Chapter 43: The Silence Between Us

Aurora’s POV

After Leonardo dropped me off on the road leading to Annie’s apartment, I knew I was in for it.

Annie would have a million questions for me, and she wouldn’t let me rest until she’d gotten answers to every last one of them.

I reached the front door, but before I could even raise my hand to knock, it swung open. Annie stood there, her eyes wide with curiosity and a mischievous grin on her face.

“Well, well,” she said, folding her arms and leaning against the doorframe. “This is a surprise. Care to explain why you’re showing up here at dawn looking… well, like that?”

I felt my cheeks heat up, and I tried to brush past her into the apartment, but she didn’t budge. “It’s a long story,” I muttered, trying to avoid her knowing look.

“Oh, I’ve got time,” she replied, stepping aside to let me in. “And I know you well enough to tell that it’s *quite* a story.

Come on, spill it.”

I sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. I plopped down on her couch, my mind racing through how much I should tell her.

Annie sat beside me, her eyes practically sparkling with anticipation. “So… are you going to tell me what—or who—you’ve been up to?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “It’s not what you think… exactly,” I began, feeling a small smile creep onto my face.

“Let’s just say I spent some time with someone I care about.”

Annie’s eyes went wide, and a sly grin spread across her face. “Oh my god! You guys… you *slept together*, didn’t you? You dirty girl!”

I blushed, feeling heat rush to my cheeks, and pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear, trying to stay calm.

“Well… we kind of did. First at the cinema, and then… we went to this hotel he knew. Let’s just say… we had an amazing night.”

Annie’s jaw dropped, and she let out a dramatic sigh. “That is so… wow! I didn’t think you had it in you, but I’m *so* proud right now.” She leaned in, practically buzzing with excitement.

“So, how was it?”

I bit my lip, glancing down as memories of the night flooded back. “Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever do something like that… but with him, I don’t know, it just felt right. I didn’t even think; I just went with it, and it was… incredible.”

Annie squealed quietly and hugged me, looking thrilled. “Wow, you really went for it!

But wait—if everything was so perfect, why didn’t you just go back to the pack house? Why come to me?”

I sighed, my expression growing serious. “You know we’re keeping things secret for now, right?

Because… well, with us being step-siblings, if Alpha John finds out, he’ll probably freak out. He’d never understand.”

Annie’s expression softened, and she nodded slowly. “Yeah, I get it. It’s tricky. But you two deserve to be happy, even if it’s not easy.”

She placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “And you know I’ve got your back. If you ever need to keep things quiet, I’m here.”

I relaxed, feeling a wave of gratitude. “Thanks, Annie. I knew I could count on you.”

Annie gave me a wink. “Now, go get some rest. I’ll keep watch.”

Smiling, I made my way to the guest room, feeling relieved and grateful. As I settled in, my mind wandered back to Leonardo, already anticipating the next time we could be together.

*********

Once settled on the bed in the guest room, I pulled my phone from my pocket, eager to update Leonardo. Typing quickly, I sent him a message:

“Hey! Alibi worked perfectly on my end. Annie’s covering for us, and no one suspects a thing. Hope you got in okay too.”

I placed the phone on the bedside table and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Warm water and a quiet moment were just what I needed after the long, eventful night.

I wrapped a towel around myself, feeling refreshed, and returned to the bedroom, anticipation building as I reached for my phone. Surely he would have replied by now.

But when I tapped the screen, my heart sank. There was no reply from him. The message showed as read, yet… nothing.

A million questions began to swirl in my mind. Why hadn’t he replied? Did something happen? Had someone caught on?

I decided to call him, hoping to ease the growing knot in my stomach. The phone rang, and rang… but there was no answer.

I tried to shake off the unease, but a nagging worry lingered. What was going on?

I stepped out of the guest room, my phone still in my hand, eyes glued to the screen.

Annie was in the kitchen, busy making breakfast. I wandered over and sat down at the table, still staring at my phone, willing a reply to appear.

She glanced over and raised an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

I shook my head, sighing. “I don’t know… I texted Leonardo, but he hasn’t replied.”

“Maybe he hasn’t read it yet,” she suggested, turning her attention back to the waffles sizzling on the pan.

I shook my head again, my worry growing. “No, he read it. It showed as ‘read,’ but he didn’t reply. And when I tried calling him, he didn’t pick up.” I paused, biting my lip.

“Do you think… something went wrong?”

Annie put the spatula down and turned to face me, her expression softening. “Look, it’s probably nothing.

He could’ve been pulled into something with Alpha John, or maybe he’s somewhere he can’t talk right now.”

I nodded, but my gut told me something was off. "I just… I don't know. It’s not like him not to respond. Especially after everything we planned."

Annie placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Give him a little time. I’m sure he’ll get back to you soon. Maybe he’s just playing it extra safe.”

I tried to relax, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, maybe. Thanks, Annie.”

She smiled and turned back to her cooking, but as I sat there, a growing sense of anxiety gnawed at me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

I decided to call him again, just one last time. The phone rang and rang, and I was about to hang up when I finally heard a voice on the other end—a voice I wasn’t expecting.

“Hello?”
Ensnared by My Stepbrothers' Realm
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