Finding her clothes folded neatly on a chair in the corner, Aurora slipped them on as quickly as possible. She was weak, the pain excruciating, but she fought through it. The need to get out of there was pushing at her, driving her to keep moving, when all she really wanted to do was crawl back into that huge, king-sized bed and close her eyes. Clutching her shoes tightly, she took one last look around Noah’s private space, somewhere she never thought she would be. It was masculine, decorated in browns and blues. No pictures on the walls, and only one on the dresser. She hesitated, before slowly crossing the room to look at it. She frowned when she saw a younger version of Noah standing next to a beautiful woman. Jet-black hair hung in curls to her tiny waist. Large hazel eyes stared back at Aurora, a mischievous grin on her face. Who was she?
Her hand was reaching toward the picture, when the shower shut off. With one last look at the photo, Aurora left the room. Her mind clouded with thoughts of who the woman was to Noah, she made her way down the stairs and out the front door. It was obviously someone from his past. Had they been together? Did he love her? Was she part of the reason Noah refused to open his heart to Aurora? She sighed, shaking her head. No, whoever the woman was, she wasn’t the reason her mate was closed off to her. No, that had nothing to do with the beautiful woman, and everything to do with magic. Aurora’s magic.
“Sister?”
Aurora slowly turned around, clutching her shoes tightly to her chest. Her entire coven, all eight of them, stood behind her. Tears sprang to her eyes, and in a moment of weakness, she whispered, “Please, get me out of here. Take me home.”
Without a word, her sisters surrounded her, placing gentle hands on her, and blinked, taking her with them.
Chapter Four
Noah opened the bathroom door, already knowing Aurora would be gone. Hell, he’d known the moment he left her to shower that his little witch was going to run, and he couldn’t blame her. Not this time. The second the words left his mouth, he knew he fucked up. He would deal with it somehow. Deal with her being a witch, a part of her that she couldn’t control any more than he could control being a bear. It was in their genetics. Having no idea what to say after putting his foot in his mouth, he’d given her a way out, for now.
As much as he wanted Aurora in his house, in his bed, where he could take care of her after all that she’d been through, Noah knew it wasn’t ideal for either of them right now. She needed to be somewhere she felt at home to heal. Unfortunately, that wasn’t with him. Not yet. And he had a long way to go before he could prove to her that he accepted her for herself. First, he had to prove it to himself.
Noah sighed, shaking his head. He didn’t want to think about what happened so long ago. The hurt was woven so deep inside him, sometimes it was all he could focus on. But for his mate, he would have to face it. Somehow. His brothers and Briar suffered at the loss they all endured, but not the way he had. Josephine was everything to him back then. He’d spent hours with her every day after they met, so infatuated that he hadn’t been able to see beyond her pretty face and captivating words to her conniving heart. He’d thought himself in love, had even been willing to forsake his future mate for her. Until her betrayal came to light after the death of someone close to him. Someone he’d cared for, loved as a sister. Losing her left a hole in his heart, and an anger at Josephine deep in his soul, sending him to a place so dark he’d thought he would never find his way out.
Pushing thoughts of Josephine from his mind, Noah crossed the room and pulled some clothes from the dresser. It brought him closer to the bed where his mate had slept, snuggled in his arms. His little witch had been draped over him like a second skin, and he’d loved every bit of it. He wanted to hold her like that every night. Breathing in deeply, he groaned when Aurora’s scent tickled his nose, making his nostrils flare. There was a hint of cinnamon, hot and spicy, just like her. The smell was so damn sensual and seductive that his cock was instantly hard. Noah groaned, picturing her long auburn hair and large captivating eyes. She was sexy, beautiful, and a mystery he couldn’t wait to unravel.
Noah’s hand went to his aching cock, a shudder running through him as he wrapped his fingers around it. He wanted Aurora so fucking bad. He wanted to taste her, touch her, trail kisses down the curve of her neck and over the magnificent, intricate dark red roses that were etched into her skin across her back and over her shoulder. He found tattoos hot as hell. When he uncovered hers the night before, he’d lost his breath for a moment. It was perfect, just like her.
A low growl ripped from his throat, and he yanked his hand from his dick. As much as he wanted to stroke himself to thoughts of his mate until he came, he refused. The next time he allowed himself to orgasm, he was going to be deep inside his woman, pumping into her as she screamed his name.
“Fuck,” he snarled, tugging on his boxer briefs, and then a pair of jeans. He groaned, adjusting himself before very carefully zipping his jeans up and buttoning them. Snatching a black tee shirt from where he’d laid it on the bed, he quickly pulled it over his head. A few minutes later, he had his boots on and was heading downstairs.
Stalking into the kitchen, he grunted a hello to Knox and Emery, who sat wrapped around each other at the table. “You know, we do have enough chairs for you to use one of your own,” he teased, tugging on a lock of Emery’s hair as he passed by.
“My mate is right where she needs to be,” Knox said gruffly, hugging her close.
Noah grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured himself a cup of coffee as he wondered what it would be like to have Aurora look at him the way Emery looked at his brother. Glancing back at them, his breath caught at the love in his sister-in-law’s eyes as she cupped Knox’s cheek and gave him a sweet kiss. Noah quickly averted his gaze as pain stabbed at his heart. He wanted that.
“Noah.”
Emery’s soft voice broke through his thoughts, and he swallowed hard. Shit, the little bunny wanted to talk. He didn’t know if he was up for it right now.
Turning to face them, Noah took a sip of the hot coffee, stifling a groan when Nolan and Teine walked in hand-in-hand. His brother nodded to him, taking a seat at the table and tugging Teine into his lap. He couldn’t stop the loud sigh from escaping when Brayden and Briar appeared, Miracle right behind them. He felt trapped, and he didn’t like it.
“I need to go into the office for a few hours,” he said, hating the way his emotions were tearing at his insides. He felt close to tears, and he never cried. Last night, when he felt Aurora begin to slip away from him, was the first time he came close to breaking down since his parents passed away. Before that, it had been years, after Josephine’s betrayal and the death of his best friend.
“Noah, sit your ass down.”
“I can’t do this right now, Knox,” Noah rasped, bowing his head to stare at the cup in his hand. The dark red of the mug seemed to swirl in front of his eyes as it brought forth memories of the night before. The blood sliding down his mate’s neck and seeping from her side. He’d spent close to an hour cleaning all of it from her body after placing her in his bed, and then longer carefully bandaging her wounds while she was in a deep sleep.
Noah felt someone take the cup from him, and then two arms wrapped tightly around his waist, holding him close. Miracle. His sweet little sister. A shudder ran through him, and he fought to maintain his composure as he placed a hand on her back. “I’m okay, sis,” he muttered, ignoring the stench of the lie as it filled the room.
“You are not okay. Talk to us,” Knox ordered, not giving in.
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
Noah raised his head to look at his family, tears he couldn’t hold back filling his eyes at the understanding and compassionate looks on their faces. “I need to be strong.”
Teine slid from Nolan’s lap as he rose, crossing the room. Clapping a hand on Noah’s shoulder, he squeezed it tightly. “You almost lost your mate last night, Noah. What you need to do is allow yourself to fee
l. Cry, holler, tear the hell out of something. If you keep it bottled up inside you, you are going to explode. I’ve been where you are, and know exactly what you are going through. I will tell you, I was scared to death when I thought I lost Teine. I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried like a baby. Trust me, you have to deal with this, or it is going to eat you alive.”
Another shudder tore through Noah as the thought of the pain and absolute terror that had consumed him while he held Aurora’s hand as she lay dying on his living room floor, along with the grief he felt when her grandmother said it was too late to save her, all came rushing back.
“She said my name,” he rasped, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as if that would somehow block out the memory. It didn’t. Nothing could. “I was in my office, and I heard her whisper it in my mind. I could feel her pain. Her fear.”
“Oh, Noah!” Miracle snuggled closer, laying her head on his chest. “That must have been so horrible for you.”
“I had no idea what was going on. All I knew was that I had to get to her.” He gritted his teeth, thinking back. “When I first saw her, lying on the floor, so still and pale, I thought she was dead. That she’d left this world before I even had a chance to try to be the mate she needs me to be.” Giving his sister a hug, he pulled away from her, moving to sit down beside Knox. Shame filled him, and he ground out, “I rejected her. All this time, I should have been getting to know her. Bringing her flowers, taking her to dinner, finding out all of the little things she loves.” Slamming his hand down on the table, he shook his head. “I didn’t do any of that. Instead, I pushed her away. What the hell kind of man am I to reject my own mate?”
“One who’s been through a lot,” Brayden said quietly, leaning up against the wall behind him, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s not like you didn’t have a reason, Noah. And I think Aurora has been running from you for weeks now.”
“Because she knew I wouldn’t be able to accept the part of her that’s a witch.”
“After what that bitch Josephine did to you, Aurora would have to understand that it is going to take time.”
Noah sighed, glancing over at his brother. “Aurora thinks I will never accept her. Said she’s seen it.”
Noah heard Miracle’s gasp and looked over to see her pale blue eyes wide with shock. “That isn’t true, is it, Noah?” Her voice was soft, barely audible. “I thought you just needed time?” When he didn’t respond right away, she whispered, “You were ready to go into the next life with her when you thought she was dying. I heard you. You were going to follow her.”
“Yes.” He had been. Still was.
Miracle took a step closer to him. “So, tell me, is it true? Will you never accept her in this life? Is the thought of her being a witch enough to keep you apart?”
His sister’s chin trembled as she waited for his answer, her eyes begging him to tell her it was a lie. She was such a contradiction. One of the most softhearted people you would ever meet, but she would tear you apart in an instant if you messed with those she cared about. Miracle loved him, but she also cared deeply for Aurora. Just the thought that she wanted to protect Aurora, even from him, made a small smile curve his lips.
“If you would have asked me that question just a few short weeks ago, I would have agreed with her,” he admitted, strumming his fingers lightly on the table. “You know how I feel about witches, Miracle. I’ve hated them for so long after what Josephine and that bastard she was with did to Marah. I couldn’t see past it, past what they were.”
“And you can now?” she asked, arching a delicate eyebrow.
“I honestly don’t know,” he said quietly, giving her the truth. “What I do know is I’m ready to try.”
A spark of anger lit her eyes, and Miracle settled her hands on her hips, her brows furrowing into a scowl. “So, what you are telling us, is that you are going to try to accept Aurora. The woman the Fates gave you as a mate. And, if you can’t, you are just going to walk away from her?”
“I am not letting her go,” he growled, feeling his fangs drop, rage filling him at the thought of his witch leaving him. “I just need to figure out a way to deal with everything.” Shit, there was that word again. Shoving a hand through his hair, he muttered, “What I mean is, I want Aurora in my life. Letting her go is not an option.”
“Why not?” Miracle demanded, glaring at him. “If you can’t love her for who she is, then why keep her around?”
“Because the mate pull is too strong.”
Noah stiffened, his gaze going to the woman who stood in the kitchen doorway. Teine’s sister, Nadine, was staring at him almost vacantly, her dark eyes full of sorrow that hadn’t left since she came to live with them the month before. She spent most of her time sitting on the porch, looking out into nothingness. They all knew she was waiting for her mate to return to her, even though the odds were stacked against the two of them. Casen Channing. A man they believed was somehow related to their family, but had no idea how. Nolan had hired a private detective to look into anything to do with the man, but it had only been a couple of weeks, and so far there wasn’t much to report that they didn’t already know. Shayna Cromwell was good at what she did, though, so they were confident she would find something soon.
“The mate pull is strong,” he agreed, watching her closely, “but there’s more to it than that.”
A sad smile appeared, and Nadine whispered, “Yes, I’m sure there is.” Her unusual, golden eyes darkened as they focused on him. He was shocked to see that she actually seemed to be aware of what was happening for the first time since they’d rescued her from the prison she was being held in by her old alpha. Wrapping her arms tightly around her waist, she whispered, “It doesn’t matter who, or what, she is. All that matters, is that she is yours. You need to get past whatever it is that you are going through, because it will be nothing compared to what you will face if you lose your mate. The feeling is…” Nadine’s voice cracked, a tear slipping free and sliding down her cheek. “It’s horrible. Even worse than anything you could imagine. You can’t eat, can’t sleep. There is nothing, except you and your pain at the loss.” She paused for a moment before whispering, “I want to hold my baby girl, want to be in her life, but all I can think about is Casen. I know he is alive, no matter what anyone else thinks. I feel it, in here.” She placed a hand on her chest, over her heart. “I miss him so much. There’s a huge void in me, an ache that never goes away. Don’t let that happen to you. Keep your past where it belongs, in the past, and love Aurora. All of her.”
Noah watched Nadine turn and walk away as silently as she’d come.
“Holy shit,” Briar gasped, her eyes glued to the empty doorway. “I was beginning to wonder if she would ever talk.”
“She talks,” Teine said quietly, “but usually only to Grandmother and myself. I think being around all of you is too much for her. You smell like Casen, and it hurts her.”
“I never thought of that.” Briar’s voice was full of compassion for the woman who’d had her life ripped apart over a year ago. Not only had Nadine lost her mate, but she’d lost little Athena the day she was born after sending her away with Teine to protect her. It was a struggle to get either of them back. It didn’t matter that Athena was in the same house with her now. She couldn’t seem to connect with the child. All she could think about was the loss of her mate.
“I love my sister,” Teine murmured, reaching over to cover Noah’s hand with her own. “I’ve always looked up to her, but she is an empty shell of the person she used to be. I don’t want that for you, Noah. Please, face your past so that you can have a full, happy future with the woman who is meant to hold the other half of your soul.”
Face his past. Easy for her to say. Noah’s gaze went back to where Nadine stood just moments before. She was lost, alone, filled with sorrow. Teine was right. If he ever wanted a future with Aurora, he was going to have to put his past behind him. If only he could figure out how to do that.
Chap
ter Five
“You need to rest, Aurora.”
What Trinity said was true, and Aurora wanted nothing more than to climb the stairs to her bedroom and fall into her bed that was waiting, but she knew she couldn’t. Not yet. “We have to talk first.”
“Aurora.”
Aurora shook her head, holding up a hand to stop Zara from continuing. “No, this is important.”
“Nothing is more important than your health,” Trinity insisted, her silver eyes flashing brighter in agitation.
“This is,” Aurora told her quietly, moving to take a seat in the rocking chair by the fireplace in her living room. Waving an arm, she motioned for her coven of sisters to find a place of their own. “Please, sit.” As she waited, Aurora rested her head back against the chair, closing her eyes. The pain in her side was overwhelming, and her head ached something fierce. She knew she wasn’t going to last much longer.
“Drink this, child.”
Aurora’s eyelids fluttered, and then opened. She was so exhausted. One glance told her she must have nodded off for a few minutes. Luna and Katalyna sat on the side of the daybed across from her, and the others had all brought in chairs from the kitchen. Her grandmother stood beside her, holding a glass out to her. Breathing in deeply, Aurora let the scent of the healing potion enter her. Wrapping shaky hands around the mug, she lifted it to her lips, taking a small sip of the steaming brew. It slid down her throat easily, coating it, easing some of the pain. Aurora drank half of it before handing the cup back to her grandmother.
“All of it, Aurora.”
“After we talk.” She knew if she drank the rest of it, it would put her into a deep, healing sleep. As much as she wanted that, she needed to warn her coven. Her eyes flew to Mist, and she held out a hand to her.
Mist was immediately by her side, grasping her hand tightly as she knelt to her knees and bowed her head. “I am so sorry, Aurora. I never should have left you.”
Accepting His Witch’s Sass (Sass And Growl Book 3) Page 4