“This is pointless!” Aurora exclaims, her frustrated grunt followed by a tantrum when she slams fists against her thighs and rages toward the moonlit sky.
“Aurora… calm down…” I tried consoling her, but she slapped my palms away and stomped through the snow in the direction of the arena.
This isn't my first rodeo, so I don't chase her, waiting with folded arms until she comes marching back and stares despondently at the marking in the snow.
“Ready to try again?” I quip with a raised brow, but Aurora's maddened glare slices through me.
“What's the point, Elias?! It's not like I can control it!”
Shaking my head and clicking my tongue, I unfold my arms, place my hands on her shoulders, and straighten her up.
“The only thing that's holding you back is fear, Aurora. You are afraid of your power. You're afraid of realizing that you're the strongest one of us.”
I feel her turn rigid between my hands, and I decide to continue with the encouragement.
“There's no need to be afraid anymore. You are Aurora Sinclair, daughter of a werewolf, and granddaughter of a tribal witch. Remember who you are…”
Aurora takes a deep breath, then nods and curls her hands into fists. Feeling the surge of power radiating through her, my heart slows down with anticipation, and I hold my breath with anticipation, moving back to give her the space she needs to wield her magic. When her eyes fly open with an audible whoosh, she throws her palms open and directs them at the marked spot in the snow. All it takes is a sigh to escape her lips for the amethyst flames to pulse out from her palms, and a giant gust of fire bursts out, hitting the mark and burning on the spot miraculously.
She gasps in awe just as a proud smirk curls my lips. I’m about to congratulate her with applause, bringing my hands together, when suddenly, she spins around and throws herself at me, flinging her arms over my neck.
“I did it!” she exclaims excitedly, the cheer in her voice warming my heart.
Grabbing her instinctively, I feel that warmth crest my lips as I hold her in my embrace. But just as I’m about to bask in the feel of her finding safety in my arms, Aurora pulls back and nervously clears her throat.
“Sorry…” she murmurs sheepishly, averting her eyes that become glossed over by the reflection of the purple flames still burning brightly on the fire as she stares that way.
“Why are you apologizing, Aurora?” I ask as I cock my head to one side, reaching out to take her trembling hand in mine.
From the way her hand becomes tense, I know exactly why she’s apologizing, even if she refuses to speak. The past still hangs over us like a dark cloud, and I refuse to let it cover the light of what this mate bond can bring.
No more tiptoeing around her. She’s not a child.
“I know exactly why you’re closed off to me, and why you can’t seem to trust me,” I admit, wanting nothing more than for her to be in my arms, free of worries and feeling safe. “But I want you to know that what happened in the past when I…” I gulp, my inner wolf becoming remorseful. “I rejected you…it was only because I was stupid. As the leader of this pack, I rejected everything that wasn’t powerful. I know now that I was wrong.”
Her eyes soften, glossed over with tears that she’s clearly holding back.
I decide to continue. “I thought you were weak, a frail omega who wouldn’t serve my purpose as the alpha and leader of this pack. Besides, you were so young, and I thought that your admission was misplaced, and that you were just naive and had no idea what you were saying.” Sighing, I realize just how wrong I was. If anything, Aurora has proved that age means nothing, and it’s her resilience that makes her who she truly is. A brave fighter.
“But now I see that beside your powers as a witch, I discovered the true power of the mate bond, and that’s the mostprofound power I’ve ever felt. I want you to know that you can trust me, and I am truly sorry for what I did in the past.”
A stray tear rolls down Aurora’s cheek, and I feel compelled to comfort her, wrapping her in my arms as she remains silent. Maybe this is all she needs right now—to feel safe, to feel seen—and I don’t expect her response or for her to forgive me right now.
One thing I’m set on is giving her time, even if my inner wolf is impatient. She must know how important she is to me, realize it for the truth that it is, and open up to me in her own time.
Chapter 20 - Aurora
“Your vitals are looking good, Aurora,” Rissa says with a pleasant smile, tossing her vibrant scarf over her neck before packing away the device that gauges my blood pressure. “Both you and the baby are healthy. The alpha will be pleased to hear about it.”
I frown as I watch her packing away the monitoring device, my mind wandering to the other night when Elias apologized to me about the past.
I still haven’t decided if I can forgive him or if I can trust him again.
I gulp hard. Though she’s my personal healer assigned to me by the alpha himself, Rissa’s the closest thing to a friend I’ve ever had in the pack. She’s kind to me and patient and doesn’t seem to care about my looks.
She’s also attentive, noticing when something is wrong. That’s why she pulls out the chair and sits in front of me, folding my hand on her lap.
“Something is bothering you, Aurora…what is it?”
