Aurora’s pov
I stood frozen at the doorway, staring at Greg. His face was hard to read, his eyes holding a mix of emotions I couldn’t decipher. I expected the worst. A slap. A shove. Anything cruel that he was capable of.
But nothing happened.
Instead, he stepped aside and, in a calm voice that I never thought I’d hear from him, said, “Come in.”
I blinked, surprised. This wasn’t like him. Greg wasn’t calm. He wasn’t composed. He wasn’t… this.
For a moment, I hesitated. Maybe this was a trick. Maybe he had something up his sleeve. But then, I thought about my mother, and that was enough to push me forward. I walked in slowly, my heart pounding in my chest.
The house felt smaller than I remembered. Or maybe I had grown too used to being away. The walls seemed to close in on me as I moved deeper inside, memories of dark times flashing before my eyes.
I turned to Greg, trying to keep my voice steady. “Where’s my mom?”
He nodded toward the kitchen. “She’s in there.”
I didn’t wait. “Mom! Mom!” I called out, my voice echoing through the house. “Mom!”
I heard footsteps, quick and frantic, and then there she was. My mother. Her face lit up the moment she saw me. “Oh, Arara, my daughter!” she cried out, rushing toward me with open arms.
I ran to her, and the second we embraced, the tears came. All the fear, the pain, the loneliness-I let it all out as I held her tightly. Her arms were warm, her hold firm, as if she was trying to shield me from everything I had been through.
She pulled back slightly, her hands on my face. “What are you doing here?” she whispered urgently. “They will stop you from leaving. What are you doing here, Arara?”
I looked at her, my heart breaking at the worry in her eyes. “Mom…” My voice cracked, and the tears started again. “I-I need to talk to you. Please, can we talk? Just us.”
She nodded quickly, glancing over her shoulder as if someone might be watching. “Come with me,” she said, her voice low, and she led me into the small room I used to sleep in.
The space felt even smaller now. The bed, the old dresser, the peeling wallpaper-it all seemed to shrink around us. But it didn’t matter. I needed to talk to her.
We sat down on the edge of the bed, and I began to tell her everything.
I told her about leaving Silvercrest, about finding work, and how I met Ryan. I told her how he had changed my life, how he had shown me kindness and made me feel seen. But then, I told her about his fiancee, about the kiss that should never have happened, and about the guilt that was eating me alive.
Through it all, my mother listened silently, her hand never leaving mine. When I finally finished, I looked up at her, my vision blurred with tears.
She cupped my face gently, her thumb wiping away the wet streaks on my cheeks. “Oh, my child,” she said softly. “Come here.”
She pulled me into a hug, and I felt myself crumble in her arms. “Mom, you have to come with me,” I whispered against her shoulder. “Please. Let’s go. You can’t stay here.”
Before she could respond, a voice boomed from behind us.
“Because we allowed you to come here, it doesn’t mean you have the right to take her.”
I froze.
Marcus.
He stood in the doorway, his presence as menacing as ever. His glare bore into me as he crossed his arms. “You can leave whenever you want, but you’re not taking my wife with you.”
I stood up, my legs trembling, but I refused to let him see my fear. “Now you know she’s your wife?” I said, my voice rising. “When you beat her like she’s nothing? When you treat her worse than an animal?”
His face darkened, and he took a step toward me.
For a moment, I thought he was going to hit me. My body tensed, bracing for the blow.
“Stop.”
Greg’s voice cut through the tension like a knife.
Marcus turned to him, his hand still raised.
“Remember what I told you about her,” Greg said firmly, his eyes locked on Marcus.
For a moment, Marcus hesitated. His hand dropped to his side, and without another word, he turned and walked out of the room.
Greg followed him, leaving me standing there, my heart racing.
What did Greg tell him?
What could he possibly have said that stopped Marcus from hitting me?
I shook the thought away as my mother reached for me, pulling me into another hug. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice trembling.
I nodded, though my mind was spinning. “I’m fine, Mom. But we need to leave. You can’t stay here anymore.”
Her grip on me tightened, and I knew this was far from over.
I sat there staring at my mother, trying to process what she had just said. She couldn’t leave. She wanted to stay here. My chest tightened with frustration, but I forced myself to stay calm. At least she was alive. At least her instincts were sharper now. I would find another way.
Still, I promised myself that I would get her out of here soon. No matter what it took.
Reaching into my bag, I pulled out some cash. My fingers trembled slightly as I handed it to her. “Mom, here. Take this. Use it to buy whatever you need.”
She frowned and shook her head, pushing the money back toward me. “No, Arara. Keep your money. I’ll be fine.”
“Mom, no,” I said firmly. “It’s either you take this money or you come with me. You know I have an apartment now. You can stay with me, away from… all of this.” My voice cracked at the end, but I tried to keep my composure.
Her face softened, and she reached out to hold my hand. “I’m so happy for you, my child,” she whispered. “I truly am. But I can’t leave yet. Not now.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded, though my heart was breaking. “At least take the money, Mom. Please. Hide it somewhere safe and use it for whatever you need.”
She hesitated but eventually took the cash, her fingers lingering on mine as if she didn’t want to let go.
After a moment of silence, we both sat down. The room felt heavy, but there was a strange calmness now.
I sighed, leaning back slightly. “I wish I could stop thinking about Ryan,” I muttered. “I know he didn’t lie to me outright, but it feels like he’s hiding another big secret from me. I don’t know if I can trust him now.”
My mother gave me a curious look. “What kind of secret?”
I hesitated, unsure if I should even bring it up, but the memory of people calling him Alpha nagged at me. “It’s… strange. Sometimes, people call him Alpha. And then they quickly correct themselves. I don’t understand why.”
Her reaction was immediate. Her face paled, her body stiffened, and her hand flew to her mouth as if she was trying to hold back a scream.
“Mom? What’s wrong? What happened?” I asked, my voice rising with panic.
She didn’t answer. Her breathing grew shallow, her eyes darting around the room as if she was searching for something.
“Mom!” I called again, standing up. “What’s going on? Did I say something wrong?”
Finally, she looked at me, her voice trembling as she asked, “Where is he from?”
“Shadowheaven, I think,” I replied, though the name felt foreign on my tongue. “I’ve never been there or even researched it. Why?”
She covered her mouth again, her eyes wide with fear. “Shadowheaven?” she whispered, almost to herself.
“Mom, what is it? What does it mean?” I asked, desperate for answers.
She shook her head, her expression unreadable. Then, without a word, she stood up abruptly. “Wait here,” she said, her voice firm.
I watched her rush out of the room, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts. What was happening? What did I say that made her react like that?
Minutes passed, but it felt like hours before she returned. In her hands, she held a necklace. It had a pendant on it, it was small, silver, and intricate. She handed it to me, her hands trembling.
“Put this on,” she said, her voice steady but filled with an urgency that made my heart race.
I took it from her, turning it over in my hands. The back of the pendant had a tiny map engraved on it, though I couldn’t make out the details.
“Mom, what is this?” I asked, looking up at her.
“Promise me you’ll always wear it,” she said, ignoring my question. “Don’t ever take it off, Arara. Not for anything or anyone.”
Her words sent a shiver down my spine. “Why? What’s going on? Is this about Ryan? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”
She shook her head quickly. “No, no, no. You’ll understand everything when the time is right. But for now, just trust me. Keep this on you, always.”
I stared at her, searching her face for answers, but she offered none. Instead, she took a deep breath and pulled me into a hug, her grip tighter than ever before.
“Mom, you’re scaring me,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“Don’t be scared, my child,” she said softly. “Just trust me.”
I decided not to press the matter, I had a good time with her, I was surprised that Greg or Marcus didn’t tell me anything.
******
After spending hours with her, I really wanted to stay with her but I have a job now. I didn’t want to let go, but I had to.
I hugged her one last time and decided to go back.
On leaving the room, I overheard Greg and Marcus talking about someone.
That someone was me.
“Just stay off her path, or else you’ll regret it dad,” Greg told his dad and it felt like this wasn’t the first time.
“Her boyfriend isn’t even human.”