Aurora’s POV
After a week, I resumed work. No one ever said fucking a bear could be that draining and you’d be on a weekend high. The smile on my face stilled the moment I entered the bar; almost every single head whipped toward me. They stared at me—I paused—differently as I clutched my bag to my side and walked carefully to the break room. I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I just shrugged and changed into my uniform.
Work went smoothly for the first six hours before I went for a few minutes’ recess; I immediately headed to the counter because if I wanted to know what was going on, my source would be John. He knows everything.
I walked over to John, knocking on the counter to get his attention. In a hushed voice, I asked, “Is something wrong that I don’t know about? Have I missed something?” I eyed the other people in the room as I spoke.
John chuckled, wiping a glass down before placing it back on the shelf. “You are the source,” he responded in a duh tone, and I raised a brow.
"I didn’t know I was popular,” I snarked, then smiled tightly. "Source of what, my dear friend?” I inquired, but before John could respond, the bell rang, informing us there was a customer waiting at a table. I rolled my eyes. “Later,” I told him, wiping my hands on my pants before walking out to the floor.
My eyes landed on the seats, and I immediately rolled them again because it was none other than Josephine. Here we go again, I thought, forcing a professional smile onto my lips by the time I reached the table. She wasn’t alone either; she had a few of her friends with her.
All of them had identical smirks plastered on their faces that showed they didn’t come here for a drink but to play. “Welcome, what can I get you today?” One of them snickered, mimicking my voice. And I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again. What are we? Five? I shook my head but did not respond to that and focused on getting my work done.
They intentionally took their time deliberating what to order by saying they wanted one thing and then immediately canceling it to order something else. I could feel my anger brewing, but I kept the smile fixed on my face. And I didn’t miss how Josephine, who was quietly watching the whole thing, wrinkled her nose in disgust.
I walked back to the counter and handed John the order and he peeked his head through the window and sighed. “Do you want me to take it out to them?” he asked, concern slipping into his tone.
I smiled, appreciating his help. “No, thank you. I’ll do it myself.” Once he finished the drinks, he pushed the tray toward me, and I carried it carefully back to the floor.
When I reached the table, Josephine was already standing up; her head was tilted as her nose still wrinkled like she smelled something foul. “You’re just parading around just because you fucked him. Such a whore.”
I raised my eyebrow, not understanding what the fuck she was talking about. What did she mean? Was she implying I smelled? My mind raced, and suddenly everything clicked. Was this why everyone had been staring at me all morning? Did everyone know Orion and I fucked?
Fuck! I couldn’t believe it; I remembered how some of the clan members had dipped their heads slightly when I walked past them on my way to work. I had just returned the gesture, thinking they were being polite. They weren’t just being nice; they smelled him on me.
“And if I fucked him... I don’t think that’s any of your concern,” I responded, my voice deadpan.
“So you aren’t even denying being a whore.”
I breathed out slowly; the weight of the tray in my hands felt heavy. “Whether I do that or not, again, it is none of your concern. It’s my body, not yours. Or are you just jealous?” I taunted.
She gritted her teeth, stepping closer until she was within my space; her voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “Just because you opened your legs for him doesn’t mean he actually wants you.” Her eyes raked down to my bare neck before she let out a loud scoff. “I don’t see his mark.” She giggled, looking at her friends like she had just won a prize. “You are fat, big, and out of his league. I understand why he didn’t mark you.” Her friends snickered right on cue.
Here we go again. A smile played on my lips at her words, and I laughed at her idiocy. I didn’t think someone could be so stupid like this; she was behaving like those soap opera high school queen bees.
I purposely turned my body slightly to the side so she could see my curves clearly. My mind flashed back to the last three days—remembering exactly how Orion worshiped this body, how his hands gripped me, and how he seemed like he could never get enough of it. My breast suffered the most from him; it still stings a little if I brush my hands on my nipple hard.
“I’ve come to the facts that,” I told her, locking my eyes onto hers. “Being fat is just a body size, and it’s not offensive to me anymore because it’s true. But am I ugly?” I pushed the question right back at her as I swirled my head to the side, letting my hair shift. “I’m not. I can pull whoever I want with this body. I have the brains and the beauty. Unlike you.”
I raised my eyes, challenging her. “With the way your lips curl up like you just swallowed a bitter truth, I don’t even know what to say about you.”
Josephine gritted her teeth as she raised her hand to slap me across the face, my chin up and my shoulders squared while my smirk widened. “Try it,” I urged her, my voice dropping to a low hiss. “Try it. Let’s see where your hand goes.”
Josephine’s face scrunched with anger yet paused as she recoiled from my words, dropping her hands to her side.
‘Good,” I said, “at least you know when to use your brain.’ And I slammed the cup from the tray down onto the table; the glass rattled against the table while Josephine’s friends jolted a little at the sound.
“And mind you, he is with me, not you,” I whispered, leaning in closer to her face. “You are just jealous because he will never look at you, never want you, and you’re just going to die of envy, Jojo.”
I think my last word pissed her off, but I didn’t care as I used my hip to push her out of my path, swaying my hips deliberately as I walked back to the counter.
I noticed the other workers and customers around the bar had been watching the exchange; as soon as I reached the back, John started clapping his hands.
“That was so badass,” he cooed, grinning from ear to ear. “She always felt like she would get the leader just because she’s the elder’s daughter. Too bad for her, the leader has never looked at her once.”
I just smiled, suddenly feeling shy at his statement.
***
Jojo can’t learn