Aurora James - POV
If it was someone else who would have asked this from me, my mind would have immediately come up with some sort of a lie, but this was Levi. He was the only friend I had in this pack, and he has always stood by my side, I know that he would continue to stick around too, and I didn't have the heart to lie to him.
I have never had a real friend in my life before, and I am not ready to lose him. "I was at Beta Perez's house," I answered. I didn't hear anything from him for a long time when I finally turned around to face him.
"He took you to his house?" Levi asked me, and I could clearly hear the confusion. "He never takes a woman to his house."
I know he was expecting me to tell him more as I took a deep breath and faced him again. "Would you promise to keep a secret, Levi?" I asked him.
"I don't like where this is going, Aurora."
"Please, Levi. Would you keep a secret for me?" I asked him. He stared at me for a long time, and I almost thought that he would just get up and leave when he nodded his head.
"I will do anything for you." he asserted, and I nodded my head.
"Beta Perez is my mate," I mumbled when I saw his eyes widen in shock.
"Then what about Alpha Alonso?" Levi asked me, sounding confused when I told him about what happened in my previous pack. How Elijah treated me like dirt, and when I finally left him after accepting his rejection. "So he is here to get you back?" he asked me, and I shook my head.
"He is here to get revenge for accepting his rejection. He thought that I would not dare to leave him. And I think he feels humiliated that I rejected him in front of one of his pack members."
"I have always known Alpha Alonso for being a playboy, but I didn't know he would stoop this low."
"That's all right, Levi. I am over it right now."
"Why didn't Beta Perez say anything about you guys being mates?" Levi questioned when a sarcastic smile formed on my face.
"Because he doesn't want me as his mate."
"Has he rejected you as well?" Levi asked me, and I could hear the undertone of anger, but I shook my head. The thought of going through a second rejection scared the shit out of me, but after last night, I think the pain of rejection would be a welcoming treat than being treated like dirt.
"He hasn't rejected me yet. But I know it is coming." I whispered as I felt my eyes cloud with tears. Even though I knew that I would be better off without him, my heart squeezed in agony at the thought of Beta Perez rejecting me.
Deep down, I was afraid that I would never find a mate again. I would never experience the sparks or the depth of intimacy that only a mate bond could provide.
"You are beautiful, intelligent, and one of the kindest souls I have ever come across. I don't think I can sit around like this, Aurora. I am going to go and…" I held his hand, preventing him from getting up.
I can feel the anger radiating from Levi, but I don't want him to confront Beta Perez. "You promised to keep this a secret."
"You are not like her, Aurora. But I don't get why he doesn't want you. I understand that he was hurt after what she did, but throwing away your second chance." Levi said as he shook his head in disapproval. We didn't speak for a long time as we stared out at the bright blue sky.
"You deserve a king, Aurora," Levi spoke after a long time when a smile appeared on my face.
"I don't want a king, Levi." I asserted when I felt his eyes on me. "I think if I can find a person like you, I would be good to go," I told him when I felt his hand squeeze mine.
"You are strong, you know that?" he asked me, and I nodded my head. "Men like him should be taught a lesson," he said when a frown formed on my face.
"I think rejecting Elijah has taught him a lesson, and maybe avoiding Beta Perez would teach him a lesson too," I said, but Levi shook his head.
"That would only portray you as weak, Aurora," he said.
"So what do you have in mind?" I asked him when a mysterious smile broke out on his face.
"Leave that to me," he said. I know that whatever he has on his mind might seem a little drastic, but I was done playing by the rules. No words were exchanged after that as we got up from the ground and began walking into the forest.
The air was getting chilly, and the clouds were getting darker, suggesting an incoming rain. I wrapped my arms around myself as the cold wind blew past me, making me shiver when I felt something warm on my shoulder. I glanced at Levi to see that he had draped his jacket over my shoulder. We walked around the pack without a specific destination in mind, and for the first time since I came here, I felt a serene feeling wash over me.
As we walked back into the pack house, I felt like I was walking back into the chaos that is my life. "You go ahead, I will catch up with you soon, okay?" Levi asked me with a smirk, and I nodded my head as I walked into the dining room.
The entire place was empty except for three prominent figures seated at the table. Alpha Lopez, Alpha Alonso, and Beta Perez.
"Aurora, I was looking for you everywhere. Where have you been?" Elijah asked me as he got up from his place and walked toward me while I stayed rooted to my spot. My eyes were locked with Beta Perez, who didn't even glance my way as he leisurely ate his cake.