5

How many people did it take for an unwarranted headache to sizzle up in one’s head and prick at one’s nerves?

That had been the question the women Aurora was out in the woods with had asked each other just moments before. They’d all had different answers, and the numbers varied widely, but one thing united them despite their differences:

For Aurora, there was no number. No matter how many people it took, no matter how irritating or intimidating they were, no one could shake the rock that was Aurora. She had agreed with a smile on her lips.

How wrong they had been.

Aurora had never thought she would see him again. They might cross paths someday, but it wasn’t supposed to be now. And even if they did meet, she wasn’t supposed to feel anything.

But as she looked at his face, she froze. A lump rose in her throat, a barricade of conflicting emotions she hadn’t felt in the last five years crashing over her—emotions she had thought locked away. They bubbled to the surface as his hypnotizing blue eyes met hers once again.

Light shone on old memories she had buried in the darkest corners of her mind—both the fairy tales and the horrific nightmares.

Her heart raced wildly, her breath grew unsteady, and the spot where he had once marked her burned uncomfortably. None of this showed on her face, though; she remained poised and aloof.

Alec stared at her for a moment before scoffing and jerking Easton’s hands off him.

“What more did I even expect?” he muttered with something akin to disdain, taking his seat beside Maverick, who sat as still as a statue.

Aurora didn’t like Alec Hill any more than she hated Maverick Prill. They were both scum—everyone in Earnest Valley back then had been awful—but Alec had been among the worst.

He had conspired with Maverick, assisting in his neglect and indifference. Alec had once told her that the only reason he hadn’t driven her out of the pack house was because Maverick still needed her empty title as Luna, and the place needed more cleaning.

The disdain Alec had for Aurora was mutual, but it couldn’t rival the hatred Easton held for him after the hell Alec had put them through as the “Beta-in-waiting” and Beta of the Moonlight Pack.

Alec had sent men after them the day they walked out of the pack, with Aurora half-dead and Easton trying to protect her. Only Sally’s timely intervention as Luna had saved them. Sally had forced her uncle to give them shelter in his pack, despite his objections. They left as soon as they were healed, but the scars—long and deep—remained.

Aurora doubted that the prick sitting across the table had been unaware of the attack.

The tension in the room hung as thick as fog, yet both culprits sat at opposite ends of the table with blank expressions. Their henchmen glared daggers at each other while the rest of the room squirmed uncomfortably.

“That’s what our pack has to offer. Take it or leave it,” Aurora said coolly, her eyes fixed on the man who had once been her world.

The Moonlight Pack had entangled itself with a witch coven. With the Blood Moon pack—its ultimate rival—watching closely, it would have been wiser to join hands with the Night Pack.

“As if this nonsense could even be called a pack!” Dan snapped. “I should’ve known. The moment I saw this dumbass, I should’ve figured out that you’re the witch everyone whispers about. How fitting that you turned into a killing machine.”

Aurora pinned him with a bored look. She recognized him as the son of the former Pack Council leader. It seemed his father had passed on his foul attitude.

“Someone like you isn’t worthy of talking to me,” Aurora said icily. “If it were your father, maybe I’d consider it. He was the most crass old man I ever met.”

Sadie chuckled, joined by Hilda, as Dan’s face reddened with fury.

Gary, the deputy leader’s son, growled, “You’re a—”

“A witch,” Aurora interrupted. “No one says you have to like it.” Floyd chuckled this time, breaking the tension for a brief moment.

The door swung open, and a woman in leather bustiers and high-heeled boots burst into the room like a ray of sunshine. “There’s drinks! What do our people want? I’ve got everything!” she said brightly, ignoring the tension.

She turned expectantly to both Aurora and Maverick. Neither answered, but her unwavering gaze forced them to respond at the same time.

“Latte,” Aurora said.

“Americano,” Maverick said.

Their henchmen exchanged incredulous glances, while the two alphas realized they had swapped their old drink orders.

“Pitiful,” Aurora spat.

“You’re in no position to speak,” Maverick retorted with a cocky smirk, watching the woman exit to fetch their drinks. His arrogance hadn’t faded; it had only grown over the years.

“There are rules to follow,” Aurora said. “We’ll meet tomorrow. Though I’d say it’s simple, simplicity seems to be an issue for some.”

“And you always loved complexities,” Maverick replied. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you needed an analysis for it, though I doubt it would help. You’ve always had trouble understanding me.”

Aurora ignored the memory of pleading with him to tell her what had gone wrong. She buried the thought quickly—now wasn’t the time.

When Layla returned with their drinks, Aurora thanked her, while Maverick flashed the woman a charming smile. Aurora rolled her eyes. The cheat’s still at it.

“You could thank me better if you dropped that scent cloak,” Layla said to Aurora. “Staying in it too long isn’t healthy.”

Aurora muttered under her breath, dispelling the cloak. She immediately regretted it as a familiar scent assaulted her senses, and her wolf whispered a single word:

“Mate.”

Her head snapped up in alarm, meeting Maverick’s equally stunned gaze.

Her heart slammed against her ribcage. She didn’t want him as her second-chance mate. She didn’t want another mate at all. What good has it ever done to her?

Maverick’s wolf yearned to claim her, to mark her, but the memory of Aurora’s betrayal still stung. He stayed rooted to his spot, though it pained him.

Aurora felt the pull towards him—stronger now than it had been five years ago. But she wasn’t the same broken omega who had once been too scared to speak her truth. She was a powerful witch, the leader of the most feared association, and she could finally say out loud what she had always wanted to:

She wanted nothing to do with Alpha Maverick Prill.