Chapter 2: Boy on the train

"If I didn't know better, I'd say she wasn't your daughter."

The words hit Agatha so sudden her breath caught, and she froze.

 The glass in her hands slipped, shattering against the floor with a deafening crash.

The room, buzzing with conversation just moments ago, fell silent. Every eye turned to her as she struggled to regain her composure.

"Are you okay?" Aurora asked softly.

Agatha didn't answer. She stared at the shards at her feet. Slowly, she lifted her gaze, her expression carefully neutral.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she said, her words rushed and forced. She avoided Derrick's gaze as her palms grew clammy.

Derrick, completely unfazed, continued casually. "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. Just a few weeks, then back. It was better than nothing, maybe. But she would prove them all wrong.

Alpha Derrick's gaze locked on Agatha, narrowing slightly.

"Unless there's something else, you're keeping from us." he added, his voice colder now, a subtle challenge in his eyes.

"No!" Agatha snapped, quicker than she intended. "Aurora will go."

---

"What were you thinking?!" the man on the phone yelled.

Agatha flinched, pressing the phone closer to her ear. She had made the call immediately after returning from dinner with the Alpha.

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

"You can't send her to that town!" he snapped.

"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. Do you understand what that would mean?"

"And how are you going to keep her hidden?" he demanded, his voice rising. "They'll identify her there, Agatha. It's only a matter of time!"

Agatha gripped the phone, her knuckles white. "I know the risks, but I couldn't stop it. They left me no options."

"Your instructions were clear, Agatha!" he thundered. "Keep her away from that town. From those people. Those royals!"

"I did try!" she yelled quietly, her voice cracking. "This is just... complicated."

"Complicated?!" He cut her off with a bitter laugh. "This is disastrous! You're sending her straight into a den of Wolf and Lycan royalty. Right into the place we've fought to keep her away from! Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Listen to me," Agatha said, her voice firm but trembling. "They won't find out. There's still time. A few weeks, then she'll be back. No one will piece it together."

"You know that's not true." His voice softened, but it was grave now. "She's not ordinary. You know that." 

"She's her mother's daughter." he said softly. 

"That kind of talent can't be hidden for long. Not from shifters like them. How do you plan to keep her hidden under their noses?"

Agatha stayed silent, her free hand clenched into a fist at her side.

"You can't, can you?" he pressed. "Everything would come to light." The man sighed heavily. "Maybe it's time we..."

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

A heavy sigh came through the line. "I hope you're right, Megan. Because if you're not..."

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

Click. The line went dead.

She stood in the quiet of her dim kitchen, the night humming around her.

"You'll just have to come back soon, Aurora," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "Before it's too late."

---

Aurora

I was still in disbelief, but a part of me felt relief knowing Mom had finally agreed to let me go. Today was my last day at Clearwater High. I'd only come 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 groaned inwardly when I saw Peter standing there, that smug expression plastered on his face.

We never talked. Hell, I barely spoke to anyone here. I was the freak, the outcast. So for him to approach now could only mean one thing. This wasn't going to be friendly.

"What do you want?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral. Better to stay invisible.

"Well..." he began, drawing out the word like he was building suspense.

"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. I blinked. "So. I need your help."

I stared, confused.

"Help me out here," he said, grinning. But it didn't reach his eyes.

"What do you want?" I asked, wary now.

"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." He took a deep breath. "Look, a lot's at stake here."

Great. Now they were betting on me.

"So. Can you at least last four weeks?" he asked, almost pleading. "Just four weeks before coming back?"

I stared at him, dumbfounded. The audacity of these people never ceased to amaze me. My future was just entertainment for them.

"I know you might get beaten up," he continued. "But I need you to hold on. Make it that long, and I'll actually share the prize money with you." The tinge of excitement in his voice irritated me more than anything.

I took a deep breath. His words were like a slap to the face. They were so sure I'd fail, yet they had the nerve to ask me to fail on their schedule.

I turned and walked away, calm, leaving him behind.

"Hey! I'm still talking to you!" he yelled, running after me.

"Hey!" he called again, grabbing my arm.

"Let go!" I grated, anger flaring hot in my chest.

Finally, he released me. I walked on without looking back. Enough.

"What are you so touchy about, freak?" he yelled. But I ignored him, walking on.

I'd prove them all wrong. I wouldn't return as soon as they imagined. I'd get my wolf soon, hone my healing skills, and rise above their doubts. I gripped the documents tightly until they crumpled slightly in my hands.

The day of my departure arrived. I took one last look at my room, breathing a sigh of relief.

Standing in front of my bedroom mirror, I tried to steady my nerves. This was the first time I'd ever leave home. It felt unreal.

"Here," Mom said, handing me a bag with the Twilight symbol embossed on it. Twilight had sent some supplies earlier. 

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

I nodded, already knowing what was inside. I'd used these all my life.

The goodbyes had been said, though Mom clearly struggled to let me go. She'd made me promise again and again to contact her immediately if anything seemed off. Or if I got my wolf. She was acting... weird.

Beta Mason drove us through 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 closer to Twilight.

Mom and I boarded the first train together. Later, I switched trains alone, settling by a window and exhaling a long, relieved breath.

Finally.

"Is this seat taken?" a voice asked.

I turned. Sharp blue eyes met mine. I froze, startled. Not just by his looks, but by the sheer force of his presence. There was something commanding about him.

He didn't feel like a lowborn wolf, not like me. His posture, his confidence. It screamed nobility, superiority. But why was he here? The main students would already be at Twilight. Unless he was also a Tryout, like me.

He was imposing but at the same time, he felt, familiar. 

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

Heat rose to my cheeks. I'd been staring, lost in thought.

"Sorry," I mumbled, looking away.

He smiled, showing perfect white teeth and those canines. He already had his wolf, no doubt.

Tall, athletic, with sun-kissed hair and striking blue eyes. I studied him, surprised at how effortlessly commanding he looked.

"It's okay," he said smoothly. "I know. I'm devastatingly good-looking. Happens all the time." He winked.

I blinked, then laughed despite myself. I'd expected arrogance. But his energy was disarming, teasing without any real malice.

Without waiting for an answer, he plopped down beside me, his presence filling the space with effortless confidence.