Forbidden Mate: Awakening

She felt it – wonder and fear. Knowing she had the blood of powerful devilish werewolves inside her was overwhelming.

“Ashtarah…” with her signature venomous voice, she pronounced that name. That was her real goddess mother – the one the wolf goddess usurped and stole all her glory from, the real creator of all the species who now fought senselessly on the realm she designed. That was her real mother, her life source and who she knew destined her for greatness.

With her name came a string of energy that electrified Audrey’s body making her burst out in an insidious laughter.

“Ashtarah! I serve noone… you are my destiny…. Ashtarah!” And she bellowed in laughter that echoed through the woods.

It was a part of her that she had kept hidden, but now, she couldn’t ignore it. She wouldn’t hide it anymore.

Her eyes glowed red as the pendant necklace on her neck vibrated, Tiana’s soul crying out through it’s glass.

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~LILY’S POV~

The smell of acid burned my nose. Someone was being tortured in the cave next to ours and my ears had grown accustomed to the screams.

But no more. I had planned this for days and I was hoping it would work.

In a moment of opportunity, when the vampires watching us briefly left us with a warning, fear crept up to me. It was finally happening. I looked at the lock holding my chains and thought hard about what I was going to do.

Drawing on what I had concocted in my mind as a solution, I carefully looked at the lock, searching for any pinpoints. They seem to be have been bonded by dark magic as even the effect on my wrists was stark. They really drained my energy. I used my nimble fingers to gently work on the lock, paying attention to the clicks and movements.

Time seemed to slow down as I applied just enough pressure, trying to move the lock’s parts. I felt a satisfying resistance, a sign that I was making progress.

With great focus, I kept working on the lock, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. I shut out the sounds around, concentrating on what I was doing.

Then I applied the energy within me. My eyes lit up golden and the sparks flew from the tip of my fingers to the lock. I concentrated hard enough and maintained the position.

Finally, I heard a faint click, and the lock gave in to my efforts. The triumphant feeling I felt as the chains fell away, freeing me, was to overwhelming to describe.

I wasted no time. I moved quickly and quietly, making sure not to alert those blockheads outside to my escape. My knees, ankles and almost every other joint in my body hurt and ached. I could only even crawl and then I tried to walk, but the darkness around me was encompassing.

With every step, I got closer to freedom, never losing my gait. I knew I had to act fast before they noticed I was gone. My hands finally reached the wall and I used the energy within me to disintegrate the element so a hole was made. Then again, then again, until a sizeable hole I could pass through was made. The dark light shining through in almost blinded me.

Looking back, I saw Adrian lying motionless, his body battered and drained from the cruel experiments he endured. Seeing him like that tore me apart and filled me with anguish. I had promised to protect him, to stand by his side no matter what, and now I had to make an impossible decision.

His state made my heart ache with grief. I had almost forgotten he was there. I tiptoed, to my best capability, to him and wrapped my arms around his chest, showering kisses all over his face as tears ran down my cheeks.

“I’ll be back, I promise. I’ll come for you. Don’t give up on me, Adrian.” My voice broke.

I laid my ear on his chest and when I heard his heartbeat, I smiled in agony. I knew he would be alright. I would come back for him.

When I heard incoming voices, I quickly got myself together and stood up. I tore a piece of my dirty undergarment and shoved it into one of Adrian’s clenched fists and closed it more. With a kiss on his lips, I said, “I love you, Adrian. Please wait for me.”

Then I rushed to the hole and squeezed my body through it before landing outside on the hard ground. The outside world seemed so strange to me now after almost two months inside that dark cave. That wasn’t the time for observation. I broke into a sprint.

My heart pounded in my chest as I raced through the darkness, struggling to catch my breath. I had managed to escape from the vampire coven, but the burden of my devastating choice weighed heavily on my mind. The fate of my pack and the life of Adrian, hung in the balance, leaving me torn between two agonizing options.

Doubt crept in as my footsteps slowed. I didn’t even know when I had turned into a werewolf and turned back to human. I could already see the grove even though it was miles away.

Should I betray my pack, the family I had grown up with, to save Adrian? Could I really abandon the bonds we shared for the sake of one life? The weight of responsibility crushed me, threatening to break my spirit.

Tears filled my eyes as I thought about the choices I had to make. I could betray my pack, handing them over to the vampires to save Adrian, but it would cost me my soul. Alternatively, I could leave Adrian behind, protecting my pack from danger, but he would face an uncertain future.

Why did I have to face this? This made me feel hopeless, because any of the two decisions I ended up making, I knew one party would still be hurt.

In the gentle moonlight, I closed my eyes, searching for guidance amidst the chaos in my mind. A voice inside me whispered, telling me to trust my instincts and follow my heart. Deep down, I knew sacrificing my pack for one life wasn’t the right path for me. But I couldn’t still let Adrian go…he wasn’t just any life or anybody. He was…”My soulmate.” I said breathlessly.

With a deep sigh, I made my decision. I wouldn’t betray my pack and break their trust for the sake of one person, but I wouldn’t also forsake Adrian. I had already promised him I’d return to save him and I keep my promises.

Why should Leo give me ultimatums? Why would I have to pick one?

No, I would kill two birds with one stone.

As I got closer to the grove, I could see smoke rising high above the skies and the cries and shouts of women, men and children.

“What the hell happened here?”