Chapter 1
"Okay buddy. Are you ready to get going?" Aurora squeezes her brother, Brody's tiny, six-year old hand in hers.
"Yup. All ready," he chirped, his dinosaur backpack on.
The bus ride that time around had been five hours. The entire bus had been full and Aurora had the middle seat with Brody by the window and some morbidly obese stranger in the aisle. She fidgeted as much as possible to have room, with Brody even offering to sit on her lap next to the window. She smiled, ruffling his hair telling him it was okay and he should get some sleep.
Stretching up high when they stopped, every vertebrae in her back popped. "Owie," she complained, stretching side to side.
"Does your back hurt, Rory?" Brody asks innocently. "I can fix it for you." He reaches for her back, when Aurora immediately snatches his hands. "But--"
She hurries them inside the bus depot, finding a bench. Taking his small hands in hers, she gazes in his eyes. "Buddy, no one can know you have abilities, okay? You have to keep them to yourself. Do you promise?"
"But you had an ouchie," he whined, tears in his eyes.
Holding him closely, she kisses his hair. "I'm okay, sweetie. My job is to make sure you're safe. We're going to start fresh here, all right?" he nods into her shoulder.
They make their way toward the exit and to the apartment where she already put down a security deposit.
"Sissy, are we going home now?" Brody asked innocently.
"Yes, we are. Ready to start our new life?"
"Will we have to move again?"
The question made Aurora flinch, knowing how long and how far they had been running. Ever since Brody was three years old, they had been on the run from their previous pack. She embraced the life of a rogue and raised her brother on her own. Never wanting him to endure the abuse she did growing up.
"No, sweetheart. This is the last time we'll be moving." The idea was to blend in to this new place, as not only a large city but also the largest pack in the U.S. I have to make it work this time....for Brody.
Two weeks later life finally started to settle down.
Somehow she managed to snag a position as a bartender/waitress in a very prestigious club in the city supposedly owned by the Alpha King who ruled the city. Her years of experience in other places was a boon to her employment and her boss was impressed. She left out some details but she was hired the same day she interviewed which helped in the bills department.
"Aurora, take this tray to table five, please," the head bartender, Deon asked.
"Of course." Aurora swiftly grabbed the tray making her way through the throngs of people bumping and grinding to the music blaring in the air.
She pauses at tables on the way back, grabbing new orders and dirty glasses to keep the flow going. "Wow, what a night," she remarks, placing the glasses in the sink and giving Deon the new orders.
"Thursdays are start of most people's weekends. Didn't you know that?" he chuckled. "The rest of us gotta work for a living."
"I don't mind it. Anything to keep me afloat." Aurora thought of Brody being home all alone and felt a flash of guilt. "Besides, then I get to work with good people like you."
Deon looked over his shoulder, not falling for her sly words. "Yeah, yeah. Anything not to take the garbage out, huh? Your tricks don't work on me," he said, wagging a finger playfully at her.
"Dang it. You're on to me." Aurora feigned being caught by snapping her fingers. "Does that mean it's my turn tonight?" she asked, seriously hoping the answer was no.
Deon slid a glass of cold beer to a customer when he turned back. "Not tonight. I know you need to get home to your brother." Aurora squealed in delight. "But tomorrow, it's all you."
"Deal," and she held out her pinky and they agreed on it.
The night proceeded smoothly and she walked out the door smelling the late night air.
"Time to go home," she whispered to the air. Suddenly she smelled the most exquisite aroma. A delicious mix of musk and some kind of spice. Her heart raced for a moment. What was that? Sniffing the air, it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Must have been my imagination. She continues on her walk home, wanting to see her brother, praying he was already asleep.
At the same time, he drove by her in the only Rolls Royce in the city. He loosened his tie, sliding down into the comfortable seat, letting the night air in. "Damn, what a long day." The scent of jasmine and roses entered his nose. His wolf became very restless and his eyes flashed golden. Mate.
"Sir, is something wrong?" his driver, Barrett asked.
"I think I smelled my mate," he half-growled, his wolf's voice leaking into his own. Smelling the air again, the scent faded and his wolf receded back. Did I imagine it?
"Are you all right, sir?"
He shakes his head vigorously to clear himself and huffs out a big breath. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Putting it out of his mind, he slides down the seat again and closed his eyes.
The following night was even busier than the night before. Music blared through the speakers and the drink orders kept coming in like a tidal wave. Deon had Aurora behind the bar with him instead running orders since she knew her way around a bottle.
"Can I ask you something?" Deon says as he pours the fixings for a Long Island Ice Tea.
"What's up?" Aurora answers, pouring a round of tequila shots for a table.
He starts on another order as he speaks. "You've worked here for two weeks, right?" Aurora hummed a response. "Didn't you tell me in the interview that you don't drink? Why work here?"
Aurora paused bottle of vodka about to be poured, hand shaking slightly. The flashbacks of her father's abuse flash in her mind.
You useless mutt! What are you good for?! The hard slap across her cheek and the stench of whiskey on his breath.
"Aurora!" Deon said her name really loudly, startling her from her thoughts. "You okay?"
"Uh, yeah...." She poured the drink from moments before to send it out.
"You sure? Cause you stopped moving and your face went completely white." Deon grew concerned for his colleague. He had never seen a person's demeanor shift so profoundly in a matter of seconds.
Waving him off, Aurora reassured Deon that it was nothing. "Don't worry about me." He nodded at her, completely unconvinced.
The night kept going with no issues. Deon had Aurora switch out when another bartender came in. "I'll ask again, are you sure you're okay?"
Touched by his kindness, Aurora smiled at him. "I swear. Just keep the orders coming and I'll take the garbage out tonight."
"Actually, go take your fifteen, then you can take the garbage out," Deon smiled as he teased her.
She mock salutes, heading off toward the back door.
Using her very old flip phone to call the apartment, Brody answers on the second ring.
"Hello?" a tiny, tired voice answered.
"Hi, buddy. Did I wake you?"
He yawned widely over the line. "No, I was awake," he lied. "How's work?"
"Busy. Did you do your homework?" Knowing full-well that was his least favorite thing to do, and he had to be prodded sometimes.
Brody hesitated. "Yes."
Aurora chuckles lowly at her brother. "So, when I get home and check, will I find it done in your backpack?"
"Okay, fine," he whined. "I wanted to do it with you."
Her heart broke hearing how sad her brother was. "All right. In the morning, we can do it together before I drop you off at school. Make sure you lock the door, and get to bed. You did eat, right?"
"Yup."
"Good boy." She checks the time on her phone screen. "I gotta go. See you when I get home, okay sweetie?"
"Gotcha, sis."
They hung up and Aurora heads back in the club to finish her shift.
Everything throughout the night was busy, loud and constantly in motion.
Deon took his break leaving Aurora and another bartender to take over for a bit.
"I'm going to get more ice," she said to her co-worker.
Snaking her way through the crowd, the volume of people felt like it doubled since the day before. Friday nights suck. Almost to her destination, a club-goer bumps roughly into Aurora, knocking her into a group of people on the fringes.
"Oh, sir, I am so sorry." She grabs the rag hanging from her back pocket, cleaning off the mans blazer.
Leering at her, he finishes off his drink, placing it on the half counter next to him. "It's no problem, baby." He's slurring his words, leaning slightly on the counter to balance himself. "I do know a way you can make it up to me though." Leaning close to her, he sniffed her hair. "You smell so good."
Not liking the look in his eye, and the way he scans her body, running his tongue over his bottom lip, appreciating what he sees makes Aurora very uncomfortable. She tried to back away, but his hand snagged her apron, pulling her toward him. "Please let me go." She tried in vain to push him away, as he ran his hand over her throat. "Let go." Aurora grits her teeth, swinging her fist up, striking the man square in the side of the jaw.
He lets go, holding his aching jaw. "You bitch!" he roars. Straightening up, he whirls back around, his wolf showing. Eyes glowing. Snatching the back of Aurora's hair, his alcohol-addled breath clouded her vision. "I'll teach you a thing or two about respect." Thinking fast, she slams her booted foot down on his, then bites his wrist hard, drawing blood. He roared in pain, releasing her.
Taking off through the crowd, Aurora can hear the man behind her screaming he's going to get her. Running through as fast she can, the club was getting quieter, as she headed toward the VIP section. The blood was pumping through her ears so hard it made her head hurt and the taste of blood in her mouth nearly made her want to vomit. White noise halted her senses. In the final rush to get away, she tripped over her feet, being spun around then falling into someone's sturdy arms.
"Woah, shit," the man yelped, wrapping his arms around this mysterious woman. He gazed down at this person, his heart beating hard in his chest. Mate. Pausing a beat, he stands her up. "Are you all right, Miss?" Running his hands up her arms, extremely angry at the terrified expression on her face.
That smell. Mate? Her wolf whimpered feeling his hands running on her body.
"Hey, you bitch!" The drunk man catches up, far more furious, his wolf threatening to surface.
Hiding behind the strange man, Aurora held her breath.
"Is there a problem here?" the mystery man asked, reaching out a hand to halt the drunk man.
"Damn right there is," he barked, holding his still bleeding wrist. "And who the fuck are you?"
Standing protectively in front of Aurora, he waved his hand forward and several armed men surrounded the drunk man. "Take a good look, fuck-shit. Who do I look like?" All the muscles in his body tense facing down the man who dared harm his mate. Let me kill him! his wolf growled through their link. At his signal the men dropped the drunkard to his knees, forcing him to look. "Well?" and his eyes glowed fiercely.
The drunk realized who stood in front of him, wolf immediately receding in submission. "Y-your Majesty." He puts his hands up in surrender. "I-I had no idea it was you. I'm so sorry." The man grovels pitifully, not wanting to anger the most dangerous and powerful wolf.
The Alpha King?
