Chapter 1

AURORA'S POV

Everywhere hurts!

That was all that was going through my mind as I laid on the surgical table, my hands held down to the bed by leather straps.

Somewhere deep inside of me, I could hear my wolf, Amber, whimpering softly.

She could feel my pain if not more and I could feel her growing weaker with each passing second.

"How much longer?" I heard one of the nurses standing beside me asked the doctor as though she could hear my thoughts.

"A little while; I am almost done with the extraction of the Luna essence," Dr. Carmichael replied.

I hated the tone he used when speaking as if they were holding a discussion about the weather rather than draining the life out from my body.

Amber kept whimpering as they drew more and more of my essence.

I tried to soothe her reminding her that this was all for our boy but her silent whimpers soon turned to screams .

‘Something is wrong’ She cried amidst her screams and almost immediately I felt the room swim.

Because indeed something was.

It wasn’t just the pain anymore; rather it felt as though invisible hooks had slowly sunk into my spine and were pulling more than just my essence.

I turned to face the nurse but a burning sensation tore through my veins. It hurt even more than ever!

“Pleaseee…” 

It was almost as though I could see it through the blurry haze.

This was all for Asher!

As I felt each thread that snapped free left behind a hollow ache… I felt empty.

“Please…” I tried to say as my back arched off the table despite the restraints, I could feel Amber claw desperately inside me, as though trying to stop them.

‘We have to endure, just a little longer for the sake of the wig out boy,’ I whimpered, trying to assure her, but the pain…

I could feel the leather bit more into my wrists as I strained against it whilst my muscles spasmed violently.

Another scream ripped out of me… This time it sounded so raw and animalistic and at the same time so distant to my own ears, swallowed by the hum of the extraction machine.

Wasn't anyone watching my stats to see that they had taken far more than enough?

My heart thumped hard against my chest violently, and I could feel blood slowly fill my mouth, sliding down my throat when I tried to breathe.

My fingertips turned numb first then my leg as cold crept upward, swallowing my body warmth inch by inch.

It was almost as though I was being extracted.

I tried to move…beg that they please stop, I couldn’t feel Amber anymore but all that escaped my mouth was a blood filled cough.

"The extraction is done," the doctor announced with a satisfied voice.

I heard the thrilling cry from the small crowd that had gathered to witness the extraction.

But my heart felt empty.

Amber was gone, alongside with the wolf essence they had taken from me.

Rather than my husband and baby boy, I watched as my vision slowly cleared out as Seraphina came into view, standing beside the doctor who handed her the vial that contained the extracted essence.

"Is this all?" She asked him.

He nodded.

And as our eyes met, I tried reaching out to her as I murmured, "My baby, please save my baby.”

Her lips curved into a smile.

Immediately something at the back of my mind told me everything was wrong with that smile.

But I ignored the signs and then , she showed me wonders.

She uncapped the vial before my eyes and drank the contents in one go.

My eyes widened in shock.

“What… what have you done?” I struggled to process what had just happened right in for me!

Seraphina had swallowed the antidote for my child's ailment and she still had that smile on her face.

"No, no," I murmured weakly, attempting to move, but I felt my body falling back to the bed below, restrained by those straps.

She chuckled softly as she flung the empty vial onto the tiled floor.

I heard it shatter.

"Aurora…Aurora… Aurora," she drawled, approaching me slowly, the smug smile on her face now seemingly more menacing.

I froze completely as she placed her hands into mine, staring straight into my soul she said, "Thank you for the essence, now I can be you, Aurora.”

“The last piece of the puzzle was your essence."

My whole world came crashing down, everything dawning on me.

I searched for Alaric, but it was almost as though I didn’t exist in his eyes, adoringly he stared at Sera.

He knew?!

And together they pulled this scam, watching as I screamed in pain… watching as my life forces wa drained do I could save out o oh child,

I had been a fool.

Seraphina let go of my hand with a triumphant smirk.

"No?” I breathed with agony as she turned on one heel and left the room.

More tears trailed down my eyes as I saw her walk into my husband's embrace… he pulled her in even closer and took in her scenes with a smile on his face.

I watched as her body began to glow.

"You are strong enough now, Seraphina," I read Alaric's lips as he whispered to her.

"Now, you'll be my true Luna." He stepped back to look down at Seraphina, smiling as she touched his face.

"Fate has given us a second chance." She said as he pulled her into and kissed her.

Unbearable pain exploded through my chest as the bond that had once connected me to my wolf, to my pack, and to everything I was snapped like a broken spring.

"Alaric, please," I tried to call out but a whisper was the only thing that left my trembling lips.

The tears that had been stuck at the corner of my eyes left and ran down the side of my eyes to the bed.

I tried to move with the last bit of energy that I had left and fell back with a crash.

A nurse that was entering the room to clean me up immediately ran to my side as she called out, "Luna?" 

As if I was that anymore.

Seraphina had taken that identity away from me like the thieving crook she was.

"Alaric," I managed to say, "please get me my husband."

She turned away.

"Alpha, Luna requests an audience with you," she announced and I watched as they broke away from the kiss, and he turned towards me.

He was about to say something, but thought against it before holding Seraphina's hand and walking with her into the surgical room.

"What?" He snapped with an impatient expression the moment he was by my side.

"Alaric, I, I am…"

The words died in my throat as something hot and liquid rushed up my throat.

I couldn't stop it in time, more blood gurgled out of my mouth and down my neck.

He stepped back in disgust.

"Aurora, stop seeking attention. You did well today. I will arrange for someone to take care of you during the recovery."

Take care of me? I was dying, and he thought I wanted to get his attention?

Who was this cold man? And where was the man that had promised me forever?

The surgical room door burst open before I could speak, and the pitter-patter of small footsteps filled the space.

Hope surged in my failing heart as my son, Asher, ran across the tiled floor.

I knew he would come to me.

He would see what they were doing to me but my heart fell to my toes as Asher ran past without a glance, before throwing his arms around Seraphina's waist.

His small, chubby face was bright with joy.

"Mother!" he called her. "You are glowing! You look so pretty!"

My chest constricted, and I coughed up more blood.

Seraphina knelt and hugged him close.

"My sweet boy of course mummy is glowing because she loves you so much."

What was going on?

Alaric leaned down and placed his hand on Asher's head, completing their picture as a perfect royal family of three.

Where had I missed the plot?

I loved my husband and he had loved me just as well if not more than I did.

My eyes found my baby boy, just a few months ago I had stayed awake through the nights as his body burned… no one could question my love.

I had dedicated time to the pack so when I had… my thoughts faltered as my gaze caught Sera’s smirk.

My vision began to blur, darkening around the edges as more blood left my mouth.

And suddenly, it all started coming back to me.

Alaric proposal to bring her in, “She has no one,” he had said and I trusted him.

When she came, she had this look in her eyes, she looked so lost and I opened my home to her.

There were no boundaries. 

I was grateful to have help and be of help at the same time.

And I… the fool that I was … never questioned why she always seemed to be with Alaric, why her laughter rang the loudest in the room… why she became so touchy with Alaric. 

I told myself I was imagining things and just like my husband had said while reassuring me, jealousy was an emotion beneath his Luna.

And now she stood in my place.

My vision darkened further, the last image I had seen was them seemingly looking like a happy family, my husband and my son with HER, bathing under the sacred light.

My mate stood there… the man who once swore I was his moon and stars …watching another woman glow with the essence drawn out of my veins.

And our son… my baby boy… didn’t even look at me once.

His small hands were wrapped around her so tightly while I… laid bleeding to death, he had chosen another mother.

A wet laugh bubbled in my throat, turning into another cough of blood.

How foolish I had been.

I loved him even after he stopped touching me and started treating me like a political obligation.

I loved him and all for what?

So he could stand there and watch me die?

Anger flickered through the numbness but I felt so weak, I wanted to scream and curse at him, to ask if the nights I stayed awake waiting for him meant nothing.

I laid hard and abandoned, my chest slowly tightening, not with pain this time nor anger but regret.

Why wasn’t my love enough for him?

Just one more chance… that was all I needed to make them pay.

I didn’t deserve this betrayal!

A tear slipped down my eyes, all I needed was a chance to prove I existed more than being Alaric perfect Luna.

I didn’t want to die… not like this.

Their laughter filled the air and I felt my body become limp… just one more chance?