Aurora sat there listlessly on her knees while she stared ahead with a vacant look in her eyes. Nothing and nobody but here in this void. It was unnerving, there was only the sound of breathing.
One, two, three breaths. She was transported back to reality as the white void crumbled in three breaths.
Though it felt like an eternity, however in reality not even a minute passed by since Morel last spoke.
"Shit!" Morel's eyes widened as she cursed under her breath. She immediately tried to put Aurora to sleep to stop the shift from happening. But it didn't work. Gritting her teeth, she did her best to forcefully slow down the shift.
"Anderson!" Morel shouted as she removed the restraints with magic and grabbed Aurora's arm before turning to extend her palm out to Anderson. Anderson leaped into action when he heard her and reached out his hand.
Not even a second later, they disappeared from the room. Renee's lips trembled and her hands in her lap shook. "Anderson," she mumbled in rage and sadness.
"Aiden grabbed him." Cherise told Renee, Renee looked to the spot at Aiden was standing and understood what had happened. Aiden was quicker than anyone else.
When he heard Morel say his father's name, he had already moved. Just barely grabbing his father on his shoulder, he got teleported with them.
Morel dropped them in the middle of the clearing, not paying attention to the extra passenger, she mumbled incarnations and played two barriers over the entire clearing.
"What are you doing, Aiden?" Anderson brushed off Aiden's hand and turned to glare at him.
"What are you doing, dad?" Aiden countered, "I will not leave her alone with you again. Who knows if you might have another good idea?"
"How dare you?" Anderson growled at Aiden. Flashing his shifting eyes at Aiden. Though it put Aiden in his place quickly, he wasn't willing to give up.
"I know you did it for her, but is this really the only way? Maybe there was a better solution to this problem." Aiden said to Anderson, unwilling to back down.
"Then go find this other way that doesn't involve the council, then come back and challenge me, pup." Anderson looked at Aiden silently for a few seconds before answering.
Anderson turned and made his way over to Morel, who was just about finished with the incarnations.
"She's going to shift. It's going to be her last shift. The more painful than the first shift. If she doesn't endure, she will die." Morel gave Anderson a side glance while she said.
"I can't stay here, the boy is waking up. Besides, I've done everything I can for her." Morel patted Anderson's shoulder while looking at Aurora.
Aurora laid on the grass, her forehead matted with sweat, her eyes closed, and her facial expression was a frown. This child was unfortunately lucky. Her wolf overpowered her and forced the last shift.
Morel expected them to fight longer, she even expected Aurora to win. However, in the end, Ren won that fight.
Anderson looked at his daughter, he moved and bowed to Morel. It was shocking, Aiden and Morel both gasp at the sight.
A dominant alpha male, one that has never once bowed to this pack's alpha, was bowing to a witch. It was his gratitude and respect for the witch on display.
"Thank you, Morel." Anderson sincerely thanked Morel from the bottom of his heart before adding, "Please take care of Jace."
"You did the right thing, Anderson. Don't let anybody doubt your decision." Morel smiled and said to him before disappearing, leaving Aiden, Aurora and Anderson alone in the clearing. She was off to the Maddox residence.
Anderson kneel down next to Aurora, "Come Aiden, since you're here, she'll need us both." Aiden moved to the other side of Aurora and mirrored his father's actions.
"I don't approve of the method, but I understand your intentions," Aiden mumbled.
"Weren't you just ready to challenge me?" Anderson asked him without looking at him. His gaze focused on Aurora.
"I realized something when you bowed to her," Aiden sighed while scratching his head. "I never saw you bow to anyone before. Not even to the alpha of this pack or the old one."
"It's only natural to respect the powerful elders, " Anderson told Aiden.
"What is she like, a hundred or something?" Aiden jokingly asked.
"Close, she's one hundred and forty-nine years old." Anderson answered, making Aiden widen his eyes.
"Then wouldn't that mean she's an elder or something?" Aiden asked. He couldn't hide his surprise.
"Mm, she was." Anderson nodded his head and confirmed, "What did she show you earlier?"
"She showed me a young man. A werewolf. " Aiden was puzzled, he wanted to ask more about Morel, but seeing his father changed the subject, he went along with it. "He looked to be around my age, that boy was mated to a vampire."
"Did she show you what the council did?" Anderson asked, Aiden's eyes fell on Aurora in front of him. He hesitated, Aiden understood clearly that if the vision Morel showed him had truth to it, then this rejection decision was the right one.
But his emotions clouded his vision a bit. "The council tried to fix him. They tortured him. They had she-wolves raped him. Not only that, but they even secretly killed the vampire. In the end, he suffered until Morel put him out of his misery."
"The other races, they hate us. Especially the witches." Anderson told Aiden.
"Is it because of the council?" Aiden asked.
"Especially because of the council." Anderson looked at Aiden, "If there is ever a day you would have no choice but to face those monsters, run away. You can't win."
Anderson gave Aiden a lot to think about, firstly his attitude towards Morel. Secondly, the strange feeling of him knowing a lot about the council. And finally, his warning about the council.
"Argh!" Aurora groaned as she curled her body into the fetal position. This made Aiden throw whatever thoughts he was having into the back of his mind.
"The spell that Morel most likely placed on Aurora won't last any longer." Anderson informed Aiden. "Listen closely to me, this is not a normal shift. We cannot touch her, we cannot move her. We can only watch over her and give her moral support."
"Dad, is she going to be okay?" Aiden couldn't help but ask.
"That's up to fate, if I'm being totally honest," Anderson answered. "This shift, it will be horrendous. I didn't wish for any of you to see it. So, whatever you do, don't tell them."
Them being Cherise and Renee. What happens here should stay here.