I Rejected My Obsessive Werebeast novel Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Aurora’s POV

Lena? I figured it was probably the name of his previous owner.

His face was close to mine. He looked into my eyes, but he wasn’t really seeing me. He was looking for someone else–someone who hadn’t been in his life for a long time.

I turned my head. His lips missed my cheek by a fraction. His breath was warm against my skin – wine and something else, something tired and desperate.

My palm came up. Flat against his chest. I pushed.

“I’m Aurora,” I said. My voice was steady. Low. Not angry. Just clear. “Kane, you’ve had too much to drink.”

His hand froze. His eyes shifted as he slowly came back to himself. Then he pulled away.

He moved quickly, pushing himself up onto his knees.

“I –” His voice broke. He cleared it. “I’m sorry.”

He stood. Unsteady. Caught himself on the back of the sofa.

“I’ll sleep on the couch.”

He didn’t look at me. I sat up. Smoothed my hair. “Okay,” I said.

He pulled a blanket from the back of the sofa, shook it out, and spread it over the cushions.

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I stood, picked up my glass from where it had rolled, and set it on the table.

“Goodnight, Kane.”

He was already lying down. His back was to me.

“Happy birthday,” I said. I walked to my bedroom. Closed the door.

–

Locked it both locks, the chain too.

I sat on the edge of the bed. My phone was on the nightstand. I picked it up. Looked at the screen.

Silas’s last message: “Goodnight.”

I stared at it for a long time.

Then I set the phone back down. Lay back. Stared at the ceiling.

The hotel was quiet. The floor lamp in the other room clicked off.

Morning. I opened my bedroom door.

Kane was already in the living room, dressed and ready to go. His shirt was neatly pressed, his hair combed, and the laptop was open on the coffee table with the foundation itinerary spread out beside it.

He looked up when he heard me. His eyes met mine for a moment before shifting away.

“Morning,” he said, his voice lower and more careful than usual.

“Last night —”

“Nothing happened last night.” I walked to the table, picked up the itinerary. “Where’s the schedule?”

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He opened his mouth, then closed it. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and some of the tension left his shoulders.

He pushed the itinerary toward me.

“Children’s placement center this morning. Media visit this afternoon. Your interview with me tonight.”

I flipped through the pages, checking the times and locations.

“Alright,” I said. “Let’s get breakfast. Then we head out.”

The placement center was smaller than I’d expected.

A single–story building with a fenced yard. The paint on the exterior was faded but clean. The gate was locked – Kane had to call ahead for someone to let us in.

Inside, the yard was divided into sections. A sandbox. A swing set with two swings, one missing its seat. A patch of grass that had been trampled into bare dirt in the middle.

And the children.

A dozen or so. Different species. Different ages. Some chasing each other in circles. Some sitting alone in corners. A bear beastman boy about six years old was stacking blocks with intense concentration. Two fox beastman twins were arguing over a ball. A small figure huddled near the wall, half–hidden behind a planter.

I walked in.

The younger children looked up, their eyes wide and shoulders tense. They watched us carefully, keeping their distance.

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