Chapter 31
Aurora lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Sleep refused to come. She tossed from one side to the other, closed her eyes, opened them again, and groaned into her pillow.
Nothing worked. Her mind was far too crowded.
The missing funds.
The investigation.
The meeting with the King.
The banquet.
Lucian.
Dante.
Especially Dante.
The ache in her chest only seemed to grow stronger as the night deepened. With a frustrated sigh, Aurora threw back her blankets.
"If I stay in this room any longer, I may lose my mind."
The entire estate was asleep, but she couldn't seem to find the same peace.
After slipping on a light cloak, she quietly left her room.
The knights stationed throughout the manor looked surprised to see her wandering the halls at such an hour.
Each bowed respectfully.
"Good evening, My Lady."
Aurora offered tired smiles as she passed, "Good evening."
Soon she stepped outside. The cool night air greeted her immediately, it felt wonderful.
For the first time all evening, she could breathe. She wandered through the gardens until she reached an old tree near the edge of the estate.
Standing beneath its branches, Aurora tilted her head toward the sky. Thousands of stars glittered overhead. The sight was beautiful, painfully beautiful.
It reminded her of nights spent lying beside Dante, talking about absolutely nothing and everything at the same time.
A lump formed in her throat.... God...She missed him.
Unbeknownst to Aurora, she was not alone. Two pairs of eyes were watching her from the shadows.
One pair was filled with concern.
The other was filled with something much darker.
Turner stood at a distance, leaning against a nearby tree. His gaze remained fixed in Aurora. He couldn't understand her. She was only fifteen years old. Six years younger than him.
Yet there were moments when she seemed older than everyone around her. Moments when her eyes carried a sadness no young girl should possess.
As Head of Estate Security, Turner had spent years observing people. He could usually read them with ease. Aurora was different. She was becoming a mystery he couldn't solve. And that frustrated him, more than he cared to admit.
After hesitating for a moment, he walked toward her.
"My Lady."
Aurora jumped slightly, "Turner!"
A hand flew to her chest, "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
A smile tugged at the corner of Turner's mouth, "Then my apologies."
"You don't sound sorry."
"I'm not."
Aurora stared at him.
Turner's expression remained perfectly serious. For three whole seconds, then he smirked.
Aurora rolled her eyes.
"There it is."
"There what is?"
"Evidence that you're secretly annoying."
Turner looked genuinely offended, "Secretly?"
A laugh escaped her. A real laugh. The sound warmed something inside his chest.
"You should be resting, My Lady," he said softly.
Aurora looked back toward the stars, "I couldn't sleep."
Turner nodded, "I couldn't sleep either. I decided to patrol the grounds."
Aurora raised an eyebrow, "You're terrible at lying."
Turner coughed, "I was patrolling."
"You came to check on me."
"...Maybe."
Aurora smiled faintly. For some reason, the gesture made Turner's heartbeat stumble.
Silence settled between them. Not uncomfortable.
Just quiet.
Peaceful.
Finally, Turner spoke again, "You were impressive today."
Aurora glanced at him, "Impressive?"
"You stayed calm under pressure. You took charge when others panicked. You acted responsibly."
A soft smile appeared on her lips, "Should I take that as a compliment?"
"You should.", The sincerity in his voice surprised her.
A cool breeze swept through the gardens, Aurora shivered. Without hesitation, Turner removed his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. The warmth immediately surrounded her.
Aurora blinked, "Thank you."
"You looked cold."
"But won't you be cold?"
Turner shrugged, "I'll survive."
Aurora smiled.
The gesture was small, yet Turner felt absurdly pleased with himself. Which was ridiculous, completely ridiculous. He was a knight, a respected knight. Not some nervous boy celebrating because a girl smiled at him. And yet...Here he was enjoying the moment with her.
"What is wrong?" he asked quietly. "You can talk to me."
Aurora's smile faded. The question struck deeper than he intended.
What was wrong?
Everything.
Nothing.
She had her mother, Her father, Emily, Philip, Anne. People who cared about her, people she loved. Yet somehow...She still felt lonely.
Terribly lonely, because the one person she wanted wasn't here, would never be here.
Dante.
The thought alone made her chest ache. She missed his arms around her.
His voice....His warmth...She missed not having to be strong all the time.
Aurora swallowed hard.
Then she asked softly, "Can you give me a hug?"
Turner froze. His brain completely stopped working, "A... hug?"
Aurora immediately looked embarrassed, "I-It's fine. Forget I asked."
"No" , The answer came far too quickly. Turner's face immediately heated.
Aurora stared at him.
Turner stared back.
Neither knew what to say.
Finally, he opened his arms.
Slowly...Carefully...As though afraid she might change her mind.
Aurora didn't hesitate. She stepped forward and buried herself against his chest.
The moment her arms wrapped around him, Turner stopped breathing. For several long seconds, his heart hammered violently against his ribs.
Aurora, however, noticed none of it.
The warmth.
The comfort.
The simple human contact. It shattered the wall she had been holding together all day.
Tears slipped down her cheeks. Then more followed. Turner's arms tightened around her protectively.
Not possessively. Not romantically. Just gently. Like someone trying to hold together a person who was quietly falling apart.
"It's okay," he whispered.
Aurora shook her head, "No, it's not."
The sadness in her voice broke something inside him. And for the first time, Turner realized how much pain she had been carrying alone.
What he didn't realize was that someone else was watching. A short distance away, hidden within the darkness, a tall figure stood motionless.
Watching.
Every second.
Every tear.
Every moment Aurora spent in another man's arms. The figure's jaw tightened. His expression darkened....Jealousy.
A fierce, unfamiliar jealousy twisted inside his chest.
He hated it.
Hated the sight before him.
Hated the way Turner held her.
Hated the way she cried against him.
Most of all...He hated the fact that she had chosen Turner instead of him. His hands clenched into fists. The night air suddenly felt much colder. And as he watched Aurora seek comfort in another man's embrace, a dangerous realization settled over him.
For the first time in his life...
Lucian was jealous.
Please vote