The Alpha's Secret Human Sugar Baby - Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Aurora’s POV
With Alpha Sanders’ promise to look into the incident, Thorne and I return to normal life—or as normal as it is when you’re the secret mistress to the strongest Alpha.
“I want you to stay home today,” Thorne says as I walk out of the bathroom.
“What? Why?” We’d gotten back from the Redwater Pack last night, and he hadn’t said anything about not going to work today.
“You should take a break today and relax,” he says while buttoning his dress shirt. He moves to his tie, fussing with it for a minute before I swat his hands away and tie it for him.
“Thorne, I’m fine.”
“Having nightmares every night for the past two days isn’t fine,” he growls, tipping my chin up. “You were in a serious accident and need to take time to recover.”
The mention of my nightmares is a low blow, but true, nonetheless. We stayed two extra days at Alpha Sanders’ pack so Thorne could look for the person who hurt me, but he didn’t have any luck.
“I wasn’t hurt, Thorne. I was just scared,” I tell him, pressing my palms to his chest to bring his attention back to me and not the worry I can see swirling in his eyes. What I don’t tell him is that I want to stay by his side. I feel safer when we’re together and the thought of him leaving me here alone is not great.
Thorne has grown more protective and didn’t leave my side unless Jace was with me, and I’ve grown more attached to Thorne.
Actually, if I think about it, I felt the safest when he was in his wolf form the other night. But I hold my tongue, thinking it would be embarrassing to admit that. We haven’t talked about that night, either, and I want to. I also want to see his wolf again, this time during the day where I can really see him.
“You’re staying here to relax, and that’s final,” Thorne orders, but his words aren’t harsh. They hold heavy command as well as a bit of tenderness. He’s truly worried. It’s the only reason I agree to stay home while he leaves for work.
Thorne is definitely different than he was when we first met. He’s more attentive and definitely more protective, which brings questions to mind. One in particular- could Thorne be falling for me like I’m falling for him?
The question sticks in my mind as I move through meaningless tasks to “relax.” I take a long, hot shower, eat breakfast, do half of a yoga routine before I get bored and move onto reading a book. The book gets weird fast around lunch time, so I eat some leftovers.
Staying home is boring. I have nothing to do and nowhere to go, and honestly, I wish Thorne was here.
After a nap, I watch an overly dramatic movie, eat way too much popcorn, and am about to turn the channel when a commercial comes on. The engagement ring that flits across the screen has me remembering an entirely different ring.
I jump up from the couch and rush upstairs to find my purse. I’d completely forgotten about the ring, and when I dig through my purse, I find the paper containing the names and numbers of possible ring owners.
Suddenly, I’m grateful that Thorne left me at home. I haven’t had time to call the numbers, but I do now. I grab my phone and climb onto the bed, dialing the first number. The phone rings a few times before a man answers.
My conversation with him and with four other people went the same way. I let them know of my situation and that I’m looking for the ring. Each person tells me they don’t have the ring, but they do offer to let me look through their jewelry collections to see if I want something else. I guess they don’t care that I’m looking for something specific.
So, as I dial the last number on the list, I send up a silent prayer that this isn’t another bust.
“Hello, this is Sarah Parker.”
“Hi. I’m looking for Ralph’s Jewelry Store?” I was expecting a man to answer, not a woman.
“Yes, this is… was Ralph’s. I’m his granddaughter, Sarah,” the woman says. “My grandfather’s store is no longer open for business. He passed away several months ago, and we haven’t been able to keep the shop open.”
Dang it. I bite my lip then sigh, “Oh, I’m sorry about that. I was looking for a piece he may have purchased.”
“I still have his collection stored away, though,” Sarah says, and there’s a shuffling sound on the other end of the phone. “He spent his time going from pawn shop to pawn shop, purchasing antique jewelry to fix or sell.”
“The pawn shop that I went to gave me this number, so I was hoping your grandfather would have some answers for me,” I explain while fiddling with the edge of the paper in my lap.
This is my last lead. Every other number was unhelpful. It’s the last thing I wanted. If I can’t find something from this last number, then I probably won’t be finding the ring. That prospect nearly has me sweating.
It’s my only chance to find my real family. I have no other leads, and I don’t know where else to look.
“I’m not sure if he has what you’re looking for, but you’re welcome to come by the house,” Sarah tells me. “I can help you look through my grandfather’s things.”
“Really? That would be amazing,” I tell her.
“I’m working all week, but I’m free this weekend. Would Saturday work for you?”
“That would work for me. Thank you,” I answer, grabbing a pen and writing down her address when she rattles it off. I thank her sincerely and when the call ends, I do a little happy dance. Now I’m one step closer to finding my real family.
“Hey, Soph,” I whisper, taking her hand in mine.
“Hi, Rora.” Sophie smiles weakly at me, reminding me of everything my mother had lied about. I don’t want Sophie to feel the anger and confusion, so I try to clear my mind.
“How are you feeling? Any better?”
She nods and then leans her head back against the pillow, “I’m okay, but I’m tired.”
Wanting to know more, I press the nurse call button, and she actually comes quickly. Her timing is much faster than it usually is, and I notice how she doesn’t sneer at me like she normally does.
“Could you update me on my sister’s condition?” I ask, turning toward her. The woman checks each of the machines Sophie is connected to before picking up her chart and looking over it.
“Your sister is doing well for having just started her treatments,” the nurse says. “Her sugar levels have been fluctuating, but we’re working on getting them even. She is often tired and weak, but that’s to be expected. She’s doing well with the current treatment, but if we can’t get her glucose and blood levels steady, then we may have to look into other treatments.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Is there anything else you need?” Her question catches me off guard. I was expecting her to leave immediately. It’s nice that her attitude has changed.