~Ethan.
"What do you mean you are moving to Greece?" I asked Aurora once Reginald was out of her office. Fortunately for him, he got a call and excused himself because I was at the verge of bashing his head against Aurora's desk for trying to lay stupid claims on my woman.
Aurora scrutinized me for a second before shifting her gaze back to her desk to arrange her files, "you don't suppose I built my fort here, do you?" I could sense the sarcasm in her voice and my brows furrowed. I wasn't exactly expecting her to stay but I definitely never thought she was going to leave either.
I just never thought about her leaving and the thought of it at the moment was very unsettling.
Unnerving.
"And besides, you are here early, Ethan. I was not expecting you till later in the day."
Thank the goddess she finally learnt her lesson, dropping the honorary to call me by my name. I like when she calls my by my name. Just her.
"When were you going to tell me?" I ignored her statement and continued with my questions. Still haven't gone to terms with the fact that she was leaving.
She turned fully to me and locked her fingers as she placed her elbows on her desk. "I didn't suppose I needed your permission to go wherever I want. Oh, how dumb of me to have forgotten," she softly smacked her forehead, "I suppose I need your permission, after all, a captive can't just up and leave whenever they want."
A sigh escaped my lips as I leaned into the seat, "I am sorry for taking you against your will, Aurora. You and Arne. It was a matter of urgency, I couldn't sit back and watch my people die."
My mind ran back to the night she was brought in. That night in the dungeon. The way Leo turned restless by just sensing her presence, the excitement he felt -the excitement I felt- from just inhaling her scent, the surprise still clawing at my chest when Leo howled her out as my mate.
How was I supposed to tell her she was my mate? After I rejected her for her sister for that same reason? Did she feel it too, the restlessness of her wolf whenever she was near me?
"Aurora." Her name escaped my lips before I could hold myself back. I had a lot of questions pressing down at my chest. A heaviness I needed to get off my shoulders and a lot of things I needed to set right...
My marriage.
Aurora.
The throne.
My Father.
My people.
Aurora.
The fact that I don't want her to leave even though I know I can't have her. Even though I know I shouldn't want her.
"Don't bother, it's fine. I'm glad I was able to help. And don't worry, your people will be well soon. Sooner than you expect."
And then she'd be gone. The goddess forbid I allow that.
"Let's get going then. You are here already, it would be pointless to waste time."
~>~
The door greeter at the jewelry store welcomed us into the store with a wide grin and a series of bows. Apart from the mandatory rounds -a tradition I came up with- I make at the beginning and end of every year, it was my first time stepping into the store and apparently, the door greeter was dying from excitement.
"Do you have any specific design in mind or are you open to anything?" Aurora asked, her eyes already searching though the see-through glass before us. It was also the first thing she was saying to me since we left her office. Throughout the ride down to the store, she acted as if I wasn't seated next to her.
"Just anything that you think will be the right representation of my love." Her head whipped towards me at my response as her eyes searched mine. I raised a brow and shrugged, signaling to her that I said what I said.
Love? Was that really what I felt for her? I knew I wanted her and I was damn sure I didn't want her to slip through my fingers but love...
Oh goddess, I was in love with her.
I lowered my gaze from Aurora and swallowed the lump in my throat as she whispered a soft 'okay.'
"Good day, your highness, madam," the salesperson, a young lady, approached us with a bright smile on her face. I would have taken the smile to be one she had mastered over her time of being a salesperson if I didn't see the sparkle in her eyes.
I guessed I made everyone happy then, everyone except Aurora of course.
"How may I assist you today, your highness?"
"We are looking to buy a ring? An engagement ring, kind of." I replied, my eyes searching through the rings displayed in the glass and I realized truly, that I wouldn't have known what to pick if I had been there alone.
"Okay, come with me then, let me show you what I'm sure you'd like." We followed her into a cream colored room with different rings on every stand in every corner of the room.
The rings blinked at us from where we stood and I fitted my hands in my pocket as I took in the room. It was beautiful, really but, wasn't there a particular excitement that one was supposed to have when picking out a ring?
"Feel free to look around and don't fail to point out what you like. If you have any questions do mention them and I'll attend to them right away." She ushered us in and excused herself once we began making our rounds through the rings.
There were different rings on every stand; diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, opal, turquoise and many others. I glanced through each ring, not sparing any one a second glance because really, I didn't want to make any decisions myself.
" I like this one," Aurora spoke up and I walked over to her. The ring was a single diamond solitaire, round cut. Simple. Three carats. Large enough, but not over the top and I fell in love with it too.
"You sure about that?" I asked and she nodded.
"It's the only one that has gotten my interest so far. Others are just...not it."
"Try it out then."
She glared up at me, her gaze questioning, "me? Why?"
"You have almost the same finger size as her. If it fits you well, I'd be certain it will fit her well too."
I took the ring from her and carefully slid it to her finger. It fitted. Perfectly, like it was custom-made for her.
"It looks beautiful on you, Aurora."
She spared me a glance before continuing to admire the ring on her finger, "I know. Too bad it doesn't belong to me." She made to pull it off but I held her hands and held them against my chest.
"Marry me, Aurora." I blurted, barely hiding the need in my voice.
"What?" She tried to pull away from me but I held her tighter to my chest.
"Don't move to Greece, don't go anywhere. Stay here with me, by my side. Marry me, Aurora."
"You must be out of your mind, Ethan."
I chuckled, "I am not, Aurora. I'm telling you this with a clear and straight mind. Marry me."
"You are here to get a ring for Tiffany."
"But it fits you perfectly. Say 'yes' Aurora, say it."
"No." With one big tug, she freed herself from my grip. "No, Ethan. You must be insane if you think you can use me, make a fool of me and then show up out of nowhere and ask me to marry you. What makes you think you are worthy of having me again? What? You haven't even paid the price for what you did and you are asking me to marry you, for what? To make a fool of me again in front of Tiffany? And your parents?" She pulled the ring off her finger and slapped it against my chest. "you are the biggest asshole ever, your highness."
With a heaving chest, she breezed past me but I caught her wrist before she could walk away. "What do you want me to do?"
"Do what?"
"You said I haven't paid the price for my sins, tell me what to do and I will do it. Anything Aurora, I promise."
Scoffing, she pulled her hand off my hold. "Leave me the hell alone." She said and walked out of the room.
I have always been a man of my word but this promise was one I could never keep.