Yours, Forever

t h i r t y n i n e

Uneasy applause could be heard throughout the auditorium as Xavier walked away from the podium.

On the side, Megan left her parents' arms and immediately pulled Aurora in for a hug, catching the older girl by surprise.

"Thank you so much," Megan murmured. She couldn't believe it was all over. All thanks to the older girl who showed her that she was loved by her family no matter what and that she should be able to trust them since they were her family.

"You really need to stop thanking me," Aurora rubbed Megan's back as she chuckled. "Like I said the other day, we're family, Megan."

Megan pulled away with a genuine smile on her face and kissed Aurora on the cheek. Giving Aurora one last squeeze, she walked to the edge of the stage where Damien stood waiting for her.

She leaped into her oldest brother's arms as he gracefully caught her. Steading her onto her feet, he whispered words of encouragement, kissing her on the forehead to show how proud he was of her. It wasn't long before Elijah swooped in, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Still on stage, Xavier held his hand out, which Aurora immediately grabbed. Isabella and Alexander made their way to the couple and as soon as she was within range, Isabella brought Aurora in for a loving embrace. The Knights were definitely a family that loved hugs.

"You don't know how grateful I am for you, Aurora," Isabella said, pulling away to look Aurora in the eyes. "You, my dear, are an angel sent from heaven."

"Isabella," Aurora pouted, her cheeks reddening from the compliment. "I really didn't do much."

"You're always so humble," Isabella clucked her tongue, giving Aurora a kind smile like a mother would her daughter. She turned to look at Xavier with a stern look. "You better keep her happy or you'll answer to me."

Xavier rolled his eyes, causing Isabella to glare at her son. She was his mother, right? "You know I will, ma."

"Good," Isabella patted her son's cheek as Alexander gave Aurora a grateful smile. He pulled Aurora in for a hug as well, kissing the top of her head to express his gratefulness for the woman who helped his daughter learn to open up to them. He whispered a 'thank you' before pulling away, leading Isabella off the stage.

They really were becoming her family.

The two followed after his parents off the stage, and Xavier made sure to help Aurora down the steps to prevent her from tripping over her own feet. Behind them, the principal tried to go after them but was immediately stopped by Jackson.

With his intimating glare, the principal immediately backed up in fear. Compared to him, Jackson was younger and built completely out of pure muscle.

"You did so well," murmured Aurora, not paying any attention to the obvious stares they were receiving as they made their way out of the auditorium.

"You think I scared them enough?" Xavier asked, keeping his hand tightly intertwined with hers.

Aurora scoffed, squeezing his hand. "I'm sure everyone was shitting their pants. This was the first time I've seen this side of you. The way you commanded everyone's attention— it was kind of hot."

Xavier chuckled, leaning down so he could kiss her cheek. As soon as they walked out of the auditorium, their family immediately broke out into an excited chatter.

"I can't believe you just did that," Maddie grinned, punching Xavier lightly on the arm. "You should've seen the horror on all their faces when you called them out, especially Principal Donalds."