Chapter 269. Not Mates: pt. 1

Aurora’s POV

I couldn’t stop myself from asking. I knew that. “Maggie... How long have you and Jade been seeing each other?”

Maggie blinked, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of her glass. She had always been so composed, but there was a slight tremor in her hands that caught my attention. It wasn’t like her to fidget. “Over a month,” she replied softly, avoiding my gaze for a second before looking up at me. Her eyes were sincere, and there was a warmth in them when she spoke of him. “I really like him, Aurora. He’s... kind, gentle, thoughtful. Everything I didn’t expect.” She paused, as though weighing something in her mind. “But…I know I’m not his mate, and maybe that’s why... Well, why has he kept his distance recently? Before he came around again and started hanging out with me more.”

Her words hung in the air, and my heart clenched in my chest. I didn’t know if I should be happy for her or worried about what was happening. “Maggie,” I said more seri