Chapter 106: Heart of the Matter.

Leonardo’s POV

Smack!

Smack!

Smack!
The sharp sting of my father’s hand burned against my cheek as he struck me again and again.
“How dare you!” he roared. “How could you fall in love with your step-sister?!
Have you gone completely insane?!”
His eyes burned with fury, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.
“Do you realize how the whole pack will see you now?!”
I slowly turned my head back to face him, my jaw tight, my heart steady.
“I don’t care, Father,” I said firmly. “I love Aurora, and that’s never going to change.”
Alpha John’s face twisted in anger. His fists clenched at his sides as he looked at me.
“You are a disgrace to this family,” he spat.
“You were supposed to be the future Alpha!
A leader, a man of honor and instead, you choose her?”
I stood my ground. “Yes. I choose her.”
His nostrils flared. “You would throw away everything for her?”
“If being Alpha means living a life without Aurora, then yes. I would.”
For a moment, the room was silent, the tension thick like a storm about to break. Then, without another word, my father turned his back on me.
“Then you are no longer my son.”
The words hit me harder than any slap, but I refused to let him see the pain. My jaw tightened, my hands curled into fists, but I stayed still.
“I never wanted to be an Alpha, but you kept on trying to dictate to me how I should live my life.
You got me engaged to a woman I never wanted to marry and now you are telling me that I shouldn’t be with the one woman that makes me happy? Come on father.”
Alpha John slowly turned back to face me, his eyes burning with disappointment and anger.
“Being an Alpha is about duty, not personal desires,” he said coldly.
“You are letting emotions cloud your judgment.” I let out a bitter laugh.
“And what about you, Father?
You married Luna April not out of duty, but out of love, remember?
Why didn’t you marry someone else for duty? And now you’re standing here telling me to marry for duty and not for love?”
His face darkened. “Watch your mouth, Leonardo.”
“No,” I snapped. “I’m done watching my mouth. I’ve spent my whole life trying to be the perfect son, the perfect heir, but no matter what I do, it’s never enough for you.”
I took a deep breath, my voice steady.
“Well, I’m done living for your approval. I love Aurora, and I will stand by her whether you accept it or not.”
Alpha John clenched his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides.
“Then leave. If you refuse to obey me, then you are no longer part of this pack.”
I felt a sharp pain in my chest, but I refused to let it show. If this was the price of love, then so be it. I straightened my shoulders.
“Fine. If that’s your decision, then I’ll go. But just know this you are the one pushing me away. Not the other way around.”
Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked out of his office, my heart beating in my chest.
As I stepped out of my father’s office, the weight of his words settled deep in my chest.
Then leave. 
Those two words kept echoing in my mind, but I pushed them aside. I had made my choice.
I walked down the hall, my steps firm. I needed to see Aurora. I needed to tell her what happened before she heard it from someone else.
When I reached her room, I knocked.
After a few seconds, the door opened, and there she stood her eyes filled with worry the moment she saw my face.
“Leonardo… what happened?” she asked softly, stepping closer.
I let out a shaky breath.
“He disowned me, Aurora.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“I told him I wasn’t going to back down. That I love you and I won’t give you up.
He told me to leave the pack.” I swallowed hard, watching her reaction.
“So I’m leaving.”
Aurora shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.
“No… Leonardo, this is your home.
He can’t just—”
“He already did.” I reached out, cupping her face gently.
“But it doesn’t matter. Home isn’t a place. It’s a person. And my home is with you.”
But something was off.
She wasn’t reacting the way I expected. Instead of relief or happiness, there was hesitation in her eyes something uncertain, something unspoken.
I searched her face, waiting for her to say something, to tell me that she wanted this as much as I did.
But she just stood there, her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words.
My chest tightened. Why does she look like that?
“Aurora?” I murmured, my thumb brushing against her cheek.
“Are you… not happy about this?”
Her eyes looked away for a second before she forced a smile.
“I just… I don’t want you to lose everything because of me.”
It was a careful response. Too careful.
I had just thrown away my title, my family, my entire future in this pack all for her.
But the woman standing in front of me, the woman I had fought so hard to be with… she wasn’t meeting my gaze the way she usually did.
Something had changed.
And for the first time since making my decision, doubt began to creep in.
I studied her face, searching for the warmth and reassurance I needed. But all I saw was hesitation.
“Aurora,” I said again, this time more firmly.
“Talk to me. What’s wrong?”
She shook her head quickly, forcing another smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Nothing, Leonardo. I just… I wasn’t expecting this. I thought your father would eventually accept us.”
I exhaled, my hands tightening slightly on her face. “He won’t. And I don’t care. I made my choice.”
Aurora bit her lip, her fingers gripping the hem of her dress. Her silence spoke louder than words, and it twisted something inside me.
I had lost everything for her. Why did it feel like I was the only one fighting for this?
“Aurora,” I murmured, stepping closer.
“Do you love me?”
Her eyes snapped up to mine, wide and startled, as if I had just asked her something she wasn’t ready to answer.
"Of course, I do." But her voice wavered.
It was the first time I felt it the distance, the uncertainty.
I studied her, waiting for something, anything, that would ease the tightness growing in my chest.
But she only looked away, biting her lip.
"It’s late, Leonardo…" She stepped back, putting space between us.
"I’m a bit tired after everything that happened today. I think we should call it a night."
I nodded slowly, even though every instinct told me something was off.
But I wouldn’t push not now.
"Alright," I murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Get some rest."
She gave me a small smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
And as I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was losing her.
*****
After she entered her room and closed the door, I stood there for a few seconds, processing her reactions and words.
Something felt… off.
With a sigh, I turned and headed toward my own room. As I walked down the hall, I saw Gabriel and Rafael approaching me.
"Congrats, brother. You finally stood up to Father.
How do you feel?" Rafael asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
I let out a breath, running a hand through my hair.
"I should feel relieved, right?" I said, glancing at them.
"But something doesn’t feel right."
Gabriel crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"
I hesitated.
"Aurora. She wasn’t… herself." I looked down the hallway, back toward her closed door.
"I expected her to be happy, relieved even. But instead, she seemed distant, conflicted."
Rafael sighed, shaking his head.
"You gave up everything for her, Leonardo. Maybe she just needs time to process it all."
"Or maybe," Gabriel added cautiously, "she’s not as sure about this as you are."
His words hit me harder than I expected. Was that it? Was Aurora having second thoughts?
No. She loved me. She had to.
"Well, you can’t really blame her, Leonardo," Rafael said, his voice calm but firm.
"You broke up with her, told her you didn’t love her, and agreed to marry Lena.
Every time she held on to you, you pushed her away. And when she needed you the most, you weren’t there.
Maybe… her heart isn’t in it like it used to be."
I clenched my fists. "I had no choice, Rafael. Lena was going to hurt her, and I didn’t have proof to stop her.
I did what I had to do to protect Aurora."
Rafael sighed. "Yeah… but if you think about it, Leonardo, you did it for yourself."
My expression hardened.
"What do you mean by that, Rafael?"
Rafael crossed his arms, meeting my glare without hesitation. "You say you did it for her, but did you ever stop to ask what she wanted?
You made the choice to push her away, to break her heart, without even giving her a say.
You decided what was best for her, but maybe all she ever wanted was for you to fight for her even when things got hard."
Gabriel nodded in agreement.
"She spent all this time thinking you didn’t want her, that she wasn’t enough.
And now that you’ve finally made up your mind, you expect her to just forget all the pain? Leonardo, love doesn’t work like that."
Their words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had been so focused on protecting Aurora that I never realized how much I had actually hurt her in the process.
"So what do I do?" I asked, my voice quieter this time.
Rafael sighed. "You don’t demand her love, Leonardo. You earn it."
I clenched my jaw, running a hand through my hair.
"Earn it?" I repeated, frustration bubbling inside me.
"I threw everything away for her!
My title, my home, my father doesn't that prove anything?"
Gabriel sighed.
"It proves something, but maybe not what you think."
I turned to him, furrowing my eyes.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you’re still making this about you." Gabriel’s voice was calm, but firm.
"You're focused on what you've sacrificed, what you've lost. But what about her, Leonardo?
Do you even know what Aurora wants? What she's feeling?
Or are you just expecting her to fall back into your arms because you've finally decided she should?"
His words stung.
I exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of my neck. Deep down, I knew they were right.
I had been so caught up in my own decisions, my own battles, that I hadn't really stopped to think about what Aurora was going through.
Had I been too late?
"So, what do I do?" I asked again, my voice quieter this time.
Rafael placed a hand on my shoulder. "Give her time, brother. Give her space.
If she still loves you, she’ll find her way back to you. But you can’t force it."
I hated that answer.
Patience was never my strength.