Meeting the Pack.

Aurora’s POV

I woke up feeling hopeful. I remembered my talk with Leonardo and smiled. I stretched and got out of bed, walking to the window.

The sun shone brightly, matching my mood. I felt happy and hopeful as I looked outside.

The birds sang sweetly, matching the tune in my heart. I thought about Leonardo's words and smiled.

Was he in love with me? Did he feel the same connection?

I giggled, looking out the window at the sunny day. I couldn't explain these new feelings, but one thing was sure:

I felt happy when I thought about him. I twirled around my room, feeling carefree.

Just then, I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I called out, my heart skipping a beat.

The door opened, and Rafael stood there, smiling at me.

“Good morning, sister.”

Rafael's smile faded for a moment, and he looked at me with concern.

"What's going on? You look...different."

I blushed, feeling my cheeks warm up.

"I'm just happy, Rafael. That's all."

He raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Happy? You're practically glowing."

I laughed, trying to downplay it.

"I just got a good night's sleep, that's all."

Rafael didn't look convinced, but he let it drop.

"Well, I came to ask if you wanted to join me for breakfast."

I nodded, and we walked downstairs together. As we entered the dining room, I saw Leonardo already seated at the table, but noticed that Alessandro was absent and honestly I felt relived.

I noticed that Leonardo kept looking at me and I couldn’t help but smile.

Leonardo's eyes smiled at the corners as he smiled back at me, and I felt my heart flutter.

“Ahem!”

Rafael cleared his throat, breaking the moment.

"So, Leonardo, what's the plan for today?"

Leonardo turned to Rafael, but his eyes kept drifting back to me.

"Well, Alessandro and I are going to handle some pack issues. You know dad being away on his honeymoon, the whole pack responsibilities falls on us.”

Rafael nodded, and they started discussing the details. I poured myself a cup of coffee, trying to focus on the conversation, but my eyes kept meeting Leonardo's.

It was like we had our own secret language. I felt a nudge under the table, and Rafael whispered.

"Earth to Aurora, are you listening?"

I blushed, realizing I had zoned out.

"Yeah, sorry. Just lost in thought."

Leonardo's smile grew wider, and I knew he knew exactly what I was thinking about.

“Rafael why don’t you take Aurora round the pack so that she would get to meet the pack.”

Rafael’s face lit up with excitement. “That’s a great idea.”

Leonardo nodded with a smile.

“I think the pack needs to know about our new sister. Don’t you think?”

I nodded, feeling a sense of belonging at Leonardo's words. 'Our new sister' - it sounded so nice to hear.

Rafael clapped his hands together, eager to get started.

"Alright, let's go! I'll introduce you to everyone."

He got up and pushed his chair back, gesturing with his hand for me to follow him.

I was still eating my bread, but had to drop it and get up to follow him. I gave Leonardo a final glance before leaving the dining table, where he was still sitting.

I felt sad as I wanted to spend more time with him, but he seemed to have important matters to discuss with the annoying Alessandro.

We walked out of the pack’s mansion and into the pack streets.

I was nervous and I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking as we walked. Rafael must have noticed it, because he put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. They're going to love you," he said with a smile.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but my heart was beating. We walked through the streets, and I saw pack members going about their daily business.

Some of them nodded or waved at Rafael, and he returned the greetings. As we turned a corner, I saw a group of teenagers hanging out near the pack's training center.

They looked up and caught my eye, and I felt a more nervous. One of them, a boy with messy brown hair, caught my eye and smiled.

I felt a flutter in my chest, and Rafael noticed.

"Ah, that's Luca," he said with a chuckle.

"He's a good kid. Don't worry, he won't bite... unless you're an enemy of the pack, that is."

Rafael winked at me, trying to make me laugh."

As we approached the group, Luca broke away from his friends and jogged over to us.

"Hey, Rafael! Who's this?" he asked, his eyes fixed on me with interest.

Rafael clapped him on the back.

"This is Aurora, our new pack member and my step sister.

Aurora, this is Luca."

Luca's smile widened as he held out his hand.

"Welcome to the pack, Aurora. I'm Luca."

I took his hand and smiled as well.

"Thanks, Luca. Nice to meet you."

Rafael chuckled. "I'll leave you two to get acquainted. I have some business to attend to. "

He nodded at Luca.

"Show her around, okay?"

Luca nodded, and Rafael took off, leaving us alone. Luca turned to me, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"So….. what's your story, Aurora? How are you enjoying being a part of the the Shadow pack and being a part of the Prickette family?”

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. After all I don’t really know Luca yet, but Rafael had informed me that though Luca was a teenager, he had an old soul.

I took a deep breath, trying to decide how much to share. But there was something about Luca's kind eyes and genuine smile that put me at ease.

"To be honest, it's all been a bit overwhelming," I admitted.

"I'm still getting used to the whole pack dynamic and learning about my...family's history."

Luca nodded thoughtfully. "I can imagine. It's a lot to take in. But we're glad to have you here, Aurora.

You're one of us now."

He said it with such conviction that I felt a warmth spread through my chest.

"Thanks, Luca. That means a lot coming from you." I smiled, feeling a connection to this young stranger.

"So, what's your story? How did you end up in the Shadow pack?"

Luca's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Oh, I've been here my whole life. Born and raised. My parents were original members of the pack, and I'm proud to carry on the legacy."

He said it with such pride that I couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for this young man.

As we walked, he pointed out different wolves and told me their names. There was Raven, a sleek black wolf with piercing green eyes, and Hunter, a playful gray wolf who was always getting into mischief.

When we approached a group of wolves, Luca leaned close to my ear and whispered.

“That is Muna.”

Muna, a wise and gentle wolf with a thick gray coat, stood up and walked towards me.

She sniffed me gently and then smiled, her tail wagging warmly.

"Hello, you must be Aurora," her voice soft and soothing.

"Um, yeah...," I replied, feeling a little shy.

Muna's smile put me at ease, and I smiled back at her. Luca chuckled.

"Don't worry, Aurora, Muna's bark is worse than her bite."

Muna playfully rolled her eyes and swatted at Luca with her paw.

“Where is Rafael by the way? He’s the one who should be introducing a new member to the pack and not you young one.”

Luca gave her a look. “I may be young, but as everyone knows, I have an old soul.”

Muna rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah.”

"Muna's teasing tone was clear, but Luca just chuckled.

"Hey, someone's got to keep things running around here while Rafael's busy with...whatever it is he's always busy with."

He winked at me, and I couldn't help but laugh. Muna shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

"You two are something else. Come on, Aurora, let's go find Rafael and get this official introduction over with."

She padded off, with Luca and I following close behind. As we walked, Luca leaned in and whispered.

"Don't worry about Muna, she's all bark and no bite...mostly."

I giggled, feeling a sense of belonging with these two. We approached the pack's central gathering area, where Rafael was standing, deep in conversation with Leonardo and Alessandro.

Rafael's eyes lit up when he saw us, and he excused himself from the others.

"Perfect timing, Muna. I was wondering when Aurora was gonna meet the trouble maker in the pack. Muna turned to him.

"Rafael, it's good to see you're taking care of your sister," Her eyes shining with warmth.

Rafael smiled and hugged her. "Of course, Muna. I'm just glad she's here."

As they talked, I looked around at the pack. They all seemed so welcoming and friendly. I felt a sense of belonging that I had never felt before.

---------

“Seems like the pack really likes you, Aurora.” Rafael said, smiling warmly as we walked back to the pack mansion.

“I’m surprised, really.”

Looking at the other wolves who seemed fine with me joining them without any fuss, I shook my head in amazement.

"I didn't think it would be like this," I said, my voice filled with wonder. Rafael nodded, his expression turning serious as he looked at me with thoughtful eyes.

"I think they know something we don't." he said, speaking quietly and glancing around cautiously.

I beamed with joy, feeling a sense of belonging. "I honestly thought they would act hostile, like Lena and Alessandro."

I said, rolling my eyes at the memory of their attitude towards me.

"But it was the exact opposite. I'm just so happy!"

I bounced up and down, my enthusiasm bubbling over.

Rafael chuckled and smiled, his eyes smiling at the corners.

"I'm glad you're happy, Aurora," he said, placing a warm hand on my shoulder.

"You deserve it."

He squeezed my shoulder gently, offering a reassuring gesture.

"The forest has a way of revealing its secrets to those who truly belong here," his eyes sparkling with knowing.

My heart filled with a sense of peace, I nodded in agreement.

"I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be." a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

“I think I’m going to have a good life here, with the pack.”

“Aurora, we should head back fast.”


Ensnared by My Stepbrothers' Realm
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