43. Aurora

CHAPTER 43

Aurora

I'm not sure how far away Sebastian is, and I'm concerned for the twins' safety. I end the video chat and stare at Elena. "What family do you have left in Romania? Who was your sire?" Gut instinct tells me she's related to Lycan Alpha Vladimir. My heart hopes I'm wrong. Elena's bottom lip quivers as she looks at me. She starts shifting from foot to foot, showing her nervousness. I can scent the fear in the air—it's rather acrid. Dimitri blocks the door behind her as I wait patiently for her answer. Well, as patiently as I can.

Elena finally speaks. "We are first cousins with Vladimir. I swear, we are only loyal to you." Elena drops to her hands and knees, exposing her throat to me. My eyes narrow as I stare at her, and my hand lands on my father's arm.

I think this is the news that got Andre killed. If I'm correct, either one of the Lupi's—Elena or Sebastian—ordered the hit, or the real puppet master did. I don't bother turning to look at my father. I feel the rage building within him. It's quite interesting that her herbs are tainted, she's dating my father, and I'm mated to her son. My eyes move to Dimitri, and he notices they have swirled to liquid mercury. He gives me a nod of understanding. He knows I'm talking to my father and that he will be filled in eventually.

I openly pose a question. "Can a mating bond be faked or forced with herbs and magic?" Elena's head whips up, and her face turns as white as snow.

"Yes, daughter, it can. It's how the alpha tricked your mother into being his mate. The elder dame made the drink and cast the spell." Dimitri's and my animal begin to growl. I want to destroy, and I don't care about the repercussions. My eyes land on Elena next. Her life hangs in the balance at this point.

"Was the tea you had given Andre for me laced with anything besides the sleeping tonic? Choose your words wisely." I can hear the guys yelling for me to stop, don't do it ! I'm not a pawn or a plaything. Elena is sobbing loudly, her tears falling to the floor. Her cries don't move me or stir any kind of emotion from me.

The door behind Dimitri flies open, and the guys scream for me to listen to them. My arms and hands shift to armored gauntlets as I stare down at the woman I once called mother. "Did you force the bond between Sebastian and I?" I practically roar out the sentence. My heart is aching with the knowledge that perhaps what we have isn't real. The guys all freeze as what I said dawns on them; Sebastian is the only one who is let past Dimitri. He's hesitant as he kneels next to his mother. He wraps his arms around her then looks up to me. The pain in his eyes almost cracks my resolve.

"They have my brother. We thought if I was mated to you..." He's frustrated and hurting, but how can I forgive this betrayal? "If I knew then what I know now, I would have asked for help." My eyes remain narrowed on Sebastian. His mother is crying, and he's showing the appropriate emotions. He's trying to console her as he looks up at me, hoping for forgiveness.

"Dimitri, was there a brother when you took care of me as a baby?" I can tell when Dimitri begins searching his memory because he starts to bite his lower lip. Damn this fucking heat; I love and hate when he does that.

"I remember a wee little one running around, but I'm not sure if he was introduced as Sebastian's brother or not." Dimitri tilts his head to the side after he finishes speaking, letting me pass judgment.

My eyes fall on my father. He's clearly upset by this new information. If he's anything like me, he feels used. Slowly, my father moves closer to me and rests his hand on the back of my neck. Daughter, I don't know what to tell you to do . If you suspect them, don't let on that you do. We can use your leniency to our advantage in the long run. They are related to the old alpha. Who knows if they believe as he did. I take his words into consideration before I look back to Elena and Sebastian. I step away from my father and glance at the twins. I know they will stand by me no matter my decision. My eyes fall to Dimitri, who nods and brings his fist over his heart.

"I have come to a decision." Heeding my father's words, I calm myself down and shift my hands and arms back to human. "For the sake of appearances, Sebastian, you can remain in the Alpha House. You are stripped of the title of First Mate. By rights, it's now Dom's proper title." I watch as Sebastian's beast flairs up in his eyes, turning them the white-blue of his wolf. "Go ahead, Sebastian, challenge me! Your wolf is pissed, and rightfully so. Though, he should be pissed at you for forging a false bond."

Sebastian's eyes return to his normal baby blue. "I'm hurt, I won't lie about that. I never would have thought the two of you would sink so low. I have a lot to sort through mentally and emotionally." I feel the prince's scale warm up on my chest, and my hand absently reaches up to touch it. My eyes return to Sebastian, and they flicker between human and the mercury of my beast. "You robbed me of the possibility of a true Lycan mate." I shake my head at him and move toward Dimitri, letting him hold me as I start to cry. My father chose this time to shove everyone out of the house, except the twins. I feel both their hands on my back as they try to soothe my pain away. I lift my head up and turn in Dimitri's arms to look at them.

"Thanks, guys, I appreciate it. I'm just very lost at the moment. I mean, my true mate is out there somewhere, and because of Sebastian, I'll never meet him." I sigh softly and lower my head. Dom reaches up, gently grips my chin, and raises my head until he can look me in the eye.

"Princess, we love you and will support you in whatever you desire to do. As for your true Lycan mate, who knows? He might be able to break the magic placed over you. Honestly, I don't know how that shit works. I hope, for your sake, we can break it." As Dom kisses my lips, Jayce's phone starts ringing. Dom and I both look at Jayce, and he starts laughing.

"The prince is threatening to fly down here and burn the village to the ground. Nico, would you mind speaking to him?" My father takes the phone from Jayce and walks out of the room.

"As much as I hate to kick you out, I'm having problems keeping my urges under control." Quickly, I kiss both boys on the lips, and Dimitri ushers them out of the room. Once the guys clear the front door, I walk over to my father while he video chats with the prince—I just can't help myself. I walk around the table to stand behind my father and rest my forearms on his shoulders to see Alaric myself. Dare I say, he's a beautiful man. He's rugged and handsome, and his beard definitely works with that Viking look he's got going on. I lower my head to be even with my father's and stare at Alaric. He blushes for a moment then clears his throat. I watch his almost golden eyes look back and forth between my father and me.

"I assume your beauty comes from your mother, princess?" He smiles and starts to laugh with my father.

"Yeah, I guess so. I never had the pleasure of meeting my mother. Apparently, I was the reason she died." I quickly drop my eyes, and my father leans the phone against the napkin holder to embrace me. Alaric, realizing his folly, clears his throat again. Smoke rings come out his nostrils. This catches my attention, and I raise my head up, watching him intently.

"My mother is a Gold Dragon. I have her fire as well as my father's resistance to ice and cold." Alaric feels compelled to explain what happened. "As for your mom, I met her several times. She was magnificent and brilliant. She was a very fair leader, unlike most of the Lycans at the time." Alaric looks down then back up at me. "I just needed to know you were okay. I mean, I feel the turmoil." He opens his shirt to reveal my scale. He rubs it gently, and it feels like he's touching me. I look down at his scale and watch it change from golden- white to white. I smile, realizing the connection. I lightly touch his scale and rub it in return. His smile broadens when he feels my touch. My father starts laughing his ass off.

"Silly kids, wait until after you mate! You think that feeling is intense? It gets stronger! Only downside: Aurora's dragon half may get stronger than her wolven half." Nico looks between the two of us then stands to leave. "I'll let you two talk for a bit. I'll be on the porch if you need me, baby girl." With that, my father leaves. My father's antics make me laugh. In the background, I hear Alaric say, "breathtaking."

"What? You act as if you've never witnessed a woman laugh before." He smiles and shakes his head at me, refusing to speak. "I get it, it's the mate attraction. I honestly can't wait to see your dragon in all his glory. If he's anything like his human half, he must be magnificent." As soon as I call his dragon magnificent, he flares to the surface. Alaric's eyes turn the silver-gold of his dragon. "Ah, there you are. Hello, handsome. Will you take me flying?" The slits in Alaric's eyes dilate several times. "I guess I pleased him." I can't help but smile at the thought. I pleased a Dragon Prince, and I haven't even touched him yet.

"I was concerned that perhaps my dragon would frighten you. I'm so happy you wish to meet him and go for a flight. A mating flight is a dragon tradition, you know?" Alaric states it as a question, and I shake my head no at him. He sits back, looking shocked for a moment. "Oh! Well, um, that's a conversation for when we can sit side by side. This isn't the proper way to discuss such a serious conversation. I should go, my love. Rest well. Tomorrow will be another day that we're closer together." He kisses his fingertips and presses it to my scale. I sigh at the warmth I feel.

"Sleep well, my prince. Dream of me?" I tear up a little at the thought. I smile before I kiss my fingertips and press them to his scale. I watch him smile as he mouths, always, before ending the call. I hate to admit I stare at the blank phone screen longer than I should have. Slowly, I stand up and walk outside to return the phone to my father.

"Please return this to Jayce for me. I'm going to try to sleep." I kiss the top of my father's head and wave to Dimitri as he returns. I head back to Andre's room and curl up in his bed. This is going to be the longest three days ever.