Hated By My Mate: The Finale

Aurora

The fountain at the heart of the town square was a work of art. A lone wolf standing guard from human hunters, it depicted the struggles of our race.

It had been around for centuries.

Until tonight. I’d destroyed it.

As I surveyed the destruction around me, my heart sank. I had lost control of my powers, and innocent people had been hurt.

The heat from the fires was intense, and the sound of wood and metal crackling was deafening.

Sierra approached me cautiously. "Aurora, are you okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

I shook my head, overwhelmed. "No, I'm not okay. I let my anger get the best of me, and now, look what's happened. How many people were hurt?"

Wolfgang stepped forward, his expression grim.

"We don't know yet. We need to find out and help them. But first, we need to get out of here before the hunters and their allies come back."

Max nodded in agreement. "We should head back to the pack territory and regroup. We'll figure out our next steps there."

I nodded, feeling a deep sense of shame and regret. I had always known my powers were dangerous, but I had never imagined causing so much devastation.

As we started to make our way back to the pack territory, I couldn't help but feel like I had let everyone down.

My mind was racing with thoughts of how I could have done things differently, how I could have avoided causing so much damage.

Suddenly, Rhea stirred within me, and I could feel her presence in my mind.

“Aurora,” she said, her voice calm and soothing.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened. You were protecting your people, and sometimes sacrifices have to be made."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "But I could have hurt innocent people, Rhea. I could have killed them."

"But you didn't," Rhea reminded me.

"And we will do everything we can to help those who were hurt. That's all we can do now."

Her words brought me a small measure of comfort, and I focused on the road ahead.

We had a long journey ahead of us, and we needed to stay focused if we were going to make it back safely.

I couldn't help the unease that seeped in.

Wendell may have escaped, but I knew he wouldn't give up that easily. We needed to be on high alert and prepare for his next move.

But for now, we had to focus on the present and the people who needed us.

I vowed to do everything in my power to make things right and prevent something like this from happening again.

Wolgang and I sat quietly in our bedroom that night, his arms giving me the comfort I so craved.

“I let all of you down tonight,” I murmured, tears falling down my cheeks. “Eleanor will be so ashamed of me.”

He scowled at that. “Eleanor has no business being ashamed of you, Rory. And from what I saw, you were the only one of us who came back with a prisoner. Wendell’s brother too.”

Wolfgang lifted my face to his, and I saw love light up his eyes.

“You did more than what any of us could do. Mistakes were made, but you killed no one, my luna. We will work to repair the damage.”

I kissed him then, our lips meeting and carving a duet of hope.

“We will figure everything out,” he whispered, his tongue weaving a circle around mine.

“With you by my side.”

I held him close and fell asleep.

When I woke up, I knew I was in a dream, for the forest around me was all silver.

I stepped through the trees, feeling the soft moss beneath my feet.

The silver forest was bathed in moonlight, and the leaves shone with an ethereal glow. The air was crisp, and the scent of pine and earth filled my nostrils.

It was quiet, except for the occasional rustling of leaves and the hoot of an owl.

A soft rustling in the bushes ahead stopped me in my tracks, and I tensed, ready for anything. But then, she stepped out of the shadows.

She was breathtaking.

Her hair was silver-blonde and cascaded to her feet. Her skin was so white it looked almost translucent, and her eyes shone like gold.

I knew instantly that this was Selene, the moon goddess herself.

"Aurora," she said, her voice like music. "I have been waiting for you. Walk with me."

We fell into a quiet rhythm, walking side-by-side through the forest.

“When I made the first wolves, my soul searched for one thing above all, and that was to find a way to keep them together.”

I nodded.

“At heart, all creatures have a primal urge to survive. It can take over at times, and it is certainly all-encompassing when it remains untempered. But, I found something that could bring some order to the chaos.”

I listened with bated breath.

“You see, Aurora, the only thing that could tie discordant souls and bind them into a unit was love. So, I created soulmates and bound them by red threads, destined to find their way to one another.”

“Love is the antidote,” I whispered. “That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”

She smiled. “You’ve always been a clever girl. But, just as a soul needs mates, so also it needs a home.”

Selene turned around and took my face in her hands.

"You must learn who you are first, Aurora. Because you are special. You are my own blood and bone, and you have a great destiny ahead of you."

A shiver ran down my spine. "What destiny?"

Selene smiled.

"To rule with love, Aurora. Love is the key to everything. It is the one thing that can transcend all boundaries, all planes of existence."

I was intrigued. "But how can I find true love?"

Selene stroked my cheek. Her fingers were like threads of silk.

"You already have, Aurora. You just don't realize it yet. Think of the people around you. Think of the ways in which you would protect and cherish them."

Wolfgang. Emma. Montana.

All the people who had stayed and passed, only out of their love for me. Only because they wanted me to see the light and to live in it.

I felt a warmth spreading through my body. "Thank you, Selene. But what about my powers? I still haven't mastered them all."

Selene nodded.

"Your powers are a part of you, Aurora. They are a gift from me, and you must learn to use them wisely. But remember, your powers are only a means to an end. The end is love."

A sense of peace washed over me as I listened to her words. It was as if all my doubts and fears had vanished.

"Thank you, Lady Selene," I said, grateful.

"Remember, Aurora, you are a part of the moon and the earth. Trust in your instincts, and you will always find your way."

With those words, she disappeared into the night, leaving me standing in the silver forest, feeling more connected to the world than ever before.

When I woke up, I knew what I had to do.

I found Eleanor on the clock tower, her eyes cast upon the world below.

She knew my presence like the wind knows clouds. “I wondered when you’d be coming.”

“Eleanor.” I stood beside her. “You know me. In your bones. Teach me to do better.”

She shook her head. “All this time, Aurora. I have been telling you that the only way forward is by tempering your rage.”

I waited, slightly breathless. “I never intended to lose my temper.”

“Yet, you did,” she chided me. “When the time was most important, you let the darkness take over you. You know you could do better.”

Cold spread through my skin and settled, clammy and clawing, upon my heart. “What are you saying, Eleanor?”

“I’m afraid I cannot teach you any longer.”