Happiness had always been an unrealistic concept, nothing but a hoax. There was room for other emotions, but the presence of happiness had been fleeting, if not non-existent. Anaya's smiles had been too wide to be real, practiced, hardly convincing whenever she saw herself in the mirror, but no one suspected because they chose to not look harder. They didn't care enough to soothe the pain in her eyes or ease her mind which frequently urged her to give up.

It wasn't like she hadn't tried to create her happiness, but her chaotic thoughts made sure to suck her into a state where over time, finding reasons to be happy felt like a chore she wasn't willing to do after a long day at work.

When Icarus dragged her into his life, not once had she imagined being a part of it, more so, she had never thought of feeling happy. But here she was, in a place that wasn't supposed to be real, but oh it was, as real as the love between her and Icarus. Her eyes danced with a light brighter than the sun, and laughter bubbled up from within her, pure and free. It caressed his soul in a way he couldn't help but crack a grin. God, the sight of her warm smile melted him.

"Stop!" She tried to roll away, but with him hovering over her and his fingers making her squirm, it was unlikely. "You need to rest, Icarus." Her voice sounded breathless as peals of laughter threatened to seize her once again.

"It's been three days." He frowned, loosening his hold around her waist. She took the moment to catch her breath while he continued to express his distress. "As the Alpha King, I have duties to perform."

She cupped his cheeks and gave a reassuring smile. "Your duties aren't pending. I have been doing them with Nick's assistance." She thought she could relieve him of some of his responsibilities now that she was the Luna of the Imperial Royale pack but gauging his intense stare, her smile faltered. "I should have asked you. I'm sorry for overstep-"

"Shut up." He shook his head and kissed her. "This, everything I have, is all yours. You don't need my permission, alright?"

She nodded, her eyes becoming moist. "I need to tell you something."

"Tell me what?"

Silence stretched over them as she swallowed the dryness in her throat. "The night after my coronation ceremony, Mason found a wounded werewolf outside the pack border. We brought her to the healers, but she...hasn't gained consciousness." The reality of the situation hit hard. Somewhere inside, she felt responsible for the incidents. She recalled the teenager's smile when she had held her hand and whispered everything would be okay. It was not okay. Despite the pain, she had worn an expression of hope, trusting her Luna to save her. It bruised Anaya every time she visited the hospital and found her in the same condition.

"Why was I not informed?"

"You were recovering, so I asked Mason to be quiet."

"Do you think I give a fuck about myself? I could heal her!" he growled, sounding more animal than human. He pulled away from her and ripped the bandage off his chest, grabbing the first pair of sweatpants and T-shirt he could find.

She lowered her face as the tears brushed her eyelids. "I am sorry."

He took a deep breath. Why was he mad? Wouldn't he have done the same for her? "Who else knows about this?"

"Nick and Immanuel."

"Any lead?"

Casey, her inner voice nudged. She shook her head. She didn't have proof, without which no one would believe her.

"I'm going to discuss the matter with Nicholas."

"I'll come with you," she said, "but can we visit the kid first?"

He grasped her hand, tugging her to his chest. "I apologize for raising my voice. I know you mean well."

❃❃❃

The hospital was within walking distance- an old building, which looked like it could collapse if hit by a storm, but the interior was modern and sophisticated: marble floors, high ceilings with dark mocha chandeliers, large windows, indoor plants, and every corridor, room, and lobby smelled as sweet as mouth-watering berries. Anaya had been gobsmacked when she first came to visit Rose, immediately noticing its contrast to the local hospital near her old apartment.

The healers, Mr. and Mrs. Hans, bowed to Anaya and Icarus before letting them inside the room. The girl looked fragile and small on the large bed, and although the wounds had been patched up, Icarus could tell she needed help.

"How are her parents?"

"Toni is holding up okay, but Emma has been a mess."

"Where are they right now?"

"Coffee Station downstairs."

"Alright, I would like to sit here for a while. Let no one inside until I say so."

"But Alpha, your health-"

"Not a single word about it right now."

They bowed and left the room. Icarus waited for the door to close before taking a seat on the chair beside the bed. He gently undid the bandage wrapped around her wrist, stifling a curse when his fear came true. "Wolfsbane has spread through her bloodstream."

Anaya moved closer and gasped. Her veins were black. "Will she be fine?"

"I hope so. Help me take off all her bandages."

"Wouldn't that cause her to bleed again?"

"Her blood needs to be filtered. We have to be quick."

Anaya didn't know what he had planned, but she obliged. "Were you a medical student?"

"No." That was not comforting at all.

Icarus brushed the tips of his fingers against the open wounds and like other times, amber dust emanated from them, repairing the damaged tissues without any scarring.

"Explain," Anaya said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It's my blood."

"Huh. Our blood is red, made up of a fluid called plasma and different blood cells, Icarus. "

"It's not red when I'm required to heal someone, and it solidifies into specks once it's exposed to air." He cut his palm with the scalpel.

"Oh god!" The action was so sudden, Anaya could hardly suppress the wince, her hands involuntarily shielding her eyes. "Why would you-"

"Look."

She peeked between her fingers to find him detaching the oxygen mask from the girl's face and holding out his palm against her parted lips. She was seized by disgust, but when she looked closer, she got lost in the amber liquid- warm, shimmering, and bright. It was the color of his eyes when Cy took over, like melted honey and gold drizzling from a pot. "What are you doing?"

"Once the fluid enters her bloodstream, its healing properties will counteract the poison and purify her blood."

"So, you can bring someone back to life?"

"No. To be healed, a person must be alive. If they are dead, they'll have to be resurrected, which is not in my hands."

"Doesn't blood loss make you weak?"

"It does." Icarus pulled his hand away from her mouth and grabbed a few tissues to dab at his cut. "But it is better than energy healing. That kills me for days."

"Is there no way to heal others without exerting you?"

"No."

Anaya pondered over his words, thinking back to the times he had healed her. She had considered it to be magic, never had it crossed her mind that it could be his blood. She was drawn to reality when Rose's fingers twitched, and seconds later, her eyes opened. "Alpha, Luna."

Anaya smiled, her relief knowing no bounds. She held her shoulders and helped her sit up. "Do you need water?"

"I'm good, thank you." She smiled back.

Icarus mind-linked Mrs. Hans. She hurried inside, Rose's parents right behind her. Despite their fatigue, the smile that graced their faces when they saw her awake made Icarus' heart heavy. If his blood saved others, let the consequence be damned, he would do it again. They bowed to him before approaching their daughter and fussing over her.

"There's bad news, Alpha," Mrs. Hans said, her voice barely above a whisper. They slipped out of the room and found Nicholas pacing around.

"Another werewolf has been found. He doesn't look like he can make it out alive."

"Is his heart beating?"

"Yes, but-"

"Where is he?"

"Mr. Hans is currently treating him in the emergency room. His internal organs have been damaged due to Wolfsbane, and his left arm is partly severed."

"He will be fine," Icarus promised, stepping into the elevator with them. Except for Anaya, no one knew he possessed the ability to heal. Not that he didn't trust them, but walls had ears. He could never know who would use the information against him. There were several creatures after his throat, he did not need to add more to the list.

But now, they were going to find out.

A/N
New update! I know I said I'll be regular, but with how hectic real life has become, it's been difficult to manage my schedule. But I'll try my best. Also, happy news! Another chapter coming up tomorrow! Thank you for reading! ❤️