9

~Steven Summers~

After Aurelia disappeared into the bathroom, I figured it would be better to leave her alone. So I decided to go to school without her. She certainly wouldn't go to school with that black eye anyway.

Before she was out of the bathroom, I was outside, getting in my car and starting the engine.

I was worried about Auri because I didn't buy the 'fell in the bathroom' thing. I knew it wasn't an accident and I wanted to rip the heart out of whoever did this to her. Did that her dad, that pig, do it?

I hope for Auri that this is not the case. She has enough to do. She didn't deserve a violent father.

Now I regret what I told her at the time, that this friendship was a mistake, because it definitely wasn't. She looked so hurt afterwards. So call me selfish because I'm risking her death by being friends, but I cared about her from the start and that's why I couldn't stay away from her.

Every night I send prayers to the moon goddess that Aurelia be my mate, even though I know a human cannot be a werewolf's mate...

*Flashback* - 10 years ago

My family had been assigned to move to the nearest small town near our pack home. My parents should have a look at the people living there and tell our new alpha anything interesting and new.

Unfortunately, this was several hours away and I already hated living among the humans. I would much rather have stayed in the protection of the pack.

Our new alpha was still very young. He had just turned 16 when his parents, our previous Alpha and our Luna, were murdered. Exactly this alpha now came up with the glorious idea to keep an eye on the people and thus also the hunters who could live here.

I understood his reasons, since his parents had been murdered by hunters, but why did my family have to move here? I didn't like people. No werewolf liked her.

In addition, today was my first day of school in the human school.

I didn't feel like having these people around me for several hours a day. One of the top rules of werewolves was: 'Werewolves should always avoid contact with humans. A friendship or even a love affair is forbidden. Failure to follow this rule could result in our exposure. People who have too much contact with us despite this are therefore eliminated.'

Nevertheless, I was standing here now, in the entrance of the school building.

The lockers were left and right. A girl was taking out her school books for the day from a locker that was pretty much in the middle.

Actually I didn't want to stare at her anymore, but then she closed her locker and looked straight into my eyes.

The blue of her eyes was just mesmerizing and her blond hair shone golden in the sunlight that came through a window next to the door.

She was just beautiful.

Before I could catch myself, she was standing in front of me with a big grin. "Hi, I'm Aurelia. Are you new here?" came her bright girlish voice, which immediately enchanted me.

"Yes. My name is Steven and nice to meet you."

That was the wonderful beginning of a forbidden friendship.

*Flashback Ende*

I arrived at my school and saw Connor, Owen and Lio standing in the parking lot. They also came from my pack and only recently moved here on the Alpha's orders. Also, this time there was a medium-sized brunette girl about our age standing next to Owen, who was clinging tightly to Owen.

I got out of my car and Connor, who has short, dark blonde hair and brown eyes, immediately asked me: "Where did you leave your little human?"

It pissed me off how they felt about Aurelia, but I used to be no different. Still, I didn't like the hate that was in his voice at all. I would have liked to have jumped on him.

You have to get to know people first to understand that they are actually like us. Not everyone is evil.

"Hard to believe that you're even wasting your time with one like that," the girl mocked. She was also a werewolf, I recognized that from her smell, which also smelled very strongly of Owen.

"And you're again?" I asked, annoyed. The presence of my packmates is already pissing me off. They haven't lived here as long as I have, so they couldn't understand my way of thinking.

All that came from Owen was a growl. "That's my mate Kiana," he muttered.

The brunette stepped in front of the lanky black-haired man to kiss him passionately. Instantly, his blue eyes turned black with desire.

This reminded me of Aurelia, who said that the man she was so afraid of - the alpha, in other words - also had black eyes. Why should he be turned on by her. That could explain why she was still alive. Or maybe Auri just fell in love and imagined it. It was probably just a stupid incidence of light.

-----

A few days passed in which I neither saw nor spoke to Aurelia.

I wanted to give her time, but I couldn't stand the silence any longer. So I went to her place last night. But then suddenly the alpha was there.

He stood in wolf form in front of her house and watched her through the kitchen window.

I was panicking that he'd changed his mind and wanted to kill her when he just wanted to keep an eye on her. This is exactly the task he gave me and I was glad that I now had an official reason to hang out with her.

After the alpha ran away, I drove back home. I figured it would be better if I waited a little longer before talking to her.

Suddenly my phone vibrated. But I didn't expect Aurelia to write to me.

[Aurelia]: Hi. Would you still be interested in meeting me at Café 'Fleur' ​​today?

I immediately wrote back because I was so happy that she was talking to me again.

[Me]: You're finally talking to me again.

[Aurelia]: I think we should forget what happened.

I didn't know how to answer her. It was good that she stopped asking questions. It's better for them if we just forget what happened. On the other hand, I didn't believe her.

I've known Aurelia too long to buy it. She had always been very curious. And if she didn't understand something, she had to solve the riddle in order to understand it. She just couldn't help it. However, I didn't go into it any further. I finally wanted to see her again and see if she was okay. I couldn't forget the black eye.

[Me]: Do you have time now? I could pick you up immediately .

[Aurelia]: I think that's fine.

I was very happy to see her again, which made my heart beat a little faster.

-----

Shortly thereafter, I was already in front of Aurelia's driveway.

I got out of my car and made my way to the door. When I got to the door, I heard a whimper from inside. Was that Aurelia? Something happened?

I ran the last few meters to the door, rang the doorbell a few times in a panic and kept calling her name. But nobody opens.

Shit, shit, shit...

When what happens to her? Did she fall? Where the hell is her father.

In a panic I only now remembered to use my werewolf hearing. I immediately noticed that something was moving behind the door. Then the door opened and Aurelia's father appeared.

It wasn't customary for Mr. Williams to answer the door. Usually when I picked up Aurelia he was in the living room. I could always smell his unpleasant smell, a mixture of alcohol and sweat.

But now he was standing in front of me and looked pretty angry. The otherwise "nice" dad gave me a hateful look and what I saw in his hand immediately set off alarm bells for me.

Oh goddess, where is Aurelia?

In his hand he carried a revolver with which he now wobbled around in front of my face.

"Leave her and me alone. You're starting to annoy me," he slurred. Barely able to stand up straight, he swayed around in front of me, gun in hand. "I can't get a second's peace from you. You're always there, disturbing my own A house."

"Listen Mr. Williams..." I began, holding out my raised hands to reassure him. "I'm sorry to bother you, but please put the gun down now."

But he didn't listen to me, instead pointing the pistol directly at my chest to threaten me. "I TOLD YOU TO DON'T BAD ME ANYMORE." He bellowed aggressively.

Just who did I leave Aurelia alone with? If he's like this more often, then I'll know who Auri got her black eye from.

I tried again to ask about Aurelia because I was just worried about her right now. But before I could start again, a shot rang out.

I looked down and saw my white sweater turning red across my chest. The stain kept getting bigger and I looked up in disbelief at Mr. Williams, who quickly slammed the door.

He really shot.