The Order

Chapter 10

Annalise POV

I'm not sure what just happened. One minute, I'm staring into Damien’s eyes, feeling the mate bond snapping into place, and the next, I’m here, watching a scene play out in front of me.

“Lower the shield,” a man demanded, his voice laced with anger and frustration.

“No,” replied a young girl standing tall, protecting a woman lying on the floor while shielding the younger kids behind her. Her voice sounds familiar—everything here feels familiar.

“This isn’t over,” the man muttered as he stormed out of the house.

The girl turned back just as the children fainted, and that’s when I felt it: magic, pure white magic. With the dark magic still within me, feeling this level of purity was like being cleansed of poison.

“Nova…” the woman whispered, “get your siblings out of here.”

The girl quickly led the children outside, then hurried back for the woman. Watching her, I realized what was happening—I remembered this.

I moved from my spot, standing beside my younger self as she tried to help our mother.

“Listen to me, Nova. I don’t have long,” our mother rasped, coughing as she took a shuddering breath.

“No, Mom, don’t talk. We can heal you; just hang on, okay?” Nova pleaded.

“No, child. Place your hand on my head… let me show you what you have to do.”

Without thinking, I placed my hand over the girl’s, and our mother placed hers over ours. Suddenly, memories and knowledge poured into us, ancient and overwhelming. One memory stood out—a younger version of our mother meeting the Moon Goddess in a forest.

The Moon Goddess, radiant and powerful, stood before our mother, holding a glowing light.

“What… what is this?” my mother asked, staring in awe.

“This,” the Moon Goddess said, her gaze unwavering, “is a fallen star. Not just any star, but one containing the power of the gods. I’ve been searching for it for centuries.”

“I… I never knew such a thing existed,” my mother stammered.

“Humans were never meant to know. When it fell to Earth, they found it, using its power for greed and control, tainting it beyond return.”

“Can’t you restore it?” my mother asked. “You’re the Moon Goddess.”

“It’s too late,” she replied, sadness crossing her features. “The dark magic on Earth requires the star to stay here to restore balance. I am entrusting you with its protection. You have the purest soul I’ve found. Will you guard the source of all magic, as long as you live?”

“That’s… that’s a tremendous responsibility. I’m just a simple woman, powerless to protect it.”

“You will not be powerless. I am making you the first white witch—the first to battle the darkness.”

“I… I don’t know if I can do this,” my mother said as the star began glowing even brighter in her hands.

“It’s not up to us anymore,” the Moon Goddess replied, a solemn smile on her lips. “The star has chosen you.”

I was jolted back to the present as our mother took her last breath. I watched as Nova dragged our mother’s body out of the cottage, then raised her hand, casting a spell to hide it forever. The more I watched, the more memories flooded back, until I blinked and found myself on a battlefield. My mates fought alongside me, and to my shock, I felt a small bump in my stomach.

The tide of the battle was turning against us, but before I could react, I heard my siblings’ voices in my head.

“We will come back. And we will have our vengeance.”

In the midst of the chaos, my mother appeared before me.

“Raise your hands to the sky and repeat after me. Now, quickly, so you may return when the time is right.”

I obeyed, drawing upon every ounce of strength as I chanted the prophecy:

"This is the prophecy of the Order. Hear now, for we shall return when:

One born of royalty,

One born of sin,

Three brought together,

Brothers of another,

Together in trust and power,

They will restore the natural order.

Dark and light, together they shall fight,

When the planets align, they must combine.

Blood of a queen, blood of a hunter, blood of an alpha,

Together to restore the balance.”

As I finished, a sharp, searing pain tore through my stomach. Looking down, I saw the edge of a sword. Turning, I came face-to-face with a man I knew all too well—the one who was supposed to protect and guide us but had been corrupted by greed and power.

Our father.

Blood filled my mouth, and I felt my life slipping away. Raising a trembling finger, I pointed at him.

“You will roam this earth until I come back to kill you myself. I curse you with immortality.”

The words barely escaped my lips before everything went black.

I snapped my eyes open, letting the memories settle as I pieced together everything I’d remembered. Once I felt steady, I rose and made my way to the cave entrance, where I could hear arguing.

“That’s enough!”

“Annalise! Are you okay?” Caleb asked, rushing to me with Austin close behind.

“I’m fine,” I said, scanning the group—someone was missing. “Aurora… where’s our brother?”

Aurora gasped, rushing to me and grabbing my face.

“You remembered!”

I nodded as best I could with her grip on my cheeks.

“Noel is with a coven, training to control his powers. We were having a hard time balancing…”

“That won’t be necessary,” I said, prying her hands off my face. Turning to her mates, I ordered, “Oliver, Landon, Aaron—go get Noel. Now.”

“We can’t do that,” Oliver replied firmly. “We already have too much power concentrated in this pack. It’s dangerous.”

Nova surged forward, snarling. “You fool. The three of us cannot be apart, or history will repeat itself. Fetch Noel. Once we’re together, our powers will balance.”

Before tensions could rise further, Landon took Oliver’s hand, and they vanished. Turning to Austin and Caleb, I placed a hand on each of their heads, letting my magic flow as I shared everything I’d seen—including the memory of Damien as the first mate I found.

Just as the cave pulsed with anticipation, a surge of energy signaled Noel's arrival. Aurora's eyes widened, and she rushed forward, unable to contain the excitement that had been building since they’d been separated.

"Noel!" Her voice cracked, half in joy, half in relief, and she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He laughed, returning her embrace tightly, as though grounding them both in the moment.

"It’s really you," she whispered, pulling back just enough to see him clearly. “I’ve missed you more than you know.”

“Same, sis. Finally, we’re all here.” He glanced at me, his expression shifting to something softer, filled with an unspoken understanding. He stepped forward, reaching out a tentative hand. “Annalise…”

With an almost hesitant smile, I took his hand, giving it a squeeze as I felt the strange but undeniable bond between us. I took a good look between him and Aurora, and I could feel my gaze softening as old memories of a family lost and now reborn filled my heart.

Just as I was about to say something, the quiet intensity shifted. Damien stepped into the circle, his presence a dark cloud against our reunion. The warmth that had blossomed in the cave turned colder as every eye landed on him. Tension pulsed through the air like an unspoken challenge, the raw edge of mistrust tangible between all of us.

My gaze sharpened as I met Damien’s eyes. Memories flashed: the man who betrayed my trust, killed my parents, and tried to destroy me every chance he got. I could see that same look in his eyes, though now shadowed with a reluctant acceptance.

This is not the Damien I knew a couple of years ago. This is the Damien who stood by my side in every battle, who worked hard to keep our family safe. The Damien who killed my parents is dead; I’m certain of that. But can I move on from the hurt and loss he once caused?