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I just know there are going to be Disney references in the comments XD

Dedicated to Narges_Bsr for being the incredible reader and supporter you are. You're amazing, thanks hon!

A huge shoutout to yona2015 for being an avid reader of my work and supporting me for such a long time! Thanks doll!

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PLEASE DO NOT COPY MY WORK! If I find any followers copying my work, I will immediately REPORT and MUTE you. Do NOT test my patience or take advantage of my friendliness. You have been warned.

This chapter is unedited so please excuse the grammatical errors. Enjoy!

____

Suzzanah's POV

Karina had often told me that I tended to have bad timing when it came to finally breaking the news about stuff to people.

And in that moment, as I watched the faces of both Zuerien and Alpha Penson go from anticipatory to thunderstruck, I realized that that was, in fact, embarrassingly true.

"The ghost?!", they both chorused in shock and I nodded uncomfortably.

"That's right"

"But wha- why?!" Zuerien asked stunned, "Why him?"

"I've actually heard his voice in my head multiple times telling me 'beware of him who comes with bloodied hands'", I told them, "In my dream, the blue-green eyed ghost told me that 'he was the reason'. Back then I had no idea what he was talking about, but now that I think about it, could it be that he had been trying to tell me about the deaths of the women before me?"

"Seems like it, doesn't it?" Alpha Penson said, "Has he ever said anything else? Any other warnings?"

I thought back to that dream, trying to remember, as hard as I could, everything that the ghost had said.

"He did also tell me...Beware of him...who comes with a clean something and maybe...a dirty something else", I said recollecting the dream.

Both men immediately exchanged odd, confused looks as I continued, "Yeah, there was definitely something about being aware of something that was...clean"

"Um, are you sure we're still talking about the same dream, dear one?" Alpha Penson asked uncertainly.

"It is! I just...can't...remember- Wait! A black something!" I exclaimed, "He comes with a clean something and a black something else"

"A clean something and a black something else?" Zuerien repeated frowning, "What is he, a cleaning product vendor?"

"Don't distract me!"

Zuerien gave me a blank look.

"A clean um...a clean ss..s...ss...?" I thought hard, disregarding the fact that both the Alphas were suddenly looking at me like I had grown a moustache.

As it was, I was already ridiculously slow at remembering easy things. Never forget, I was the girl who couldn't recall what animal it was that howled! It didn't get worse than that.

Suzzanah darling, you were born without a lot of things- skirts, luck and brains being three honorable mentions.

"A clean...sleigh? Slate!" I exclaimed remembering, "A clean slate and a black..."

"Uh, Suzzanah?" Zuerien said.

"A black...black what? Black..."

"Suzzanah?" Zuerien repeated.

"A clean slate. He who comes with a clean slate, but black...and a black-"

"Heart-"

"HEART!" I looked at Zuerien- who had just uttered that wonderful word- wide eyed and grabbed his shoulders, "Heart! That's it! A black heart!"

"Beware of him who comes with a clean slate but a black heart!" I said, putting everything together, "Beware of him who comes with bloodied hands. He is the reason. I think that's pretty much everything the ghost told me"

"A clean slate...but a black heart", Alpha Penson said pensively.

"That sounds contradictory", Zuerien said, putting an arm around my waist to keep me from slipping off the bed in excitement as I sat at the edge of the mattress on my knees, "But nevertheless, this ghost seems to have been trying to point us to this beast all along. Who could this blue-green eyed man be?"

"It seems we have yet another matter we need to look into at the earliest", Alpha Penson said thoughtfully.

"But we did look into it remember?" Zuerien replied, "We looked through all possible records- employees, our pack members, other pack's members, even rogues!"

"You're right", Alpha Penson said, "But if this man knows about a creature that has lived for at least a century, then its possible he himself lived in a time much before us, or at least you. Perhaps we didn't search far enough back in time, as far as it comes to our records"

"But that is going to take forever", Zuerien said, "Isn't there a faster way to go about this? Couldn't someone from the League of Magic help us?"

"What we would be asking for would be for someone who can look into Suzzanah's mind and project whatever picture she has in her head out to the rest of us", Alpha Penson said, "I'm not certain such magic exists but if you'd both like me to, I'll ask about it"

Once he had heard the suggestion Zuerien immediately looked reluctant again.

"On second thought, forget it", Zuerien said irritably, "I don't want anyone looking into her memories"

Neither did I, to be honest

Alpha Penson sighed, "Its at times like these that I feel the absence of the Luna of Intercession even more", he said, "Perhaps if she were here, she could act as a mediator between us to relay Suzzanah's memory of the man to us"

"She could do that?!" I asked shocked, and Zuerien also looked quite surprised.

"Maybe she could", Alpha Penson said with a shrug, "Who better than her who possesses both the magic of a witch and the merits of a Luna Extraordinaire"

"If only that woman wasn't so difficult", Zuerien said.

"Hey!" I said, looking at him disapprovingly.

"It seems that we suddenly have a lot of people to identify and locate, in addition to Karina and Megan", Alpha Penson said.

"The beast, the blue-green eyed man and that comrade of Megan's", Zuerien recounted.

"And two out of the three are unidentifiable to everyone but Suzzanah", Alpha Penson stated.

"At least they are the two not-so-dangerous options", I said.

"I beg to differ", Zuerien said firmly, "I don't know about the ghost but I sure as hell don't think that Megan's comrade is harmless"

"He's right Suzzanah", Alpha Penson said, "We can't be sure of a person's motives or character after only having encountered them once"

"I suppose that's true", I said dejectedly, "But just to point this out, I didn't really get a look at Megan's companion's face so she may actually be unidentifiable to me too. All I know is that she's a woman with dark hair, who has a were-lamppost sidekick and speaks in a strange foreign tongue-"

"Nera irey nischt ana undrale theen"

The words that woman had spoken to me in the cottage suddenly sounded in my mind and my voice caught in my throat.

"Nera irey nischt ana undrale theen"

You should not have come here

"Were-lamppost?" I heard Alpha Penson asking Zuerien in the background, to which Zuerien shrugged shaking his head, looking unsure.

"She spoke...in a strange foreign language!" I breathed out, catching their attention again, "One I've never heard before...yet one I understand!"

Yet again both men looked completely stumped by my statement.

"What?" they asked in unison.

I scratched the back of my head, "Let's see", I said recalling the pronunciation, "Nera...irey....nischt", as I tested the words on my tongue, I saw Alpha Penson's eyes widen, "Nera irey nischt...ana...undrale theen-"

"How?" Alpha Penson breathed out, suddenly looking alarmed, "How are you...saying those words?"

"Why?" I asked, suddenly feeling scared as I covered my mouth with my hands, "Is it bad?"

"What is it John?" Zuerien asked seriously, drawing me nearer to him.

"Its Kharasiyei", Alpha Penson said in disbelief.

"What?" both I and Zuerien asked together in incomprehension.

"Kharasiyei. A primeval, nearly forgotten language of the Ancient Mages", Alpha Penson told us, "Its been centuries since I heard anyone speak it. Where did you learn that?"

"I didn't", I replied confused, "I'm just repeating what that woman in the cottage told me"

"Nera irey nischt ana undrale theen", Alpha Penson repeated my words from before.

"You should not have come here", we both translated together and Alpha Penson gasped.

I think that was the first time I had heard him gasp so clearly.

"You understand", he said and I nodded, feeling perplexed.

"Yeah I do. I don't know how", I admitted honestly, "I swear I hadn't even ever heard this language before today"

Zuerien looked astounded while Alpha Penson was quiet for a moment before he said, "Not in this life, perhaps"

Don't tell me...

"Did Emily know this language?" Zuerien asked, catching on immediately.

Alpha Penson shook his head, "No", he replied, "But I believe the Luna Ethereal did"

"I didn't think that it was possible for the skills one had learnt in a past life to be passed on like that", Zuerien said incredulously.

"I didn't either", Alpha Penson admitted, looking at me with awestruck eyes.

I blushed awkwardly, "Well you know, I am a little...weird", I said.

He smiled affectionately at me, before shaking his head, "You're not weird dear one. You are special. So special"

He placed a hand atop my head, gazing down at me both tenderly and concernedly, "Its is truly a blessing and a curse to be this unique. So much so that I sometimes almost wish you weren't", he said softly, a strange melancholy glint flashing in his eyes before he closed his eyes and withdrew his hand.

I found myself unable to say anything as he took a deep breath to compose himself, no doubt thinking of Emily once more. And I also couldn't help but notice that Zuerien's grip had tightened around me so much that I was sure my waist was two sizes smaller now.

I also knew that it was because his possessiveness was kicking in hard, since he had only marked me last night. And I couldn't help but appreciate and love him more for showing restraint in his emotions when it came to Alpha Penson.

After all, Alpha Penson was...the closest thing to my father.

"Did she say anything else to you, dear one?" Alpha Penson asked, "In Kharasiyei I mean"

I nodded, "She did", I said, "She told me to get out"

Both men looked at me wide-eyed.

"What?!" Zuerien cried out indignantly, "How dare she!"

"Well, I think she could dare, seeing as I invaded her house without permission", I told him matter-of-factly, "What was the word she used? Bri...Bridiere!"

Alpha Penson smiled, "It means 'begone'"

"Oh! See, she didn't tell me to get out after all", I told Zuerien.

"Yeah, she tried to exorcise you instead"

"Zuerien!"

"Whoever this woman is, I want her found too", Zuerien said and Alpha Penson nodded.

"Why is it that my brain can't remember simple day to day things like which animal it is that howls, but I can recall these bizarre sentences spoken in a language I don't even know", I thought out loud.

"You couldn't remember what animal howls?" Zuerien asked cocking an eyebrow at me.

I gaped at him, "Don't rub it in, you were-emperor!"

"Were-Emperor?" Alpha Penson repeated in amusement.

"She likes to make up these bizarre titles", Zuerien explained.

"Oh!" Alpha Penson nodded as if he had just learnt an important fact, "So what exactly is a were-lamppost then?"

"Huh? Oh yes! It was a live lamppost!" I told them, "It was alive! It was jumping, or hopping or whatever after Megan's comrade, lighting the path ahead for her with its...uh...head-light thingy"

"It was moving on its own", Alpha Penson asked and I nodded.

"Did it speak?" Zuerien asked and I shuddered, "No, thank goodness! Or I would have lost my head, provided I haven't lost it already", I added, making Zuerien snort before patting my head.

"Why would she need it to light her path?" Alpha Penson asked, "It was morning time after all. Was it very dark in the forest"

"It was a little gloomy", I replied, "And it kept getting misty too, on and off. Quite a thick mist, might I add"

Alpha Penson looked thoughtful, "Well...it's obvious that the lamppost's uh...locomotion and other 'lifelike' properties are attributed to magic"

"So you mean its possible to bring non-living objects to life using magic?!" I asked awe-struck.

"Well...I wouldn't call it 'bringing to life', but it is possible to make them move or act as the magic-caster wills them to, simulating the state of being animate or alive", Alpha Penson replied, "But it does require magic that is significantly advanced. I think the Alpha King is right. If the person who used magic to animate that lamppost was in fact Megan's comrade then she can't be taken lightly. From what you've told us, she even seems to be pretty well versed with the ancient tongue of the Mages"

"Is that language ancient enough for it to not be spoken by too many people?" Zuerien asked.

"Yes it is", Alpha Penson replied, "I think only a select few high Mages are familiar with it, as of now"

"And somehow, you still do", both I and Zuerien said suspiciously, with narrowed eyes.

Alpha Penson shrugged, "I liked to dabble in a lot of different things when I was younger"

"If there aren't that many people who speak it, then there also wouldn't be that many people who can teach it, right?" Zuerien said, "Do you think we could find out about this woman through the few people who do know this language?"

"Actually, if she is a friend of Megan's then I think she may have been taught by Megan or her family- The Regalias", Alpha Penson said, "The Regalia family was once again one of the only Elite few who had members who spoke the language"

"What about her so-called 'human' family?" Zuerien asked, "Did you look into the Houstons?"

"Yes Alpha", Alpha Penson replied, "I actually meant to talk to you about this matter in detail later"

"Let's hear it now", Zuerien said and Alpha Penson nodded.

"As you ordered, I had a team look into the Houston family", Alpha Penson said, "But there wasn't anything out of the ordinary we found about the family. We investigated several hundred generations of their ancestry. It has been confirmed that both Mr. and Mrs. Houston come from a very long line of non-supernaturals"

"Megan's foster-mother, Mrs. Houston, was friends with her birth-mother from back when they both still lived in the States", Alpha Penson continued, "And after she passed away, the Houstons took Megan in. But it seems they have no idea that she is the daughter of Lisa Regalia"

"What?" Zuerien exclaimed shocked.

"Its true", Alpha Penson said, "According to them, they took Megan in when they found her as a child, working in a shop close to their home. It seems that Mrs. Houston grew very fond of Megan and convinced her husband to let them adopt her, as they had no children of their own. They gave her their family name and raised her as their own child"

"Didn't the League of Magic investigate the Houstons when they were searching for Megan?" Zuerien asked, "Surely Mrs. Houston's name must have come up when they looked into Lisa Regalia's history"

"They did, of course but they only adopted Megan about an year and a half after Lisa Regalia's death", Alpha Penson replied, "So that means the League of Magic investigated the Houstons much before they took Megan in. And since the Houstons and Lisa Regalia didn't share that many common acquaintances who knew Megan as Lisa's daughter, Megan was never discovered"

"They didn't share many common acquaintances? I thought you said they were good friends", Zuerien said.

"They were, but they apparently met unconventionally", Alpha Penson replied, "Even while they lived in the same city, they worked in different places and didn't have any common friends. In fact, they actually remained in the same city for a rather short time before both women moved to different places. Mrs. Houston knew that Lisa Regalia had a daughter but she had never seen Megan while Lisa was still alive, so she couldn't recognize her when she finally met her"

"I don't believe the two ladies even stayed in touch regularly, apart from the occasional phone call", Alpha Penson added, "In actuality, when Lisa Regalia was killed, the Houstons were still in the States while Lisa had been in Mauritius. We are still not sure as to how and more importantly why Megan got in touch with the Houstons of all people, or even if it was a coincidence that she did"

My heart stopped at his words, "What did you say?" I asked shocked, "Megan's mother was...killed?"

Alpha Penson's eyes softened and he nodded, making dread rise inside of me.

"I'm sorry, but yes, Suzzanah", Alpha Penson replied, "As you already know, Megan was the child of a witch and Shadower. And Megan's mother was killed in battle against a witch coven who opposed her association with her Shadower Husband. Her husband was also killed by the same people a short while before her mother. Lisa Regalia was a powerful witch and managed to kill all her enemies, but succumbed to the wounds from battle and soon passed away. That happened about a decade ago"

Grief welled up inside of me on hearing about Megan's past. She had been through so much pain...just like...

Just like Zuerien...

"When the League of Magic came to investigate the matter, everyone was already dead", Alpha Penson continued, "There remained no one who could give them an account of anyone who may have survived. They searched for years for Lisa Regalia's child but when they didn't find her, they concluded that her life too must have been claimed by the battle"

Zuerien listened quietly, his face a mask but eyes sorrowful. And as Alpha Penson continued, a dull ache began to slowly well up inside of me making me wince slightly.

"No one knows how Megan escaped, but now that I think about it, her mother probably teleported her to a safe place", Alpha Penson said, "And no one was ever able to find her again because her powers were sealed away by her mother before she passed. To everyone around her, including the supernaturals, she was an ordinary human"

"A few months after the Houstons adopted Megan, they moved to London", he continued, "Megan was raised there by her foster human parents as a regular human child, did her schooling in London in a regular human school, went to Cambridge University for a college degree, graduated and worked in Ashford Enterprises, London, for a year before she moved to Australia where she joined the Royale Industries branch in Sydney"

"We already went through the records of her that the Ashford Enterprises branch in London had from the time she worked for them, and found nothing out of the ordinary", Zuerien said and Alpha Penson nodded, "Also, does Megan being a Regalia have anything to do with why you asked us not to ask for the League's assistance in finding her just yet?"

"What?" I asked surprised.

Alpha Penson nodded, "I went to meet with the League this afternoon, as you already know", he said, "And although I originally meant to ask for their help with finding Intercession, the more I contemplated the idea, I realized that if we ask them for help, we may have to expose the fact that Megan is a Regalia"

"The Regalias were a very powerful and ancient family of witches and wizard", he continued, "They were greatly valued and held in the utmost place of honor by everyone in the Realm of Magic. And if word gets out that she is a Regalia, the League of Magic won't let her go, even more so because she is part Shadower"

My eyes widened in realization of where Alpha Penson was getting at.

"I see your point John", Zuerien said, "As it is, Megan hates all things Supernatural, and that hatred may be much greater towards witches, seeing as her parents were killed by them. If the League of Magic begins to pursue her, she may be even more reluctant about reasoning with us"

"Can't we just not tell them about her being a Regalia?" I asked, "At least till we can get Megan to come to terms with everything?"

"That's what we originally planned to do", Alpha Penson replied, "But if they find out that we have hidden information from them, they may not take it well. Werewolves and Witches are allies and they may take our keeping secrets from them as a form of betrayal"

"But wait, how can they do that?" I asked, "Megan is the Luna of Intercession! Werewolves have a right to keep information about their Lunas private, don't they?"

"Yes they do, but Megan is first a witch, a Regalia at that" he replied, "The League of Magic won't miss the chance to keep her on their side of the spectrum. But in the end, whatever Megan wills will be final. As it is, she has the Werewolves and maybe even the Shadow People at her tail. I don't think she would be able to bear being pursued by the League of Magic too"

"Is it not possible to drop the idea of approaching the League for help about Megan?" I asked.

"We could, but thing is, if Megan's comrade is a magic wielder like herself, the easiest way to find her would be with the help of another magic wielder", Alpha Penson replied, "As it is, we do require the League's help in finding the strange beast that attacked you in the woods. But if we ask for their help in finding Megan's friend, it will eventually lead them to Megan, and it won't take them long to recognize Megan's aura as that of a Regalia's"

"When is the official meeting with the League of Magic scheduled?" Zuerien asked Alpha Penson.

"We haven't decided a definitive time yet but it was meant to be tomorrow morning, Alpha", Alpha Penson replied.

Zuerien nodded, "In that case, schedule the meeting as planned", he said, "I'll speak with the League Elders about Megan"

"You mean you plan on telling them about her being a Regalia?" Alpha Penson asked.

Zuerien nodded, "Either way, they are bound to find out sooner or later", he stated, "Might as well tell them ourselves. Witches and Wizards have been loyal to us for several hundreds of years. We should return the trust"

"But Alpha-"

"I know John", Zuerien cut him off, "Once they find out that Megan is a Regalia, they will want to keep her within the Realms of Magic. But like Suzzanah said, Megan is also the Luna of Intercession, and once she finds her mate, her rightful place will be in the Werewolf kingdom, not the Realm of Magic"

"Besides, you said it yourself. At the end of the day, the final decision will be Megan's", Zuerien said, "Whether she wishes to stay with us or them, it will be her choice. There is no use putting off the inevitable. I'm ready to meet with them"

There was so much confidence and authority in Zuerien's words that it filled me with awe. He truly spoke like a rightful King, and it made my respect for him grow even more.

Alpha Penson smiled at his words and nodded, "I understand Alpha", he said, "In that case, I shall have the Elders of League of Magic informed about your desire to see them immediately, and I'll have a meeting arranged for tomorrow morning"

"Oh, and Suzzanah"

I looked at Zuerien as he spoke.

"We may have to rely on you when it comes to somehow convincing Megan to hear us out", he told me, "You happen to be the only one Megan seems to not hate out of us all. If she finds out that the League is after her too, she will be even more unreceptive to whatever we have to say. We'll need you out there to try and win her over. You think you can do that?"

I immediately grinned and nodded, "I'll do my best", I said optimistically, "Even if I don't know for certain whether she will listen to me, I want to at least try from my side"

Both the Alphas nodded, smiling down at me.

I took a deep breath wondering when I would finally get the chance to meet and speak to Megan again. I still remembered how afraid she had been that day at the library at the Annual Games.

How afraid she had been...about hurting those around her.

A lot of people were prejudiced about Megan, but when you learnt her entire story, it wasn't hard to see why she acted the way she did. To her, these Supernaturals were the ones who took her mother and father from her. And therefore she hated even her own powers. She didn't want anything to do with them.

"We won't hurt you!" I had screamed to her as she was about to teleport away. And I remembered clear as day, the words she had mindlinked back to me.

"I'm sorry, Suzzanah...But I'll hurt you"

Megan was a kind person. She had suffered all her life, and now all she wanted was to be left alone in peace. The more I thought of her, the more the ache in my chest from earlier aggravated and I winced.

"Suzzanah?" both Zuerien and Alpha Penson bent over me worriedly, "Is something wrong?"

The pain intensified, spreading as a dull ache throughout my body and I squeezed my eyes shut. I wondered why it suddenly hurt so much and if it was my own pain or someone else's. I couldn't tell in my weakened state.

"Heart! What's wrong?" Zuerien asked anxiously putting his arms around me and drawing me close, "Suzzanah?"

The minute he touched me, the pain began to subside and just a few seconds later, it was gone. Sitting upright again, I panted heavily.

"I-I'm...I'm okay. Its nothing", I said breathlessly, rubbing my chest, "It suddenly hurt a little, but now its fine. Don't worry. Is anyone of you hurt?"

Both men exchanged glances before shaking their heads.

"No, we're fine", Zuerien replied.

"What about the others?" I asked worriedly.

"Everyone is alright"

I nodded, feeling relieved.

Alpha Penson continued to stare at me concernedly when Zuerien turned to him, "I think we should leave the rest of the discussion for tomorrow. Suzzanah's tired. She needs to rest"

Alpha Penson nodded, "You're right Alpha. I shall leave you then. Please rest up, dear one"

"Wait, I'm really okay now", I replied honestly.

"No you're not", both men chorused, and when Zuerien heard Alpha Penson say it with him, he suddenly looked even more worried.

Sensing that, Alpha Penson added, "I mean that your body and mind have been through too much exertion today. You're exhausted and your body is probably exhibiting that exertion in the form of pain. You really do need more rest"

I found myself unable to argue, feeling more exhausted by the minute. It was like the minute I was reminded of the day's event's, the extreme fatigue returned with a vengeance. And I decided that it was probably better that I rested, as suggested by both the Alphas Extraordinaire.

After all, I had lost a piece of my soul today.

I didn't know what kind of implications it would have on me. And I also didn't know how long it would take for me to get back to normal. I was definitely better now than I had been earlier today when I couldn't feel anything- no magic, no aura, no emotions, nothing.

But now, I could. It was faint, but I could definitely sense those elements once again, Zuerien's more than anyone else's, as a result of which, right now, I could feel the copious amounts of anxious concern radiating off of him. It was best I didn't worry him any more.

And maybe if I rested well, I would regain my full strength sooner.

I nodded, "Okay", I replied and both Alphas immediately looked relieved.

"Good. I shall leave you now then", Alpha Penson said, "Try not to worry about anything and just rest easy, Suzzanah"

I smiled and nodded.

"I'll join you in a short while", Zuerien told Alpha Penson, "In the meantime, please stay in touch with the people looking into Megan's past. Their research needs to be thorough. I want to know everything, especially regarding the people around her, be it her friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances- I don't want anything to be left out"

"Also, whoever this female comrade of her's is, if she is close enough to Megan to be willing to risk her home and life for her sake, I'm sure her name will come up somewhere", he added, "And even if she is living here by a different name, we're sure to find something on her in Megan's past"

"As you command, Alpha", Alpha Penson said. "Seeing as you've already briefed the wolves here to look for that beast as well as Megan and her companion, I'll contact our staff back home immediately and inform them to start going through records to find the blue-green eyed ghost Suzzanah is seeing", he said.

Zuerien nodded, "Please do", he said, "And have Cole or Marco contact the League of Magic about sending people to help with Prophecy's magic"

"I will", Alpha Penson replied before looking at me, "Make sure to rest well, dear one"

"Will do", I replied, leaning into Zuerien tiredly.

Alpha Penson smiled at me and nodded to Zuerien before leaving. Once it was just the two of us again, I turned to look at Zuerien who was already looking at me.

I smiled, "You did well, Steroid", I said.

His brow furrowed slightly, eyes glinting in question, "What do you mean?"

Reaching up, I ran a hand through his hair, "You did really well by maintaining your cool throughout this evening", I told him, "You're really trying hard aren't you, to keep yourself from losing control"

Zuerien gave me a soft smile before abruptly picking me up and placing me on his lap. I immediately grabbed onto his shoulders to steady myself as his hands went around my waist.

"I have to", Zuerien said gently, looking into my eyes, "I never want you to have to keep things from me out of fear that I will lose my mind and let my emotions take over me, ever again"

I shook my head before cupping his face with both hands.

"You don't need to do that, Zuerien", I said softly, "Its very thoughtful of you, but please don't force yourself to hold in your emotions"

"Honestly, I don't think I can, even if I try to", Zuerien said tenderly, "After all, my mate happens to be an expert when it comes to feelings, especially mine"

I smiled, "Like I said, you did very well keeping your self-control today, but remember, you don't have to change anything about yourself to accommodate me,", I told him wholeheartedly, caressing his cheek with my thumb, "I love all of you, just the way you are"

His eyes immediately brimmed with warmth and affection at my words, which spilled into my veins and coursed through my body too.

"I'll remember", he said gently before leaning in and capturing my lips with his, pulling me into a slow and heartwarming kiss.

Our lips molded together perfectly, just as they always did, reminding me once again that we were meant for each other. That I was born to belong to this wonderful man. And that we had shared this bond for as long as time had existed.

It wasn't very significant but Zuerien's touch, however small, did seem to quell some of my exhaustion, and I welcomed it eagerly.

The kiss we shared was sensuous yet sweet, passionate yet patient, conscious yet instinctive. It was everything I needed and more. And although it was a rather short one, I felt like it had done wonders for my health.

Breaking our kiss, Zuerien pecked my forehead before cupping my face, "Are you really alright sweetheart?" he asked.

"I am, I promise", I replied gently, "I'm just tired"

He sighed as he nodded, letting his thumb stroke down my cheek, jaw and neck. When his finger grazed my mark, I immediately shuddered as the familiar tingles his touch ignited within me suddenly tripled in intensity.

Zuerien smiled lovingly at my reaction before lifting me off his lap and placing me on the bed again.

"Alright, time for bed", he said, taking the covers in his palm to tuck me in.

Taking that as my chance, I acted immediately, scooching towards the edge of the bed, "Wait. Actually, I-"

Zuerien blocked my way, "Suzzanah, you said you'd rest", he cut me off, giving me a firm look.

I looked at him uncomfortably, "I will but-"

"No buts. Sleep. Now"

"Will you listen to me?"

"No"

"Zuerien!"

"Heart."

"Aiyah!" I said urgently as I squeezed my thighs together, "Zuerien, I really need to pee!"

Taken aback, Zuerien blinked, looking surprised.

"I didn't want to say anything while we were discussing important matters, but its really urgent now!" I said, my voice strained.

"Oh, that's right", he said thoughtfully, "You haven't peed since morning, have you?"

I flushed, "Gah! Don't remind me, I can't hold it in", I said bending over as I hugged my abdomen with both hands.

"Here, I'll carry you to the bathroom", Zuerien said reaching for me.

"Wait! Wait! Let me...compose myself first", I said in a constrained voice, squeezing my thighs together harder.

Zuerien watched me quietly, making me wonder what his half animal mind may be thinking. Somehow I just knew Kai would have something to say about...my condition.

And almost as if on cue, he spoke up.

You know Suzzanah, if you have to go here, just go here

WHAT?!

"KAI! What do you mean just go here?" I asked horrified, looking around me at the bed.

"We had a bed pan ordered for you when you collapsed in the woods by the northern border", Zuerien told me, "Its by the-"

"No! I don't need it!" I cut him off hurriedly.

Suzzanah, you don't have to hold it in, Kai said, Just let it go!

I squeezed my eyes shut, "KAAAI!" I drawled out.

I mean it. Even on the bed right here is fine. We'll just have the covers changed

"And tell everyone what? That I'm a 21 year old bed-wetter?!" I asked appalled.

They don't have to know, its none of their business

"Kai, I appreciate you being so...open minded but you're really distracting me right now", I said, "I'm trying to concentrate"

They say distracting helps in such delicate situations

"Not this kind of distraction!" I exclaimed, "Oh God, I need to pee"

Pee away

"KAI!"

Don't be shy, sweetheart. We're werewolves, we don't judge anything done as a natural instinct

"Heavens!"

Even heaven can't help when Nature calls, you just have to answer

"Zuerien, make him stop!"

"I'll probably end up making him worse", Zuerien said, looking both amused and worried about my situation, "Maybe just do as he says. I'll go get the bed pan"

"Not you too Zuerien!"

"I'm just saying-"

Ur-ine trouble

"KAAAI!"

Sweetheart, when you gotta go, you gotta go

"Its okay Heart. Just go here", Zuerien supported, making me look at him aghast.

"Argh I can't with you two", I said shaking my head.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at bathroom door.

"Okay, I think I can make it", I said, putting one leg down, "Move Zuerien"

"I still think we should carry you", Zuerien said uncertainly.

And I still think you should just tinkle here

"Both of you, be quiet. Please", I said, holding up one finger, "I'll be right back"

With that, I dashed towards the bathroom faster than you could say 'lavatory'. And I could have sworn peeing had never felt more relieving before. Especially peeing in such a lavish bathroom. It was nearly twice the size of my room back when I was still working as a waitress and I couldn't help but feel blessed to have this life, even though it got quite messy sometimes.

Once I was done, I sighed, literally feeling half a dozen pounds lighter.

"You okay in there, heart?" Zuerien asked from outside the bathroom door, right after I had flushed the toilet.

I cringed, "Uh, yeah"

"Come on out then", he said, and I could literally feel him trying to keep himself from ripping the door open.

"In a minute", I said, walking to the washing area.

"What do you need a minute for? Is something wrong?" He asked and I gave the door a look before shaking my head and washing my hands.

"I just want to wash up- YAI!" I shouted in alarm when I saw my reflection in the mirror.

Goodness gracious!

"WHAT? Suzzanah?!"

"I look like a ghoul!" I shouted, leaning closer to the mirror in shock.

"No you don't!" came the immediate reply.

I blinked in horror, taking in my state. If I thought I looked bad during puberty, this was like puberty squared. I didn't have any injuries thanks to the healers who had tended to my wounds, but my skin was so pale, I could easily pass for a vampire. My eyes had sunken into their sockets and I had terrifyingly dark circles under them. My lips too were chapped and drier than a desert.

Hadn't I just kissed Zuerien? I suddenly felt really bad for my mate.

I was pretty sure I stank too, especially when considering the werewolves' heightened sense of smell. And let's not get started on my hair. It looked like one of the many wild shrubs I had run into this morning. And who knew what sort of a vibrant ecosystem was thriving up there by now.

"Ugh, this is a disaster", I said, bending over the sink.

"What's going on?" Zuerien asked impatiently.

"I'm having a life-crisis", I whispered to myself in despair.

"What?!" he shouted before I heard the sound of him trying to turn the doorknob.

"Open the door heart!" he cried out urgently and I stared at the door alarmed before quickly pulling it open.

The minute I opened it, Zuerien pulled me into his chest and hugged me tightly. Burying his nose in my neck, he inhaled deeply, making me cringe at how bad I probably smelt.

"Zuerien", I said softly when his grip around me finally loosened.

He exhaled a sigh of relief and I patted his back, "I'm alright Zuerien", I told him before pulling away to look up at him.

He looked down at me, dark eyes heavy with concern. I cocked my head to the side.

"Are you alright?" I asked gently.

He looked at me for a second longer before nodding. I smiled tenderly at him, "And you tell me I worry too much", I said gently before trying to pull away from him.

He didn't let me go, "I'll carry you to the bed", he said but I quickly stopped him as he bent to pick me up.

"Zuerien...I want to bathe", I said and he immediately looked thunderstruck.

"Why?" he asked and I gaped at him.

"Are you looking at me right now?" I asked, gesturing to myself, "I look like a rogue grizzly bear"

"You look beautiful", he said firmly and I gave him a look before smiling and shaking my head.

How is it possible for him to make a lie sound so sincere?

"It isn't a lie"

I looked at him surprised but before I could comment on him having read my mind again, he began to turn me towards the bed.

"Zuerien, I want to bathe", I insisted.

"You can bathe tomorrow", he stated.

"But I'm filthy"

"You're fine"

"Zuerien!" I turned in his arms to face him, "I'm really alright. I'm tired but not so tired that I can't even manage a shower. Besides, taking a warm bath may help me sleep better"

He gave my words some thought and I quickly added.

"Also, I don't think I'll be able to sleep all dirty and stinky like this. Whoever healed me and put this new pair of clothes on me-"

"I put them on", he cut me off and I tried not to blush as I continued after clearing my throat.

"Ahem, well, uh thank you but you didn't really wash me-"

"I would have but I thought you'd be too embarrassed by it when you woke up", he said.

"I would!" I exclaimed, "And I'm really glad you didn't wash me, but because of that I stink, and I really need a bath. Please?"

Zuerien sighed in defeat, "Five minutes", he said.

"Let's make that 10?" I suggested.

"Too long"

"Eight", I said and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Six"

"Seven", I said conclusively, "And let's end it there"

He looked at me for a second longer before complying.

"Fine. Seven, and not a second longer"

"Okay", I said, smiling to myself, "To think I have to have this entire elaborate conversation with you just to bathe myself"

"Your health is more important than your cleanliness, Heart", Zuerien stated.

"Whatever you say, Alpha", I said, before turning towards the bathroom again.

"Seven minutes", Zuerien said from right behind me.

"Okay", I said, reaching for the door.

"Oh, and I'm staying inside while you bathe"

I slipped on the doormat and nearly broke my skull.

"HEART!" Zuerien said, catching me instantly, "This is why I don't want you to bathe right now"

"What do you mean you'll stay inside while I bathe. Inside where?!" I demanded horrified.

"Inside the bathroom, obviously"

"WHAT?!" I covered my upper torso with my hands on reflex, "NO! You can't watch me bathe!"

"I won't look", Zuerien said and I gave him a you-know-that-is-a-big-fat-lie look, "Okay, maybe I will. A little. I won't look much"

"No! Please wait outside", I said, standing in front of the door protectively.

"Absolutely not", Zuerien said, and the look in his eyes told me that there was no way he was backing down.

"Zuerien, you're the Alpha King! I can't let you babysit me while I bathe when you have so much you need to do already!" I tried to reason with him.

"All that can wait", he replied, "You were and always will be my first priority"

"Ah! Zuerien! I-I...I can't bathe with you there", I said, feeling my cheeks redden the more I thought about it, "I'm...I just...I..."

He exhaled heavily before stepping closer to me, "I can't leave you alone right now Heart", Zuerien said softly and I instantly sensed the strain in his voice as I spoke, "I'm sorry but I can't. Especially not after everything that happened today. Even if the human in me tries, my wolf won't let me leave your side"

"Kai", I said softly.

We're staying, sweetheart, he said in his usual cool manner, and yet the power and finality in his deep voice left absolutely no room for argument.

I sighed, "Its because of you having marked me last night, isn't it?" I asked softly and he didn't reply.

He just put an arm around my waist and waited.

I remembered what everyone had said about the mannerisms of a wolf after first marking or mating with their mates. And I also knew that the emotions a normal wolf would feel would probably be amplified tenfold in an Alpha wolf.

I knew this wasn't his fault. And I also knew that deep deep down, I didn't mind him as much because...well...because it was him. He was my soulmate, the man I loved, and if there was anyone at all I would allow this right, it was him.

Even though we had shared our fair share of intimate moments together, this was my very first relationship, so I wasn't comfortable going au naturel in front of him just yet. But I also understood his predicament. He couldn't help it.

But I suppose, I could.

I recollected what the shower area looked like inside the bathroom then, with great difficulty, I breathed out, "Okay then"

"Huh?"

I felt my face blaze as I whispered, "You can stay"

Almost immediately, his body relaxed and I peeked at him through my eyelashes to find him smiling down at me happily.

Before I could say anything else, he bent down and gave me a quick yet hard kiss on the lips, and then gently ushered me into the bathroom.

"Okay, let's take these off then", he said reaching for my robe and I immediately squawked in shock before jumping away from him.

"Wait!" I exclaimed, "You can stay, as long as you don't look", I told him, then thought about our earlier conversation and added quietly, "Much"

He bit the inside of his cheek before replying, "I'll try, but no promises"

"Zuerien!" I cried out, "Come on! Compromise!"

"I said I'll try", he said and I suddenly felt faint again.

"Alpha males", I grit out begrudgingly before looking around.

The bathroom was, as expected, absolutely fantastic. It was an exquisitely large room. The floor was white marble, but didn't feel slippery. There was a glass segregation between the washbasin and toilet and the bath area with a giant Jacuzzi bathtub. There were even two lavish leather couches in here, probably for the rich people who liked to sit in places other than the toilet-seat in their bathrooms.

But what I was most grateful for was the separate shower cabin made of opaque glass doors. From the looks of it, it wasn't possible to see the person in the shower through the glass. At least not using my meagre human eyesight.

Warily, I peeked up at Zuerien who was already seating himself down on the couch in the bathroom. When I made no move to start showering he looked at me questioningly.

"What's up?" he asked before pointing to his watch, "Your seven minutes have already started"

I gasped, "What?! That's not fair. You didn't tell me that before"

"I'm telling you now", he replied.

"Hey, if you're staying anyway, can I at least take a slightly longer bath?" I asked.

"No"

"Zuerien!" I said and he sighed.

"Alright fine, 10 minutes"

"Fifteen", I said and he gave me an incredulous look, "Come on! Fifteen minutes isn't that long", I insisted, "Pleeeaaase?"

"Don't look at me like that", he said trying to avoid my puppy dog eyes in vain, "Fine, take twelve minutes"

I sighed before shrugging, "Oh well"

"Which have already started ticking down by the way", he added making my face turn thunderstruck before I quickly grabbed my clothes from the closet and rushed into the shower cabin.

Once inside, I closed the opaque glass doors. There was no lock which was a little disconcerting. Leaning in I tried to look through the glass. I could barely see anything.

"Can you see me?" I asked him.

"Do you want me to?" came the reply.

"Zuerien! Please answer the question!"

"I'm not looking", he replied before adding, "Eleven minutes"

Good Lord!

Quickly stripping off my clothes, I turned on the hot water. Thankfully the shower wasn't that hard to figure out. The minute the hot water touched my skin, I felt a sense of calmness flood me and I sighed contentedly.

I quickly squirted some shampoo into my hands and washed my hair as thoroughly as I could. I shampooed my hair twice before moving onto washing my body, scrubbing the dirt and stench away as best as I could.

"If you scrub that hard you'll peel your skin off"

I gasped in shock before looking at the opaque glass doors appalled.

"You said you're not looking!" I cried out horrified.

"I'm not", he replied, "I can hear you"

I blushed, "I can't help it, I'm dirty!"

"And at the rate you're washing yourself, when you're done you'll be only bones"

"Please stop distracting me from my grooming habits", I said and I thought I heard him chuckle.

"Two minutes", he called out when I turned the shower back on to wash all the lather away.

"Wait, I do get extra time to put clothes on don't I?" I asked.

I heard him snort, "Who ever gave you that idea, my Luna?"

"You're not serious!"

Hurriedly I washed all the soap off my body, secretly cursing him for putting me through this.

"Why am I even letting you do this to me?" I asked out loud as I grabbed my towel and began to wipe myself off.

"Because you love me!" he replied loudly and I snorted, unable to keep the smile off my face.

"One minute!" he announced just as I grabbed my panties and pulled them on.

"How can you treat your mate like this you brute?!" I shouted, "This is household abuse! I'm going to scream bloody murder!"

I heard him chuckle again before getting up and starting to walk towards the shower cabin. My heart was thundering inside of me as I pulled on a pair of shorts before reaching for the bra.

"Thirty seconds"

"Gah! This is so stressful!" I cried out, struggling to clip the darn thing on, "Forget this!" I said, throwing it onto the hanger and grabbing the oversized tee.

Hurriedly I pulled it over my head forgetting that I had a fluffy towel around my wet hair. The tee got stuck up around my towel refusing to come down.

"10 seconds!"

"Kill me!" I said, tugging the tee down hard, pulling the towel with it.

When I had managed to get half my head through the tee, I quickly pushed my hands through the armholes.

"Five seconds"

They hardly got through halfway, getting me locked with my arms over my head in an awkward position. Screeching into my tee, I wiggled the rest of my body to let the rest of the displaced shirt fall and cover my exposed chest.

"Time's up"

And when Zuerien pulled the doors of the shower open, I couldn't see the look on his face, because my face was completely enveloped in a mesh of tangled clothing.

My head towel covered my eyes, and my tee was stuck over my nose and ears covering the lower half of my face. My hands stuck distortedly into the air out of their armholes, as though I had been frozen in the middle of a strange tribal tutting dance while wearing an ill-fitting crop top meant to expose my belly button for aesthetic purposes.

"Zuerien, Don't you dare la-"

He burst out laughing loudly and hysterically.

"For crying out loud!", I spoke into my shirt, "How can you laugh like this? This is your fault"

He didn't reply, because he couldn't stop laughing.

"Zuerien!" I hollered into a mouthful of cloth, flapping my wrists at him vigorously because they were the only parts of my upper body which were freely mobile, "At least help me out here!"

"Y-yhou...You're...you're crazy, Heart", Zuerien gasped out between laughs.

"Whose fault do you think that is?!" I asked, trying to kick him, but ended up crashing my foot into the glass door making the whole cabin rattle.

"Aiyah!" I exclaimed, turning in disoriented circles, not knowing which way to go to get out of there.

"Alright, okay, I gotcha mate!", Zuerien said, finally getting his laughter under control.

Reaching forward, he grabbed me by my exposed waist making me jump in alarm.

"Hey! No tickling! Tickling isn't allowed! Stop it!", I cried out, squirming like a disco-worm in his arms.

"I'm not tickling you! Stand still!" I heard him say as he held me close to him and pushed the head towel up from over my eyes, "Which sane person puts on a tee with a towel over their heads?"

I narrowed my newly exposed eyes at him, "Excuse you! I was in a rush thanks to somebody!" I barked into my tee before slapping my overhanging palms onto the top of his head.

"Stop that!" he said, moving his head away from my vigorously mobile limbs, "I'm trying to help you here. Is this tee even your size?"

"Its 2 sizes larger", I mumbled, still glaring fiercely at him through the two slits on my face.

"How does one get stuck in an oversized garment?" he wondered out loud, trying to push one of my arms through its armhole.

"If I had lasers in my eyes, you would be bald by now", I told him making him give me a blank look before he pulled the towel over my eyes again.

"HEY!" I cried out, wiggling impatiently again.

"There", he said as he managed to free one of my arms.

"AH! Freedom!" I exclaimed, moving my liberated arm around excitedly and accidentally slapping his face.

"Heart!"

"Oops! My bad!" I said between a laugh before patting his head, "Good boy"

"That's it"

The next thing I knew my still twisted body was thrown over my mate's shoulder as he walked out of the room.

"GAAAH! Zuerien!" I shouted alarmed, as the towel fell from on top of my head and my wet hair toppled onto my face, "Put me down!"

"Never tease an Alpha, Luna", I heard him say before he slapped my butt making me jerk on his shoulder in shock.

"Oh you did naht just spank me!" I said glaring at the back of his head through my hair.

"You sure about that?" he asked amusedly before kissing the side of my exposed abdomen.

"Zuerien!" I exclaimed, blushing furiously, "Put me down or I'll scream rape"

"Go ahead my heart", he said coolly, "That way more people can come and witness their lovely Luna's new fashion statement"

I gasped in horror before wriggling my head vigorously and finally getting it through the tee all the way. Once my head was free, I breathed out victoriously.

"Ah!" I exclaimed as Zuerien picked me off his shoulder and gently placed me on the bed.

Quickly pushing my other hand through its hole, and pulling my tee down over my exposed lower abdomen, I sat upright on the bed and glared up at an amused Zuerien through my wet hair.

"You lout! Do you treat an exhausted woman like this?!" I demanded and he exhaled a laugh before grabbing a fresh towel and throwing it over my head.

"ZUERIEN-!"

"Stay still", he said softly as he stood in front of me and began towel-drying my hair.

I was so taken aback by the gesture that I froze as his large hands gently wiped the moisture out of my wet hair. His fingers massaged my scalp gently and soothingly and my heart immediately warmed at the gesture.

"D-don't think you're off the hook just because you're being nice to me now", I said, already feeling sleepy.

"Whatever you say, my heart", he said, gently pushing my head forward to rest on his abdomen as he stood in front of me.

I smiled feeling my affection for him bombarding every cell in my body before closing my eyes as he continued to dry my hair. A few seconds later, I felt him gently pull the collar of my tee to one side as his fingers grazed the skin over my mark.

"Your mark is beautiful", he said softly and my eyes shot open.

"I want to see", I said eagerly despite being exhausted.

The pain over my mark had reduced enormously and since my hair had been so all over the place when I looked in the mirror earlier, not to forget the bath race my mate had made me go through, I had forgotten to take a look at it.

"Why not see it tomorrow?" he suggested, "The mark will probably be complete by then"

I gave him a small smile and nodded happily, closing my eyes again as he began to wipe my hair once more. I sighed again, feeling completely relaxed. It was little things like this that just made my adoration for him grow even more. He was the King of all Werewolves and yet he made time for me. He never made me feel neglected. And he was always there for me.

"Thank you, my love", I said quietly and I felt Zuerien's hands still, his body going stiff on hearing my words.

I snuggled against him, "You call me your heart all the time, so I thought I should come up with a proper endearment for you too", I told him softly, "Apart from Steroid of course"

He didn't reply, remaining stone still for a moment before slowly starting to dry my hair again. All the exhaustion from the day that seemed to have momentarily disappeared earlier now began weighing down on me heavily again and the warmth radiating off his body and his wonderful rich scent of wet soil and rain was fast lulling me into a pleasant slumber.

When he removed the towel from atop my head, I was nearly asleep. Bending down, he kissed the top of my head before picking me up and laying me down on the bed.

I immediately missed his touch as he began to pull the covers over me, but a second later, he joined me in bed, placing my head over his chest before pulling the covers over the both of us.

I smiled contentedly, hugging his waist and snuggling into him. Putting an arm around me, he began to run his fingers through my still moist hair. His touch was so comforting, it could nearly make me forget that there were still so many problems ahead for us to face. Telling myself that I'd worry about them tomorrow, I listened instead to the ever calming sound of his strong heartbeat.

Within moments my eyelids were heavy with sleep and I found myself drifting into the land of dreams. As I did, somewhere in the distance I heard Zuerien speaking.

"Sorry...I'm sorry, my Heart"

Sorry? I wondered subconsciously, Whatever for?

"I know I fall short in a lot of ways", I heard him say, his voice sorrowful, "But please...please...just stay with me. Don't leave"

Zuerien...

I wanted desperately to answer him, but I was too exhausted to do so.

"We've waited for you...for all eternity", I heard his voice distantly as I fell asleep in the protection of his arms, "And after having longed for you and searched for you for thousands of years, now that we've finally found you, we'll never let you go again"

"Its a promise..."

"Its a promise..."

"Our Luna Beloved..."

____________

The next morning when I woke up, I was in bed alone. I felt well rested and much better than I had yesterday. My sleep had been a dreamless one after what had felt like a really long time and thanks to that I didn't have any new problems to worry about the minute I woke up.

Looking around, I wondered when Zuerien had left me last night. I faintly remembered him having said something to me as I fell asleep last night, but I couldn't recall everything. But I did remember...

My Luna Beloved, he had said, and I immediately remembered my dream from yesterday in which the Luna Ethereal had called me that.

Luna Beloved

Had she meant that Zuerien would one day call me by that name?

I bit my lip thinking of Zuerien, wondering if he had slept at all, if any of the men had slept, especially Marco, who was probably the most worn out, out of all of us.

As I got off the bed my eyes fell to the bedside table and the note placed in a tray on it. I picked it up and read it.

Good morning,

Mindlink me as soon as you're up Heart,

And no funny business

I have eyes and ears everywhere

- S

I exhaled a laugh and shook my head.

This man...

When I looked back at the tray, there was also a handbell on it and I frowned, picking it up. As I did, it jingled slightly and the next thing I knew there was a loud knock on the door that almost made me jump out of my skin.

"Luna Queen?" came the sound of a female voice and I blinked before running a hand through my now dry hair to make it presentable before calling out, "Come in!"

The door opened and Laura, the Beta Female of this pack walked in.

"Luna, you're awake", she said smiling as she closed the door behind her and walked to me, "Did you sleep well?"

"Oh yes, thank you!" I replied, smiling back, "I feel much better"

"That's such a relief", she said looking reassured, "Would you like to rest longer?"

"No, I think I'll get up now", I said, getting off the bed slowly.

Laura stayed close to me, just in case my head spun when I was on my feet again, but after a few seconds, when nothing happened both of us let out relieved sighs.

"Would you like your breakfast now?" she asked.

"Oh no. I want to bathe and brush my teeth first", I replied, "before Zuerien finds out I'm up."

She looked surprised, "O-oh?" she said uncertainly.

I grinned at her knowing that she may find it odd, but Zuerien did seem to hate leaving me alone in the bathroom. As much as I had actually kind of enjoyed our time together last night, if he insisted on staying again today, it would take me much longer to get ready and I would only end up keeping him from his duties for longer.

I quickly walked to the closet and picked out my outfit before hurrying to the bathroom.

"Hey Laura, can you do me a favor?" I said making her nod.

"Of course"

"Don't tell Zuerien I'm up till I get out of the bath", I requested and she immediately paled.

"U-um...he may not appreciate that, my Luna", she said worriedly, "He did tell me to inform him immediately if you woke up"

"It's okay, he won't be mad at you I promise", I told her, "I'll take care of it so please?"

She hesitated before nodding, "If that is your wish"

"Thank you so much!" I said gratefully, "I wont be long"

With that, I quickly hurried into the bathroom. I took another quick shower, not because I felt unclean, but just because the hot water felt wonderful, and I brushed my teeth. I dressed in black skinny jeans and a plaid cotton shirt before walking to the mirror to do my hair.

As I ran a comb through my thick tangled locks, I mindlinked Zuerien.

Zuerien, good morning!

Heart! His reply was immediate, How are you feeling?

Really good compared to yesterday, I told him honestly.

I'm glad to know that, he replied, and I could sense the relief in his tone, I'm on my way

Wait! If you're busy then I can come to where you are instead, I said as I brushed my silver lock of hair which somehow looked a little paler than it had yesterday.

Was I imagining that?

That's okay, I'm almost there, he said, surprising me, I'll wait while you get ready

Uh, I cringed tugging the hairbrush through my hair, Actually, I'm already...ready

There was short gap in the mindlink before he growled out in aggravation, Suzzanaah

I know, I know, but I didn't want you to wait for me, I said.

You never listen do you?

I smiled, Please don't be mad at Laura. I told her not to tell you till I was ready. Besides, its only been about 20 minutes since I awoke.

Laura? He asked and I sighed. Wasn't Rino the one who was supposed to be bad at remembering names, Oh, you mean the Beta female

Mm, I replied, brushing the last of my tangles out of my hair, Finally done!

Done with what? He asked and it was around then that I heard the door to our room open and a shocked Laura gasp in alarm.

"A-Alpha!" I heard her exclaim frightened and I set the hairbrush down and was about to leave the bathroom when my eyes zeroed in on something peaking out from underneath the collar of my shirt.

I could hear Zuerien's footsteps coming towards the bathroom as I leaned in and pulled my collar away so I could see.

And the sight I saw made me scream.

"SUZZANAH!"

I heard Zuerien reach the door in a flash and before I knew it, the door was ripped of its hinges and thrown to the side.

Alarmed I turned around to face him as he walked into the bathroom, eyes wide and alert as he scanned the surroundings. When his eyes found me he immediately came towards me but I beat him to it, lunging towards him and grabbing his shoulders.

"Suzzanah!" he cried out cupping my face worriedly.

"Zuerien! Its- its-!"

Grabbing my collar, I pulled it to side, exposing the mark which had now completely formed.

"ITS SO BEAUTIFUL!" I cried out in absolute ecstasy, grinning from ear to ear.

His eyes widened in surprise before they shot to my mark and awe seeped into his orbs.

"I-Its...magnificent", he breathed out in wonder.

I let out an excited squeal before rushing to the full length mirror in the room. Leaning closer, I admired the splendor of the Alpha King's mark over my skin. In all honestly, I couldn't have, even in my wildest dreams, imagined something so sublime.

It was a large tattoo like mark, spanning a good 5 to 7 centimeters and reaching down to just above my left collar bone.

It consisted of a beautiful crescent moon, in the concavity of which stood a majestic wolf in all its splendor. Behind the wolf rose dark tribal flames which seemed to herald the regal beast. And although the entire mark seemed to have been etched out with black ink, there along the entire length of the Alpha wolf's body was a familiar glorious golden streak, and to contrast with it, the moon's shadow was a brilliant silver silhouette.

I had never laid eyes on a more beautiful piece of work and I was so mesmerized by it that I couldn't look away. The mark radiated so much power and authority that just looking at it made me feel stronger.

Zuerien walked up behind me and I looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was smiling down at me proudly and I knew he loved the mark.

"Do you like it?" Zuerien asked and my eyes sparkled with unparalleled delight as I jumped and threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"I love it!" I said, feeling so happy I could hardly express it, "Its the most perfect mark ever! Thank you Zuerien!"

He chuckled softly, hugging me back, "I'm glad you're pleased with it"

It looks marvellous on you

Thank you Kai! I said gleefully.

Pulling away, I grinned at Zuerien who bent down and kissed my forehead.

"You're looking much better", he told me relieved as he scanned my face.

"I'm feeling much better too. Maybe its your mark giving me extra strength", I said making him smile, "Say, should I change into something that displays the mark better?" I asked.

He thought about it but then shook his head, "No, what you have on is fine", he said.

I was surprised by his reaction. I thought he would be the one who'd want me to flaunt my mark more than anyone else, so that everyone knew that I was his Luna, but if he thought it was better to cover it up, I didn't have any qualms with that. I could stare at it all I wanted when I was alone so I was content.

"Okay", I said looking around, "Hey, where's Laura?" I asked.

"She stepped out just a minute ago", he replied, "I told her she can join her mate now that I'm here. Shall we go for breakfast then?"

I nodded, "Yeah, lets go", I said, "Wait, what about that bathroom door?"

"They'll take care of it", he said nonchalantly and I sighed shaking my head and letting him lead me out. I was kind of used to his furniture destroying tendencies by now.

We made our way down the corridor and everyone we passed seemed to instantly collapse at our feet, giving me more than one mini-heart attack and also making me extremely uncomfortable. Zuerien didn't seem bothered by it. He simply nodded to them and kept walking ahead.

We made our way to the elevator and I mentally thanked the heavens again for it being a ginormous one.

"Hey, shouldn't we get Marco, Rino and Prophecy?" I asked.

"Marco and Rino are already downstairs", Zuerien replied, "And Prophecy isn't up"

"Is she okay?" I asked concernedly and he nodded.

"I think so", he replied, "You can never really tell with Prophecy. But don't worry. She's a tough woman"

I nodded, chewing on my lip as we walked out of the elevator into the lobby. Zuerien kept his arm around my waist as he led me through the giant, lavish room to where ever the others were waiting for us.

As we walked, Zuerien's head was held high, gaze straight ahead and stride powerful while I was a stark contrast with a head that revolved like a Ferris wheel, a gaze that wandered everywhere and strides that looked more like a jog. I couldn't help myself, there was just so much to take in in this glorious hotel that.

As we walked, a large majority of the people bowed deeply and respectfully to Zuerien but there were also a handful that just gave him polite nods which he returned expressionlessly.

It wasn't hard to put two and two together. I realized that the people who bowed were probably subordinates while those who nodded were perhaps royalty and nobility themselves, maybe belonging to another Supernatural species.

This was an All-Supernatural's Hotel Enterprise after all.

I tried not to shudder at the thought of being the only human occupant of this facility. There were a lot of powerful people here, I could tell because I could faintly sense some of the more pronounced auras in the room.

All the power overload made me want to keep my head down and just stare at my feet, but I also knew that I was here not as an ordinary human secretary but as the Alpha King's Luna Queen. I couldn't give off the impression of being a weakling, it wouldn't look good for the kingdom.

Trying to compose myself, I tried to be elegant, not a trait that came very easily to me might I add. I could feel the curious stares of everyone around us boring into me, probably sizing me up and wondering what kind of woman the new Luna Queen was.

Alpha Penson had once told me that Werewolves were one of the largest Supernatural races on the planet, and also one of the most powerful. Surely that meant that a lot of people were interested to know about the Alpha King's soulmate.

Great, now I felt even more nervous.

Relax

I looked up at Zuerien surprised as he gazed down at me.

Don't worry about the people around us, he told me with an encouraging smile, Just be yourself

His words immediately lifted my spirits and I smiled gratefully, Okay, I replied.

Soon we walked into a wide hallway lined with gorgeous giant flower vases and decorated with stupendous chandeliers that hung from the ceiling, glittering under the sunlight. We turned a corner only to walk into yet another long hallways making me sigh.

"Wow, the dining hall sure is far", I remarked.

"Are you tired?" Zuerien asked immediately, "I'll carry you-"

"NO! I'm okay", I replied quickly before asking, "Is it just going to be our guys at breakfast or..."

"No, its just us", he told me, "We've scheduled the meeting with the League of Magic after breakfast. We have lots to discuss with them in addition to the matter about Megan and her comrade"

"Can I stay during the meeting?" I asked.

"Would you like to?" he asked and I shrugged, "I don't know. I'm a little nervous"

"There's nothing to be nervous about", he told me, "You don't have to worry about impressing them. You're our Luna, not theirs"

"I guess", I said uncertainly, "So what kind of people are these Elders of the League of Magic?"

"They're extremely powerful Magic wielders who are revered by all Supernaturals across the globe", Zuerien said, "As you know, the word Magic wielder doesn't only refer to Witches and Wizards. There are many different species who can wield magic and the League of Magic consists of the strongest magic Wielders of each race. But seeing as we have only business with the Witches and Wizards, we have contacted the members of the Wizardry clan of the League of Magic"

"How many of them do you think will come?"

"I"m not sure of the exact numbers", Zuerien said, "The Elder will come for certain. And two other Elite members of the Council may join him"

I nodded, secretly hoping that they were nice people. Even though Zuerien had said that I don't need to worry about what they will think of me, I still wanted to make a good impression on them, seeing as they were allied to our Kingdom.

When we turned yet another corner, the dining area finally came into view. I smiled, feeling my hunger rise again.

"How is Rino?" I asked as we made our way in.

"He's fine", Zuerien replied, "Back to normal. You should be able to tell by the nice sunny weather"

I smiled, feeling relieved, "That's great"

Just as we walked through the reception area, two staff came up to us and bowed deeply in respect.

"Good morning to you, Alpha King, Luna Queen", one of them said, "We have been expecting you"

I gave them a smile while Zuerien simply nodded at them curtly.

"Please come this way. We shall lead you to your table", the other one said before they began to very cordially lead us through the ginormous restaurant.

As we made our way through the giant dining hall, we once again became the center of everyone's subtle attention. Everyone here was dressed like aristocracy, probably because they were, and I wondered if any other Kings and Queens of other Supernatural races were here too, whom I may have the misfortune of greeting in all my disaster prone glory.

The dreaded picture played out in my head perfectly,

"Oh hello, Alpha Zuerien, Luna Suzzanah", say the royalty greeting us

"Oh hello!" I reply, "Nice to mate you"

I nearly slapped myself in embarrassment, but then considering where we were, I quickly composed myself and settled for a soft face-palm.

"You okay?" Zuerien asked softly and I nodded, "Yeah I'm fine. Its nothing"

The mistakes of my past are coming back to bite me in the heinie

The staff members took us through another long well lit passageway which ended in a giant wooden door that looked like something right out of a medieval King's castle.

As we walked I looked back at Zuerien, "What about Cole and General Reginald? Are they alright?

They're okay too, Zuerien replied via mindlink.

Good, and well, speaking of General Reginald, where did he go yesterday when he was teleported from the airplane? I asked and Zuerien's face immediately darkened.

He was teleported to one of the border mazes that lies within the city, close to the woods, Zuerien replied, his voice grave, Right at the edge of it

Oh no! Wasn't he injured? I asked shocked recalling what had happened when Rino got close to the northern border this morning.

No, the mazes within the city don't work like the ones within the woods, Zuerien said, We'll explain everything to you once we get to our table

I nodded.

The staff members pulled the doors open together and bowed deeply again, making me feel like I was about to walk into a ballroom and not to a breakfast table.

As we walked in I asked, And what about Marco?

"I AM NOT OKAY!"

Both of us came to an abrupt halt at the sound of Marco's heated voice coming from inside the room. Exchanging a confused glance with me, Zuerien gestured for the staff members to leave and they closed the door behind us.

"Marco, I'm sorry but-"

"Why her?! Why does it have to be her?!" Marco asked Alpha Penson exasperatedly.

Her?

"What's going on?" Zuerien asked making everyone at the table turn to look at us.

"AH! They're here!" Rino cried out, getting off his chair and hurrying towards us.

Zuerien's eyes widened, "Rino don't-"

"WOLFO!" he cried out gleefully, hugging Zuerien.

I shook my head smiling. You'd think Zuerien would be used to this by now.

Zuerien grunted in irritation before pulling him off himself, "Wolfo?" he asked in confusion.

"Oh I meant Wolfa", Rino corrected himself, "Sorry. I was practicing something else. ANNA-"

"Don't even think about it", Zuerien said immediately sticking his hand like a bar between me and Rino as he opened his arms to hug me.

"Hi bud!" I said grinning at him, "Air hug?"

Rino grinned back, "Sure!" he said and we did the whole weird virtual hug thing.

"How are you feeling, Suzzanah?" General Reginald asked as we made our way to the table.

"Much better, thank you", I replied before looking at Marco, "Is something wrong Marco?"

"Ugh, Queen! I have the worst luck ever! Actually, we all do", he said despairingly.

"What is this about?" Zuerien asked pulling out a chair for me.

"You know the meeting we had scheduled with the League of Magic after breakfast?" Alpha Penson said and we nodded, "Well, we just got news of which Elite members will be accompanying The Elder"

"Can you take a guess?" Cole asked, wearily and Zuerien sighed in irritation, pressing his fingers to his temple.

I blinked looking between the two of them, not understanding before looking at Marco who looked like he wanted to die.

"Its a certain Master Heinrich of the Gonzales Family", Cole said, before adding drearily,

"And Lady Yolanda of the Ronaldo Family"

****

Before anyone asks,

LADY YOLANDA IS PROPHECY'S MOTHER AND MARCO'S AUNT.

She was introduced in Chapter 56 of Book 1. You know, the one with the weird accent? Please refer to that chapter if you don't remember her.

IMPORTANT: HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS READ ON RADISH? PLEASE DO LET ME KNOW!

A/N  

Hey guys,

How am I doing on the punctuality scale?

This was a really long chapter in word document.

I'm sorry if it came off as a bit of a filler but I thought to include a few fun Zuerianah moments in here before the chapters get a little more intense once our Villains enter the picture.

I'm also very sorry I couldn't include a picture of what Suzzanah's mark looks like. I don't have an exact picture because the idea of the mark is something I came up with myself.

So lets all try and 'Justimagine' it. Kay? ;)

Anyway, how did you guys like this chapter?

If you enjoyed it, please don't forget to VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE! It would mean a lot to me.

Also, SPECIAL THANKS to ALL those of you who have sent in you fanworks for the Unconditionally Series to me. They're all incredible and I will be sure to include the ones I haven't already, in the upcoming chapters. If any other readers wish to send me their works, please do so to the email id below along with your wattpad username and I will be sure to give you the credits for it as and when I put up your work on the chapter's header.

Contact email id: [email protected]

Until next time,

All my love,

May

P.S. I'm sorry these Author's notes are so long. I gotta learn to stop yapping so much. Ciao!