Aurora’s Pov
I heard the whispers.
Every word. Every sneer.
“Weak human.”
“She doesn’t belong here.”
“The Alpha will get rid of her just like the others.”
The voices overlapped, echoing louder and louder in my head until it felt like they were pressing against my skull, drowning me. I wanted to shake them off, to scream at them to shut up, but I knew that would only give them more reason to mock me.
A sharp voice cut through the haze.
“Aurora.”
I blinked, realizing that Mira and Leila were standing in front of me, their faces filled with concern.
“Aurora,” Leila called again, shaking my arm slightly.
“Yes?” My voice came out shaky, and I hated it.
“Are you okay?” Leila asked gently.
I forced a small, barely-there smile. “I’m fine.”
No. I wasn’t.
How could I be fine when I was standing in the middle of a place that despised me? A place where no one-except maybe Ryan-wanted me? But they didn’t need to know that.
“You shouldn’t listen to what they’re saying,” Mira said firmly.
That was easy for her to say. She wasn’t the one being called a useless human in a world filled with powerful creatures.
“They chose to stay in Shadowhaven, but that doesn’t mean they can’t visit the human world. So, you are always welcome in our town,” Mira reassured me, trying to ease the tension.
Leila must have noticed my mood not getting better “Ignore them, my lady.”
Mira sighed. “They don’t know you. They only see a human with their Alpha. Most of them have never even spoken to you, yet they already assume things.”
I forced a laugh, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Great. I’m already the subject of gossip, and I haven’t even done anything yet.”
“That’s the thing,” Leila said gently. “You exist, and that’s enough to stir things up.”
I exhaled slowly. I wasn’t new to judgment, I had spent my whole life being overlooked, underestimated, and cast aside. But hearing these words now, in a place that already felt foreign, hit differently.
I wasn’t just an outsider. I was an unwanted outsider.
“Do they really think Ryan would just… use me?” I muttered.
Mira gave me a knowing look. “He’s never treated anyone the way he treats you.”
I swallowed hard. “And how does he treat me?”
“Like you matter.”
I nodded absently, my heart still heavy. “Let’s just get the fruits and go.”
Leila frowned. “We’ve barely shown you anything, and we’re just getting started. Don’t you want to see the rest?”
“I’ll see them tomorrow. For now, take me back to the mansion.”
My voice came out colder than I intended. I regretted it the moment I saw the flicker of hurt cross Leila’s face.
“Okay, my lady.”
My stomach clenched. She was being formal again. I had made her feel like a servant instead of a friend.
I sighed. “I’m sorry. Everything is just… getting to my head.”
Leila’s expression softened. “It’s okay, Aurora. Let’s just grab the fruits and head back.”
I nodded. At least she understood.
As I turned to follow them, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest.
The five guards Ryan had assigned to me stood silently behind us like ghosts. I had been so lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t even noticed them.
One of them, tall, muscular, with a scar across his cheek, tilted his head. “Are you okay, my lady?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. Let’s go.”
Mira and Leila led the way to a marketplace filled with stalls of fresh fruits. The air was rich with the scent of ripe berries, citrus, and something unfamiliar, something sweet and almost floral.
My eyes wandered across the spread of fruits, recognizing some from the human world while others were completely foreign. One caught my attention, it was deep purple with a soft glow around it.
“What’s this?” I asked, picking it up.
Leila smiled. “Moonfruit. It’s rare. Only grows here in Shadowhaven.”
“Can I try it?”
Mira grinned. “Of course! Just don’t eat too much, or you might start glowing too.”
I blinked. “Wait, what?”
Leila snorted. “She’s joking.”
Mira wiggled her eyebrows. “Or am I?”
I rolled my eyes but smiled for the first time since we left the mansion.
After gathering what we needed, we headed back.
I went straight to Ryan’s room because, honestly, that was the only place I felt comfortable and I knew. The maids laid out the fruits, washing and cutting them into neat slices.
I sat there, waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
Ryan was still not back.
Not that I was waiting for him or anything.
Okay. Maybe I was.
But he didn’t need to know that.
I sighed, picking at the fruit absentmindedly. The moonfruit was surprisingly delicious, and sweet, with a hint of something tangy.
But even the taste couldn’t distract me from the emptiness in the room.
The loneliness started creeping in, curling around me like a shadow.
I didn’t even have my phone.
Wait. Did they even have phones here?
Did Shadowhaven have Wi-Fi? Were they on social media? Was there a supernatural version of Instagram?
The ridiculous thoughts did nothing to ease my restlessness.
Finally, I snapped.
I wasn’t going to sit here like some abandoned puppy waiting for its owner.
I was going to find Ryan myself.
It was a stupid idea. I knew it was a stupid idea.
I didn’t know my way around. I could get lost.
But at that moment, I didn’t care.
I got up, squared my shoulders, and walked out the door.
I walked and walked, my footsteps echoing against the marble floor. The hallway stretched endlessly, every turn leading to another identical corridor. The mansion was breathtaking, but right now, it felt like a never-ending maze.
And yeah, I was getting lost.
Great.
I glanced around, expecting to see someone, anyone, but the place was eerily empty. A shiver ran down my spine. Even in daylight, the silence felt unnatural, like the walls themselves were watching me.
Imagine how this place would feel at night…
Nope. Not going there.
Okay, time to go back.
I turned around confidently, only to realize that the hallway looked completely different.
What the hell?
I spun in a slow circle, my stomach sinking. Had I really walked that far? Where was the staircase I passed earlier? Where was the hallway with the huge golden-framed paintings?
I was officially lost.
“You’re confident, Aurora. You’re smart. You can figure it out.”
I repeated the words in my head like a mantra.
But another voice inside me whispered…. Yeah, well, you’re not smart enough for this place.
Still, I had to try.
I walked, took another turn. Then another.
The deeper I went, the less familiar everything became. The air even smelled different, like aged parchment.
I was about to give up and sit on the damn floor when…. or maybe scream for help.
I heard voices.
One of them was Ryan’s.
Excitement surged through me. I did it! I actually found him!
I took a step forward, about to call his name, until I heard the other voice.
Elliot. Ryan’s uncle.
“She should go back to the city. You know she isn’t welcome here.”
My breath hitched.
Even him?
I thought Elliot had accepted me. He had been the first to acknowledge me when I arrived, treating me with some level of kindness. And now, he wanted me gone?
I clenched my fists, waiting, hoping for Ryan to shut him down.
His voice came, steady but hesitant.
“I know, bu…”
That was all I needed to hear.
I didn’t even let him finish.
I stepped into the room, my heart hammering against my ribs.
“You know?”
Ryan’s head snapped toward me.
I met his gaze, my vision blurring. My throat tightened.
“Why did you bring me here, Ryan? If everyone was right, if I don’t belong here, why did you make me stay?”
Tears burned at the back of my eyes.
I didn’t wait for an answer.
I turned and ran.
I heard Ryan curse under his breath, his footsteps pounding behind me, but I didn’t stop.
Somehow…. miraculously, I found my way back to his room without even thinking. My body just knew where to go.
I slipped inside, slammed the door shut, and locked it.
And then, I let myself fall to the floor, pressing my back against the door as my silent tears finally fell.