Wolf Endangered (Willow's Forbidden Pack #2) - Avery Song Page 0,39

there and then, yet I couldn't wait another hour. I couldn't wait for another second in that pit of endless agony.

My eyes opened slowly to see the tears spill down her face, and even through the anger, the pain, and her burning desire to reject my plea, I knew right there in the core of those irises that she would forgive me.

I knew the day Aurelia and I met that we'd be in each other's lives for a long-ass time, but when we dated for a year, I knew this world would be dull without her joy. Romantically or not, there was no doubt in my mind that she'd be by my side, no matter if her Coven tried to shun her away from me, or Roberto fought to keep me away from her.

We were magnets, destined to connect, and though our romance fell through, it was on agreeable terms. No matter rain or shine, we'd be besties.

There were ups and downs, periods of quietness and weeks of banter and fun, nights of amazing pleasure, and moments of endless sorrow. The rollercoaster ride with Aurelia was one I'd ride again and again, and even now that I'd awakened my wolf and was on a new path Mother Moon set out for me, I needed her support.

Not just for her wondrous medicines and herbs, financial backup, and powerful position, but because she was my best friend and with her as my backbone, I could walk confidently out of this penthouse and prove to the world who William De Luca was.

Claim my legacy in front of the world.

"Dummy," she whispered and hit my chest with her clenched fist. "Dummy. Dummy. Dummy!" She kept hitting me with her fists, but we both knew it wasn't even close to hard enough to hurt me. Her tears continued to spill down her face as she kept insulting me, her lips trembling as she lifted her head to look up at me.

"You know you're stuck with me," she seethed. "Damn asshole!"

"So you forgive me?" I offered with a slight smile that was nowhere near joyous. It was a sad smile, one that made my heart clench and triggered more tears while Aurelia began to sob.

"Obviously, stupid," she cried. "I forgive you."

I took that moment to hug her, and she cried into my hold. I didn't fight my own muffled sobs. The last time I cried as a male was when I'd triggered this magical shift for the first time as a child. It was the moment when I realized I could gain my father's love, even if it wasn't a permanent change.

The moment triggered tears, and I vowed I wouldn't cry again in this form of power, but this was the only exception because I needed to let go of these feelings. Let the guilt flow outward, just like I had with the Forbidden Pack.

There was still one more person I needed to confront, and I would before my grand debut from the "dead", but until then, I'd embrace these emotions and let them all out, for Aurelia deserved to know how regretful I was.

She had to be reminded that she was still and always would be important to me.

When we both calmed down, she turned away to compose herself.

"You need to eat. If you want to shower, best do it now. Your set of clothes is in the closet but call me when you're done because it's going to be tricky." She headed to the door. "And before you freak out, yes, I paid for that."

I had no clue what she meant, but she was gone with the slide of the door. I knew she needed a moment to get back to her joyful, slightly crazy self, so I wasn't worried she'd change her mind.

My eyes drifted around the room until they literally froze on the magnificent artwork I was shocked had been placed there this entire time. She had to have used some magic to hide its magnificent display. The conversation from earlier when I was barely awake suddenly made perfect sense as I took it all in.

I expected it to be a picture of me and one of the guys due to the last painting being of Dimitris and me, but no. This masterpiece wasn't just me.

It was three of us: Onyx, Neo, and me as Willow.

There I stood in between them like in the forest after our mate bond had activated - Neo standing in front of me with my hand in