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AuroraThe morning had gone better than I expected. After everything of the past few days, I had feared that returning to school would feel different, yet the familiar faces and ordinary noise of university life offered something I hadn’t realized I needed: normalcy. For a few hours I could almost forget that Richard was dead, that someone had been looking for me, and that the safety I had only recently begun to believe in might not be permanent.Alec and Maxwell were still in class when I remembered the notebook left in my locker. I had promised Professor Hale I would bring it to the next lecture and did not want to spend the afternoon explaining another forgetful moment.“I’ll be right back,” I told the twins.Maxwell barely glanced up from his phone. “Don’t get lost.”“It’s a hallway, Maxwell.”“You’d be surprised.”Alec laughed softly. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”I smiled and stepped into the corridor. I had barely made it halfway to the lockers when someone called my name.“
AlecI woke to the faint sound of Aurora breathing beside me. For a few seconds, I remained still, trying to remember where I was. Then the events of the night returned all at once.The way Aurora had screamed out of her sleep due to the bad dream she had, and the terrified look on her face when she asked us to stay. I turned toward her and found that she was still asleep, curled beneath the blankets with one hand tucked beneath her cheek. Her face looked peaceful now, nothing like the terrified expression she'd worn when she'd woken screaming.Maxwell was still asleep on the floor beside the bed, his back resting against the mattress and his head tilted awkwardly to one side.I glanced at the clock.It was barely past six.Carefully, I stood and stretched the stiffness from my shoulders before checking on Aurora again. She stirred at the movement, her eyelashes fluttering."Aurora?"Her eyes opened slowly.For a moment, confusion crossed her face. Then she remembered where she was.
AuroraBy the time we got home that evening, I was tired even though I had barely done anything. I couldn't figure out why I felt this shadow-like heaviness all morning. I figured maybe sleeping enough could fix it. I was halfway up the staircase when Alec’s voice stopped me.“Aurora.”I turned. He and Maxwell were standing in the foyer. Neither of them had taken off their jackets yet. Something about the way they looked at me made my stomach tighten.“Can we talk?” Alec asked quietly.I nodded. “Of course.”They led me into one of the smaller sitting rooms overlooking the gardens. The evening sun streamed through the windows, bathing the room in soft golden light, but it did little to ease the uneasiness creeping through me. Neither of them sat immediately. Maxwell rubbed the back of his neck while Alec remained standing with his hands tucked into his pockets. Neither looked like they wanted to be the first to speak.My heartbeat quickened. “What happened?”Alec looked at Maxwell
AuroraBy the following morning Aurora had convinced herself that Ethan’s words no longer mattered. She repeated it silently while getting dressed, again while brushing her hair, and once more as she stood outside her bedroom door with her hand resting on the handle. She had hoped that repeating the words often enough would drown out the uncertainty Ethan had planted in her heart the day before. It didn't.No matter how hard she tried to bury them, they kept resurfacing. One day they’ll find someone who fits into their world. She closed her eyes for a moment before pulling the door open. She refused to let one conversation ruin everything she had found in this house.The scent of breakfast greeted her before she reached the dining room. Warm bread, freshly brewed coffee, and pancakes filled the air. It was comforting in a way she still wasn’t used to. A few weeks ago she couldn’t have imagined waking up somewhere that felt this safe. Now it almost felt like home. Almost.She steppe
Maxwell.Later that night, after Aurora had gone to her room, we decided to brief our parents about our findings. We found them in Dad's study. The moment we stepped inside, Dad seemed to read the seriousness on our faces because he simply gestured for us to sit. Alec didn't waste any time. He walked them through everything that had happened since we'd left the Pack that morning.Aurora returning to her old apartment, Richard's disappearance, the neighbors admitting they hadn't seen him for days, Sophie's memory of the kidnapping, and finally the one detail neither of us had been able to shake. We told them of how Richard had offered Aurora to those men in place of the debt he owed them.When the last words left Alec’s mouth, silence settled over the room. Dad remained seated behind his desk, his fingers loosely linked together as though he were piecing the information into something only he could see. Mom looked shaken. She had been quiet ever since we mentioned Richard was missin
Alec.After waiting for several minutes for Aurora to come back after she took a restroom trip, I decided to keep my eyes on the hallway. By the time Aurora came out of the restroom, I knew something was wrong.She smiled the moment she saw us, but it didn't reach her eyes."There you are," Maxwell said. "We were beginning to think you'd fallen in."She let out a small laugh."I was only gone a few minutes.""Long enough for him to start worrying.""I wasn't worried," I said."You were looking at the door every ten seconds.""I was making sure we weren't late for class."Maxwell snorted. "Sure."Aurora smiled again, but it was forced this time. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag before she started walking.I fell into step beside her."You okay?"She looked at me and nodded almost too quickly."I'm fine."Something about the answer didn't sit right with me.Just before she'd walked out, I'd caught sight of someone slipping around the corner at the end of the hallway.Et







