Page 12

Aurora

I trail my fingers lightly over my son's face, watching him sleep. For years, it has been just us until Damon came into our lives.My mind drifts randomly to my run-in with Lucien earlier, and I sigh. The knots in my stomach tighten their grip and the warmth that usually accompanies the memories of him fill me.A warmth creeps up my thigh, a vivid reminder of our night on the rooftop. I shut my eyes, willing the thoughts away as I lean in to plant a kiss on Ronan's forehead.

I watch him a while longer before getting to my feet and heading out, making sure to leave the door slightly open.Now alone, my mind wanders for the umpteenth time to Lucien, and as I tuck away loose strands of hair behind my ears, I wonder how much of a mistake the night on the balcony was.

I had let myself give in to a moment of weakness, and the worst part is that, a part of me enjoyed it.But despite all of that, deep down, I know the depth of the hurt I have nursed all these years. I don't know how long I can deny my wolf the comfortable intimacy that comes from a mate.I collapse on my bed with a heavy sigh, searching blindly for my phone and knocking down a bedside lamp.

A low grunt of frustration slips from my mouth as I struggle to set it back in place, examining it briefly for any damage. There's none, as far as I can tell.

I turn my attention to my phone once again, scrolling through my contacts until I find Katherine's number.

I stare at it as it rings, my fingers toying with a lock of hair, a nervous habit of mine. When I found out Katherine, a human being, was mated to a shifter, and she accepted the bond, I was a little too excited to let her know I am part of the community.A human friend, who I could tell everything about the shifter world to without having to filter out the details really did wonders for my healing journey, and it helped me with moving on. We've come to trust each other for the most personal things without the need for secrets.She answers, although on the second ring, "Heyyy."

"I'm such a mess," I say almost immediately, rolling over to lay on my back.

"Is something wrong?" Her voice comes again, a hint of concern lacing her tone.

"I slept with Lucien." I find myself blurting out, then almost immediately, I feel the need to add, "I don't know what I was thinking, honestly."

The line is silent for a while, and the silence eats away at my conscience. I'm about to call out her name when her voice floats through the receiver again."Okay…" she hesitates a moment, her voice calm and void of judgment, "And Damon?"

I sigh again, "I like him, I really do. I'm just so confused. I don't want my son to get caught up in the middle of anything."

"What do you want?" she asks, her voice taking a serious tone now.I reach out and grab a pillow, tucking it between my legs and then resting my head on another, "From them or life in general?"

Katherine's low chuckle eases some of the tension I am feeling, "Okay, that was too vague. What do you want from them?"

Her rephrase of the question doesn't make it easier to answer. So, as I stare at the ceiling, my uncertainty as thick as a fog, I realize just how much I have been running away from providing answers to this very question."I don't know." My voice is barely a whisper now, but she doesn't seem to mind.

"Rora," she begins, "I think you do." There's a small pause where I assume she's letting me wonder what she means before she continues. "You know what you want, or in this case, who you want. Deciding to remain unsure is your body's way of avoiding making a decision. You've been hurt before, and now you don't trust yourself enough to make the right choice."

I run a hand through the strands of my hair, letting her words sink in."What if I honestly don't actually know? What if I'm stuck between them? Then what?" I hold my breath, steeling myself in preparation for her response.She sighs, and I can sense the smile in her voice, "Then, you follow your heart."

I roll my eyes at her response. How typical. Of course, she'll ask me to follow my heart. She followed hers all the way to Europe and is currently having the time of her life. "Been there, done that, didn't end up well enough."

Katherine let out a low chuckle. "How did I know you were going to say that? Tell you what?" she says, and I can mentally picture her swinging over her legs and getting into a more comfortable position. "How about this time, you just follow your heart? No fate, no divine powers, just you and your gut."

Somehow, what she says makes sense. I know I'm not making a decision right now, but when I'm ready, her words will be the only thing I take into consideration."Thank you," I reply finally, a small smile tugging at the sides of my face.

"Anytime."We talk briefly about our day before hanging up. I place my phone face down, my fingers drawing circles on my exposed stomach with the words "Then follow your heart" ringing in my head until I drift into a quiet sleep.

****

The beeping of my alarm startles me awake, and I stir, grunting in displeasure as I search blindly for the device and turn it off.Forcing myself to a sitting position, I yawn, blowing locks of hair away from my face. My routine for this morning is easy. Get Ronan ready for the day and prepare to head to work.

I breeze through it, humming a tune as I prepare breakfast and rub a bath. I make a miniature list for grocery shopping later in the day as the fridge is almost empty.Once he's clean and all dressed up, I focus on myself, putting on clothes already chosen the night before. I pause before the grand mirror, doing a fit check, and when I'm content, I head out with Ronan.

Ronan wanted to walk today—something about his teacher telling him to soak up the morning sun—and I decided to indulge him. The walk down to his school was a short one, and we chatted for the entirety of the way. He rambled about his friends, not pausing until we arrived at our destination.

I lower myself to his height, squatting so I can look him in the eye. "Try to keep out of trouble today," I say, ruffling his hair lightly.

He laughs, a calming sound that warms me up from the inside out. I place his bag carefully over both shoulders, and my heart warms with emotions as I savor the moment."Bye, Mama!" he yells, waving at me, his excitement obvious as I steal one last hug before letting him disappear with the rest of the students.I watch him mingle with the others, the warmth of their innocence radiating off of them.When I am certain he's inside, I stand, straighten my outfit, and move my purse to my right hand. I pause to check the time, smiling when I realize I have more than enough time to get to work early.I make my way in the opposite direction from his school, heading down the familiar streets with my smile still intact.I mentally go over what I am to do at work, making mental notes of important things as I head further down.

The weight of decisions from the previous day looms, drawing a low sigh from me. I pull out my phone, typing a text to Lucien but deciding against it almost as soon as I get past the first sentence.There's still so much I haven't figured out, especially about him. I hate how much of an effect he still has on me, but I can only blame that on the fact that we are mates, and there's no getting around that.I draw in a breath, letting it go after a while. I cannot begin the day like this. I shake my head lightly as if physically trying to shake away thoughts of him.A wave of unease washes over me just then, a sensation that only seems to grow as the moments pass. Something is not right. I can feel it, the tingles of a looming discomfort.I turn, my eyes darting about my surroundings. There's nothing unusual as far as my eyes can see, but I cannot seem to shake the unsettling feeling that I am being watched or, worse, followed. I quicken my pace, hoping to shake off the unsettling feeling.

But no matter what, it only seems to linger and grow. I take bold peeks over my shoulders, desperate to ascertain the nature of whatever potential danger is looming.The shadow of a man catches my eye for an instant before it disappears, but his scent lingers. Shifter. I take a wrong turn in an attempt to throw him off my trail, and in that instant, I notice the presence of two others on my tail. I consider shifting, but I am smart enough to know I cannot take on three wolves alone, and as if it's worse that I'm not pure-blood, I'm a woman, too.Each one of them is looking in my direction, barely doing much to conceal their intentions.My pace quickens, a sense of urgency washing over me as my pulse races with newfound worry. I have three men on my tail. The thought of it sends a shiver through my being.

I take yet another turn, desperate to remain in a public space and deprive them of the opportunity of an alley ambush.The men seem to focus only on the task ahead of them: me. Their eyes follow me like a predator watching its prey before the kill.A shudder rocks my being as I clutch my bag firmer, bumping into random strangers but not stopping to offer any sincere apology.A few of them utter curse words out loud, but I don't pause to engage them. I do not have the luxury of time.I turn once more, my gaze shifting between each one of them. I have no idea what they want with me, and I'm not going to slow down long enough to find out either. I've gone five years without as much as a whiff of a shifter on my tail. The sudden appearance of three is definitely not an invitation to a tea party.

The space between us thins as the minutes go by, and it strikes me just then that I cannot afford to let them catch up.In an instant, I kick off my shoes and run, my hands swinging wildly beside me as I struggle to put as much distance as I can between me and them.

I don't need to turn to know they're hot on my heel, and the realization that I might not be able to outrun them forces goosebumps to the surface of my skin.

My mouth hangs open, hot air pouring out as panic sobs spill out. I have no idea where I'm headed, and soon, I find myself exactly where I never want to be—alone.There's no one as far as I can see. I turn, realizing they are probably a few steps behind. I have less than three seconds to think of my next move, so I duck into the nearest building, locking the door behind me as I struggle with the strap of my bag to pull out my phone.

The building is somewhat spacious, with most of the furniture covered in white sheets.I let my eyes dart about briefly, my hands deep in my purse. The bag lands with a loud thud, and I leave it, running further into the house as a loud bang followed by the sound of something solid crashing into the floor. The urgent taps of heavy footsteps echo behind me.

I dash into another room, my palms sweaty and trembling as I look around for anything I can use as a weapon. Soon, I find myself in a closet, one that, from the amount of dust in it, hasn't been used in years.I unlock my phone after four failed attempts, my hands still shaking uncontrollably. The number on the screen is Lucien's, and without a moment of hesitation, I call him."Spread out!" A man bellowed, his voice loud and commanding, followed by a clamor of footsteps doing exactly as told.Beads of sweat roll down my face as I press the phone to my ear, my eyes shut in a silent prayer, "Dear Goddess, please, just for my son," I manage to say. Nothing else makes sense at this point.

Lucien answers after a few painfully long seconds, his voice low and expectant, "Rora?"

I nod, even though he cannot see me, "I'm being followed. Please, please help me.""Where are you?" He asks, the urgency in his voice sending a wave of calm through me, at least for now.

I look around, "I…I don't know exactly, but I took two wrong turns on my way to work in a bid to lose them." My voice is shaky, and my words are almost incoherent.A sob threatens to break free, so I put my palm over my mouth, the sudden movement causing my phone to slip from my already slippery grip.

The noise does not go unnoticed, I realize as I hear someone enter the room.

Jolts of panic shoot through me as I hear the door creak open and a pair of heavy feet enter the room, moving purposefully in my direction.

No other choice, my mind screams as adrenaline courses through my veins and the pounding of my heartbeat fills my ears. The floorboards creak in anticipation, my body trembling as I prepare myself for the inevitable.

This can't possibly be it.