The Unmated and the Orphan

Chapter X Murder at the border

**Aura's POV

I was stunned to hear her name remembering what that creature said but the old lady was just staring at me.

"H-How are you, ma'am?" I smiled and extended my hand.

"I'm Aurora. I can't thank you enough for you and your daughter's hospitality,"

It took her some good seconds before shaking my hand and instantly, flashes of Auset who appears to be a queen of some ancient time came into my vision. Next, my parents who seem to be running away from me disappear from the clouds. Then, a black beast I have never seen before.. Seemed like a wolf but standing in two feet with horns and a roar so loud and horrifying it snapped me back to reality. I pulled my hand right away, touching it with my other hand feeling a slight burn them I took a step back.

"Now now mother, let's take it easy.." Elle came to my aid and let me sit on a chair. As I stole glances at rafaela.

"The future revealed itself," she simply shrugged.

"W-what do you mean?" I gasped, not sure if I really want to hear the answer.

"We are descendants of the great ancient life force never known to man. The ally of the great kings and rulers ever to walk this earth,"

I was blank completely! No idea what the heck she's talking about.

"What?"

"You came from a long journey and you are here for the truth, are you not?" She asked and I nodded because it's true.

"Follow me," she led us out of the room. Elle smiled as she gestured me to follow them. I reluctantly did while my heart is beating like crazy.

"I'm your mother's sister, Rafaela Alba. I signed the letter Alpha Manson gave you" she continued.

"Y-you're R.Alba? H-how did you know A-alpha Ma-"

"Long story," she interrupted while leading us to a door at the end of the hallway past the kitchen.

When she opened it, the scent of herbal concoctions mixed with a bit of chemical filled the air. As we go down the staircase, hanging plants decorated the room. There are exotic plants and flowers here and there. Some of it I saw in most horror movies like the bat flower and the venus flytrap.

"Whoah," I whispered. "Are you witches too?"

Elle chuckled looking back at me. "Some are. Not all life force giver are gifted with the same strength. So I took extra curricular activities,"

I nodded. We stopped at an old, big wooden table with different types of flasks and beakers, some with concoctions in them. They smell so weird it's turning my stomach upside down.

"Bring the trunk on the table," Rafaela ordered her daughter. With a few wave of her hand, Elle brought the medium sized, heavy-looking old trunk in the table that left my mouth hang open. Rafaela placed her hand on the rusty lock and murmured foreign words and after a few seconds, the lock was broken.

"Aurora,"

I jumped slight hearing my name. I hesitantly walked towards her and was surprised when she brought out a big and ancient book. I groaned after she handed it to me as it's very heavy. Some dust flew in the air that gave me a runny nose.

"It belongs to your father. It's what will guide you to fulfill your true self," she reached inside the trunk again while I nodded absent mindedly inspecting the cover of the book.

The next thing she brought out left me in awe. It was a golden necklace with white oval gem with streaks of faint yellow as it's pendant.

"It was your mother's," she paused while holding it up. Then she went and fixed it around my neck. "You look so much like my beautiful little sister.."

I blinked a few times to fight off the tears from falling. I immediately sensed the shared sadness and loss of a family member, something that is foreign to my feelings. I touched the gem feeling it's warmth. It's pretty long it reaches between my breasts. I can't help but smile, finally I have something more of my parents than a picture.

"W-were are my parents?" I asked nervously. She and Elle shared a look that warned me it's something I don't want to hear.

Rafaela reached out to give me a warm embrace. "Let's go back up somewhere more comfortable, okay?"

I agreed and we all went back up. Rafaela decided we should have breakfast at the patio that's connected to their kitchen outside. It is facing a lake giving a calmer ambience. Elle brought eggs, pancakes and sausages on the table.

While we're eating, I told them my story in the pack. Being of lowest rank, how I've always wanted to know who my parents are, growing up without a wolf, the friends I left in the pack and the agreement I had with Alpha Manson and my journey - including my encounters with Bridget and Blade until I met them. Obviously leaving out the Idris and Auset part. I know I'm not trusting them completely yet and I can't force myself. The whole time though I was telling my story, they eagerly listened.

"So there.." when I finished, the smile on my face slowly fading. There was a moment of silence. "So uh, w-what happened to them?"

Rafaela took a deep sigh. By this time we we're all done with breakfast. Her gaze was far at the lake before she started.

"Your mother, Sirona, was a free spirit. She likes to do things her way and never believed in tradition or the likes. She was liked a lot though, a charmer and is a natural with the power she possessed. She was regarded as the chosen during our time but it's something she never took seriously." Shaking her head in disappointment. "She was also the one prophesied wherein, a Phoenix -the Goddess of life force will descend upon to heal the land and it's people. It only happens every thousand years or when there is an impending chaos. It is said, when she descends it could mean the apocalypse.."

Elle and I shared a look of fear. My heart started beating fast.

"Sirona, being the carefree person ignored and denied the Prophecy. In our time, a council existed to protect the bloodline. In the efforts to discipline your mother, they had her betrothed to a power-hungry, ruthless king. They were so fixed on the Prophecy that they did this to ensure his alliance in case there is a war to come." Sighing heavily at the thought of the past. "King Samuel was a very powerful ruler at the time and he wanted her knowing the

power she holds. By that time she already met your father -Elias, your father. A gentle and down to earth sorcerer and a wanderer like herself. It was love at first sight and their chemistry is undeniable. They are inseparable and planned to elope and escape Samuel and the council,"

It was like listening to an old tragic love story however, I can imagine vividly in my head the scenarios I was hearing.

"So a day before her wedding, she disappeared with your father. Left the kingdom and hid in other creature's worlds even in humans. They never stayed in one place and it's to avoid being traced. Changing their names and appearances from time to time.. But nevertheless, they were happy with each other's company. From time to time they will give me a call, letting them know they're alright. Until such time came that she conceived you and there was no choice but to stop going around at the peak of her pregnancy, so they came to me" Rafaela sighed heavily at the memory. I turned my back to face the lake to hide the gloom in my face.

"During their stay, the house was sealed with magic to conceal their presence. However, there are days that the seal is weak either because there was no rest from using it or because of Sirona's pregnancy, her body was getting weak. In time, we have noticed suspicious activities near the neighborhood then the house, the feeling of someone stalking.. Then days after, we received threats by notes and unwanted knocks at night and we know it's only a matter of time before they get to us. So we decided to pack and get ready to leave." She cleared her throat as if a big lump is blocking it.

--------FLASHBACK-------

On the day they were leaving though, a few warriors came to attack. For them to escape and out the child to safety in her womb to safety, your Elias stayed behind to cover their tracks and fight them off with sorcery. Sirona refusing to leave at first attempted to help but using more power only consumes more of her energy that may harm the child she bears. Rafaela helped with holding the seal around the house but there were too many beasts around that no one knows how long she can hold it. Sirona and Elias shared a defeated look but deep inside their hearts there is still some speak of hope for their child. Finally convinced that they have to separate at this time, Elias created a teleport in the room that connects on the safest and farthest border he could find. Between rouges and wolves of the White Crescent Moon Pack. This way, the king will be cautious to attack knowing there are nearby pack territories that may interfere. As soon as the teleport was up, Sirona had Rafaela jumped inside it. Staring at Elias who struggling to hold the fort, she ran to her and they shared a quick, deep kiss. Fear in their eyes that this may be the last time they will see each other..

**Aura's POV

I took a deep breath now realizing how I ended up in the Crystal Crescent pack. I hugged myself feeling suddenly cold. I turned around to find tears welling up in her eyes that made me bite my lip. The past must be so traumatic for the someone who experienced the tragedy. At this point I started losing all false hopes that my parents are still alive.

---------Back to FLASHBACK----------

**Narrative

As the sisters came out of the other side of portal, Sirona cried in distress. Her sister held her as the latter stares at her in horror realizing she was going into an early labor. Her cries catching the attention of both rouges and wolves guarding each border nearby, it wasn't long before they came into the scene. The two groups meeting, created tension in the air. Each group oblivious to the fact there's a helpless woman in labor pains.

Fearing for their safety, the sisters crawled towards the bushes choosing the wolves side of the border. Two wolves from the pack carefully approached them as they help put them in a safer spot. As menacingly as the rogues are however, started attacking the group of wolves. Instantly a battle between the two groups broke out with the two sisters caught in the middle, even before they could reach to safety.

Less than a couple of minutes later, the portal spit out Elias, all bloodied and exhausted, face flat on the ground. Appearing very disoriented when he looked up to find a group of rogues and wolves snapping and clawing against each other, not far from him. He was alarmed upon seeing the two in the middle of the fighting group, crawling away to safety. He struggled to get himself off the ground and was taking heavy footsteps towards their direction.

"Sirona..!" He called to get her attention.

The two sisters both turned to his way both bearing grateful looks to see him alive.

However, their eyes turned into terror as King Samuel jumped out of the portal door with some of his warriors. The king, upon seeing the battle, your mother's labor and Elias, seemed to have aggravated him that he suddenly transform to what no one expected he was. Showing his superiority, he slowly transmogrify to a hybrid creature that caught everyone's attention and made them still. A hybrid demon-lycanthrope with horns on each side of it's head pointing forward. It has such a terrifying aura that not even an Alpha can probably match it's supremacy.

Its roar was so deafening as it launched towards Elias. He was too quick that before the sorcerer could move, the beast's claws dug deep behind his back lifting his body up from the ground. It's claws tore his upper body, splitting his insides and splurting his blood into the air. Sirona squealed in horror as she watched his body dishonored and violated and for awhile all that can be heard is her cries of agony. When Elias' body hit the ground, her eyes were blank as if sanity left her body..