Alpha Theo's Unloved Luna - Chapter 116: Chapter 116

~ King Arthur ~
Arthur was startled. He pulled back, watching the changes in the woman he had just marked. The woman before him shrieked, and an unknown force was oozing out of her body.
"Ahhh!" She yelled again, throwing her head back. Her limbs spread apart, seemingly forcing energy out of her! "Victoria, I will come for you."
Arthur was filled with mixed emotions at that point. He was frightened and concerned for the woman. The next thing he knew, rays of blue and white light blasted from within her, blinding him. Then, the same power pushed him against the white barricade that imprisoned them.
"My King, are you okay?" Theo called and linked at the same time.
"I - I don't know!" He responded while covering his eyes with his forearm. "Ahhh!"
The pressure weighing on his chest made it harder to breathe, and he feared dying. Arthur was on the verge of losing consciousness, but just as his awareness was slipping away, he felt his body plummeting downward until it crashed into the water!
After being forced awake, Arthur swam up just in time to witness the woman being freed from the white light. She looked around in a daze and took deep breaths.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Who are you?" She asked Jacob and Caroline after seeing them from a distance.
Theo had grabbed Arthur by the arm, urging him to return to the cave's grounds. However, Arthur remained unmoved. His eyes stayed glued to the woman above until such time their eyes met.
Immediately, chills ran down Arthur's spine, and the truth came to light. Time felt like it had stopped momentarily, and everything around Arthur faded into nothing. Only she existed.
Through the woman's eyes, Arthur saw images of himself. In that vision, he remained a royal figure, and she was by his side as his queen. The surprising part in that foresight was how he led a different nation.
The castle was different.
The people were different. Only Beta Ivor remained the same.
'What was that?' He thought. 'Where was that? What about Alpha Theo and the rest?'
Nonetheless, after seeing a glimpse of his future, only one thing was clear: the woman floating above him was his fated mate.
After being in a dream-like state, Arthur and the woman said simultaneously, "Mate."
Arthur lovingly gazed at her while she gracefully dipped herself into the water and leveled with him.
At first, she just watched him. Apparent shock reflected on her expression. She repeated, "Mate. Mate?"
"I found my mate after I had been stuck here for more than fifty years? And he is a werewolf?" The woman said, frowning. Then, she grumbled, "The Moon Goddess must really hate me!"
Arthur was taken aback. Her words further awakened him from the trance. He responded, "To be fair, I also thought I would never find my mate in this lifetime."
"Wait!" The woman felt the wound on her neck, and after realizing she had been marked, she asked, "You are the reason why I was free?"
Just then, the army of golden snakes swam to her. They all attempted to wrap themselves around her. Some seemed to be kissing her too.
Seeing everything, a growl left Arthur's lips. It was his nature to be possessive of his mate. As he stayed afloat on water, he commanded, "Stay away from her! She is mine!"
The woman chuckled while trying to remove some of the golden serpents from her face. She said to Arthur, "Don't worry, My Mate. They are my pets. They are not your love rivals."
"Oh, my lovelies, you have reproduced into many over the years," she addressed the golden serpents.
She held one snake and looked into its eye. She smiled before glancing back at Arthur, asking, "So they found you and brought you to me?"
Arthur nodded. After confirming this, she looked around and remembered his companions. He explained, "These are my people. We were here on a mission, but instead, your -" he wavered, unsure how to address the serpents. "Your pets brought us to you."
"Your people? Wait. This isn't the place to talk," the woman said, realizing they were in the water. "Let's get up on land first."
Minutes later, they were on the cave's grounds. While Arthur sat beside his beautiful mate, everyone else gathered around them. During this time, Arthur took the chance to appreciate his' mate's beauty.
His mate had a unique charm. Although her skin was pale, her dark hair complimented her well. When she turned to him, his heart skipped a beat, and unexpectedly, his manhood twitched!
'Indeed, she is my mate,' he concluded in silence.
"Aurora, that's my name. Aurora Windmere," the woman said. Then, with the flick of her finger, she built a fire out of nothing.
They all gasped at the sudden warmth before them, but eventually, they adjusted to the shock and began feeling the fire with their hands. Arthur did the same while asking, "So, you are… a witch?"
"I'm not just any witch. I am the Grand Witch of New Arcadia," Aurora responded. "But don't get me wrong. It doesn't mean that I have god-like powers. They call me such because I was the oldest witch in the nation, well, in many nations, I guess. Many witches have turned away from magic."
Hearing her words, Arthur coughed against his fist. Earlier, he assumed she would be in her seventies, but he could be wrong. He asked, "How - how old are you exactly?"
Aurora turned to Arthur. Like him, she had a few signs of aging in their thirties. She had a few laugh lines and subtle wrinkles on her forehead. She said, "Don't worry. I'm not that old. I am only a hundred and twenty years old."
"A, what-" Jacob reacted first, but Caroline punched him in the gut, shutting him up.
"But I don't age much because I draw energy from the nature around me. So, I will always look younger, and my body will remain healthy too. It doesn't make me a cougar!" Aurora explained, making a face.
As a reaction, Arthur choked on his spew. He was about to react when Aurora asked, "Does it bother you? You must still be around eighty, judging by your appearance. I know werewolves age slower in their twenties."
"No, it - it doesn't bother me. Does my younger age bother you, though, My Mate?" Arthur questioned.
"No. Many witches are sometimes mated to a warlock who are old enough to be their fathers. At least I am destined to be with a younger werewolf," she responded casually. "That also means you'll have better stamina."
Arthur, "..."
Although his men laughed, Aurora's last statement gave Arthur a sense of pride. He chuckled and responded, "I guess we will find out later."
She smiled and acknowledged, "Yes, of course." Then, she studied him intently. "I feel an intense energy from within you. You must be of authority to have given me such energy to free myself."
Everyone knew that a mate's mark could provide a surge of energy, sometimes even a temporary healing ability. However, Arthur recognized that his alpha king's energy might have magnified Aurora's strength, enabling her to break free from her cage.
"He is our king, Aurora," Theo interrupted. "I'm sorry to cut in, but your mate is the Alpha King of Northern Alfar."
"Northern Alfar? Isn't it one nation?" She asked, and Arthur had to explain how Alfar became two nations.
Aurora pouted. She turned to Arthur and remarked, "Well, regardless, it's only fitting that I am mated to someone like you, for I am a special witch. Not to brag, but it's the truth."
Her self-praising earned Aurora an amused smile from Arthur and the rest of his companions. Arthur could see the big difference between Aurora and his previous wife. Despite being known as a Grand Witch, Aurora had an amiable aura and seemed entertaining.
Arthur believed Aurora a hundred percent. He could feel her emotions and was confident his mate was not lying. Moreover, he recounted the tale from King Orion's adviser. Everything added up.
"Anyway, you mentioned you came to New Arcadia on a mission?" Aurora asked.
Arthur gave Theo the cue, and the alpha explained, "A witch took my wife. Her name is Victoria Ashford."
At the mention of the name, Aurora froze on her spot. Her eyes rounded in anger, and her jaws clenched. She repeated, "Victoria Ashford?"
"You know her?" Arthur asked.
"I noticed you mentioned Victoria earlier. Is she the same person you are referring to?" Theo asked. "What is she to you?"
"Victoria Ashford," Aurora repeated through clenched teeth. Her eyes narrowed before she revealed, "She—she betrayed me."