"Sleepers, an unconscious state in which the subject transforms into the form of a creature not of this world..." Gregor mumbles beside me, as he reads from my mom's journal.

"I had no idea... all this time..." He rubs his forehead with his eyes tightly shut. "If only I had known, I could've done something, and all this mess would have been avoided."

I couldn't say anything to him, and even if I wanted to, whatever I said would only make the situation more uncomfortable and awkward for either one of us.

There was no way he could have done anything, after all, he didn't know.

Even if he did, what could he know... without my mom's antidote?

Keial and Gregor thought Zeri was cursed, but it's just like being a werewolf, and if controlled, she can shift just like any other creature.

She's special.

If my mother was right about her research, then not only could Zeri control that monstrous side of her form, but she could help others too who have not only hurt someone they loved but have hidden in fear of being killed.

"How are you feeling?" Gregor suddenly asks me, as I stare at the contents of the remedy I just finished making for Zeri.

"I've been better." I looked at him and then shrugged with a smile, making Gregor's face turn serious.

What was this?

I was so used to Gregor insulting me, and making fun of me, it felt strange to have this man being so nice to me suddenly, it's like his personality shifted overnight.

Then again, if my mate had tried to kill him, I would no doubt feel the same as he did, like he owed me something.

"There's something I want to know about Keial." I change the subject, as I think back to how this all began.

"Shouldn't you be asking Keial? He is your mate."

I looked at him and then to the door behind us with a sigh.

"It's a simple question." I look at him, making him sit back and sigh, with a nod.

"Ask me then."

I wait, to think of how to say it, something that has been bugging me since I found out about Zeri, from the very first moment I met her, in the woods, near the Valley.

"How come Keial let Zeri stay here, knowing that she could change at any moment, and even try to kill you, or anyone around her?" I ask him, as his eyes bore into mine.

"I..." I paused and then looked at the vial in my hands.

"I witnessed my mom murder her mate, and then my little brother, back then I had no idea of what she was, or that she was trying to help others like her, but when I saw her that day... if I had known, I don't think I could feel safe around her."

I barely remembered my mom's face, or my dad's, I had blocked that memory for so long that I couldn't even remember what they sounded like, or what they wore that day.

I had been so scared in that single moment, that every single happy memory I had up until then was shattered until nothing was left but that fear.

"She's tried, many times." Gregor's deep voice fills the silence.

I snap my eyes to his and find him smiling, with a happy smile, despite the reality of what he just said.

"Each time she shifted, Keial wanted to lock her away, not for my sake, I can handle myself against her, I have done since the first day I witnessed her... difference."

"The way Keial is, it's hard to see that he cares about her even a bit, but I have seen the look in his eye every time he witnessed her transform... he wanted to protect her as much as I did."

So, Keial wanted to lock Zeri away to protect her?

Then again... from what I gathered so far, Zeri is exactly like my mom.

Without knowing what she was doing, she killed someone important to her during her first shift.

It's all starting to make sense now, the tension in the air whenever I saw the three of them together, and the way Gregor acted whenever Zeri would run off to find me without his knowledge.

I had been so rough on Gregor without knowing the facts, but now I know them...

"She's very lucky to have you protecting her, Commander." I smile at him, as I hand him the vial.

"Make sure she drinks every last drop." I point to the vial and then get up from my seat.

"The next time she transforms, she will be able to control herself, and even speak to you normally... if my mom was right, she will be fine."

I could tell just from the look on Gregor's face that he was speechless, and thankful, as his eyes glossed over as he gently gripped the vial in his hands as he stared at it.

"Thank you... Felix." He looked at me and smiled genuinely for what felt like the first time.

"I don't know how to repay you... Zeri and I will forever be in your debt... you saved her life and for that..."

"I'm sorry for how I treated you, I was wrong about you... Keial... You will be good for him, I see that now."

I shook my head and laughed awkwardly. "Please, you don't have to say that."

He was embarrassing me, and having him being so nice to me kind of gave me the chills, even if his mood did shift, this guy was still a terrifying commander who kicked my ass every time while training me.

Suddenly, I felt Keial near, as his scent was now getting too hard to ignore, along with my now increased hearing, making his footsteps head my way louder than ever before.

Then, not surprisingly, the door to the healer's storage room opens, and in walks the King himself, my mate, Keial.

Every time I laid my eyes on him, it felt like the first, I was in awe at his beauty, and at how he held himself, with such power and confidence, it radiated off him so magically that it was hard to ignore just how special he was.

"Felix." He smiled handsomely at me, his golden eyes shining, then dimming, once they moved to Gregor.

"I should go and give this to Zeri." Gregor held his head down, the awkward atmosphere now suddenly too hard to witness as I stared between the two friends.

This was crazy, it had been over two weeks and they were still not talking to each other.

What are they both, children? I so desperately wanted to huff out.

I watched as Gregor slipped past Keial, as Keial looked down on him fiercely, like his presence meant nothing to him, all the way until Gregor shut the door behind him, leaving Keial alone with me.

"Do you have to do that?" I sighed, as Keial's eyes snapped back to me.

"Yes."

He came over to me and stood in front of me, before putting his arm around my waist and bringing me into his chest, his head lowering until he could bury his face in between my neck and shoulder to inhale my scent.

"He put your life in danger as much as she did, I can't forgive that Felix." He said, leaning back to look me in the eyes.

There he goes again...

"Keial." I sighed and put my hand to my forehead.

"Enough about them, I won't go into this again." He declared, grabbing hold of my arms to wrap them around his neck so that he could lift me to put me on the table where I was making the potion.

Keial stood in between my legs and looked down at me, his hair in every direction but down, making me grin and force myself to not laugh at him.

"You left our bed so sneakily this morning." He grumbled, his fiery eyes looking into mine.

"Either I failed at pleasuring you all last night and this morning, or you are very good at pretending like you aren't feeling the effects of our lovemaking right now."

I flinched and as he finished talking, I felt a stab of pain in my backside at how right he was, as much as I hated that he was right.

The moment I was able to have sex again after my wounds had all healed, there was no stopping Keial from showering me with his affection, his touches, kisses, and most of all, his uncontrollable desire to wreck me.

I was aching all over my body, and I had wanted nothing more than to lay in bed all morning, and if not for Zeri's vial, I would've.

Probably in a different room though, away from Keial and his libido.

"There you go again, saying what you want, trying to embarrass me." I rolled my eyes and pushed at his chest to move him, but to no avail, as I felt my face grow hotter and hotter.

"Is there a reason you're here, because it's to drag me back to bed." I shivered at the thought. "That's not happening, you'll seriously kill me."

Keial snorted out with laughter, his bright shining eyes looking at me humorously as he grinned.

"I wanted to share some news with you, regarding your position at the prince concert and... our bond."

My position and our mate bond?

What does he mean by that?

"Before the incident, I was making plans to get signatures from the other Alphas to secure your position, and those of our children, without every last signature... all this would seem impossible, and a waste of time."

"What?" I looked at him confused, what was he talking about, what children?

"I don't quite understa-"

"We can perform the rite Felix, we can enter the temple of Selene and if you so wish, we can have pups of our own."

"All I need now is your blood on the sacred stone, mixed with mine, and then we can perform-"

"Wait." I held up my hand, my head spinning with all this new information.

"Slow down, I- what are you saying?" I looked at him, as Keial smiled at me and leaned down close to my face.

"There's a way to have my offspring, it's a sacred table in a hidden away temple underneath the palace, built for one purpose only, and that is to talk to the only one who can grant us what I speak of."

"So... wait-" I swallowed hard. "I can... have a pup, as a guy?"

Had Keial hit his head on the way over here?

Did he not know that what he was saying sounded completely crazy?

"It's not crazy." Keial said out loud, reading my thoughts with a deadly serious expression on his face.

"Do you trust me, Felix?" He then asks as I nod my head.

"And do you love me?"

"Of course but Keial-"

"Perform the ritual with me, in the presence of our moon." He reached out and gently touched my cheek, his eyes gentle and his voice softer than silk.

"If not now, then someday, just know that I would do all in my power to make sure you don't regret being mated to a man such as myself, that is all."

Wait, what?

"You... think I regret it?" I frowned at him, as he looked at me.

I knew about Keial not being able to have children... I almost didn't want to be with him for that simple reason.

Keial was a King, from a powerful line of strong Kings, I didn't want him to limit his bloodline for another guy... a guy with no worth, no special ability or background, I couldn't give him an heir, it was just impossible.

The thought of Keial being unable to have pups with a woman because he was mated to me made me feel guilty, even though I could do nothing about it.

Keial was unable to have kids, but there were always ways to secure an heir for wolves.

"I'm a rotten bastard, Felix, I lied to you, and took advantage and hurt you, all for my gain, even now... I want what I could never have before." He laughed bitterly, looking away from me as he took a step back.

"I know I may never deserve this precious gift, even if the ritual works and we are granted a life together, I can't change who I am, this is the only life I have known, and I am never going to change."

"I can't change, all I can do now is to give you a chance at a life worth cherishing with me, free of regret, or worry."

"Keial..." I was without words.

As I stared at Keial, this powerful, beautiful, and intelligent man, I knew I had already made up my mind, despite not knowing the facts about everything, I wanted what he wanted.

If I could have a family with Keial, I wasn't going to just pretend that there was a way to make the impossible a reality, I had come too far to run away now.

"The ritual..." I mumbled, Keial's eyes slowly moving to lock with mine.

"W-What do we have to do... to... make that happen?"

My heart was beating fast, with excitement, anticipation, fear, longing... so many emotions all at once, and when Keial opened his mouth to speak, my heart almost stopped at how unprepared I was for what he was going to say.

"Isn't it obvious?" Keial smirked, his handsome features making my stomach clench.

"We have to have sex, in front of the moon herself."