Chapter 31

Hope

My father returns as Alpha of the Dark Moon pack after staying with us a few months. All the

peace treaties are signed by the remaining packs, and new laws allow any species to mate.

Dad returns just in time, when I'm giving birth to my first child. Everyone is in the house,

excited, waiting around for the doctor and Maximus to give them good news. I spend hours

screaming, in labour, and then go quiet. Maximus leaves me to announce the birth of our new little

boy; the future Alpha and Prince of Blood Moon.

Everyone cheers and roars, delighted by the news, and then goes quiet when I start screaming

again, clearly needing to push out a second baby. Max runs back to me, worried, and shuts the door

behind him.

I continue to scream and push for a few more minutes, before the doctor catches our second

baby boy. Max wipes his tears away with the back of his hand, and leaves me, to give everyone the

good news again. I can hear everything through the door.

“There's another one. We have twins! A boy!" Max announces, overjoyed.

“Seriously? Twin boys? I have two grandsons!’ Dad declares, delighted.

“Hope did so well. She is exhausted, but she will be fine,’ Maximus says. Everyone celebrates the

births of the twin alphas.

Maximus comes back to me, sits in the chair next to me, and accepts the second baby boy the

doctor hands to him to hold. I'm holding our first son on my chest.

We look at each other, smiling, in disbelief, at our perfect little twin boys.

“I never thought I'd have the chance to be a father. She-wolves didn't want to go near me,’

Maximus confesses, and I scoff.

“I'm glad they didn't, because you're mine and mine only!" I say, smirking. Maximus chuckles.

“So, what are we going to name our sons?" Maximus asks.

“Well, I'm thinking we could name one after your father,’ I say.

“Theo?" Maximus asks and I nod. “And the other?" He asks.

“I'm thinking Leo. It rhymes with Theo, and I like the sound of Leo the Lycan,’ I say, chuckling,

and Maximus smiles.

“I like it too. Theo and Leo, it is!" He says, proudly.

The next day I'm well enough to leave the room with the twins. Everyone loves their names,

especially Dad.

He is very protective of his grandsons, telling everyone to keep back. He hogs the babies. And if

other pack members have held them for too long, he simply takes them back into his arms. It's

sweet how protective he is of them.

A few years pass, and I give birth to another baby. Little Lyla. Theo and Leo look exactly like

Max, but little Lyla has my white hair and silver and blue eyes.

When Lyla is a few days old, we receive an unexpected visitor. Her name is Lea. She has

travelled from the other side of the world to be with us. She is the witch who organised my parents’

sacred love ritual.

“I need to speak with your father. It's about the ritual. There's something he needs to know,’ she

says, guiltily.

“My father arrived here last week, so he could be here for the birth of his granddaughter, I tell

her. “Please come in. I'll take you to him,’ I smile.

“I can't believe how much you look like your mother,’ Lea says, looking me up and down.

“So I'm regularly told,’ I smile.

Lea follows me inside the castle and I take her to Dad, where they both smile and hug each

other; happy to see each other.

“I didn't think I'd see you again Lea. It's so good to see you,’ he says, embracing her.

“I'm here, because, I haven't been able to sleep at night. For years, now. The guilt has been

eating me up. And I was too afraid to come back, because I helped Anna escape. I thought I'd be

sentenced to death if I returned.

Recently, I found out that Alpha Cal is dead, and that the laws have changed. So, I've come back

here straight away to make things right,’ Lea explains.

“Everything is right, Lea. My daughter is happy, a mother of three and a Luna. What more could

I ask for?’ He asks.

Lea looks into his eyes.

“Anna. Anna Glint, she says, and Dad steps back from her.

“Lea, she is dead. Alpha Cal burned her twenty-one years ago,’ he whispers, sadly.

“That's why I'm here, Alpha Levi. There is something I need to tell you. Anna has never fully

been gone. She has always been here,’ Lea says.

“What are you talking about?’ Dad asks, becoming frustrated.

“The heart necklace; the one created in the ritual; do you still have it?’ She asks. He turns, looks

at me, and I pull it out of my dress

“This?' I ask.

“Yes! That's it. Will you let me have it?" Lea asks.

I take a step back, gripping the heart.

“No, you can't just have it. It was my mother's!"

“That's what I'm trying to tell you! Your mother's soul; her essence is inside. With this pendant, I

can bring her back to life in the flesh!" Lea explains.

“Are you saying you can bring Anna back from the dead?’ Dad asks.

“When she was burned, she didn't die. The rest of her soul and essence is in this heart, to be

whole again. I know the spell to set her free; to bring her back,’ Lea states.

1 lift the chain over my head, and hand it to her.

“l want to see her. I want my mother back, I cry, my eyes welling up. Lea nods.

“Come,’ Lea says, leaving the room with Dad and I.

“It has to be done on a full moon. Tomorrow night," Lea explains. I tell Maximus about Lea and

the necklace. He wants to be there with Dad and I when Mum is brought back to life.

It's dark and the moon is full. Lea places the ruby heart on the ground in a circle of rocks. She

tells us all to stand in a circle and hold hands. She starts chanting and the heart sounds like breaking

glass, before a stream of red mist billows into the sky. The mist dissipates to reveal a figure standing

in the circle.

“Anna?’ Dad yells, pulling her into his chest, crying.

“Levi, my love. Is it really you?’ She asks, crying into his chest.

“Yes, yes, it's me. I love you so much. I never stopped thinking about you,” he cries.

“I know. I have missed you so much too, Levi," she says, cupping his face.

“There is someone I'd like you to meet,’ he tells Mum, slowly turning her around, facing her with

the younger version of herself; just as beautiful. I fall to my knees on the ground crying, and look

up. “Mum?’

“My daughter. My precious daughter!” Mum cries, kneeling and embracing me. Maximus, Dad

and Lea are crying. Mum looks at Maximus and gives him a kind smile.

“Are you going to introduce me to this young handsome man?’ She asks me, wiping her tears

away.

“This is my mate, Alpha Maximus,’ I say, trying to stop her tears.

“Not little Maximus? Not my best friend's little boy? Alpha Theo's son?’ She asks, amazed.

Maximus smiles.

“Yes, the one,’ he replies. Mum smiles and embraces him.

“I couldn't ask for a better mate for my daughter,’ she says.

“Mum. Come and meet your grandchildren,’ I say, smiling.

“I'm a grandma?’ She asks, her eyes welling with tears again.

Dad picks Mum up and nuzzles into her neck. Maximus scoops me up, and I cup his face and

kiss his lips, and we go into the house.

The children are sleeping but Mum sees them anyway. We quietly cry and coo over their

cuteness; looking forward to them meeting Mum properly soon.

Mum and Dad return to the Dark Moon pack, a few months later, as Alpha and Luna. It is

agreed that after Mum and Dad pass away, Theo will be Alpha of Dark Moon pack and Leo will be

Alpha of Blood Moon.

Max and I sit on the grass watching baby Lyla crawl around, and our sons play ball and fight

over it.

“I'm so lucky to have you. For the Moon Goddess blessing us with these perfect babies. I

couldn't have asked for a more perfect mate,’ I say, my love for him evident in my expression

“And I'm lucky to have you, my beautiful little hybrid wolf-witch. And my hybrid pups,” he says,

cupping my face.

“I love you. No matter what,’ I whisper.

“No matter what," he whispers, pecking my nose.