Chapter 39: Caught in the Middle.
Aurora’s POV
“What an ass!”
I exclaimed, louder than I intended, causing a few heads to turn in my direction.
My outburst drew the curious glances of my classmates scattered around the hall, their conversations briefly pausing.
Annie, who had been chatting with some other friends near the back, quickly looked over, concern etched on her face. She excused herself from the group and walked toward me, her brow furrowed.
“Uhm... Aurora, are you okay?” she asked, tilting her head as she studied my expression.
“You look a bit distracted.”
I blinked, realizing I’d been lost in my thoughts, replaying Alessandro’s venomous words over and over in my head.
The way he demanded that my mother and I leave the pack, calling us thorns in his side had stuck with me, festering like a wound I couldn’t shake.
I sighed, shaking my head as if that would somehow push his words away.
“Yeah... sorry, Annie. I just—” I trailed off, unsure of how much I wanted to share.
“—just what?” Annie pressed, crossing her arms, her eyes furrowed as she waited for an answer.
“You’ve been off all morning.”
I sighed, rubbing my temples, feeling the weight of Alessandro's words sitting heavy in my chest.
“It’s nothing, really. Just… family drama,” I muttered, hoping that would be enough to get her to drop it.
But Annie wasn’t buying it. She pulled out a chair and sat beside me, leaning in.
“Aurora, I’ve known you long enough to know when something’s really bothering you. Family drama or not, you’re acting like something serious went down.”
I hesitated for a moment, then glanced around the room. The others had gone back to their own conversations, the momentary distraction forgotten. Still, I lowered my voice.
“It’s Alessandro,” I said finally, bitterness creeping into my tone. “He basically told me my mother and I should leave the pack, that we’re nothing but problems for him.”
Annie’s eyes widened in surprise.
“He actually said that? What a jerk! How could he even—wait, why would he want you to leave?”
I bit my lip, recalling Alessandro’s cruel words, the way he had leaned in close, his voice filled with mockery as he asked if I’d break up with Leonardo.
“He hates that I’m with Leonardo,” I admitted. “He’s trying to push me out, like that’ll solve his problems.”
Annie’s expression shifted from shock to disbelief. “So, let me get this straight.
Alessandro wants you and your mom gone because you’re with his brother? That’s… childish.”
“Childish is an understatement,” I said, letting out a frustrated sigh.
“He’s always been like this acting like he owns the world and everyone in it. But this? Telling me to leave the pack, as if that’s an option? It’s ridiculous.”
Annie nodded, clearly outraged on my behalf. “He’s just trying to control everything, like always.
But you’re not going anywhere, Aurora. You belong there as much as anyone else.”
“I know,” I replied, but deep down, Alessandro’s words still stung. There was a part of me that couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever stop trying to push me out, or if he’d just keep escalating things until something snapped.
Just then, my phone began ringing, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen to see who it was. It was Leonardo.
Annie, ever curious, stretched her neck to peek at my phone and smirked when she saw the name on the caller ID.
“Hmmm… lover boy is calling,” she teased, raising an eyebrow.
“Haha, Annie, very funny,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“You should answer that,” she nudged me, then her tone softened.
“And Aurora, don’t let anyone come between you and Leonardo. Yeah, he’s your stepbrother, and that’s a little… complicated, but he’s also your mate destined to you by the Moon Goddess.
That’s something you can’t ignore. So fight for your relationship, and don’t let someone like Alessandro push you two apart, alright?”
I smiled, grateful for her words. “Thank you, Annie. You always know how to make me feel better.”
“Well, that’s just my charm,” she said with a playful flick of her hair, striking a mock pose.
I laughed and gave her a quick hug before standing up. “I’ll be right back. Gonna go take this call,” I said, walking away from the group to find a quiet spot to talk to Leonardo.
"Hello?" I answered, my voice soft but eager.
"Hey... Aurora. How are you?" Leonardo’s familiar voice came through, instantly making me feel more at ease.
"I’m good. Just in class, waiting for a lecture to start. You?" I replied, smiling to myself.
"Yeah, I’m good too," he said, though there was a hint of something in his tone, maybe nervousness.
"Look, I was hoping we could go to the movies later. You know... just you and me. What do you say?"
I felt a warmth spread through me, nodding even though he couldn’t see.
"Sure, the movies sound nice. What time?"
He paused for a moment. "What time are you done with your lectures today?"
I quickly checked my watch and slipped my hand into my pocket, thinking through my schedule. "Uhm, I should be done by 4 p.m."
"Perfect," he replied, his voice a little more relaxed now. "I’ll meet you at Blaze Cinema by 4:30. I'll grab the tickets and wait for you at the entrance."
"That sounds great, Leonardo," I said, feeling excited at the thought of spending some quality time with him.
There was a brief silence before he spoke again, softer this time. "I’ve been really looking forward to this, you know?"
His words made my heart flutter. "Me too," I admitted, feeling a little shy.
“Good. I’ll see you then,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
After hanging up, I stood there for a moment, phone still in hand, replaying the conversation in my head.
A small smile crept onto my lips as I thought about Leonardo and how everything seemed to feel right when we were together.
Annie gave me a knowing look when I returned to the group, leaning back in her chair with a smirk. “So, date night?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “It’s just a movie, Annie.”
“Mmhmm, sure. Just a movie,” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Okay, maybe it's a little more than just a movie," I admitted, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks.
"That's more like it," she said with a wink. "But seriously, Aurora, enjoy it. You deserve to be happy."
I nodded, grateful for her support. But as I sat back down, a part of me couldn't shake the lingering thoughts about Alessandro’s words earlier.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fully escape the tension that had been building between us.
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