Lighter

RORY

“Who is that?” Freya questions as we exit the school doors.

Bethany and Oliver are already huddled by their cars with their friends. I follow Freya’s sight line to see a grinning Ace, arms folded, leaning against his car like he’s trying to be cool.

“That’s Ace. He’s Everett’s friend,” I tell her. “And my friend,” I add because that’s what he is.

“Rory!” he calls out, giving me a stern look.

“Get in the car so we can go. Everett’s gonna kill me if I don’t get you back exactly half an hour after school ends. We’re already late, probably because of your clumsy lazy ass,” he shouts across the lot.

I narrow my eyes at him and stick my tongue out. He chuckles in response as I walk over to him.

“Friends of yours?” he asks, gesturing behind me to where all my friends are staring. “They’re probably thinking, ‘Who’s the amazingly hot guy?’”

“No, they were thinking that this morning. Now they’re thinking, ‘Where’s the hot guy from this morning?’”

He makes a face at me and I make one back.

“Alright, get in,” he says with a sigh and a smile.

I do as he says, sliding into the passenger side as he starts the car, then waving goodbye to Freya as we pull out onto the road.

“Do you all have cars?”

“Yeah, wolf meetings with other packs require cars to get around, even though we stay within the pack most of the time,” he explains. “Did you have a good day? Everett sure was happy when he got back.”

“It was a good day. I like school,” I answer, ignoring his last comment because it’s none of his business—like how my life isn’t any of Oliver’s business either.

I avoided a painful and dreaded talk with Eddie, but we’ll have to have one at some point. I hurt him, even though that had never been my intention, and even worse than just dumping him by text, I’m with another guy.

After what feels like a long drive, we arrive back at the pack, parking outside the pack house.

“Everett’s in his office,” Lucius informs us. “He wants to see Rory.”

I give him a quick smile before heading up the stairs and over to his office. I knock before entering, although he’s never minded me being in here much.

I’m met with a wide smile as I walk over to him.

“How was school, little one?” he asks after I take a seat in an armchair beside his desk and curl up on it.

“It was great. Thank you. I mean it. For everything. And for the book—I just started reading it.”

He chuckles at my excitement. “Did you hurt anything?”

“I was injury-free all day—well, aside from this morning, my alarm,” I state proudly, and it receives another chuckle.

What has changed?

I like this version of Everett, the one who doesn’t always look disappointed or concerned about me, the one who doesn’t look like he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, the one who actually laughs and smiles.

He still has that responsibility and behaves in the manner of a powerful Alpha, but he’s lighter.

“Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he questions in confusion.

Why is he confused? I’m confused. “Well, I don’t know. Yesterday, you weren’t very happy with me and—”

“Aurora, I’m sorry about yesterday. I just… I want your forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness? For what?” I ask.

“For just…everything. I just want you to forgive me.” He gets out of his chair and kneels in front of me.

I don’t understand. He grabs my face with both his hands, his eyes begging for forgiveness for who knows what.

“Okay. Then, I forgive you.”

He smiles, moving in and pressing his lips against mine. And it feels like both the first time and like we’ve been kissing our whole lives.

When he pulls back, I’m left in a trance, dazed and lost in the euphoric world he’s put me into.

“Read in here while I do work?”

I nod, unpacking the book he gave me from my bag and beginning to read.

“How’s that Eddie kid?”

“I don’t know. He doesn’t seem very happy with me,” I tell him, peering over my book to see his concerned and jealous expression returned. “What did you actually put in the text?”

“We’re over. Sorry,” he states rather proudly, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes in front of the big bad Alpha.

“At least there was a short apology in there,” I remark sarcastically.

“So you haven’t forgiven me?” he asks with an amused look.

“You did put me back in school, so I’m not sure whether they cancel out.”

“It was better than not telling him it was over at all,” he replies with an easy smirk.

“It’s your fault you were dating him instead of waiting for me. You only dated him for a month. He can’t act like he was in love with you. ‘We’re over’ is appropriate.”

“So we’re together?” I ask honestly.

“Yes,” he states firmly, his eyes flickering to mine before returning to his laptop screen and the papers on his desk.

“We haven’t been together very long, and you wouldn’t like it if I sent you a breakup text like we meant nothing.”

“But I’m your mate and he doesn’t mean nothing,” he says nonchalantly. “It’s getting late. Why don’t we get some food? Come on, little one.”

He stands up from his seat and moves over to me. I’m about to get up when he lifts me out of the seat and into his arms.

“I can walk,” I whine, kicking a little.

“You’ll kick me in the face if you keep that up,” he grumbles, shifting my weight in his arms to keep my feet down.

I pout up at him, which just makes him chuckle. I feel like a child in his arms, from the size to the way he looks down at me.

But, weirdly enough, I like the way he takes care of me, how he Rory-proofs everything now: the way I sleep, eat, get changed, walk, descend the stairs.

He even put a stack of pillows at the bottom in case I fall, even though he caught me this morning.

We reach the kitchen to find it empty, so he just sets me on the counter whilst he cooks something. Everett doesn’t let me near sharp knives or anything hot.

So that’s the stove out of the question, the microwave and oven, the toaster and the kettle. I just sit here, my legs dangling over the edge, watching Everett cook.

“What did you do yesterday, whilst I was at the pack meeting, little one?” Everett suddenly asks, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

“I was reading,” I reply.

“That all?”

“Is this an interrogation?” I question him, furrowing my brows in confusion.

He moves closer to me and in between my legs, his hands resting on my waist.

“It’s just a question, Aurora. Tell me the truth,” he commands lowly.

“Why are you asking me?”

“The more you deflect, the more I know you did something.”

“So you’re mad at me?”

“For what? Why would I be mad at you?” he questions.

“Because you think I’ve done something. Is this about Ace again? Because you sent him to pick me up, so I thought you understood that nothing was happening.”

“No, it’s not about Ace, and I’m not going to be mad if you don’t lie. Just don’t lie to me, Aurora.”

I pout at him a little, not knowing why he’s questioning me all of a sudden.

“Fine. I was at the orphanage. I help out there sometimes and the kids there are great,” I tell him. “Are you happy now?”

“Yes, I am,” he states proudly before going back to cooking at the stove. “I just wanted you to tell me the truth, little one.”

“How do you know that’s the truth?”

“Well, you’re a bad liar, and I already knew. I saw you there yesterday.”

“I thought you were at the pack meeting. And if you saw me there, why are you asking?”

“Because I don’t know why you didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t know if you would allow me. And, you’re always disappointed in me,” I say.

He leaves the food again and charges over to me, resuming his position in between my legs and gripping my chin.

“This is why. I’m not disappointed in you, little one. I’m concerned. Whenever you fall, it hurts me more than it hurts you.

“I want to be able to protect you, and I’m scared that I can’t. But if you’re sneaking out and not telling me everything, how can I protect you?”

“You were barely speaking to me before.”

“I know. I know, Aurora, and that’s why I wanted your forgiveness for everything. But I just… I want to do better.

“I’m not angry that you kept things from me. You had every right to. But you don’t have to anymore. I’ll protect you. Okay?”

I place my lips on his in understanding, and he responds by taking control, gripping my waist and tugging me against his body.

His hands run up and down my thighs over the material, just feeling me. My hands move up and down his thick arms and all over his back.

“Fucking hell, you have a room!” Lucius exclaims, which makes me pull away from Everett, but he maintains his position, looking back over his shoulder.

Ace appears in my sight too with his knowing smirk. “What are you cooking?”