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Aurora

"Miss Belmont?" a gorgeous redhead walks into the reception area, her eyes scanning the faces in the room.

I slowly raise a finger, gaining her attention. "That would be me." All eyes turn to me, and I try not to let the attention frighten me. You've been to a lot of interviews at world-class companies, Aurora. This should be a walkover for you. I mentally encourage myself, willing my nerves to calm down. It doesn't work, and my ever-working brain chooses the moment to remind me of how my past interviews might be high profile but don't compare with this in importance. The very fabric of my future hangs on this.

She condescendingly gives me a once over, her eyes indiscreetly trailing from my hair to my toes before coming to rest briefly on my eyes. She ticks the file she was clutching to her chest. "This way, the personnel officer is expecting you."

She turns on her heels, and I follow, feeling anxiety slowly creeping over me. Despite spending a great part of the previous day watching multiple interview videos on YouTube and Lucien assuring me that I would do great, I feel my palms growing sweaty and my chest tightening.I wipe my hands on my shirt, the movement disguised as a quick adjustment of my red silk shirt and not the nervous wreck I currently am. Over the years, the shirt has come to be my personal rendition of a hero's cape. I always get a lot of compliments whenever I wear it. Paired with my black suit pants and a cheap imitation of Louboutin's red bottom, it is safe to say I am dressed to kill. But with every step that brings us closer to the personnel officer, I feel less like a predator and more like prey.

The redhead stops in front of an intimidating wooden door with the words "conference room" written in elegant cursive strokes hanging on top of it. My heart races with anticipation, and my nerves grow erratic, firing nervous impulses through me.

One of the most emphasized points in every video I've watched for my interviews is the power of body language and how inferiority can be sniffed from miles away, so I straighten my spine and raise my head. Despite nature dealing me a losing hand in this venture, I am determined to make this a success. This is my longest and biggest dream. Many things in my life have only served to lead to this moment. I can't mess it up.

"Good morning, ma'am. This is Aurora; she applied for the role of the assistant financial advisor," the redhead announces as we step into the conference room.A middle-aged woman who looks stern in her pleated Chanel suit and tight chignon sits at the head of the table, observing me through the bottom of her lenses.

"Thank you, Jenny. I'll take it from here." Her voice is flat and monotonous, giving nothing away.

"Good luck," Jenny whispers before slipping out of the room, her words sounding more like mockery than goodwill.

The temperature of the room drops by a few degrees following Jenny's departure. The personnel officer continues to scrutinize me without a word. Clearing my throat, I decide to break the ice. "Good morning, ma'am. I'm scheduled for an interview today." I inject an extra amount of sweetness into my voice in case she has a quick temper.

"I already got that bit. I wonder how long you intend to stand there before pitching yourself."

Pitching myself? How am I supposed to know I am to start when she barely offers me a word of greeting?

"Sit." She commands softly, and my feet move on their own accord, settling me into a chair close to her. She clasps her hands on the table, leaning in to rest her chin on them. "Tell me, Aurora, why should I consider you as an assistant finance officer?"

A smile creeps to my face. This is exactly the question I hope to hear. It's a chance to sell myself and display my outstanding academic performance and experiences. "I graduated at the top of my class in both high school and college, and my top scores were always in statistics, economics, and finance. Through multiple internships and fieldwork, I've been able to fine-tune my—""I know all about your academic prowess and multiple awards." She cuts me short, leveling me with a look I cannot decipher. "What I want to know is why the pack should trust you with its finances."The question is different from what I prepared for, but I understand the necessity of it. Whoever handles the finances of the pack controls a lot of things, and as much as degrees and awards are a huge deal, trust and reliability are also paramount.

"Mrs. ….?"

"Kingston," she replies. "Anna Kingston."

I nod, picking up from where I stopped. "Mrs. Kingston, I understand the need for someone who can be trusted; that's why I'm here. I believe I can be an asset to the pack if I'm hired. With me on the finance team, you won't have to worry about inconsistencies. All transactions will be transparent. I'll develop a system to ensure that, and I'll devote myself to the financial growth of our community. I'm certain I can make incredible changes in record time. I only want the opportunity to show that the pack's finances will thrive with me on your team."

She let out a slow "hmm," leaning into her chair and watching me closely. Her eyes feel like visible weights on my shoulders. If this is some intimidation tactic, I'm afraid it's working on me. My wolf is practically shrinking beneath the dominant weight of her eyes while I try to keep myself from visibly squirming in my seat. Tough luck.

A long minute passes before she finally says something. "Aurora, your grades are beyond impressive, and the same goes for your experience, but I'm afraid the pack is looking for something slightly different at the time. We need someone who can display both intellectual and physical strength and someone who cannot be forced into submission. Do you understand?"

I blink, letting the meaning behind her words sink in. So, this is what the stare-down was about. My mother is human, so I am not a pure-blood shifter. But I am still a shifter. Certainly not as strong as the pure-bloods, but I doubt that has anything to do with my ability to do a good job. It's not as if I asked to be allowed to defend the pack in some great war.

"I do have somewhere you can thrive." She picked up a file I hadn't noticed lying in front of her and slid it over to me. I quickly peruse the document, and a wave of humiliation and disregard hits me with every word.

"The domestic workers around here appear to lack structure, and I was hoping that, with all your experiences, you could give them something to work with as the head janitor or something."

Head janitor. She says it like it's some sort of honor. Four years in college, doing my best to be seen as valuable, and I get to be the head janitor. Isn't that what dreams are made of? I continue to look at the words in the file, the stroke of each letter staring back at me in an almost mocking manner as if to say how dare you be so ambitious?

Eventually, I lift my head, hiding my humiliation behind a smile. "Thank you for considering me for the position. I'll give it a thought and get back to you."

She returns my smile, getting on her feet. "We'll be looking forward to working with you, Aurora. I'm certain you'll do a great job for the pack."

I nod, mirroring her movements. My eyes burn with humiliation, but I maintain a neutral expression, making my way out of the conference room. Her words feel like a dressed-up insult—like she is trying to show me where I belong.

"How did it go?" Jenny asks the moment I walk into the reception area, her smile as fake as the red bottoms on my feet.

I flash her my brightest smile, and when her brows crinkle in surprise, I revel in my little victory. I might've been treated like a sub-member of the pack, but I refuse to tuck my tail and act like one. If she's looking to entertain herself with someone's misery, she might just look in the mirror.I knew the pack valued pure-blood shifters over all else. I just didn't expect them to make critical decisions based on the same outdated values. The company belongs to the Blackwood Pack, and while we have secured our grounds in world politics, we are yet to make our mark in the finance department. I recall Lucien mentioning how breaking into the finance sector would be a top priority once he's alpha. That and my love for numbers contributed to me sticking with finance in college, and now I can't even get a chance to show how much I can do. I'm not trying to be smug, but I can say no one in Blackwood has a CV as impressive as mine.Back in college, when I mostly worked with humans, I was considered an asset to every firm I worked with. They were all reluctant to let me go, so I knew that this was not about my inability to perform. It was about the human in my DNA.My ride home is mostly quiet. I don't even turn on the music. I keep wondering what life would've looked like if I were pure-blood. Maybe I'll be treated with a little more respect when I send applications and have a voice that actually matters.

My father was pure-blood, but his fated mate, my mother, was human. He always told me stories of how he was constantly discouraged from getting married to her and how he was warned against tainting his bloodline. But he paid them no heed and went ahead to marry the love of his life.

They had the most beautiful, though short, love story. But that left them with me, the taint, and now I was being treated like one. Something told me if he was still alive, things wouldn't be so bad.

By the time I pull into my parents' little cottage, I am exhausted, and all I want is to curl into my bed with a tub of ice cream and let out my heart. Maybe I'll visit my parents' grave to talk.

I unlock the door to find Lucien lounging on the sofa, a bouquet of white lilies in hand. "Congratulations." The statement sounds more like a question than a celebratory word, his eyes slowly searching mine for answers.

The excitement bubbling through my wolf at the sight of our mate is a sharp contrast to the fresh wave of sadness flowing through me. I'm relieved to see him and to know I have someone to share my feelings with, but I also wish I returned with better news. He has been away for almost three weeks, and I wanted to welcome him with the good news.

My shoulders drop, and I avert my gaze, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes when he realizes he got flowers for nothing."Come here." Lucien drops the flowers on the table and pulls me into a hug. That's when I let out the first sob. This job is supposed to be my trump card, my way of contributing to the pack and showing my support for Lucien. Now, I have no way to do that.

"They said I wasn't good enough."

He stiffens briefly, pulling away from our hug to look at my face. "Who said that?"

His voice is sharp, and his eyes narrow. I have no doubt if I give him a name, he will seek them out. I let out a dry chuckle. "She didn't exactly say so, but she did offer me the role of a janitor. Apparently, despite my qualifications, I need to be pure-blood to be considered."

His expression softens, and he pulls me into a tighter hug, placing a long kiss on my head. "You're more than enough, and one day, when you're Luna, they won't be able to deny how amazing you are."

When you're Luna. It's all he ever says. There have been times I've expected him to do something about the situation, but he says his training is very critical and delicate, and he can't risk offsetting the balance until he has been named alpha. I'm not needy and inconsiderate, but sometimes I wish things were different and he could openly fight for me.

"How long till they get to see it?" I ask, my voice muffled by his chest. Lucien and I found out we were fated three years ago during the annual pack ceremony, shortly after the conspiracy of the white witches was exposed.

With no need for a public confirmation, we decided to keep it private and give him some time to settle into his role while I focused on my academics. Once we're ready, we'll make a public declaration. It wasn't a bad idea at the time, but now, I find myself wanting more than stolen glances and sneaky link-ups.

"As soon as my training is over, I'll take you to my father. Once we receive his blessings, you'll be publicly mine." His voice grows softer. "We've already come so far. I just need a little time, okay?"

I nod, burying myself deeper into his embrace. Time. It's only a matter of time, and if I've waited three years, what difference does an extra year make?Our hug slowly goes from comforting to sensual, with his hands running all over my body. From my back to my ass, where he sinks his fingers and squeezes tightly till I let out a yelp. He seizes the moment to capture my lips in a kiss, pushing his tongue into my mouth in one quick swoop.

Tingles spread through me as his tongue tangles with mine in an intense dance of passion, his taste intoxicating my senses. I stand on my tippy toes, pulling him down by the neck to get more of him, and he matches my urgency with equal fervor.His deft fingers quickly undo the buttons of my shirt, and my bra follows shortly after, the cool afternoon breeze brushing past my hardened nipples and sending a delicious shiver through me.Lucien dips his head, taking one nipple in his mouth while his hand toys with the other, kneading the mound of flesh like dough and pulling at the taut bud.

Heat shoots through my spine, arcing my back and pushing my boobs further into his face. He let out a soft chuckle, biting down on my nipple and immediately replacing his teeth with the soft stroke of his tongue. The alternation between pain and pleasure pulls a loud moan from me, and my hands tighten around his neck, tugging at the trail of hair on his nape.Lucien lets out a groan before hoisting me up, and I instinctively wrap my legs around him. He carries me to the bedroom and dumps me on the bed without breaking his lips from mine.His hands immediately go to the button of my pants while I fumble with his shirt, eager to rip the piece of clothing separating his body from mine. We're a tangled mess of limbs grabbing at each other and struggling to do away with the barriers separating us."Lift your hips, baby," he whispers, and I balance my weight on my elbows, watching as he rips off my trousers and pants in one go, carelessly discarding them on the floor.His shirt follows, and I take the little window of time before he covers my body to marvel at his body, from the perfect width of his shoulders down to the veins snaking around his arms and his chiseled abs tapering to form a deep "v" disappearing into his trousers with a light trail of hair.

If not for the weight of his body pressing against mine and his fingers distracting me with soft circles on my clit, I would love to chase those hairs to the point where they stop to reveal the hard length that is currently digging into my thighs."So wet," Lucien growls, rubbing his fingers around my pussy and spreading my juices all over. "I've missed how hungry your pussy gets for me, practically weeping for me to shove my cock inside you and fuck you into oblivion."

His words cause my walls to clench, and Lucien chuckles, dipping his head to my neck and nibbling at my ears. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? You'd like my cock driving into you and wrecking this pretty pussy of yours till the only sound you can produce is my name."

"Please...." the only intelligible sound that forms through the gibberish spilling from my mouth. I have no idea what I am begging for, but when he slips two fingers in me and curls them upwards, I know without a doubt that I want him to fill me up.

He let out a strangled groan, watching his fingers move in and out of my pussy before latching his mouth onto my clit, causing my hips to buck at the intense feeling. My eyes roll to the back of my head and my entire body shakes with need.I feel like I am levitating into a cloud of endless pleasure, and when that low pressure starts to build in the pit of my stomach, I know I'm going to topple over the edge. ?

As if he can sense how close I am, Lucien increases the pace of his fingers, his lips sucking harder on my clit. Tiny dots of light form behind my eyes with the growing intensity in my stomach, and before I know it, I am hit with an intense wave of orgasm, tearing a sharp scream from my throat.Through the fog of my pleasure, I can barely register Lucien covering my lips with his, swallowing my cries of pleasure. My body feels like it is floating in space, a boneless mass of pleasure shaking from the intensity of the feeling coursing through it. The orgasms I gave myself during his time away did not come close.

He does not give me time to recover before shoving his dick into me, burying himself deep to the hilt in one quick thrust. "Oh god!" I scream through the blinding wave of pleasure spreading through me like a burning fire."Lucien, baby. Scream my name, not gods," he grits out while continuously slamming himself into me.Every move delivers a fresh jolt of pleasure, each greater than the previous, till I feel the next wave of orgasm building inside me with even more intensity than the first.In no time, the second wave of orgasm hits me, ripping another scream from me. "Lucien!" I scream as the waves run through me, my body dangerously close to blacking out from the intensity of it.Lucien lets out a deep growl, one so raw I could feel his wolf close to the surface before I feel the warm spouts of cum coating my inside. We ride the wave together before falling into an exhausted, breathless pile.

"I love you," he whispers, pressing a kiss into my hair. I'm exhausted from my high, but I muster my strength to say, "I love you too," while relishing the softness of his lips pressing into different parts of my body.

A ring noise blasts into the space, cutting through our sex haze. "Are you expecting anyone?" Lucien asks, tearing himself off me like I was on fire and snatching his clothes from the floor.

I mask the stabbing feeling in my chest with a cough. "No, are you?"He casts me a funny look. "No one knows I'm here," he says, doing up the last button of his shirt.

I know he doesn't mean for his words to hurt, and he was merely stating a fact of the nature of our relationship. No one can know about us till he is ready. But that does nothing to soothe my wolf's pain.Lucien looks at me, a solemn expression crossing his eyes. My face must betray my feelings. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean it like that. I just—"The doorbell blasts again, this time longer and more urgent. I hop off the bed, snatching a dress from my wardrobe, and head for the door while Lucien follows with a little distance.I open the door to find Liam, Lucien's childhood friend and second in command, standing with worry etched on his face.

"Sorry to bother you, Rora. Have you seen Luc?""Is there a problem?" Lucien appears beside me. I steal a quick glance at him to find him effortlessly put together, every evidence of our lovemaking neatly tucked behind his steel eyes, perfect hair, and pressed shirt. I am instantly self-conscious in my home dress and probably scattered hair."Yes, and your father has summoned us," Liam replies, and my gaze snaps to him. "Is everything alright?""Nothing for you to worry about." Liam smiles, but it barely touches his eyes. I look back at Lucien, who is already out the door and slipping on his shoes. Something different is amiss."Thanks for having me, Rora. I'll see if I can put in a word for you to the HR." Lucien says, his eyes not meeting mine and his voice dripping with sterile civility as he beckons on Liam to follow him.

I want to press further, but I know I won't get an answer. So I stand and watch as Liam's Mercedes pulls out of my driveway, my heart sinking to my stomach with every bit of distance put between us and a feeling I can't name eating away at my senses.