51

The staircase was longer than they expected it to be. Rose's heart hammered against her chest as she anticipated meeting her mother. Then they finally got to the last one and Austin was the first to see her. She was chained by several shackles which had glistening lights around them. Rose swallowed down as she saw the state that her mother was. She was pretty and looked young but her hair had grown white and long. They poured down her body. As if she noticed them, her body jerked up immediately and she looked forward. Her eyes went wide as she saw her longtime lover.

They all looked at the brewing tension between them. She forced herself forwards but the chains jerked her back. Austin moved his feet as he stretched his hands out towards her. His eyes were glistened with unshed tears.

"Opening the fvcking door," He yelled and before Rose could move forward, Melissa stopped her.

"We will have to do some things first," She explained.

"Then do it and stopped slacking," He yelled and Melissa pulled Rose closer to the gate of the prison.

"Look deep into her eyes, Rose." Melissa said quietly into her eyes. Nora could not hear them so all she could just do is look at them with anticipation. Rose squeezed her fist together and breathed out. She looked into Nora's eyes and then suddenly, thunder pierced everywhere. The same thunder that gave its stamp when Athena cursed her. Finally, Athena's curse has been broken. It has been lifted.

The chains around Nora's hands shook with full violence and force while Rose and Nora shared eye contact. Melissa was muttering some spells into the Rose's ears and suddenly her eyes shone brightly with a blue colour and Nora's eyes shone brightly with a red colour. They were finally able to reach each other. To communicate with each other. Then suddenly, the chains broke inyo pieces and she was finally free. She fell on the floor with blood slipping from her lips, breaking the contact with Rose. The gate of the prison rolled open and Austin ran inside instantly.

"Nora?!" He called out as he reached for her. He pulled her up and brought her to face him. She looked at him.

"Is it my favorite wolf?" She asked with a smile.

His eyebrows creased in confusion as he looked at Layla.

"She needs to recuperate first," she answered as if she understood the question he asked.

Then suddenly, his ears suddenly rang with a deep sound that made him almost dropped Nora. Leo hurriedly collected her from him as he held his head.

"What is happening to my father?" Rose's voice was filled with raw worry.

"He is regaining his wolf," Melissa answered.

"Really?" She asked. And Austin started shifting- hairs sprouted from his body and his clothes tore as he shifted. Then he stood on all fours in his black colored wolf. His eye sight was as sharp as a razor. Then a painful howl escaped his mouth, he stretched out his bones and walked towards Nora. She is was slowly slipping into unconsciousness. A smile was plastered on her face as she eventually did.

Hours passed and Nora was yet to awake. Rose was so disturbed. It happened all too quickly. She communicating with her mother through whatever spell Melissa was muttering into her ears and seeing her dad shift. It was all too much. She sat down beside her on the bed. While her dad sat down on the chair close to her and Ciara and the rest stood outside.

Then they notice her shift uncomfortably on the bed. Rose sat up in anticipation. Nora slowly opened her eye to see where she was. She closed it back abruptly when the light pierced in.

Then it dawned on her, she was outside. She could see the light of the day. The curse has been broken. Finally she was free. But wait... Her daughter?!

She opened her eyes instantly and saw a lady sitting on the bed and looking at her with her eye imploring her.

"Y-You are awake?" Austin's voice diverted her gaze. She looked away from the lady that looked so much like to her long lost love.

She managed to pull her lips into a small smile.

"Austin." Her voice came out croaked. Rose hastened and poured water into a cup before handling to her. She collected it and gulped it down within seconds.

"Thank you," she said.

"How did this happen? What happened?" She asked.

"Well, first things first. Nora, this is our daughter." He said, looking at Rose and Nora's heart skipped a beat.

Her lips hung open as she took in the locket on her neck. She had given it to her sister that day when she got separated from her.

"Really?" She asked with a big smile as she stretched her hands out for a hug. Rose took it and pulled her closely.

"Mom, you don't how much I craved this day." She said with tears rolling down her face.

"I have always wanted to meet with my real parents even if it was just for a second. I should see what they look like. I should hear their side of the story before I hate them. I should know what other people said to me about you were true or false. If I was truly worthless and useless. If I was a burden..." She rambled on and Nora kept rubbing her back against.

"I am so sorry, my princess. The circumstances on which you were born was shaky." Nora said as she sobbed.

After that day she never thought she could meet her daughter. After that day when she got pulled away from her, she never thought she could meet her or even her love. She pulled away from the hug and wiped Rose's tears.

"We are here, baby. And we are not leaving." She said with a reassuring smile. Then she looked around. This was the room, that same room!!!

"You know when I wanted to birth you, it was in this room." She said and Rose looked around. When they brought Nora in, she hardly looked around. all she did was just stare at her sleeping mother.

"And it was also the place my mother snatched you away from me." She said and new tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered the painful incident. Austin pulled her into a side hug as she cried on him.

"I did not know you were pregnant, if not for the locket she was wearing. I would not have known we had a mini us." He said and she looked at him.

"I also did not realize until that day..." She trailed off.

**Flashback**

~Years ago~

She had just been separated from the love of her life. Something within her told her that their relationship won't last long as it was built on a shaky foundation but she listened not!

And now she was reaping the consequences. All she did since that day when she was taken from him was sulk about him. Watch their happy moment through the memory glass. Longed for him even though he was now unreachable. Each and every day, she wondered how he must have been doing. If he had moved on from her. If I had just found someone else that is better than her.

She knew she could not bear it if it was true but she also wants him to be happy. She should have never agreed to do it. To love and care for him. To share life and death with him. Not when she was snatched away from him now.

She sat in front of the mirror combing her dark hair that had grown pale even her eyes lacked its usual happy amber color. All that was there was just void. Then suddenly, her stomach growled loudly before she felt nauseous. She stood up and the comb fell. She ran towards the bathroom and vomited. She emptied her stomach and rinsed her face before facing the mirror.

What was going on with her?

This was not the first time she would be vomiting bit at the same time, what was wrong with her?

She eats all because of the mentality of *what will Austin say when he meets me*.

She never really gave up hope on her relationship with him. Hope?

Does she have it again?

After a week?

She let a belch and sat down the bed. Combing her head long forgotten.

"Nora!!!" Simone's playful voice rang as she jogged towards her with a giggle.

"Guess what I caught?" She asked with a playful glint in her eyes.

"A crocodile?" Nora asked. Normally, Simone was older than Nora but Simone acted like the childish one. One could hardly even recognized who's the eldest.

Simone frowned her face as she heard her answer.

"How do you expect me to catch a crocodile? When I am not making crocodile tears like Varian." She said with a eye roll.

Nora managed to beam a smile.

"What happened, Nora? Why does your face look pale?" She asked with worry lacing her once happy voice.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Nora said with a dismissive tone. She really does not like bothering her big sister when it came to personal issues like that. Even though, when she found out about she and Austin, she acted normal about it but she knew her sister so well. She does not talk about it does not mean she won't.

"Is it because of him?" She asked in a low tone.

Nora looked at her and shook her head negatively. Her mother had forbidden everyone from mentioning any werewolf names whether males or females.

"You know I am your elder sister and I was quite pained you told me nothing about him. Heck, you even told me to help you to lie. I never knew you were going to meet him. Like, Nora. I would not have stopped you. I felt betrayed." She said with her voice low. Nora looked at her with pain.

"I am sorry, Simone." She said with a pout and tugged at her clothes.

"Really? You are sorry? You know I could have saved you from being discovered by mother but no, you hid it from me just like you always do."" She said, raising her voice now.

Nora knew it was time to tread better and slowly.

"I..." Her vision became blurry as she held unto her sister hands.

"Nora?!" Simone yelled out before Nora blacked out.

*

"You say?!" Simone exclaimed with shock at what the doctor told her.

"Yes,ma'am. She is pregnant. And I think it should be close to two months now." The doctor said and Simone looked at Nora's belly. She was still unconscious.

"How can this be possible?" The witch doctor asked as she shook her head.

"Don't tell anybody." Simone warned her.

"Don't tell anybody what?" A voice said with full authority and it made Simone's hair stand at its end.

"M-Mother?" She stuttered out as she faced her.

"Don't tell anyone what? That my daughter is carrying an abomination? That my daughter is carrying a wolf's child?" Athena said with a sadistic smirk and a dry, humorless laugh erupt from her.

"For how long has it been in her?" She asked without looking at the witch doctor.

"For like two months." The witch doctor answered and Simone fell to her knees.

"Mother, please don't kill her child. If you do this, Nora will hate you more than she does now." She said.

"She hates me?" Athena asked if she was surprised but Simone resisted the urge to look at her in the face.

"My daughter now hates me because of a wolf. So ridiculous." She said with fake amusement.

"I won't remove the child." was all Athena said before leaving the room. Simone knelt down there, rooted to the spot.

Did her mother just say she won't kill Nora's baby?

Then she heard Nora groan out as she stretched out her bones.

"You have woken up." Simone said and hurriedly stood up from her knees.

"Yes, mother was here? Why?" She asked with confusion on her face.

Simone hesitate before, "You are pregnant."

Nora's eyebrows twitched in shock while her lips widen in surprise. She was pregnant. She was really pregnant. She was carrying Austin's kid. Finally. Her lips broke in a grin as she held her tummy.

"What did mother say?" She asked.

"She surprisingly agreed not to remove it from your womb." Simone answered.

Nora's eyebrows knotted in confusion.

"Why? She should not be okay with this. Heck, she should even murder me but here she is telling you that she won't kill the baby. Why am I not rest assured?" She asked as she rested her head against the headboard.

"That's it. Don't let your guard down. Always look out for whatever you eat and do." Simone advised and Nora nodded her head.

"Let's forget all of that, what are we naming the baby." She said with a playful glint in her eyes that made Nora wonder just how many personalities she has.