CHAPTER 24: CLOSURE

***AURORA**

The moment we stepped out of the council room, I let out a long breath I didn't even know I was holding. My knees suddenly felt weak, and I rested my hand against the wall.

"I almost died in there," I muttered, brushing my palm against my forehead.

A soft chuckle escaped Ronan.

"You did well."

I turned towards him immediately.

"Well?" I asked. "That's all you have to say after throwing me into that lion's den?"

"You wanted to face the media yourself."

"I know…" I sighed heavily. "But I thought there'd be like… five people."

He folded his arms across his chest.

"There were only five people."

"What?"

"The rest were wolves pretending to be reporters."

My mouth dropped open.

"You're kidding."

He simply shrugged.

"I'll never joke about security."

I stared at him for a few seconds before shaking my head. "So... you knew all of that?"

"I did."

"And you still let me panic?"

"You overcame it yourself."

I wanted to stay angry, but I couldn't. Instead, I laughed. A real laugh, one that came straight from my chest. I couldn't even remember the last time I laughed like this.

Ronan just stood there watching me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"No..." I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're definitely looking at me weird."

His lips lifted slightly. "You look better when you smile."

Heat rushed into my face immediately. I looked away.

"You're unbelievable."

"And why is that?"

"You say things like they're nothing."

"They are nothing."

I scoffed, then started walking down the hallway. He caught up with me within seconds.

"You're walking too fast."

"I just embarrassed myself in front of the whole city."

"You didn't."

"I kissed you in front of millions of people."

"You did."

I stopped walking. "See?"

He looked completely calm. "I don't see the problem."

I blinked twice. "What do you mean you don't see the problem?"

"We're married."

I couldn't even argue with that. Instead, I rolled my eyes.

"You're impossible."

"So I've heard."

Another laugh escaped me. Why does everything suddenly feel... lighter? For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't thinking about Cassian. Or Lenora. Or my father's death. It was just... peace.

We finally stepped outside the building. The evening breeze brushed gently against my face. I closed my eyes for a second.

"This feels nice."

"It does."

Silence settled between us. Not an awkward silence. A comfortable one. I found myself stealing glances at him every few seconds. He looked exactly the same. Cold. Calm. Collected. Yet the more time I spent around him, the more I realized how wrong everyone had been. Even I had been wrong.

"You've been staring."

My eyes widened. "I wasn't."

"You were."

"I wasn't."

"You were."

I clicked my tongue. "Can we just go home?"

He gestured towards the car. "After you."

---

The drive home was unusually quiet. I rested my head against the window while watching the city pass by. Every now and then, I'd catch him looking at me through the mirror. Each time our eyes met, he'd look away first. Funny... I thought he was the confident one.

The car finally stopped. He got down first, then opened the door for me. I placed my hand in his. The moment our fingers touched, something inside me fluttered. What's wrong with me?

He led me into the mansion. The workers bowed immediately.

"Welcome home, Alpha."

"Welcome home, Luna."

I smiled awkwardly before following Ronan upstairs. When we finally got to my room, I turned towards him.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For today."

He shook his head. "You don't have to thank me."

"I do."

"You don't."

I stepped closer. "If you weren't there... I would've frozen."

"You didn't."

"Because you were behind me."

His gaze remained fixed on mine. "You've grown."

I smiled softly. "I still have a long way to go."

"You do."

I don't know why, but hearing him admit that instead of comforting me somehow made me happier. I took another step. Now there was barely any distance between us.

"You know..."

"What?"

"I never really thanked you properly."

"You already did."

"No." I shook my head. "I don't think I did."

Before I could lose my courage, I wrapped my arms around him. He stiffened immediately. Then slowly, his arms wrapped around me too. They felt warm. Safe. I rested my head against his chest. His heartbeat echoed loudly beneath my ear.

"You're nervous."

"No, I'm not."

"You are."

He sighed. "You hear too much."

I smiled. "Maybe."

Neither of us moved. Minutes seemed to pass without either of us saying anything. Then I lifted my head. Our faces were so close that I could feel his breath. His eyes dropped to my lips. My heartbeat doubled. He slowly raised his hand and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Aurora..."

My name sounded completely different coming from him. I don't know who moved first. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was him. But our lips met. Softly. Gently. I shut my eyes immediately. His lips were warm. Mine parted before I even realized it. The kiss deepened naturally. One of his hands slid gently around my waist. Mine found the back of his neck. My whole body tingled.

When we finally pulled away, neither of us said anything. We simply stared. Then he kissed me again. Longer this time. My fingers tightened around his shirt. His hand slowly traced along my waist. My breathing became uneven. I could feel him pulling me closer. I didn't resist. Not even a little.

My back touched the wall. His lips travelled slowly to my neck. A quiet gasp escaped my mouth.

"Ronan..."

He paused immediately. His forehead rested against mine.

"Tell me to stop."

I froze. Every part of me wanted to keep going. But everything still felt too fast.

"I..." I whispered.

He waited patiently.

"I don't think I'm ready."

He nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Okay." That was all. No frustration. No disappointment. No pressure. He simply stepped back and straightened his clothes.

"We'll wait."

My heart squeezed painfully. Why... why is he making it so hard not to fall for him?

He smiled softly. "Get some rest." Then he turned and walked towards the door. Just before he left, he stopped.

"One more thing."

I looked up.

"I got a message while we were leaving the council building."

"What message?"

"They found something connected to your father's case."

Every trace of warmth disappeared from my body.

"What did they find?"

"They recovered the visitor log from the hospital the night before your father died."

My stomach dropped.

"And?"

He turned slowly to face me. "There was one visitor that was never supposed to be there."