Chapter 58: A Broken Promise.
Leonardo’s POV
We lay together in the dimly lit room, the air still charged with the excitement of our passion. Aurora's body fit snugly against mine, her head on my chest, her hand gently tracing patterns on my skin.
It was a moment I wanted to hold onto forever, just the two of us with the world outside.
But I knew better. This wasn’t a problem that would solve itself.
Her voice broke the silence, soft yet filled with worry.
“So, what are we going to do now, Leonardo?” She asked, her words trembling slightly as if she feared my answer.
“Are you still going to marry Lena? Is your father still planning to make you the next Alpha of the Shadow Pack?”
Her questions hung in the air like a weight on my chest.
I sighed, wrapping my arm more securely around her as I stared up at the ceiling. Her touch was comforting, but it didn’t make the truth any less bitter.
"Aurora, you know how things work in the pack,” I started, my voice low.
“My father has been planning this alliance for years. Marrying Lena is not about love or choice. It’s about power, keeping the packs united, and maintaining peace.”
Her fingers stopped moving, and she pulled back slightly to look at me. Her emerald eyes were filled with frustration, hurt, and a flicker of defiance.
“And what about us, Leonardo?” She demanded, her tone sharper now. “What happens to me? To us?”
I cupped her face gently, brushing my thumb across her cheek as I tried to find the right words. “Aurora, I don’t want to lose you. I can’t. But if my father finds out about us..." I trailed off, the thought of his wrath and the consequences for her too painful to voice.
“Then don’t let him find out,” she said fiercely, her eyes locking onto mine. “Fight for me, for us. If you love me, Leonardo, you won’t let them take you away from me.”
Her words ignited a storm of emotions inside me: love, guilt, anger, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. I wanted to promise her the world—to tell her that I’d fight anyone who tried to keep us apart. But it wasn’t that simple. It never was.
“I do love you, Aurora,” I said finally, my voice steady despite the chaos in my mind. “More than you’ll ever know. But this isn’t just about us. It’s about the pack, my family, the legacy.
She pulled away completely then, sitting up and wrapping the sheet around her as if shielding herself from my words.
“That’s always your excuse, isn’t it?” she said bitterly. “The pack, the legacy. But what about me, Leonardo? Am I supposed to just sit here and watch you marry someone else? Watch you build a life with Lena while I stay in the shadows, your dirty little secret?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut because they were true. I hated myself for putting her in this position and for not being strong enough to give her the answer she deserved.
“Aurora…” I reached out to her, but she shook her head, her tears threatening to spill.
“Don’t,” she whispered. “Just… don’t.”
I sat up, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “I’ll figure something out,” I said, though even I wasn’t sure how much I believed it. “I just need time.”
She let out a bitter laugh, standing from the bed and clutching the sheet tightly around her. “Time? Time for what? For you to marry Lena and seal your fate as the perfect Alpha your father wants you to be?”
Her words sliced through me, and I stood as well, reaching for her. “Aurora, please. Don’t give up on me. Not yet.”
She stared at me for a long moment, her tear-filled eyes searching mine as if trying to decide if I was worth the pain. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Don’t make me regret this, Leonardo.”
As she turned away, I knew I had to make a choice soon. One that would either save us... or destroy everything.
I stood there, watching Aurora wrap the sheet tighter around herself as she turned her back to me. The sight of her trembling shoulders, her silence filled with hurt, twisted my insides like a knife.
I wanted to say something, anything, to fix this, but the words refused to come. She deserved more than empty promises, more than vague reassurances that I didn’t know if I could keep.
“Aurora,” I said softly, stepping closer to her. She didn’t turn around, her head bowed, her fingers gripping the sheet like it was her armor against me.
“Just go, Leonardo,” she said, her voice steady but cold. “If you can’t give me the truth, if you can’t fight for me, then don’t stand here pretending you can.”
Her words felt like a slap, but I knew I had no right to feel wounded. She wasn’t wrong. I had failed her over and over again, letting fear and duty dictate my actions instead of the love I felt for her.
But I couldn’t leave. Not like this.
“I can’t walk away,” I said firmly, stepping even closer. “Aurora, I’m not giving up on us.”
She laughed bitterly and turned to face me. Her eyes were red from crying, and her cheeks were stained with tears. But despite her tears, her eyes still had a spark, the same spark that had always attracted me to her.
"Prove it, Leonardo," she said, her voice firm despite the emotion beneath.
"Stop making excuses and show me. If you can't, then what's the point of us being together?"
Her words hurt me deeply, but she didn't stop. "You say you don't love Lena and don't want to be Alpha, but why are you letting your father control your life?
Why don't you let Alessandro become Alpha instead, and then we can be together? Is that too much to ask?" Her voice rose, filled with frustration.
The pain in her voice was undeniable, and it cut deeper than any physical wound ever could.
I wanted to say something, but I knew it would all be excuses, so I got up and got dressed and left the room.
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Every answer I thought of sounded empty and untrue.
And she deserved more than that.
Without a word, I got up from the bed, the weight of her gaze burning into my back as I dressed in silence.
When I turned to look at her one last time, her eyes were filled with disappointment and hurt, but she didn’t say another word.
I left the room, closing the door softly behind me, but the sound of it felt louder than any argument we could have had.
As I walked into the hallway, it was very quiet. My mind was confused and upset, remembering her words, tears, and pain.
When I reached the end of the hall, I saw Alessandro standing there, leaning against the wall.
He looked at me with a knowing smile. "Tough night, brother?" he asked, his voice full of sarcasm.
I clenched my fists, but before I could answer, he walked up to me and blocked my path.
"I wonder how long you'll keep pretending to fight for her," he said, his voice mean.
"We both know you're too weak to really choose her."
His words hurt me, but before I could react, he leaned in close and whispered,
"Maybe someone else should show her what it really means to care about someone."
Then he walked away, leaving me frozen and angry.
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