IMPORTANT: FOR THE LAST TIME, DO NOT COPY THE CONCEPT OF MY SHADOW PEOPLE! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF SAYING THIS, AND I'M ALSO FURIOUS TO HAVE TO REPEAT IT!

If I find one more person copying my work, especially the Shadow People, I'll go nuclear. Also, I will immediately REPORT and MUTE you. Do NOT test my patience or take advantage of my friendliness. You have been warned!

Now, since I've got that out of the way, I'm sorry for the late update guys.

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|FAMKE JANSSEN as Lady Yolanda, but you can imagine her as whoever you like|

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

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Suzzanah's POV

Lady Yolanda?!

"Ah Nah!" I cried out in reflex as I recollected the memory of her last visit during the Annual Games, making everyone swallow bouts of laughter for Marco's sake, who looked half-dead as it is, "S-Sorry"

"Don't apologize Queen", Marco said rubbing his eyes tiredly, "I would have laughed too had it not been for this godawful news, and so early in the morning!"

"I'm afraid the Wizardry Clan Elder chose her himself, so we can't even do anything about it", Alpha Penson said, "And I think he chose her, as well as Master Heinrich because of the condition I requested to be met"

"What condition?" I asked.

"I requested that, if it was possible, he should send persons who were familiar with the Regalias when they were alive", he told me making me gasp.

"What? You told them about Megan being a Regalia already?" Marco asked looking just as shocked as most of us, except Zuerien who seemed to know of this already.

"No, I just conveyed this one request to him, but didn't tell him why", he replied, before smiling amusedly, "But I suppose the reason behind why one would place a criteria such as this would be obvious enough. But I didn't think that he would be so anxious and intrigued that he'd come himself"

"You're unbelievable", Cole said, shaking his head with a knowing smile and Alpha Penson shrugged.

"I was but following my King's orders", he said.

"I think its a good decision, to tell them everything about Megan", General Reginald said, leaning back against his chair, "If we have someone who knows the Regalia family's classical aura, then hopefully, it'll help us locate Megan faster"

Everyone nodded as I asked, "So families have classical auras then, do they"

General Reginald smiled, "Oh yes. Especially powerful families who existed for many generations, like the Royales, the Ronaldos and even the Perez family", he said with a nod towards Rino who grinned back sweetly, "The Regalias also must have had a very distinct and powerful aura while they were still alive, and most of the times, such characteristic auras don't leave a Supernatural's subconscious memory very soon. So if they sense them again somewhere, even after a long time, they should be able to recognize them instantly"

"Hmm", I said, impressed, "That's neat"

"But couldn't they find anybody but my Aunt who had known the Regalias?" Marco complained miserably.

"Well, they must have thought that she would be a good choice since she is related to Prophecy and Marco and often actively involves herself in Werewolf matters", Cole stated thoughtfully.

"Ugh Cole! Must you remind me?" Marco groaned, placing his head on the table.

"Hey, how are you feeling today?" I asked Marco worriedly, "Is your headache any better"

"It was, a lot better!" he replied, "It actually started getting better last evening, but its back now that I know that female ogre from hell is coming over!"

I cringed, "So what exactly will they be doing once they get here?" I asked.

"Once they arrive, we'll start the meeting to discuss all the details pertaining to all the people we need their help in finding", Alpha Penson said, "Our priorities being Megan, her comrade and that beast that attacked Suzzanah yesterday"

"I still can't believe the nerve of that thing", Marco said, his head shooting up again, "How dare it attack the Luna Queen!"

"Its a good thing Alpha Zuerien got to her in time", Cole added, "Its probably best that the Lady Luna not go into the woods again for a short while"

Everyone nodded, and although I wanted to protest, I thought better of it. Knowing my luck, I just knew I would end up getting into more trouble.

"But then what am I supposed to do all day?" I asked dejectedly, "I wanted to help find Megan too"

"Finding her isn't your department Heart, convincing and reconciling her to us is", Zuerien replied, "So don't worry. Rest up and leave the job of finding her to us men"

"And Prophecy", Cole added.

"If she wakes up", Zuerien said.

"And Lady Uganda"

"Yolanda!" we all corrected Rino in unison and Marco groaned again, "Why must you have added that part Rino?"

"Indeed, to us men, and Prophecy, and Yolanda. God help us men", General Reginald said and all the men nodded wearily.

"Will all of you be leaving to search for them?" I asked.

"No Suzzanah", Alpha Penson replied, "I and Rino will be staying back with you"

My spirits immediately lifted, "Really?"

"Unfortunately", Zuerien grit out quietly but everyone including myself heard it, giving him knowing smiles.

"What about this Elder you spoke of?" I asked curious, "Is he an Elder because he's really powerful or because he's like...really old?"

"Both", Cole replied with a chuckle, "Elder Abé is one of the the most powerful wizards in the world, if not the most powerful. He had been an ally of the Werewolf Kingdom for many hundreds of years now"

"Elder Abé is usually such a sensible man. Why would he bring my aunt with him?" Marco grumbled despairingly, "Surely he knows that she will not spare him of her horrors either. She spares no one!"

"Hey, its okay Marco", I said, trying to comfort him, "Just try not to go in the same search party as her"

"I'm not going with her even if it kills me!" Marco replied ardently, "But the problem is, she is a pain! And she knows how to be one even when she isn't physically around you. She's a professional! A profession pain in my bloody neck!"

"Marco calm down!" Cole said hurriedly as Marco started turning psychotic, "If you're like this then I can't even begin to imagine what Prophecy's reaction is going to be like"

"I'm almost hoping she remains asleep through this", the General said, "For her sake and ours"

Everyone nodded wearily just as a knock sounded on the door and breakfast was brought in. As always there was way too much food in the room. Food, which in my opinion, was enough to feed an army. But when I looked around at all the large muscular men sitting around me I smiled, shaking my head.

They were an army.

Speaking of army...

I looked at General Reginald as he dug into his omelette.

"He was teleported to one of the border mazes that lies within the city, close to the woods. Right at the edge of it"

I was very curious as to know what had happened and I couldn't help but wonder if now was a good time to ask.

General Reginald continued staring at his plate, calmly cutting his omelette as he spoke, "Is there something you want to ask me, Suzzanah?"

I jerked in my seat as everyone turned to look at me again. I cleared my throat.

"Well...actually I wanted to ask about where you were teleported to earlier", I replied making his eyes immediately shoot to Zuerien who also looked at him, as though enquiring whether it was okay to tell me.

Zuerien nodded and General Reginald wiped his mouth. The air in the room had suddenly seemed to grow heavy and I couldn't help but feel a little tense.

"When I was teleported out of that airplane by Prophecy, I ended up at one of the border mazes along the south side of the city", he told me, his face calm, but something telling me that the matter he spoke of wouldn't be, "I was literally teleported just a few feet behind one of their Border Shadow Guards"

"What?!" I cried out shocked, "B-Behind a Shadower?"

He nodded.

"B-but how? How did a Shadower get to our side of the city?" I asked perturbed and General Reginald shook his head.

"He wasn't on our side. He was on their side, but right by the border ", he said making my confusion grow.

"Like I mentioned to you earlier, the border mazes that lie within the city are different from the Walls that lie in the woods, Suzzanah", Zuerien told me, "The woods are only accessible to the Supernaturals and not to the humans, so we can afford to have multiple obvious barriers there. But within the city, especially one like Dublin where there is a large population of humans, we can't have barriers that give away the existence of Supernaturals so the border mazes are much more toned down, but still just as powerful"

"Think of them as the borders that are present between nations in the human world, Suzzanah", Alpha Penson said, "For countries that are not separated by bodies of water, the borderline is often but a fence that shows division, is it not?"

I nodded.

"The border mazes within shared territories are much the same", he continued, "There is something like a translucent wall that divides the Shadower land from that of us Werewolves. Its not very thick, maybe a few feet in width, and it can be either of two. One, it can be a Maze created by the Alpha of Mazes, or two, it can be a magical barrier created by the Elite Members of the League of Magic, and these are unlike the Walls within the woods which are made up of a mix of both magic as well as mazes"

"The reason we have both magical barriers as well as Mazes within the city is because having just one kind would be far too demanding on the Alpha of Mazes or the wizards responsible for the barriers, and also because having different kinds of walls makes our defenses more diverse", he told me, "And there is a group of Supernaturals called the BorderGuard who work in collaboration with the Alpha of Mazes to maintain perfect security"

"Wow", I breathed out.

"And well, as far as the mazes cast across the city are concerned", Alpha Penson said, "They are all one particular kind of Maze, called an Absolute Maze. Have we told you about them Suzzanah?"

My eyes widened as I remembered the time they had told me about them.

"Unlike the usual mazes created by Alpha Marco which capture people in a world of extremely real seeming illusions, an Absolute Maze is an actual barrier. It is an impenetrable barricade that works somewhat like an invisible wall. It prevents everything inside the maze from getting out, or everything outside the maze from getting in"

"And unlike his usual mazes, when it comes to an Absolute Maze, there are no illusions involved whatsoever. It's just a barrier, and there are no magical tricks to disguise the presence of the Maze"

"The word Absolute Maze is actually a misnomer", Marco said, "Because most of the times, absolute mazes aren't really mazes, they're barricades. Think of them as invisible or rather, transparent walls to keep enemies out and let them know that they should stay out"

"Although normally an Absolute Maze prevents anything inside the maze from getting out and anything outside the maze from getting in, the difference between those and the Absolute Mazes in Shared Territories is that the ones here allow for humans to pass through them unhindered", Alpha Penson continued, "As always, the most important factor is to ensure that humans remain unaware of the goings on of the Supernatural world. It is essential in order to maintain the balance between the realms of the Natural and Supernatural"

I nodded in understanding, "But don't the humans find it strange that there is never any interaction between the people on either sides of the Absolute Maze?" I asked.

"Not at all", Alpha Penson replied, "Humans are quite populous in Shared Territories. So even though the Supernaturals don't cross over through the Mazes, a lot of humans do everyday, so to them, it doesn't seem odd at all"

"Oh..."

General Reginald cleared his throat, "As I was saying before someone turned this into a guided lesson on Absolute Mazes", he said irritably, making Alpha Penson give him a blank look, "I was teleported right at the edge of such a border within the city, but one which was quite close to the woods, which is why there were nearly no humans around there"

"It took me a few seconds to actually realize that I had teleported there, but thankfully I turned away from them just before they could see me", he said, "Had they seen my face, it would have been a problem"

"Enemy clans always like to stay updated on the whereabouts of the opposing party's strongest members", Cole told me, "If they found out that the General, or any of us, are here in Dublin, they'd definitely up their security and be on high alert, which would pose an even greater problem in retrieving Karina"

"But still, they might already know that something is up", Alpha Penson said making all our eyes shoot to him sharply.

"He has a point", General Reginald agreed frowning, "We did cause quite the commotion by the Northern border yesterday after all. Even if they don't know what exactly happened, they would most probably be on the look out for anything suspicious, at least for the next few days"

Rino cringed, looking down apologetically, "Sorry..."

"Its alright Rino. Don't worry", Alpha Penson said, "It may not happen often but this wasn't the first time someone from one side tried to get through the border to the other side. Its not quite as uncommon as you might think. Besides, you did say that you sensed Karina's presence there yes?"

Rino nodded.

"Well, that means that she will also become another factor they'll have to consider when evaluating this matter", he said thoughtfully.

"That's true though", Marco said, "There are very few humans who have been able to enter into the woods, seeing as the woods are restricted to the Supernaturals only. But even so, I don't think any human has ever approached the borders within the woods before. I think the Queen and Karina may very well be the first"

My eyebrows rose, Oh?

"I'm pretty sure that the three walls that compose the borders on our side of the woods would definitely prevent the passage of anything and everything across it, even if it is humans", Marco said pensively, "But I'm not very sure how the walls on the Shadow Side function"

"You're not?" I asked surprised.

He shook his head, "No Queen", he replied, "Even though the Final wall remains common to both sides, we don't know what kind of other barriers they have on the Shadow Side preliminary to the Final wall. Because the initial barricades originate from the magic and energy of the ruling tribes. So on our side the walls are composed of a combination of my mazes with powerful magic cast by the wizardry clan. But we don't know what the barriers on their side are made of"

"But are you sure they have any, in addition to the final wall?" I asked uncertainly.

"Of course Luna", Cole replied, "They can't afford not to. We're just as much of a threat to them, as they are to us, if not more. Besides the fact is Werewolves are far more populous than Shadowers. When it comes to numbers, we easily overpower them by a lot, so that means they can't afford to be complacent when it comes to their security measures. Just like us, they too have allies like the Fae who can use magic, not to mention their Shadow Sorcerers", he said with distaste.

"Nuisance", Marco breathed out irritably, "I swear, the Shadow Sorcerers are the worst of their kind"

"True", General Reginald said with a deep frown, "They may possibly be the worst of every kind"

"Shadow Sorcerers?" I asked, curiously.

"They are Shadowers who possess the ability to wield magic, like witches and wizards do, even though they weren't born with any magic", Zuerien told me, "Sorcerers in general are beings who aren't born with any kind of magic, but somehow manage to tap into the realm of magic by extensive study and as well as the use of certain magical instruments"

"Sorcerers who already are some or the other kind of Supernaturals are called Supernatural Sorcerers, whereas when Humans tap into the realm of magic using sorcery, they are called Generic Sorcerers", Alpha Penson added, "And they are the the rarest and most difficult to identify"

"I'm not even sure they exist", Marco added, "I've never heard of anyone who encountered one"

"I have"

All heads shot to Alpha Penson who had just uttered those words and General Reginald narrowed his eyes at him.

"Why am I not surprised", General Reginald said, "I was almost expecting you to say that!"

Alpha Penson shrugged, "I have lived a long time you know"

"You've met one of these Generic sorcerers before?" I asked shocked.

"No, but I know someone who did", Alpha Penson replied and all of us asked, "WHO?"

"Why, our Lord Abé, the Elder from the League of Magic who is coming to visit us today", he replied making all our jaws drop.

"Elder Abé knows a Generic sorcerer?!" Cole asked shocked.

"Knew", Alpha Penson corrected, "The man passed away decades ago. But that just goes to prove that they can in fact exist"

"That's cool", Rino said awed, and Marco slapped the back of his head, "Don't sound so impressed. It only makes things more difficult for us Supernaturals. Its never a good idea for humans and the Supernaturals to mix"

I flinched involuntarily and Marco's eyes went wide.

"Except when the humans are intended for the Supernatural world, like you Queen!" he added hurriedly, looking appalled.

"Thanks Marco", I said with a smile, "And well, I meant to ask, what about the other Supernaturals who haven't picked sides with either party? Can they cross through the barrier mazes within the shared city like the humans?"

"No they can't", Marco replied, "They aren't restricted on either side, but when in shared territory, once they step onto one side of the land, they have to stay on that side and can't cross over to the other. If they want to go to the other side, they have to leave the city or country and then return and land on the other side of the border"

Wow, sounds like a real pain...

"I know right", Rino whispered from next to me, startling me.

"Um..."

Had I just said that out loud?

"Its our land so they have to live by our rules while they are on it", Zuerien stated and I nodded absently.

"We can never be too cautious", Alpha Penson said, "Especially when it comes to the Shadow Sorcerers. They're known to be the darkest of their kind. And most powerful too. They could hypnotize anyone within their lands using sorcery to spy on us, which is why all the Supernaturals who have visited their side of the land must wait a minimum of a month before they can step into our land, seeing as hypnotic spells can only be maintained for a few days at most"

"Besides, when spells are cast on others by a Supernatural Sorcerer, the caster's supernatural energy seeps into the spells", he continued, "And so if a person has had any kind of sustained spell cast on them by a Shadow Sorcerer, the mazes react immediately, and don't let them pass. If it's a human who has had the spell cast on them, they can pass through but the BorderGuard knows immediately, and the person is immediately decontaminated, and the memories of such an event having happened are distorted so that they don't remember them"

"But the act of using a human only happens like once in a decade though, if ever", General Reginald added, "Its safe to say that even the Shadow People know not to involve humans into Supernatural matters. Its rather easy to identify and single them out when there is something potentially off about them, not a very safe or smart option when it comes to dealing with an enemy"

"And speaking of the enemy", he said, his face becoming grave once more, "When I was teleported by the border, it was just in time for me to overhear the border guards talking about strengthening patrols. Even though I left right away to avoid letting them see me, I could hear them from a distance. They spoke about their Lord having come over to examine the general state of affairs, and I'm quite sure that includes the status of their respective border barriers, I'm certain"

Everyone nodded, but he had me at 'their Lord', and I tried not to shudder at the thought of that man...

"If that man is coming to have a look at all their side of the defenses then the chances are, if we're not careful, we might end up running into them in the city", Marco said gravely.

General Reginald's face darkened and my eyes immediately shot to Zuerien. His face remained calm, but his eyes had hardened, something of a contained fire blazing deep inside his dark orbs.

Cole had also noticed, and exchanged a knowing look with me. Alpha Penson remained thoughtful, while Rino was quiet, staring down at his hands.

"Well, at least we know one place we will certainly see him", General Reginald said making my eyes zero in on him.

But before he could say where, there was a sharp knock on the door.

"Excuse me Sirs?" came an attenders voice.

"Yes?" Cole called out.

"Someone to see you", came the urgent reply and Cole frowned. He looked at Zuerien for approval and once he got it, he said, "Come in"

Marco scowled, "Who is interrupting our lovely breakfast early in the morning?" he mumbled as he dug hungrily into his chicken.

"MARCAH!"

The chicken went flying back onto his plate as Marco went into a fit of mad coughing while everyone else's eyes nearly popped out of their skulls.

"LADY YOLANDA?!" we all cried out in exception of Rino who mumbled something incomprehensible since his mouth was still stuffed with food.

Thank heavens!

There she stood, in all her unnerving glory. Dressed in a deep purple gown and a dark cape shawl over it, with her hair up in an elegant bun, she looked like she had come to a dinner party, not a breakfast table.

"A-Aunt Yolanda!" Marco gasped out between coughs, "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"So early", Cole added, discreetly loosening his neck tie which I bet suddenly felt very tight.

My collar did too.

"Why I came to greet you all, ahf course!" she replied, her head held high, "But what I did naht expect to find was you stuffing your face like a goat! You're 25 years old Marcah! Can't you be a little more civilized?"

It had not even been half a minute and I could already see the veins popping over Marco's forehead in frustration.

"First of all, I'm not yet 25. Second of all, my name isn't Marcah-"

"It isn't?" Rino asked from next to me and I quickly shook my head at him, telling him this was naht the time.

"And thirdly, I wouldn't have been stuffing my face , if you had just informed us beforehand that you were going to devastate- excuse me, I mean delight us with your sudden arrival", Marco finished, putting on what I could easily call his worst fake smile.

Lady Yolanda narrowed her eyes at him, "Waht do you mean your name isn't Marcah?" she asked and I could almost see Marco flipping the whole breakfast table in aggravation.

Was that really ALL she had gotten from his speech?

"My point exactly!" Rino whispered from next to me, and I face palmed.

Good Lord!

"Alpha Zuerien", she suddenly said, directing her attention away from her fuming nephew to my mate who looked quite irritable himself.

"Lady Yolanda", Zuerien replied, his voice stiff and almost unwelcoming, "We weren't expecting you so early"

"I was naht either", she replied with a proud smile, "But we managed to get here ahead ahf time. It is good to see you all, Alpha Penson"

Alpha Penson gave her a small smile and nodded at her.

"General Reginald", she said and the General gave her a smile-less nod.

"Cole!" she said and Cole smiled, almost genuinely, albeit uncomfortably.

"Hello, Lady Yolanda", he said.

"Hello Cole", she replied with a stiff smile before turning her head to address the next person, "Rinah"

"Hel- huh?" Rino's greeting turned into a confusion as he blinked at her unsure of whether or not he was the one who had been addressed.

She waited with narrowed eyes for him to greet her back, but he continued to stare at her uncertainly still she scrunched up her nose in irritation.

"He always has been a rather strange one", she remarked, looking a tad bit offended while Rino cocked his head to the side, blinking innocently.

"And ahf course, Luna Suzzanah", she said, finally turning to me and I smiled.

"Lady Yolanda", I said with a nod, not offering her my hand like the last time, when she had refused to let it go for the longest time.

She continued to stare at me keenly and I wondered if there was something else she expected me to say. Feeling awkward, I cleared my throat.

"Did you have a nice trip?" I asked, but she still didn't reply, her gaze not leaving my face as she stared at me as though she had X-rays coming out of her eyes.

A low growl immediately escaped Zuerien's lips and he moved to stand in front of me, blocking me from her view. His action made her snap out of her daze immediately and she looked up at my mate's hard and displeased face.

"Is something the matter, Lady Yolanda?" he asked, his voice barely keeping his anger in check.

"Oh?" she said looking surprised, and then immediately unimpressed, "Please do naht tell me you have naht noticed that your mate is half dead, or is her human aura always this unimpressive"

Everyone's eyes went wide in horror before a dangerously threatening growl escaped Zuerien's lips, making her take a startled step back. I immediately grabbed the back of his shirt, trying to keep him from attacking her, before desperately looking to Cole for help.

Instead, to my shock, I found him also glaring indignantly at Lady Yolanda, alongside Marco, General Reginald and even Rino!

The only person in the room who still looked calm was Alpha Penson, but he made no move to try and lighten the weight of this situation either.

Lady Yolanda's eyes were wide, her not having expected the reaction she had gotten. Quickly schooling her features, she cleared her throat.

"I was just pointing out hau frail she looks, compared to the last time I saw her", she said in a tone that sounded a little less haughty and a tad bit more reserved than before, "I apologize if I said something unnecessary-"

"You did", Zuerien said and I cringed when I saw her brow twitch as she looked both frightened and offended.

If this went on, working with each other was going to be a little uncomfortable for everyone. So keeping my hand on Zuerien's back, I stepped forward.

"I appreciate your concern, Lady Yolanda", I said, smiling, "And yes it's true, I've had a very rough couple of days, especially yesterday, which is why I may be lacking in some ways today, but thanks to my mate and friends here, I am recovering from the stress very well. But regardless, my health has been a matter of great concern for everyone here so its a sensitive subject. I know that you know better than anyone that werewolves do tend to be a little overprotective, so I'm sure you'll understand this defensiveness"

I finished with another cordial smile, and it seemed I had said enough both to satisfy her and somewhat calm down everyone around me.

"Well, of course, I do understand. Like you said, I was once mated to a werewolf myself", she said, her head held high, "And I'm sorry to hear about your health issues. Feel better soon, Luna Suzzanah"

"Thank you", I replied, still wondering what she meant when she said she was 'once' mated to a werewolf when I felt Zuerien squeeze my waist gently making me look up at him.

He gave me a small concealed smile before looking back at Lady Yolanda.

"Have Elder Abé and Master Gonzales also arrived with you, Lady Yolanda?" he asked.

"Yes, they have", she replied, "They are having their breakfast too. I actually wanted to go see how that daughter of mine is faring, but I don't know which room belongs to her so I decided to come here and ask my nephew"

Marco composed his grimace, "She's alright", he said, "She's asleep right now"

"Again?" Lady Yolanda said, distastefully, "That's all she ever seems to be doing. I doubt she is of any real help to you at all, Alpha King"

"She is, Lady Yolanda", Zuerien replied strongly, "We consider ourselves fortunate to have your daughter on our side"

Lady Yolanda scoffed, "Fortunate? You're obviously being too kind to her", she said and I felt a familiar ache begin to spread across my chest, "She is lucky she was born the Luna of Time, because if you ask me she actually doesn't deserve to be on your council. If you ever need anyone better than her, do let me know. I shall have someone arranged"

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary", Zuerien replied firmly, choosing not to indulge in any more conversation with the woman, who after having received his stiff and conclusive reply, didn't say anything further on the subject.

I, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to ask, How can you be so severe on your own child?

My eyes drifted to Marco and I found him staring at her with the same disdain in his eyes that I had seen in them the last time I had met her. And I could understand why he disliked the woman as much as he did. I could only imagine how Prophecy would feel if she heard her mother talking about her like this.

And perhaps...she already had...many times before...

"We still haven't finished our breakfast", General Reginald said, "Since you have all arrived, we'll try and finish faster. You can join us if you like"

"No thank you", Lady Yolanda replied, "I must be on my way to check on Prophecy. I hope you don't mind if I borrow Marcah"

Marco looked devastated as he looked at Zuerien with pleading eyes.

"He hasn't finished eating yet either", Rino remarked honestly and she scowled.

"I find that very hard to believe after seeing hau he was scarfing down the contents ahf his plate earlier", she said making Marco grit his teeth in exasperation.

"We need the Alpha of Mazes here to discuss some important business, I'm afraid", Zuerien replied, "But I'll have someone escort you to Prophecy's room"

"Oh! Very well then", she replied, "I shall see you in the meeting in a little while"

Zuerien gave her a nod and I smiled. She looked at everyone in the room once before turning and striding out the door with her nose still up in the air. The minute the doors closed Marco let out a loud growl of aggravation.

"I hate her!" he grit out, "Why did it have to be her? And General, why did you have to ask her to join us for breakfast?!"

The General smiled, "Because I knew she'd refuse", he replied, "And its also the fastest way to get her to leave"

"Really?" Marco asked intrigued, "Wow, I'll definitely try that next time. Anyway, thanks for saving me this time King. I owe you one"

"I think the one who actually saved us all a very awkward meeting with Lady Yolanda later was Suzzanah", General Reginald said, looking impressed, "You said all the right things today to Lady Yolanda"

"Spoken like a Queen", Cole added.

I smiled sheepishly, "Maybe I'm finally getting a hang of this whole 'being a Luna' thing, huh?" I said with a shrug.

"You're doing very well", Alpha Penson said warmly "And I think it helps when you know exactly who and what you're dealing with. So, let's be seated and we'll tell you a little bit about the other two members of the League of Magic whom we'll be meeting today"

"Right!" I said as we got back into our seats.

The two other members were Elder Abé of the House of Goiteía and Master Heinrich of the House of Gonzales. The former was the oldest member of the Wizardry Clan, belonged to one of the most distinguished Houses in the Realm of Magic, and was also a member of The Elite Council of Overseers- which was something like a Supernatural Council consisting of one member from every major Supernatural Clan in the world.

Apparently witches and Wizards didn't have Kings and Queens like Werewolves did. They had covens, which were the equivalent of packs, and if they ever had any disputes, they'd approach the League of Magic which was something of a governing entity over them. And Elder Abé was at the head of the Wizardry Clan at the League, so he was the closest thing to their Royalty.

Elder Abé was also an old friend of Alpha Penson's apparently, and one of the finest magic wielders of all time. According to Alpha Penson, the man was extremely knowledgeable in matters of magic and had the sharpest eye one could ever have when it came to anything Supernatural, especially magic-related.

And seeing as the statement was coming from the Alpha of Wisdom himself, I was willing to bet anything that this Elder Abé was an extraordinary man!

Everyone who had met him before- which included Alpha Penson, Zuerien, Cole and Marco- seemed grateful that he had chosen to come himself. Apparently he was a just man and was unbiased when it came to making important decisions, so hopefully he would deal fairly with the whole situation of Megan being a Regalia-witch-Shadower-Luna.

The other man, Master Heinrich Gonzales was a powerful wizard who came from a family that did not have a very high standing within the Realms of Magic, but he worked his way to the top and was now one of the most revered magic-wielders in the League.

Apparently he was a serious, quiet man who was diligent and patient- as I suppose one would have to be to tolerate Lady Yolanda- and was especially great with tracking magic, which was supposedly the kind of magic one used in order to search for and track people. With his help, hopefully it would become easier to find Megan and her friend.

But most importantly, all three members were familiar with the Regalia Family while they had been alive.

The meeting was scheduled for 10:00 am, and now it was 8:30 am. But seeing as all members from the League of Magic had already arrived, perhaps we would start it earlier.

Only Zuerien, Marco and Alpha Penson and I- if I felt good enough to go, as pointed out by Zuerien- were going to attend the meeting with the members of the League of Magic.

General Reginald and Cole were heading with Alpha Ashford to go single out the wolves who would be joining their search parties today. They were going in two teams.

One to look for Megan.

And the second to search for the beast I had run into yesterday.

And although we also needed a team to search for Megan's comrade, no one, including myself, really knew anything about her that would help identify her except that she could use some form of magic, which thousands of other Supernaturals could also do. So assuming that she would probably be with Megan, a separate search party wasn't being sent out for her.

Marco had insisted on being in the team that looked for Megan. Since he had started searching for her yesterday, he had put all his concentration into locating her aura and he was convinced that his mind was tuned into it enough to locate it even if it were only a spec of her aura.

Zuerien, on the other hand, was going to be on the second team, seeing as he had seen the beast with his own eyes. Therefore Cole and General Reginald had also split themselves up likewise, with Cole going with Zuerien and General Reginald with Marco. Alpha Ashford, whom I hadn't seen since morning, was also going with Marco to look for Megan.

Had Prophecy been awake, she would have also gone with the men. But as for me, I wasn't allowed into the woods, at least for the time being, so I would be staying indoors, within the city and with Alpha Penson and Rino at all times.

But I wasn't disappointed because apparently Alpha Penson had something planned for the three of us today which he told me and Rino he would let us know about once the Meeting with the League of Magic was over.

Once we had eaten, General Reginald and Cole went to see to the Ashford pack wolves and Rino went upstairs to go see Prophecy while I, Zuerien, Alpha Penson and Marco were waiting to get word of whether the League of Magic Members had started for the Meeting room, which was in a private and well protected part of the Hotel.

As we waited, I looked at Marco wondering if this was a good time to ask him about Lady Yolanda's statement earlier. Probably having noticed my gaze on him, he turned to look down at me.

"What's up, Queen?" he asked before smiling slyly, "Are you falling for my looks yet?"

Before I could give him any kind of response, an extremely annoyed and territorial growl filled the corridor making both my and Marco's wide eyes dash to Zuerien who immediately put an arm around my waist possessively.

Marco laughed nervously, "C-Calm down King, I was just kidding", he said quickly before looking back at me, "But was there something you wanted to ask me?"

I bit my lip hesitantly as I nodded, "I...I was wondering...what did Lady Yolanda mean when she said she was 'once mated to a werewolf'?"

His expression immediately mellowed, turning somewhat somber and even Zuerien and Alpha Penson's expressions saddened making me immediately feel guilty for asking.

"I'm sorry", I said quickly, "I didn't mean to intrude. You don't have to tell m-"

"You're not intruding Queen, its quite alright", Marco said with a melancholy smile, "Its not like its a secret or anything. Its just not something we talk about because...well it makes everyone sad, especially Prophecy"

He sighed heavily, "Her father...he passed away when she was about 13 or 14 years old", he told me, "He wasn't a high ranked wolf, nor was he from a well known pack, but he was a good man and a great father. Prophecy loved him very much...but I don't know if I could ever say the same about Aunt Yolanda"

His fists clenched in anger, blue eyes growing darker, "And she made certain that she pointed out his drawbacks and weaknesses every chance she got, just like she does with Prophecy", he growled out, "She refused to have anything to do with his pack, and continued to stay on with the Ronaldos. She also refused to give Prophecy his last name, which is why they are both still Ronaldos"

I felt his bitterness seeping into my blood, mixing with the sadness I was already feeling. I swallowed down the lump in my throat, as he continued, his voice a little lighter now.

"But you know, not once did I see any of this put him down", Marco said reminiscently, "He was always smiling, my Uncle Len. In my opinion, Uncle Len was twice the man any other great Alpha could have been, had they been mated to Lady Yolanda instead. Its a shame he passed away so young. And even though Aunt Yolanda is the one who is linked to me by blood, I always felt like he was an Uncle to me far more than she ever was any kind of relation"

He smiled to himself, "He taught me that sometimes, those who aren't your own blood can understand you even better than those who are", he said, "They can love you better than those who are. I think you're really lucky Queen, to have a sister like Karina who loves you so much, and likewise Karina is lucky to have you. I think you're both great!"

I smiled back at him, appreciating his words. It was true, I was indeed truly blessed to have such a strong and wonderful bond with my sister. But I also understood what he had said about others who weren't your blood relatives, but still loved you more than you could imagine.

After having come here, I had met so many amazing people who weren't related to me in any way, but had now grown to be like a family to me. And when I thought of that, I remembered the first person whom I had befriended after I got here. The first person who had acknowledged me as family.

"Welcome to the Royale family, Suzzanah"

Mr. Talon...

I missed him. I missed him terribly, even though it had only been a day since I had seen him. It felt like so much longer.

"Prophecy...must miss her dad a lot", I said quietly and Marco nodded.

"She does", he said, his eyes melancholy, "While he was still alive, she had someone encouraging her and rooting for her even as she learnt through several mistakes. But when he was gone, he took with him the little ounce of self-confidence she had built up. In fact, the Prophecy you see now, who is loud, boisterous and strong is the complete opposite of what she used to be like 2 years ago when she first started teleporting to where she'd find the Lunas"

He leaned against the wall, staring up at the ceiling, "I remember how terrified she was the first time she was teleported", he said, "She cried for days afterwards, telling me how she didn't want to be the Luna of Time. How she was scared, and how she coulnd't do this"

My eyes widened in shock, Luna Prophecy was afraid? Knowing the headstrong, confident and fiery woman she was now, it was impossible to imagine her as a frightened young girl who didn't want this life.

"It was actually then that I got so worried for her that I looked up ways by which I could prevent her teleportations", Marco continued, "And after much study, I discovered the Sealing Spell for the first time. And even though I know now that it was stupid of me to consider it, back then, when she was so frail and frightened, it seemed like a risk worth taking"

So that's why Marco had considered something as drastic as a Sealing Spell. After hearing all this, I understood much better where he was coming from.

"So...how did she go from being that terrified young girl to the brave fiesty woman she is now?" I asked and he smiled thoughtfully.

"I actually...don't know", Marco said thoughtfully, "None of us do. It just sort of...happened. But the change began after she returned from one of her initial teleportations. When she teleported, she was still the same scared little girl who hated being a Luna Extraordinaire, but when she returned, I could see resolve in her eyes. She had made up her mind to be stronger"

"Oh?" I said surprised, "What happened during that teleportation?"

Marco shook his head, "I don't really know. Prophecy never tells anyone what really happened", he said, "But ever since then she slowly got stronger, and her determination to find the lost Lunas only grew everyday. And now, I don't know a woman who is more passionate about her powers and job than she is. She won't stop at anything until we find the lost Lunas, even if it means putting herself in danger"

Marco sighed, running a hand through his hair, "On one side there is the rude, obnoxious Lady Yolanda and on the other there is the crazy, rambunctious Prophecy", he said wearily, "Why did I have to get stuck with such difficult women as family?"

I chuckled, "Its surprising that even a ladies-man can complain about women", I said, "Or is it because they're family?"

"Yeah, probably", he said, "I mean there are a few others who annoy me too. But for the most part, women are great! I love women!"

"For various reasons", I said and he grinned cheekily.

"You're getting to know me really well, Queen", he replied and I smiled, shaking my head.

"Thank you Marco", I said, "For telling me all this. I really appreciate it"

"Hey, don't thank me", he said, "Since its you, I don't mind the questions. Ask me whatever you like. Besides, I don't often say no to beautiful ladies"

Zuerien immediately gave him a glare again making him raise his hands in surrender, while I just sighed, shaking my head at how easily that flirtatious personality of his shone through even when we were speaking about topics like these.

But then again, I was actually grateful to see him like this again. Not only did it help lighten the situation, but for the past few days he had looked so tired and stressed out- about Megan and all the mazes here- that I was actually really worried about him and his health. It was nice to see this teasing and fun side of him again, even though his flirtatious nature tended to get him into trouble with Zuerien.

"He wasn't always a playboy like he is now..."

I suddenly remembered Zuerien's words from back in the Annual Games when we had spoken about Marco.

"There was a time he was really looking forward to meeting his mate...but he changed his decision almost overnight and turned into the flirt he is now..."

Ever since that day, many a times when my mind was idle, I had found it drifting to Marco, his character and the past that had probably shaped it.

Here was a man, who on first look, seemed easily figure-out-able but, in actuality was quite the enigma. But then again, almost every other person I had met recently seemed to be that way. Maybe being a part of the Supernatural just came with having some kind of deep dark secret as a mandatory criteria.

Maybe being alive came with that criteria...

But when it came to Marco, there was so much I didn't understand. Yes, he could be full of himself and quite overtly flirtatious, but he was also fiercely loyal and protective of those he cared about.

Prophecy could get on his nerves but he still cared enormously for her. Zuerien wasn't his favorite person in the world, but he still respected him tremendously. He appreciated women in more ways than one, but when it came to his own mate, he didn't want anything to do with her.

And as a woman who was more grateful to have a mate than anything else in the world, I couldn't help but feel bad for both Marco and his mate. And the curious cat- or maybe I should say dog for the sake of my canine mate- in me, really wanted to know why.

And seeing as he had said that I could ask him anything, maybe I would. On a day that was more befitting, maybe I would...

But right now, there was something else I wanted to do. Needed to do.

"Alright, they're on their way to the Meeting hall", Alpha Penson said, "We should be too"

Zuerien and Marco nodded, but just as they were about to start walking I grabbed Zuerien's hand.

"Hey, do you think you could go on without me?" I asked making all of them immediately turn to give me panicked stares.

"ARE YOU OKAY?!" they asked surrounding me.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine", I said quickly, "I just, I wanted to make a call...to Mr. Talon"

"To Talon?"

I nodded, "Using mindlink of course", I added, "And I hopefully won't be very long. Do you think you can start without me? If not, I'll come along"

They exchanged glances.

"Well no, you are free to do as you choose", Zuerien said, "But if you want to stay here while you mindlink, I don't want you to be left alone"

"But I'm not, there are so many people here", I replied, looking around.

"None that I trust enough", he said, "Wait for just a minute, I'll call Cole back. General Reginald and Ashford can choose the wolves for our search parties on their own"

"But I-"

He shook his head, saying that that was the end of our conversation. Within seconds, Cole was with us once again.

"Luna", he said with a smile as he came to stand beside me before looking at Zuerien, "Alpha, please go ahead. I'll take care of the Luna"

Zuerien nodded before looking down at me, almost seeming reluctant to leave. Kai must have been giving him a hard time as always.

I touched his arm and nodded, "Go on. I'll join you in just a little bit"

He watched me for a moment longer before looking at Cole, "Protect her"

"With my life", Cole replied strongly.

Ordinarily I would have asked, 'From what?' but after having witnessed and experienced all sorts of crazy things in Supernatural world- from mad rogue attacks to having my spirit leave my body to suddenly teleporting onto tree-tops- I had realized that one could, or should I say I could never really be completely safe anywhere other than at Zuerien's side.

Once they had left, I turned to Cole.

"I'm so sorry you got stuck baby-sitting me again, Cole", I said guiltily and he chuckled.

"Oh don't worry Luna. I enjoy your company a little more than I do General Reginald's", he said, "I'm afraid he can't help but bring up embarrassing memories of my teen years from when I was still in training to become a part of Alpha Zuerien's warrior wolves"

"Oh! You took training to be a warrior wolf and not the Beta?" I asked surprised.

"Well, a lot of us higher ranking wolves, including the Alpha himself were trained by General Reginald for combat", he told me, "But other than the Alpha, we were all actually training not only to be good warriors but also to fill the various hierarchic ranks every pack has"

"So did you have to fight against other warrior wolves to become Beta?" I asked.

He nodded, "I did", he said with a redolent smile, "But in the end the ranks of Beta and Delta were chosen by the Alpha himself, and he did so without regarding the results of our combats. Had he taken them into consideration at the time, I would most certainly not have made the rank of even a messenger wolf-"

"NO!"

"Its true", he said amusedly, "Back when he chose our ranks, we were much younger. I was but a mere boy of 16, and the Alpha was 17. Back then, I was a scrawny, insecure and unimpressive young lad who had nothing to offer to the pack other than my perseverance and unwillingness to give up no matter how badly I performed"

"Even when I knew I stood next to no chance against my competition, there was just something about Alpha Zuerien's presence that made me want to keep trying", he told me, "I made a fool of myself more than once in front of him and the others too. And I thought about quitting many times, but in the end I never could. I didn't know why but deep down, what I really wanted was to fight by the Alpha's side. There was just something about him that almost made me feel like I knew him. Like he was a friend and that he was important"

He suddenly chuckled before looking at me sheepishly, "Do I sound like a bashful teenage girl in love?"

I grinned, "Not that I mind", I said and he smiled.

"Even though I never expected to catch his eye, I did the best I could", he said, "And for better or worse, and much to shock might I add, the Alpha seemed to like that about me, and chose me to be his right hand"

I smiled at his recounting, the words creating sweet and nearly nostalgic images before my eyes.

"What I was most surprised by was that he chose me while I was still that talent-less young boy who was always out of place in a field of well built and confident men, one who wasn't really even sure what he was doing", Cole said, the warmth in voice contagious, "And that was what ultimately motivated me to better myself, hopefully, into the man I am now. I never wanted to let Alpha Zuerien down or make him think that he made the wrong decision by choosing me"

"I doubt he ever will, Cole", I said honestly and Cole smiled, "Thank you, Luna"

"Suzzanah", I corrected him making him look at me surprised.

"I told you, didn't I? Please call me Suzzanah", I insisted, "We're friends Cole"

"Very well then", he replied, "I'll try to consciously correct myself then, Suzzanah"

"Thank you for telling me all this", I said gratefully, "Its so nice knowing about your and Zuerien's boyhood days"

"Its my pleasure", he replied, "Now what was it you wanted to do here?"

"Oh I wanted to mindlink Mr. Talon", I replied, "I miss him. Why don't you join it as well?"

"Sure", he replied and we both mind-linked Mr. Talon together.

Mr. Talon!

We were greeted by the sound of someone choking.

Good heavens! CHILD! Beta Cole!

His familiar nasal yet thoroughly expressive voice was like music to my ears, bringing a wide smile to my face.

Were you drinking water again? I asked knowingly.

No, I was snorting it, thanks to one particular young lady who just doesn't want me to be hydrated, he replied making both me and Cole chuckle.

Oh Mr. Talon! I miss you so!

I miss you too child, oh so dearly! He replied, Where have you abandoned your phone? I would have called you at-least 35 times, and left you several messages!

Several badly spelt messages I am sure

Don't mock me young lady! I'm trying! he squeaked, Now, tell me, how are you feeling? Alpha Penson and Beta Cole told me about your misfortunes yesterday

I looked at Cole surprised and he nodded.

Oh, I'm much better now Mr. Talon, I replied.

Really? He asked sounding anxious, I tried to mindlink you so many times yesterday but I just couldn't get through! And at one point of time, I almost felt like I couldn't even feel any kind of link with you!

I exchanged a knowing look with Cole, that must have been when a fragment of my soul was sucked out of my body. I didn't know if Mr. Talon knew about that, but if he didn't, I didn't want to tell him and worry him more.

I freaked out so much when that happened! Mr. Talon said, Actually, a lot of the pack wolves reacted just like me, including Annabelle and Matree and so many others. But now I can feel a faint link with you again. Are you sure you're alright? Beta Cole, is she?

Cole looked at me and I nodded, She's been better Talon, but she is recovering well, Cole replied and Mr. Talon sighed.

One day! I can't leave you alone for one day without you nearly killing yourself! He remarked, Not that while I was with you, you were any better...

I'm telling you Mr. Talon, I'm really better now. Please don't worry, I said as reassuringly as I could, I just wanted to talk to you. How are you?

Oh I'm alright, in-fact I'm quite busy at the moment, he replied, With the special task Alpha Penson assigned to me of course

I frowned, Special task?

Oh yes! And you have perfect timing too! He said, I can ask you whatever things I am doubtful about

What are you talking about? I asked confused.

Why, the task of finding that blue-green eyed fellow who's been haunting you since ages past of course! Mr. Talon replied making my eyes widen. I looked to Cole who looked quite surprised himself.

"I knew he'd given the task to someone but I didn't know it was Talon", Cole told me.

So...how's it coming? Cole asked.

Oh! In a perfectly dreadful manner, of course! Mr. Talon replied, Its bad enough that blue-green eyes are rare, on top of that I have to search for a fellow who has been dead for who knows how long. Child! I really need your help here

Tell me what I can do? I said.

Well for starters you can describe him to me, as best as you can, Mr. Talon replied, His other features I mean, other than his hair

Well..., I thought back to the image of the blue-green eyed ghost whom I, fortunately or unfortunately, hadn't seen in a while now, Okay I'll try. He was mostly shrouded in this really eerie unearthly glow so I can't be sure, but he seemed to have had very pale skin

As well he should, he isn't very alive to be a healthy pink, is he? Mr. Talon replied.

He was very tall, like most of you guys are, I said looking at Cole who himself was quite the giant, like Zuerien

Are you mocking me again child? I heard Mr. Talon say via mindlink and I bit back a laugh when I realized that he actually wasn't all that tall.

Oh no, of course not Mr. Talon, I said grinning at Cole, Okay what else? Lets see..., I thought hard, He...he had quite a large forehead. A large forehead with a few wrinkles

Cole looked at me impressed when Mr. Talon said, Wrinkles? You saw his wrinkles? Just how close to him were you?!

Too close for comfort, I said shuddering, Anyway, he also had blond hair, I think, blondish hair I guess, and brows that were set quite close to his eyes

Whoa Lu- I mean Suzzanah, you observed this ghost quite thoroughly didn't you? Cole said, and I gave him a blank look.

And...his eyes, they were sort of sunken, I said, He had sunken eyes. And well the color of them, you already know. It was quite a stunning blue-green. Overall I'd say he may have been a good-looking man when he was alive.

I'm not sure how pleased the Alpha would be to hear you saying that, Cole said thoughtfully.

I looked at Cole for a moment before cocking my head to the side, Huh, I said, Actually, you can take Cole's eyes as a reference if you want to

What? Cole looked at me surprised.

Although, on second thought, your eyes are a little too green to be his, I said, They're like Cole's eyes but a little greener

Wait! I need to grab a picture of Beta Cole and stare at it, Mr. Talon said hurriedly.

Uh-huh, that's not disturbing at all, Cole said wearily, before asking, Suzzanah, did this man look anything like me?

Not really, no, I replied, He does have the same hair color as you but you guys don't look anything alike as far as I remember

Hmm, Cole said as he dug into pant pockets and pulled out his phone, Still, just to be sure, why don't I show you a picture of my birth father?

I nodded as he surfed through his phone and found a picture of a man who actually looked a lot like him, standing next to him with an arm around his shoulder.

Was it him? He asked and I shook my head.

No, I replied, looking closely at the picture.

Okay, what about this one? He asked showing me another picture of a man who didn't have blonde hair but had eyes similar to Cole's.

I shook my head again, No, its not him either, I replied and Cole sighed.

Well then, my immediate family is pretty much ruled out, he said, Well, even if they weren't, my only solace is that even though this blue-green eyed fellow is unnerving, at least he doesn't seem to be evil. He's helping so...

I smiled and nodded before asking him curiously, Who were the men in the pictures?

My fathers, he replied.

Fathers? I asked, my brows shooting to my hairline and he smiled.

Yeah, he said, his eyes glinting with nostalgia, One is my birth father and the other was my foster father

Foster...father? I asked, feeling sadness and a sure sense of dread well up inside of me again, Does that mean...your real father is-

Oh no. My father is alive and well! Cole said with a smile, Its actually my foster father who has passed on

My confusion grew, W-wait, your birth father is alive but you...still had a foster father? I asked.

Cole hesitated for a second but just as he was about to say something, Mr. Talon returned.

OH! I finally found a close up of Beta Cole's, he said, His eyes do look more green than blue though

Yeah, I replied looking at Cole who said, "I'll tell you later"

I nodded and got back to the mindlink, They are, but just imagine a bluer version of his eyes

Easier said than done, Mr. Talon said, But heck since I'm on the job, I'll do my best. Anything else? Any other distinctive features? Abnormal birth marks?

Mr. Talon! I only saw the man's face! I said, feeling my face flush, And he was quite decently dressed, might I add

Let me guess, in a white gown? He asked.

No! In shirt and breeches!

What?! Both Cole and Mr. Talon seemed surprised at that, You never mentioned that before, Cole said.

Well...I guess I...never really paid much attention to it, I replied honestly, He would remain a ghost regardless of whether he was dressed in rags or riches

But those rags or riches would make it easier for us to identify him based on his social standing though, Cole remarked making my mouth form an 'O' in surprise, What were his clothes like?

Well...they looked...pretty normal, I said, thinking hard, A white full sleeved shirt, darker breeches but I can't be sure of the color. Like I said, the man is always surrounded by this unusual glow. Now that I think about it, he may have been wearing a brooch but my wild imagination could very well be making that up, and well...knee high boots. And...he didn't look...blatantly poor as such. He actually looked pretty well-off, I mean, as well-off as a ghost can get

Sounds like a the kind of attire some kind of ancient English Lord would wear, Cole said thoughtfully, In fact it would make more sense if he were actually...less dressed, as most werewolf men frequently tend to be

True, Mr. Talon agreed, The only ones whom I can think of who would wear things like this are-

Cole's eyes went wide and both him and Mr. Talon said together, The Royals!

What?! I said surprised.

That's right! Werewolves don't usually like to dress up in boots and breeches and other...tight things, Cole said cringing, The only ones who actually did in the earlier days were the Royal Werewolves, and other rich Alphas who had to attend gatherings with other high-standing Supernaturals

So you think...this man could be...an ancestor of the Royales? I asked, feeling excitement bubble up inside of me.

We can't be sure of course, Cole said, But the Royales would be a good place to start!

No they wouldn't! Mr. Talon remarked sounding appalled, Alpha Zuerien had all the pictures of his parents, family and most of his other ancestors taken down and locked away, remember? Where am I supposed to go to find them?!

There were portraits of a few of the ancient Royales and some other powerful persons in the children's orphanage at the Annual Games, Cole said remembering, But those burnt down that day...The only other place where they have portraits are at the Royale Castle

What about soft copies? I asked, Aren't there any at all?

Maybe there are, but only the Alpha would know, Cole said.

Well, let's go ask him then! I said getting up and Cole nodded.

Alright! You do that! Mr. Talon said, As soon as I get access to the pictures of the Royales, I'll start looking into them but until then I'll search through the other high ranking and powerful males in werewolf history. There shouldn't be that many with blonde hair and blue-green eyes

Okay, Cole and I replied before quickly making our way towards the Meeting Hall.

"Hey, can't we just mindlink him?" I asked, "Or would it be considered rude by the League of Magic?"

"Knowing Lady Yolanda, she'll definitely have something to say about it", Cole replied, "Especially when they're discussing important matters like the Regalias. Best talk to him in person. You needed to get to the meeting hall anyway so its alright"

I nodded as we walked down one long corridor only to turn into yet another one.

"Hey Cole, I was just wondering", I said a little breathlessly as I half-ran after him, "I thought these Alpha, Beta and Delta titles are passed down in the family"

"They are", he replied.

"So does that mean your father was the Royal Beta for Zuerien's father?" I asked, "And if so, why did you say that Zuerien chose you as his Beta? Shouldn't you have inherited the title?"

Cole shook his head, "No, because my birth father wasn't the Royale Beta", he said, "In fact, he wasn't a part of the Royale pack at all. The Royal Beta was actually the late Alpha's younger brother. And the Royal Delta was General Reginald. The previous Royal Beta was killed the same night that the late King was, and General Reginald doesn't have any children so when Alpha Zuerien took over, the spots for both Royal Beta and Delta were open which were later filled by me and Del"

A burning sensation flooded my chest at the thought of the death of Zuerien's father and Uncle. I never did ask Zuerien what exactly happened that night, the night that his family was massacred. It just never felt like the right time to ask, and he never seemed ready to talk about it. But the more I thought about it, the more my heart ached.

How many family members had he lost? How many Uncles and Aunts? How many cousins?

How many...siblings?

The thought made such a terrible pain flood my body that I stopped in my tracks, bending over.

"LUNA!" Cole cried out worriedly,immediately rushing to my side, "Luna are you-"

"I'm alright Cole", I said, panting heavily as I rubbed my chest, "I'm alright"

"Luna, I'm so sorry", Cole said, "Come, I'll carry you"

"No no, that's okay", I said, giving him a smile, "I just needed to breathe. I'm alright now"

It was true. The pain was slowly reducing again and I realized that whenever I thought about really sad events or memories, it seemed to aggravate. I just needed to keep myself from thinking about such things then.

"I'm okay Cole", I said, standing up straight again, "Let's keep going"

"Only if you allow me to carry you on my back", he said and I sighed before smiling.

"Okay then. We'll probably get there faster like this anyway"

He nodded before sitting down in front of me and I held onto his shoulders uncertainly from behind him, letting him pick me up by the legs with ease.

"You okay?" he asked, looking at me over his shoulder and I nodded.

"I feel like a little kid again", I told him grinning, "The last time I got a piggy back ride was back when I was 10 years old and had hurt my knee after a fall"

"By your sister?" he asked and I nodded. He smiled, "Well then, I consider this an honor, my Luna", he said and and I chuckled, "Shall we go?"

"Yeah", I said, and he quickly took off, down the corridors.

This part of the hotel was quite empty and I wondered if it was exclusive to werewolves. Cole made sure he didn't go too fast, probably to prevent me from getting dizzy, and he continued to speak to me on the way.

I never really saw the late King or the rest of Alpha Zuerien's family with my own eyes while they were still alive, he mind-linked, But I do know that Alpha Zuerien's immediate family didn't have any blonde haired, blue or green eyed men

So its probably not his father or uncles then? I asked and Cole nodded.

But I'm sure there were other Royales back in the past who had those traits, he added, Lets hope for the best

Yeah, I replied. I hesitated before asking, And well...you said General Reginald doesn't have any children?

He doesn't, he said, Because General Reginald unfortunately never found his mate even though, I think, he is nearly a hundred years old now

Oh...I felt saddened to hear that.

Don't feel sorry for him, Suzzanah, he doesn't want that, Cole said gently, It is sad he never found her, but he says that he thinks of all of his students as his children, so he never really missed fatherhood

I smiled at that, How sweet, I said and Cole chuckled.

Sweet he most certainly is not! Cole exclaimed, He was like a commando dad who nearly killed us everyday in training, but hey, its thanks to him that we could become the warriors we are today

He helped me a lot with my archery too, I added, remembering his rigorous yet very beneficial archery lessons.

You're a good archer, Suzzanah, Cole said, And although I know the Alpha may never allow you onto the battlefield, I think if you ever did come, you'd prove to be quite an asset

Thank you, Cole, I said, thinking about what he had just said.

The battlefield...huh...

Cole hurried down several more corridors and turned many a corner till I felt he finally came to a stop. And I couldn't help but wonder, why was everything so far away in the hotel? Or did Supernaturals just not feel the distance as much as a human like myself did because of their superhuman speed and stamina?

Yeah, it was probably that.

"Alright Lu- Suzzanah", Cole said, "We're almost there. Its right around that corner"

"Great. I can walk now, Cole. Thank you so much"

He set me down and nodded, "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked worriedly and I nodded.

"I feel absolutely alright", I repllied as we began walking, "Its a good thing Zuerien wasn't there when that happened or he would have freaked out again"

"He might actually be", Cole said, cringing slightly.

My heart sank, "Oh no. Why?"

Cole gave me a sheepish look, "Well...I-"

"Suzzanah!"

I looked up to find Zuerien rushing across the corner towards us worriedly.

"I told him", Cole finished just as I was engulfed in Zuerien's arms.

"Heart! Are you okay? Where does it hurt?" he asked anxiously examining me.

"It doesn't hurt, Zuerien. I'm okay", I said, placing my hands over his shoulders, "It was just like a passing pain in my chest. But I'm perfectly alright now, so don't worry"

Zuerien sighed, his brow beaded with perspiration, "Well that's a relief", he said kissing my forehead before looking at Cole, "But I'm still glad you told me"

Cole smiled, "Can't take any risks with our Luna's health", he said.

"I'm sorry for worrying you both", I said, "How is the meeting going?"

"Alright. We've actually finished talking about most of the important stuff", Zuerien said.

"Already? That was fast", I said and he nodded.

"Since John mentioned the Regalia's in his criteria, Elder Abé came expecting something like this, although he hadn't expected it to be about the Luna of Intercession. Surprisingly enough, he wasn't that shocked to learn that Megan is half-Shadower, seeing as he knew of her Shadower parentage. Right now, we're just finishing up deciding who will be going in which search party"

"Did they create any issue regarding where Megan will continue?" Cole asked.

Zuerien frowned, "Lord Heinrich didn't say much about the matter but Lady Yolanda, as expected was quite insistent that she continue in the Realm of Magic", he said, "Still, Elder Abé is a sensible man. He managed to pacify her for now and agreed to let Megan make the final decision about where she wishes to continue her future, but they did request to have some time with her to find out what exactly happened with her parents, but only when she is ready, of course"

We nodded in understanding and I felt a sense of relief wash over me. So far, this was good news.

"So what was it you said you wanted to talk to me about?" Zuerien asked Cole, "You said it was about that ghost"

Cole and I exchanged looks before telling Zuerien everything. He seemed quite surprised at the revelation, just like Cole and Mr. Talon had been, and I wanted to slap myself for not having mentioned the man's clothes earlier.

"We only have soft copies of more recent Royale family members, excluding my own family", Zuerien said, "Apart from that, most of the others exist only as portraits within the castle. But those can't be viewed by outsiders. The only other option is the Book of Royals in the Central Library"

"You guys have books for almost everything, don't you?" I said, intrigued.

"Ask Talon to make his way to the Central Library", Zuerien told Cole, "I'll speak with the Elite Overseer and let him know that I'm sending Talon especially for this matter. If they both work together, they should be able to sort through the pictures much faster", he looked at me, "And if this man that you're seeing really is one of my ancestors, then the Elite Overseer, seeing as he's quite ancient, may actually be one of the only person's who'd have some idea as to why he's been appearing to you and what he really wants"

We nodded.

"Okay, come on", Zuerien said, putting an arm around my waist and guiding us towards the meeting hall, "The meeting should be done by now, but John wanted you to meet Elder Abé alone, Suzzanah"

"Oh alright then", I said, feeling some tingling anticipation in my stomach.

We turned the corner just in time to see two people disappear into thin air in front of our eyes. It took me some time to push my eyeballs back into their sockets.

"Whoa!" I said, "They vanished!"

"Teleported", Zuerien said amused, "And I'm surprised you're not used to this by now"

"I doubt I'll ever really get used to it", I replied, "Who were those people? One of them was Lady Yolanda right?"

"Yeah", Zuerien replied, "The other one was Lord Heinrich. Stern, patient man of few words. Seemed like a decent enough fellow, and he's a good wizard so there's that. Those two must have left to where the teams are gathering, but I think Elder Abé is still inside waiting for you though"

The guards by the doors bowed deeply before opening the doors to let the three of us step in. The minute we entered, my eyes found Alpha Penson and Marco talking to a man they were flanking on both sides. My gaze then immediately zeroed in on the small and heavily clothed person who stood in between them.

He was old, which came as an unexpected shock to me, because on first look I thought he was a child, given how small he was. He was dressed in a long white robe which looked too big for him and had beautiful colorful designs embroidered into it which spanned its entire length. Both of his ears were pierced and he wore different colored studs in both- a ruby in one and an emerald in another.

On his head, he wore some kind of traditional cloth headdress which reminded me a little of the one Oba Oyekan, the Chief of the Fire Elementals had worn, even though they looked quite different. And in his hand, he held a long wooden walking stick, even though he didn't seem to need it seeing as his posture was great!

"Ah, so you have returned, Alpha Royale", the elderly man said as he stepped forward with his stick, "And you have brought company?"

His voice was clear despite being just a little raspy with age, and he spoke with a hint of an Indian accent.

As he stepped closer, I immediately sensed a very distinct magical aura emanating from his small frame. It wasn't anything like Zuerien's which hit you like a ton of bricks and knocked all the air out of your lungs, but it still felt powerful in a gradually overwhelming manner.

If I can sense all this, then it either means that I'm doing much better than yesterday now, even with a part of my soul missing...or that this man's aura is really something that cannot go unnoticed.

Or both.

"Elder Abé", Zuerien said, "You already know my Beta, Cole Knightly"

Cole bowed politely, "Nice to see you again, Elder Abé"

"Likewise, Beta Cole", the Elder said, "Wonderful! You're just as large as I remember you to be"

Both I and Cole were taken aback at his apparent compliment, "L-Large?" Cole asked, looking down at his flat abdomen.

"Oh yes!" The Elder said appreciatively, "Very large. Very good"

Behind him, we could see Marco and Alpha Penson shaking their heads wearily.

Never mind him, Marco mindlinked us, He's old, and a little weird

"U-Uh...thank you?" Cole replied, uncertainly.

Elder Abé nodded with a smile, "Now then, on to the star of the show", he suddenly said and turned his gaze to me.

"Elder Abé, may I present Luna Suzzanah Winters", Zuerien said giving me a smile as he looked at me, "Queen of the Werewolf Kingdom, my mate and chosen"

"Your mate?" Elder Abé said surprised and Zuerien nodded.

"Your mate...and chosen", Elder Abé said, almost as if to himself, "Well then, isn't that just astounding news..."

I blinked questioningly as he looked at me keenly, "Luna...Suzzanah...Winters", Elder Abé repeated, saying each word slowly and thoughtfully, "I have been looking forward to finally seeing you"

"Thank you", I replied with a smile, "Its very nice to meet you, Elder Abé"

He watched me carefully with eyes that were a beautiful green that almost seemed to change shades the longer I looked at them. But even more prominent than their striking color was the profound sense of magical wisdom that seemed to swirl within them.

"Yes...its nice...", he spoke slowly as he leisurely took in my facial features, "Its...nice to meet you...too..."

He suddenly snapped his fingers and a pair of round spectacles magically appeared on his nose, blowing my mind as he continued studying me.

I was quite sure there was something deeper than the outer appearance that the Elder was able to see when he looked at a person, which probably required him to stare for longer.

But I also did not miss how the pressure of Zuerien's grip on my hip was slowly increasing, so I gently leaned into him, trying to calm his possessiveness.

Elder Abé stared at me for a few seconds longer before taking his glasses off, a strange and questioning expression on his face. He looked at Alpha Penson, as though for confirmation of something he had learnt, and Alpha Penson nodded very subtly.

Elder Abé looked back at me before smiling, "Well, isn't that amazing", he said softly making me and Zuerien exchange looks.

"What is?" Zuerien asked.

"Why, your mate is, of course", he replied, "I don't know of any other human who could survive on as little life force as she is doing right now"

Zuerien immediately tensed and Alpha Penson and Marco came to flank us.

"Is it very bad?" Alpha Penson asked concernedly.

"I don't know if I can call this bad, seeing as she is still healthy enough to be walking around", Elder Abé replied, wiping his glasses while still staring at me thoughtfully, "But it is no wonder she has nearly no presence at all. Her soul is not even half there"

HUH?!

"What?!" Zuerien exclaimed, his eyes widening in worry as my heart rate sped up.

"Do not worry, Alpha King. Your mate is alright, as you can see", Elder Abé said calmly, "Which is why I called her amazing. I have never seen a human do this before in all my hundreds of years having been alive! Not to mention she has a rather...peculiar soul"

"What do you mean?" Marco asked, his brow furrowing, "Peculiar how?"

The Elder cocked his head to the side, "Its...a very nonhuman human soul", he said finally making our confusion grow.

"What does that mean?" I asked hesitantly.

"It means, my dear, that you were born with some special talents that other humans don't have", Elder Abé told me, "Which, because of the very lacking state of your soul, are not enough to turn you Supernatural"

"So you think if her soul is completely restored, she would be?" Alpha Penson asked calmly, as though he had expected such a reaction from the League.

"Perhaps", Elder Abé replied, making my eyes widen in alarm, "But then again, perhaps not"

"Why do you say that?" Zuerien asked.

"Well because, like I said, she has a peculiar soul", Elder Abé replied, "Despite being so deficient, it still has a very strong human essence that cannot be ignored. And although there are hints of paranormality to it which seem almost familiar, her overall essence is not like anything I've ever sensed before. If she is a supernatural, she isn't one that I have come across in this life"

"Which aren't many", Alpha Penson added thoughtfully.

Me? A supernatural? I couldn't believe it! The thought had occurred to me so many times before, yet hearing it from someone like him still baffled me to no extent. Why was it that even a being who had lived hundreds of years couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was about me that made me...different?

Just who are you...?

Who are you Suzzanah?

"But...she is okay, right?" Zuerien asked again, and I felt his overwhelming concern flowing into my veins.

I put an arm around him comfortingly as Elder Abé nodded.

"Oh yes, she is", he replied, "As shocked as I am saying this, but Luna Suzzanah is quite alright, at least for now. She has an impeccably strong soul. That being said, I'm not sure how it would hold out if she lost any more of it. But the answer probably is not too well, so you need to ensure she doesn't lose any more fragments of her soul. Speaking of which, how did she lose so much in the first place?"

"That's a conversation for another day", Alpha Penson said, "But thank you. I appreciate your opinion on this matter. And please do keep this particular aspect of our Lunas condition a secret"

"No one will find out from me", Elder Abé said, "But the thing is they don't need to. Any ordinary Supernatural can tell that there is something off about her soul because she has nearly no presence at all. Even if they wont be able to tell that she has some Supernatural traits, they will know that she's not an entirely ordinary human"

"What do you suggest we do about this?" Cole asked him, "The more people that find out about the weakened state of her soul, the more danger to her there will be"

"Well, for starters we need to conceal her lack of presence with something else", the Elder said, "Some object which has enough power to conceal her deficient soul"

"Something like...the Gem Ignis?" Alpha Penson asked all our eyes went widened in surprise.

"Gem Ignis?" Elder Abé asked, "You mean to tell me you have gotten your hands on such a precious stone from the Land of the Fire Elementals?"

"It was a gift that Oba Zuberi Oyekan, the Chief of the Fire Elementals gave to Suzzanah when they first met", Zuerien said, "She has it upstairs in her room"

"Well that should definitely help cover up her soul's vulnerability to some extent", Elder Abé replied to him with certainty, "And so should your mark on her neck"

I sucked in a sharp breath, He could tell?

"It has formed well, I believe", he said with a smile, "It suits you, young Luna"

I smiled, not knowing whether to be impressed or a little bit unnerved.

"Thank you"

"Your mark will make you stronger", Elder Abé said, his voice thoughtful, "But it will also draw attention to you. Especially the attention of the enemies. So will the Gem Ignis. Make sure to keep that in mind when you step into regions that are close to the border"

"We'll remember that Elder Abé", Alpha Penson replied, "We were actually planning on keeping her from getting close to the border"

"Yes, yes. That is good", Elder Abé said, "She is precious. Precious to you", he pointed at Zuerien, "And that will make her even more valuable to them"

My breath caught and Zuerien's face darkened instantly as he replied, "I know"

His grip around me tightened and I looked up at him worriedly.

"They wont' take her from me", he said darkly, his voice dangerously low, "I will never let them take her. Not her"

Elder Abé nodded, "You do what you have to do, Alpha King", he said, his voice somber, "And we will do everything in our power to ensure that nothing as horrendous and unforgivable as the incident 14 years ago, will ever occur again. I give you my word, on my honor as an Elite Elder of the Esteemed League of Magic"

Zuerien gave him a small sincere bow, "Thank you, Elder. I appreciate it", he replied genuinely and the Elder nodded.

"Alright, let us be off then and find our Regalia!" Elder Abé said, tapping his walking stick on the ground, "My word, you do have quite the interesting set of Lunas this year! I'm looking forward to seeing the day they are all together"

He looked back at me, "And as my gift to you, Luna Queen of the Alpha Supreme, please accept-"

He stretched out his hand, his palm open and I gasped when green-golden magic began to swirl within it. Its aura was both ancient and immensely powerful, making chills of thrill tear through my veins. Everyone around me looked on amazed as the magic radiated off his hand like a flame. Zuerien's pulled me closer to him, but didn't try to stop the elderly man.

With the brilliant and powerful magic still dancing in his hand, Elder Abé reached towards me, and I, almost as though out of reflex, bent down to allow him to reach me.

"Please accept-" he said, as his hand came to rest on the top of my head, "My protection"

A wave of heat shot through me like a surge of electricity, momentarily charging every cell in my body. I felt air rush into my lungs as I gasped in shock at the unfamiliar sensation that felt intensely invigorating for but a moment before mellowing into a comfortable warmth. A warmth that seemed to engulf my body and cocoon me in a secure shield.

Safely.

"There", he said, taking his hand away, a smile lighting up his wise old features, "My magic will now protect you from all other forms of magic that may be cast on you, including Sorcery. I know it will not keep you safe from physical attacks but you have your mate and friends to protect you from those. I just wanted to do my part. I hope you know that we of the Wizardly Clan are also happy to finally receive you, Luna Queen"

Everyone around me smiled proudly and my lips parted in awe, an overwhelming sense of gratitude flooding my veins.

"T-Thank you Elder Abé", I said wholeheartedly, feeling a little choked up with emotion, "I am deeply honored, and grateful to you, and I accept your wonderful gift with all my heart"

He nodded, green eyes glinting mysteriously, "I hope to see you again very soon, and in much better health too", he said and I smiled gratefully.

"Thank you for everything", I said.

"Indeed, thank you, Elder Abé", Zuerien added sincerely.

"You need not thank me, Alpha Royale", he said, "At least not before I have done what I promised to do for you, and that is help you retrieve your lost Lunas"

Zuerien nodded and Marco, Cole and Alpha Penson smiled at the dear older man.

"I shall see you outside then", he said and the men nodded in agreement.

His eyes then returned to me and he watched me for a second longer, "Yes...Yes...", he repeated thoughtfully, almost as if to himself, as his body suddenly began to glow.

Surprised we all took a step back, and this time I too recognized this as teleportation magic. But I had never seen it done with as much ease as he was doing now. I knew, after having witnessed Prophecy, that teleportation magic was strenuous and challenging. But Elder Abé commanded and wielded all that power with as much finesse as though it were a part of his own body, and something told me, it might as well be.

As he did, his magical mystical green eyes stayed inquisitively fixated on me, "Yes, I do hope to see you again", he said softly, "And perhaps when I see you next, I will have figured out why..."

My brow furrowed in question, eyes squinting as the light of his powerful teleportation magic surrounded him, but till the very end, his unwavering gaze never once strayed from my face.

"Perhaps...I will have figured out why..." he said quietly, just before he disappeared like a cloud,

"...why you, young lady, seem almost familiar"

****

Random Question of the Day: Who's your favourite character so far?

A/N

Hey guys,

If it feels like there are WAAAY too many questions and not enough answers, don't worry. Once you get one answer, everything else will automatically fall into place.

Which answer is that you ask? Well, you'll just have to read ahead to find out ;)

So, lots happened in this chapter. I know it was more theoretical but trust me, when the action and chaos comes, you'll be glad you had these theory chapters in between to put two and two together.

Your thoughts? Theories?

And how did you like this chapter?

If you enjoyed it, please do VOTE, COMMENT & SHARE!

As always your support means the world to me.

Until next time,

All my love,

May

P.S. Whom do you imagine the Elder Abé as? Cast suggestions?