Chapter 23 #2
Something healed inside of me when tears filled the wolf’s eyes.
“No, I swear I never knew. I had—I would have gotten him out. I would have—I did a lot to protect my own kids because the Alpha—nothing excuses what I’ve done.
But I could never have done that. Never.
” She broke down sobbing and allowed herself to be led away.
“How did you know?” I asked Aurora.
She didn’t answer right away but then let out a slow breath.
“Because I’ve been where that poor woman has been.
” She looked up at me and gave me a pained smile.
“The line kept moving back on her. One more thing allowed to keep the peace or keep people safe.
One more sin for the greater good in her mind that distorted everything.
“Shifted reality and seemed not so bad, but that was her line. That was too far and she knew it. That was how—I always knew the little steps over or near what I fought for broke some part of me, but certain things I would never have been able to accept. Kenneth selling Ellie to someone horrible. Allowing an elder to have her—I knew the lines I would die or kill for.”
I swallowed loudly. “You said that one—did an elder try for that?”
“Yes.” She cleared her throat and looked away. “One almost had Kenneth convinced it would be the best idea since I was broken and could never give him a son. Kenneth thought it was the best way to puppet Ellie later and keep control, but it was foolish.”
“And you sacrificed yourself to make sure he realized that,” I whispered.
She nodded. “Several times.” She looked back up at me.
“And that woman would have done the same. She loved you like a true mother even if she failed you a hundred times. You were loved, Creed.” She blinked back tears.
“Us mothers who fail recognize our own.” She muttered bullshit about needing to speak to someone and hurried off.
“You heard that, right?” I asked Ellie as she walked towards me.
“Yes, but let’s handle today and the current mess.
” She sighed when I shot her an unfriendly look.
“It’s not easy to rewrite what I was so sure was truth, Creed.
I’m not perfect and—my memories are hundreds of years old.
You have no idea how difficult it is to rewire truths that are fucking set in your mind. ”
I swallowed down harsher words because I knew I was emotional and all over the place. “I can’t even fathom it, but I’m glad you’re trying.”
She gave a swift nod. “So is Theresa. She—none of us had it easy. She’s trying too.” She let out a shaky breath. “Please make Aurora happy so she heals and maybe we can all have a healthy relationship if the gods are kind and give us the years to do so.”
“I plan to.” I wasn’t sure what else I was going to say, but Ellie started chuckling and looked past me… Where Aurora was giving me less than friendly glances. It was like she was hearing something she didn’t like?
I understood better five minutes later when she came storming over with a pair of shorts in her hand grumbling that I needed to stop showing off my “bits and pieces” to everyone as if they were available. She then shot some females there death looks and went back to where she’d been.
It was ridiculously difficult not to get an erection knowing my mate was jealous over me.
Ridiculously difficult for sure.
But at least the trap worked.
Pissing them off and pushing their buttons was beyond effective when they were desperate.
We had them on camera—from different angles even—admitting that I’d fucked with all aspects of their business turning over evidence against the dirty NYC cops.
They demanded I make up the lost revenue by helping them screw over Ellie and get them a piece of ASH.
So much more. Threats against Aurora. Admitting that they owned the kids of the orphanage. Just a treasure trove of goodies to hold against them.
It was a total win even if it was going to be a huge mess… Including how upset my mate was at me.
Saying she gave me the cold shoulder was an understatement and I fully understood where she was coming from when she stopped telling me everything she was doing. None of it was dangerous, but I was losing my fucking mind being so in the dark about where she was and what she was doing.
And that was completely on me. It was days of it even after I apologized again and again. The woman was gifted at punishing someone, but then I realized it was her hurt more than punishment. She was struggling to be a team with me when I hadn’t been with her.
But I was forever glad that I managed to find out part of her schedule when an interview to help female vampires went off the rails.
“Do you think a lion shifter is the right person to be with after all you’ve been through?
” the host asked. “One from the mob? I know you said you wouldn’t answer questions about the arrests of several members of the Edwards family, but it’s all over that your mate was involved.
How can you tear into vampires but yet—”
“This is over,” I declared loudly and stormed towards the stage. I growled in warning when someone tried to intercept me but froze when Aurora held up her hand to me.
She simply smirked at the host. “Yes, clearly, he was a horrible choice to immediately listen to his mate when you can’t even handle yourself professionally.
He reacts to protect me while you sit there and look down your nose at me and judge me for preferring a shifter over someone like you. ” She snorted when the man flinched.
And I growled, now close enough to scent his desire for her over everything else in the studio that had distracted me.
“You, sir, think yourself better than others,” Aurora continued. “You only took this interview to try and change your reputation for being sexist, but I accepted it because I knew you wouldn’t be able to manage it and I’m tired of too many monsters hiding among our society and appearing civilized.”
“That’s so far over—” he started to snap.
“Interrupt her again and you’ll taste your nuts,” I warned him.
Aurora simply snickered. “He’s not worth it.
” She stood and flicked her hair over her shoulder, rolling her eyes when the host watched with interest. “I’m a happily mated woman.
He’s the only man I’ve ever flirted with and wanted.
The only man I’ve loved, and if it took a lion to heal all the deep scars vampire men put on me, I suggest more females ignore the rumors and—”
“You love me?” I blurted, my anger and focus on the man instantly gone.
She flushed every shade of red and looked anywhere but at me. “Yes, well, this didn’t go as planned, so I think it time to leave.” She quickly moved away from the host and past me, thanking others on the staff and one woman in particular who seemed to have helped her get ready.
But she didn’t even make it to where the witch was waiting to open a portal to take her back before I caught up to her.
“We’re going back home,” I told the witch… Who snorted when she looked at our auras. “And we’re going there alone.”
“Oh, I bet you are,” she chuckled under her breath and set the portal once the rest of the guards arrived.
But of course, they had to come with us as well.
Aurora yelped as I swung her up in my arms and headed for the door.
“Creed, put me down this instant,” she hissed at me.
“No, not until we’re in the bedroom because you just admitted you love me—really this time and said the words—and this is what comes next in any story—every story,” I told her firmly.
“Against all odds, we made it to falling in love. I love you and you love me. Two traumatized people who have committed countless sins got their second chance and found love.”
“And that means carrying me off?” she demanded with a huff.
I froze in opening the door and looked down at her. “Yes. It means I carry off my mate and kiss her all over and we make love for the first time. We experience that together and open the next chapter of our lives together.”
A thrill of everything good raced through me when her eyes glazed over.
“I find your plan more than acceptable as long as you promise to chew out that horrid man later for trying to trap me into that interview,” she mumbled, obviously embarrassed.
I snorted. “I’ll eat him, my mate. But later. This with you is more important. You are always what’s most important to me. Forever.”
The End