Three days later, Henry was out of the underground. He looked deathly pale from the effect of the aconite. His breathing was laboured and the place Tyler shot him was healing slowly than ever, bleeding profusely. Yet the first thing her asked of was Aurora. Tyler had to come clean and tell him everything that happened that night. At first, Henry was in a state of shock. The secret he had hidden all his life was finally out. But what made everything worse was the fact that Aurora, the one person he had been hiding it from, was the one that discovered it. "Tyler I told you." He said, shutting his eyes to hold back the swell of emotions within him. "I told you to keep her away at all cost.""I tried my best Alpha." Tyler replied dejectedly. He was wrapping a bandage around Henry's wounded shoulder. "But her powers have grown stronger.""What happened?"Tyler slowly explained everything that happened two nights ago and Henry's expression remained frozen as he listened. "She brought d
"Aurora..." Henry called out in a raspy voice, his eyes pleading with her. But she moved away from him, putting a lot of distance between them. "You've been lying to me." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "All the time I've been here, every word that has come out of you, is all a lie.""Aurora...""I trusted you." Aurora continued in a trembling voice, not giving him a chance to speak. "You made me fall in love with you. Yet you looked me in the eye everyday and lied to my face.""Aurora please...""I'm... I'm such an idiot." She cursed, covering her face with her hands to hide her tears. "No. Don't do that to yourself." Henry uttered. His voice was raw with emotion. "You're right. I lied to you. I kept so many secrets away from you, and you have every right to be upset...""Upset?" Aurora repeated incredulously. "You think I am just upset? You betrayed my trust Henry. I thought I fell in love with a hero, a knight in shining armor... but... you're a monster..."Her words
Henry's breath burst out in a sharp gasp. He stared at Aurora unbelievably, unable to utter a word. He knew he did a lot of wrong, lying to her and keeping those secrets from her. But being the one that murdered her parents? It was unforgivable."Aurora..." He stammered, falling to his knees before her. His hands reached out to hold her yet she moved away from him. For the very first time, Henry felt tears prickle his eyes. It spilled down his cheeks, proof of utter regret for what he did. "Aurora..." He tried again, his voice thick with pain. "I can't ask you to forget this. All I'm asking for... is your forgiveness..."Aurora shut her eyes and turned away so he wouldn't see her tears. "I had no idea what I did years ago would come back to haunt me." He continued. "I had no idea I would suffer the consequences. I was mindless, and I was wrong."He crawled closer to her and held the hem of her dress. "Please my love," He pleaded. "Don't hate me for my past sins. Forgive me for th
The castle suddenly became lifeless without Aurora. She was the ray of sunshine and with her absence, it became cold and gloomy. Henry locked himself in his study everyday, refusing to step out. He stayed for days without eating a bite. All he could think about was Aurora. The only time he left his study was to go to the underground room and chain himself when the full moon came. And each time he transformed, he ordered Tyler to inject him with a lot of aconite, enough to knock him out for the three days. Tyler had no choice but to agree to his Alpha's orders. With each transformation, Henry turned weaker and weaker from the poison in his blood stream. Yet he ordered Tyler to continue. He had nothing to live for. His kingdom didn't matter to him anymore. Without Aurora by his side, he felt empty. The steel door behind the wall was repaired and the crumbled wall built back to prevent him from somehow escaping, and to protect the people in the castle. And then one day, Shota came
The next morning, Aurora was awakened by a loud knock. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted at the bright sunray filtering into the room. One look at the bedside clock told her she had overslept. It was almost noon. After yearning for Henry so much the previous night and crying her heart out, she fell into a tired sleep.Her body ached as she got off the bed and stretched. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked pale. Then the knock came again, more insistent this time. "Coming." She called out. Making a quick dash into the bathroom, she splashed some cold water on her face and ran a hand through her tousled hair. A young man was standing outside when she opened the door. He smiled when he saw her and took off his hat. "Hello Miss." He said in a calm smooth voice. "Hello. Can I help you?" "My name is Xavier Richards." He said, keeping the smile on his face. "The house owner, Mrs Smith, told me about you this morning and I just wanted to see you, and welcome you to Silver
Aurora stared at the doorknob as it rattled, her heart lodged in her throat. Someone was trying to break into the house. She slowly retreated, her gaze locked on the door. There was no one to save her from whoever was out there. She had to do something. She was a powerful hybrid, not some weak creature. When she felt the wall behind her, she drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Where could she hide? The room wasn't big enough and the only hiding place was the bathroom. Hiding in the bathroom wouldn't be a good idea because she would be cornered. Suddenly she had an idea. She tiptoed towards the dresser and grabbed a metal bar from within it. Moving across the room as quietly as she could, she crouched beneath the window and used the dark curtains to shield herself. A loud click echoed across the room as the door lock sprung open. Aurora's grip tightened around the metal bar as heavy footsteps sounded inside the room. She held her breath and tried to stay as still as poss
Henry stood by the window in his study, his eyes gazing at nothing in particular. His hands were folded behind him, his expression unreadable. The golden orbs of his eyes were lost in thought, and there was only one woman on his mind. Aurora. How was she doing without him? Did she miss him as much as he missed her? Or had she totally forgotten about him? Did she still love him? Did she long for him every day? Did she cry out his name every night like he did? These were questions he didn't have answers to. Aurora's absence took a toll on him and left him feeling bare and vulnerable, because when she left, she took a huge piece of him away with her. There was no way he would ever be complete without her. The study door opened and he turned slightly, only to find Tyler standing there. "Well?" He prompted him. "The lycans are back Alpha." Tyler reported. "And Katherina?" Henry asked further. "She's dead." Tyler said. "They found her body decayed in the house she stayed. It appears
"Mother?" Aurora whispered, staring at Kahlan's translucent figure. Kahlan's body floated forward, her dress trailing behind her. Then slowly but steadily, she turned solid until she was standing right in front of Aurora on her feet. Her lips lifted in a warm smile and she held out her arms to Aurora. "I've waited to hear you say that for so long." She whispered. Tears spilled out of Aurora's eyes and she threw herself into Kahlan's arms, sobbing softly. Kahlan's arms wrapped around her daughter and she shut her eyes, finally at peace. For so many years, she had waited and hoped Aurora would find the truth someday. And now that it happened, she felt complete. "But how?" Aurora asked, pulling back to stare at Kahlan. It was like staring back at her reflection. "How is this possible? How can I hold you? You're... you're not even... alive."Kahlan smiled and took her hands in hers. "You've discovered the truth of your identity, now I don't have to appear in your dreams anymore." Sh
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