CHAPTER 185: CHAPTER 185 MOM VS. AURORA

Freya

"It’s okay," I told the teacher softly, forcing my voice to remain steady despite Selene’s whine of distress inside me. "Let them chat. Don’t disturb them."

After hanging up, I immediately sent Isabella a message asking about her first day at school. Had she made any new friends? What did she eat for lunch? I reminded her to listen to her teachers and take her afternoon nap when the time came.

Over ten minutes passed before I finally received a curt voice message from my daughter: "I know, Mom. I’ll take a good nap."

Selene whimpered within me, sensing the dismissive tone even as I tried to convince myself I was being oversensitive. My cub was just busy with her new school. That was all.

"Your daughter sounds adorable," Sherry commented, having observed my exchange. "How old is she?"

"Five," I answered, unable to keep the pride from my voice despite everything else. "She just started school today."

The afternoon dragged on as I showed Sherry around the office, introducing her to our workflow and colleagues. She proved to be lively and sociable, quickly charming everyone she met. I had to admit she was competent - perhaps too competent for my comfort.

By 6 PM, I was gathering my things to head home when Sherry appeared at my desk.

"Freya, I’d love to take you to dinner," she said with that practiced smile. "As a thank you for all your guidance today."

"This is part of my job," I deflected politely. "You don’t need to be so formal, Sherry."

She was insisting when my phone rang. The screen displayed a name that made me blink twice in disbelief: Maria Moretti.

Why would she suddenly call me?

"Maria?" I answered cautiously.

"York has secretly been racing cars lately, and I’m worried about him," Stella said without greeting, her voice clipped and businesslike. "I’ll send you the address. Go and bring him back."

Before I could respond, she’d hung up. Seconds later, an address appeared on my phone - an outdoor race track on the outskirts of the city.

I turned to Sherry with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I have an urgent family matter to attend to. I need to leave now."

---

The race track was buzzing with activity when I arrived over an hour later. The air smelled of gasoline, burned rubber, and the distinctive musk of excited wolves. Music pounded from speakers, nearly drowned out by the roar of high-performance engines.

I called York several times, but he didn’t answer. With no choice, I pushed my way through the crowds, scanning for Silvano’s younger brother.

After nearly twenty minutes of searching, I finally spotted him near the front of the spectator area, bouncing on his toes with excitement.

"York!" I called, touching his shoulder.

He spun around, eyes widening. "Freya? What are you doing here?"

I explained Maria’s concerns about his racing activities, and he immediately raised his hand as if swearing an oath.

"It’s not like that at all!" he protested. "Today my idol, Eos, the number one female racer in North America, is competing for the first time since coming back to the country. I couldn’t miss it!" His eyes sparkled with admiration. "I promise, after I watch the race, I’ll go straight home. I won’t do anything reckless. So don’t worry, you can head back now!"

"But your sister—" I began, only to be interrupted by the crowd erupting into thunderous cheers and chants of "Eos! Eos! Eos!"

York completely forgot my existence, joining the frenzied shouting. He grabbed a pair of binoculars, training them on the starting line with the intensity of a starving predator eyeing prey.

I’d never seen him so enthusiastic about anything. "When did you start liking racing?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Before, I wasn’t interested," he admitted without taking his eyes off the track. "But that was before I met my idol! You should see her, Freya! She’s so beautiful and cool!" His voice took on an almost reverent quality. "Once you see her, you’ll understand why I’m into racing now. And I’m sure you’ll be just as fascinated by her! After all, she’s perfect. There’s no way anyone wouldn’t love her!"

Just then, Eos made her official appearance, and the crowd went wild. York shouted himself hoarse, completely forgetting my presence beside him.

My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten dinner yet. Looking at York’s rapt attention on his idol, I knew there was no point in trying to drag him away now. The noise was too overwhelming for conversation anyway. I decided to stay and watch the race with him before taking him home, as Maria had asked.

Selene seemed uneasy within me, her instincts picking up on something I couldn’t quite identify. I scanned the crowd, wondering what had my wolf so alert.

The announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers as the racers took their positions. "And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! In her first American race since her triumphant European tour, our hometown champion... Eos!"

A sleek figure in a custom racing suit stepped forward, removing her helmet with dramatic flair. Long, luxurious dark hair tumbled free, and the crowd’s roar intensified.

My breath caught in my throat as recognition dawned. I’d seen that face before—in photographs at the Moretti family estate, in Silvano’s old albums, and most recently, having lunch with my mate and daughter.

Eos was Aurora Howlthorne.

Silvano’s cousin, his constant companion, and the woman who seemed determined to insert herself into every aspect of my family’s life.

"Isn’t she amazing?" York gushed beside me, oblivious to my shock. "She’s won three European championships! And she’s so down-to-earth. Did you know she helps design the engines too? Beauty, brains, and talent—the total package!"

I watched numbly as Aurora—Eos—climbed into her car with practiced grace. No wonder she always seemed so perfect in Silvano’s and Isabella’s eyes. She wasn’t just Silvano’s beautiful cousin who handled pack business; she was a celebrity, a champion, someone extraordinary.

While I was at home folding laundry and making school lunches, Aurora was winning racing championships and designing engines.

"Yeah," I murmured, the word bitter on my tongue. "The total package."