Chapter 23

AURORA

When I first started to get a grip on this new world, my main goal was to figure out how to survive. I was convinced that sticking with Rin was the first step. Whether I had any freedom with him or not, he could keep me safe, and I could find a little happiness with him.

Sure, it was a terrible way to handle things, but I didn’t know any better. I didn’t see myself as a fighter. I just tried to survive whatever life threw at me. If Rin hadn’t saved me from that slave trader and another creature had, I would’ve done the same thing.

What I never considered was the chance of being accepted as more than just Rin’s beta. And I never, ever thought that I would end up being welcomed into his family.

These thoughts filled my mind as I walked with Lana and Selenia in the massive courtyard. It was a beautiful day, with bright sunlight peeking through the passing clouds and a pleasant, cool breeze blowing. The peacefulness mirrored the calm I was starting to feel inside.

The courtyard and garden stretched out from the palace, filled with large flowering bushes and scattered trees. Woods surrounded it, with towering trees similar to the ones I’d seen in the forest near Rin’s den. There were also a few large gazebos scattered around the courtyard with tables inside, probably for enjoying meals outside on nice days.

I kept stealing glances at the palace, taking in its size and grandeur. It reminded me of the palaces described in the fairytales I’d read, except this one was built into the side of a large cliff. The palace was made of smooth white stone, with huge windows and turrets on both ends. There were three floors, and I wondered if all three were filled with rooms like the ones I’d seen on the first floor. The bedroom Rin and I shared was on the second floor. I wondered what was on the third. Maybe more sitting rooms and parlors?

“I hope Daddy doesn’t give Rin too hard a time. I can’t believe he’d mean any harm with anything he’s done,” Selenia was saying.

“Well, Rin did take off without telling any of us, and we are worried about what he’s been doing with Aurora,” Lana reminded her.

“I know you are, but I wasn’t trying to cover for him when I told Jekia that he’s never really forced me into anything. He did save me from that slave trader, and he’s done a lot to help me understand this world and the creatures who live here,” I insisted.

I knew I shouldn’t have been defending Rin, especially when I thought about our first few days together. I may have given in and wanted it, but he was the one who insisted on having sex in the first place, even if he claimed we had to so that I could become his beta.

Lana sighed. “I don’t doubt it. As I said before, Rin isn’t a bad fox at heart. Our main concerns are the instincts he carries. He’s much like other young foxes, even if he is half human.”

I looked at Selenia. “All three of you are half human. Does it make any difference for you in this world?” I had to know.

“Not at all,” Selena answered. “We all have the same abilities as our fathers, and Rayne and I are mostly luna dog, along with Rin being mostly fox. Daddy likes to think that the human part of us grounds us more, although I believe that Mama’s omega status does it too.”

That caught my interest, and I turned my attention to Lana.

“Do you mind if I ask you more about that? I don’t know much about all of this alpha and beta and omega stuff, and it sounds like Rin has kept some things from me,” I admitted.

Lana’s face faltered a little, though she did answer me honestly as the three of us stopped and she faced me.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Jekia was right about that. As much as I hate to say it, I had a feeling that Rin would want you to rely completely on him and not question anything he says or does. If you knew the true role a beta, or in my case omega, plays, then you would do exactly that,” she admitted.

“I don’t get it, Mama. Rin has never been like that before with anyone. He’s always treated others as equals, even with his alpha status, just like Rayne and I have. Daddy made sure to teach us that from a young age,” Selenia pointed out.

“I can’t defend your brother on this, but my guess is the same as your father’s—Rin’s deeper instincts are to blame. Foxes have a terrible tendency to give in to their more lustful sides, and even Sage once told me that it can be incredibly hard for them to fight that, especially at certain times. All I can say is that I believe Rin had the best intentions in everything he did, and he truly does care for Aurora. His biggest flaw is that he has given in to his urges when it comes to her, and he probably doesn’t know how to control them yet,” Lana explained.

That reminded me of something Rin had mentioned shortly after we’d met. “Have you ever heard of an Alpha’s Moon? Rin mentioned it to me. Does it have something to do with a fox’s instincts too?”

Lana looked surprised. “He talked about the Alpha’s Moon? When was this?”

I had to think about it before answering. “I think it was a little over a month ago, right after we met.”

“An Alpha’s Moon? I don’t remember ever hearing about that before,” Selenia commented, looking very confused.

“I’m not entirely sure how to explain it, but I do know that it affects foxes. It might be better for Jekia to explain it. But this worries me even more. It sounds like Rin has fallen deeper into his fox instincts than we realized,” Lana admitted.

The conversation was starting to make me uneasy. Was Rin genuinely interested in me, or was he just using me to satisfy his sexual cravings?

Selenia’s gaze suddenly shifted to the woods, and I followed her line of sight. A white figure was emerging. My heart skipped a beat when I recognized Rayne.

~Here we go.~

“Welcome back!” Selenia greeted him, wrapping him in a quick hug.

“It’s good to be back.” Rayne returned her hug, but his attention quickly turned to me. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Aurora. I thought Rin was far from ready to come back.”

“We didn’t have a choice. Something happened last night, and your dad wanted Rin to come back with me,” I confessed.

“Something happened? What?” Rayne asked, his worry evident in his voice.

“We’ll discuss it later, Rayne. Aurora is still getting used to being here, and she needs time without being pressured,” Lana intervened.

Rayne backed off. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve been worried about recent events, especially after finding out you were with Rin. No offense to him, but his decision to keep you all to himself was unsettling,” he apologized.

“Yeah. Dad wasn’t too pleased with him this morning either, from what I’ve heard.” Selenia chimed in.

“I can imagine,” Rayne responded.

Lana shot him a stern look. “I’m also disappointed in both of you. You knew where Rin was and about Aurora weeks ago. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I wasn’t planning on keeping it a secret forever. I did tell Selenia not to mention it. I just wanted to give Rin some time to decide if he wanted to come home with her. I tried to persuade him yesterday, but I didn’t want to force him and create more problems,” Rayne defended himself.

“While I understand your desire to give your brother time, it was a risky move, Rayne. Aurora is human and new to this world. Rin may not realize it, but he can’t protect her all by himself yet. You both are strong and smart, but you still have a lot to learn about the different regions and creatures of the Northern Lands,” Lana admonished him.

“I understand, and I admit my mistakes. But now that she’s here, I’ll make it right. I’ll ensure Rin treats her with respect and doesn’t manipulate her. I’ve been worried about that anyway.”

“You’ll back off and let us be. I can handle my beta, and what we do is none of your business,” Rin’s voice rang out.

We all turned to see him approaching from the direction of the palace. Jekia wasn’t with him. I wondered if something had come up and he’d let Rin go for now. But that might not have been a good thing. Tension was building between him and Rayne.

Rayne met Rin’s glare head-on, refusing to back down.

“I’ll back off when I know you’re treating her right. I’m not naive enough to believe that something almost happened to her last night because you let your guard down. Dad wouldn’t have made you come back if it hadn’t,” he retorted.

“It doesn’t matter. What happens between us is our business, and you don’t need to meddle. It’s bad enough that Dad’s decided to,” Rin shot back.

“Dad did that because he knows he needs to, and I’ve realized it too after meeting Aurora and talking to her. You’ve been hiding things from her, haven’t you? You won’t tell her the truth because you want her to do whatever you want!” Rayne accused.

“I told you it’s none of your business what I do!” Rin growled.

“Enough!” Lana stepped between them. “You will not fight here, especially not in front of Aurora! If you want to continue this argument, do it in private, and don’t let it escalate to a physical fight! You know the consequences if you do!”

Neither of them looked happy, but they both backed down, albeit reluctantly.

“Fine. We’ll continue this conversation later,” Rin conceded. “But for now, I want to take Aurora inside with me. We need to talk about a few things privately.”

“I hope you’re not planning on trying to manipulate her to take your side,” Rayne said, suspicion clear in his voice.

Rin scowled at him. “I wouldn’t do that, nor do I need to. I just want us to talk in private.”

Selenia didn’t seem convinced. She discreetly took my hand and squeezed it. I was taken aback. My own mother had never held my hand like this.

“You’re not going to berate her about any of this, are you? If you are, then I’m not letting her go with you,” she warned him.

Rin looked exasperated. “Come on, Selenia. Have you ever known me to be that way with anyone? I’m not mad at her. I just want a chance to talk about some things. ~That’s all~,” he insisted, emphasizing his last two words.

“It will be okay. There’s no reason not to trust your brother,” Lana reassured her, though she gave Rin a stern look. “Please, no trouble Rin. There’s been enough conflict this morning, and I doubt you want your father or Emelio to intervene again.”

“I promise, there’s no need for concern. They won’t have to intervene,” Rin assured her. He then turned to me, extending his hand. “Let’s head inside, Aurora.”

I felt a twinge of hesitation as I accepted his hand and left the courtyard with him. But I pushed it aside. I’d been with Rin for over a month now, and I felt like I was starting to understand him. I’d hear him out, then discuss what his family had been sharing with me.

We moved into one of the parlors on the ground floor, and Rin made sure to shut the door behind us, aiming for some semblance of privacy. But I had a hunch that Emelio was always watching, always listening. Lana’s warning to Rin about him or Jekia stepping in if necessary seemed to confirm my suspicions.

“I’m sorry for whisking you away so abruptly, but I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Rayne. I’ve had my fill of my father’s lectures,” Rin admitted.

“I get it. Jekia was really giving you a hard time earlier,” I said.

“I saw it coming.” Rin moved to join me on the loveseat. “But you’re doing alright now, aren’t you?”

“I suppose I’m as alright as I can be, considering. But it’s a lot to process, and I’m still trying to make sense of what happened to me last night,” I confessed.

“Don’t overthink it. We’ve got it under control, and you’re safe here with us,” Rin reassured me.

I looked down, unsure of how to broach the subject that was bothering me. I had to ask him about what had been said. I needed to know if it was true that he’d been dishonest about what being his beta entailed.

“Rin, I know you wanted to discuss something, but there are a few things I need to ask you too,” I finally managed, trying to keep my voice steady.

Rin seemed to anticipate what was on my mind. “If you’re worried about what my father said, don’t be. There’s no need,” he said.

“But I don’t understand. Both your parents said that I don’t fully grasp what it means to be your beta, and they believe you haven’t been truthful with me. Why would they think that?” I asked.