Three years later
Hope
It’s the night of a blood moon, and I’ve just gone into labour with my second pregnancy. The labour is much harder and more painful than when I had my twin boys. I deliver the baby right at midnight as the clock chimes.
‘It’s a girl!’ Doctor Matlin says and passes her to me.
‘What will we call her?’ Alpha Maximus asks.
‘Lylah,’ I say and kiss her cheek.
‘She is so beautiful, Hope. She has platinum blonde hair and blue eyes like you. Lylah is perfect. A beautiful name,’ he smiles.
Eight weeks later, Sally gives birth to a baby girl with red hair, just like Nathan.
It’s also my father's birthday. So we have invited him to our packhouse to celebrate with him, and so he can also meet baby Lylah.
I put Lylah to sleep in her cot for the night and then tuck Theo and Leo into their beds before returning downstairs to the celebration.
As I reach the bottom of the stairs, Alex approaches me.
'Luna, there’s someone here looking for you. She’s a witch,' he says.
'A witch?' I repeat.
'She said her name is Lea,’
As I enter the living room, I see a woman sitting on the sofa. She has straight black hair, with hints of grey hair, because of old age. When she sees me walking toward her, she stands up and covers her mouth with shock.
'You look so much like Anna,' she says.
'So I'm told often,' I smile, 'What may I help you with?' I ask her.
'My name is Lea, the head witch from the seer coven. I’ve travelled from the other side of the world to see you. I’m the witch who insisted that your parents participate in a sacred ritual,' she explains.
'My father told me about the ritual,' I say to her.
'Hope, I need to speak with your father. It's about the ritual he took part in. There’s something he needs to know,' she says with a guilty look.
'Well, my father arrived here yesterday so we could celebrate his birthday today. So, you’ve arrived at the right time for wanting to see him. 'Please follow me. I will take you to him,' I smile.
'Papa, you have a visitor,' I say to him.
His face immediately lights up with surprise. He is happy to see her. They smile and hug each other.
'I never thought I'd ever see you again, Lea. It’s so good to see you,' he says, embracing her.
'I was too afraid to return because I had helped Anna escape this castle. I thought I would be sentenced to death if I returned. But then I discovered that Alpha Cal had been killed a few years ago, and the laws had changed, so I travelled back here straight away to make things right again, Alpha Levi,' Lea explains.
‘What do you mean?’ he asks her.
‘I’ve returned for Anna,’
'Lea, Hope is dead. Alpha Cal burned her at the stake twenty-one years ago,’ he says sadly.
'That's why I am here, Alpha Levi. There’s something I need to tell you. Anna was never completely gone. She has always been here,' Lea says.
My father and I glance at each other with confusion.
'What are you talking about?' my father says
'The necklace, the one created at the sacred ritual. Do you still have it?' Lea asks.
He looks at me as I lift it out from the top of the neckline of my dress.
'This necklace?' I ask.
'Yes! That's it. Will you please let me have it?' Lea asks.
I step back, gripping the heart. 'No, you can't have it. This was my mother's,' I say to her.
'That's what I'm trying to tell you! Your mother’s soul, her essence, is inside. With this pendant, I can bring her back to life in the flesh!' Lea says.
My heart beats faster.
'Are you saying you can bring Anna back from the dead right now?' my father asks.
'When she was burned at the stake, she never died. The rest of her soul and essence went into this heart to be whole again. I know the spell to set her free, to bring her back,' Lea says.
I place the necklace in her hands. 'I want to see her. I want my mother back,' I say, my eyes well up.
Lea nods, 'Come!' she says.
As we leave the room, I grab Alpha Maximus’s hand and pull him beside us.
I tell him who Lea is and how she says she will bring my mother back.
It’s dark outside, and the moon is full. My father, Lea, Alpha Maximus, and I trudge our way to the woods near the packhouse. Lea picks a spot, draws a circle on the ground using a stick, and places the necklace inside the ring.
'Lea begins to chant,’
Suddenly the heart begins to crack. A large pillar of red mist flies into the sky as soon as it opens. The red mist makes us cough, but a figure can be seen standing in the circle as it fades.
'Anna!?' my father yells, pulling her into his chest and crying.
'Levi, my love, is that really you?' my mother asks him, now crying into his chest.
'Yes, yes, it's me. I love you so much. I never stopped thinking about you!' my father cries.
'I know, I have missed you so much too, Levi,' she says, cupping his face.
'There’s someone I would like you to meet,' he says and slowly turns her around to see me.
I fall to my knees on the ground, crying, and look up at her, 'Mother,' I cry.
'My daughter, my precious daughter! I’m so happy you’re alive! I’m sorry I had to leave you. It was the only way to save you,' she cries. She falls to her knees and embraces me.
'It’s okay, mother. I understand. I love you so much,’ I say to her.
My mother looks up at Alpha Maximus and smiles at him, 'Are you going to introduce me to this handsome man, my child?' she says, wiping my tears away.
'Mother, this is my mate, Alpha Maximus,' I say to her.
'Not little Maximus? Not my best friend’s little boy? Luna Mirabelle and Alpha Theodores son?' she asks in amazement.
Maximus smiles, 'Yes, the one and only,’ he smiles.
My mother stands and hugs him, 'I couldn't ask the Moon Goddess for a better mate for my daughter,' she says to him.
'Mother,' I say, 'I want you to come and meet your three grand-pups,' I smile.
'I'm a grandma?' she asks, her eyes well up with tears again.
My father picks my mother up and nuzzles her neck. They follow us up the stairs in the packhouse. My mother peers down at her three-year-old twin grand sons sound asleep and caresses their faces gently. Then I take her into the next room, where she places a kiss on Lylah’s cheek.
My father extends his stay with us, so my mother can spend a few weeks with me and her grand-pups before returning to the Dark Moon pack as Luna by my father's side.
Eight Months later
Alpha Maximus
Hope and I sit outside for a packhouse picnic. Baby Lylah is crawling toward Amara, who’s just starting to crawl. Theo, Leo and Billy play ball and fight over it.
Nathan sits by Sally, hugging her, while Bella sits on Alex’s lap. Beth is cutting up my favourite snack, an apple pie.
'I feel so lucky to have you, Maximus, Lycan and all, and for the Moon Goddess to bless us with each other and these perfect pups,’ she says with love in her eyes.
'And I’m lucky to have you, Hope, my beautiful little hybrid wolf-witch, and my little Lycan and wolf pups,' I say, cupping her face.
'I love you, Maximus, no matter what,' Hope whispers.
'No matter what,' I say back and kiss her.
Proceed to the next chapter to begin book 2 the sequel 'The Lycan’s Daughter'