Chapter 3: Bellissima

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say she wasn’t your daughter.”

The words hit Agatha like a physical blow. Her breath caught in her throat, and she froze.

Her face drained of color, and the glass she had been holding slipped from her trembling fingers, crashing to the floor with a shattering sound that seemed to echo the shock coursing through her.

The room buzzing with discussions went silent with every eye now on Agatha as she struggled to regain her composure.

“Are you okay?” Aurora asked softly.

Agatha didn’t answer right away. She stared blankly at the mess at her feet.

Slowly, she looked up, her expression carefully neutral, though the fear in her eyes was impossible to miss. Her hands shook as she quickly wiped them on her pants, desperately trying to regain control.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she replied, her words rushed, forced, and more anxious than she intended. She averted her gaze, focusing anywhere but on Derrick, her palms growing clammy with the weight of the statement.

Derrick, unfazed by her reaction, continued with a casual air, “Well, I say we let her go. Just for the sake of it. In a few weeks, she should be back here.”

Aurora felt a pang of disappointment. No one truly believed in her. Derrick’s words seemed to imply she would go, only to return in a matter of weeks. She sighed inwardly, realizing it was better than nothing after all. She would prove them all wrong.

Alpha Derrick’s gaze locked onto Agatha’s, narrowing slightly as if sensing her discomfort, as if he could see the secrets she was trying to hide. Agatha cowered under his piercing stare.

“Unless there’s something else,” he added, his voice colder now, almost a challenge, his eyes probing her further.

“No!” Agatha snapped, the word leaving her quicker than she expected. She immediately looked away, ashamed by the outburst. She took a deep breath, her shoulders sagging. “Aurora will go.”

"What were you thinking?!" The man over the phone yelled angrily.

Agatha flinched at his tone but pressed the phone closer to her ear. She had made the call immediately that evening after arriving back from dinner with the Alpha. 

"I didn't have a choice," she whispered urgently, her voice tight with anxiety.

"You can't send her to that town!" The man snapped, his fury evident.

"I didn't have a choice!" she repeated, louder this time. 

"The Alpha and Beta got involved. If I kept refusing, they’d get suspicious. We can’t afford to have them probing around. Do you understand what that would mean?"

"And how are you going to keep her hidden from them?" the man demanded, his voice rising with frustration. "They’ll identify her there, Agatha. It’s only a matter of time!"

Agatha swallowed hard, gripping the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. "I know the risks, but I couldn’t stop it. They left me no options."

"Your instructions were clear, Agatha!" he thundered. "Make sure she never went anywhere near that town. Away from those people. Those royals!"

His word dripped with exasperation.

"I did try!“ She yelled in a hush.

 "This is just... complicated—"

"Complicated?!" he interrupted with a bitter laugh. 

"This is disastrous! You’re sending her straight into a den of Wolf and Lycan royalty! Right into the very place we’ve been trying to keep her away from! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?"

"Listen to me," Agatha said firmly, though her resolve was slipping. 

"They won’t find out. There’s still time. In a few weeks, she’ll be back. She won’t stay long enough for anyone to piece things together."

"You know that’s not true." His voice was quieter now, but it carried a grim weight. "She’s not ordinary, Meg. You know that. She’s not just gifted—she’s her mother’s daughter.“ He whispered his tone falling slightly. 

“That kind of talent can’t be hidden for long, not from shifters like them. How do you plan to keep her hidden right under their noses?"

Agatha stayed silent, her free hand clenching into a fist.

"You can’t, can you?" he pressed. "Everything…. Would come to light.“

"No," she said abruptly, cutting him off. Her voice was shaky but resolute. "Nothing will happen. Nothing . I'll protect her. "

The man sighed heavily on the other end of the line. "I hope you’re right, Meg. Because if you’re not—"

"Don’t," she interrupted again. "She’ll come back. I’ll make sure of it."

The call ended with a click, leaving Agatha standing in the silence of her dimly lit kitchen. 

"You’ll just have to come back soon, Aurora," she murmured to herself, her voice barely audible over the hum of the night. "Before it’s too late."

*****

*Aurora*

I was still in disbelief, but a part of me felt relief knowing my mom had finally agreed to let me go. Today was my last day at Clearwater High. I’d only come here to pick up my transfer documents, and soon I’d be walking out of this place for good.

As I walked toward the exit, a voice called out, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Aurora!”

I turned around, groaning inwardly when I saw Peter standing there with his usual smug expression. 

We never talked—hell, I barely even spoke to anyone here. I was the freak, the outcast. So for him to approach me now could only mean one thing: this wasn’t going to be a friendly chat.

“What do you want?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral. From my experiences, it was better if I remained invisible to people like him.

“Well…” he began, drawing out the word as if he was building up to something important.

“What?” I asked impatiently, raising an eyebrow.

“You know, I’m one of the guys who never bullied or made fun of you,” he said, and I blinked at him, unsure where this was going. “So I need your help.”

I stared at him, confused.

“Help me out here,” he said, flashing a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“What do you want?” I asked reluctantly, already sensing where this conversation was headed.

“Okay, so… me and the guys made a bet,” he said, his grin widening. “They said you wouldn’t last even two weeks at the Academy. But I said you’d last at least three to four weeks." He muttered

"Look, A lot’s at stake here,” he added, taking a deep breath.

Great. So now they were making bets about me.

“So can you please at least last four weeks?” he asked with an almost pleading look. “Just four weeks before coming back?”

I stared at him, dumbfounded. The audacity of these people never ceased to amaze me. They were betting on how long they thought I would last, as if my future was just some sort of entertainment.

“I know you might get beaten up and all,” he continued, “but I need you to hold on that long,if you make it that long, I’ll actually share the prize money with you.” he said with a tinge of excitement that irritated me.

I took in a deep breath, trying to calm myself down a little. His words were like a slap to the face. They were so sure I’d fail, but had the nerve to ask me to fail at a convenient time for him. 

I turned around calmly, deciding it was best to leave without saying anything further.

“Hey, hey! I’m still talking to you!” he yelled, running after me.

“Hey!” he said again, grabbing my arm.

“Let go!” I grated out, feeling the anger surge inside me.

He finally released me, and I walked away without looking back. I had enough of this.

“What are you so touchy about freak.“ He yelled but I ignored him walking on. 

I’ll prove them all wrong.

I won’t be coming back here as soon as they all imagine. I’ll get my wolf soon too, and then I’ll be stronger than they could ever believe. I’ll hone my healing skills and rise above their doubts. I swore this to myself, my grip tightening on the documents in my hands until they crumpled slightly.

The day of my departure finally arrived, and as I took one last look at my room, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Standing in front of the mirror in my bedroom, I tried to steady my nerves. This was the first time I’d be leaving home. It felt surreal.

“Here,” Mom said, handing me a bag with the Twilight school symbol embossed on it.

“You nearly forgot this. I packed them for you, It’s essential, and you’re going to need it,” she said softly.

I nodded, recognizing the contents without even needing to look inside. I'd used them all my life. 

The goodbyes had already been said, though Mom was clearly reluctant to see me go. She’d made me promise—again and again—that I’d contact her immediately if I noticed anything strange, or if I finally got my wolf.

She was acting all weird. 

Beta Mason gave us a ride and we drove through the pack territory. Soon, we crossed into the next pack’s land, marking the first step of my journey. From there, we reached the train station that would take me to my destination.

I and mom boarded the first train, which took me to another station where I switched to the one that led directly to the school. Settling into my seat next to the window, I heaved a long sigh of relief.

Finally.

“Is this seat taken?” a voice asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I turned to see who had spoken, and sharp blue eyes met mine. For a moment, I was startled, not just by how good-looking he was, but by the sheer force of his presence. There was something about him, an aura that commanded attention. This guy wasn’t just anyone; I could feel it.

He definitely didn't feel like lowborn wolf, not like me. His posture, his confidence—it screamed superiority, like someone from a noble or high-ranking bloodline.

 But if that were the case, what was he doing here? The main students of Twilight Academy would already be at the school, not boarding this train with the hopefuls. Unless, like me, he was here for tryouts like us.

“Earth to Bellissima,” he said, waving a hand in front of my face.

Heat rose to my cheeks as I realized I’d been staring, completely lost in my own thoughts again. I needed to stop doing that.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, looking away quickly.

He smiled, a grin that showed off perfect, pearly white teeth—and those telltale canines.

He already had his wolf no doubt. 

I studied him intently, Tall with an athletic build, with striking blue eyes and a mop of sun kissed hair.

“It’s okay,” he said smoothly. “I know, I’m devastatingly good-looking. Happens all the time.” he said with a wink. 

I blinked at him, surprised, and then laughed despite myself.

I expected arrogance, but there was something disarming about his tone. It wasn’t obnoxious like it should have been. Instead, his energy put me at ease, as though he was teasing but not in a way that felt mean.

Without waiting for another invitation, he plopped down in the seat beside me, his presence filling the small space with his effortless confidence.