(Aurora’s POV)

The soft aroma of pancakes drifted through the air as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, stretching under my warm blanket. The faint sounds of my mother humming in the kitchen and the occasional rustling of a newspaper reassured me that the world was still as it had always been.

I glanced at my bedside clock—6:45 AM. Time to get ready for another day of school.

With a sigh, I pushed myself out of bed and headed downstairs. My father sat at the table, flipping through the morning news, while my mother busied herself at the stove.

“Morning, sweetheart,” she greeted, sliding a plate of pancakes onto the table.

“Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad.” I took my usual seat, picking at my food absentmindedly.

My little brother, Noah, sprinted into the room, his usual hyper self. “Aurora, are you going to spend the whole day in your books again? Maybe try making an actual friend?”

I rolled my eyes. “Books are better than people.”

Dad chuckled from behind his newspaper. “You sound just like I did at your age.”

Mom gave me a worried look. “Honey, you know we just want you to be happy. Maybe try talking to someone today?”

I gave her a small smile. “I’ll try.” It was a lie, and we both knew it.

---

At School – The Same Old Story

The moment I stepped into the school hallway, I was reminded exactly why I preferred books over people.

Whispers. Stares.

The popular girls, led by Jessica Carter, threw a glance my way, smirking. I ducked my head, clutching my books tightly to my chest as I hurried to my locker.

But just as I reached it, a foot shot out, blocking my path.

“Oops.” Jessica’s sickly sweet voice rang in my ears as I stumbled. “Didn’t see you there, nerd.”

Her group of friends giggled. My stomach twisted, but I didn’t react. This had been my reality for years—I had learned to endure it.

Just keep your head down. They’ll get bored.

Jessica grabbed my book. “What’s this? More fantasy novels?” She flipped through it before dropping it to the floor. “You should read something real for once.”

I bent down to pick it up, feeling the familiar burn of humiliation. But before I could reach it—

A strong hand grabbed the book first.

A tall figure stepped into my vision, holding the book in his hands.

Damien Blackwood.

The air shifted. The hallway went eerily quiet.

He was the kind of boy that made people step aside without him even asking. Dark hair, golden eyes, an aura of something… dangerous.

He didn’t look at Jessica. He didn’t acknowledge the other girls.

His eyes were on me.

“Yours?” His voice was deep, smooth, but there was something behind it—something I couldn’t quite place.

I nodded slowly.

He handed the book to me, his fingers brushing against mine. My heart did something strange, but I ignored it.

Jessica let out a nervous laugh. “Damien, what are you—”

His golden eyes snapped to her, and she instantly shut up.

Without another word, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

The entire hallway was staring at me.

Damien Blackwood had just protected me from Jessica Carter.

I had no idea why.

But for the first time in years, something in my life changed.

And I had a feeling this was only the beginning.

(Aurora’s POV)

The day felt different.

Ever since Damien Blackwood had stepped in to defend me from Jessica Carter earlier that morning, a strange tension hung in the air. It was as if the entire school was seeing me in a different light.

For the first time in years, I wasn’t invisible.

But I wasn’t sure if I liked that.

At lunchtime, I walked into the cafeteria, balancing my tray carefully, already plotting my escape to my usual secluded corner. The cafeteria was buzzing with conversation, but this time, I caught snippets of my own name in the mix.

"Did you see Damien Blackwood today? He actually spoke to Aurora."

"No way. He never talks to anyone unless he wants something."

"I bet it’s a joke. He probably just felt sorry for her."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I didn’t need the extra attention. I just wanted to sit down, eat quietly, and pretend none of it happened.

Just as I turned to walk to my usual seat, the entire cafeteria fell silent.

A ripple of awareness spread through the room. Chairs scraped against the floor, whispers stopped mid-sentence.

I looked up.

Damien Blackwood had entered the cafeteria.

His tall frame moved through the crowd with effortless confidence. His dark hair was tousled like he didn’t care, his golden eyes sharp, scanning the room like he was bored. But the moment his gaze landed on me, he froze.

And then… he stared.

Directly at me.

The entire cafeteria seemed to hold its breath.

I felt my cheeks flush, my heartbeat picking up for no reason at all. Why was he looking at me like that?

I quickly broke eye contact and walked to my corner seat, hoping—praying—that he would just ignore me.

He didn’t.

Even as I sat down, I could still feel his eyes on me.

It was unsettling.

And yet… deep inside me, something about it felt familiar.

I spent the rest of lunch pretending not to notice him.

Even though I could feel his gaze from across the room.

Even though I caught him looking at me every time I dared glance up.

What did he want?

I didn't have an answer.

After the bell rang, I hurried out of the cafeteria, hoping to shake the strange feeling curling in my stomach.

But as I turned the corner near my locker, I crashed into something solid.

A firm grip caught me before I could fall, holding me in place.

Warmth. Strength.

A scent—clean, crisp, and wildly intoxicating.

I looked up—and my breath caught.

Damien Blackwood.

His golden eyes burned into mine, unreadable, intense.

My entire body froze.

His hands lingered on my arms longer than necessary, his touch firm yet careful—like he was holding onto something fragile.

My pulse raced. Why did he always make me feel this way?

I quickly stepped back, breaking free from his hold.

"You should be careful," he said, his voice low and smooth. "You never know who might be watching you."

What?

I frowned. "What does that even mean?"

He didn't answer. His jaw clenched slightly as if he was debating something.

And then, before I could ask again, he turned around and walked away.

I stood there, heart still pounding.

What the hell just happened?

Why was he acting so strange?

First, he protected me. Then, he watched me like I was some kind of puzzle he was trying to solve.

And now, he was warning me?

It didn't make sense.

I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away.

Damien Blackwood was an enigma.

And I had a terrible feeling that whatever was happening… was only just beginning.

Aurora’s POV

Damien Blackwood had never looked at me before.

Not like this.

Not with that burning intensity, like I was something more than just another girl in the school.

I walked down the hallway after our strange encounter, my mind still reeling from his words.

"You should be careful. You never know who might be watching you."

Why would he say that?

And why did it feel like he was talking about himself?

I shook my head, trying to focus on my next class. Maybe this was just some twisted game he played. After all, Damien wasn’t just mysterious—he was dangerous.

At least, that’s what everyone said.

---

Damien’s POV

I should have stayed away.

I told myself over and over again that getting close to her was dangerous.

But the moment I saw her in that hallway, so small, so delicate, yet trying so hard to be invisible…

I knew I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Aurora Hayes.

My mate.

The one thing in this world I could never have.

Not yet.

I clenched my jaw as I walked away from her, my hands itching to pull her back.

She didn’t know what she was.

Didn’t know what I was.

Didn’t know that her scent had driven me insane from the moment I first met her.

Didn’t know that I had spent the last few years fighting the unnatural, primal urge to claim her before she was ready.

I was never supposed to reveal myself like this.

But when I saw those bullies put their hands on her, when I saw the way she lowered her head, too used to being hurt…

I lost control.

I wanted to rip them apart.

I wanted to show them who she belonged to.

And now, I had made a mistake.

She was looking at me differently now. Questioning me.

I had let my guard down.

And if I wasn’t careful…

She would figure out the truth.

That she had never been alone.

That even after I disappeared, I had never stopped watching her.

Because I was waiting.

Waiting for the day when I could finally take her away.

Waiting for the day when she would belong to me.

---

Aurora’s POV

By the time I got home, I was exhausted.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

The way he touched me. The way his voice had dropped into something dangerous and possessive when he warned me.

And most of all—the way I felt when he looked at me.

Like I was important.

Like I was his.

I sighed, flopping onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Maybe I was just overthinking it.

Damien Blackwood wasn’t some dark protector. He wasn’t some shadow watching over me.

He was just a boy.

A popular, playboy, mysterious boy who would never look at me that way again.

Right?

---

Damien’s POV

I watched as the light in her bedroom flickered off.

Standing in the shadows outside her house, I exhaled slowly.

I knew I shouldn’t be here.

But I couldn’t help myself.

I had been waiting years for this moment.

And soon…

Aurora Hayes would be mine.

Whether she knew it yet or not.