~Ethan.
I held my breath, half expecting Aurora to pass out when I saw her go pale the moment the walked into the dining room. I had instantly regretted ever persuading Aurora to join us for the brunch the second I heard mom's and Hadria -my younger sister's- plans.
They were inviting Isadora and Keenan for the brunch!
I had no clue what made them come up with such thought and I had tried my possible best to make mom revoke her invitation, but Mom, as obstinate as she has always been, decided that she couldn't go back on her words, which brought me to then, in the same room with my ex best friend, ex-wife and her sister, my ex-girlfriend.
“Aren't you just gorgeous?” Mom beamed as she walked over to Aurora and threw her arms around her neck, finally breaking the energy passing through Aurora and Isadora. I was no mind reader, but I was certain there was nothing good about that energy.
“My, my, you look really fam... Aurora? Is it really you, Aurora?” Mom gasped as she took a step back to have a better view of Aurora.
“Your majesty,” Aurora greeted with a curtsy. “It's…good to see you again,” she rasped.
“It is marvelous to see you,” mom ran a once-over on Aurora before saying; “come, come. Come join us at the table. Wow, Aurora, wow.”
I turned to Isidora to see her slowly setting down the wineglass she had been holding since Aurora walked into the room.
“Well, the prodigal child is back,” she snickered and chuckled lightly and cleared her throat immediately.
It was a bad idea. Setting Aurora and Isadora around a table was a bad idea. Setting me and Isadora around a table was a bad idea. Heck! Setting the three of us around a table was a worse idea!
Instead of replying to Isadora's comment, with her eyes still on Isadora, Aurora followed Mom's lead as she placed her next to Sam and directly opposite to Isadora. I observed everybody in the room -Mom, Dad, Hadria, Keenan, and Isadora- they were all watching Aurora like she was a mystical creature and the first of a kind to ever be spoken about. And in a way she was, I mean after ten years, Aurora was the high sought doctor my people needed.
“Well, let's say grace,” Hadria spoke with a shaky voice, finally breaking the awkward silence and Aurora finally turned her eyes away from Isadora's who finally lowered her eyes and gulped her wine as though she were dying from thirst.
Hadria said a lengthy grace, but the awkward silence was quick to return when we chorused 'Amen.' The sounds of forks and spoons against the ceramic plates, as we dished out our portions, sounded like a rumbling thunder in the sky.
Mom cleared her throat, “Aurora, it is really good that you are back but, you have to tell us, what happened? Why did you disappear on us? You know, we were very worried about you.”
I raised a brow at mom's statement -her lies. They had only shown an obligated concern, neither of them was worried. But although I was not in support of mom's lies, I was supporting her question. I wanted to know why Aurora disappeared on us. On me. Why she was not there when I needed her most.
I turned to Aurora, who met my gaze but dropped it immediately and cleared her throat. Perhaps, we were in some 'throat clearing' competition I didn't know of.
“I was young, and I had my whole life ahead of me, so I decided to make the best out of it.”
That was all? That was really her, really? My veins threatened to pop out from my temples and forehead, so, I gently tapped my foot to keep my anger down. While I was busy, over the years, considering a thousand and one VALID reasons why she disappeared, this was her reason.
“Oh,” mom tsked pitifully. “ It must have been heartbreaking to realize you didn't have a future with Ethan, even after years of being together. I'm sorry none of us ever thought about that. Your pain, I mean.”
Of course, her reason was valid. My actions implied that she had no future with me, and who would have wanted to be with a girl who I, the Alpha king, rejected?
“We had been ready to accept you as Ethan's wife, really, but," she -mom- tsked, “he found his *mate* and we had no other choice but to go with her. I know you and Ethan were lovers for a very long time, but, this mate bond is the most important thing. You know, Ethan was to be crowned Alpha and you, you as just his wife and not a mate,” she sucked her teeth sharply, “you were just not fit to stand next to him. I understand that you were hurt but, that was not enough to make you run away, you should have looked at things from his perspective.
You used to love this man, did you not? Then you should have only done things that made him happy, like understanding his decision of choosing a mate over a mere lover.”
Aurora raised her brows and dropped them immediately, and I prayed to the heavens to make mom shut up for a minute.
“Yeah, I should have.” Aurora retorted with an obvious hint of sarcasm that made me wonder whether the heavens really answered my prayers, but mom surprised me and continued;
“But, that's bygone now. You are well and alive and you are back. It's really good to have you back, Aurora.
“Is it?” Aurora replied.
“I'm sure it is. I am certain that Ethan would finally find closure and heal now that you are around. You know, he was in a bad state, in distress when Isadora left him.”
By the goddess's name!
I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly turned to Aurora expecting to see her staring at me but, when I opened my eyes, I met her watching Isadora who was putting up some lovey-dovey show.
Their presence mocked and that show they put up irked the hell out of me. I wanted to strangle them, to kick them in the guts until they felt the same pain I did but, I pressed my lips together to stop myself from doing something I would end up regretting.
“Isadora and Keen… Isadora left Ethan?”
“It was unanimous.” I rasped even before the question could leave her lips.
Isadora scoffed, “Oh, love, there was nothing unanimous in the way I dumped your sorry ass.” I gripped my pants as I tapped my feet to stop me from reaching over and strangling the life out of Isadora.
I was so embarrassed with the way Aurora darted her eyes between Reed and me. I felt so self-conscious, Was she comparing us?
Was she seeing reasons with Isadora's decisions?
Was Reed really a better man than I was? My anxiety crept in and threatened to explode as my body began to heat up.
“You left Ethan for Keenan? His best friend and beta?” Aurora asked Isadora, lines of confusion still clearly running through her face.
“Uh-huh, the better man.” Keenan answered with a proud smile and to my disappointment. The nerves of this man whom I didn't see his purpose around the table.
“You had better shut your mouth, Keenan, or you would have it as dessert.”
“Oh, love, I am pretty sure we would have had little Ethan and Isadora around this table had you been this aggressive in bed.”
Sam gasped. Hadria gasped. Dad and mom gasped. Everyone gasped, and I was one decision from either melting away from embarrassment or going cannibal. Giving in to the latter, I sprang up to attack Isadora but, Keenan, jerked up and shielded her.
“Why don't we settle this as men? A battle of fists, don't you think?”
I was surprised none the least by Keenan's courage. Kennan used to have my back, but then, he was ready to fight me over Isadora.
Isadora, the woman he snatched from me.
Isadora, the name that filled me with scorn and disgust. Scoffing, I rolled my eyes and took back my seat.
“We should eat, yeah? The food is starting to grow cold.” Hadria said and cleared her throat.
“Yeah,” Aurora said, “yeah, we should. I am actually starving.”
“Of course, old habits never die.” Isadora snickered.
“Oh, I agree,” Aurora replied with a big smile and picked her wineglass, “once a whore, always a whore. I am certain Keenan knows he's not the last man existing.”
That's my girl.
Isadora opened her mouth to talk, but shut them immediately.
“Pay her no heed,” Keenan said and placed his hand over hers, but Isadora shrugged it off.
“Fuck you, Aurora.” The chair dragged against the floor as she stood up, “Enjoy your meal. I'm out.”
Muttering some silly excuse, Keenan ran after her.
“It's time for our afternoon checkup, I'll take Dad to the infirmary.” Hadria said and escorted Dad out as Sam slowly stood up and left.
“Great,” my threw her hands up in disappointment as she stood up, “I had great plans for this brunch.” She muttered and walked out the door, leaving me alone with Aurora.