Chapter 9 His Thoughts Against Mine

Aurora's POV

The halls of the estate had never felt this suffocating before.

My steps echoed sharply against the marble as I strode away from the dining room, past the portraits of dead ancestors and cold-eyed kings, past the crimson velvet curtains that fluttered from the breeze of my fury.

I didn't know where I was going. I just needed to move... to be away from them, from him.

From her.

That leech.

Nova Wilder.

The stolen chair. The garden ambush. The sickening sweetness in her voice as if she were the one being wronged.

And Alexander, the Alpha of the Bloody fangs Pack, sat by and watched it all, not just allowing it but defending it.

The betrayal was no longer subtle.

It was painted in gold and seated at my table.

I was halfway through the eastern wing, nearly to the stairs, when I heard it, his footsteps. Heavy, purposeful, like a shadow chasing a flame.

"Aurora!" Alexander's voice cut through the silence like a blade.

I didn't stop. Not until he caught up and grabbed my wrist, not harshly, but firmly, like he expected me to melt from his touch.

I turned to him slowly, my expression carved in frost. "Let go."

He dropped his hand, jaw tight, frustration brewing behind his calm facade.

"Aurora, you didn't have to cause a scene."

I laughed. It was sharp, humorless. "I caused a scene? Because I asked for my chair back?"

"It's just a chair," he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair.

"No," I snapped. "It is a symbol. Of my title. Of my status. Of everything I have sacrificed and bled for since the moment I became Luna of this pack."

He looked away, just briefly. "You're making this bigger than it is."

I stepped closer, my voice dangerously low. "And you are making a fool of your own Luna."

He stiffened, that Alpha pride bristling beneath his skin.

"I'm not trying to make you feel unimportant," he said, voice tight. "But Nova-she's new here. She's fragile. She's been through enough without you acting like she's the enemy."

"She's not fragile," I hissed. "She's clever. Manipulative. And clearly skilled at playing the victim."

Alexander looked at me then, really looked. "She's an omega. You, of all people, should understand what that means."

"Oh, don't you dare," I spat, a bitter laugh leaving my lips. "Don't you dare try to guilt me into coddling your mistress under the excuse of her being an omega. I was born into a family of strong wolves-remember that? But no one ever protected me. You think I got here because someone handed me their chair? I was born and raised to be your wife, that's all I ever know. I have to be powerful on my own despite having a family behind me."

He looked torn, like he wanted to deny it but couldn't. "Nova isn't trying to take your place."

"Then why is she sitting in my chair?" I barked. "Why are the servants taking orders from her? Why is she walking around my home like it's hers?"

He sighed again, slower this time. Like I was the one being unreasonable.

"I don't want her to feel like a nobody," he said finally. "I told the servants to be kind to her. I may have let her claim some things-your sitting room, the garden quarters-because I thought it would help her feel welcome."

I went still.

"You what?"

He hesitated. "Your east wing quarters, she's staying there for now. Temporarily."

"You gave her my property?" My voice cracked.

"She's not taking it permanently. You have dozens of rooms-"

"Rooms that belong to me," I seethed, my fists trembling at my sides. "You've let her make a mockery of me in my own home. You humiliate me at every turn and then act like you're being noble for doing it gently."

"She's not a threat to you," he said.

"But she is! Can't you see that? You let her take my chair, my quarters, my dignity-and now you stand here, gaslighting me into thinking I'm the problem?"

"You kept on telling me she is not a threat and she's never going to take my place but slowly, as you allow her to wander freely in my home, as you allow her to stay here, you are making a joke out of my title. It was as if, the only thing that the people are waiting for is you... declaring your love for her and cutting off the mating bond between us."

He looked at me with a plain eyes.

"She doesn't want to fight with you," he argued.

He didn't even paid any attention to my words and prioritized explaining that Nova is never an enemy that I should be scared of.

"No, she wants to replace me... nicely."

Alexander stepped back, eyes narrowing. "You're letting jealousy cloud your judgment."

I scoffed. "Jealousy? You think I want what she has?"

He didn't answer.

I looked him up and down, disgust pouring through every vein. "This isn't about Nova. This is about you. You don't want a Luna. You want a docile shadow who flinches when you raise your voice and giggles when you forget her name. That's what she gives you-obedience."

"And what do you give me, Aurora?" he asked, voice dark now. Challenging.

"Reality," I spat. "A Luna who holds her ground. A woman who earned her place. Not someone you can drape in silk and parade like a pet."

He didn't respond.

The silence between us stretched, tense and bitter.

I stepped back, breathing hard, my pulse a storm in my chest.

"I may not be what you wanted," I said, my voice quieter but firm. "But I will not be erased. Not by you. And not by her."

Alexander stared at me for a long time-silent, unreadable.

And then, he turned his gaze away.

That told me enough.

He wasn't ready to choose.

So I would.

I turned around and walked away-each step heavy with fury and pride. And with every inch I put between us, I felt the sharp edge of resolve settling in my chest.

If he wanted a Luna he could ignore, he'd soon find that I was far more dangerous silent than I ever was enraged.