The moment Henry's gaze met Aurora's, she felt an electrifying tingle go through her body. Had he always been this handsome? His hair, as dark as midnight, curled tightly over his perfect arched brows. His eyes, those golden orbs, darkened when he assessed her from her face to her feet, and back again. His lips were set in a straight line, giving him that badboy look. When his eyes met hers again, butterflies erupted in her tummy unexpectedly. Averting her eyes, she cursed herself silently for feeling that way. What Bishop did to her should teach her a lesson that men were beasts. The silence that suddenly descended on the room after Henry's arrival became heavy. Aurora kept her eyes averted, afraid to look up at him. What was she supposed to say? Thank him for saving her? She almost jumped when Henry walked further into the room and addressed her. "You're awake." He said softly. It wasn't a question, but Aurora found herself nodding. Understanding that she was nervous, Henry t
Henry's entire body froze the moment he felt Aurora hug him tightly. His hands were slightly raised, his brows knitted in confusion. One couldn't blame him for reacting that way. He had never received a hug from anyone. It felt so bizarre. Slowly, his arms lowered until it rested on Aurora's shoulder. Only then did he relax and let out the breath he was holding. Who would have thought a ruthless Alpha King like him would feel uneasy because of a woman's hug? The thought amused him and he smiled, shaking his head unbelievably. Aurora finally pulled back and clasped her hands before her shyly. "Thank you Alpha." She mumbled. "I'm sorry if I startled you, but no one has ever been this kind to me. It's not something I am used to."Henry could still feel the warmth of her body against his, and he felt empty when she pulled away. What was happening to him? Why was he suddenly so soft towards her?The smile disappeared from his face and he stepped away from Aurora. "You don't have to tha
"Alpha." Aurora gasped in surprise, gripping the door handle tightly. "I... I wasn't expecting you."Henry didn't reply. Instead his gaze on her got heated. Her night dress latched unto her body like a second skin, accentuating her slim waist and curvy hips. His eyes lowered to her full lips, darkening at how inviting they were. And when his gaze fell on the soft swell of her breasts through the deep neckline of the dress, his breath caught. The lust that slammed into him was swift and unexpected. Staring back into her eyes, he sucked in a deep breath and forced a smile, trying to hide the fact that his groin just roared to life with lust. "Just making sure you're settling in well." He said in a clear voice, as if his breath hadn't been knocked out of him a few seconds ago. Aurora smiled and stepped back, opening the door wider. "Please come in." She said shyly. Henry stepped through the door and looked around the room, impressed by what the maids had done. "I saw the maid you a
Bishop had spent several sleepless nights ever since Aurora was taken away by Alpha Henry. He knew he didn't love her. Hell, he didn't even care about her. He had rejected her without hesitation. The only woman he loved was Amelia. So why did he feel like he had made the gravest mistake letting Aurora go? He shouldn't be thinking about her that way. He sucked hard on the cigarette stick held between his lips, puffing out the smoke in small circular rings. The door to his study opened and he turned his head sharply, his bloodshot eyes zeroing in on Amelia who stepped into the room.Amelia took one look at him, his bloodshot eyes and disheveled appearance, and a scowl settled on her face. "What the fuck has come over you Bishop?" She demanded. Her heels wrapped on the hard floor as she marched towards him, hands planted on her hips. Bishop stared at her like he couldn't recognize her, then he looked away. "Get out of my room Amelia." He growled. "I won't ask you again.""Are you
Aurora woke up the next day to see the sun shining brightly into her room through the curtains that were opened halfway. Although her room was in the northwing, she got a little bit of sunlight before the sun rays shifted. She stretched and yawned, covering her mouth with her palm. She couldn't remember the last time she slept so well. Back in her step-aunt's tiny cottage, she slept on a piece of white sheet. And most times when she awakened the next day, her body would be sore from the hard floor. Thinking of the tiny cottage where she grew up made her remember Lydia, her step-aunt. The woman had been so happy to be rid of her when she found her mate. "She doesn't even care what happens to me." She mumbled to herself. She was sure Lydia wouldn't give a damn if Henry took her away as a slave. The woman always hated her and she never knew why. "I'm so glad to be rid of her." She said and pushed the unpleasant thought away. Moving gently, she got off the bed and walked over to the
The silence that followed Henry's compliment wasn't awkward, but thick with chemistry. Aurora averted her eyes, her cheeks flaming hot with a blush. She hadn't expected Henry to openly compliment her that way. Why was he acting that way towards her? It was almost like he was flirting with her. Her heartbeat increased and she was sure he could hear it because he was standing so close to her. "Thank you, Alpha." She replied softly, her eyes still lowered. "It is a beautiful dress." She softly caressed the black dress, her fingers lightly touching the soft material. Silence filled the dining hall again and Aurora expected Henry to return to his seat. Instead, he remained in front of her, his eyes intense, his expression unreadable. Tyler who was still at the table stifled a laugh and used a fake cough to cover it up. He slowly got up and raised Henry's chair, before turning to the couple who were still staring at each other silently. "Ahem." He cleared his throat, successfully gain
Indeed the forest air cleared Aurora's head and banished the sinful thoughts she had about Henry. She breathed in, savouring the sweet smell of pine and fresh leaves. There were two main paths that led away from the castle. One led back to the kingdom where the other shifters lived, the other led into the forest.Before Aurora could make up her mind on where to go, Matilda stepped out and hurried towards her. "And where are you off to Rose?" Aurora turned around and smiled at the maid. "I just want to take a walk." She replied. "I've been cooped up inside for too long.""I should accompany you then." Matilda responded, walking to stand beside Aurora. "Oh you really don't have to do that." Aurora politely declined the offer. "I won't go far. Just want to stretch my legs a little.""But I have to." Matilda softly argued. "The Alpha gave me strict orders to always be by your side.""He did?" Aurora asked in surprise. "Of course." Matilda nodded. "He even wanted to assign a warrior t
Aurora had taken a lot of twists and turns before she realized she was lost. When she tried to go back the same way she came, she couldn't find the right path. The trees all looked the same to her. Eventually she broke off a number of twigs from a tree and used it to leave a path behind her so she would know if she was moving around in circles. All her efforts proved fruitless. Every turn she took led her back to the same spot, the beginning of the twigs. She began to panic. "Okay, Aurora." She whispered to herself, trying to calm her frayed nerves. "Don't panic, don't panic. You'll figure it out. Just calm down." The pep talk did little to calm her unravelled nerves, but it gave her an opportunity to think. She tried to remember how many turns she had taken when she left the castle. She had taken a right turn and walked down the path for a while, admiring the butterflies that flittered around her. Then another right, following a line of trees that held beautiful orange flower
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