Chapter 113

Thorne’s POV

Where did I go wrong?

Biting back a groan, I stare at my bedroom door across from me. Aurora has gone quiet again. The sound of her crying earlier made me want to kick the door in, but I also don’t want to scare her.

I’m not entirely sure what happened or why she rejected my proposal, but I want to know. I need to know. At first, I didn’t press for her to open the door. I wanted to give her the time and space she asked for.

But that was several hours ago, and things are too quiet. Not the kind of quiet where she fell asleep, but the kind of quiet that shifts perspectives and moves mountains. She’s wrapped herself up so tightly in her thoughts that I’m afraid they’re dragging her down.

“Aurora?”

Standing, I lay one hand on the wooden door frame, the other curling into a fist at my side.

“Aurora,” I call, my voice rough from the hours of sitting here without speaking. “Please open the door.”

Nothing.

The silence from the room is entirely too loud. Knocking and pleading won’t help, giving her space clearly isn’t getting me anywhere, and sitting out here and waiting is driving me out of my mind.

However, when she doesn’t open the door, I wait. I do it for her because that’s what she asked of me. With my back literally and metaphorically against the wall, I can’t do anything else.

“I’m not leaving you here alone,” I say softly, knowing she can hear me. I can see her shadow through the crack at the bottom of the door, and it hasn’t moved since she locked herself in. “If you think you can wait me out, then be prepared to wait a lifetime because that’s how long I’ll wait for you.”

The faint shift of fabric, the creak of the floorboards, the soft hiccup—it all tells me that she’s listening. I watch the bottom of the door, noticing how her shadow shifts as she moves slightly. She’s in there, hurting, and I can’t do anything about it.

I hate it.

I want nothing more than to take hold in my arms and take away her worries, but I can’t do that if she doesn’t let me.

Another creak and another sniffle come from inside, and I grind my teeth.

“Aurora, please,” I try again. “You don’t have to say anything if you’re not ready or if you don’t want to. Just let me see you. I need to see that you’re alright.”

Another hour passes in the mind-numbing silence. Then another and another. Midnight comes and goes by. The early morning hours fade as the sun rises, but I don’t move.

By the time the lock clicks, my eyes are drooping.

The door opens just a crack at first, and I stay completely still, not wanting to spook her. Then the crack widens and her face peeks out. Puffy red eyes find mine, and her lip begins to tremble.

Shit.

She stays silent, watching me closely as I slowly stand and step toward her. “Thank you.”

Without a word, she turns and walks back into the room, not looking at me once. I follow her in, closing the door behind us. The air is heavy and crackles with tension that I have the urge to rip to shreds.

“Aurora,” I whisper, but she turns away again.

And that’s what does it. That one gesture—the way she turns from me—snaps the last frayed cord of restraint in me. I cross the room in two strides and gently, but firmly grab her by the wrists.

Her eyes fly to mine as she gasps, but I don’t let her pull away. I guide her back toward the bed and lay her down before pinning her beneath me.

Not roughly, but with just enough force to make sure she can’t run. Not this time.

Wide eyes stare up at me.

“Talk to me, Aurora. I can’t fix something that I don’t understand.”

Her chest rises and falls rapidly, and her heart thunders between us. Tears fill her eyes, and my chest nearly cracks open at the thought of her crying again.

Her bottom lip trembles again and her voice comes out in a sad whimper when she speaks. “I’m not trying to ruin everything, but…” She sniffles, a tear rolling down her cheek. I brush it away with my thumb.

“But what?”

“It feels like it’s already ruined.”

Confused, I pull back a bit. “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t plan to propose before you found out I was a Lycan, but then you learned about my family and proposed. I just thought… I was afraid that…”

A broken sob shakes Aurora’s body, and it takes a second for her words to sink in and register. She thinks I only want her because she’s a Lycan?

“Aurora, no.” Sitting up, I pull her into my lap and take her face in my hands. “What are you talking about? Have I ever given you a reason to think I’m after power like that?”

She hiccups and whimpers, “I didn’t think so, but then I remembered what everyone else was saying, a-and that you’re an Alpha. Alphas marry for power t-to make their pack stronger. My—my bloodline is strong, and I was scared that… that…”

My heart drops at her words, and I realize just how confused and upset she is. She never would have thought this if we had a normal start to our relationship and if I just explained things better to her.

“You think I proposed to you because of your blood?” I ask, needing a straight answer.

“I-I don’t know,” she whispers, her voice shaking with each word. “It happened so fast, and I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t think you would propose because of the kidnapping, your parents, and—”

She breaks down into quiet sobs again, leaning into my chest and letting her tears soak my shirt. Her body shakes from the cries, and it destroys me. Each tear, each hiccup, each sob rip a little piece of my heart out.

Leaning in, I scoop her up and pull her closer. I let her lean into me and tuck her head under my chin as I gently rock her back and forth.

“Hey. Hey. Breath for me,” I say softly. She tries to pull away again, but I hold her tightly.

“No more running. Not from me,” I whisper into her hair.

“I just needed time,” she says. “To think.”

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, I rest my chin there and murmur, “I gave you time, but now I need you to listen to what I’m going to say.”

She doesn’t try to move away this time; instead, she curls closer to me and grasps my shirt in her fingers.

“Other than being happy that you found your birth family, I don’t give a damn about your bloodline, Aurora.” She gasps lightly, her eyes finding mine. “I didn’t fall in love with the daughter of the Lycan King, I fell in love with you. I fell in love with the girl who likes her coffee to taste like it came from a candy shop. I fell in love with the girl who could break glass when she tries to sing high notes. I fell in love with the girl who is stronger and kinder than almost anybody I know. I fell in love with you, my mate, because you’re amazing.”

Her eyes move slowly over my face, searching for something.

“I love you, Aurora.”

“Do you really mean that?”

I lean in, kissing her softly before whispering, “I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

“Then, yes.”

I pull back, confused. “Yes what?”

“I want to marry you, Thorne.”

Then, she pulls my head down and kisses me. Hard. Her lips move against mine as she turns and wraps herself around me, taking what she wants and what she needs.

And I’m more than happy to let her have it all.