Alpha and Aurora Book 3
Autor
Delta Winters
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Aurora, the Luna of the Red Moon Pack, struggles to unify her pack while facing hostility and isolation. Her husband, Everett, the Alpha, is equally burdened by pack tensions. Seeking a break, they visit New York City, but their respite is short-lived as they return to a pack in turmoil. Aurora's quest for knowledge leads her to Lupus University, where she uncovers dark secrets and faces rogue threats. As tensions rise, Aurora and Everett must confront ancient powers and internal betrayals to protect their pack and their love.
Break
Book Three
Aurora and Everett are struggling to unify the estranged Red Moon and Shadow Blood packs. Feeling that she must learn the extent of her power in order to succeed in bringing them together, Aurora decides to continue her education at Lupine University. There, she meets a mysterious Professor who is determined to teach her how to use her powers to their fullest potential...
RORY
The morning light cuts through a gap in the curtains and stabs me directly in my eyes, waking me up an hour earlier than my alarm.
To my surprise, I roll over and see that Everett is already gone from the bed.
Alpha duty calls, I guessâŠ
With a sigh, I carefully plant my clumsy feet onto the floor and walk over to my closet to get ready for the day.
I was hoping for a relaxed morning cuddle before another long day of luna-ing.
But letâs be honestâŠthe past three months since our mating ceremony have been anything but relaxing.
The former members of the Red Moon Pack have totally resisted the change in leadership that occurred when Everett killed their former alpha, Stefan.
Everett spends hours and hours a day in his office, trying to make agreements and compromises with the former Red Moon Beta, a stoic, stubborn wolf named Robert.
And as for meâŠI spend my days trying to turn over a new leaf with the same werewolves that ruthlessly tortured me as a child.
They donât treat me like Aurora Langdon the luna.
No matter what I do, they still see me as Rory Matthews, the clumsy outcast.
Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, I exit our room and walk toward the dining hall for breakfast.
I smile and say hello to each person that I pass, and they respond in turn. Unfortunately, this simple formality doesnât do much to ease the loneliness that I feel inside.
Freya left for college two weeks ago, and aside from Everett, Mama, Ophelia, and Ace, I donât feel like I have many true friends in this pack.
ButâŠevery day offers a new chance to try and make some.
Or at least thatâs what Mama saysâŠ
Arriving in the dining room, I grab a plate and fill it with scrambled eggs and a few links of sausage. Then, I look around the room and begin the daily struggle of trying to figure out where to sit.
There is a group of five Red Moon girls all huddled together at a table. Sitting at the head is the bona fide luna of this little clique, Mia.
She has all of them listening with rapt attention as she excitedly tells a funny storyâprobably at someone elseâs expense.
I knew Mia very well growing up.
In fact, she was best friends with Victoria, and the two of them used to torture me on any occasion that they could.
I thought things between us might be better now that Victoria is deadâŠbut actually, theyâre even worse.
Mia knows that I had a hand in getting her friend killed. And sheâs decided to take it out on me for all of eternity.
But today, Iâm feeling brave. And thereâs an empty seat at the other end of their table.
So I take a deep breath, walk over, and confidently set down my plate of food.
As soon as I take a seat, Mia stops telling her story, and all five sets of eyes fall onto me.
âHello, ladies,â I say, trying to keep my tone casual. âHowâs it going?â
Mia purses her pouty lips and flicks her pin-straight, red hair behind her shoulder.
âActually,â she says, âwe were just finishing up. Weâre in a hurry.â
I look around the table and see that they all still have full plates of food. They must have arrived in the dining hall just moments before I did.
But of course, the instant I arrive, they are rushing to leave. This is hardly the first time thatâs happened.
âWhere are you going?â I say, trying not to show the hurt on my face.
Mia snickers as if Iâm stupid for even asking.
âItâs orientation day at L.U.,â she says.
âL.U.?â I ask, confused.
âLupus University,â she says. âItâs only the best college in the Northeast. But of course you wouldnât know that. Itâs just for werewolvesâŠâ
âUnlike this pack, which will apparently let anything in,â one of her followers chimes in.
Mia cackles at her friendâs cruel joke, and then they all follow Miaâs lead as she gets up from the table and skips out of sight.
I stare dejectedly into my food, doomed to eat alone again.
But thankfully, Mama arrives just a few moments later.
She takes the seat next to me and wraps an arm around my shoulders.
âGood morning, sweetheart,â she says with a yawn.
âI donât know about good,â I say. âDid you see what just happened?â
âThose girls are nasty,â she says.
âItâs been three months since I officially became luna, and I canât even get them to say more than one sentence to me,â I say.
Mama nods sympathetically.
âAnd itâs not just them,â I add. âAll of the Red Mooners keep to themselves, no matter what we do.â
âKeep trying, Rory,â Mama says. âTheyâll come around. Iâm sure of it.â
Goddess knows Iâm notâŠ
The division between the packs is on my mind day and night.
The last time I went into the spirit realm, my birth mother warned me that I needed to unify the packs because some great danger was coming for us.
At this rate, it seems like I will never succeed in the mission she gave me.
If I canât even get them to eat breakfast with me...how will I get them to fight alongside me when the time comes?
I pull out my phone, desperate to talk to a real friend who doesnât hate my guts.
Besides, Freyaâs been so busy in her first few weeks of college that I havenât really gotten any updates.
Rory
Hey girlâŠ
Rory
Tell me everything!!!
Freya
Ohhhh myyy GOD
Freya
College is amazing
Freya
Iâve never felt so free đŠđŠđŠ
Rory
YESS amazing
Rory
Wish I felt the same
Freya
Luna life that bad?
Rory
Everybody hates me đ
Freya
No
Freya
Everett loves you đ
Freya
And I love you and thatâs all that matters
Freya
You gotta come visit mee!!!!
Rory
U kno I wish i cud!!!
Rory
SomedayâŠ
As much as I wish I could jet off to New York and visit Freya for a weekend, I canât just leave the pack...
Not when so much work still needs to be done to bridge the massive divide that threatens to destroy it from the inside.
***
EVERETT
Another day, another tense meeting with Robert, the former beta of the Red Moon Pack.
When my pack absorbed the Red Moon Pack, Robert was stripped of his title. And he wasnât so happy about that fact...to put it lightly.
Now, as punishment, he has decided to make my life a living hell.
âI have your packâs best interest at heart,â I tell him for the millionth time.
âIf thatâs true, then there is no need to constantly police us by sending your Pack Warriors to our camp.â
âThey are not there to police you,â I tell him. âThey are there to protect you.â
âThe Red Moon Pack has protected itself for centuries. What makes you think we need your warriors?â he asks me.
âWe have an escalating situation with the Rogues in this region,â I say. âMy warriors are trained to deal with them. You need to accept that.â
âNo, Alpha,â Robert says. âYou need to keep your paws out of our business. I havenât sniffed a rogue around here in three months. I donât see why that would suddenly change now. Send your warriors away from our camp, or weâll force them out.â
With that, Robert gets up out of his seat and turns on his heels, storming out of my office.
That man loves nothing more than getting the last word.
Chaos growls in my head.
I know my wolf is desperate to rip Robertâs heart out of his chest for disobeying me.
But heâs a beloved member of the Red Moon Pack. If anything happened to him, the divide between Red Moon and Shadow Blood would grow even wider.
I sink my head into my hands.
Goddess...
Being an alpha is twice as hard when you have to oversee two packs who refuse to see eye-to-eye.
Aurora and I havenât had a day off in months. I know that all the stress is taking a toll on her. And I canât deny that itâs doing the same to me, too.
Sulking back to our bedroom, I open the door and find my luna lying on our bed, curled up into a ball.
I walk over and sit down on the edge.
âWhatâs the matter?â I ask her, stroking her hair gently.
But I feel like I already know the answerâŠ
âItâs hopeless,â she says. âThe Red Moon Pack is never going to accept me.â
âTell me about itâŠâ I say.
âIâm sick of it,â she says. âAnd now that Freya is gone, having the time of her life in New York, I feel like youâre the only friend I have left here.â
As I stare into Auroraâs misty eyes, I canât help but feel a pang of guilt.
If it werenât for the mating bond that we share, Aurora would also be off at college, pursuing her dreams.
Instead, sheâs cooped up here, sharing the burden of pack problems with me.
Suddenly, an idea dawns on me, and I blurt it out before I even have a chance to think it over.
âYou should take a break,â I say. âYou should go visit her.â
âBut what about the pack? I canât just leave.â
âThe pack can fend for itself for a weekend,â I say. âYou canât pour from an empty cup, Aurora.â
âWhat about you?â she asks me, her eyes lighting up. âYou deserve a break, too.â
âYouâre right,â I say, surprising myself. âWe should both go. Itâll be like the mating-moon we never had.â
âReally?â Aurora asks excitedly. âCan we really do that?â
âWeâre the goddess-damned alpha and luna,â I say. âWe can do whatever we want!â
âWow!â Aurora squeals. âI need to text Freya! Weâre going to New York City!â
Chaos growls even louder inside me.
My wolf hates the city.
He likes lush forests and tall trees, not crosswalks and skyscrapers.
Goddess knows I might live to regret thisâŠ
But the look on Auroraâs face, and the way she pulls me into her arms and kisses me excitedly, makes it all worth it.
