~Ethan.
Aurora's reaction wasn't what I was expecting, but then, what really was I expecting? That she went on her knees and begged me not to marry another lady? That she told me I was stuck in her head the same way she has been stuck in mine since we met again.
There was really nothing to say, even though I had expected her to say something. Anything at all. Aurora had moved on with her life, and it was high time I did too since the fate of the throne continuing throughout my generation depended on me.
Tiffany was fun and smart and different and I liked her too, so why was I feeling bad about that? Why was the idea of starting afresh with her not settling well with me?
On getting to the royal chambers, I stomped past my room and climbed up the rooftop. My mind was far occupied to welcome any amount of sleep in it, and honestly, I didn't really want to sleep. I wanted to think, to get lost in my head and maybe, just maybe, finally get Aurora out of it.
The wind rustled against my hair as I got to the rooftop. The weather was colder up there, not exactly helpful to my purpose of coming up to the rooftop, but it helped in soothing my nerves.
Perhaps, I didn't need to force Aurora out of my head, perhaps all I needed was to put Tiffany in it. She was the woman I was getting married to, after all.
A smile crept up on my face as I remembered the softness of her lips against mine, sighing contentedly, I sank into one of the couches. Tiffany was all I needed to think about.
~>~
“I fucking love you, Aurora Aldrich.” Her face lit up like a thousand white bulbs as she looked up at me. Aurora, my Aurora, she was gorgeous and under the bright sky, she was perfect.
Her lips curved up in a smile, and she shrugged, “do you know what you're saying, Ethan? I mean, I'm not your mate, you know.”
I took both her hands in mine and squeezed them, “does it matter?”
“No, she doesn't matter?” She said and chuckled loudly.
“What?” The hands slipped from my grip as the sky turned dark. The moon replaced the sun and the chirping of insects replaced the silence in the garden.
“I said she does not matter. Aurora, my sister, she doesn't matter, right?” A blink and Isadora was sitting in front of me. The ring I got her for our engagement sitting nicely on her finger. “It looks really pretty on me. Yes, Ethan, I will marry you!” She chimed.
“Ethan?” I looked to my right to see Aurora standing there. Her eyes darted between Isadora and me as the sky began clearing up. “You said you love me, Ethan.”
“Baby, tell her to shut the fuck up. She is just being a clingy bitch.” Another blink and we were seated around the dinning table. With mom and Dad and Keenan and Hadria and Sam. They had their forks and knives in their hands with their gazes fixed on me like they were waiting for an order to kill.
"Aren't you going to tell her? Baby? Tell her, Ethan. Tell her!.”
“Isad-”
“Were you really going to shut me up because of her? Because of fucking Aurora?”
“It's Rory Aldrich now.” I turned to my left to see Aurora seated with her legs crossed on the dinning table. The heels of her shoes made of a very pointy and a very sharp sickle.
“Fuck you, Aurora.” Isadora slammed her hands on the table.
“Isadora stop!” I tried yelling, but my voice came out barely like a whisper.
Isadora chuckled mockingly, "maybe you should apply some pressure. You know, the same pressure you should have added to our sex life."
“That was perfect, Isadora.” I bit out.
She chuckled again, “you know Keenan? Your best friend. He was a better lay, he fucks me just the way I want it. He is so good, Ethan, and we are going to have little Keenan and Isadora running around the house soon. The things we were supposed to have had you done the things you were supposed to do. But alas, you are just going about, kissing girls you don't actually in the restaurant.”
“You don't like me, Ethan?” I turned to the voice that came by my left to see Tiffany seated on mom's lap and mom, brushing her hair while humming to a song.
My brows narrowed instinctively. The table was now cleared. Dad was reading a newspaper. Hadria was picking at her pills. Isadora was doing her art and Keenan…his eyes were on me.
What was going on? One minute everything was okay and the next, it's all fucked up.
“You said I could come over whenever I wanted.” Her voice was calmer than the crashing of the waves. So peaceful. And taunting.
“Did you not want to take us serious? Were you going to leave me like you left Aurora and Isadora?”
“Tiffany, I-”
“It's Rory now.” Aurora interrupted.
“Fuck, Keenan, fuck. Yes!” I looked up to see Isadora's face pressed against the table as Keenan took her from behind. His eyes still on me.
I jerked up from my seat and stomped towards them, but the closer I went, the more they drew away from me.
“Long live the king,” Keenan mocked.
“Fuck! Yes!” Isadora moaned.
“It's Rory Aldrich now.”
“Did you really not like me?”
“You have twelve days, Ethan. Twelve.” Mom's eyes didn't shift from Tiffany's hair.
“I don't have much time, son.” Dad dropped his newspaper and locked his fingers on the table, “I will be leaving soon.”
“You are the Alpha, Ethan.” Sam's voice echoed throughout the room. “Alpha Ethan. Alpha Ethan.”
~>~
“Alpha Ethan.”
I sucked in a sharp, deep breath as my eyes sprang open. My body was still shaking, and I looked up to see Sam hovering above me. I quickly ran my eyes on my environment and saw I was still on the rooftop.
I had fallen asleep on the rooftop.
I had the most fucked up dream of the century on my rooftop.
“Alpha Ethan, you need to come now. Hurry.” Sam said with urgency and dashed towards the door immediately.
I jerked up from the couch and observed my environment again. There was no fire, so what was it?
“What is the problem, Sam?”
“The doctor. Something just happened, it's an emergency, you need to come now. Fast.”
“Aurora?” The question barely made it out of my lips as I dashed towards the door.