Chapter 73: Condemned to Heartbreak.

Aurora’s POV
When I got back to the pack house, I heard cheers and happy voices all around as the betas kept shouting.
“Congratulations!”

“Congratulations!!”

“Congratulations!!!”
I frowned, confused, and walked inside. I tapped one of the betas on the shoulder to ask what all the excitement was about.
“What’s going on?”
The beta turned to me and said, “Alpha John’s son, Leonardo, is finally marrying Lena, Alpha Maverick’s daughter. Isn’t that great?”
My heart sank when I heard the beta’s words. I loved Leonardo more than anything, and the thought of him marrying Lena tore me apart. The words echoed in my mind, the joy around me only making the pain sharper.
“Congratulations! Alpha John’s son, Leonardo, is marrying Lena, Alpha Maverick’s daughter!” the betas cheered. Their voices felt like knives digging into me.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned away, not wanting anyone to see how broken I was, and made my way towards the stairs.
My steps felt heavy, like I was dragging my feet, my mind unable to catch up with what had just been said.
What is going on? I thought, my head spinning.
How could this happen?
Leonardo promised me he would fix everything. He said we would be together, that we would figure it out.
But now, he’s marrying Lena? 
The thought made my chest tighten, my breath coming in short bursts.
As I reached the top of the stairs, my legs felt weak. I was about to lose my balance, but before I could fall, a strong hand grabbed my arm, steadying me.
I looked up, surprised to see Alessandro standing there. He was staring at me, his hand still on my arm.
“Are you okay?”
Alessandro’s voice was softer than I expected, almost like he understood what I was feeling.
I shook my head slowly, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.
“What’s happening, Alessandro?” I whispered, my voice shaking.
“Why would Leonardo do this to me?
He promised he would fix everything... He said he would be with me. How did we get here?”
My words came out in a rush, as if I was desperately trying to make sense of everything.
Alessandro’s face softened, though I could still see the sharpness in his eyes.
He stepped closer, his voice low. “I don’t know what’s going on in his mind, Aurora. But you don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve to be treated like this.”
I wiped my eyes, feeling the weight of everything crushing me. “I can’t believe it.
He was supposed to be different. He said he loved me... But now... now he's marrying Lena.
What am I supposed to do with all this?”
I paused, the tears falling freely now.
“What’s the point? If he’s really going through with it, then maybe I was just a fool to believe in him.”
Alessandro stood there, his face difficult to read.
“You’re not a fool,” he said quietly.
“But sometimes people make choices we don’t understand. And sometimes, they break promises. That doesn’t mean you were wrong to believe in him.”
I looked at Alessandro, feeling lost.
“I don’t know what to do anymore. Everything feels so out of control. I thought... I thought he would choose me.
But now I see it’s all falling apart. I don’t know how to fix this.”
Alessandro stepped back, his eyes hardening with determination. “You don’t have to fix it alone.
But you need to stop blaming yourself for what’s happening. You deserve better than this.”
He hesitated for a moment, then added, “And if you want to get away from all this, if you want to leave, I’ll help you. You don’t have to stay in this mess.”
I stared at him, a mix of confusion and pain in my eyes.
“Leave?
But where would I go?
What would I do?”
“You’ll figure it out,” he said, a rare softness in his tone. “I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
I looked away, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. What happened to the future I thought we’d have? My thoughts were a whirlwind, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
I shook my head. “No, I need to see him. I need to find out what’s going on.” I said, unable to accept what I had just heard.
Alessandro sighed, clearly frustrated. “Look… Aurora, Leonardo is getting married to Lena whether you like it or not.
He’s doing his duty as an Alpha’s son. And honestly, you and I both know this was never going to work out.
You’re asking yourself why I showed you disdain, right? Well, I wanted you both to see the truth that this... whatever you had, it wasn’t going to end well. And now... here you are, heartbroken over my brother’s decision.”
His words stung, more than I was willing to admit. It felt like he was ripping away any hope I had left.
I clenched my fists, trying to hold back the tears. “I thought... I thought we were different. I thought he loved me.”
Alessandro’s gaze softened for a moment, but his words were still hard. “Sometimes love isn’t enough, Aurora.
You can love someone all you want, but if they don’t choose you if they choose what’s expected of them instead that love doesn’t matter. You need to accept that.”
I shook my head again, the hurt too much to bear. “No... I can't. I can't just accept this.
I need answers. I need to hear it from him. If he's really choosing this, then I need to know why.”
Alessandro stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. His grip wasn’t comforting, but it was grounding.
“You think talking to him will change anything? It won’t. He’s already made his decision. You’re wasting your time if you think there’s something left to fix.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I couldn’t give up just yet. I needed closure. I needed to understand.
“I don’t care,” I whispered. “I need to see him. I need to hear him say it to my face.”
Alessandro sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re stubborn, I’ll give you that. Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I nodded, determination settling in my chest despite the weight of Alessandro’s warning. "I have to do this."
Alessandro watched me for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Just... don’t expect him to change his mind.
People don’t always get what they want. And sometimes, the things we want most... they slip through our fingers."
I turned towards the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. “I’ll deal with that when I get there.
Right now, I just need to know the truth.”
As I walked away, I heard Alessandro’s footsteps behind me, but I didn’t look back.
I wasn’t sure if he was following to stop me, or if he was just watching me make the biggest mistake of my life.
Either way, I couldn’t turn back now. I needed to see Leonardo, to hear it from him.
Maybe then, I could stop pretending there was a future for us. Or maybe, I would finally understand why he had chosen Lena over me.
*****
When I got to the front of his room, I raised my hand to knock on the door, but hesitated.
I didn’t know why I was doing this, but I stood there for a moment, breathing deeply, trying to calm my racing heart.
I closed my eyes, then opened them and knocked before pushing the door open.
Leonardo was standing by the window, his hands in his pockets, his back to me as he stared outside.
As I entered and knocked lightly, he turned. Our eyes met, and I thought I might see some warmth in his gaze maybe some remorse for what was happening but there was nothing. His face was cold, distant, as if I didn’t matter.
“Leonardo… what’s this I’m hearing about you agreeing to marry Lena? I thought you promised to fix things.
And now this… I need you to explain what’s going on.” My voice shook as I walked closer, but his expression didn’t change.
Leonardo sighed heavily, his gaze dropping to his shoes for a brief moment before he looked back at me. His eyes held no emotion, no sign of care.
“It is what it is, Aurora. I’m getting married to Lena, and that’s final.”
I froze. The words hit me like a slap to the face. He’s really doing this.
“You are… marrying her?” My voice barely came out, a whisper of disbelief.
He nodded, his face unreadable.
“Yep.”
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, each beat a reminder of how deeply this hurt.
“And… what about us?” I asked, my voice shaky, barely holding it together.
“What about us?” Leonardo repeated, his voice flat, almost bored.
I took a step closer, my hands trembling as I searched his face for some sign of the man I thought I knew. The man who once promised me everything.
Leonardo scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping him as he finally met my gaze with an almost empty stare.
“There’s no us anymore, Aurora. You’re my stepsister, and that’s all we are. Nothing more.”
I stumbled back, my breath catching. “But… but what about the good times we had?
You promised me your undying love, Leonardo. You said I was your mate, that we were meant to be…”
My voice cracked as the words choked me. I couldn’t understand. How could he throw all of that away?
Leonardo’s eyes hardened as he crossed his arms. He looked at me as though I were nothing more than a stranger.
“I was stupid. This was never going to work. We’re family, and that’s where it ends. There’s no future for us, Aurora.”
His words cut deeper than any knife ever could. It was as if everything we shared meant nothing to him.
“But… but we loved each other,” I whispered, the tears welling up in my eyes.
“What happened to that? What happened to us?”
Leonardo didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned his back to me and stared out the window again, as if he couldn’t even bear to look at me anymore. His voice came out cold, distant.
“It’s over. You need to accept that.”
I stood there, unable to move, unable to breathe. The pain twisted inside me, and I could feel every moment we’d shared slipping through my fingers like sand.
I wasn’t sure what hurt more the words, or the fact that he no longer cared enough to even pretend.