Chapter 6

• Aurora's POV
• "What is that supposed to mean?" I demand, my anger getting so strong that I have to make a conscious effort not to scream so no one hears me.
• Thankfully, the rest of my family and Mason seem to be too busy laughing and enjoying each other's company to ever notice that some unknown pervert is calling me right now.
• I know it would be easier to just put the phone down and stop the conversation right then and there, but I want to just stop it right here and right now. I'm just so done with this, and perhaps if I keep the conversation long enough, I would recognize the voice and identify whoever this is.
• "You are not my destiny," I tell him in a cold whisper. "I don't know you. And if you have the balls, maybe you should show up and just get this over with."
• The man from the other line lets out a laugh, and this time, he sounds truly amused that his laughter softens into a somewhat boyish sound that triggers something in me.
• As though knowing this, the man's voice once again deepens into a smooth deep tone.
• "I don't like playing games, princess," he says. "I have spent enough time getting you to crack already, and I need something in return."
• "What is it?" I ask impatiently. "Would that make you leave me alone?"
• He doesn't answer. "I want you to go to your bedroom right now, strip naked for me, and take pictures of yourself."
• The desire is so obvious in his tone that my entire body goes hot. I head to my bedroom with the phone, alright, but it's not to take photos for him. It's to hide from the possible shame of being caught talking to whoever this man is when I wanted nothing to do with him.
• I close the door behind me, hoping no one would bother me for a moment. Meanwhile, the man stays quiet in the other side of the call.
• But I can hear him breathing slowly, like he's doing something that's purely for pleasure.
• Like he's pleasuring himself, to be specific.
• I swallow hard. For some reason, the image of it is clear in my head. A faceless man, hidden in shadow, completely naked with his length in his hand....
• I feel hot in a way I never really felt before. Maybe it's just because I came of age and now I'm more capable of feeling things like this just from simple thoughts. Perhaps it also had to do with the fact that I just met my mate last night, and I have heard him do something with my sister which I would have been forbidden to even hear about before.
• Either way, I shake my head to get rid of the image.
• "You're a fucking pervert," I spit out. "You are not going to get anything from me. Do you understand?"
• He just clucks his tongue. "Don't go around starting to call me any other name than your man, princess. That's what I am. I'm yours. And right now, I want you on your bed, spread open for me so I can see what I will claim."
• My face gets so hot that I start to sweat. "I will never do that for you."
• "No?" he challenges me. "You don't want to show me your beautiful body and prove to me that you're still mine? You don't want to please me? Someday you will be begging for this, princess."
• "Stop it!" I hiss at him. "I can call the police on you. Do you know that? I can have you arrested right now. You have been harrassing me for years and I can't take it anymore! Just tell me who you are!"
• Silence from the other line. Still his steady and deep breathing. I start to think that maybe he got put off by my threat but then he speaks again.
• "If you wanted to have me arrested, you would have done it years ago."
• He has a point. I should have done something about it back then. I shouldn't have let it escalate into this, because this is driving me insane.
• I open my mouth to tell him to fuck off, but he speaks over me.
• "You have a choice not to send me any pictures," he says calmly. "I'm not that cruel. But just so you know, there is a price to that. And I hope it's something that you would be very willing to pay one day, when I finally come and collect my dues."
• "I dare you," I tell him, sounding pretty convincingly threatening even though my insides are jelly just thinking about it.
• The man ends the call right then and there. Only the beeping sound is coming from the phone now. All that's left to do is go down and put the phone back where I got it. All I need to do after that is forget this interaction and go about my day. I have done that before, and I can do it again.
• But why am I so scared all of a sudden? Why does it feel different this time?
• I put the phone on the bed, not knowing what to do now. Everything inside me is telling me to just ask Dad for help, to finally tell them what's been going on for years. But what would they do?
• There is no address on the package. Nothing that would give a clue as to who the man is and where he lives.
• Besides, what will I do if he turns out to be dangerous?
• There's only one way to find out, unfortunately.
• I'm about to head out of my bedroom and perhaps arrange a conversation with my Mom and Dad, but then the window of my bedroom bursts open with the strongest gust of wind I have ever seen.
• Suddenly, cold air fills my bedroom, seemingly permeating in the walls like snow. I quickly peek through the window to see, not knowing what I'm really expecting.
• But the only thing I see is the rustling of the bushes in the garden, as though something just passed through them.