by B M Griffin
Aurora
As they sent the bodies of their lost loved ones off to their eternal peace Aurora felt only sadness. Sure, they had defeated their greatest enemy but it was truly bittersweet. Seeing all of the souls that they lost made it hard to rejoice in victory, especially when watching Camille grieve for Andros. Aurora couldn’t begin to imagine the pain Camille was in losing the only soul she had ever loved. Looking at Gregor, her heart twinged just thinking about seeing her father nearly ending his life, and she’d been able to stop him before he succeeded. She could not comprehend how it felt for Camille to stand by, helpless, while Andros was brought to his end.
Gregor wrapped his arms around her and she allowed her eyes to close for a moment, and she soaked up the comfort his touch brought to her for a moment. She felt Gregor bring his mouth to her ear before he whispered, “She is strong. She will overcome this. It’s just going to take time.”
Aurora opened her eyes and looked up at Gregor. “I’m afraid there may not be enough time in the world for her heart to heal. There wouldn’t be for me if I were to lose you.”
He cupped her face. “I know. I feel the same way. I’m not saying her pain will ever leave her, just that she will eventually see the day when she can hold her head high and face the world without crying again. Time can help dull the pain, but it will never go away. None of us will ever forget Andros, least of all Camille.”
Aurora nodded. “I’m going to go try to talk to her. She refused to come here and participate in the ceremony. I think it makes it too real for her.”
Gregor bent and gave her a quick kiss. “Go. She needs you now. You need each other.”
She left Gregor and headed inside the castle toward Camille’s room. She could hear a lot of rustling around in Camille’s room as she approached the door. When she opened the door, Aurora found Camille packing her belongings into a trunk. “Camille?”
Camille turned around and Aurora had to brace herself to keep from crying for her friend. Camille’s eyes were swollen and bloodshot from the tears she had shed for Andros. Her face was streaked with tears, and from the looks of the dried blood on her hands and around her neck she had yet to clean up since Aurora sent her away from the fight. “I can’t stay here, Aurora. I…I just can’t.” More tears began rushing down her face and Aurora was across the room in the blink of an eye-catching Camille before she could fall to her knees. “Every time I hear someone walk passed my door I expect him to be there. It was normal for him to shove the door open and tell me something ridiculous about how awesome he was or challenge me to a fight that we both knew he would let me win, so I expect every footstep to be him. Then they just keep walking by and it hits me all over again. He is never coming through that door. Never going to drive me crazy, or make me laugh, or make me cry. He will never be at my back in battle, and he’ll never sneak into my bed in the middle of the day. Never again. I just…I can’t. I can’t be here when he isn’t.”
“Shhh.” Aurora ran her hand down the back of Camille’s head trying to sooth her even though she knew there was nothing she could do that would offer her friend any peace. “You do whatever you need to do.” Camille pulled back to look at her and Aurora tried to smile through her tears. “I will still be here anytime you need me, and whenever you are ready to come home your place will be right here waiting for you.”
“What if I am never ready?”
Aurora felt her heart twist in her chest. She didn’t want to think about that possibility even though it was something she’d already considered. Hell, she’d probably disappear for good if she were in Camille’s shoes, but she had to be strong for Camille. She took Camille’s face in her hands and wiped away the tears, smiling at her dear friend. “You will. It may take a really long time, but you are the strongest person I know and you will find your way back home one day.”
She pulled Camille in for a long hug, soaking in the embrace for as long as Camille would allow. Aurora knew it was going to have to last her for the next few years, and that was if she got lucky and Camille didn’t stay gone for the next decade or longer.
****
Gregor
Aurora’s heart break was all over her face when Gregor found her. She had not come back to watch the ending of the ceremony for those they lost, but he had felt her heart break for her friend and hoped she would take time for herself. He found her staring out the great opening on the outer side of her room, looking up at the sky like she was waiting for something, or someone to come flying back any minute.
“She left,” Aurora spoke so softly he barely heard what she said, even with his newly enhanced senses.
Gregor pulled her into his arms and held her tight while her sobs made her shake in his arms. He hated how much this was hurting her, and he wished that he could kill Matthias all over again. What kind of father would break their child’s heart this way? He took away both of her best friends. Gregor squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath to calm down. His need to protect his mate was spiraling, and Aurora did not need him angry right now. He couldn’t kill the guy a second time anyway.
“Let’s fly,” he whispered in her ear. Aurora stepped back to look up at him, and he held his hand out to her. As soon as their hands linked they both transformed, stretching out their wings before leaping off the edge and letting the night’s sky carry them away. Gregor would do whatever it took to bring back her happiness, and one day he knew she would be reunited with Camille as well. They had time and time would heal them, and their love was strong enough to carry them through until that healing was complete. The important thing was they had defeated their enemy, so they were free to spend their lives together without looking over their shoulder every step of the way.
Epilogue
Aurora
“You look beautiful.” Gregor’s eyes were shining when Aurora looked up from their daughter. He was taking the two of them in like they were the most precious things in the world. She understood that feeling because she felt the same way about him and the beautiful little girl who was snuggling against her chest. “You are so strong,” he said before he reached out and gently stroked his hand over their daughter’s hair. It was black, which wasn’t surprising given her parents, but her eyes were what made her truly remarkable. She was truly two halves brought together with one golden eye and one shining the brightest of blues so that it was nearly purple just like her father’s. “What are we going to name her?” he asked.
Aurora looked down at their little girl and knew her name right away. “Andromena Camilla.” She knew from the moment she found out she was pregnant that she wanted their child to have a name that represented strength and love, but it hadn’t been until that moment that she knew exactly what that name would be. Aurora could not think of a name more suiting than to name her daughter after her two best friends. They were strong in every way it mattered, and they had loved each other and Aurora as fiercely as she loved the little one in her arms.
Gregor smiled brightly, “It’s perfect.”
“Andros would have loved it.”
Aurora jerked her head up when she heard that familiar voice. She had longed to hear it for so long she thought she’d imagined it until her eyes landed on Camille in the doorway. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked her friend up and down. “Are you really here?”
Camilled smiled. “It was the weirdest thing. I kept having this recurring dream that my best friend had this beautiful little rugrat running around, and her name was so familiar. After a few months dreaming of her calling me Auntie Camille and asking when I was going to come home to meet her I couldn’t stay away. Seems I got here just in time.”
Aurora smiled at her friend. “Remind me to thank Didrik.”
Camille shook her head. “It wasn’t Didrik.” She walked over and bent down to kiss Andromena on her forehead. The baby girl smiled brightly at her like she already knew who Camille was. “I’m pretty sure it was her.”
Aurora locked eyes with Gregor and they both
smiled. “She’s something special, just like her mother,” Gregor said.
“Yes,” Camille agreed. “She truly is.”
THE END
About B.M. Griffin
Bonnie Griffin, known as Author B.M. Griffin, lives in the small town of Richlands, North Carolina with her husband and two daughters. Bonnie has done the business thing, and while she had success it just wasn’t her cup of tea, so she has grabbed her favorite coffee and made it her mission to put her fingertips to work making her writing dream a reality. Home wasn’t the kindest place when Bonnie was growing up and reading became an outlet and a sanctuary. It was this sanctuary that led to her desire to create fantasies with her words, but don’t let that fool you, she’s got a dark side and it likes to come out to play in her books. Bonnie has an avid imagination and loves creating new worlds, creatures, species, and bringing them together through action and most of all, love. She is the author of the paranormal romance, “Loving Her Scars,” and her newest paranormal creation, “Aurora”.
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Thank you
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Epilogue
About B.M. Griffin