Chapter 2 2

Aurora flinched at the shrill voice behind her.

"Move out of my way, bitch!" Tessie barked, her black eyes blazing with disdain. Her sneer curled into something colder as she added, "And keep your cursed bad luck out of my path."

Aurora turned slowly, her calm gaze meeting Tessie's glare. Before she could respond, another voice chimed in.

"Mom's going to kill you for letting her stand so close, Tess," Jennie sneered. "The pack's still celebrating that a half-witch like her didn't end up being the Luna, thanks to Alpha's quick choice of our perfect sister."

"Shut it, Jennie!" Tessie snapped and turned back to Aurora. "Well? Are you deaf now? Get out of the way!"

The tension around them thickened as curious eyes from the field began to drift their way. Aurora felt their glares, their whispers, the same hostility she'd endured her entire life.

It was nothing new.

Her voice was unnervingly calm as she replied. "There's no need to yell. Being a werewolf doesn't mean you have to act like an animal."

The faintest twitch in Tessie's lips was the only warning before her gray eyes darkened to red. Jennie stifled a laugh, but neither made a move.

Easton stood a few steps behind Aurora, his arms crossed, watching the exchange. He didn't interfere-he knew she could handle herself.

Tessie's shriek cut through the air. "What did you just say?"

Jennie also cut Aurora off before she could talk. "You must that think that are an hotshot because of your position as the Luna, I would let you know that the pack council will give it to our sister soon,"

Aurora tilted her head, unaffected by the growing crowd or their hushed murmurs.

"Does your sister know how much I once meant to Maverick? How he swore under the full moon that he couldn't live without me. That we'd always be together no matter what?"

She glanced at Maverick who was talking to some guest, she was very aware that he could hear what she was saying because of his heightened werewolves sense.

Easton scrunched up his nose in annoyance because of the memory he was well aware of, after all he used to help cover up for them when they sneaked out.

Phoebe eyebrows were furrowed in anger and Aurora didn't miss the nostalgia on Maverick's face and the small pull at the corner of his lips.

Something that only happened when he thought about good, and that made light appear at the back of Aurora's eyes, maybe she still had hope.

Phoebe had moved closer to them with a raised brow and half-smile. "You think that would make him care?" She taunted.

"Would it? I don't know," Aurora gave a small smirk. "But I know that the same could happen to you too. You might find yourself remembering that you used to walk by his side when he threw you into a dark hole."

Her words only made Phoebe more irritated, she knew fully well tha Aurora was right but Tessie wasn't willing to remain silent.

"What do you mean? I dare you to say that again, bitch!" Tessie asks sharply and there was an excited buzz among the members of the pack because of the interesting scene that might unfold.

"You heard me. Or has that sharp werewolf hearing of yours gone dull? Your father's a gamma, and your mother's a pack warrior. Surely, they passed on b traits more than this."

The jab landed. Tessie's cheeks burned with anger, and for a brief moment, the field was silent except for the sound of shifting feet.

"What did you just say about my parents?!" Tessie snarled, her voice trembling with rage.

Before Aurora could respond, another voice cut through the crowd like a blade.

"What's going on here?"

Aurora froze. She didn't need to turn to know who it was.

Maverick.

The air around her felt heavier as he approached, Phoebe's hand looped through his arm. His icy blue eyes scanned the scene briefly before settling on Aurora, his expression unreadable.

"Aurora," he began, his voice calm but cutting, "why are you causing a scene?"

Aurora blinked, the question hitting her like a slap, what was she even thinking that anything had changed?

"Causing a scene?" Easton stepped forward, his voice sharp. "She wasn't doing anything. They came to her."

Maverick's gaze flicked to Easton for a moment, his expression cold. "It doesn't matter who started it. As Luna, you should know better than to engage in petty squabbles. The guest would only remember how immature you looked"

Aurora's breath hitched. The weight of his words pressed down on her chest, but she managed to speak. "So I'm supposed to let them treat me like dirt? Stay silent and take whatever shits that they throw at me?"

Her voice broke slightly, but she didn't falter. She kept her eyes on Maverick, willing him to see the pain she carried.

His gaze flickered as if he might say something else but he didn't, instead with an unreadable face his response was a dagger. "You should've walked away."

Aurora's lips trembled, but she forced herself to hold her ground. "You've made it clear where you stand. You want Phoebe? Fine. I'll stay out of your way. But stop expecting me to endure this constant humiliation quietly."

The words hung in the air, the crowd's murmurs fading into silence.

Maverick's expression didn't change, but for a fleeting second, something flickered in his eyes-regret, hesitation, or something else entirely. Then it was gone, replaced by the same cold detachment she'd grown to expect.

Without another word, he turned away, Phoebe's arm still clinging to his.

Aurora stood frozen, the weight of every gaze in the field pressing on her. She didn't cry, didn't crumble. She wouldn't do that, at least not in front of them.

"Let's go," Easton said softly, his hand resting gently on her shoulder.

She nodded, her movements stiff, and together, they walked away from the field. Behind her, the whispers rose again, louder this time.

But she didn't look back.

---

Aurora barely noticed the whispers behind her as she and Easton left the field. Her heart was pounding, not from fear, but from the humiliation that had seared into her skin like a brand.

Her fingers trembled as she clutched Easton's arm. "I'm fine," she muttered, more to herself than him.

"No, you're not," Easton replied quietly, his voice steady but protective. "And you shouldn't have to be."

They stopped at the edge of the field, away from prying eyes. Aurora leaned against a tree, exhaling a shaky breath.

"I don't understand how he can just..." Her words trailed off, her throat tightening. She bit her lip to stop the tears from falling. "How can he treat me like this? Like I'm nothing?"

It wasn't advised to mateless wolf to date someone because they might end up not being mates but Maverick was so sure seven years ago. He was hellbent on the fact that they were each other's mate, he had claimed that he knew and felt it deep in his soul. He insisted that they would elope if the worst came.

But it turns out that every single promise was all a big bout of lies.

She didn't see him for just a night, and after that night, she didn't know why but everything changed.

Alec hinted that Maverick saw something and Aurora was in the wrong but no matter how many times she asked she got no response.

Easton crouched in front of her, his dark eyes meeting hers. "Because he's a coward. He's too blind to see what he's losing, and too weak to stand up for what's right."

Aurora smiled faintly, though the bitterness in it made her chest ache. "That doesn't make it hurt any less."

"No, it doesn't," Easton admitted. "But it doesn't make him right, either."

Before Aurora could respond, a commotion behind them drew her attention. She turned just in time to see a young girl rushing toward Maverick.

"Alpha!" the girl called, her voice breathless but urgent. "There's a visitor from an allied pack here. He says he's here for the gathering."

Aurora watched as the girl pointed to a tall man standing a few feet away. He was dressed simply, but his bearing was regal, his eyes sharp and calculating. He glanced at her briefly before turning his attention to Maverick.

"Hello, Alpha Maverick. I'm Jasper," the man said with a courteous bow.

Aurora stiffened as the girl added with a bright smile. "And this is our Luna, Phoebe Brian."

The words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode.

Aurora's breath caught, her heart sinking as she glanced at Maverick. His expression didn't shift, his icy demeanor holding firm.

The silence was unbearable. Would he deny it? Correct the girl? Or would he let it stand, as he always did?

Maverick finally nodded at Jasper, his tone neutral. "Welcome, Jasper. If you follow me, we can discuss further inside." He glanced at Phoebe, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Phoebe, come with me."

Aurora felt the world tilt.

Her chest tightened as the humiliation settled in, deeper and sharper than before. He didn't deny it. He didn't correct her. He just let them all believe that Phoebe was his chosen mate.

Her vision blurred, but she forced herself to stay upright. She couldn't break here-not in front of them.

"Aurora," Easton said gently, his voice pulling her back to reality. He placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her away from the stars, the whispers, and the pity she hated so much.

She let him lead her, her thoughts a swirling storm. She'd thought she'd hit rock bottom before, but this...this was a new depth entirely.

As they reached the edge of the forest, Aurora stopped, turning back to glance at the field one last time. Maverick was already walking away with Phoebe by his side, the perfect image of a future Alpha pair.

Her voice was barely a whisper, but it carried all the weight of her broken heart. "How much more do I have to endure?"

Easton didn't answer. He didn't have to.

She already knew the answer.

More.

Because until she found the strength to walk away for good, the pain would never end.