Lora (2)

Lora (2)
Naeris's POV

Aunt Lora.

She knows about her.

My heart quickened at the thought and I stared at her, waiting for her lips to move and spill out everything she knew.

How can it be?

How was Aunt Lora linked to this place and even to that strange man? How could Aerila's uncle be her mate?

“It doesn't make sense,” I blurted out without realizing it.

“It never did.” She sighed softly and my brows lifted slightly. “When she first came to this place, this pack wasn't as established as it is now. Two Alphas were ruling the pack, and they were the triplets' father and his elder brother, Alpha Quin.”

A soft smile spread on her face as she continued.

“Quin was known to be the more loving one among the two brothers and, as you can guess, Lora fell in love with him. But the mate bond was never given to them by the Moon Goddess. It was as though she never approved of them being together, and as if that wasn't enough.”

She paused briefly before continuing.

“Ryder, who was just a newly appointed guard for the triplets' father, turned out to be her fated mate. He was known to be a stony man who was loyal to the throne. He did everything he could to serve the triplets' father. However, that mate bond alone was enough for him to receive the cruelty of Alpha Quin.”

Avery paused, staring at me.

“He would occasionally send Ryder to the front line to fight, knowing fully well that Ryder wasn't trained for war. All his life, he had been raised in that facility to serve the Alphas. He was the only one among the hundreds of newborn pups who made it out alive.”

She smiled faintly, the wrinkles on her face becoming visible.

“What about Au... em... Lora? She didn't do something about it? Like reject the mate bond?” I asked, my hands clenched tightly on my lap.

My heart was beating so loudly that I could hear the pounding in my ears.

Avery's eyes moved away from me and fell somewhere behind me again as her gaze flickered slightly.

“She did nothing,” she began. “She watched as the man she loved tortured the unfortunate man whom the Moon Goddess had chosen to send to her as a mate. She never ridiculed him, but she never showed him affection either. He pleaded with her to reject him as her mate. He repeatedly told her he refused to accept her as his mate, but she never gave him an answer.”

“Alpha Quin mistook Ryder's desperation for something else and brought him before Alpha Xavier, the triplets' father. Ryder was thrown back into that facility. Words of what truly happened to him there never came out and, even until now, we still don't know what he went through.” Avery frowned slightly.

“By the time he returned, there was chaos in the pack. Lora's family had already discarded her, and because of that she decided to leave and stay far away from them. When she realized she was losing the favor of Alpha Quin, she decided to give Ryder a chance and that...”

Her voice trailed off and her eyes lowered as she spoke, but right then a knock sounded on the door and I snapped out of the daze I had been in.

“Ah... uh... w-who is there?” I got off the chair, dusting off invisible dirt from my shirt.

My eyes moved to Avery and I flashed her an apologetic smile, but I noticed there was no longer any panic in her eyes like there had been earlier.

I sighed in relief and used that moment to push away the questions spiraling in my head about Aunt Lora.

“Who is it?” I asked again, pressing my ear against the door. With everything that had been happening in the pack, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.

“It's Aeron, Naeris.”

His voice sounded from behind the door and I quickly stepped back and opened it without hesitation. A soft breeze brushed against my face as the door swung open and his face appeared before me.

“Aeron,” I whispered and a smile appeared on his face. “I thought you wouldn't return.”

He chuckled softly at my words.

“I told you I'd be back. I always keep my word. Mmm. I can sense a familiar scent. Is that...”

I stepped fully aside for him and his mouth fell open.

“Avery!”

He rushed into the room like a little boy meeting his mother after a long time apart. A soft laugh escaped my lips at the thought and I closed the door behind him.

When I turned around, I was a little stunned to see him kneeling beside her feet. Avery's fingers moved through his hair while her laughter filled the room.

I stood there by the door, watching the scene before me, and deep inside, the longing to be held by my mother slipped into my mind.

And as it did, the image of her head falling off replayed in my head.

“Naeris?”

Aeron's voice sounded in my ears and my head snapped up.

“Y-yes?” I answered. When I noticed Avery was also looking at me, an awkward smile spread across my face. “Sorry.”

“It's okay. You did nothing wrong,” Avery said as she slowly got up. “I just remembered that I have some unfinished business to take care of. I'll leave you both to have your conversation.”

She walked toward me and I opened the door for her. But before she walked through it, she stopped and looked at me.

“Thank you for the hospitality.”

She smiled gently, then turned toward the corridor and left before I could reply.

I stared at her departing figure and closed the door shortly after.

My attention returned to Aeron and I noticed he was already standing. For the first time since we returned from the sea, he was looking at me with sadness in his eyes.

“Did Nyxion die?” The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

“What? No.” He shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair. “It's much worse than that.”

He groaned quietly.

“Naeris... the pack is going to war. Talon's men are already killing our people within our territory.”

He bit his lip and looked away from me.

“I thought I had all the time in the world to spend with you. Naeris, I'm afraid tonight might be the last time we see each other and...”

He walked toward me and reached down to hold my hands.

“I promise to fulfill your wish. I will bring Talon's head back to you. I never forgot.”