Aurora woke up the next morning feeling like hell. After tossing and turning the entire night without getting much sleep, she had managed to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning.Her thoughts were filled with the kiss she shared with Henry. When she dozed off, her dreams kept her awake, dreams where Henry came to her room and made love to her until she screamed his name to the stars. Thinking about it now made her blush and she covered her flaming cheeks with her hands. "Aurora, get a grip." She chided herself. Pushing the covers away, she jumped out of the bed and entered the bathroom. By the time she was done washing herself, Matilda had layed out fresh clothes for her and changed the bedsheets to clean ones. "Good morning, Rose." She greeted with a smile. "Good morning, Matilda." Aurora replied, going to stand beside her. "You seem to be in such a good mood.""I have you to thank for that." Matilda beamed. "This morning, beta Tyler came up to me and told me I've been
Aurora noticed the way Henry stiffened beside her. "Is everything okay?" She asked tentatively. Henry stared at her silently for a few seconds before looking away. "Yes. I have to leave now. Make sure you stay with the maids. A few guards will go with you and bring you back."He pushed back his chair and walked out of the dining hall without another word. Aurora turned her worried eyes to Tyler who was just about to hurry after Henry. "Don't worry, Aurora." He assured her. "Everything is fine. The Alpha just has a few things he needs to take care of."Aurora wasn't convinced, and she clearly didn't like the fact that Tyler used her first name. No one said it better like Henry did, but that was the least of her worries. "Alright." She said finally. Tyler smiled reassuringly at her and hurried away. Left alone in the dining hall, Aurora was just about to head back to her room when Matilda and two other maids arrived. "Are you ready to leave now?" Matilda asked. "Now? I thought
The public market was busier and more boisterous than Aurora imagined. Different shops filled with ornaments, clothes and lots more aligned in a perfect round circle, and at the centre was a water fountain, similar to the one in front of Henry's castle. The moment she stepped down from the carriage, the stares began. People stared at her openly, not even bothering to be discreet. They whispered, pointing at her, wondering who she was. As large as the kingdom was, everyone knew instantly that she was a stranger. Matilda noticed how uncomfortable Aurora looked and she gently took her hand in hers. "Come with me." She said with a reassuring smile. "And try to ignore everyone else. Soon they'll get used to you and go about their businesses."Aurora smiled gratefully and averted her eyes, slowly following Matilda. Grace and Loretta followed behind. They arrived at the first shop where jewelries were sold and Matilda cheerfully greeted the young male trader. "Hello Gregory.""My dear
Aurora jerked away suddenly and sat up on the bed. She looked around the room, wondering what had aroused her from sleep. The time on the bedside table showed that it was few minutes to midnight. How had she fallen asleep? She had taken a warm bath and Matilda had brought up a dinner tray for her. When she inquired of Henry's whereabouts, Matilda shrugged, saying she hadn't seen him. Aurora didn't think much of it. She thought Henry would come around to check up on her like he usually did before retiring to bed. She then ate her dinner silently, listening closely for Henry's approaching footsteps. Even after Matilda came to take the dinner tray away and bid her good night, Aurora still stayed awake. She thought Henry was working late, and he would knock on her door any minute. But after battling with sleep for an hour, she finally succumbed. Now she was awake, wondering if Henry came at all. Pushing the thick covers off her legs, she climbed out of bed and walked into the bathro
Tyler stepped through the hidden door leading to the underground room and secured it with the heavy metal lock. Then he hurried over to where the other lycan soldiers stood and grabbed the crossbow leaning against the wall. "Is he still struggling to escape?" He asked. "Yes, beta Tyler." The soldier named Owen answered. "The chains are strong, but I don't think the silver has an effect on him anymore.""That's why I brought this." Tyler said, grabbing the bottle from his pocket. "This should weaken him.""Aconite." Owen gasped, and the other soldiers moved away in fright. They knew how deadly that poison was. "Remember the Alpha's instructions." Tyler reminded them. "We can't risk him breaking free again. Not with Miss Thompson's presence in the castle.""But won't it kill him?" Knox, another soldier asked worriedly. "I'm just going to inject him with a very tiny amount." Tyler said. "Enough to weaken him so he won't break free."He carefully uncapped the lid of the bottle and di
The three days that Henry wasn't present in the castle felt like three years to Aurora. She didn't realize how much she missed him until now. Each hour felt like an eternity. Even relaxing beside the fountain with Matilda didn't help. She just wanted him to come back. Also, after that night she heard the howl, she never heard it again, which was strange. She wanted to tell Tyler about it, but he would probably not believe her. Finally, on the third day, Aurora woke up earlier than usual and rushed to the bathroom to prepare herself. It was the day Alpha Henry was returning and she wanted to look her best. As she brushed her hair before the mirror, she stared at her reflection and questioned herself. "Am I falling for him?"It was a difficult question to answer. When she arrived at Ashidore, she made a vow to never fall for another man's charm. She had fallen for Bishop, and it turned out terrible. Now was she falling for Alpha Henry? Of course he was so handsome and charming. Hi
Henry didn't mean to kiss her, but his body had gone out of his control. The aftershock of his transformation had stimulated his body to its limit. And Aurora wasn't prepared for his kiss, but her body responded immediately. She let out a soft moan as he lifted her hands and pinned them above her head. He broke the kiss for a few seconds, kissing down the smooth column of her throat hungrily. His lips burned a fiery path down her chest to the swell of her breasts, leaving her skin burning with goosebumps. She gasped when he released her wrists and grasped her hips, pulling her tight against him. His palms stroked her gently, caressing the curve of her hips and buttocks. Aurora blushed at the action. No one had ever touched her so intimately and it awakened something hot within her. There was a sweet throbbing between her thighs and she unconsciously rubbed against him, pushing against the thick bulge in his pants. Henry groaned and claimed her lips again. The air around them beca
Three days later, Henry's relatives arrived at Ashidore. Within that three days, Aurora and Henry had grown closer. The news slowly spread around the kingdom about Aurora being Henry's new mistress. The shifters all had a lot to gossip about. Many thought it was only a matter of time before Henry would send her away, like he did the rest. Early morning of the third day, a carriage arrived at Ashidore's gates. It was Henry's step-aunt and her children. Aurora was in her room preparing to join Henry at the lower floor, to welcome the guests. She was nervous though. The years she lived with her own step-aunt had really messed up her life and she feared that this particular one would be the same. Heartless. Though Matilda had told her that the woman and her children were nice, she still couldn't help but feel a bit terrified. "All done." Matilda said, stepping back to examine her work. Aurora turned and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She had to admit to herself, she looked
Two Years Later... On the roof of the castle, Henry and Aurora lay cuddled in a warm blanket, staring at the full moon in the sky. The air was cool and the sky was alive with thousands of shimmering stars. Aurora lay on her side, with Henry spooning her. His hand lay curved on her large belly and he slowly caressed her baby bump, occasionally dropping kisses on her cheek. "Tyler is going to be a big brother soon." She whispered, placing her hand over Henry's. "He's going to be the best big brother." Henry replied. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. "You've been the best mother to him.""I promised Penelope I would take care of her child." Aurora said with a smile. "And I intend to keep that promise. I know I'll tell him the truth about his birth parents someday, but for now, he's mine.""Ours." Henry said, gently turning her around to face him. "He's ours.""Yes. Ours." Aurora smiled and her eyes closed as they shared a passionate kiss. A lot of ye
Many months later, the realm was back to normal. Shifters returned to Ashidore and everyone went back to their normal way of life. Ashidore was built again and it prospered more than before. The dead was buried and mourned and the injured received healing. But they would never forget the last war with the dragons. They would never forget the innocent souls that died that day. They would never forget how their Alpha sacrificed himself to save his mate and destroy the dragons. Aurora had been crowned Supreme Luna of Ashidore and she ruled the kingdom just as Henry would have wanted her to. But she knew her life would never go back to normal without him. It took her a whole year to move on and accept his death. She built a tomb and did a proper funeral for Tyler, Penelope, Henry, Shota and Nimueh, and every other shifter they lost. Most nights, she stayed beside Henry's grave, crying and wishing to the heavens that he would be brought back to her. She was a strict and just Luna, and
When Aurora arrived at the designated spot, she met a horrific scene. The entire forest was covered in flames. The bushes, tall trees and grasses were all burning brightly. Thick smoke coiled up into the dark sky and the heat was blistering hot. The entire lycans were scattered all around, bloody, burned and unconscious. The dragons continued their terror, wrecking havoc everywhere. Aurora's eyes darted around, searching for Henry. She found him lying a few meters away from her, surrounded by fire. "Henry!" She screamed, rushing over to where he lay. She didn't dare try to extinguish the flames because the last time she did, it affected her. Grabbing his arms, she dragged him away, over to a dry patch of grass. Then she knelt beside him and placed her head on his chest. She could feel his faint heartbeat meaning he was still alive, but barely. There were terrible bloody burns on the side of his face and chest, and unless he gained consciousness, he wouldn't be able to heal. "He
"Let me go Cade." Aurora cried, trying to dislodge herself from Cade's grip. The baby had woken up from the sound of her screams and was crying loudly, but all Aurora could think of was going back to help Henry. Without her, he and the other lycans were doomed. "Cade please..." She begged. [Forgive me Luna. I cannot disobey the Alpha's orders] Cade replied without stopping. "You don't understand." Aurora protested. "Henry is in danger. They are all in danger. Fighting against the dragon creatures is futile."[The Alpha knows this, which is why he wants you out of harm's way before he faces the creatures]Aurora felt like screaming out. He wasn't listening to her. "Cade I am your Luna! And it is only right that you listen to me! Put me down this instant. Now!"Cade tried to resist the order, but just as Henry used his Alpha voice on him, so did Aurora. He couldn't disobey the authority in her voice. He slowed down and gently lowered her to the ground before shifting back to his h
A few minutes later, Henry and Aurora met with Krino and the entire lycan warriors. The other shifters had been shared into three large groups and dispatched to different packs. They were instructed to inform the members of the different packs to build bunkers and hide away until the war with the dragons ended. All that was left were the lycans and a few shifters who stayed back to fight beside their Alpha. When Henry and Aurora arrived holding the baby, Krino and Cade noticed immediately that Penelope was not with them. "Where's Miss Penelope?" Cade asked. The other lycans then noticed that their late beta's mate was missing. Aurora didn't respond and just started crying softly. It was Henry who took a deep breath and told them how Penelope had passed away after birthing her son. The news hit them hard and a few looked away so the tears in their eyes wouldn't be seen. How many more would they lost? How many more would die just because two shifters were evil enough to set the d
Aurora jerked awake from sleep with her mother's name on her lips. It was daylight already. Henry was up, standing a few meters away from her, holding the baby. She watched him for a while as he stared down at the sleeping infant. She couldn't read his mind, but with the look on his face, she knew he was thinking about his beta. When Tyler died, Henry had felt the pain of loosing his beta and best friend. Though he didn't shed a single tear, she knew Tyler's death affected him immensely. She knew he was greatly hurt. Yet what was coming was even greater than Tyler's death, and she doubted if he would be able to bear it. The dream she had of her mother played back in her mind and she heard Kahlan's voice echo in her ears– 'Aurora the core of your magic lies in your soul, and that is the only thing powerful enough to destroy the dragons. You must use it.'She remembered the shock she felt when she realized what her mother meant. To destroy the dragons, she would have to sacrifice
No! Aurora screamed the words within her, but her face remained frozen in shock. She could hear the cries of the baby at the back of her mind, loud and persistent, but all her focus was on Penelope's face. The entire word faded, the sound of the wind and the rustle of the trees. Everything went still as she stared at her friend. For a short moment, she thought Penelope would blink and stretch out her hands for her baby. She waited, hoping and praying. But as each second passed, Penelope's body turned completely pale and stiff, and her eyes turned glassy. Only then did Aurora move. She lifted a hand and placed it on Penelope's cheek, tracing the dried streak of blood. "Penny." She whispered. Tears spilled down her eyes silently as the thought registered within her. Penelope was dead. Her best friend was dead. She hadn't been able to prevent her vision from coming to pass. "I'm so sorry Penny" She sobbed, softly pulling down Penelope's eyelids so her eyes were closed. "I'm sorry I
"PENNY!" Aurora screamed, rushing towards to the hole. All she could see was darkness, but she could hear Penelope's soft groans. "Penny can you hear me? Are you okay?" She asked repeatedly, waiting for an answer. After what seemed like an eternity, Penelope responded. "Aurora." She called out in shaky voice. "I'm right here Penny. Are you alright?""No. I... I think my water broke. And I think I might be bleeding too.""Just hold on. I'm going to get you out." Aurora said, hearing her friend cry softly. The castle was slowly crumbling as the flames consumed it entirely. She knew in a matter of seconds, the large building would collapse. She was at a loss of what to do. Calling to Henry for help was impossible because he wouldn't be able to go through the flames. And her strength was slowly diminishing. Her nose continued to bleed and she was beginning to feel dizzy with loss of blood and all the smoke around. "Moon goddess." She whispered in tears. "Please help us out of here
"HELP!" Penelope screamed out. She was curled into a tight ball at the edge of her room. Half of the room was destroyed by the flames and the fire kept advancing towards her. "HELP ME! PLEASE!" Her screams were drowned out by the roar of the flames as it licked up the entire room. The curtains and bed burned brightly, and the walls were slowly falling away. Seeing that there was no way out, she stopped crying out for help and just sobbed quietly. As she waited for death to take her, her mind went over everything that had happened minutes earlier. She assumed Aurora and Henry, along with all the other lycans had perished in the fire and all that was left was her. Hours ago when she first heard the roars and trembles, she made no move to find out what was happening. She had been too weak in the spirit, too tired, after the death of Tyler. All her energy was gone, her zeal for living too. But then her hand brushed her belly and she realized she had a reason to live. She was going t