Aurora's Pov
I woke up to the sound of the wind whistling through the broken windows of the uncompleted building. My body ached from sleeping on the cold, hard floor, but at least it was better than the life I had left behind. The memory of last night….of my mother’s tear-streaked face and her desperate whispers made my chest tighten. I had no choice but to keep moving forward. For her sake. For mine. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when I grabbed my bag and made my way out. I couldn’t stay here. I needed a place where I could breathe without fear of someone finding me. With the money my mother gave me clutched tightly in my hand, I made my way to the train station. The ticket I bought wasn’t for anywhere glamorous, just the nearest city I could afford. I didn’t care about the destination. All I wanted was distance. By the time the train rolled into *Hollowbridge City* The sun was high in the sky. The city wasn’t anything like the quaint little town I’d grown up in. It was loud, bustling, and intimidating. I tried to keep my head down as I navigated the crowded streets, searching for somewhere to stay. Eventually, I found a dingy boarding house tucked between two rundown buildings. I walked over to the building in order to inquire about any available room. I approached the woman who didn't pay much attention to me. I quickly introduced myself and asked if there was a room available. She didn't say anything as she continued smoking her cigarette until she pointed to the board which showed the prices of the rooms. I was glad that the amount wasn't much and I could pay for a week while looking for a job to sustain myself. I brought out the cash and handed it over to her and waited for her to say something or at least do something. She's such a weirdo The woman at the counter barely glanced at me as she handed me a key to a room on the third floor. The room was tiny, with wrecked and peeling wallpaper and a bed that looked like it might collapse if I so much as sat on it. The smell of mildew clung to the air, but it didn’t matter. It was a roof over my head, and it was cheap enough to last me a week if I was careful. After locking the door behind me, I sat on the bed and counted the remaining money. Not much. Definitely not enough to waste time. “You can do this, Aurora,” I whispered to myself, trying to summon courage. “You have to.” The first thing I did was take a shower. The cold water stung my skin, but I forced myself to scrub away the dirt and grime from the journey. I couldn’t afford to look desperate, even if I felt it. With my hair pulled into a neat ponytail and wearing the least-wrinkled clothes I had, I set out to find a job. I spent the entire day walking from one place to another. Restaurants, shops, offices….anywhere that had a “Help Wanted” sign. Each rejection stung worse than the last. “We’re not hiring right now,” one manager said, barely sparing me a glance. “You don’t have enough experience,” another told me, his voice curt. By the time the sun began to set, my feet were blistered, and my stomach was growling. I returned to my tiny room, defeated. The next two days were more of the same. Waking up early, walking the streets, asking, begging, and praying for someone to give me a chance. But the answer was always no. On the third day, just when I thought I couldn’t take another rejection, I stumbled upon a bar called *The Rusty Tap*. The exterior wasn’t impressive…peeling paint and a flickering neon sign that buzzed faintly in the afternoon light. But I was desperate. “Excuse me,” I said as I approached the bartender, a burly man with a grizzled beard. “Are you hiring?” He looked me up and down, his expression skeptical. “Have you ever worked in a bar before?” “No, but I’m a fast learner,” I said quickly. “I’ll do anything. Clean tables, wash dishes. Anything.” He grunted, scratching his chin. “We could use someone to clean up after hours. Pay’s not great, but it’s better than nothing.” Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. “I’ll take it. Thank you. Thank you so much.” He nodded and handed me a rag. “You can start now. The bathrooms need scrubbing.” He called out to another bartender, “Inez do well to show her around and explain to her how things are done here” Inez smiled at me like she was happy to have company, she looked a year or two older than me, I didn't mind. I just wanted a job to survive and nothing more. She showed me around the place and explained how things were done. I was glad for her help, she seemed friendly enough to be my friend. “Do you understand everything I explained to you?” Inez asked after she was done talking. I answered with a nod. “C'mon girl, you should be free here, I don't bite and I can definitely use a friend.” “Thank you,” was all I said. What was I supposed to say? “Can I ask you something?” she asked as she stared at me with smiles all over her face. “sure.” “How old are you?” not to be rude I just wanted to know, but if you can't answer, it's alright” she tried explaining after asking me a question. I was amused by the way she started explaining, “I'm 19, you do not have to explain, it's a simple question” “oh I'm 19 too, this is so nice, we should be best friends right now,” she said, sounding so excited like a little child. “Ummm…I should get to work,” was all I said. I didn't know what to say to her. It was awkward I must say. “Alrighty, get right into it, we'll catch up later Ok?” “Okay.” I got to work immediately she left, there was no room for misbehaviour or making my boss angry. I needed the job more than anything in the world right now. The job was grueling, my body ached from all the cleaning I had done to all the wounds inflicted on me by my step father and his foolish son. By the time I finished cleaning that night, my arms felt like they were about to fall off. The pay barely covered food, but it was something. I could at least put a meal on the table and keep the lights on in my dingy room. The days blurred together after that. I spent my mornings searching for better opportunities and my nights cleaning the bar. The exhaustion was bone-deep, but it was nothing compared to the fear of going back to that house. I was only sane because of the help I got from my new friend Inez. She seemed too good to be true, kind and happy all the time. I wish i had such personality like her, I always have something to think about which drained the f*ck out of me. There was something suspicious about my boss and other workers….It’s not really a concern, and I don't pray to find out. I'll do my job, save up money and look for a new job. One night, as I scrubbed the floor of the bar, I allowed myself a moment to think about my mother. Was she safe? Was she eating? The guilt of leaving her behind was a constant weight on my chest, but her words replayed in my mind like a mantra: “Run, Aurora. Run and never look back.” On my seventh day in Hollowbridge City, I sat in my room, staring at the dwindling pile of cash on the table. I had to find a way to make more money. The bar wasn’t going to cut it for long, and I couldn’t afford to get comfortable. My future depended on finding something better. With a deep breath, I pulled out a piece of paper and started writing down every possible job I could apply for. The city was big, and there had to be something out there for me. I just had to keep trying. Giving up wasn’t an option. As I lay on the creaky bed that night, staring at the cracked ceiling, I promised myself that no matter how hard it got, I wouldn’t stop fighting. My mother had sacrificed everything to give me a chance at freedom. I wasn’t going to let her down.Aurora’s Pov I wanted to die of secondhand embarrassment. Alphas were supposed to be dignified, strong, and composed. Ryan? Ryan was screaming like a lunatic, making a scene in front of the entire hospital. The pain hit me harder, and I let out a sharp breath. Immediately, nurses rushed over with a hospital bed. Ryan ran beside me, putting on hospital gloves like he was about to deliver the baby. “I’m here for you, Aurora,” he said, his voice shaking. “I’m here.” The doctor arrived, a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor. “How are you feeling?” I barely had the energy to glare at him. “Like I want to poop.” Ryan’s eyes widened in horror. “WHAT?!” The doctor chuckled. “That means the baby is coming. Alright, Aurora, I’m going to need you to push.” I nodded, gripping Ryan’s hand as the nurses positioned me. “Keep your legs straight,” the doctor instructed. Ryan’s eyes darkened. “Why are you looking at my wife like that?” The doctor looked confused. “Because I’m delivering h
Ryan’s Pov(Three Years Later)I was just pouring Aurora a glass of juice, minding my own business, when suddenly….“RYAN!”The glass slipped from my hand, shattering against the counter. I spun around so fast I nearly dislocated something. My heart lurched into my throat as I bolted into the living room.“What happened? What happened? Are you okay? Who do I need to kill?”Aurora was standing there, eyes wide, hands gripping her stomach. Then she looked up at me and said the words that completely short-circuited my brain.“My water just broke.”I blinked. “What does that mean?”She gave me a look. “Ryan.”“What water? Did you spill something? Are you thirsty?” I was already turning back toward the kitchen, my brain refusing to process.She groaned and pointed at her belly. “THE BABY IS COMING.”My entire soul left my body.“The baby is coming?!” My voice hit a pitch I didn’t know I was capable of. “Like RIGHT NOW?!”Aurora, the love of my life, the mother of my unborn child, had the au
Aurora’s PovZiani’s eyes darkened as she stepped forward. “What do you mean you are not going with me?” Her voice was laced with disbelief. “We had a deal, Aurora.”I met her gaze without flinching. “Yes, I know we had a deal. But before we continue, I want to ask everyone in this room a question.”A murmur rippled through the council as they exchanged glances.“Go ahead,” one of the elders finally said.I turned, my eyes sweeping across every single person in the room. My voice was steady, unwavering.“Who is the moon goddess now?”Silence hung for a moment before, in unison, the room responded.“You are.”I shifted my gaze to Ziani. “And who is the leader now?”Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t hesitate. “You are.”A slow smile formed on my lips. “Then I make the rules.”The moment those words left my mouth, the room erupted into chaos.“I might not know everything about the Moon Goddess yet,” I continued over their voices, “but I will learn it in no time. And as long as I am in th
Aurora’s PovSilence swallowed the battlefield as Karen’s body went still. Her last words echoed in my mind, haunting and heavy. I had thought I was ready for this, that I was prepared to do whatever it took to protect what was mine, but as I stared at her lifeless form, all I felt was a deep, aching sorrow.This was never how I wanted it to be.The weight of everything crashed down on me all at once. My limbs trembled, and suddenly, the pain that had been numbed by adrenaline surged back, searing through my body like fire. My legs gave out.I barely registered the panicked voices around me before I hit the ground.Elliot, Caleb, and Ryan rushed toward me, their faces etched with worry.“I’m fine,” I muttered, though the pounding in my head and the sharp sting in my wounds said otherwise. “I’m just… just hot a little.”Ryan crouched beside me, his jaw clenched. “Hot a little? You’re burning up,” he snapped. His hands hovered over me as if he was afraid to touch me, afraid that I might
Karen’s PovThe battleground was silent for a moment, thick with tension. The crowd gathered, eyes locked on us, their whispers barely audible over the howling wind. I rolled my shoulders, cracking my knuckles, and took slow steps forward, never breaking eye contact with Aurora.She stood across from me, her body battered, her clothes stained with blood and dirt. Weakness radiated from her, yet she still held her chin high, defiance burning in her eyes.Pathetic."You should have stayed down when you had the chance," I sneered, my claws extending, itching to sink into her flesh. "This is your last warning, Aurora. Step aside and let me have what’s mine."She wiped blood from the corner of her mouth and spat onto the dirt. "Ryan was never yours, Karen. And he never will be."That was all I needed.With a growl, I lunged at her, my claws swiping toward her throat. She barely dodged, rolling to the side before springing to her feet.The fight had begun.The moment our bodies collided aga
Karen’s PovI have been watching. Waiting.Every day, I moved unseen through the corridors of this mansion, listening, observing. I watched them whisper about her, pray for her, cry for her. Aurora. Aurora. Aurora.Her name was on everyone’s lips, like she was some kind of savior.It was pathetic.She had actually left to break the curse, to throw herself into the jaws of death, and for what? Love? How foolish.I had given Ryan everything. My love, my loyalty, my soul. And still, he had chosen her. But I told myself it wasn’t over. I told myself I had time. That if I played my cards right, I could get him back.Then today happened.The mansion was alive with excitement. People were gathering. And when I saw what they were looking at, who they were looking at, my blood boiled.Aurora was back.She had survived.And I knew, at that moment, that if I didn’t act now, I would lose everything forever.So, I stepped into the mansion.Nobody stopped me. They all still saw me as the ex-Luna. R