HANNAH
Alex’s car screeches to a halt, and we tumble out onto the bloodstained grounds of the Sky pack territory. I gasp in horror, my eyes widening as I take in the carnage surrounding us. Broken bodies litter the earth – men, women, even children, their limbs contorted at grotesque angles. Pools of crimson spread outward, staining the grass a deep, violent red.
My stomach lurches as I spot disembodied hearts ripped from chests and discarded like refuse. The metallic stench of death clogs my nostrils, dredging up memories of the brutal attack on the Silver wolf pack years ago. But this… this is so much worse. More savage, more merciless, a massacre of innocents.
“Alex!” A familiar voice cuts through the eerie silence.
I whip around to see Luna Marley staggering towards us, her clothes and skin drenched in scarlet from head to toe. She looks like she has crawled straight out of a slaughterhouse.
“Mom!” Alex rushes forward, frantic hands roving over her, checking for injuries.
“It’s not mine,” she rasps, the words seeming to drain what little energy she has left. Alex pulls her into a desperate embrace, clutching her shaking form against his chest.
“Thank the moon goddess,” he murmurs, tightening his arms around her. “Dad? Is he…”
Luna shakes her head minutely as they break apart. “He’s fine, too.”
Alex nods, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “My brothers? Jason? Mila?”
“Cameron and Mila weren’t home.” Luna’s voice cracks, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. “Jason is okay, but… Lorenzo…”
Alex’s hand clenches on her arm, his knuckles whitening as he waits for her to continue. But another voice rings out, cutting through the weighted silence.
“I’m here.”
I turn to see Lorenzo striding towards us, his face drawn but very much alive. Alex and his mother exhale shaky breaths of relief, the tears they had been holding back spilling over.
Overwhelming gratitude washes over me to see them all relatively unscathed. I move to join their small cluster, seeking solace in their presence after bearing witness to such atrocities.
But as we make our way inside the hospital, another scent hits my nostrils – one achingly familiar, mingling with the coppery tang of blood. Ice water floods my veins as realization dawns.
No… it can’t be. She’s supposed to be tucked away safely in a hotel, not here in the midst of this massacre.
“Hannah?” Alex’s brow furrows in concern as he notices my sudden shift in demeanor. “What’s wrong?”
“My…” The words stick in my throat as panic claws at my chest. I can’t bring myself to voice my fear.
Instead, I let my nose guide me, following the sickly sweet trail of her scent as it permeates every room we pass. Closing my eyes, I shut out the lingering traces and hone in on the strongest source.
“Please be okay, please…” I whisper the desperate mantra under my breath, my heart thundering against my ribs.
There. I’ve pinpointed the location and take off at a sprint, my strides fueled by dread.
“Mummy!” The strangled cry tears from my lips as I finally lay eyes on her familiar form. She spins to face me, eyes wide with surprise.
I crash into her, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug as I bury my face into the crook of her neck. She’s okay. Relief washes over me in dizzying waves as I drink in her comforting scent – the same sweet, slightly musky aroma laced with an undercurrent of something indescribably… motherly.
“Aura… Hannah, what’s wrong?” she asks, her tone laced with bewilderment as she returns my embrace.
I pull back just enough to meet her gaze, a watery smile tugging at my lips. “I thought… I was so afraid something had happened to you.”
Understanding flickers in her eyes as she studies me intently. “I’m alright, my darling. I’m right here.”
“I remember…” I whisper. “I remember everything.” I rush out to tell her.
Her eyes widen, shining with hope. “You do?”
I nod, the smile stretching wider across my face. “Yes. It wasn’t your fault… you left me to protect me.”
She pulls me back into her arms, cradling me against her chest as she rests her cheek against the top of my head. “Oh, Aura, I’m so happy. So happy you remember that you understand why I had to do what I did.”
I return her embrace fiercely, savoring her warmth, her solidity, her presence. For so long, she was just a ghost, a faded imprint on my memories. But now… now I can bask in the reality of her, this woman who sacrificed everything for me.
The tender moment is broken by an awkward cough behind us. We turn to see Alex shifting uncomfortably, his expression a mix of confusion and relief.
“Not to be rude and ruin your moment,” he says carefully, “but how did you two go from ‘I don’t want to see you right now’ to… this?”
I can’t help but chuckle at his bewilderment, exchanging a knowing look with my mother. “I remembered what happened,” I explain simply.
Alex nods slowly, processing this. “Okay… not to pry or anything, but what did happen? How did you end up in the Blood Moon pack?”
“Should I explain, or would you prefer to?” she asks gently.
“You, please,” I reply. “I need to also hear how Kevin isn’t dead and has been with you all these years.”
She nods, drawing a fortifying breath before beginning the tale of that night that changed my life forever. As she speaks, the memories come flooding back with visceral clarity…
The cool night air raises goosebumps along my skin as the breeze caresses my exposed arms and face. Mummy’s grip tightens almost painfully around my small hand, her eyes narrowing to slits staring at the strangers.
“Why would you want to help us?” she demands, her voice a low growl as she pulls me protectively behind her. “Who sent you?”
The man raises his hands in a placating gesture, taking a careful step forward. “We have our own reasons, but rest assured, they align with your interests. We are willing to take your daughter into our pack and promise to keep her safe.”
Mummy tenses further at his words, muscles coiled like a snake prepared to strike. “And why would you do that?”
“Because someone as precious as her shouldn’t be running for her life,” the man replies, his gaze flickering to me with an indecipherable look. “She deserves a roof over her head and food in her mouth three times daily.”
A tremor runs through me at his words, and I clutch at mummy’s skirt, peering up at her with wide, fearful eyes. Who is this man? Why does he want to take me away?
“Who says my daughter is precious?” Mummy’s tone drips with a mixture of derision and maternal ferocity as she pushes me further behind her shielding form.
The man doesn’t flinch. “Even without you saying it, her Aura says it all. She is the granddaughter of the Alpha King and the heir to the Silver pack.”
A harsh gasp escapes mummy’s lips as the weight of his declaration seems to crash over her. Her shoulders slump almost imperceptibly as she releases a shuddering sigh. Turning, she crouches before me, gently tucking an errant curl behind my ear. The tenderness in her touch is at odds with the anguish swimming in her eyes.
“We know why you are on the run,” the man continues, his voice taking on a softer tone. “So you are out of choices here. No pack will risk the wrath of the dark witch. But we are willing to take your daughter and keep her hidden from Henrietta… but only her.”
Mummy’s brow furrows at this, a flicker of hesitation crossing her features before her expression hardens once more. “How will you keep her safe from Henrietta?”
“Henrietta is tracking both of you through your scents,” the man explains calmly. “We have a witch who can null your daughter’s scent entirely.”
“Witches can do that?” Mummy’s eyes widen infinitesimally at this revelation. She takes a deep, steadying breath, turning back to me with an unreadable look.
I can sense her internal struggle, can practically see the warring thoughts and emotions playing out across her face. A knot of dread forms in the pit of my stomach.
“I don’t want to go with them, mummy,” I plead, feeling the first hot tears prick my eyes. “Please don’t give me to them!”
The anguish that flashes across her features nearly breaks me. She pulls me into a fierce embrace, her chin resting atop my head as she rocks us gently. “Shh, my darling… I won’t let them take you unless I have a reason to trust them.”
Pulling back, she meets my watery gaze with her own resolute one. “Can she also… wipe her memory? Or at least lock it away for a time?”
The tears spill over at her words, dread and betrayal lancing through my small body. “No, mummy, no!” I cry out, struggling weakly against her restraining arms.
But the man is already nodding. “Yes, she can do that.”
“Good.” Mummy sniffles, tightening her grip on me as I thrash against her hold. “Now, how can I guarantee you will keep her safe? I need something important to you as… collateral.”
The woman steps forward then, returning a few moments later with a young girl in tow – around my age with blonde curls framing her cherubic face. “Here is our daughter, Alice. She is ten years old, just like Aura. She will stay with you as our pledge.”
The words seem to sap what little fight remained in mummy. She nods jerkily, resignation etched into the tense lines of her body as she rises with me cradled in her arms…