Chapter 181: Only You
Aurora's Pov
He looked at the stars, like he was trying to pull out an old thought, then turned to me with a faint, sad grin.
"Years back, way before we came into the world, there was a pair. He was a warrior, tough and proud. She was the Alpha's daughter. Love was not in their cards... but it hit them, strong and fast."
I crossed my arms. "Let me think. They couldn't be together?"
He gave a nod. "The same old story. Her dad said no. He sent the warrior away from their group and put his girl in that house, hoping she would let him go."
My heart squeezed, even though I reminded myself it was probably just a story.
“That’s cruel.”
“It gets worse,” Alessandro said softly.
“The warrior waited by the lake every night, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
One night, he swam across the frozen lake to get to her. They say the cold got to him before he reached the door.”
I inhaled sharply. “He died?”
“Froze, just steps away,” Alessandro confirmed.
“The next morning, she woke up, saw his body at the edge of the cabin, and…” He paused.
“They say she never left. Some say her spirit still lingers inside, waiting for him to come back.”
I stared at him, eyes wide.
“That’s… tragic.”
He nodded solemnly, but his eyes twinkled with something more.
“And you want to take me there?” I asked, incredulous.
“To a haunted love cabin?”
A mischievous smile curved his lips.
“Yep.”
He said, standing and offering his hand to me like it was the most normal thing in the world.
I blinked, not moving an inch.
“You’re joking, right?”
He looked far too pleased with himself.
“Nop.”
I shook my head quickly, leaning back in my seat like putting space between us would somehow shield me from this insane idea.
“Nope. Absolutely not. You’re on your own, Romeo.”
“Come on, Aurora. It’s going to be fun,” he assured me, that teasing lilt in his voice working overtime.
I shook my head firmly.
“To… that haunted cabin? Hell no!”
He laughed, deep, low, and entirely amused.
“Why not?”
“Because,” I said, folding my arms tightly across my chest, “ghosts don’t do well with pretty girls like me.
We’re always the first ones to die in horror stories.”
“That’s vampires, not ghosts.”
“Oh please. It’s all the same kind of creepy,” I huffed.
Alessandro moved slow toward me, the moon's light in his eyes. They shone as if lit from the inside.
"You trust me, right?"
I gave him a sharp look, all scary movie sounds in my mind.
"That line is used right before bad stuff happens."
He smiled, that kind of grin that made me mad yet weak.
"Look, I won't let anything hurt you."
I looked hard at him. "Have you taken other girls there too?"
His smile went away fast.
"No. Only you."
That hit me hard.
Only you.
Such easy words, yet they went into me like heat on a chill night.
I looked at my hands, not sure where to put them or how to calm my fast heart.
I tried to hide how my breath caught, or how I wasn't thinking of spooks at all.
Alessandro took another step closer, and this time, he reached for my hand. His fingers brushed mine, soft but confident, sending a jolt of warmth up my arm.
“I promise,” he said, voice low and sincere. “No ghosts. No jump scares. Just… me and you. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere no one will interrupt us.”
My eyes shot up to his, and darn it, he had that look—the one that turned my mind to mush and made it tough to say no.
"You're not playing fair," I said low.
He moved closer, that silly, good-looking grin on his face. “I haven’t even begun yet.”
I looked at him, torn between fun and annoyance. “You’re too much.”
“And yet… you’re still here, holding my hand.”
I glanced down.
Shoot. I was.
“You’re too much,” I said, trying to keep from smiling.
"And you’re coming with me," he shot back, lifting our hands like it was a done deal.
I let out a big sigh to show I meant it.
Then I got up, letting him pull me to my feet.
"Alright. But if I see one floating candle or hear one odd sound, I swear I will leave you there.”
Alessandro chuckled, weaving our fingers. “Deal.”
As we moved into the night, I wasn’t sure what was ahead.
Haunted or not, that small house in the woods didn’t seem so bad now, because being with him made everything feel less scary... and way more fun.
Our walk to the cabin was silent, but okay. Alessandro kept looking at me like he wanted to talk but didn’t.
Me? I acted like I wasn't scared… but really, I was super scared.
The trees got thicker as we went on, and at last, he stopped in front of a small wood cabin hidden by tall trees.
Snow lay on the roof, and a soft gold light came from inside, making the cold night warm.
“This… doesn’t look haunted,” I said as we got close.
Alessandro stood by me. “See? You trust me now?”
I gave him a look. “It’s still early, Romeo.”
He laughed and then he took my hand.
“Let's go. You’re going to love this.”
When he opened the door, warm air welcomed us. Inside, it was… like magic.
A fire popped in a stone fireplace.
A small wood table was set for two, with candles softly burning.
A big, soft rug lay on the floor by the fire, and a tray with hot chocolate and marshmallows sat ready.
And there, in a corner, a guitar rested against the wall.
"Okay," I said, blinking.
“I take back my fuss.”
Alessandro smiled, shutting the door after us.
“"See? No ghosts."
"No, but really... this is nice."
He acted like it was no big deal. "I just wanted you to have a night with no big plans. Just warm, calm, and whatever this is between us."
That last part made my heart jump.
"You're not as bad as you act," I whispered.
He looked at me, his smile going soft.
"I was bad. For a long time. But that was before I met you and let you into my heart."
My throat felt tight, and I turned away before his gaze got to me too much.
We sat by the fire with cups of hot cocoa, and for a bit, we just talked. About silly things.
About the pack. About how Rafael once got caught sneaking two girls into training area and tried to call them "fitness helpers."
"I swear, he's always in some mess," Alessandro laughed, his hair all wild from touching it.
"He thinks he's too much," I laughed hard.
"And the funny thing is... sometimes he is."
I almost choked on my drink laughing. "You can't say that."
He smiled. "I say good things where they fit."
Then it got quiet again.
Soon, he picked up the guitar.
I was surprised. "You play?"
He just strummed a little. "Not too well."
"Liar," I said low, moving close.
Then he started to sing. Not loud. Not right.
But soft, deep, and just open enough to make me sit and listen like nothing else was big.
When the song was done, he looked at me.
"This is when you say I'm great."
I looked at him, my heart wide open.
"You're... something."
He moved near, now just a bit away from me.
"Is that good?"
I nodded slow. "It's a very good thing."
His hand came up, moving hair from my face.
"I've never wanted to kiss someone so much," he said low.
"Until you."
That was all I needed.
I closed the gap between us.
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