Chapter 84: Beneath the Surface.

Alessandro’s POV
The drive back to the pack house was... weird. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as I kept replaying my words to Aurora over and over again.
What had I been thinking? Telling her I was open to knowing more about her? That wasn’t like me at all. I didn’t let people in not like that. And yet, with Aurora, it felt different.
Her laugh, the way she seemed to lighten up as we talked, and that smile she gave me it had all caught me off guard.
She wasn’t just Leonardo’s ex anymore; she was something more, something that made me question everything I thought I knew about myself.
I shook my head, trying to focus on the road, but her face kept flashing in my mind.
Get a grip, Alessandro. 
She’s dealing with enough already without you complicating things.
As the pack house came into view, I sighed heavily. This was going to get messy.
I could feel it. But for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Not when it came to her.
******
As I pulled into the driveway, the weight of everything settled on my shoulders. The pack house was quiet, but I knew better than to trust that stillness.
It was the calm before the storm, and with Leonardo, Lena, and now Aurora in the mix, the storm was brewing fast.
I parked the car and sat there for a moment, staring at the front door. My grip on the steering wheel loosened as I leaned back against the seat, exhaling slowly.
My thoughts went back to Aurora. The way her eyes lit up when she laughed, the strength in her voice when she spoke about standing up to her mother, it was like seeing a whole new side of her, one I hadn’t expected but couldn’t ignore.
“You’re getting in too deep, Alessandro.” I told myself.
“She’s not yours to protect, not yours to care for.”
But then, whose fault was that? Leonardo’s? Mine? The lines were so blurred now that I didn’t even know where they started or ended.
I finally stepped out of the car, closing the door quietly behind me. The air was cold, biting at my skin, but it helped to clear my mind a little.
As I walked to the door, I caught movement from one of the windows above Leonardo’s room. His shadow passed by, and I felt a little anger and guilt all at once.
I shook it off and entered the house, the faint hum of voices moving from the main hall.
The pack members had gathered, no doubt discussing the latest drama, as they always did. I ignored them and headed straight for my quarters.
As I climbed the stairs, I heard footsteps behind me. Turning, I saw Lena standing there, her arms crossed, a sly smirk on her face.
“Back so soon?” she asked, turning her head as if she already knew the answer.
“What do you want, Lena?” I asked flatly, not in the mood for her games.
She sauntered closer, her heels clicking against the floor.
“I just thought I’d check on you. You seemed… preoccupied earlier.” Her tone was sweet, but the glint in her eyes told a different story.
“I don’t have time for this,” I said, turning away.
“You’re so predictable, Alessandro,” she called after me, her voice filled with mockery.
“Always playing the hero, aren’t you? Always cleaning up someone else’s mess.”
I stopped but didn’t turn back. Her words hung in the air, echoing in my mind. Maybe she wasn’t entirely wrong, but it wasn’t something I wanted to hear from her.
She walked up to where I was and continued talking, her voice sharp and biting.
“I mean… you’re now the one protecting Aurora. Your brother’s leftovers, Alessandro?
How noble of you.” She let out a bitter laugh.
“What’s next?
Are you going to swoop in and be her knight in shining armor?
Or are you just looking to be her second choice since she couldn’t keep Leonardo?”
I turned my head slightly, catching her smug expression out of the corner of my eye.
“Careful, Lena,” I warned, my voice low. “You’re starting to tread on thin ice.”
But she wasn’t finished. “Oh, please. Let’s not pretend you’re any better than him.
The great Alessandro always trying to be the better brother, always trying to prove himself.
But here you are, chasing after a woman who doesn’t even see you. How pathetic is that?”
I turned to face her now, my jaw tight with restrained anger. “Pathetic?” I repeated, my voice dangerously calm.
“No, Lena. Pathetic is standing here, wasting your breath on insults because you’re so consumed with bitterness that no one not even Leonardo wants anything to do with you.
Pathetic is thinking that tearing others down will somehow make you feel better about yourself.”
Her smug smile faltered, but she quickly replaced it with a sneer.
“At least I know who I am.
You?
You’re just a shadow, Alessandro.
A pale imitation of what your father wanted in an Alpha. And now, what?
You think Aurora will make you feel like more of a man? She’s just using you to forget about Leonardo. She’ll never choose you.”
I stepped closer to her, reducing the distance between us, my eyes locking with hers.
“You’re wrong,” I said, my voice steady and cold.
“Aurora doesn’t need to choose me. Unlike you, I’m not so desperate for validation that I have to manipulate or cling to people who don’t want me. And unlike you, I know how to walk away with dignity.”
Lena’s face twisted in fury, but I didn’t give her a chance to respond. I continued.
“Do you think marrying Leonardo would somehow make him fall in love with you?” I scoffed, shaking my head in disbelief.
“Leonardo would never love someone like you. Not in a million years. You’re nothing more than a shallow, conniving parasite clinging to the idea that a title or a ring will fix the gaping hole in your soul.”
Her lips parted, but I wasn’t finished. “You’ve built your whole existence on lies and manipulation, Lena.
Do you even know who you are without your schemes? Probably not, because underneath all that fake confidence and desperation is nothing but emptiness.”
I took a step closer, my voice dropping lower, sharper. “You think you’re clever, but let me tell you something you’re just predictable.
Everyone sees through your little games, even Leonardo. That’s why he’s never looked at you the way he looked at Aurora, no matter how hard you tried to force it.”
Her hands clenched into fists, trembling at her sides, but I kept going, the words pouring out like venom.
“And let’s not pretend you’re capable of love. The only person you’ve ever cared about is yourself.
It’s pathetic, really. You’re so obsessed with winning this imaginary competition in your head that you don’t even realize you’ve already lost.”
Lena’s eyes flared with fury, her face flushed, but she was silent, unable to counter the truth of my words.
I turned to walk away but stopped one last time, glancing back over my shoulder.
“Oh, and one more thing,” I said, my tone icy. “When this marriage falls apart and trust me, it will you won’t be able to blame Aurora or me.
You’ll only have yourself to thank for it.”
Without waiting for her response, I walked away, leaving her standing there, seething in silence.
Just as I was about to enter my quarters to rest for the night, one of the pack guards approached me, his face neutral but his tone respectful.
“Sir, Alpha John is requesting your presence in his office.”
I sighed, the weight of the day’s events pressing heavily on my shoulders. It had been an exhausting day, filled with arguments, tension, and far more drama than I cared for.
All I wanted was a moment of peace to collect my thoughts, but clearly, that would have to wait.
“Did he say what it’s about?” I asked, though I had a sinking feeling it wasn’t anything good.
The guard shook his head. “No, sir. He only said it was urgent.”
“Of course he did,” I muttered under my breath. Running a hand through my hair, I gave the guard a curt nod. “All right, I’m on my way.”
Reluctantly, I turned and headed toward Alpha John’s office, my footsteps echoing down the dimly lit hallway.
The closer I got, the heavier the air seemed to feel. Whatever this was about, it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
When I reached the door, I knocked twice, waiting for the familiar voice to call out.
“Come in.”
Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. Alpha John was seated at his desk, his expression as stern and unreadable as ever.
His piercing eyes locked onto me, and I felt a flicker of unease. This wasn’t just a routine meeting.
“You wanted to see me, Alpha?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.
“Yes,” he said, leaning forward slightly.
“Close the door, Alessandro. We have some things to discuss.”