My heart broke into pieces with an unbearable pain eating my inside. How could he do this to me? How?

His actions seemed as if he couldn't keep his hands off me, but at the same time he hurt me with such cruel words. The rumor was right. He didn't have a heart.

He wasn't my Vin anymore.

I came to a halt at the head of the staircase.

With one of her hands clutching the handrail in a vice-like grip, Adeline's blue eyes were flaming. Her gaze was set on me.

I gulped. She heard everything that happened inside his room?

But at that moment, I didn't care. I ran down the stairs with my tears blurring my vision.

"Be careful." Her low voice that had a suppressed rage halted me for a moment. "You can fall hard on your face if you don't see where you are going." 

A threat. A dark one that sent a chill down my spine.

Not throwing her a look, I ran out of the manor, ignoring the calls of Matt.

Through my blurry vision, I found myself stumbling against a hard wall. Whimpering, I stumbled back. But a pair of hands clutched my shoulders before I could kiss the ground.

"Careful there. Are you all right?" a smooth and calm voice asked.

Blinking away the tears, I looked up to meet a pair of soothing green eyes. With a tall height, pale skin and longer blond hair, the man in his early thirties stared down at me. Something flashed across his features as soon our gazes met.

His powerful aura told me he was an alpha. Must be one of the arriving guests.

I took a step away from his grip and wiped my tears. "I…I'm sorry. I wasn't looking."

He kept staring. Those green eyes seemed to be confused yet dazed.

My wolf was uncomfortable. Something about this man unsettled me. It was neither pleasant nor frightful.

He cleared his throat. "It's all right. It happens sometimes. Are you okay though? You look…upset."

My heart ached at the reminder. "I'm fine. Thank you."

Before I could leave, he stepped into my way. His gaze didn't move from my face. "If you don't mind, may I know your name?"

"Why?" I sniffled. An Alpha was asking my name so kindly, an Omega's.

A shrug, then a step closer. I took one back. "Now I can't let a beautiful girl slip away without knowing her name, can I? I'm Alpha Leviathan, from NightHollow Pack."

My eyes widened. Alpha Leviathan? I heard his name from Mia. One of the powerful alphas around the country. Why did he want to know my name?

"A-aurora," I replied. Surprisingly, his aura wasn't overbearing and breath stopping like the rude man who just threw me out of his manor. This man before me was calm and soothing.

A smile tugged at his lips. "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

My cheeks warmed. Beautiful? It's been years since someone genuinely called me that. This man…why did I find his scent pleasant?

But not as intoxicating as Vin…

Stop it! You aren't thinking of him anymore!

Leviathan took a step closer again, surprising me. "You are going to be in the Blood moon ceremony, aren't you?"

When unmated wolves met their mates?

A realization hit me hard. I gulped.

Could it be…could he be my?

My fists clenched. My eyes burned. A pair of dark silver eyes flashed across my mind. Something inside me panicked, to hold onto him, on my first love who didn't even want to see my face. I wasn't ready to let him go…even if he had a mate he was going to claim tomorrow.

"Tell me, beautiful." Leviathan glanced at my neck before a relief washed over his eyes. Lack of a mark? "Will you be present there?"

"That's none of your fucking business!" A growl so ferocious jolted me a few steps away from Leviathan's calming aura. The air charged with electric jolts, a heavyweight fell on my shoulder. I was breathless again at the domineering aura pushing into the air. Even a powerful Alpha like Leviathan flinched before turning around.

There he was. With a towering figure seething with rage and flickering silver eyes, my forbidden stepbrother stood a few inches over Leviathan. His balled fists shook with his murderous eyes set on the Alpha before him.

Leviathan frowned in confusion before taking a step back. "Your…your aura…"

I knew. It was so heavy forcing one to submit, even Alphas.

Vin's flashing eyes fell on Leviathan's neck and his jaw clenched. I cowered away when his gaze fell on me.

'GO HOME.'

I gasped at his growling voice in my head. He finally opened his mind to me?

"Is there any problem, Mr. Rustov?" Leviathan asked, finally composing himself, standing tall before me as if to protect me from the furious beast.

He WAS a beast!

Stormy silver eyes fell back on Leviathan. They flashed to red for a moment at the Alpha's protective stance before me. Another growl and Leviathan took another step back.

"You are a guest here. It would be better if you stay in the guest house, little Alpha. Don't. Come. Into. My. Way." Each word came out as a warning.

My eyes widened. Little alpha? Was he insulting a crowned Alpha when he wasn't even one? Was he trying to ruin the ceremony?

"Be careful of your words, Mr. Rustov," Leviathan hissed.

Vin strolled towards him with lazy yet threatening steps. "And you should be careful of someone else's property."

I frowned. What did he mean by that?

Vin's body slowly turned to me. His body shook with suppressed rage. "And you, leave."

Before I could react, Leviathan interrupted. "She seems so scared of you. Is that how you treat your pack members?"

"How I should treat my…" a pause, "Step-sister is none of your business," Vin hissed. My eyes widened.

He never acknowledged me as his step-sister. But why did it hurt so much today? I didn't want to be his step-sister, I wanted to be the one he would love with all his heart.

"She is your…sister?" Leviathan blinked.

"Step!" I snapped. "With no blood relation!"

Something flashed across Vin's eyes, before they turned furious again. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

I flinched at his booming voice. Sending him a glare with as much hate as I could, I ran away.

***

"How's Kate doing?" Uncle Donovan asked.

"Not good. Doc said some veins in her body bled for some… reason. But fortunately she's a werewolf and is healing slowly. I'm telling you, that bitch must've done something to her! Kate was talking to her one moment and started screaming the next!" It was Ophelia's answer.

I heard the conversation going on in the living room from the kitchen.

"Language, Lia! Have some respect!" Uncle Donovan snapped. "And that poor girl can't even shift, and you are telling me she did something to a powerful wolf like Kate without even touching her?"

Ophelia fell silent, and my mind went back to the training grounds. What happened to Kate was odd. Werewolves didn't get sick unless their wolves were harmed. I still remembered her screams, it wasn't normal.

My heart skipped as Vin's cold and still eyes on her flashed into my mind. He didn't even blink when she rolled on the ground with unbearable pain.

What was that?

I shook my head. Why am I thinking about that man? He wouldn't even want me to think about him. I should stop being this little pathetic stalker.

I gulped as my throat constricted. His hurtful words were like needles to my heart. I never thought Vin would think of me, his butterfly, with such lowly opinion.

He called me Little Butterfly today…

"Yeah, and that's why I think she should leave this pack alone! She is more weak than a freaking human!" Ophelia hissed. "She has done nothing but create problems since she got her!"

"Ophelia! Enough!"

I took a shaky breath. She was right. Why was I even living here? I was nothing but a burden on this pack. The man I lived here for didn't want to even see my face.

I will…leave, if that's what you want Vin.

There was a knock on the front door before Uncle Donovan spoke.

"Vinson? Adeline? You guys here?"

My grip tightened on the knife I was using to cut vegetables. W-why were they here?

With hesitant steps, I walked out and cold silver eyes immediately found mine. They darkened dramatically as a muscle of his jaw tightened.

"We are here for Aurora," Adeline said, making my gaze meet her. Those triumph shrewd eyes sent chills down my spine. "She has some answers to give to me."

Matt appeared behind her and Vin while Uncle Donovan's brows furrowed.

"Rory? What do you want to know from her?"

Adeline walked inside. "I won't beat around the bush. We are all like a family here after all. There is nothing to hide. I brought a diamond necklace with me here which is my family heirloom, to wear it on the day of my mating ceremony. When I will be officially accepted as a Luna of this pack and Vinson's mate. But the necklace is missing now."

Vin suddenly tensed beside Matt. Dark silver eyes snapped to Adeline.

"So what does Rory have to do with it?" Matt asked, tilting his head.

I had the same question.

Adeline stopped right in front of me. "I'm staying at one of the guest rooms of Vinson's manor, though I will soon shift with Vinson after the ceremony," she said as if she needed to clarify the last sentence. "My necklace was in my room until this evening. And the only person who has been in my room today other than me was…Aurora."

My heart trembled, my throat suddenly dried up as realization of her words set in.

S-she was accusing me of stealing her diamond necklace?

Damn! What will Rory do now? Will she be able to escape Adeline's accusations? She finally showed her true colors today!

And what do you think of Alpha Leviathan? Are you guys interested in his character? 😉 Vin's reaction was amazing, wasn't it?

Waiting for the next chapter?

With love,

Eva Zahan