Chapter 45: Unsteady Ground

Aurora’s POV

The moment I heard the woman's voice in the background, I didn’t think I just ended the call and dropped my phone on the counter, feeling my heart pound.

Annie, who’d been busy making waffles, noticed and set a plate in front of me, watching me with that gentle, concerned look of hers.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, pouring coffee into a mug and sliding it my way.

For a moment, I couldn’t even bring myself to speak. My mind kept replaying that voice, the way she’d sounded so… at ease. So smug.

“Who was that woman?

And why did she have Leonardo’s phone?”

I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling creeping over me. My stomach twisted, and my chest felt heavy with questions I couldn’t answer.

“Aurora!” Annie’s voice and a gentle tap on my arm jolted me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah?” I mumbled, realizing how long I must’ve been lost in my head.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her expression full of worry.

“You were completely out of it. What happened?”

I shook my head slowly, trying to piece together my thoughts. “I… I don’t know, Annie,” I said, my voice barely audible.

“I called Leonardo, but…” I hesitated, gripping my phone tightly as I tried to process what had just happened.

“A woman answered. She sounded… familiar with him. And… the way she answered the call made it look like….”

My throat tightened, and I struggled to get the words out.

“Like they were… together?”

Annie’s frown deepened, and she pulled a chair closer, resting her hand on my arm.

“Hey, don’t jump to conclusions just yet. Who was this woman? Do you know her?”

“I have no idea,” I admitted, biting my lip as doubt settled uncomfortably in my chest.

“But the way she spoke… it was like she was taunting me. Like she knew exactly what she was doing.”

Annie squeezed my shoulder gently. “Look, you don’t know the full story. This could be a misunderstanding.

Why don’t you wait to hear what Leonardo has to say about it?”

I let out a shaky breath, trying to calm the storm inside me.

“You’re right. It’s just… this was so unexpected. Everything’s already complicated enough with his family, and now…”

My voice trailed off, and I glanced down, my fingers tracing patterns on the edge of the coffee cup.

Annie gave me a reassuring smile. “Take a deep breath, Aurora. You trust Leonardo, don’t you?”

I nodded, feeling a bit of strength return at her words. “I do,” I murmured. But as much as I tried to reassure myself, I couldn’t fully silence the lingering doubt.

As I picked at my food, I kept glancing at my phone, waiting almost willing it to buzz with a message from him, or maybe even a call to explain the unsettling incident that had just happened.

But nothing. No message, no call. I sighed, forcing myself to take another bite, but my eyes still drifted back to the screen.

“You’ve gotta stop doing that, Aurora.” Annie’s voice broke through my thoughts. She’d been watching me, eyebrows raised with concern.

“Doing what?” I asked, though I already knew.

“You know exactly what I mean,” she said, crossing her arms.

“You’re torturing yourself with this. Either give him some time, or go back to the pack later and talk to him in person.

But this waiting and staring at your phone all day? It’s… kinda hard to watch.”

I sighed deeply, leaning back in my chair. “I’m sorry, Annie,” I muttered. “I just… I can’t help it.

I love this man. And I’ve never felt this way with anyone else.” I hesitated, feeling my cheeks heat up as I admitted,

“We… finally got closer, in every way, and then *this* happens… It’s almost like…”

“Like it’s too good to be true?” she offered, giving me a sympathetic smile.

“Exactly,” I said, feeling the weight of it sink in.

“One moment, I feel like everything is finally coming together, and the next… I’m completely in the dark, hearing another woman answer his phone.”

Annie reached across the table, giving my hand a comforting squeeze. “Look, maybe there’s an explanation.

Relationships aren’t all easy, especially with all the family stuff he has going on. But you have to be willing to trust him even if it’s hard right now.”

I nodded slowly, holding onto her words. “You’re right. I just… hate this feeling of not knowing where I stand.”

“Well,” she said with a gentle smile, “you know where I stand. I’m here for you, whatever happens.”

Her words steadied me, if only a little. I knew that eventually, I’d have to go back and face whatever was happening with Leonardo face him, and whatever truth he had to tell.

********

Later that evening, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Annie walked with me to the spot where I could catch a cab back to the pack house.

She had a reassuring arm around me, the warmth of her presence helping to keep my mind from racing too far ahead.

Just before I opened the door to the cab, she turned to me, her expression gentle but firm.

“Don’t you worry about anything, Aurora,” she said, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

“You just go back to the pack, see him, and talk to him. Let him explain himself to you, alright?”

I nodded, managing a small smile. “Thanks, Annie. For everything.” I leaned in and wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly for a moment before stepping into the cab.

She gave me a thumbs-up as the driver pulled away, her encouraging smile the last thing I saw as I left.

The drive to the pack house was quiet, and though I tried to distract myself by looking out the window, my mind kept circling back to Leonardo.

I replayed the moment over and over the strange woman’s voice, her tone, and the way it all made my stomach twist with uncertainty.

I wanted to believe there was a logical explanation, that Leonardo wouldn’t betray me… but the doubt lingered.

*******

When I finally arrived, the familiar stone walls of the pack house loomed in front of me. I paid the driver, took a deep breath, and walked up the steps, my heart beating in my chest.

As I climbed the stairs, I bumped right into the last person I wanted to see Alessandro. He stood there, blocking my path, his hand slipping casually into his pocket while his eyes fixed on me with a look of disgust.

I tried to pass him, hoping to avoid any confrontation, but he grabbed my wrist tightly, pulling me toward him with a roughness that made me wince.

“Ouch!

You’re hurting me, Alessandro!” I snapped, trying to free myself.

He smirked, but the amusement quickly vanished, replaced by a hard, serious expression.

“Look, Aurora, I don’t care what you think or feel right now. Just get your mother under control, alright? I’m done cleaning up her messes.”

I raised a brow, confusion crossing my face. “What…what has my mother done now?”

His grip loosened slightly, but he didn’t let go. “Your mother,” he sneered, “is paying someone in this pack to supply her with drugs.

I found out and have been keeping it quiet so the whole pack doesn’t find out that our ‘beloved’ Luna is a drug addict so she isn’t stripped of her title and tossed out like she deserves.”

A bitter smile twisted his lips. “Trust me, I’d be overjoyed to see her banished, and you along with her.

But for now, I’m more concerned about my family’s reputation, which your mother seems determined to ruin. I won’t sit back and let that happen.”

He finally released my wrist, but the sting lingered. I took a step back, my mind reeling. Before I could respond, he went on, his voice filled with disgust. “And as for you… sneaking around with my brother? Your stepbrother? It’s beyond pathetic, Aurora.”

My anger flared, and I glared at him. “What I do with your brother is none of your damn business, Alessandro. Leonardo is my mate, and he loves me just as I—”

“Love him?” Alessandro interrupted, bursting into a mocking laugh as he clapped his hands in exaggerated amusement.

He looked at me with a mix of annoyance and pity, clearly enjoying the moment.

“Why are you laughing?” I demanded, irritation sparking in my voice. “I don’t remember saying anything funny.”

He stopped laughing abruptly and leaned in close, his eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite place.

“I guess you haven’t heard the news, huh?”

The confusion on my face must have shown, because he smirked, clearly pleased by my reaction.

“You really don’t know, do you?” he murmured, enjoying the suspense.

“Well… I wouldn’t want to spoil someone’s happiness.”

Without another word, he straightened up, a smirk still playing on his lips as he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart beating and many thoughts flooding my mind. What news? What could he possibly be talking about?