Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Aurora
I left the note, changed my clothes in one of the many bathrooms and left for work.
Today was a school day, but that didn’t bother me. My boss was so desperate to find someone to cover an extra shift, he didn’t even ask about school.
I sent Tori a quick text, letting her know I didn’t need a ride to work. She was in school, which forced me to walk. I never minded walking, it gave me time to think and clear my head. Unfortunately, I had too much to think about at the moment.
I was sure Garrett would give me a ride to work, but I truthfully didn’t want to ask. I felt smothered in his huge house, surrounded by people who didn’t want me there (Lucy excluded).
By the time I made it to the restaurant, my booted foot was aching. The pain wasn’t as bad, but it was still annoying to walk on.
‘One miracle is good enough.’ I told myself, thinking about my magically healing face.
The next few hours, work was effortless. There were no kids from school in the restaurant, no one I knew sitting down for a meal. It was peaceful, and was the least stressed I felt this entire week. I could simply get lost in my thoughts and focus on not spilling any more drinks.
Once three o’clock came around, new faces began showing up. Tori walked through the front door, her flaming hair a mess from the wind. She clocked in and gave me a sympathetic smile. I took a deep breath, knowing she’d want an explanation on why Garrett was here.
And that was how the next few hours went. I explained my strange situation, and Tori did what she could to comfort me. She didn’t give me any s**t for missing school, claiming I had enough to deal with at the moment.
“I’m still planning our shopping trip, Aurora.” Tori cocked her eyebrow. “Rich Father or not, were getting you some new clothes.”
I rolled my eyes, “New clothes are not at the top of my list right now.”
“Clothes should always be at the top of every list.” Tori shook her head, and mumbled to herself.
‘She’s right y’know.’ Thalia chimed in, giving me a shrug.
‘You can’t even wear clothes.’ I hissed, ‘You’re a disembodied voice in my head.’
‘Rude.’ Thalia scoffed, ‘Bet I still have better style than you.’
With Thalia’s well placed retort, she faded to the back of my mind.
“Why couldn’t the voice in my head be nice?” I mumbled to myself, “No, instead I get a mean voice that just hurts my feelings and confuses me.”
“Tough love, b***h.” Thalia growled before disappearing again.
“I’m losing my mind.” I nodded to myself, grabbing the drinks for another table.
Acceptance was my best-friend right now. After all, what could be done? The stress was clearly getting to me, muddling my thoughts and making me create this false persona. I wasn’t very skilled in Psychology, but I still knew when something was wrong with me.
Kade and Alec came to the restaurant, but that didn’t surprise me. It seemed they went out of their way to find me, to approach me. I hid like a coward in the kitchens, only coming out at the threat of losing my job. I rushed a tray of drinks out into the dining room, scanning for my customer’s table frantically.
A strong hand wrapped around my wrist, causing a surprised yelp to leave my lips. The sparks bursting through my cells stunned me, sending a pleasurable wave of calmness into my body. I knew without
looking who had touched me. I spun around much too fast, the tray of drinks toppling over onto my chest.
“C**p.” I muttered brushing the ice from my work-shirt. This was the only work-shirt I had left, forcing me to spend the remainder of my shift in a sticky shirt.
“Sorry, doll.” Alec frowned, leaning down to grab the fallen tray while Kade grabbed the cups from the floor.
The two of them stared at me in awe, and I cringed under their full attention. The way they looked at me set my teeth on edge, like a man seeing the sun for the first time. They stared at me in wonder, as if I were more than a plain girl covered in sugary soda.
“Thanks.” I muttered, averting my eyes from their own.
Looking into their dark eyes did things to my mind, placed images that I no longer wanted to see. My mind was trying to move on from them, my body just hasn’t gotten the memo yet.
“You haven’t been in school.” Kade grimaced, the expression made my heart ache.
Their dark eyes were plagued with worry as they roamed my face.
“Yeah.” I nodded, “Things have been kind of busy lately.”
“Who was that man you were here with?” Kade frowned, his voice sounding just a touch possessive. I could easily sense a double meaning to his question, but didn’t have the strength to push further.
‘Their ours, Aurora.’ Thalia murmured in my head, ‘And were theirs.’
I ignored Mated to the Alpha Twins by Jane Doe Chapter 29her and frowned at the twins.
‘We don’t mean to pry, doll.” Alec shot Kade a hard look.
“It’s alright.” I shook my head, “That was Garrett, my—my Father.”
The two of them visibly stiffened, Alec’s eyes widened in just the slightest. Kade’s jaw clenched, the muscles moving temptingly.
“Your Father?” Alec stated, his voice a mix of confusion and denial.
“Unfortunately.” I mumbled, “Couldn’t leave well enough alone, had to come barging into my life.”
“Excuse us–We will catch up with you later, sweetheart.” Kade murmured gently, his eyes roaming over my face. “At school preferably.” Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
I gave a weak nod, fighting the temptation to follow them out the front doors.
I had no intentions on going to school, no matter how badly I wanted to see the twins. My gut twisted as my eyes followed the twin’s out the door, catching Grace’s murderous stare in the process. I wasn’t sure how much she had seen, but from the intensity of her glare I assumed it was enough. Autumn and the other girl was with them. I purposefully ignored Autumn’s stare, refusing to look into her eyes. What Grace did was reprehensible, but what Autumn did was just as bad. I trusted her, and she led me into a trap. She had me drugged, beaten and nearly raped. And for what?
Tori insisted on taking Grace’s table, something I would be forever grateful for. I laid extremely low until Grace had left, finishing the rest of my shift in a confused and slightly tormented haze.
‘Friday.’ Repeated in my head like a life saving mantra. Everything would be fine after Friday. No more Grace, Garrett, Autumn, Carson, or the drama and pain that followed.
Tori drove me home at the end of our shift, the conversation light as she sped down dark road after road. After some slightly confusing directions, Tori dropped me off at Garrett’s house.
“Oh,” Tori cooed, looking up at the house. “I wondered when they’d finish building this house. Your— Garrett must’ve been waiting months for this place.”
I raised my eyebrow at Tori, confused by her remark.
“What do you mean?” I frowned, “Garrett just came to town a day ago.”
Tori gave me an uneasy look, “My Mom furnished and decorated the inside of this place, said some rich guy requested the house to be built months ago.”
My mind was racing at what Tori had said. Either her Mom was talking about another rich guy, or Garrett had this house planned out months ago. Why would he choose here of all places? Did he know I was going to be here?
I hopped out of the car and gave Tori a hasty goodbye wave. I was going to get some answers from Garrett, whether he liked it or not.
It turns out, I didn’t have to look very far. Garrett sat in the darkened living room, a glass of dark colored liquid in his hands. My nose wrinkled as I watched him take a drink of what looked like alcohol. While Garrett looked nothing like Frank, the image was all too similar.
“Aurora.” Garrett cleared his throat, setting his glass on the table. “I waited up for you.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” I mumbled incoherently, setting my shoes in the closet near the front door.
“There’s some things we should probably talk about.” Garrett sighed, looking very much like an unwilling participant.
I grimaced, “Can’t they wait until the morning?”
“I’m afraid not.” Garrett gave me a sympathetic smile, an expression I was beginning to loathe. “I’ve kept it from you for seventeen years, I’d prefer not to wait another day.
“Fine.” I nodded, my lips pressed together tightly. “But I have a question of my own.”
“I believe what I’m about to tell you will answer some of your questions.” Garrett murmured, “But, you may proceed.”
I grimaced at his strange choice of words, spoken like a true business-man I guess.
“This house.” I nodded, looking around us. “My friend’s Mom designed the inside, said it was requested months ago. It was you, wasn’t it?”
Garrett never responded, but his eyes held much to decipher. He was avoiding my question for a reason; I was right.
“My side of the family is—unique.” Garrett began, brushing off my question completely. “I wasn’t sure you would inherit this particular—trait, but it appears you have.”
“Obviously.” I rolled my eyes, “Heterochromia Iridium isn’t that uncommon.”
“Ah yes, our eyes.” Garrett paused, clearly taken aback. “That is not the trait I’m referring to.”
I stood silent, I couldn’t think of what else he might be talking about.
“You see–My side of the family are a different species from average Human’s.” Garrett opened his mouth, and I struggled to comprehend the nonsense that flowed from his lips. “My side of the family are werewolves. Now–Half-blood’s don’t always develop that wolf side, but sometimes they do. Which brings me back to you, Aurora.”
Garrett went silent for a minute, no doubt giving me time to process what he had just said.
Werewolves. Fuzzy winter dogs that roamed the woods and ate animals.
‘Not dogs.’ Thalia rolled her eyes, ‘You were petting two werewolves the other day.’
‘You’re really buying into this?’ I rolled my eyes at her, ‘They were wolves. Freakishly mutated and calm wolves, but that’s all they were.’
My mind was beyond trying to understand any of this.
So being the slightly unhinged person that I am, I convulsed into laughter.