The Order

Chapter 9

Aurora’s POV

Finding Damien’s heart and body was no small task; each was buried in different locations within Annalise’s pack, heavily guarded. Every time I snuck in, guilt clawed at me, but I knew this was necessary. Damien’s body, surprisingly intact, lay in the most fortified underground cell. I expected decay, the stench of death, but somehow, he seemed almost... preserved.

His heart was much harder to locate. After months of searching, I finally enlisted the guys’ help. We devised a story about my “k********g” to lure Annalise and her mates away from their pack, giving us a chance to sneak in. Once inside her alpha’s office, we discovered the heart hidden in a secret compartment. With Damien’s body already secured in the cave under Teodora’s watchful eye, we readied ourselves for the ritual, each step heavy with anticipation.

“You guys have the blood bags?” I asked, steadying myself as Oliver nodded, setting eight bags beside Damien’s body.

“Good. He’ll need them once he wakes.”

“Are we sure about this?” Landon eyed the setup, unease clear in his voice. “Is it even safe?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. That’s why I layered extra enchantments on the cave entrance—to contain him if things go sideways.”

“Let’s do this. We’ve wasted enough time,” Oliver said firmly, moving to stand behind me, his arms wrapping protectively around my shoulders.

Teodora took Damien’s heart and carefully reinserted it, closing the wound with a delicate touch. Then, she drew a single drop of blood from a small vial.

“Whose blood is that?” I asked, curiosity prickling.

Without looking up, she replied, “Annalise’s. Part of a bargain we made long ago.”

We held our breath as Teodora let the single drop fall into Damien’s mouth. My heart pounded with a mix of excitement and fear—had we just unleashed something beyond our control?

It only took seconds. Damien gasped, his chest heaving as he opened his eyes, piercing and intense as they landed on me. Oliver’s hold tightened protectively as Damien’s gaze shifted to Teodora.

“Witch,” he croaked.

“Bloodsucker,” she replied dryly, tossing him a blood bag. Damien seized it, draining one after another until all were empty. As he stood, he was no longer the remnants of a memory—I saw the man from my visions, powerful and undeniably dangerous.

“So, I assume Annalise doesn’t know about this,” he said, amusement flickering in his tone.

“No,” Teodora confirmed, her voice cold and unyielding.

He looked at each of us, his expression shifting to something almost appreciative. “Thank you for bringing me back.”

“She still hates you, but we need her memories to return,” Teodora replied evenly.

Damien’s expression softened slightly. “The curse is finally broken. I always knew... she’d have to kill me to break it. I won’t apologize for what I did. I only hoped that one day she’d find a reason to revive me. No matter now. I’m here.” He paused, turning serious. “How long until the planetary alignment?”

My pulse quickened as Teodora’s gaze sharpened with suspicion.

“How do you know about that? I thought everyone from back then perished at once.”

Damien chuckled darkly. “We did. But my coven betrayed me, cursing me to wander the earth until my beloved killed me. The last night of Annalise’s life, after the news of her siblings’ deaths reached her, they came.”

He stiffened, a memory flashing across his face, and then looked at us urgently.

“Does Annalise remember anything?”

“No,” I answered, stepping out of Oliver’s protective embrace, ignoring his quiet growl of protest. “That’s why we brought you back. We need your help.”

“How long until the alignment?” he demanded, his intensity growing.

“Four months,” Landon replied.

“What?” he shouted, his voice laced with anger. “We’re running out of time.”

“Out of time for what?” I asked, feeling the tension rise.

“You don’t know?” he muttered to himself. “Goddess help us. This is worse than I thought.”

“Explain,” Teodora snapped, her patience wearing thin.

Taking a deep breath, Damien sat down, steadying himself on the table where he’d been laid moments before.

“Annalise—Nova, as she once was—had a moment with your mother before everything ended. She entrusted Annalise with something powerful, something that could change everything. The Moon Goddess blessed your mother with this responsibility, and before she died, she passed it to you three, specifically to Nova. That’s why your family was hunted. She trusted the wrong person with her secret, and it cost her life.”

The weight of his words settled over us. The truth was finally surfacing, but it seemed that with every answer, more questions arose.

By the time we got Damien situated in the cave with Teodora, evening had fallen. The guys were skeptical about leaving Teodora alone with him, but she assured us she could handle the bloodsucker. Just as we left the cave, Oliver was notified by border patrol that Annalise and her mates had arrived.

The benefits of having mates with powers were impressive. Instead of taking two hours to get back, we were there in the blink of an eye, just in time to see three massive wolves emerging from the woods surrounding the pack house. The guys nudged me behind them as the wolves shifted back into human form.

Annalise stepped forward, her sharp eyes scanning with the familiar wariness she never quite let go of. Her powerful aura filled the space, commanding the attention—and respect—of the pack members around us.

“You all don’t seem like you’re losing your minds,” she said, casting a wary look at each of my mates.

Azura growled low, catching everyone’s attention. Though she was my wolf, she had her own personality, and she hated anyone disrespecting our mates.

“Aurora?” Annalise questioned, her eyes narrowing. “What the hell is going on?” she demanded as her mates moved to back her up.

“Look, I’m sorry we lied to get you here, but we wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t important.”

Annalise’s expression shifted from anger to cautious curiosity as she folded her arms. “So, you tricked me into coming here. Start talking.”

“It’s better if we discuss this in private. Just follow us, okay?”

Oliver extended his hand, and once we were all connected, we were instantly transported to the cave entrance.

“Before we go in, have any of you heard about the prophecy of the Order?” I asked.

Annalise, Austin, and Caleb froze, shock evident in their faces. Her eyes shifted color, and her aura intensified.

“Calm down,” I said, stepping forward cautiously.

“No, stop. What is going on?” Annalise’s voice rose, power crackling around her. “The only people who knew about that were the three of us, and I only dreamed about it a few nights ago. So, what the hell is going on?!”

The ground trembled as a blue aura flared from her. The guys stepped in front of me, readying themselves to defend.

Then, a gust of wind swept through, and Damien appeared before Annalise.

“Enough,” he commanded, his voice stern. At once, her energy simmered down.

“What is this?” Caleb demanded, stepping closer.

Annalise’s expression softened as recognition dawned in her eyes. “You’re... my mate,” she whispered, and as the realization sank in, she collapsed into Damien’s arms.