Aurora’s P.O.V
That morning, as we all sat around the breakfast table, the atmosphere was light, filled with the sounds of clinking utensils and casual conversation. The warm scent of coffee mingled with the aroma of freshly made pancakes, and for once, everything felt normal. Peaceful. Caleb was beside me, stealing bites from my plate when he thought I wasn’t looking, and the others were engaged in their own chatter, laughing at some inside joke. Riley, who had joined us a little late, was happily stuffing his face, seemingly lost in his own world.
And then, out of nowhere, he turned to me, his expression as innocent as ever, and asked, “Aurora, did you spend the morning praying?”
I barely had time to register his words before the piece of toast I’d been chewing nearly lodged itself in my throat. Caleb, mid-sip of his coffee, choked so violently I thought he might need medical intervention. The entire table went dead silent. Forks paused mid-air. Heads turned in unison, all eyes suddenly on me, waiting for an explanation I didn’t have, while my face turned beet red.
Caroline was the first to break the stunned silence. “What?” she asked, blinking at Riley as if he’d just spoken in an alien language.
Riley, completely unfazed, simply shrugged and clarified, “I heard Aurora saying ‘oh my god’ a few times this morning. So, I thought she was praying or something…because the door was locked.”
For a heartbeat, there was nothing. And then, chaos. The whole table erupted into laughter so loud it might have shaken the walls. Caleb and I sat frozen, our faces turning an unmistakable shade of red, the kind that could only be described as pure, unfiltered mortification. My brain scrambled to come up with something—anything—to say, but all I could do was gape at Riley, who still looked utterly confused, as if he had no idea why everyone was laughing like hyenas.
“Riley,” Jade wheezed, wiping at his eyes, “I don’t think—” He cut himself off with another bout of laughter.
I groaned, dropping my head onto the table. “I was not praying,” I mumbled, my voice barely audible over the continued laughter.
“Oh?” Riley tilted his head. “Then why were you saying it so much?”
Caleb nearly fell off his chair. Jade had to physically turn away, shaking with silent laughter.
I was never going to live this down.
I watched as Caroline leaned in close to Riley, a wicked smirk playing on her lips, her voice dripping with mockery.
"Oh, they were praying, alright," she purred, her eyes flicking to me and Caleb. "Just not to God."
Riley, with his wide, innocent eyes, scrunched up his nose in confusion. He clutched his spoon midair, his little mind working overtime to understand what she meant. "But… what else do people pray to?" he asked, his small voice barely cutting through the sound of muffled snickers from around the table.
Caleb sighed beside me, rubbing a hand over his face, while the others—Caroline especially—continued their little game, shooting each other's looks and making exaggerated gestures. Jade clasped his hands together in fake devotion, while Caroline whispered ‘oh my god’…that made them all dissolve into laughter again.
I felt the heat creeping up my neck, but I forced myself to keep my voice even as I turned to Riley. "If you're done with your meal, sweetheart, you can go play with the other kids," I said, offering him a gentle smile.
Riley didn’t need to be told twice. He grinned, hopping off his chair and running off, his little feet pattering against the floor. The second he was gone, I turned sharply toward Caroline. "Can you keep it down?" I hissed.
But Caroline, being Caroline, only leaned closer, her grin widening. Then, to my absolute horror, she puckered her lips and made a series of dramatic kissing faces at me. "Oh, Aurora," she moaned theatrically, dragging out the words, her voice breathy and exaggerated. "Oh my God."
Laughter exploded around us, but I was already lunging at her, knocking her back against the couch. "You are the worst!" I growled, trying to pin her arms, but she was squirming and laughing too hard to fight back properly.
Caleb groaned. "You two are insufferable."
Caroline shrieked as I tickled her ribs in revenge, twisting and gasping for breath. "Okay, okay, I'll take it back!" she wheezed.
"Too late," I shot back, my fingers merciless.
We might have kept going if it weren’t for Jade, who finally got his laughter under control, arms crossed, looking at us like we were the biggest disappointments in existence. "You do realize," he drawled, unimpressed, "that we have school today, right?"
Caroline and I froze mid-play, staring at each other, then at Jade.
"Shit," Caroline muttered.
I groaned, pushing myself off her. "I hate you!"
"Love you too, babe," he shot back, winking in mischief.
And just like that, the moment was over.
I let out a groan, rubbing my temples as I leaned back against the couch, exhaustion seeping into my bones.
“Can’t I just skip for now?” I muttered, my voice carrying a weight that I hoped would be enough to end this conversation. “I literally just survived so much. I don’t think I can deal with school right now.”
My head throbbed at the mere thought of stepping back into that building, of walking through those halls, of facing all those eyes that would undoubtedly be on me. It was too soon. It was too much.
Caroline, ever the relentless force in my life, crossed her arms and shook her head, her expression unwavering. “Aurora, you need to get your degree,” she said, her tone firm but not unkind. “You can’t just stop now. You’ve come so far. You need this to move forward, to be successful.” She looked at me like she was willing me to understand, to see the bigger picture, but all I could see was the overwhelming fear clawing at my chest.
Caleb, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke, his gaze studying me carefully. “Why do you feel so reluctant?” he asked, his voice softer than Caroline’s, almost hesitant. His eyes held something—concern, maybe curiosity, or maybe he already knew the answer and just wanted to hear me say it.
I inhaled sharply, my fingers tightening around the hem of my sweater as I avoided his gaze. “Because,” I started, my voice quieter than before, “I’ve been gone for days. And now… now I have to go back and face those people again.” I swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump forming in my throat. “I don’t know what they’re thinking. I don’t know what kind of stories they’ve made up about me. People love to talk, to speculate. What if they—” I stopped myself, shaking my head.
“What if they think something wild happened to me?” My own words made my stomach twist, the anxiety curling around my ribs like a vice.
Caroline sighed, moving closer to sit beside me, her hand resting gently on my shoulder. “Aurora, people will always talk. That’s just how they are. But you can’t let that stop you from living your life.” Her voice softened just a little, but there was still that edge of determination, that push to get me moving even when my feet felt like they were stuck in cement.
Caleb leaned forward, elbows on his knees, watching me with something that almost felt like understanding. “You don’t have to do this alone,” he said. “We’ll be there for you. No matter what anyone says, no matter what looks they give you, we’ve got your back.”
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that their presence would make it easier, that I wouldn’t feel so exposed, so vulnerable. But the thought of stepping back into that place, of pretending like I hadn’t just been through hell, made me feel like I couldn’t breathe.
I let out another sigh, pressing my fingers against my forehead. “Just… give me a little time,” I said, not even sure if I was asking for it or just delaying the inevitable. “Just a little longer.”
Caroline and Caleb exchanged a look, as if there were talking silently through the pack bond, before they turned towards me once again.
I watched as Caleb’s gaze softened, his blue eyes filled with reassurance as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Aurora, my father has already handled everything. No one will question you or say anything mean. And besides,” he said with a small smile, “we’re a team. We’ll be with you at all times.”
His words settled over me like a warm blanket, easing the tension that had been gripping my chest since the moment I heard the word ‘school’. For the first time in days, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. I looked at him, searching for any trace of doubt in his expression, but there was none. Just unwavering loyalty. Just the quiet strength that made Caleb who he was.
A small smile crept onto my lips. “That actually makes me happy,” I admitted, my voice softer now, lighter. “I was worried… I don’t know if things would be different. That people would treat me like—”
“They won’t,” Caleb cut in firmly. “Not as long as I’m around.”
I let out a breath, nodding. If Caleb said it, I believed it. Still, one more thought nagged at me.
“What about Ashton, Maggie, and Avery? Will they be taking classes too?”
Jade, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up, his voice carrying that usual mix of pragmatism and care. “Ashton and Maggie will have to start over as freshmen,” he admitted, casting me a knowing glance, as if he expected me to react.
I stiffened slightly, my heart dropping at the thought. “Start over?” I echoed, my stomach twisting at the unfairness of it.
Jade nodded. “It’s not ideal, but Alpha Camden has arranged for them to be homeschooled. They’ll still get their education, they’ll still have a future. He wants to make sure they have every chance to succeed.”
I exhaled slowly, absorbing his words. Homeschooling. It wasn’t the same as walking those halls with us, feeling like they belonged, like they had a place. But at least it was something. At least they weren’t being abandoned.
I glanced at Caleb, who gave me a reassuring nod, as if silently telling me this was the best outcome they could get. And maybe it was. Maybe this was just another part of the mess we had to navigate together. But as I looked at them—Caleb, Jade, the people who had stood by me through everything—I knew one thing for certain.
We were a team. And no matter what happened, we would make it through. Together.