CHAPTER 4: THE ROOM BESIDE HIS

Aurora did not remember leaving the corridor.

Later, if someone asked, she wouldn't have been able to explain how she reached the west wing or when exactly Elder Mira disappeared behind her.

Everything after Kael's words felt blurred.

Heavy.

Distant.

Like she was walking underwater while the world continued normally around her.

"Selene is moving into the main house tomorrow."

"You should prepare yourself."

The words refused to leave her head.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Aurora pushed open the doors to her room slowly.

The familiar scent of lavender and cedar greeted her instantly.

Silence followed.

Real silence.

Not the suffocating silence from the pack hall.

Not the uncomfortable silence from the corridor.

This silence belonged to her.

Her room had always been quiet.

Too quiet sometimes.

Moonlight spilled across polished wooden floors, illuminating shelves filled with books she rarely touched anymore. The fireplace crackled softly near the far wall while silver curtains swayed gently in the cool night breeze.

Everything looked exactly the same.

And somehow that made everything worse.

Because nothing inside her felt the same anymore.

Aurora closed the door behind her carefully before leaning against it.

Her body finally loosened just slightly, only slightly.

Then she laughed, a small sound, soft, broken.

Prepare herself?

For what exactly?

To watch another woman take her place publicly?

To stand beside Kael tomorrow while Selene smiled at him across the ceremony grounds?

To pretend her mate rejecting her in front of the entire pack hadn't shattered something inside her?

Aurora crossed the room slowly until she stopped in front of the tall mirror near her wardrobe.

For several seconds, she simply stared.

The woman staring back at her looked exhausted.

Not physically, something deeper.

Something hidden beneath skin and smiles.

Three years ago she'd stood before another mirror, trembling with excitement after discovering Kael was her mate.

Back then she'd believed in fate, believed in forever, believed love would eventually come if she waited long enough, how embarrassing.

Aurora lowered her eyes.

Three years, three years of silence, three years of hoping, three years loving a man who looked at her like obligation instead of choice.

A sharp knock suddenly echoed through the room.

Aurora blinked.

Before she could answer, the door burst open.

Lena stepped inside carrying several folded dresses in her arms.

The moment she saw Aurora's face, she froze completely.

"Oh no."

Aurora sighed immediately.

"What now?"

Lena kicked the door shut behind her dramatically.

"That face."

Aurora frowned.

"What face?"

"The face you make when you're trying not to cry."

Silence.

Aurora looked away instantly.

"I'm not crying yet."

"Lena."

"I'm serious."

Lena crossed the room quickly before dumping the dresses onto the bed.

Then she turned fully toward Aurora.

Hands on hips.

Expression accusing.

Aurora already knew where this was going.

"You heard everything?"

"Half the pack heard everything."

Aurora winced slightly.

Right of course.

The humiliation had been very public.

Lena's expression softened almost immediately.

She walked closer carefully this time.

"Goddess, Aurora..."

Aurora looked down.

Because sympathy was somehow worse than cruelty.

At least cruelty made sense, pity only made her feel smaller.

Lena stopped in front of her.

Then suddenly wrapped both arms around her tightly.

Aurora stiffened immediately.

Only for a second then slowly relaxed, very slowly and unexpectedly her eyes burned.

No.

Absolutely not.

She refused to cry tonight not over Kael, not over Selene, not over any of this.

Aurora inhaled carefully before stepping back.

"I'm fine."

Lena stared at her for three full seconds.

Then deadpanned,

"You're becoming very annoying with that sentence."

Despite everything, Aurora almost smiled.

Almost.

Lena noticed immediately.

"There!"

Aurora blinked.

"What?"

"That almost smile."

Lena pointed dramatically at her face.

"You should've committed fully."

Aurora rolled her eyes.

"You sound ridiculous."

"And you sound heartbroken."

The words landed softly.

Too softly.

Aurora looked away again.

Silence settled briefly between them.

Then Lena sighed heavily before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"So."

Aurora narrowed her eyes immediately.

"So?"

Lena folded her arms.

"Tell me why Alpha Idiot suddenly moved you beside his room."

Aurora blinked.

"...Alpha Idiot?"

"I've upgraded his title."

Aurora actually laughed this time.

A small sound.

Quick.

But real.

Lena looked proud of herself instantly.

"There she is."

Aurora shook her head before moving toward the balcony windows.

Cold night air slipped across her skin.

"The Moon Festival is tomorrow."

Lena's expression immediately changed.

Realization crossed her face.

"Oh."

Aurora nodded once.

Exactly.

Tomorrow the entire pack would gather beneath the full moon for the annual festival.

Ceremonies.

Traditions.

Formal dances.

Pack blessings.

And every year the Alpha and Luna opened the celebration together.

Officially.

Publicly.

Lena groaned loudly.

"So he's doing this for appearances."

Aurora didn't answer.

Because yes.

Obviously.

What other reason could there possibly be?

Kael didn't suddenly want her close.

Kael didn't suddenly care.

This was politics.

Pack image.

Nothing more.

Still…

Something about tonight felt strange.

Kael had touched her twice.

Twice.

Aurora hated herself for thinking about it.

Especially because she could still remember the warmth of his hand around her wrist.

Mate.

The thought brushed softly through her mind again.

Annoying.

Dangerous.

Weak.

Aurora crushed it immediately.

Lena watched her carefully.

Then her expression turned serious again.

"The pain came back, didn't it?"

Aurora's body stilled.

Silence answered for her.

Lena stood instantly.

"Aurora"

"I'm alright."

"No, you're not."

Aurora closed her eyes briefly.

Because she was tired.

So tired.

The pain in her chest had become worse recently.

Sharper.

Longer lasting.

And now the silver marks were starting to appear beneath her skin.

That had never happened before.

Lena moved closer slowly.

"You need another healer."

Aurora laughed softly.

"Barely anyone understands unstable mate bonds."

"We can still try."

Aurora looked away.

Because trying meant hope.

And Aurora was beginning to lose hope very quickly.

Before either woman could speak again, another knock echoed through the room.

Both froze.

Aurora frowned immediately.

It was late.

Very late.

Lena looked suspicious already.

Slowly, she walked toward the door and pulled it open.

Then froze completely.

Aurora's stomach dropped instantly.

Because she already knew.

Kael stood outside the room.

Tall.

Unreadable.

Still wearing black from the gathering earlier.

Moonlight from the corridor framed his broad shoulders while shadows sharpened the already cold lines of his face.

Lena folded her arms immediately.

"What?"

Aurora nearly winced.

Kael's eyes shifted past her toward Aurora.

"I need to speak with her."

Lena didn't move.

"She's tired."

Kael remained expressionless.

"So am I."

Wrong answer.

Very wrong answer.

Lena looked personally offended.

Aurora stepped forward quickly before Lena declared war against the Alpha.

"It's okay."

Lena turned toward her slowly.

"No, it isn't."

Aurora grabbed her wrist gently.

"Lena."

A dramatic sigh escaped her friend instantly.

Then she pointed directly at Kael.

"If she cries again, I'm blaming you personally."

Kael said nothing.

Which somehow felt worse.

Lena huffed before finally brushing past him into the corridor.

The moment she disappeared, silence filled the room immediately.

Aurora suddenly became very aware they were alone.

Again.

Kael stepped inside slowly before shutting the door behind him.

Aurora's pulse skipped stupidly at the sound.

Neither spoke at first.

Kael's gaze moved briefly around the room before settling on her again.

"You should've rested."

Aurora blinked.

Of all things, she hadn't expected that.

"I wasn't tired."

A lie.

Kael clearly knew it too.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"You looked pale earlier."

Aurora froze.

Her heartbeat stumbled unexpectedly.

Because Kael never noticed things like that.

Never.

Not about her.

Aurora looked away quickly.

"I'm fine."

Silence.

Then

"The light on your arm."

Aurora's stomach tightened instantly.

There it was.

The real reason he'd come.

Kael took another step closer.

"What was it?"

Aurora forced herself to stay calm.

"Nothing."

"I saw it."

Silence.

Aurora swallowed carefully.

Kael watched her for several long seconds.

Too long.

Like he was trying to pull answers directly from her expression.

Then his gaze shifted suddenly toward the bed, toward the small wooden box resting near the pillows.

Aurora's breath caught instantly.

No.

Not that, anything except that.

Kael noticed immediately.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"What is that?"

Aurora moved before thinking too quickly.

She crossed the room instantly and grabbed the box against her chest.

Silence followed heavy silence.

Kael stared at her.

Aurora stared back then slowly, very slowly kael walked toward her and for the first time that night aurora felt something dangerously close to panic.