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
"What?" Aurora drew back in shock. "What do you mean? Why am I the only one who can break his curse?""Because I made it so." Kahlan replied. "That's why you met Henry. The curse I put on him has only one way of being broken. And it is only you that can make it happen.""I don't understand." Aurora said, a deep frown creasing her brows. "You told me in my dream, that I had to beware of Henry. You told me he would kill me, just like he killed you. Why do you want me to break his curse now?""I was wrong to tell you all that Aurora." Kahlan sighed. "I was totally wrong. I thought Henry was dangerous to you. I thought he was keeping you with him, to kill you someday. I completely misjudged him.""Mother what do you mean?""I have realized Henry is not as inhumane as he was years ago. He's changed. He has proven that he is not like his father. He fell in love with you, despite being a monster. He opened his heart to love and compassion after meeting you.""I still don't understand." Auror
That morning, Aurora couldn't stop thinking of her conversation with her mother. She knew she had to return to Ashidore, but she didn't want to return immediately just because her mother told her to do so. Of course she would forgive Henry. She had already forgiven him in her heart. But forgetting everything he did wouldn't be as easy as forgiving him. She heaved a sigh and finally got off the bed. Making her way to the bathroom, she stripped and took a long bath. The cool water cleared her head and by the time she stepped out, she felt much better. As she slowly dressed up and prepared to leave the house, a thought suddenly occurred to her. If she kept thinking of everything Henry had done, she would never forget it. The only way to forget was if she saw him again. One look from him would erase those thoughts, one glance at his eyes would make her forget everything. That same hypnotic eyes she fell in love with.She made up her mind instantly. She would leave before dawn the next
With Shota's help, Kaleb managed to purge out most of the aconite from Henry's blood. If they had wasted a few more seconds before taking him to Tamerin, the poison would have done a lot more damage than it did. Henry would have died. The high priestess suggested they leave him in Tamerin for a few days, so the healing would be complete. But on the night of the full moon, Tyler suggested they take him back to the castle. "We can't risk it." He explained to Shota. "We can't be sure the aconite would prevent him from transforming. It's a curse, Shota, not an illness.""I know that." Shota sighed. "But the sacred water has helped in healing him so far. It has kept the poison from harming him further. If we stop now, he might not fully recover.""Shota I understand what you mean, but at this point, we have to make a choice." Tyler answered. "If he remains here by night fall, he will transform. Do you really want to endanger the entire people of Ashidore?"Tyler's words made sense to Sh
Aurora stood still as the beast began to approach her. It was now or never. "Henry," She called out softly, trying not to aggravate the furious beast. If she could just connect with his human side, if she could make a connection, then she would be able to get through to him."Henry can you hear me?" She called out. The urge to retreat as the beast stalked closer was so great, but she resisted. She had to be brave. "I'm going to save you." She said, staring straight into the monster's bloodred eyes. "I forgive you for everything Henry. I was wrong to leave you, and I never should have judged you based on what you did years before you met me."The beast let out a furious roar as it stopped before Aurora, his eyes glaring at her with rage. Aurora stood still, staring back at him. She lifted her hand tentatively and tried to touch his fur, but another roar shook her. Tears filled her eyes as she gazed up at him. "Henry I love you." She whispered. "I love you so much, more than you can
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