Chapter 26

When the morning came, Raphael was gone. I tried my best not to think of the heinous act I had committed by letting him make a vow to me without telling him the whole truth. But I pushed back my raging thoughts and guilt. Today was the final day, the final battle. I had to focus on what was to come. I cleaned myself and put on my clothes. By the time I was done, the sun was still low in the sky. My paced waiting. But, it seemed like my thoughts would completely suffocate me. Finally, I decided to take a walk around the Alpha's castle.

I stepped outside into the cold dimly lit corridors. I had no destination no direction but I kept following the paths of the corridors. I looked around taking in the slightly eerie castle. My father's castle was far more lively and the decorations more resplendent and opulent. While Raphael's on the other hand resembled his ambience, dark and brooding. Several Jews adorned my father's castle but Rapheal's mainly comprised of obsidian. The castle felt as though joy had left it long ago.

I hugged myself, not against the chill but the sinking feeling that suddenly engulfed me. Maybe it had not been such a good idea to have left my room in the first place. I halted and began to turn in my tracks when I heard footsteps and voices. I hid in a corner and peeped. The torches illuminated a proceeding figure, with dark hair, and striking blue eyes dressed in a battle tunic. Aurora. But who had she been speaking to?

Then an arm came from behind and patched onto her, coming to face her. My eyes widened as I recognized the man. It was my brother, Logan.

"This isn't you," he was saying, his gaze, pleading as he looked at her.

But when Aurora turned to face him, her expression was the coldest that I had ever seen it.

I watched my brother's face fall under her dispassionate gaze. "Aurora," he said her name in a desperate attempt at persuasion. "Talk to me at least, why are you doing this?"

Aurora flashed a cold grin that lacked mirth. "Isn't it obvious? I want to be a Luna. And Raphael is the only way that I can achieve my goals."

Hurt flashed across Logan's face and I clenched my fist in anger as I watched the vile woman hurt my brother.

"I love you," he murmured, his voice and face downcast. "Does that really mean nothing to you?" He asked, he cradled her face in his hands before bringing her forehead to his.

I watched Aurora clench her fist as though she was holding herself back from doing something. But she did not pull away from him. "Please..." Logan whispered before coming up to kiss her forehead.

It was like a play was being performed in front of me. There were lovers. That much was obvious, but there was more.

Suddenly, Aurora pushed at his chest. "No, Logan," her face hardened. "It means absolutely nothing because I don't feel the same," She was shaking, out of rage, perhaps, but I could not tell. Her feelings were far more convoluted and conflicted than she let on.

"You are lying," Logan said with conviction. The pain on his face gutted me. "You love me, we love each other. But then you changed. It feels terrible because I don't know what must have happened to you to turn into this person. This stranger."

Aurora's eyes widened, pain mirroring his flashing in her eyes. Before she bit her lips and let her face harden again. "Maybe you never knew me, maybe you are just seeing what I truly am for the first time." She blurted, her tone acidic. Without letting him say another word, she began to walk away before she stopped again.

"Maybe you are right. I am truly a stranger to you now. So let us keep it that way," She said. But as she said those words, her expression was not that of malice, hate, or dispassion, rather on her face anguish was etched into it. As though it gutted her to say the words.

It could have been a trick of the light, but I saw a tear slide down her cheek as she fled.

When it was time, I arrived at the arena, and what I had seen in the corridors just a few hours ago replayed in my mind. My brother and Aurora had been lovers, until she had changed abruptly and wanted Raphael out of nowhere. She wanted to be a Luna, yet every instinct told me that there was something beneath the surface. Something that I was just not fully understanding about that I had walked in on. She had cried, like she had hurt herself, as much as she had hurt Logan. But why?

I spotted Aurora on the other side of the arena as the announcer introduced us yet again, the crowd's noise filling the background. She did not seem as focused as she had yesterday. She had lips between her teeth, her expression anxious. But as though she had felt my gaze on her, she turned to me, her face molded back into cold indifference yet again. She looked like she was in control again.

"Now, the final trial is about to commence, but this time, they will duel with their wolves."

The crowds cheered and increased in volume. Louder than it had ever been for the previous trials. It was as though the wolf brawl had a far greater significance to them. My nerves tingled under my skin as I readied myself.

'We will win,' Nova assured me.

"The rules of the Wolf Brawl are simple: the first wolf to surrender loses."

I had gathered enough information on this part of the trial. Every tier of the duel had been bloody and dangerous, but according to records, the wolf brawl always took the cake. It often led to severe injuries, sometimes even death. My nerves tingled under my skin as I readied myself.

"The final trial begins now!" the announcer's voice boomed through the arena. "Take your wolf form!"

The crowd's cheers reached a deafening volume as I let the familiar surge of power course through me. My bones reshaped, my muscles bulged, and my senses heightened as Nova took over. On the other side of the arena, Aurora was transforming too; her wolf, a large black with the most stunning blue eyes.

We faced each other, a tense silence settling over the arena. We growled at each other, and we circled, our instincts on high alert. All the anxiety was gone, replaced by a predator set to lunge and attack.

'Don't underestimate her,' I told Nova. She growled in understanding, her muscles tensing.

With a signal from the announcer, the brawl began. Aurora's wolf lunged first, her speed and strength obvious in her movements. I dodged her attack and countered with a swift bite to her flank. She growled in pain but quickly recovered, her eyes blazing with fury. She threw her paw that we tried to duck from, but we ended up being hit partially.

The fight was intense, each of us landing blows and suffering wounds. The crowd's cheers and gasps blended into a distant roar as we fought with everything we had. I could feel Nova's strength waning by the second, but judging by the less and less impact of Aurora's strikes, she was in the same position. It was not clear who had more advantage, we were neck on neck.

Then, without warning, Aurora's wolf halted as though it had been struck badly, but instead, something else happened. Ice began to spread from her paws, and the moment she clasped my paw, I found that I began to lose feeling. She was freezing me. The cold spread quickly, encasing my legs and then creeping up my body, immobilizing me completely. I struggled desperately, but my limbs refused to obey as the cold seeped into my bones. Aurora took immediate advantage of my immobilization, striking viciously with her claws and fangs. Blood flowed from deep gashes, pain coursing through me with every attack. It was horrible as despair enveloped me. I watched as my opponent attacked me relentlessly while I had no way to defend myself. All the spectators were now fully on their feet screaming, and they watched it all unfold.

I collapsed onto the arena floor, the world a blur of agony and anguish. It seemed like surrender was inevitable. I was going to lose. Then she stopped. I lay there bleeding and paralyzed. Aurora's wolf faced the spectators and howled at them. As though making her place known as their Luna. And I could do nothing but watch. I could not feel Nova's presence and I felt alone. What had just happened?

But just as darkness threatened to overtake me, I felt a surge of warmth and power from deep within. Then Nova growled, one that only I could translate and understand.

'We are not done here,' she said.

Something foreign awakened in us. And suddenly this bizarre force was healing my wounds and melting the ice that held me captive. The crowd watched in stunned silence as I stood, fully restored, with renewed strength coursing through my veins. I did not even understand what had just occurred. I could heal people to barely a substantial level. Even if I suffered from the smallest of cuts, I could not heal myself. Even the littlest of headaches, I could do nothing about it. Yet, here I was healing myself of the worst injuries that had ever been inflicted on me. Then suddenly I understood. The goddess bestowed a gift. This was its awakening. Just like Aurora had the power of ice, I had the power of spontaneous healing. A golden aura surrounded me, and I could feel the divine energy flowing through Nova.

With adrenaline flooding my body, I launched a counterattack. Aurora's wolf was caught off guard. She turned her confidence to shock. I moved with blinding speed, my claws sliced through the air with precision. Aurora realized too late and tried to defend herself, but she was no match for me. She was tired and beat, but I had just fully awakened my gift. The scales had been tipped.

I struck with a single, powerful swipe of my paw, sending Aurora crashing against the arena wall. The impact was thunderous, and she slumped to the ground, dazed and unable to continue the fight. The crowd erupted into wild cheers as she surrendered.

"Lucianne Van Der Burg has won!" The announcer yelled. "She is the victor of the Luna's Duel!"

The crowd went wild, hooting and cheering, and I morphed back into my human form. Flowers were thrown at me as I bowed, unable to keep the relieved grin off my face. I had won, I had truly won. I looked up at my family, who were all smiling, my father having the widest smile on his face. But Logan was the odd one out. He managed a small smile for me, but his eyes traveled to Aurora who was still slumped on the other side. She had transformed back as well. My heart ached for him.

The arena entrance opened again, revealing an Alpha in his prime. Dressed in black leather, his crimson eyes on me and a crown in his hands. Our eyes never leave one another. The crowd fell silent as Raphael approached, his presence commanding everyone's attention. He stopped in front of me, his gaze intense.

"You have won the duel, Lucianne Van Der Burg," Raphael said, his voice carrying through the arena. "You are to be my chosen mate and Luna."

He extended the crown toward my head and I hesitated for a moment, the weight of the moment sinking in. This was it. What I had trained for, yet it felt wrong. He had to know I was not being fair to him. I took another look at my family and hardened myself. I offered my head for the crown.

"There is something you should know first before you make that decision, Alpha," We all turned our attention to Aurora, who had now gotten to her feet. She limped forward, her eyes blazing. She looked at me and my heart stopped. I knew what she was about to reveal.