Chapter 4 Arrival

Chapter Four: Arrival

Aurora:

They spent days packing the house away and moving everything to storage. They packed her things next, primarily clothes and small mementos. She didn't want to take too much to White Moon. Because when she arrived, she knew she would have everything that was needed. Aurora would have her room next to Lucy. They would change the space into what she liked, so she wasn't worried that it wouldn't be suitable for her. Aurora knew she could make the space her own. Even looking forward to doing just that.

According to Lucy, she was going to attend school, something she had never done. Her mother had homeschooled Aurora. Everything was online, so she never had to leave the house. Aurora was a little nervous about attending an actual school. There would be mostly teenage werewolves that she would have to see every day. She wasn't sure if she could handle that. She didn't know how they would react to having a vampire in their school. Every movie seemed to show that teenagers were cruel. She wasn't sure if they would be cruel. But Aurora knew werewolves truly hated her kind, and hate would affect the way they would treat her. It might be difficult at first, but Lucy said she would make friends. It was only one year, anyway. After that, she would be free to do anything she wanted. Maybe Aurora could find her mate and go to college. She thought she could handle one year of high school. She had spent years in the facility, and high school couldn't be worse than the facility. If not, she would fight to the death over bits of food. The teachers wouldn't torture her, right? She was sure it would be fine.

Standing on the front porch as the sun slowly rose into the sky, Aurora turned to look at the house for the last time, and she felt lost-the wind blowing her hair in the car's direction. She looked back at Lucy and Greg, who smiled. Aurora couldn't help but feel pulled between the place she was going to and the place she wanted to be. So much was changing in just a few days. In a few hours, Aurora would be in White Moon, far away from the only home she knew. Aurora could feel her heart aching, and she didn't want to leave; all of her happy memories were here. But she could keep them close, never forgetting the time she spent here. Aurora must move forward; happiness could wait for her new life. She stared at the house a few moments more before she forced her feet to move toward the car. Aurora held her breath as she opened the door and climbed into the back seat.

Greg drove, and she turned, watching out the back window as the house slowly disappeared. She didn't turn around for a while. Her mind was rushing with thoughts of her mother and her home, tears streaming down her face. She didn't know if she would ever see her home again. Aurora didn't know to keep all the memories she had made within those walls. She didn't want to forget. She couldn't forget.

"Aurora, are you okay?" Lucy asked after a while. Aurora turned around and wiped away the tears. She had to move forward. She couldn't cling to the past. Her mother wouldn't want that for her. Aurora would hold on to those memories, but she would make new ones. They would be different, not better, but she hoped some could find some happiness.

"I just don't know," Aurora stated, unsure of what she should say. She didn't want them to think that she wasn't willing to leave with them. Some of her did, and some of her didn't. She had made a choice; nevertheless, Aurora was going to the White Moon. She was starting over.

"Well, you are going to love White Moon. It is such a great pack. First, we will meet Luna and the Alphas, and then we will go home and get you settled in. You will meet Dana, our daughter. She is so sweet. You start school in a few days. Start making friends, and it will be great, Aurora," Lucy replied in a cheerful voice, looking towards Aurora through the mirror, watching her face as she spoke. Aurora forced herself to smile. Knowing she wanted to see that. Lucy knew by now how to read her face. She could tell Aurora was smiling for her sake. Aurora saw the worry in her eyes and thought it would be best to show more interest.

"What are Luna and the Alphas like?" Aurora asked. All she heard from her mother was that alphas were dangerous, bloodthirsty assholes who were overprotective of their mates and packs.

"Well, Luna is Danica. She is my best friend. Then there are Asher, Alfonso, and Elliot, her mates. They have eight children, the oldest being twins, one set of triplet girls, and a younger set of triplet boys. You will meet the twins today. They are a handful. Try not to kill them, okay?" Lucy stated, laughing lightly. Aurora smiled. Lucy understood Aurora's triggers, and the young alphas were assholes. They could say something off-hand and that would put her on edge.

"I will try my best. I don't want to hurt anyone," she stated quickly, before looking away from Lucy. Aurora hated hurting people. She had taken so many lives already, and Aurora didn't want to do that again. When she first started, killing was something she only did for survival. And now she would do that same if she had to. Aurora wouldn't let anyone hurt her, not again, never again.

The rest of the ride was silent. They had little to talk about, and they could tell Aurora just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She seemed to prepare herself for what was coming. They were all difficult for her. She didn't trust people, and she didn't trust anyone. Aurora couldn't be sure that someone would hurt her. She needed to be prepared for anything. They couldn't risk her wolf being triggered and hurting someone. Hurting the Alphas' sons was out of the question. That wouldn't be good for anyone.

Aurora fell asleep at some point because she woke to them pulling into the enormous gates of the pack house. The packed house was a massive rustic cabin, at least four stories high, with beautiful hand-carved wolf details. Aurora was sure the inside was just as beautiful.

The car stopped, and they stepped out together. Lucy held Aurora's hand as they entered the front door. Aurora did her best to control her breathing, not letting her mind overwhelm her body. The moment they entered the house, a scent overwhelmed Aurora's nose. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever smelled in her life. The smell of freshly baked cookies. She looked around. Knowing what this meant.

"Mate," Inga screamed in her head, pushing forward as her eyes flashed red.

"Aurora!" Lucy called as she pushed her away and ran toward the scent. Aurora couldn't control where she was going and could hear Lucy calling her name. Her mouth was watering a little as she came closer to the scent. She could even feel moisture pooling in her underwear. Aurora found herself at a large door, but she could hear nothing inside. She pushed the door open and found the room full of people. Their faces wore shocked expressions, and she knew she had fucked up. But Aurora refused to think about it and kept looking around the room. Her blue eyes found a familiar face, and tears rushed down her face. She was longer concerned about the scent, just that she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

She could no longer hear her wolf calling to find her mate. That didn't matter. She couldn't take my eyes off this ghost. He was dead; he was supposed to be dead. How is he here before her?

"Kitty!" He yelled, shaking off his shock. She paused, unable to move, as the ghost yelled her old name. Could he be here? Was he alive?

"Wolfie!" she screamed back, rushing into his arms and jumping towards him, wrapping her arms tightly about his neck and her legs around his waist. He quickly pulled her closer, supporting her as she squeezed him close. The moment she touched him, she knew he was real. He was alive. Tears poured down both our faces, sobs leaving their lips. This was impossible; she couldn't believe it.

"How is this possible? I thought you were dead," Wolfie said, the pain in his voice like a knife in her heart. Aurora knew they both believed they had lost each other. In their minds, they were both holding someone who was supposed to be long dead.

"I thought you were dead," she muttered, inhaling his scent, hoping for a moment that he would be the one. Her wolf whined, knowing he wasn't her mate. The scent was still in the room, and another joined. Aurora knew this meant she had two mates. But she couldn't think about that now. Her Wolfie was alive and in her arms.

"How could I ever leave you, Kitty?" Wolfie said, inhaling her scent. Aurora knew, however, he wouldn't smell anything. He wanted to see if she was his mate. As much as she wanted that, it wasn't the case. We weren't mates. Aurora's heart ached to know this. She had found him, her first love, and he wasn't truly hers. Aurora belonged to someone else, and so did he.

"Aurora!" Lucy called from behind them, rushing into the room. They pay her any mind. No one else mattered. She found him. She had found her Wolfie.

"I missed you so much. I never thought you could be alive," Wolfie said, pulling away so he could look at her face. His beautiful green eyes were looking into her, his lips were so close to hers. She had kissed him many times before and couldn't resist the urge to do it again. Aurora's lips found his, kissing him deeply and without care for anything else. Her wolf whined. She was kissing another man in front of their mates. Aurora didn't care. It surprised Wolfie when her mouth met his, but he quickly deepened the kiss. Their lips pressed together, dancing passionately, breaking away when they became breathless.

"I missed you so much. I didn't know what had happened. He took me away during the fighting. We walked for days and after I killed him. I should have done better. I should have tried hard to find you, but I thought everyone was dead. I thought they killed everyone. I didn't know how to get back to you," Aurora explained as tears fell harder from her face. She remembered the worst days of her life. The day she lost him. The pain surged back into her mind, reflecting the pain in her heart when she thought he was gone forever.

"Shh, it's okay, Kitty. We are together now. I'm never leaving your side again, mate or not. You are my Kitty, and I'm never letting you go," Wolfie said, smiling at her before meeting her lips again. They had forgotten about the others in the room while they shared their second kiss, stopping when they heard some clear their throat. Aurora looked up from Wolfie's face and took in the room. That is where she saw where the scents were coming from, a beautiful set of twins, standing in the room. A woman and three men are near them. They smelled like alphas.

"Aurora!" Lucy called again, and Aurora looked at her. She could see the shock on her face. With the shock on everyone's faces, they understood what was going on.

"This is my Wolfie. We lived together at the facility. I thought he was dead but caught his scent, and I couldn't stop myself. I needed to find him," Aurora stated, looking toward Lucy.

"I don't understand. Is he your mate?" Lucy asked, and Aurora didn't want to lie to her. As much as she wanted him to be her mate, he wasn't.

"I don't know. My wolf won't tell me. She doesn't like the Alphas, so she is hiding at the moment," Aurora said, lying a little.

"Mate or not, Kitty, I chose you," Wolfie said, smiling. She wanted to choose him too, and she wanted to pick him, no matter what. But Aurora couldn't seem to say that; however, her wolf wouldn't let her. Aurora couldn't form a response. She only could lean into a simple kiss, meeting his soft lips. Aurora wished she could make herself reject them, but her wolf would never let her. Her wolf didn't want to abandon her mates for Wolfie. She didn't love him as Aurora did.

"Aww, isn't that sweet? Dorian found his long-lost love," one twin said while they both started laughing. Their comment took Aurora by surprise. She thought they seemed childish. Aurora couldn't help but turn towards them, looking at their faces as they laughed. Her wolf was pushing forward, and she wanted to leave Wolfie's arms and go to her mates. Aurora was being pulled between letting them claim me and being with Wolfie. She couldn't focus on them for long, turning away, hiding her face.

"Wolfie got a bloodsucker for a mate," the other twin said in a mocking tone. Aurora rolled her eyes. While hearing this, Wolfie let out a deep growl. Well, that fucking great. Aurora had only just met them, and one was already calling her a bloodsucker. It might be best to reject them here and now, but her wolf wouldn't have that. The twins continued laughing, opening their mouths to say something else.

"Shut up, the both of you," One of the Alphas yelled, his voice shaking the walls as the others growled. She wasn't sure which Alpha had yelled, but his scent was the strongest of the three. He had to be the oldest of the triplets, the firstborn of the Alphas.

"Kitty, don't listen to them," Wolfie said quietly to her ear. She nodded and turned her attention back to him. Right now, she couldn't focus on anything but him.

"I only have ears for you, Wolfie. We have so much to talk about. I want to know everything that happened," Aurora stated, tightening her hold around his neck.

"We would like to know something too,'' Luna stated, making the both of them turn toward her. Aurora sighed, knowing the questions they must have. She didn't know what answers she should give, nor how much they should know.

"Of course, Luna. I know this seems weird. I'm sure all of you have questions," Wolfie replied, carrying her closer to them before sitting down on a nearby chair. She positioned herself in his lap, looking towards Luna and the Alphas, as Aurora's heart raced. She knew they could hear her heartbeat and see the paleness of her face. Aurora was feeling overwhelmed, and everyone knew it.

"So, to be clear, how do you know each other?" Luna asked, looking directly at them. Her face was soft, and her voice sweet, like Lucy. Aurora thought perhaps Luna was nice after all, but that was yet to be seen.

"Well, one day at the facility, they brought him in, and we became friends. I knew they had kidnapped him from a large pack, but not much else," Aurora stated while holding back as many details as she could. They did not give them much anyway, and kids were often too afraid to talk about themselves, knowing the guards didn't like them sharing information about the outside world.

"How long were you at the facility before that?" Luna asked. Aurora sighed. The answers wouldn't be something she would want to hear. And it was something she didn't want to share. She thought she would leave some details out again, and it would make it easier.

"I had been there my whole life. I remember nothing but the facility," Aurora stated, leaving out the fact that her parents sold her before Aurora could even remember what they looked like. The memory of the faces lost behind those of her capturers.

"What about your family? You must have parents. Do you think they are looking for you?" Luna asked, and Aurora's whole body stiffened. She was hoping to avoid this question. Aurora turned to Wolfie, hoping he would understand she couldn't tell her. He saw the tears on her face and pulled her close to his hard chest, hiding her face from everyone. It became harder to breathe, and her heart was beating uncomfortably fast.

"Her parents sold her to the facility when she was young. She doesn't remember them or her life before. We only know this because the guards would remind her," Wolfie stated, tightening his grip around her, and her eyes flashed red. Aurora's wolf wanted out; she wanted to protect her.

"That's awful. I'm so sorry, Aurora," Danica said.

"I hate to ask more questions. I know they must be difficult to answer, but we need to know about the facility. You two are the only surviving victims, and it's not clear what the facility's purpose was or what all happened in the facility," Danica said, looking at them with worry on her face.

"Didn't Wolfie already tell you everything you need to know?" Aurora questioned, as looked at her old friend.

"Dorian hasn't really been talkative about what happened. We have been able to piece a few things together, but not much. That is why we need your story. We need more information on what happened back then so we can bring justice to everyone," Asher explained.

"Why wouldn't you tell them what happened? I mean, I don't like to think about either but.." Aurora questioned, but Dorian fell silent. Aurora didn't really understand why he wouldn't share everything he could with them. If it could help bring some of those children justice, then he should have said something, anything.

"After I lost you, I just wanted to forget everything... I couldn't talk about it. I just couldn't talk about it.. believing you were gone... I couldn't," Dorian explained as tears streamed down his face. Aurora held him even closer, kissing away his tears until they stopped. The room remained silent until Asher cleared his throat.

"We really need your story. It could save other children like yourself from the same pain," Asher pleaded.

Aurora looked at Wolfie, and she could tell he was thinking the same thing. They both knew what they should say. After all, they needed to know what had happened in that place. They needed to tell them their story.

"You aren't going to like it. I can tell you that, but it's easier to show you," Wolfie said, looking toward Danica. Aurora knew what he wanted to show her. Their scars told the entire story of their time in that place. Showing them to Luna would be the best way to explain things.

"Mine or yours?" Aurora asked, knowing both of them would hate showing them off. She didn't want anyone to see hers; she had far more than Wolfie.

"Mine, Kitty, I won't ask you to do that," Wolfie said, holding her close as he stood up. He placed her down on the chair and turned his back to Danica before lifting his shirt. Aurora could see the shock on their faces, seeing his back for the first time. It was littered with scars from his torture.

"They used the facility for entertainment, and they would hold events where they would torture us in front of other people. Sometimes we would fight other children to the death, and other times they would torture and rape older girls and make boys do it too, all while people paid to watch. We were lucky we weren't older. We never had to do the sexual stuff. They would still make us watch when they held the events. If we step out of line, we would be tortured as well. Beatings mostly, but sometimes they got creative," Wolfie said, as tears fell from his eyes. He started shaking while he spoke. The painful memories were surging through his mind. He dropped his shirt and fell to the floor, sobbing. Aurora quickly rushed over to him, holding him against her breast. The story wasn't over, and there was more that they needed to know.

"Other than entertainment, they used the facility for experiments and breeding. When the girls were old enough, they would be impregnated and their children sold to the highest buyer," Aurora stated, clinging to Wolfie.

"We were lucky. The night the facility was attacked, we were supposed to breed together; they wanted a hybrid child to sell," Aurora stated, giving the facility more context.

"Those fucking bastards," One of the Alphas yelled, his eyes flashing black for a moment.

"Alfonso, we will deal with them," Luna stated. Aurora's heart raced; some of them must still be alive after all these years.

"If they are alive, I want to kill them. If anyone gets to take their life, it should be me," Aurora answered, looking towards Luna and Alphas. She didn't care what this made them think about her. She had the right to kill them. Worry washed over their faces, and she knew her words to frighten them.

"As much as we would like to give you the honor, we are still looking into this matter. They have information on all the black market trade, and we need that information. It would help so many children like yourself," The Luna stated, causing Aurora's wolf to growl. She could no longer stop her; this was pissing her off. How dare they still be alive after all they did!

"Kitty, calm down. We will get justice in time. Luna is just doing what she thinks is best. Don't let that upset Inga," Wolfie stated, pulling Aurora close to him. She buried her face in his chest and inhaled his scent. He might not be her mate, but his scent was still calming. Aurora's mind swelled with the memory of the facility, and she simply couldn't take any longer. Her mind felt blank and her vision blurred. The last thing she remembered was falling into Wolfie's arms.