Tense air gushed out of my father’s mouth as he exhaled slowly. A feeling of dread crept up from the depths of his stomach as he stared at me. I could hear his heartbeat, irregular and loud.
Were the words too heavy for him? Was the message that horrifying?
“In exchange for helping me, he wants our daughter as his property,” he revealed before shutting his eyes in pain. My heart stopped beating, freezing in place, and my stomach turned icy.
My head went blank for a few seconds as I stared at my dad, waiting for clarification. Maybe I hadn’t heard him correctly.
He placed the phone before my eyes, and my mother’s widened as I read the message in bold letters. He was so specific that he mentioned my full name. I was certain there was no mistake. He meant every word of the text.
“I don’t know what to do, Rory. It’s either he gets you as his property, or he watches us crumble without lifting a finger to help,” his voice shook.
“No! He won’t take my daughter! I won’t let that monster take Aurora away from me,” my mother broke down in tears, screaming at the top of her voice, refusing to be consoled.
Without warning, she grabbed me, hugging me tightly to her chest as if trying to protect me from the invisible Alpha King.
“After years of not bonding with her, he wants to take her away from me? Anything but my daughter,” she cried, more tears streaming down her face as she helplessly sat on the floor. My heart ached as I stared at my parents’ expressions. Though my father wasn’t crying, I could sense his heart bleeding. And for the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to be truly loved.
I understood the feeling of not wanting to let go of the person you cherish most.
“Pack your bags, Aurora. Go with your mother to her pack,” my father instructed, setting his phone aside. “He is not getting my daughter.”
I fled to my room at once, burying my head in my pillow, allowing all the tears in my eyes to soak into it.
How did my advice backfire on me? Why was my happiness always so short-lived? What did I do to deserve this kind of life, Moon Goddess?!
I couldn’t even think straight as my head ached from my sobs. I didn’t know which option was best. Become the Alpha King’s property forever, or flee to my mother’s pack?
The latter meant the death of my people-and perhaps my father. He was still badly injured, and he wouldn’t survive. Only a few would make it if we chose that option. But I would save myself. I didn’t need to become a cruel king’s property.
Confusion swept through me as I thought hard. The hope of everyone was resting on me. The enemies were getting closer to the packhouse with each passing minute. Time was running out with every thought. I needed to act fast, or I would regret it.
The clock was ticking. The choice was mine to make.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Aurora
Weighing the dangerous options one last time, I took a deep breath, forcing my nerves to settle as I tried to choose the lesser of two evils.
But there was no lesser evil. Both choices were suicidal.
I wiped the dried tears staining my cheeks with the back of my hand and stepped out of my room, ready to make the final arrangements with my father.
Be strong, Aurora. Now wasn’t the time to break.
I had already spent hours in my room, soaking my pillow in tears until I had none left to shed.
The moment my feet hit the hallway, the air shifted.
A heavy silence fell over the crowd, the weight of their stares pressing down on me. Hope flickered in their eyes, fragile and desperate.
News traveled fast.
Guilt clawed at my chest as I walked through them. Their unspoken pleas were suffocating.
I avoided their gazes. I wasn’t going to be anyone’s savior at the cost of my own life. I couldn’t afford to let emotions push me into reckless decisions.
But then, as if fate had other plans, my eyes locked onto a boy’s.
His small, innocent face sent a jolt through me. My heart twisted painfully.
I knew him.
His parents had been killed in the attack, leaving him orphaned. He was one of the few who would be transported to my mother’s pack.
Pain gripped my chest as I tore my gaze away, forcing myself to move forward.
Still, something in me felt… wrong.
I turned back, unable to stop myself, only to meet his eyes once more.
Betrayal twisted in my gut.
He was staring at me as if I were his last hope.
Why did I feel like I was letting him down?
Why did his gaze make it seem like I was his savior?
I was just like him-helpless, confused, uncertain about the future.
What was wrong with me?
Where was the selfless Aurora?
Put your people first or save your own life?
I had to think about my own happiness.
What did I really want?
Despite spending hours pondering that question, I still couldn’t find an answer.
A part of me desperately wanted to be the hero, to sacrifice myself for the pack-just as a future Luna would.
My people needed me. Their voices echoed in my mind, pleading.
Think, Aurora. Time was running out.
But the harder I tried to think, the more my mind spiraled into confusion.
I halted before my father’s room, standing motionless for a brief moment before pushing the door open.
The somber faces of my parents greeted me as I stepped inside. They watched my every move, their expressions tense, as if they had already reached a conclusion before I even arrived.
My father’s Beta stood near the door, his gaze sharp and calculating, like a hawk watching its prey. Though his eyes remained fixed on his phone, likely monitoring the state of the pack, the moment I looked up at him, his expression hardened.
But behind his rigid stare, I sensed something else.
Sadness.
Why were men so determined to conceal their emotions?
My mother was the first to move. She rushed toward me, wrapping me in a tight embrace, her body trembling against mine.
Her tears spilled onto my cheeks as she wept like a child, refusing to let go.
Gently, I pulled away, wiping her tear-streaked face with my fingers before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
For a fleeting moment, a spark of hope lit her eyes.
“Rory, your father and I have talked. You don’t have to choose between the two options. You will come with me to my parents’ house. You don’t need to bring anything if you don’t want to-I’ll have your servants gather everything once we arrive safely at the pack. The ship is waiting for us at the port. We must leave quickly before our enemies catch up,” she said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.
I took a step back, slipping my hand from hers, a deep confusion settling in my chest as I stared at her.
“What about Dad?” My eyes met his, but he looked away, biting his bottom lip painfully.
I gasped in shock at the realization of my parents’ concluded arrangements. I would never be a part of it-not without my father. “Dad isn’t coming?” I half-screamed, breaking free from my mother as she tried to pull me into an embrace. “Why would we leave him behind?”
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