Chapter 5

• Aurora Maxwell
• "Oh, Aurora, dearest, you are in serious trouble," my father said to me with his arms crossed, watching as I walked across the living room to stand in front of him.
• My dad was a tall and intimidating man, with a strict expression that rarely softened into a smile. His long, blond hair was always tied back into a ponytail, and his arms were, as usual, crossed in front of his chest.
• I had inherited none of his looks, and I was sure that secretly, he was annoyed about it. He couldn't voice it, but it was clear that he wished I had inherited his imposing presence.
• We didn't share any tender father-daughter moments. The only times we spoke were when he was teaching me how to behave like a perfect Luna, just like my mother, who sat by his side silently, offering no input. My mother was like a puppet when it came to my father—following him around like a lost puppy. We didn't have a strong bond. Thankfully, I inherited her beauty; she was gorgeous beyond words.
• But today was different. I was in serious trouble, and I knew it. This was the first time I'd ever been caught doing something like this. I couldn’t fully blame Nina for pressuring me, but I couldn’t deny my own responsibility. My wolf and I were both craving the adrenaline to explore, to be free for once. And now, today was the worst day of my life—the day I would face my punishment for the first time and the day I discovered that my mate had been cheating on me.
• "I'm sorry, Dad," I said, bowing my head to avoid meeting his eyes.
• This was a sign that I was ready to be punished and acknowledged him as my Alpha rather than as a father. I knew my apology wouldn’t change anything. I had witnessed the punishment my pack members received for their mistakes, and I knew that my fate would likely be much worse, especially after what I had done. I had watched my father order my mother to be whipped for failing to meet his needs when she was sick. He had used silver to lessen the pain she felt, and I feared that would be my fate too.
• "I'm glad you know," my father said with a glare, before turning his attention to my mother. "Now go up to your room. I’ll call for you when it’s time for your punishment."
• I turned and slowly walked upstairs, but stopped dead in my tracks as I heard the sound of a pack warrior rushing to meet my father.
• "Alpha, something serious is going on," the warrior said, panting. "We just received a letter saying that the Big Bad Wolf is going to pay us a visit soon. If we don’t have everything he wants, he’s going to torture us to death."
• My father scowled. "That man is a serious threat. We don’t deserve this blackmail from a good-for-nothing wolf who has no position or power, just because his wolf is the biggest and strongest. I don’t know why we’re afraid of him."
• "So, Alpha, what are we going to do?" the warrior asked.
• "Come to my office, Johnathan. Let me think of something," my father said.
• "Yes, Alpha."
• I heard their footsteps retreat toward my father’s office, and I quickly ran to my room to avoid being caught eavesdropping. I couldn’t afford to be punished twice as hard.
• I entered my room and let out a sigh. I quickly changed out of my uncomfortable clothes into something more comfortable. Who was this Big Bad Wolf? I’d heard terrible things about him, but he had never come after my pack before. Why now? What had we done to provoke him? My pack was one of the strongest, but rumors said that the Big Bad Wolf had single-handedly destroyed a pack of five hundred wolves.
• Suddenly, the sound of someone opening my window brought me out of my thoughts.
• Nina jumped into the room and landed with a loud thud, wincing in pain. She was still in her party dress, though her hair and makeup were ruined.
• Good for her, though—since she was a werewolf, the pain would only last a minute.
• "I'm so sorry, Aurora. This is all my fault, and I’m ready to bear the consequences of my actions," she said, standing up with puppy-dog eyes.
• "Good, Nina," I said, raising an eyebrow. "So you’ll take the whipping for me?"
• "No, no, no..." She shook her head in panic. "What I meant was, I’m ready to face the consequences, just not the whipping."
• We both knew how horrible it was to watch pack members being whipped. If my father found out Nina had led me to that club, she would be punished too. But I couldn’t bring myself to do that to her. It wasn’t her fault. She only wanted me to experience freedom for once, to break out of my cage.
• I let out a long sigh, rolling my eyes at her words. I secretly found the scared look on her face funny. I walked over to the bed and sat down.
• "I'm sorry," she said, bowing her head and exposing her neck in an act of submission.
• When a werewolf does this, it shows deep respect and affection.
• "I know, Nina," I said, softening. "But you didn’t tell me what that club was about. It looked so terrifying."
• "Oh, well, that's where the baddest people in the werewolf world hang out," Nina explained. "Legend says the Big Bad Wolf sometimes comes there to have a drink like a normal human being."
• "Wait, what? Is it the same wolf who’s planning to attack my pack?"
• "What do you mean?" she asked, confused.
• "Come closer," I said, watching her move closer to me, making sure there wasn’t any space between us.
• "I overheard one of the pack warriors, Johnathan, telling my dad that the Big Bad Wolf is coming to our pack soon. If nothing is done, we’ll be in serious trouble."
• "Wow, a lot of news today," Nina said, her eyes wide.
• "What do you mean, 'a lot of news today'?" I asked, confused.
• "Well, my mate found me fucking another guy and killed him on the spot," she said nonchalantly, shrugging.
• "Wait, what?" I jumped up from the bed, looking at her in shock.
• "Yeah, I said—my mate found me screwing another male wolf," she repeated.
• I glared at her. "I heard you the first time, Nina. But you won’t believe this—I found my mate screwing another girl, and I walked in on it."
• "Wait, what?" Nina’s eyes widened, and she jumped up from the bed. "And you didn’t tell me?"
• "How could I, when you were busy screwing some guy while my life was in danger?" I retorted, still angry at her for abandoning me when I needed her most.
• "But now I’m right here, so tell me everything," she said, taking a seat beside me on the bed.
• I sighed in sadness, wishing I could forget the image of my mate with another woman.
• "It’s a long story," I said.
• "Well, guess what, Aurora? I have all the time in the world," she said.
• "This is going to be a long story," I warned her. "So, you might want to get some popcorn."