MasukAurelia stumbled backward in pure disbelief, her bare feet scraping against the gravel driveway as Selene’s car engine roared like a beast ready to devour her. For one terrifying second, time slowed. The woman who had raised her, the same woman who had sung her lullabies as a child and bandaged her scraped knees, was now pressing the accelerator with fury in her eyes. Aurelia’s heart shattered into a thousand jagged pieces. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t the mother she had known all her life.She barely managed to jump aside as the tires kicked up dust and small stones. The car swerved at the last moment, missing her by inches, and sped through the open gate without a backward glance. Aurelia stood there trembling, arms wrapped tightly around herself, tears stinging her eyes. The ache in her chest was unbearable, a deep, throbbing pain that made it hard to breathe. How could Selene do this? How could the person she had trusted most turn on her like that?Foaming with a mix of
Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains of Aurelia’s room, painting soft golden patterns across the rumpled bedsheets. It was well past nine in the morning, and for the first time since returning to New York, she had no work to rush to. No code to debug, no meetings, no distractions. Just silence and the heavy weight of everything that had happened yesterday.She lay on her back, phone propped against her bent knees, scrolling through yet another list of names. Nightbane. The surname felt both familiar and foreign now. She had tried calling her mother at least a dozen times since waking, straight to voicemail every single time. No texts. No explanations. Just the echo of last night’s slammed door and the memory of Selene storming out after that vicious fight with Ronan.Aurelia’s thumb swiped left again, dismissing another profile. Too young. Too old. Wrong city. She muttered under her breath, “He can’t be that old… Mom was only sixteen when she had me.” The search for her biolog
Aurelia's car drove into the house driveway, tires crunching softly on the gravel as she parked it before stepping out to go inside. The engine ticked to a cool-down in the fading light, and she grabbed her keys, locking the vehicle with a beep that echoed faintly. The front door loomed ahead, its polished brass handle catching the last rays of the sun. She pushed it open, entering the sitting room where the air hung heavy with the scent of fresh flowers from a vase on the side table. But tranquility shattered almost immediately, voices filtered down from upstairs, sharp and discordant, pulling her attention like a magnet.Her steps faltered on the threshold. Curiosity overrode caution as she traced the sounds to Ronan's room at the far end of the upper hallway. The murmurs grew clearer, her mother's voice, Selene's, cutting through with raw intensity. Aurelia slipped off her shoes to muffle her approach, tiptoeing up the stairs, each creak of the wood underfoot making her wince. She
Aurelia went back to her room to get dressed for work, that would served as a good distraction. She rifled through her closet, selecting a fitted blazer and pencil skirt that hugged her curves, the fabric a stark contrast to the robe she'd worn earlier. Buttoning her blouse, she avoided looking at the faint marks on her neck in the mirror, reminders of the hickey from Ronan.Soon she was done, grabbing her bag and heading downstairs. The house felt empty, echoes bouncing off the walls. She checked the garden through the glass doors, scanning the manicured paths and blooming roses, but her mother wasn't there. No hunched shoulders, no furious glare. Just the morning sun filtering through leaves. Aurelia's stomach knotted tighter. Where is she? Shaking it off, she strode to the garage, sliding into her sports car. The engine roared to life, a sleek growl that matched her racing pulse. She peeled out of the driveway, tires crunching gravel, then hit the highway toward her workplace, the
The first light of dawn crept through the heavy curtains, painting the bedroom in soft grays. Aurelia woke slowly, her body aching in the best and worst ways, muscles sore from Ronan's relentless grip, skin marked with faint red lines where his teeth had grazed. She stretched, wincing at the pull in her thighs, and reached for her phone on the nightstand. The screen glowed with his message: Dream of me. Because tomorrow, you'll wake to my touch. A flush heated her cheeks. She dressed quickly in a simple blouse and skirt, the fabric brushing against her sensitive skin, and headed downstairs for breakfast.In the kitchen, her mother stood at the counter, plating scrambled eggs with a cold expression etched on her face. The air felt thick, charged with unspoken tension. "Morning, Mom," Aurelia said, forcing a smile as she approached and reached for a piece of egg from the plate.Selene's hand shot out, slapping Aurelia's away with a sharp crack. "Don't touch my meal with your whore hands
Aurelia's eyes fluttered shut, her body sinking into the mattress like lead weights pulled her under. The relentless waves of pleasure had drained her, leaving only a hazy warmth that cocooned her in exhaustion. Ronan's fingers trailed lightly down her arm, a possessive stroke that sent one last shiver through her before sleep claimed her fully. She didn't hear the knock, didn't register her mother's voice piercing the quiet."Aurelia?" Selene called again, her tone laced with worry and a hint of irritation. The doorknob rattled slightly as she tried it, finding it locked once more. "Sweetheart, open up. I need to talk to you."Ronan froze beside Aurelia, his enhanced senses picking up every nuance in Selene's voice, the slight slur from the wine she'd had at dinner, the undercurrent of unease. He glanced at Aurelia's peaceful face, her lips parted in soft breaths, chest rising steadily. Good girl, he thought, a predatory smile curling his lips. She was out cold, oblivious to the stor







