Meeting Alpha John.
Rafael’s POV
"What's wrong?" Aurora asked, I could hear the concern in her voice.
I turned serious.
"I just got a message from Alessandro. We need to go back to the pack mansion."
She looked worried, but nodded slowly. We walked faster, in silence, until Aurora broke the silence.
"Is something wrong, Rafael?" I shook my head.
"No, everything's fine. Alessandro just wants us to see our dad."
She looked unsure.
"Oh...so that's what you were doing with that...um...?"
She struggled to find the words, and I helped her.
"Mindlink?" I said, tapping my head. She nodded.
"Yeah, exactly."
I could sense her unease. She was nervous about meeting my dad and her mom.
She hadn’t interacted with him, but I knew my father wasn’t that difficult to talk to.
As we walked back to the pack house, I could tell she was worried. I smiled to reassure her.
"I can sense your inner struggles, Aurora."
I put my hands behind me.
"Don't worry, you're important to this pack now. Don't doubt yourself."
"But what if your dad doesn't like me?" she asked, looking uncertain.
I chuckled.
"You're his Luna's child, so you're part of this pack.
And we're not going there yet, remember?" She looked confused.
"We're not?" I nodded. "We need to get you something to wear first."
I grinned. "You can't meet your new stepdad looking like you just came from the forest!"
She laughed, but still looked nervous.
"You're right." She said, smiling more.
"But...what will I wear? I don't have many choices."
I joked.
"Don't worry, I can help you, sister. You'll look great today!"
She laughed, looking happy.
"Oh, I bet!" Her eyes sparkled with fun.
I checked my watch and looked around.
"We don't have much time, so...let's go to that mall." I pointed. "We can find something suitable for you."
We entered the mall, and the staff greeted us. Some of them flirted with me, but I ignored them.
"I need a dress for her, please," I told the salesperson.
She turned to Aurora. "Follow me."
We looked at dresses together, and I could tell Aurora was unsure.
"What about this one?" the salesperson asked, holding up a navy blue dress.
Aurora nodded, imagining herself wearing it.
"It's beautiful," she said. "But I'm not sure if it's right for meeting the Alpha."
The salesperson smiled and showed us another dress. "I think this would be perfect on you."
---------
Aurora’s POV
My eyes looked around the crowded pack mansion, my eyes falling on Rafael’s family, all gathered around the large, fire place in the center of the room.
And there, in the center of it all, was Lena, her smile bright and her laughter loud as she chatted with Leonardo’s brother Gabriel.
Rafael watched them, looking tense.
"She's really something, huh?" he said, sounding strained.
I watched Lena, noticing how everyone seemed to pay attention to her.
"She's probably close to the family," I said, speaking quietly to myself.
"I should probably stay away from her for now. I don't want to cause any trouble on my first day meeting with Alpha John."
As Lena continued to show off her bond with the Rafael family, my mother's eyes met mine.
"Aurora," she said softly, her voice filled with insincerity.
"You're here."
She walked up to me, her eyes furrowed slightly as she whispered in my ear.
"Don't you dare ruin this for me, Aurora. You've messed up before, don't do it again.
Just smile and be nice, don't make it obvious that you're threatened."
Her words hurt, but I didn't react. I just nodded and faked a smile, like I always did when she spoke to me like that.
I knew better than to cross her, especially in public.
With my fake smile plastered on my face, I turned to greet Alpha John, who was beaming with joy as he hugged me.
“Aurora, my dear. It’s so great to see you!”
I felt a pang of hurt, knowing that I’d never received that kind of affection from her that Alpha John just showed me when he hugged me.
“Hi, Alpha John.” I greeted trying to sound cheerful.
“It’s great to see you too.”
"Thank you, Alpha, for having me come stay with you and the entire family," I said, bowing my head slightly in respect.
Alpha John chuckled and patted me on the back.
"Oh, that's fine. We are all one big happy family," he spoke, his eyes twinkling with warmth.
I smiled softly, feeling a sense of belonging.
"Isn't she a beauty?"
Alpha John exclaimed, turning to the rest of the pack.
"Now I can see why I fell in love with her mother."
My cheeks flushed red as I blushed, and I smiled shyly, looking down at my feet. The rest of the packhouse erupted into a chorus of good-natured teasing, with pack members calling out playful comments and whistling.
Alpha John continued, his voice booming across the room.
"I'm sure your fated mate would be so happy to have you, because you would bring color to his family as you have brought to mine. You and your mother."
He turned to Alessandro, who was leaning against the wall, his hands tucked into his pockets. Alessandro's face remained unreadable, his eyes fixed on some point across the room.
"Don't you think she's beautiful, Alessandro?" Alpha John asked, nudging Alessandro playfully.
But Alessandro didn't react, his expression unchanging. He just stood there, his eyes still fixed on some distant point, his silence speaking volumes.
His eyes finally shifted, his eyes locking onto mine with a piercing intensity.
"Beautiful?" he repeated, his voice filled with disdain.
"She's just a pale imitation of her mother. A weak, fragile thing."
My smile faded, and I felt a sting from his words. I looked down, trying to hide my hurt.
But before I could react, Leonardo stepped forward, his eyes flashing with anger.
"Alessandro, that's enough," he warned, his voice low and even.
"There's no need to be cruel."
Alessandro shrugged, his face unrepentant.
"I'm just stating the truth. She's not exactly the most impressive specimen, is she?"
Alpha John's face darkened, his eyes furrowed.
"Alessandro, apologize to Aurora. Now."
Alessandro's eyes never wavered from mine, his eyes shining with malice. But he spoke, his voice filled with insincerity.
"Oh, forgive me, Aurora. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
I nodded, still feeling the sting of his words. But I knew better than to react, not in front of the pack. I forced a smile, trying to play it off.
"It's okay, really. I'm used to it."
Leonardo's eyes never left Alessandro's face, his face warning him to back off.
The air in the room was tensed thanks to Alessandro and i knew I had to diffuse it, but how?
“Um… Does anyone know where, Rafael went?” Gabriel asked, changing the conversation to ease the tension in the room….
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
