Chapter 13

Aurora POV

The first thought in my mind when I see Thorne: I’m safe now.

The second thought in my mind when I see him: I’m not three meters away from Jackson.

Thorne’s Beta stands at his side, watching the scene with wide eyes. He shoots me a look of concern, but it’s the calm and collected expression on Thorne’s face I’m captivated by. There’s no trace of anger on his face, at least not that I can see.

Is he about to explode? It could be like the calm before the storm… but that wouldn’t make sense. He doesn’t care about me that much.

“Thorne, thank the goddess that you’re here,” Jackson says with faux relief. All eyes, including Thorne’s move to the man speaking, “She doesn’t deserve to work here. I came to get some coffee, and she threw herself at me.”

“What? I didn’t—”

Jackson whips his head toward me, and I don’t miss the way his hand clenches and unclenches. As if triggered, my throat burns in response to the silent threat.

“Jackson.”

The lethal calm in Thorne’s voice makes me freeze like prey who knows the predator is right over them. I know Thorne is dangerous, or I’ve heard that he is, but that tone is one I’ve never heard. Even when he was angry this morning, he didn’t sound this sharp.

“Aurora is my assistant. You have no say over whether she is to work here or not. Do you understand?”

I peek at Jackson, who his nodding quickly, trying to gather his shattered thoughts back together, “I-I just meant that she shouldn’t—”

He stops talking, and when I look at Thorne, I swallow the strange mixture of fear and excitement that bundles in my chest. Why does Thorne have to be so attractive even when he’s angry?

I shake the thought away quickly. Jeez. There’s something wrong with me.

“She shouldn’t what? Come to the break room? Shouldn’t push you away? Shouldn’t want to be away from you?”

Jackson’s face blanches, and I have to bite back the smile that threatens to stretch across my lips. Thorne must have seen more than I thought because he certainly doesn’t believe Jackson’s story about me throwing myself at him.

“No, she was the one who… I just came to get some coffee,” Jackson tries again. He looks toward me, but not even a second later, Thorne is standing between the two of us, blocking me from Jackson’s sight.

“I would never hurt Ivy like that, Thorne,” Jackson says. “You know I care about her, and I would never put her through a rejection like that. I’m not like her mate. I love Ivy and want to make her happy.”

Rejection? His words spin in my mind for a second before I realize what he means. Ivy must have been rejected by her mate. Is that how Jackson got close to her?

After a moment of silence, Jackson speaks again, “I’ll make sure to stay away from Aurora.”

“Make sure you do. Behave, or not even my sister will be able to keep you from punishment,” Thorne growls, and when I peek around his arm, I watch Jackson bow and then practically run out of the room.

I can breathe easier now that he’s gone, but my lungs constrict when Thorne turns and peers down at me.

“Wh-what happened to Ivy?” I slap a hand over my mouth at the traitorous inner thoughts that decided to be brave and come out before I could stop them.

Thorne answers on a sigh, “She was rejected a few months ago by her mate. It hurt her bad, but somehow, Jackson was able to get through to her. He pulled her out of the dark place and off the edge. He brought her back from the brink of death, which is the only reason I let him stay close to her.”

As he speaks, Thorne’s eyes move to my neck. His brows furrow for a moment before he reaches out and brushes a gentle touch across my neck.

“You should go to the hospital after work to make sure this isn’t too bad,” he says.

“I’m fine,” I tell him softly, shaking my head. “When I worked part time, the physical strain often caused injuries, and bruises like these are nothing new.”

I’m not sure what to think about the slight tick to Thorne’s jaw at my words, but I file that image away to study later. He doesn’t press me any further, telling me to go back to my desk and keep working.

Thorne POV

The pale purple bruises cloud my mind, and each time I look out of my office at Aurora, they’re all I can see. That and the sight of Jackson with his hand around her neck.

The only reason I didn’t rip his arm from his body was because of my sister. I don’t want to see her suicidal again, and I know if I killed Jackson, she would spiral again. So, the question is, how do I take care of this little piece of shit without hurting Ivy?

I watch Aurora file some of the new paperwork I left on her desk. She works diligently, but as I look at her, something heavy settles over me.

When she said she was used to injuries, did she mean that Jackson had hurt her before? When I bought his studio, I remember seeing her name on his staff list. The bruises around her throat only showed up after our first night together. I had my theories that she was running from Jackson that day I found her at his house, and now, they’re confirmed.

I’d thought she would be healed by now, but I’m suddenly reminded that humans don’t heal as quickly as werewolves do.

“Alpha, it’s time to go,” my Beta, Jace, says, and I have to pull my eyes away from Aurora. He adds, “Your five o’clock meeting?”

“Right,” I say, grabbing the folder I need and following him out.

When we make it to the car, I still can’t shake the unsettling feeling in my gut. If she won’t go the hospital, I’ll make sure she is taken care of.

“Jace, do we have ointment humans use for bruises and injuries?”

He looks at me through the rearview mirror, “No, since we usually don’t need it with our accelerated healing. The Human Quarter would have some, but the pharmacy there is small and far away.”

“While I’m in my meeting, go to the human pharmacy and get the ointment,” I tell him, then pause. “Don’t tell Aurora it’s from me, though.”

“Growing attached to the little human, are you?”

I growl, “No, I just don’t like to see my things damaged.”

His smirk tells me that he doesn’t believe me, but he drops it, staying silent.