SHE LEFT TO KEEP YOU ALIVE

Third POV

Restless and anxious, a sense of unease slid over Harper's nerves. Want to hear story about her mother? Yes, absolutely yes. Growing up as an adopted child for 18 years, she had been wondering about her birth parents since she could remember. Until Carter gave her the most terrifying answer. And so did Karina. People rushed to give her bombshell-like responses. Thankfully, she survived the ordeal, but she was also growing increasingly afraid of this answer.

After a few beats of silence, Harper cleared her throat and tentatively asked, "What kind of person is my mother?"

"I would say... Sofia is beautiful, talented, and... brave," Aldricus squinted his eyes slightly, lost in memories.

"Her name is Sofia?" Harper's voice was small, a restrained excitement seeping through, as if grasping at a lifeline.

"Yes. Sofia. In fact, Miss Laurier, you look a lot like your mother," Aldricus smiled faintly.

Harper's cheeks flushed slightly. Aldricus put down his teacup and continued, "Decades ago, witches and werewolves weren't as adversarial as they are now. I met Helen that time. The 83rd International Magic Conference. Witches, wizards, and the elder shifters of all kinds were invited. Helen and I shared a common interest in astrology. That made us knew each other. It turned out that she was already the leader of the witches at that time. I was just an ordinary werewolf."

Aldricus chuckled, "And we became friends. Genuinely good friends. She invited me to visit the witch's nation, a place filled with magic. I met Helen's only grandchild. You should know who she is."

"Mom," Harper whispered softly. Wyatt tightened his hand on her shoulder.

"Sofia displayed astonishing talents from a young age. She could quickly grasp magic from several different kinds. I thought she would smoothly ascend to become the next leader. After Helen passed away, I lost touch with Sofia," Aldricus's gaze turned somewhat somber. "Twenty chaotic years followed. Both witches and werewolves were consumed by greed. Some witches delved into dark magic, while the werewolves sought to exploit witchcraft. Both failed, obviously."

"I believe you had become one of the most respected elders among the werewolves by then," Wyatt said after a brief silence.

"I was. But I couldn't prevent all of this from happening. I sensed some omens about our kind. We would pay a long price for our pride and greed. In that year, I encountered Sofia again. It was a rainy and gloomy night. A woman holding a baby stood at my door. She was coming for me. I recognized her as Sofia. And that baby was you, Miss Laurier."

Sadness welled up in Harper's eyes. "Why did mom leave me?"

"She had to, sweetheart," Aldricus sighed softly. "Your mother refused to practice dark magic and harm werewolves without reason. She trusted a male werewolf, believing his sweet words to be a possibility for love and peace. When the werewolves launched a hunt against the witches, Sofia was seen as a traitor by both sides. Witches and werewolves were both after her."

Harper's heart raced, and she heard Aldricus continue, "She left you behind to make sure you could survive."

———

Amidst the eerie shadows of the ancient forest, where gnarled trees reached for the heavens like skeletal fingers, the witches gathered in a solemn circle. Their eyes glinted with an otherworldly glow, their robes rustling in the wind like whispers of secrets long buried.

At the heart of their arcane assembly lay a decrepit prison, a dark and foreboding edifice of stone and sorcery. Within its confines, Sofia had languished for eighteen agonizing years, a forgotten soul trapped in a web of magical enchantments.

As the witches chanted incantations that resonated with the very essence of the earth, the prison's walls trembled and cracked.

Shadows writhed and melted away, revealing a fragile figure, clad in tattered rags, her eyes blinking against the brilliance of sunlight that cascaded like a waterfall upon her.

Sofia's breath hitched as her feet touched the grass beneath, the sensation foreign after years of confinement. Her fingers brushed against the rough stone, and for the first time in nearly two decades, she felt the warmth of sunlight kiss her skin.

Just as Sofia began to process the tumultuous reality of her release, a commanding presence emerged from the coven of witches.

"Sofia," Lily's eyes bore into Sofia as if she could examine her soul." Your actions, your transgressions, all these have cast a shadow upon our kind. Perhaps your magical abilities have surpassed those of any of us, but to be a truly good witch, you still lack of responsibility."

Sofia's gaze dropped, her heart heavy with the burden of guilt. "I know," she whispered, her voice threaded with regret.

"Repentance is the path to redemption," Lily's fingers brushed against Sofia's cheek. "We have need of you, child. The werewolf kingdom has risen to power, a thorn in our side that must be removed. "

A wave of dread crashed over Sofia as Lily's words hung in the air, like a dark omen she couldn't escape.

"Destroy and occupy," Lily's voice dripped with venomous resolve. "For the balance of magic to be restored, the werewolves must fall."

Sofia's breath caught in her throat, "But I... I don't want to be a part of war anymore," she protested, her voice trembling with emotion. "I have seen enough bloodshed and pain. I want no more part in it."

Lily's gaze hardened, her eyes narrowing. "You think you have a choice, Sofia? I think you may have forgotten your own little girl? She's grown up to be a great beauty now."

Sofia's breath caught, the mere mention of her daughter like a knife twisting in her heart. Her eyes locked onto Lily's, "You…How do you know her?"

"You think you can fool me with your poorly thought out tricks?" Lily snorted, "Not only do I know she's not dead, I know she has the dual powers of a werewolf and a witch. "

"No... You can't bring her into this" Sofia clenched her fists, "She's innocent. "

"Don't worry. I won't kill her." Lily smiled, "It just so happens that there are black witches who are interested in her mixed blood. A witch and werewolf hybrid. What a perfect candidate for an experiment."

"You can't do that," Sofia's voice trembled, her defiance waning.

Lily sneered, "Oh, it's up to you."

Sofia's heart shattered as the weight of her daughter's fate bore down on her. She had been a pawn in this twisted game for too long, her choices stripped away by forces beyond her control.

With a heavy sigh, Sofia cast her gaze downward, her voice barely a whisper. "I'll do as you ask."

Lily's lips curved into a satisfied smile as she turned and waved her hand, "Take her to King City. "