’s beautiful—almost too good to be true.

Her Amazonian figure sat well on her wafer-thin body. She had a decanter shaped waist and her complexion had an impeccable, ochrous hue. Her pencil-thin eyebrows eased down gently to her black, beetle’s-leg eyelashes. A sculptor could not have fashioned her seraph’s ears and pixie’s nose any better.

When she broke into a smile, her beguiling, oyster-white teeth lit up the room. It could jolt you like an electric current when that megawatt smile gave you her full attention. Filed to perfection, her Venus-red fingernails ran through her nougat-silver hair.

Spools of it plunged around her photogenic face and hid a swan’s neck, elegant and smooth. He loved her nebulous, ocean-blue eyes which were a-sparkle with the ‘joie de vivre’. They were like two beryl-silver jewels melted onto snow.

He bet her calamine-pink lips tasted like rose petals. It surprised him that they were plump and Botox-boosted as she had a demure, timorous personality. She whispered to him in a dulcet voice as sweet as any songbird. Her voguish clothes still kept captive an aroma redolent of cinnamon and meadow-fresh mint. It lingered in the room long after she had gone.

“Aurora.”

He flickered back to veracity. “Huh?”

She looks up and settled her eyes on his face for a moment before return her gaze to the rain falling. “My name is Aurora,” she said yet again.

“Oh, oh, yes. You have… a beautiful name. My name’s Blake, Blake peter, though I’ve told you before and now I think I should stop talking…”

He halted when she returned her gaze to him and sends a smile his way. It made his body to shut down completely.

“I know your name. And your sister’s name Lily. She’s cute… you have same color of eyes, hazel brown but sometimes gives a touch of grey,” she told him calmly and yet again took her eyes off him.

“So, you think I’m cute?” He spoke jokingly. She gave him a quizzical look. “Don’t push it,” she said.

He smiled sheepishly and nodded. “I won’t.”

How would he want to ruin things with her when she had just mentioned he was cute? Not that she said it straightforwardly, but he knew what she meant.

“I live in a farm house with my parents and little sister, just few steps away from here,” he said to her. She stared at him for a moment. He trusts her enough to tell her about his territory? He seemed calm about it.

“We moved here from Virginia.”

“Where’s that?” She asked, baffled. She has never heard of a place like that. Heck, she knew nothing about anywhere but her home.

“Uh, the Atlantic coast. It’s along the line that divides the north and south…” he paused when he reckoned he was mystifying her more.

She shoulder-shrugged and looked away. “I only know my home, which is here. I’ve never been out beyond my home because I’m not allowed to.”

He stares at the side of her face as she spoke. His heart sunk—was she sort of being locked up?

“My father is super protective because I’m his only child. He’s not brutal, I promised,” she clarified, knowing he’d be worried when she told him she wasn’t allowed to go out of her zone.

“Well, I just have a curfew. That’s all…”

She smiled and nodded, not sparing him a glance.

He looked over to her hair. He wondered if she dyed it or that was her natural color of hair. Her brows were also same color as her hair. On her right eye, her lashes were grey whereas her left eyelashes were black. She was like an art—a beautiful art he wanted to take home and stare at it every day.

“Do you ever wish that you could just leave home and start a life on your own… far away from home if possible.” She always wanted to ask that question and he seemed perfect for her issue.

“Ha-ha, all the time. I wish I could afford to get my own apartment and start a new life, you know—far away from home like you said.”

“You can leave home when you have the requirements?” Her brows shoot to the roof when she asked the question. He nods at her. “Of, course. When you turn eighteen you can decide to leave home when you feel like you can afford it. I’m twenty and a college dropout but… still working on it.” He felt like he had said too much but he trusts her enough to tell her his darkest secrets.

She furrowed her brows and lowered her gaze. She was turning eighteen in a couple of months and yet to find her mate. It was disheartening—especially being the Alpha’s child and only heir.

Blake noticed how her mood had suddenly changed. He used his index finger and raised her head up by her chin. He bored his eyes into hers and she found out she couldn’t keep up with the stare.

She closed her eyes and managed to smile. He ran his fingertips up her forearm, leaving trails of goosebumps. He inched closer, and circle his arms around her. She shivered, feeling his fingertips circling her back. It felt so good at the wrong time.

When he stopped, she opened her eyes and looked up at him, his eyes were already glued to hers. She moved her hands to his face and caressed his cheeks. “You have baby cheeks—so soft,” she admitted, gently stroking them with her thumbs.

He couldn’t help but chuckle, closing the inch between them. Slowly, he bought his lips down on hers. His breath was hot as his kisses trailed down her neck. His hands held her back as she arched, begging for more.

He moved back and looks at her. They shared a smile, and kissed again. He moves his lips in unfamiliar patterns that she tried to mimic with her own. His kiss was soft, but urgent.

“Blake,” she mumbled breathlessly against his lips. He groans and pins her against the wall as he lays kisses against her neck, her hands weaving through his hair.

He kisses her, long, deep, wanting… and she respond arching into him more.

This was a new feeling she never knew her body capable of having. It felt good and she wouldn’t trade it for the world. She wanted more of it…

He suddenly stopped and shifts back, turning his head around. He looks at his fingers, to see if he has shifted. He has… it always happened when he felt tensed and Aurora made him feel that way.

He had just shifted because of how intense he felt. He breaths in and out rapidly. And before she noticed, he finally calms down and shifted back to his form. He heaved a sigh and turned to look at her.

“Are you okay?” She asked worriedly, moving closer to him. He nodded as he moved in and wrapped an arm around her. She observes his eyes, as if to see something.

“Uhm… it’s getting dark, we should… I should accompany you home…”

It was at the moment she remembered who she was. She shook her head as she shifted back. “N—no! No need. I have to be on my way now.”

She freed herself from his hold and hurried out of the place. He didn’t go after her. He wouldn’t want to push things too far between them. Not after what had just happened.

He bites his lower lip and run his fingers in his hair.

“Damnit!”

If Aurora finds out he was half werewolf, he doubts she’d want to be with him. He just met her but it feels like forever and he wouldn’t want to lose her.