Prologue
***Aurora***
I wrap the cloak around myself, the cold of the tower cell sinking into my bones and making my teeth chatter uncontrollably. The barren dungeon is dark and humid, my hair sticking to my sweat covered forehead.
A shiver of pain ripples across my swollen belly to my back, a small groan escaping my lips.
“Not yet, guys,” I pant, placing my hand on my large stomach to soothe my pups. “Just hang on a little longer, please,” I plead, not wanting to give birth in a prison.
Simone wets a cloth in the sink, bringing it to my forehead and wiping the beads of sweat gathering at my temples. Her long brown hair is braided messily, a bit of dried blood crusting at her right temple from the beating she took earlier. Despite her disheveled appearance, her tired brown eyes look at me with warmth as she places her hand on my belly, feeling the life kicking within me.
She eyes the window near the ceiling and I shake my head at her.
“I can’t make that,” I mumble, licking my dry lips. “It’s too high.”
I glance at the cot in the corner. It isn’t chained down from what I can see.
“B-but you can,” I add, a cold cloud of my breath accompanying every word. “Y-you can get out of here and-and get help.”
“No,” Simone shakes her head. “You’re already in labor. If I leave, there’s no guarantee I’ll make it back here in time to help. We go together or we stay.”
I force a small smile, grateful for her company but feeling guilty for getting her in this mess.
She scrambles to her feet and with great effort, manages to move the cot under the window. Jumping as far as she can, she pulls herself up and peaks down below.
“Okay,” she says, a little hope in her voice. “It’s like a thirty foot drop to the battlement.”
My heart drops. My pups would not survive a fall that high. Sensing my concern, Simone gets to work stripping the blanket from the cot and tying it to her cloak to make a short rope. She even takes off her shirt and jeans, adding the clothing to the rope. I hand her my cloak and contribute my dress.
She stares at her work, pulling and tugging at each knot to make sure it is nice and secure.
“It’s not thirty feet but it should help you get down,” she sighs, tying the makeshift rope to the frame of the bed. She looks at the window and bites her lip. “Get on my shoulders. I’ll hoist you up so you can reach the window.”
I look over at the silver coated door of the room, knowing I had no other means of escape, before climbing onto Simone’s shoulders and reaching for the window. Luckily, the window has no glass or metal bars and I am able to climb through, my short legs dangling out of the tower. I make the mistake of looking down, my heart sinking to the pit of my stomach at the sheer height.
“Don’t look down,” Simone scolds. “Just go slowly. I’ll hold the rope.”
My eyes scan the beautiful Irish countryside for any guards and to my misfortune, I see a group of wolves at the base of the round tower. They look at me and growl, one running into the castle while the other stands guard at the base and calls for backup. My shaking hands grab the rope and I quickly descend until I dangle 10 feet above the stone battlement.
Having run out of options and rope, I let myself fall, cushioning my fall with my arms as I crash on my side. Sharp pains shoot up my arms and hips, but I quickly cradle my stomach to feel for movement. By some miracle, it seems my pups are okay. Simone jumps out the window, crashing just beside me with a groan.
“Come on,” She pants, grabbing me by the wrist and helping me up.
We run along the battlement until the guard who ran in earlier blocks our path into the next watch tower. As luck would have it, I feel a small trickle of water run down my leg, a burst of pain running down my back from a contraction. Simone wastes no time pushing me behind her while she takes on the wolf on her own. I curl up against the stone wall in pain, focusing on my breathing and holding my belly.
Not yet, not yet, not yet, I scold my pups as I watch Simone skillfully block the guard’s attacks, getting in a few punches of her own.
She manages to catch the guard by the wrist and hook her ankle behind his leg, knocking him down on the ground and wrapping her arms around his neck.
A loud crack announces his demise and she finishes her attack by throwing his body over the battlement.
“You okay?” She breathes heavily as she pulls me to my feet.
I nod quietly and we proceed into the watchtower, racing down the steps like lightning. At the base, the second guard blocks our path to freedom and Simone once again attacks, knocking him out cold with ease.
I stare at her in shock and she grins.
“I was Luna for over twenty years,” she shrugs. “Had to learn to defend myself very quickly.”
The distant sound of wolves howling reminds us of our predicament and she hurriedly grabs my hand again.
“I still can’t feel my wolf which means I can’t shift and get us out of here,” she mutters. “You’re going to have to run.”
I nod nervously and we take it off sprinting down the middle of an open field, all the while hearing growls in the distance. We make it to the trees for cover, panting as we fight for breath. My lungs burn and my legs feel as though they might snap any second but the possibility of freedom keeps the blood pumping in my veins.
“Come on… Just a little further,” Simone urges me forward.
I let her guide me through the wooded area and she helps me avoid tripping and falling on branches and roots sticking out of the earth.
Finally, a bit of light peaks through the branches and we come across an old paved road. Simone tries to orient herself but there’s endless trees on either side of the road, making it difficult to know which way is which.
“This way,” Simone nods in one direction with confidence, although her face seems uncertain.
Another contraction ripples through me as we run and I whimper in pain, stopping in the middle of the road to hold my belly.
“We need to stop,” I cry, holding back the tears threatening to fall. “I can’t any more.”
Simone opens her mouth to plead with me but stops in her tracks, her face paling at something behind me..
Low growls rumble behind me, deep panting breaths blowing on the back of my head.
Very slowly I turn around, finding a group of wolves standing in the middle of the road, teeth bared and snarling at Simone. They suddenly stop when they see that we are just in our underwear and I wish with all my might the earth would swallow me whole. The leader, a beautiful black wolf with a white spot on its tail, steps forward, his silver eyes softening at the sight of my swollen belly.
Those eyes, I wonder. Where have I seen them?
