Aurora’s POV

The next morning, the golden light of dawn filtered through the trees, bathing the forest floor in warmth. But inside me, there was only cold.

Fay was still silent.

I had hoped she would return, that she would growl, argue or just do anything. But she remained curled up deep in my mind, retreating into the shadows of our pain. I didn’t blame her.

Because today, I had to face him again. The thought sent a dull ache through my chest.

I walked barefoot to the river, the cool morning air kissing my skin. The water was clear, shimmering under the sunlight, but it felt colder than usual as I waded in.

I took a deep breath and let myself sink beneath the surface.

The silence beneath the water was comforting. No voices. No expectations. No pain.

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. Dante, the bond, the rejection, and all my dreams of finding my soulmate washed away by the water.

I let it all go.

This wasn't the first time I had done this.

When my father died, I had come here to wash away the sorrow, to numb myself to the loss.

When my mother started drinking and gambling, when I realized the money my father had left us was running out, I had submerged myself in these waters, trying to drown the fear, the helplessness.

Every time life forced me into impossible choices, I came here.

Because here, I wasn’t Aurora.

Here, I was nothing. And nothing didn’t hurt.

I surfaced, taking in a deep breath, feeling the weight in my chest lift just slightly.

Then, I made my way home, preparing myself to be the person my family needs me to be.

The moment I stepped through the door, I knew they were here.

The scent hit me first, his scent.

Dante.

It was still too much. Even after everything, my body reacted before my mind could catch up. My pulse quickened, my breath hitched, and for a brief moment, I felt that unbearable pull again.

I walked into the living room, my posture straight, but my expression unreadable.

Dante stood there alone, his storm-gray eyes landing on me.

The moment our gazes met, his expression twisted into something ugly. A look of pure disgust.

It was a dagger straight to the chest, but I didn’t flinch.

Elara and mum appeared from the hallway a moment later, saving me from his burning glare.

“Aurora!” Elara beamed, rushing forward to embrace me. “You’re freezing! Why is your hair wet?”

Before I could answer, my mother scoffed from the other side of the room. “She went out again.”

Her tone was sharp, disapproving, as if I had committed some terrible crime.

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat. “I just went for a run.”

My mother arched a brow, crossing her arms. “Ran all night?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

I clenched my fists at my sides, forcing myself to ignore her. I turned to Elara instead, pushing down the sting of my mother’s words.

“I wanted to say goodbye,” I said, my voice softer than I intended.

Elara’s face fell. “Oh, Aurora…”

She hugged me tightly, squeezing my shoulders. “We’ll see each other soon, okay?”

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

I hugged mum next, even though she barely reacted. For a moment, she just stared at me, as if debating whether to even acknowledge me.

But I hugged her anyway.

She only patted my back, twice, like an obligation before pulling away.

Then, they were gone, and I was alone.

The silence swallowed me whole.

I turned and walked slowly to the couch, my legs suddenly feeling too heavy, too weak.

The moment I sat down, the weight of everything crashed down at once.

A sharp sob tore through my throat.

I pressed my hands to my face, but it didn’t stop the tears from slipping through my fingers.

I had been strong. I smiled. I had let them go with no resistance.

But here, in this empty house, I could finally break.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, drowning in my own grief.

But suddenly, warm hands gripped my arms, shaking me gently.

"Aurora."

I flinched at the familiar voice.

Kasper.

He crouched in front of me, his hands tightening slightly. “What happened?”

I swallowed, but the words clawed their way up before I could stop them.

"I found my soulmate," I whispered hoarsely, "but he is about to marry my sister."

Kasper's entire body tensed. His jaw clenched, his fingers digging slightly into my arms before he released me abruptly, standing to his full height.

“What the hell did you just say?”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “It’s over. He rejected me. I accepted it.”

He let out a sharp, bitter laugh, pacing the room. “And Elara, she doesn’t know?”

“No,” I murmured. “And she never will.”

Kasper exhaled harshly, running a hand through his hair. “That bastard.” His voice trembled with rage. “And your mother? She knows, doesn’t she?”

I let out a humorless chuckle. “She doesn’t care.”

Kasper’s lips curled in disgust.

Then, before I could react, he grabbed my wrist, pulling me up.

"You're coming with me," he said firmly.

I blinked. "What?"

"I'm not letting you sit here in this empty house and suffer alone. You're staying with me."

I hesitated. “Kasper, I…..”

“No,” he snapped. His eyes burned with determination. “You’ve given enough to this family, to Elara, to that asshole who threw you away. Enough. Now it’s time to put yourself first.”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

He didn’t wait for my response.

He picked me up as if I weighed nothing, carried me outside, and gently set me in his car.

Then he went back inside, packed my bags himself, and returned, throwing them in the trunk before getting into the driver’s seat.

He gripped my chin lightly, forcing me to meet his gaze.

“I swear to you, Aurora,” he murmured, steady and dangerous. “I won’t let you go through this alone.”

Something in me cracked. The tears came again, but this time, I didn’t fight them.

Kasper sighed, brushing a kiss against my hair. “Rest. I’ll take care of you.”

He placed me on the sofa as his phone rang. Answering it, he promised, “I’ll be right back,” before stepping away.

I curled into the cushions, silent tears slipping down my cheeks. Slowly, they stopped. The ache remained, but I forced myself to sit up.

It was time to move on.

When Kasper returned, I hastily wiped my tears away, masking every trace of weakness. No one had ever seen me cry, and I refused to start now, especially not over someone like Dante.

Kasper scanned my face immediately. He didn't say anything at first, but I knew that look. He saw through me. He always did.

Wordlessly, he sat beside me, his warmth pressing against my side. And then, as if sensing how fragile I was, he pulled me into his arms.

I stiffened for a second before melting into him, letting the steady rhythm of his heartbeat ground me.

For a few moments, we just sat there. His presence soothed the ache in my chest, making the pain a little more bearable.

But reality never let me rest for long.

I pushed back slightly, looking up at him. “Did you bring my laptop?”

Kasper blinked. “What?”

“My laptop,” I repeated, rubbing my temples. “I need to submit my report on time.”

His face darkened. “Are you serious right now?”

I sighed. “Kasper… ”

“No.” His voice was firm, cutting through the quiet air like a blade. He pulled away, sitting up straighter. "The last thing you need right now is work."

I frowned. "I need something to distract me."

Kasper scoffed, shaking his head. "You think burying yourself in work will fix this?"

"It helps."

I swallowed, unable to meet his gaze. "I don't know what else to do, Kasper."

"Then let’s talk about what actually matters." His voice softened, but there was an edge to it, a quiet demand. "You deserve better than this, Aurora."

I forced a smile. "Dante refused me for Elara’s happiness. I can accept that."

Kasper went still.

Then, with a slow, measured breath, he whispered, "For Elara’s happiness?"

I hesitated. "Yes."

Kasper let out a low, bitter laugh, shaking his head. "You can’t be serious."

My stomach clenched. "Kasper…. "

"No." He turned to face me fully, his eyes burning with barely contained fury. "Damn that. That’s not selflessness, Aurora. That’s bullshit."

I flinched.

"You think this is about Elara’s happiness?" His voice was sharp, cutting. "You think Dante did this for her?"

"Yes," I said firmly, even though my chest aches after saying it.

Kasper exhaled harshly, rubbing his hands over his face. "Your family.. " His voice cracked with frustration. "They use you. Either as a servant or as a bank. They don’t care about you, Aurora. They only care about what they can take from you."

The words struck like a slap, sharp and unforgiving.

I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay steady. "They’re not perfect, Kasper."

He let out a humorless chuckle. "That’s an understatement."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "But they’re still my family."

Kasper scoffed, shaking his head. "And what have they ever done for you, Aurora? When have they ever put you first?"

Silence.

Because I didn’t have an answer.

Kasper sighed heavily, dragging a hand through his hair. "I know I shouldn’t say anything," he muttered. "I know you love them. I get it. But watching them bleed you dry, it’s exhausting."

I exhaled shakily, pressing my fingers to my temples. "I don’t want to talk about this right now."

He hesitated. Then, finally, he backed off. "Fine," he muttered.

Silence stretched between us, heavy and tense.

Then he murmured, almost too softly, "I’ve been waiting for you, you know."

I blinked. "What?"

Kasper’s expression shifted, a raw flickering look behind his eyes. "You remember what we talked about before?"

My chest tightened.

We had talked about this once.

About moving in together. About what it would mean.

But we never acted on it.

Because we had both been waiting for our soulmates, the ones the moon goddess had destined for us.

Kasper sighed, running a hand down his face. "But I haven’t found mine. Not after all this time. And I don’t think I ever will."

My heart twisted painfully.

His gaze locked onto mine, and for a brief second, everything around us faded.

And spontaneously

He leaned in and kissed me.

I froze.

His lips were warm, gentle, hesitant.

For a moment, I let myself lean into it. Let myself feel wanted. Let myself forget.

But then, a vicious snarl exploded in my mind.

“NO!”

Fay roared, her presence slamming into me like a tidal wave.

Pain seared through my body, sharp and violent, as the remnants of the broken mate bond lashed back at me.

I gasped, shoving Kasper away as I clutched my chest, the ache unbearable.

Kasper’s eyes widened. “Aurora?”

I couldn’t speak. My breath came in sharp, broken gasps, my body trembling from the force of it.

I clenched my fists, willing my body to calm down, to ignore the searing ache still rippling through me.

Kasper’s hands hovered near me, hesitant. “Are you okay?”

I exhaled shakily, nodding. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t look convinced.

Instead, he pulled me back into his arms, holding me tighter than before.

"We’ll take it slow," he murmured, his voice steady but soft. "I know you’re not ready. And that’s okay."

I shut my eyes, my fingers curling into his shirt.

Kasper had always been my anchor. My steady force.

I wanted this to work, god I needed something to work.

But deep down, I wasn’t sure if it ever could.

Still, I nodded, whispering, “Okay.”

Kasper exhaled, brushing a gentle kiss against my hair. “Stay here, Aurora. Don’t go back to that empty house. Please.”

I hesitated.

But in the end, there was nothing left for me there.

“…Okay,” I said again.

Maybe we will succeed, maybe we will fail.

But for now, I was willing to try.