CHAPTER 12: FIRE
1174 Words
Aurora’s POV
All day, I felt as though I had left something crucial behind in that locker room.
Not my clothes…Logan had kept his word, leaving a neatly folded set outside the door with no note, no explanation.
I slipped into them and trudged through two hours of lectures, my mind a foggy haze, while my skin prickled with a heightened awareness.
It was as though a switch had been flipped within me, one that lacked an off button.
What I craved was the gentle brush of his thumb beneath my nose again.
It was a humiliating truth. I longed for that specific, intimate gesture from a man who had spent the past two weeks making my life a living hell.
I replayed that moment in my mind at least forty times between Political Science and the end of the day. Anger surged through my veins, and I caught myself longing for his touch.
Logan Pierce was becoming the bane of my existence.
A stunning, infuriating, perplexing bane who moved between warmth and coldness so quickly it always left me disoriented.
I hated him…or at least, I wanted to. I was putting considerable effort into hating him, which would have been more effective if my wolf didn’t keep sighing every time I thought of his name.
At this point, she already had a whole fan club for him, and I wasn’t even a fan. “Goddess save me.”
Lucas found me after the last class, walking me back to the house while enthusiastically chatting about an outdoor gathering Vincent had organized…a relaxed pack event for the younger wolves, complete with music and food in the backyard.
I agreed because I didn’t mind the fresh air and noise sometimes, especially with the way my mind has been feeling lately. It felt nice to be out of it.
Once home, I hurried upstairs to get ready.
I didn’t overthink it. I pulled on the white sundress I had brought from Vancouver, the one my friend Priya had insisted I buy on our last shopping trip together.
It had sat untouched at the bottom of my bag, a reminder of my past life. I released my hair, which had grown even paler since the shift, almost silver in certain lights, cascading in waves past my shoulders…a sight I still wasn’t very used to.
I paused in front of the mirror for a moment, taking it all in.
Then I walked down the stairs.
The grounds behind the Pierce house were larger than I had imagined.
String lights crisscrossed between the trees, and a long table laden with food waited along the garden’s edge.
Groups of wolves talked and mingled comfortably with each other. We didn’t have this in Canada, so it was pretty fun to have such a gathering here.
The moment I stepped outside, Lucas appeared at my side.
“You look…” He hesitated, started over. “Aurora.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” He grinned, making my cheeks flush. “Come on, I’ll grab you something to eat.”
I followed him to the food table, allowing myself to enjoy the moment. It was nice. My wolf also seemed to be having fun, so that was definitely a plus.
Everything was going perfectly well until I spotted Bianca, and it felt like someone had dumped cold water on my head.
She stood with a group of girls at the far end of the table. As soon as she noticed me, her conversation halted mid-sentence.
Her gaze traveled from my dress down to my face, and wait a minute, was this b***h secretly in love with me?
She whispered something to the girl beside her and began walking toward me.
Lucas had turned away to fetch drinks, leaving me alone with only a plate in my hand and nowhere to escape Bianca’s path.
She stopped in front of me.
“Bold choice,” she said, her eyes lingering on the dress. “The white. Very dramatic. You are just an attention-craving slut aren’t you?”
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“I know.” I held her gaze steady. “I took it as one anyway.”
Her jaw clenched. She stepped closer, and I stood my ground as the space between us closed up. I knew she was obsessed with me.
“You think this is your place now?” Her voice dropped, low just enough for only me to hear
“Because Logan feels sorry for you? Because Lucas is toying with you? Let me tell you something about the Pierce brothers…”
“Let me stop you right there.”
The voice came from my left.
I turned to see a girl standing nearby, her plate of food in one hand and an expression that suggested she found our fight tiring.
She was shorter than I was, dark-skinned, with a high bun and earrings shining in the string lights. She looked at Bianca as if Bianca were a stain on her shoe. I liked her already.
“She’s not interested,” the girl said. “Honestly? Neither am I. So, yeah.”
Bianca stared back, incredulous. “Jenny…”
“Bianca.” Jenny tilted her head. “You’re embarrassing yourself in front of everyone, babe. Again. You want to do that twice in one week?”
I watched a shift in Bianca’s expression. She glanced between Jenny and me, and rolled her eyes so hard I thought it would fall to the back of her head.
Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked back to her group, her friends immediately beginning to whisper.
Jenny watched her leave before turning to me.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Don’t thank me.”
I hesitated.
“I didn’t do it for your appreciation.” She grabbed a piece of bread from the table and took a bite.
“Bianca is just annoying. You were just in the wrong place at the right time.” She chewed thoughtfully, then studied me again. “Although…”
“Although what?”
“You could have handled that yourself.” Her tone was straightforward; she was the kind to say things as it is. “Why do you let yourself get bullied?”
“I was handling it.”
“I don’t think so.” She extended her hand. “Jenny Cole. My dad is Beta of this pack, which means I’ve been witnessing Bianca’s antics since we were fourteen, and I’m completely over it.”
I shook her hand. “Aurora.”
“I know exactly who you are.” A smile broke on her face, sharp and mischievous. I found myself liking her immediately. “The whole pack knows who you are.”
Turning back to the food table, she began to load her plate
As she reached for another piece of bread, she casually added, "You’ve got fire in you. I can see it from here. You’re the Alpha’s daughter. Start acting like it.”
- Writer
