Bold & Beautiful (7 page)

He leaned into my palm. Closing his eyes, the weight of the world seemed to lift from him, softening his features. He opened his eyes and looked at me. “I’m so sorry, Aura.”

“Don’t be.” I looked around my bedroom into the dim space. “There are some things that are out of our control.”

He immediately understood my double meaning. He put his hand over mine and smiled wide, displaying his dimples. “You have your clothes packed?” I lifted my bag. His grin turned devious. “You’re going to meet my dad, Aura; the alpha.”

“Does that make you…?” I let the question hang in the air.

“Yup.”

“Oh.”

Brody and he chuckled. Jonas took my bag of clothes, put his arm around me and led me through the apartment. Brody grabbed my book bag and followed us out. Jonas locked up for me and we headed to his car.

I didn’t know if I was ready to meet the alpha, but if he was anything like his son, I was sure I would like him.

Chapter 21

JONAS

I knew my dad was going to be angry when he found out I’d lost control. I couldn’t worry about him right now though. Aura sat quietly in the front seat, gazing out the window. She didn’t show any signs of aftershock, but she also wasn’t talking.

I found it ironic that she seemed to relax a bit after discovering the truth of my heritage. It was as if she sensed I wasn’t being completely honest with her the way I’d sensed she was avoiding sharing the truth with me.

This past week I’d been so angry that I’d found my mate before we were even eighteen, but after discovering Aura’s situation, once again, it was confirmed that everything happened for a reason. She needed me, and I didn’t realize how much I needed her until today.

Maybe I was young, but I knew what it felt like to be completed by someone. She made me feel like I wasn’t missing anything. She made me feel content, less restless. My wolf was restless, but that was only because he wanted to make sure no one else could claim her.

I parked in front of the house. Brody immediately jumped out of the car. “Catch you later, Jo. Take care, Aura.” He shut the back door and rushed to his house across the street from mine.

“He left his book bag,” Aura stated.

I couldn’t help but smile. “He’ll get it later.”

She met my gaze. She pursed her lips and her brows dipped inwards. “Won’t they be mad that you brought an outsider here?”

My heart sunk a bit at her words. “Definitely not, once they know who you are.”

She accepted that. She was still nervous, but she visibly relaxed a bit.

I got out of the car and came around to open her door. I held tightly to the towel around my waist. “You can leave your book bag here for now if you want.”

She nodded and slipped out of the Jeep. Seeing her in my front yard looked right; it felt right. She felt right.

I placed my hand on the small of her back and guided her to the front door. I opened the door and let her walk in ahead of me. “Mom, Dad, I’m home with company,” I announced.

Aura looked around the house. Most of the boxes had been unpacked over the week. My mother had insisted on making everything feel like home as soon as possible. When I got a good look at her gaze though, I realized it wasn’t nerves that were making her uneasy; it was what we had, and what she didn’t, that made her uncomfortable.

“Hi.” My dad thrust out his hand as he came into the front room of our two story colonial house.

“Hi.” Aura shook his hand without hesitation.

“I’m Will. And you are?”

I cut in. “Dad, this is Aura. Aura, this is my dad.” I gave my father a poignant look, one that would tell him exactly who she was beyond her name.

His face immediately fell. He looked at the towel around my waist and back at Aura. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I sort of lost control, and now she knows. Nothing more.”

“Nothing more?” A single brow lifted in my direction.

“Where’s Mom?”

“She just got out of the shower. She’ll be down in a minute.” He turned his attention to my mate. “Aura, why don’t you take a seat?” My dad gestured towards the sofa.

She looked between us, sensing the beginnings of tension I was sure. “Um, I can just go.”

“No!” We both shouted at once.

She worried her bottom lip. She was clearly torn and our little dance wasn’t helping. I had to be honest. Everything needed to be out in the open.

I grabbed Aura’s hand, pulling her attention to me. “Do you mind if I tell him? He won’t tell a living soul; alpha’s honor.”

My dad’s features were etched with concern as he watched Aura and me.

Aura withdrew her hand. She glanced at my dad. Her expression was tightly controlled, but her eyes were a storm of emotion. To my surprise though, she shook her head. “It’s alright.” She went and sat on the sofa, her gaze wandering and purposely avoiding where me and my dad stood.

Chapter 22

AURA

I knew Jonas meant well. I got the feeling his dad did too. It didn’t erase my embarrassment. It didn’t erase the implications towards my mother’s lack of parenting finesse. It didn’t make this situation any less awkward for me.

I’d grown up in Leesburough. After one day at school with Jonas, he knew more about me than ninety-nine percent of the people here. And as difficult as this was to endure without losing every ounce of the pride I had left, I couldn’t picture myself being with anyone better. Jonas didn’t look down at me. He also didn’t look at me with pity in his eyes. He’d gotten angry and then took control. He couldn’t change my mother, but he could still change my situation, or so I assumed he thought.

I idly listened as Jonas explained the situation to his dad, whom he was the spitting image of. It wasn’t until I saw the two of them together, actively engaged in a conversation that the reality of Jonas’ place in the pack hit me. He was a werewolf. And not just any werewolf. He was the future alpha. He was going to be his father one day. And he would have a son just like himself one day too. My heart grew a little colder at the thought of another girl marrying Jonas.

I silently scolded myself. Clearly Jonas was a great guy. He deserved the best girl possible, a beautiful girl who would fit perfectly into his world. Basically, not me.

“Hi, boys.” I lifted my head at the sound of a female voice.

The guys stopped chatting. Will embraced his wife, kissing her forehead. She was a beautiful woman. She had a long, lean figure, soft, lightly tanned skin and clear green eyes. Her auburn hair fell in layers around her heart shaped face.

“Mom, this is Aura. Aura, this is my mom, Cassie.”

“Oh, hi, sweetie. I’m sorry. I didn’t even see you sitting there.” She immediately closed the gap between us to shake my hand. “Did these boys offer you anything to eat or drink?”

“I’m okay, thanks.”

Cassie put her hands on her slim hips and narrowed her eyes at the guys. “Oh, she’s good. She saved your hide and remained polite.” She turned back to me. “Come along, dear. I’ll give you a tour of the house.”

“Don’t fight it.” Jonas gave me a serious look. “My persistence is nothing compared to hers.”

A smile pulled at my lips. Cassie grabbed my hand the moment I stood up.

She talked the entire time as she took me room by room throughout the house. The home had four bedrooms and three bathrooms, a formal living room and dining room, a family room and office. Though it was a new home, the builder had taken the time to give it the architectural charm typically found in older homes. I loved it.

She ended the tour in the kitchen. She opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water for each of us. “So, tell me about yourself, Aura. You must be someone special for my son to bring you here.” She handed me the drink.

I felt myself blush. “We’re just-“

“She is,” Jonas said.

Hope surged within me. Hope was bad though. Hope had been destroyed every time it’d appeared before. Hope was alive now though. My heart sprinted, my flesh aware of his proximity to me. His energy, his presence was palpable. I didn’t understand how someone could be so conscious of another person, yet I was very conscious of Jonas.

He came to stand beside me, fully clothed I noted. “You’re going to be staying with us until your mom gets back.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement. The way he said it, there would be no arguing. “You can sleep in the guest room beside my bedroom.”

My pulse tripled at the thought of sleeping that close to Jonas. So much for containing my hope.

Chapter 23

JONAS

I listened to the erratic rhythms of her body as it responded to my words. I didn’t know if she was responding in fear or excitement though. Her scent never changed. She revealed nothing in her expression. She was a puzzle; my puzzle.

“Well then. What do you all want for dinner?” my mother asked, not missing a beat. My dad would fill her in later.

~*~

I watched in awe as Aura moved around the kitchen with my mom, both of them working together as if they’d been cooking partners for years. It wasn’t long before dinner was ready and we were all sitting at the table.

I shoveled a bite of the pasta into my mouth. Whatever Aura had done to the sauce made a world of difference; the flavors danced on my tongue. I went to give her a compliment, but stopped short at the stricken look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” Everyone stopped what they were doing; forks froze in mid-air as we all stared at her.

She flushed. “I’m sorry. I… I can’t eat without my medicine.”

“Where is it? I’ll go get it.”

Her color deepened. “I forgot them at home.”

Them? As in more than one?
“No problem. Just give me your keys and I’ll go grab them.”

“No. It’s okay. I can walk-“

“No.” I immediately cut her off. With all the walking she did and how little she ate, I didn’t understand how she wasn’t the size of a toothpick. She over exercised and under nourished her body. I was hoping to help her with that.

“Then at least eat first and then we can go,” she said. I noticed she had a bit more confidence when she responded this time. Atta girl. She was finding her voice.

Too bad it was nothing compared to mine. “We’ll go now and then come back and eat together.”

“How about we all go and then come back and eat together?” My mother chimed in with sarcasm, clearly she was annoyed with the back and forth.

Aura looked troubled. “No. You both stay and eat. I’d rather interrupt one person’s dinner than three. Please.”

I could tell my mother felt bad for her attitude moments ago. She hadn’t gaged Aura’s level of sensitivity right. “Sorry, dear.”

“No funny business,” my dad warned, moving past the unease.

“Contrary to what most parents believe, teens do have a bit of control over their hormones.” I shook my head. “We’ll be back.”

“Drive safe,” my mother called.

“Sorry about this,” Aura said as we walked out the front door.

“Seriously, it’s no biggie. Don’t work yourself up over it.”

She reluctantly conceded and followed me out to the car.

The sun was beginning to set already. As long as the day felt, time was flying by.

“Tell me about being a werewolf, if you don’t mind.” Aura gave me a shy smile as I sped off down the road towards her apartment.

“What do you want to know?” I leaned into the center console, loving how close she was.

“What does it feel like when you shift?”

“Like my entire body is about to cramp up. An intense pressure builds in my limbs before a bit of pain bursts through it as my bones reconfigure. It doesn’t last long though. Once I’m in my wolf form, my entire body feels like it’s finally free. It’s this indescribable pleasure that takes over.”

“How old were you the first time?”

“Six.”

“Is your mom one too?”

“Yeah.”

“Is it true what the books say about a true mate and claiming?” Her tone was light and breezy.

I froze, taken back by her question. She clearly didn’t think she was my mate, or even a potential mate, given the nonchalant curiosity of her question. I glanced at her. She had her head slightly angled as she patiently waited for my answer.

“It’s true,” I reluctantly replied.

“That’s actually pretty amazing in my opinion. How many people marry the wrong person every day only to end up in divorce? Your way ensures that you end up with the right person, the best person for you, the first time around.”

Her perspective intrigued me. I hadn’t thought of it like that before. What would she say when she found out she was my mate though?

By the time we pulled up to her apartment building, the sun had nearly disappeared below the horizon.

“I’ll be really quick, I promise,” she sputtered, undoing her seatbelt and grabbing the door handle.

“I’m going with you,” I asserted.

She acquiesced. “Alright.”

I walked behind her until she reached the fourth floor. I took her keys and unlocked the door. The heat hit me the moment the door opened. It was sweltering inside. The place obviously didn’t have good insulation. On top of that, it was dark. I knew Aura wouldn’t be able to see inside.