Chapter 6

Aurora POV

The room fell silent as I finished explaining what had happened. Tension thickened in the air, almost tangible, and Noel’s eyes flickered, shifting colors as he fought to contain his wolf. His wolf—protective of both of his sisters—was barely under control. Aaron was the first to break the silence, moving to sit beside me on the bed and gently taking my hand. His silent support felt grounding. Across the room, Oliver turned and left, his expression unreadable, while Landon hesitated, looking between us before a nod from me sent him after his brother.

The three of them were brothers long before I arrived, and as much as I hated to cause a rift, I knew they needed each other. I turned to Aaron, noticing his gaze flicker to Noel.

"What’s wrong?” I asked, struggling to sit up.

“You’ve been unconscious for seven days,” Aaron said, giving me a small smile. “Noel hasn’t left your side. He’s… he’s still struggling to trust anyone with you.”

“It’s not just me. It’s my wolf.” Noel’s voice was low, rough with strain. “I can’t control him. Right now, he wants to know how he was set free.”

My mind flashed back to the witch’s words: no spell could break our binds unless a massive surge of magical power shattered it.

"The vampire prince’s niece, Annalise,” I began, remembering. “She was marked by both of her mates at once. The double bond broke her binds—and it threw the magical world into chaos.”

Noel’s eyes clouded as he processed this, then he gave a quick nod, said goodbye, and left the room. Aaron lingered beside me a moment longer, then slipped out, leaving me to digest the enormity of our freedom.

Noel returned moments later and took my hand. The relief of feeling his presence, the solid reassurance of him beside me, brought tears to my eyes. My brother was here. I wasn’t alone anymore. Though I’d always known Noel was there for me, a part of me had feared he’d eventually leave, abandoning me to face this unknown future alone.

A faint voice echoed in my mind. “I’m scared.” I blinked, realizing it was Noel. His mind voice.

"We can… mind link?” I asked aloud, glancing at him in awe.

He nodded, then took both of my hands in his. As soon as we touched, energy surged between us, a connection both familiar and ancient. It wasn’t just the bond we shared now—it felt rooted in something far deeper, something passed down through generations. A memory bubbled to the surface, and my vision blurred.

We stood together in a small, weathered hunter’s cottage, the wooden beams groaning under the weight of time. The smell of herbs and damp wood hung in the air, but what drew my attention was her.

A woman—her dark hair flowing around her like she stood in the eye of a storm. Her eyes, sharp and fierce, locked on the doorway where a man loomed, his face twisted in anger and betrayal. Scattered around the floor were symbols of power and protection, carved deeply into the floorboards, enclosing a five-pointed star where three children stood close together.

The realization hit me with a force that took my breath away: it was us. This woman was our mother.

The smallest child—Noel—was crying, clinging to a little girl who looked just like me, while a third child, Nova, stood tall and defiant, her gaze hard as she stared at the man in the doorway.

“I trusted you,” our mother spat, her voice breaking with rage and pain. “You sold us out.”

The man’s expression twisted into a smirk. “The council knows, Anya. They’re coming for them.”

“They are my children,” she hissed, the air around her crackling as she raised her hands, her voice low and trembling with incantation. Her body seemed to channel the room’s energy, pulling from symbols etched across the walls and floors. The air shimmered with her magic, a language I couldn’t understand but felt resonate deep within me.

The man’s grin faded as he realized he couldn’t breach the barrier she had created. He lunged forward, fury blazing in his eyes, but he was too late.

Our mother continued her incantation, her body trembling as her power drained. Blood trickled down her face, but she kept chanting, her voice growing louder, fierce and unbreakable. With each word, I could feel her magic wrapping around us, sinking into us.

“You will live,” she murmured, her voice breaking as she locked her gaze on ours. “You will return, stronger. Strong enough to finish what I could not.” Her hands pressed into the symbols, sealing the spell. Her gaze softened, filling with sorrow and love. “Forgive me, my children.”

With one final surge of power, her body collapsed, and darkness swallowed us whole.

Back in the present, I gasped, pulling my hands away from Noel’s. My heart thundered as if I’d lived through those moments, through our mother’s last sacrifice. She had poured her life, her power, into us.

Noel looked as shaken as I felt, his eyes dark with understanding and awe. He took a deep breath, the shock fading into acceptance.

“Our powers,” he murmured, “they’re hers.”

I nodded, a tear slipping down my cheek. “She saved us.”

Noel’s gaze hardened with determination. “We have to finish what she started. Annalise… she’s the key.”

I glanced at Noel, determination rising. “We’ll need her to remember. But first, we have to learn how to control our powers.”

We spent the next two hours together, sharing memories, filling in gaps in each other’s knowledge. Noel spoke of his mate and the betrayal that led to their deaths, his voice rough with anger he struggled to contain. His wolf was straining at the surface, his powers growing stronger, and it was becoming clear we couldn’t stay here.

The pack doctor checked us over before giving the all-clear for us to leave. The moment I stepped outside, the rush of sensation hit me—a sensory overload. Noel paused, his eyes now fully black, his wolf pushing to the surface.

“We can’t go back to the pack house,” I murmured, glancing up at him.

“Where, then?” His wolf’s voice rumbled, deep and raw.

I thought of a hidden cave Landon had once shown me. Not just a cave—it was a secure hideaway with enchantments meant for privacy and safety, perfect for training. I’d learned the spell to unlock it in case of emergencies.

“Follow me,” I said, a sense of purpose settling over me. “I know just the place.”