Answers

RORY

“How do you piss someone off that much that they want to kill you?” Oliver questions, again skeptically.

“I don’t know if killing me was the goal.” Yes, I do. They did kill me. And I apparently did piss them off that much.

“Why didn’t you say anything then?” Jax asks.

“I mean, you don’t act like a girl who ran away from people who tried to hurt you. You’re just…normal. You do your work, you eat lunch, and you get picked up and dropped off every day.”

“How am I supposed to act then?” I ask in an irked tone.

“Terrified. Scared other people would hurt you. Upset that you had to leave home,” Eddie lists in response to Jax’s question. “Why didn’t you tell any of us what was happening at home? We could have helped.”

“By doing what? My personal life has stayed personal up till now for a reason. I came to school because I have friends and a place to get away from all of it. I didn’t want to share it. And I am scared.

“But I have a boyfriend who protects me. He’s given me a home. I’d appreciate it if all of you could stop casting your judgment like you know either of us. You didn’t even know I was adopted until two minutes ago.

“And Everett isn’t married, nor does he have a secret family. I live with him.

“Every day, I sleep in his room on his bed which he calls Aurora-proofed because he put a barrier of cushions on either side so I wouldn’t fall off.

“You can all stop prying and giving advice on what’s best because none of you know,” I rant, huffing at the end, getting out of my seat and marching outside for some air.

Everything feels different now. I feel stronger—a bonus of mating with a powerful Alpha. I think he’s sharing some of that power with me, the strength and will to say what’s necessary. He can probably feel my distress.

I can feel him working, decisions weighing on him. I feel his burdens, his responsibilities, how much it affects him. I knew he took them seriously, but this extensively, I had no idea.

And I’m another responsibility, another burden, although he wouldn’t call me that. But I am. I am a burden. And he doesn’t even know how big a burden I really am, and might be in the near future.

“I’m sorry,” a voice from behind me mutters. Freya settles beside me against the gates.

“Freya, I don’t need an apology. It’s not necessary. I just want you to understand that when I say Everett is good for me, I mean it, and I know that he is.”

“I just… I can’t believe you lost your virginity,” she says with a giggle, nudging me playfully. I giggle with her and bite my lip. “How was it?”

“Amazing,” I reply. “Everett was gentle. And I’ve never seen him so playful and happy. It made me happy.”

“You’re in love with him?” she asks.

“Yes. Maybe too much, if that’s possible. I don’t know, he just seems to understand me. He can read me really well. Like whenever I hurt myself, I just brush it off and say it’s fine even if it’s painful.

“But he can always tell, and then he carries me or bandages me up and calls me clumsy whilst incredibly concerned at the tiniest injury. I’ve never had a protector like that before,” I explain.

“He just sounds so perfect for you, I was surprised you could find someone like that.”

“What about you? A guy you have a crush on? Still Jax?” I question.

She told me a few weeks ago about him, but was vague. I had no idea who he was. But I think it’s faded seeing the interest Jax has in me.

He’s only interested, like the other guys, because I’m someone they can’t have, and I’m the girlfriend of a guy like Everett.

Everett’s sexy, somewhat rich, dominant, proud, and respected—not to mention, older than everyone here.

He’s a grown man, and the testosterone in guys makes them believe it’s about beating the strongest guy around.

Which means hitting on me. It’s not that they actually like me. Though maybe they’ve convinced themselves they do.

“No. Not anymore. There’s one guy, but it’s a small thing and I don’t want to tell you yet unless it becomes bigger. Sometimes you have small things for many people and then you crush hard on someone.

“I haven’t even had a boyfriend at eighteen, and you sound like you’re ready to get married,” she says with a chuckle.

She’s not far off though. I practically am married. Freya’s a great person—fun, sweet, generous—but she’s shy and sometimes quiet. That’s the result of years of bullying wrecking her self-confidence.

“Rory!” Eddie calls out, stalking over to me with Oliver, Bethany, Jax, and Skye following.

I stand up, dusting myself off, and step back to create distance between Eddie and me as he comes closer.

“I can’t touch you now?”

“No,” I mutter, taking another step back.

“Living with him, it’s brainwashed you. You’re detached and you spend all your free time with him. He doesn’t let you go out or do anything,” Eddie exclaims, stepping closer.

“He doesn’t even want me touching you. That’s insane.”

“I agree. What’s the shit with the touching?” Jax says, inching closer to me and Eddie and shaking his head.

I take another step back, onto the sidewalk outside the school to create more distance.

“It’s just his thing. He’s protective and I like protective.”

“That’s not protective. That’s just mental. But he’s not even here and you’re still backing away,” Jax states.

I back out again and it all happens so suddenly. But it’s just my luck, I guess.

And now I’m back in limbo.

It’s the clumsiness, really. I took another step back and fell off the sidewalk into the road right when a car was zooming past. And it barreled into me at top speed.

It really, really hurt. I mean, it killed me after all. Broke a lot of bones. I heard most of them cracking.

It was… so strange. It came right at me, sending a shudder throughout my body from the impact, and toppling me. The wheels crushed me—my arms and legs.

How do I explain surviving this? That’s ~if~ I survive. After all, I’m in limbo now, where “she” can get to me.

“You shouldn’t be back here,” the voice of Achlys utters hauntingly.

Her voice is a sad one, empty, hollow. It sounds like it would through a microphone, only in a big hall. It projects, yet it’s melancholy, like the voice of a ghost.

“I got run over by a car.”

“I know. With the curse she put on you, I’m surprised I don’t see you here more often,” she states. “The curse of clumsiness as a human.”

So I am cursed. That actually makes me feel better, knowing there’s a reason behind it.

“Who is ‘she’?”

“Her name is Nemesis. She took you from your family and tried to kill you when you were a child, in rogue territory. The first time you died and came to me. You don’t remember it, of course, you were only young.”

“Why do you bring me back to life?”

“It’s not by choice. Your presence here is not correct. You cannot be here, so I have to give you a push back into your body, back where you should be.

“But, she can get you in here, which is why she cursed you, knowing she’d get quite a few chances.”

“Why does she want to kill me?”

“Your parents wronged her. And she requires vengeance.”

“My parents? Do you know who they are?”

Just as she’s about to answer, a gust of… something like icy wind… flies around us.

“She’s here again. You have to go, Aurora. Try to be careful. I hope to not see you here. Inside packs and human lands are safe.

“Your mate, he’s safe, he’s an Alpha after all. He’ll protect you as best as he can. Goodbye, Aurora.”

Before I can question anything she has said, I’m pushed, ~hard~, back through that green door of life, back into my body.

Which appears to be in a hospital.

“She’s de—” My eyes flicker open and I hear faint gasps.

I’m incredibly tired, and a wave of exhaustion washes over me, knocking me out. But I have questions swimming around my head.

She knew about Everett. What does that mean?

What did my parents do to this otherworldly being? Who are they, even?

Why is Nemesis coming after me? Thanks to her, I don’t even know my parents. I can’t be held responsible for anything they have done.

But Achlys said Everett will protect me, and I know that to be true.