The phenomenal cover on the side was made by CelipsoWinter! Thank you doll!

Dedicated to ShadeBladez for constantly supporting this story. Your comments and votes mean the world to me!

A huge shoutout to aurora_valentina for your super fun comments and your enthusiasm towards this story. It really gets me fired up to write more! Thanks hon!

IMPORTANT NOTE: For all my younger readers as well as those who are uncomfortable with some intimate content, please skip the part between ~*~*~ and ~*~*~

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

_____

Suzzanah's POV

Of course!...

Steroid. My Steroid. How had I not guessed?

I exhaled a breath of pure and utter joy as I covered my mouth with my palm in disbelief.

"Oh my God..." I whispered into my hand, unable to contain the smile that reached my eyes, lighting them up, "Steroid!"

"You really didn't guess", Zuerien asked again, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

"No!" I said excitedly, "Oh my God, Zuerien, that is...that is just-"

Unable to say anymore, I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly, and he hugged back immediately. There was nothing I could say that could truly convey the depth of my feelings for him, for what he did.

That is just...perfect!

"Thank you Zuerien!" I told him from the bottom of my heart, "I can't tell you how much this means to me"

Pulling away, I looked into his warm brown eyes and lovingly ran my hand through his thick dark hair, "No one but my sister has ever cared for me so much. Its...overwhelming", I told him, feeling my heart well with gratitude, "Its...so nice"

He smiled gently down at me, his eyes brimming with affection while his hands remained loosely clasped behind my back, "Well, get used to it sweetheart", he told me, his voice filled with warmth and sincerity, "Because I plan on pampering you and spoiling you silly for the rest of your life"

I laughed and shook my head, "No...just stay with me", I told him, making his eyes widen infinitesimally, "Just stay with me. I don't want anything else but you"

An immense wave of immeasurable joy and affection washed over me, making my entire body heat up at the brunt of the feelings, his feelings.

"I'll always be here Suzzanah", he told me, honesty shining through his brown eyes, "And I'll never leave"

My heart instantly constricted with immense emotion, because I recognized those words immediately. They were the very same words I had said to him and Kai last night in my room.

"I'll always be here Zuerien, Kai"

"And I'll never leave you"

This man...he was perfect!

At the sight of me tearing up again, Zuerien immediately winced and his hands came up to my face again, "Don't cry sweetheart", he said softly.

"I can't help it. What am I gonna do if you say such heartfelt things to me?" I asked wiping my left eye, while he wiped my right one.

"Laugh maybe?" he suggested incredulously and I chuckled, "I guess most women just aren't hardwired that way", I told him sheepishly, making him cock his head to the side with a small smile, as his eyes roamed in my face.

"But really...I could have never imagined that it stood for Steroid", I told him gleefully, "I thought you didn't like that name"

"We don't", he replied honestly, "But...you do. That's all that matters"

Oh Zuerien...

I smiled at him as he leaned forward, "I knew it would make you happy to know", he said, "I was right, wasn't I?"

I nodded and he smirked, "I'm always right"

I suppose he expected me to smack his chest or gape at him in disbelief, but instead I just shook my head, the gentle smile never leaving my face, "No...", I said softly, "Not always"

His brow furrowed slightly at my words, "About Karina...", I said, making his expression immediately turn slightly serious, "You said that she was my only family. You were wrong. There is someone else"

Confusion marred his features and I could see the thousand and one possibilities he was thinking of reflected in his eyes.

Without another word, placing my hands on his shoulders for support, I stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his forehead, immediately making him tense. After placing a soft, lingering kiss on his forehead, I sank back onto my soles, and smiled at him lovingly.

"You"

As that one word left my lips, I watched as his beautiful features were slowly painted with one intense emotion after another. First disbelief, then realization, then pain, then warmth, then joy...and then...

Then...

His lips crashed against mine, making my eyes go wide in shock as I stumbled backwards. Immediately his large hands came around me, pulling me into him and pressing me into his hard, chest. His lips moved ravenously against my own, making it hard for me to keep up, as wave after wave of intense pleasure washed over me continuously.

~*~*~

As he turned his face to the side, deepening the kiss, my eyes involuntarily squeezed shut. One of his hands squeezed my waist while the other tangled in my hair. My hands clasped behind his neck and I pulled him closer, letting him know I wanted this just as much as he did.

Heat and desire surged through my veins like electricity, leaving me feeling exhilarated beyond belief. The feelings that were raging inside of me were intense, invigorating and more powerful than anything I had ever felt before.

This is what you do to me Zuerien. You make me come alive!

We broke apart for air, and I gasped heavily, accepting the much needed oxygen. But all of sudden, my surrounding blurred and before I knew it, my back was pressed against the hard surface of the wall. Immediately after, Zuerien's lips attacked mine again, while his rock hard chest pressed into my front. My breasts moulded into the solid panes of his torso, making him groan against my lips as he continued his assault.

One of his hands descended down my back, caressing my butt, making a shocked gasp escaped my lips. And an even more shocked moan sounded from me when, taking advantage of the moment, Zuerien slipped his tongue into between my parted lips and into my mouth.

Oh my God!

Stars started to fall from the heavens and dance all around me as Zuerien's tongue entangled with mine, stroking and caressing relentlessly. I had heard it said often, that when you met the right guy, he could make anything and everything seem absolutely phenomenal.

And now...I could vouch for that.

He is perfect!

As our tongues clashed and attacked and intertwined with each other's, I was faintly aware of how his large hand grabbed the back of my thigh and lifted my leg, so that it was hooked around his waist.

Somewhere at the back of my dazed, delirious mind I was aware of how his hips pressed into mine rather intimately, sending all sorts of pleasurable emotions searing through me.

But it was only when my other leg also suddenly left the safety of solid ground that my eyes shot open in unparalleled shock.

WHAT??

While supporting my weight with one hand, Zuerien had managed to hook both my leg around his waist and now the only thing holding me up against the wall, and keeping me falling and dislocating my backbone, was him.

Okay...uh...this is getting a little out of hand!

I didn't want a repeat of the bathrobe incident earlier this morning, especially not in someone else's room, so I tried to remove my leg from around him but he pressed himself further into me, holding onto to me tightly, making it impossible to do so.

My heart was racing at a thousand beats per minute, threatening to break through my chest and run amok screaming. I was unable to speak, for very obvious reasons, so I tried the next best option.

Zuerien!

I felt him smile against my lips and I knew he had heard me.

Zuerien stop!

He deepened the kiss, making a silent squeal escape my lips.

Zuerien, please! Stop!

Need a breather my Suzzanah?

That voice, Kai!

"Hi..."

He squeezed my butt making my body jerk in his arms, Kai! Please put me down!

No can do Suzzanah, his deep, husky voice resonated in my head, the human has been hogging you for far too long. Now it's my turn.

I-I know! Let's talk! How about that?

Don't wanna

KAI!

One of his hands slid up the side of my body, sending electric tingles shooting through me. How could he have this effect on me even without direct contact with my skin?

When his thumb grazed my breast, I nearly had a heart attack. DO SOMETHING!

Kai, I need to breathe! I told him hurriedly and almost instantly, he pulled away.

I desperately panted for breath, my chest heaving against his, as I gulped down huge amounts of much needed oxygen. But much to my dismay, Kai apparently was a professional breath holder, because without wasting another second, he started to pepper kisses down the side of my neck.

~*~*~

"K-Kai!" I breathed out, trying to wiggle out of his grasp but it only served to make our position even more disturbingly intimate.

He paid no heed to my call, as his lips latched onto the skin at the crook of my neck, sucking and nipping at it passionately, making unbridled moans escape my lips.

"Damn, I want you so bad", he grit out and a soft gasp escaped my bruised lips as something Delta Del had said earlier resounded in my mind.

"It's a miracle how much self-control the Alpha is displaying"

"Kai...please...we can't-"

We can't what, my Suzzanah

"This! This...what we are doing!"

He nipped at my skin, involuntarily making me arch into him, Oh yes...we can

"Kai-"

"Do you remember what the human told you this morning?" he suddenly spoke up, his voice a bare whisper.

Through the daze of the passionate and heated make-out session, I tried to think back to what Kai could possibly be referring to. Zuerien had told me a lot of things this morning.

About what?...

"About...Marking?"

I gasped out loud, pressing my head against the wall behind me as Kai slowly lifted his head. As his eyes met mine, my breath hitched at the sight of his pitch black orbs boring intensely into my own.

Marking...

"She hasn't been-"

"No she hasn't"

I recalled Alpha Penson and Delta Del's conversation from before.

"-what Delta Del was just saying is that you haven't been marked yet"

What is Marking?

"You want to know?" Kai drawled out, his nose trailing down the side of my neck.

"I-I..."

"It's how Werewolves stake claims on their mates", he continued, not waiting for my answer, "A Werewolf's mate the most important person in his or her life. So after finding their mates, in order to ward off any unwanted attention from others, as well as to let everyone know that the person is taken, Werewolves mark their mates as their own, and it's a permanent mark, it never fades away"

It was a claim! A public declaration of belonging to someone!

"The mark shows a werewolf's acceptance of their mate. And the mark goes right..." Kai pressed a soft kiss in the left crook of my neck, "here"

I shivered as the feel of his lips left my skin tingling deliciously, while my mind mulled over his words again and again.

One's mate is marked in the crook of their neck. But...what is this mark?

I felt him smile against my skin and I knew he was reading all my thoughts.

"What do you think it is Suzzanah?" he asked nuzzling his face in the crook of my neck, making me bite back a moan.

A Mark...A permanent Mark...don't tell me!...

"A-A-" I gulped finding it really hard to get the words out, "A brand?"

His body immediately went stiff before he raised, his head, his handsome face portraying disapproval and concern, "Of course not sweetheart", he told me gently, "We may be part animal, but we are not savages"

A part of my inner fear quelled and I exhaled a sigh of relief. Not a brand, thank goodness! But if not that then...

A permanent mark...

"A t-tattoo?" I asked and a gorgeous smirk appeared on his lips

"Something like that", he replied mischievously before leaning forward to press a kiss against my jaw, "It turns into a tattoo mark after a few days. So...can you guess what it is in the very beginning?"

I released a strangled breath and shook my head. He exhaled a laugh before pressing his lips to my ear lobe.

"A bite mark"

If Kai hadn't been holding me up against the wall, I would have surely produced a crater in the floor by falling.

A BITE MARK?

"You're kidding!"

He shook his head, "No", he replied, "In fact, I almost did it once. Don't you remember Suzzanah?"

My mind went over all the times he had nipped at the skin of my neck, and even last evening when he had given me a hickey which was still present on my skin, till my eyes widened in recollection of that one time, in Roma's room at the staff quarters, when he had cornered me against her wardrobe and nearly...

Bitten me...

My eyes found his and he smirked and nodded, confirming my suspicion.

"Y-you were going to mark me?" I asked wide-eyed.

"I was", he accepted, "And I would have done it too, had it not been for my infuriating human getting in the way"

My heart did a little somersault in my chest as I remembered that time he had suddenly rushed out of the room like a gust of wind, leaving me more than a little bit baffled.

"But on retrospect, it was probably better that he didn't let me mark you then", Kai said softly, "It is important that no one knows about you being my mate, and once marked, it'll be impossible to conceal that fact"

"So once you mark me, everyone will know..."

He nodded, "Everyone will know that you are the Queen, their Luna"

A shiver ran down my spine at his words and he smirked, "No worries, though. It's only a matter of time now before I get to claim you as mine"

I would have felt flustered by his words, but something else had caught my attention.

"-claim you as mine...Everyone will know that you are their Queen, their Luna"

I bit my lip nervously, as the words Queen and Luna continued to resound in my mind.

"Queen..." I whispered softly before shaking my head, "How could I possibly be Queen?" I asked him, "I don't know anything about ruling. I've never even led a class project, let alone a whole kingdom!"

Kai's eyes softened and he tightened his grip around me before turning to walk towards the bed. Alarmed, I tightened legs around his waist while wrapping my arms around his neck and holding onto him for dear life.

He smiled, pressing a kiss to my collar bone, before sitting down on the bed, with me straddling him. I tried to get off him, but he held me still, tightening his grip on my waist.

"You don't have to worry about all that Suzzanah", he told me gently, his eyes reassuring me of his words, "Unlike humans who can only proclaim a woman as a Queen if she has the right education and skill or if she has inherited the title, it isn't so with Supernaturals"

My brow furrowed as he continued, "Most Supernaturals have preordained mates. We don't choose them, but they are destined for us. They are our other halves, that's why they are called soulmates"

I nodded in understanding.

"Because they are predestined, they already have all the abilities and attributes that are necessary for a Queen hardwired into them", he told me, "You may not know it, but you already have all the qualities and capabilities that a Luna needs to have"

"Liar", I whispered in disbelief and he shook his head.

"I'm not lying", he replied, smiling, "Because I've seen that side of you, not once but multiple times. I've seen the Luna in you"

The Luna in me...

"A Luna is a nurturer", Kai said, "She is the person who provides emotional stability to a pack. She is the person everyone goes to when they have problems that cannot be solved using logic. She is caring, understanding, someone who knows how to comfort and strengthen from the inside"

Kai tucked a lock of stray hair behind my ear, "And I have seen all those qualities in you, with my very own eyes. Like that time when you comforted John about his daughter Emily"

I gasped in surprise, "How did you k-"

"I was there", he replied even before I had asked my question, making my eyes widen, "I was there and I heard everything. Your words not only comforted him, but also me"

My eyes immediately softened and I smiled at him, feeling joy spring forth inside of me. I was so glad that he had heard those words and that they had helped him feel better.

"Then there was that time at the orphanage", he told me, "The caretaker, Ms. Maria told me how you reassured all the children that their loved ones were always with them. She told me that she had never seen them all look so happy before"

I smiled wider, feeling happier by the second.

"And of course, what you said to Talon this morning", he said, his eyes brimming with pride and affection, "How you reassured him that dormant wolf or not, he is and always will be irreplaceable"

I nodded at his words and he cupped my cheek, "A Luna is the inner strength of a pack, the one who keeps a person's spirit from breaking. All those times that you comforted the people around you, even though you knew they are Supernaturals, that they are different from you, the Luna in you came forward"

Warmth and reassurance flooded my body as his words calmed my uncertainties.

"You are the perfect Luna", he told me wholeheartedly, "Our kind is blessed to have a Luna like you, so don't ever doubt yourself. You are everything we could have ever asked for and more"

I didn't even know how to respond, as I felt tears of gratitude prick my eyes again.

He immediately winced, "Again with tears", he said worriedly and I laughed and shook my head, "I just...I'm so grateful..."

"And so are we", he told me, "for you"

I smiled at him wholeheartedly, "Thank you"

"Promise me", he said, "Promise me you'll believe in yourself"

I nodded, "Promise", I told him, "But you know, I will mess up some time, it's like my forte"

He smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way", he told me, "because when you mess up, we'll all be right there to help you set things right. You'll never be alone. That's what a family does right"

"Right", I told him before bending forward to hug him, "That's what a family does"

He held me tightly as we both savored each other's presence. And I knew that as long as he was here, everything would be alright.

"Speaking of family", Kai spoke up, making me pull away to look at his face, "There's something else I needed to tell you, it's important"

I nodded encouragingly.

"It's about the lost Lunas. We found one of them"

My eyes widened and I immediately sat straighter, giving him my undivided attention. I noticed that his voice lacked the enthusiasm I expected there to be, and I knew why...

"She is in Canada", I breathed out and his jaw clenched as he nodded.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, "Have you thought of a plan of how to get to her?"

He nodded, "There is a plan, and but we'll need your help to set things into motion"

"Of course I'll help! In whatever way possible"

"We actually need you to help us find a way to get her to come to Dublin, after the Annual Games are over"

Dublin...

"That's where we are going to meet her"

Wait a minute...

"We're meeting her in Dublin"

He nodded.

"In a week"

He nodded again. In his eyes I could see that he was waiting for me to piece it together, and when I put two and two together my eyes went wide in shock and I felt the blood drain from my face.

"You mean..."

He nodded once again, swallowing hard.

"The Luna is Karina"

****

"Which one?"

"We don't know that yet"

I groaned into my hands in exasperation at Marco's reply as I sat hunched over on one of the chairs in the library.

Right after Kai had told me that my sister was one of the lost Lunas, I had nearly had a panic attack. As if it wasn't bad enough that she was the sister of their arch enemy's mate, she was also a freakin' Luna Extraordinaire! It just made the matter ten times worse!

And we don't know which Luna she is yet...

Kai had immediately asked everyone to reassemble in the library, and that's where we were now, waiting for Alpha Penson and Rino to arrive, while I, Zuerien, Marco, and Cole sat around the table. Luna Prophecy was still asleep and Mr. Talon was with her.

"But you're certain Karina is one of the Lunas?" I asked and all the men exchanged glances before nodding at me.

"It's the very first time Prophecy has actually seen one of the Luna's faces", Marco told me, "And when we showed her the picture of Karina that Talon sent to us using your phone, she confirmed it. Karina was without a doubt the woman she saw"

"But you said that she didn't sense a Luna's aura emanating from her right? So how can she be so sure?" I asked worriedly.

"Well, for starters Luna Prophecy teleported to you even though you had already been retrieved to the Kingdom", Cole replied, "And we think that is because you are closely related to Karina who happens to one of the Lunas"

Zuerien nodded, "Also, all the places related to you that we scored off on the Teleportation Manuscript, thinking that they could have nothing to do with the lost Lunas, could actually be important after all, because you and Karina grew up together"

I chewed on my lip nervously as Zuerien asked, "Are you sure Karina has never displayed any unusual abilities? Nothing at all out of the ordinary?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't remember her doing anything that was even remotely Supernatural", I told him,

"Or maybe she did, and you just didn't realize it"

All our heads shot towards entrance and we found Alpha Penson walking up to us with a smile, followed by Rino.

All the men nodded at them while I smiled. Rino gasped, "ANNA!" he cried out beaming, before running towards me.

I grinned and stood up, not missing how Zuerien tensed in the chair beside me.

"Rino", Zuerien grit out with warning in his voice, as Rino approached me with his arms wide open.

Rino immediately stopped and turned to Zuerien before throwing his arms around him making a cacophony of gasps sound from the rest of us.

"Oh you big tough guy you!" he said hugging a horrified Zuerien tightly, "You made up with Anna didn't you? I'm so proud!"

"ARGH!" Zuerien cried out, pulling himself out of Rino's tight grasp, "Man! What is it with you?!" he growled, "Have you ever heard of personal space before?"

"Uh-huh", Rino nodded grinning, "Once"

I laughed while Zuerien just exhaled exasperatedly.

Rino...

He suddenly looked at me and beamed, "Are you feeling better now Anna?"

I nodded smiling, "Much, thank you. And you?"

I remembered how the weather had turned stormy again right after I had run away from Zuerien crying.

"I'm great!" he exclaimed, "I was suddenly feeling sad again earlier, but now I'm happy again. I'm so moody nowadays"

I laughed, "You're not the only one", I replied remembering how much I had cried all day.

"Did you like the underw-"

"RINO!" Zuerien shouted cutting him off, while my eyes slowly widened.

Underw-...he didn't mean...the lingerie???

"Don't tell me", Rino looked at Zuerien wide-eyed, "You didn't give her the underw-"

"Rino, just be quiet and sit down", Zuerien said hurriedly, while I could feel my cheeks start to heat up as all the other men in the room exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"But Wolfa, the underw-"

Zuerien abruptly stood up, "Rino, one more word and you won't get to sit in on any more discussions about the Lost Lunas"

Rino gasped and quickly zipped his mouth, gesturing that he wouldn't say another word. Zuerien relaxed a little, "Good. Now go sit down"

Nodding, Rino immediately sat himself down...on Zuerien's seat.

Marco choked on a laugh and Cole sniggered into his hand while I bit my lip to stop myself from giggling. Alpha Penson sat down, smiling and shaking his head while Zuerien just took deep breaths to calm himself before taking the seat to my left.

I too sat down, before exchanging grins with Rino. It was like he could lighten up anyone's day, I really liked him!

Zuerien would disagree though, I thought, smiling to myself.

Once everyone was settled, we all looked at Alpha Penson expectantly, "What did you mean John?" Zuerien asked him.

Maybe she did, and you just didn't realize it

"Exactly what it sounded like Alpha", Alpha Penson responded with a smile, "Unless you're specifically looking for Supernatural events, it's quite easy to miss them. A human who experiences something Supernatural but passes it off as a 'trick of the eyes' is not unheard of"

"Really?" I asked wide eyed and he nodded.

"Of course Suzzanah", he replied, "Think about it. Suppose you were still the young woman who knew nothing about Supernaturals, if you suddenly saw a spirit who, at one moment, was next to you and had disappeared in the next, wouldn't your first thought be 'I must have imagined it' and not 'I just saw a ghost'?"

I cringed, he was right, I most certainly would think the former.

"In reality, humans have Supernatural experiences quite often", Alpha Penson told us, "but they end up reacting in one of two possibilities. One-", he held up one finger, "They brush it of off and say, 'It's impossible'", he said, "Or two-", he held up a second finger and smiled, "They rejoice in the moment and say 'It's a miracle'"

My eyes widened slowly as I realized what he was getting at. He smiled knowingly, "So Suzzanah, tell me, have you and Karina ever experienced miracles?"

Miracles...

My heart rate sped up as, one after another, experiences from my past started to flash before my eyes, and certain random yet vivid memories stood out like white on black.

Have you and Karina ever experienced miracles?

"Yes..." I found myself saying as I looked back at Alpha Penson. The familiar knowing glint in his eyes sparkled as he smiled at me and I repeated, "Yes...we have...in a way..."

He nodded for me to go on and I bit my lip not knowing how to explain myself, "Thing is...", I said uncertainly, "I don't know if what I believe or believed, as a child, to be a miracle, actually was one", I told him and he his eyebrows rose.

"Of course it was Suzzanah", he said matter-of-factly, "If you thought of it as a miracle then it was a miracle"

I gave him a smile, but it didn't reach my eyes.

When I was a kid...almost every good thing that ever happened to me was like a miracle

Immediately Zuerien's large hand covered mine, his touch warm and soothing. I looked at him, knowing that he must have read my mind, and in his eyes, I immediately saw the reassurance I needed to see.

I smiled at him, before inhaling deeply once more. My childhood was a difficult one, but I needed to remember that it was all in the past now. It was over.

I'm okay.

"I had a toy I really loved when I was younger", I started, "It was this little toy camera. You know, the kind which you bring up to your eye and when you press a button, the picture inside changes to something else", I said smiling and they nodded, all wearing reminiscent smiles of their own.

"I loved that toy camera so much that I used to carry it everywhere with me, like literally all over the place. I'd even take it with me to the bathroom", I added with a laugh.

I stopped for a second before continuing, "But then...one day...it broke", I told them, "And I remember feeling like it was the end of the world", I laughed, "I spent almost all day crying over it"

"That evening, when Karina got back from school, I had shown her the toy and told her it had stopped working, that it was broken", I laughed, "And when she took it from me, instead of handling it carefully like anyone would something that was broken, I remember Karina had shaken it so violently that one of caretakers had thought she was having a fit"

All the men smiled together, even Zuerien, and I couldn't help but smile widely with them.

"I remember how she had shouted at the toy, telling it to work", I said grinning, "I had pulled it away from her feeling horrified but what had really shocked me was that right after I took it from her, it started working again!"

Everyone's jaws dropped and I laughed, "Yeah, that was my reaction too", I told them, "But regardless, that day, I was the happiest kid on the planet. It was...a Miracle!" I finished with a huge smile.

They all smiled at me and I leaned back against my chair, "After that time, Karina got it into her head that anything would start working again if she gave it a good shake", I chuckled, "So if anything ever broke like a toy car or the radio or even our caretaker's glasses, she'd shake everything broken she could get hands on"

Cole, Rino and Marco burst out laughing and I joined in with them, "Funny thing was, many a times, it would work! They were all these little miracles from my childhood"

I looked at Alpha Penson, "I know this wasn't exactly what you meant when you asked about miracles but-"

"Oh no Suzzanah, this is fine", Alpha Penson said smiling, "So whatever she shook really hard just started working again?" he asked.

I laughed, "Very often, yeah", I told him, "Thing was, it would only work if she shook it, it never worked for anyone else. She was like a mini-fairy God mother to all us poor orphan children", I said smiling, "She was always full of surprises"

"And this shaking", Alpha Penson said, "Did it work for humans too?"

I stared at him wide eyed and so did everyone else, "What?"

He smiled, "Did she ever do it to any humans?"

I chuckled, "Well...I don't think so...I hope not", I finished suddenly feeling rather worried. Could it be that she used to randomly shake people she thought something was wrong with? Was that why the school's headmistress was always calling her a wild child?

I was still wondering about that when Alpha Penson asked, "Anything else that you can remember Suzzanah? Any unusual events from your childhood"

I chewed on my lip thoughtfully before another very vivid memory flashed before my eyes and I went very still.

That day...

A sudden pain flooded my body and I cringed involuntarily making all the men bend towards me in alarm.

"Suzzanah", Zuerien said, concern flooding his face instantly.

I shook my head, "Its nothing, don't worry", I said quickly, "I just...I just remembered a bad memory..."

Everyone visibly relaxed, but I didn't, knowing I needed to tell them the memory...knowing it could be significant. I looked at Alpha Penson who had seemed to have sensed my impending decision and was watching me quietly.

I took a deep breath before starting, "When I was 7 years old and Karina was 9, she had met with an accident", I said softly, finding it hard not to feel pained at the memory, "She had fallen down a construction site and hurt herself badly. When we had pulled her out, she had been unconscious and by the time we had taken her to the hospital, she had...lost a lot of blood"

My heart clenched in pain in remembrance of my sister's bruised face and bloodied body. I remembered how afraid I had been as they had taken her into the hospital room. Till this day, I didn't think anything could scare me as much as the thought of losing her did that day.

"The doctors had said that she had suffered a severe concussion", I said, "And after they had done everything they could...they had told us...that she was in a coma"

Zuerien's grip on my hand tightened and I exhaled shakily, "I remember spending all night by her side crying and asking her to wake up", I said softly, "I had heard the doctors saying she had no brain activity. Back then...I didn't even really know what that meant. But one of them had said... 'there is no hope'...that was what had gotten to me most"

I took another deep breath, calming myself, "I couldn't believe my sister was gone, and I refused to let anyone tell me otherwise", I told them before smiling, "And the very next morning...Karina was up, she was awake and responsive"

Everyone in the room relaxed, some even releasing breaths of relief, and I smiled at them, "That...was another miracle", I told them, "Karina made an extremely speedy recovery, and the doctor was so happy that he charged us only half the money we actually owed him"

I grinned, feeling relief and joy mingle inside of me, "Ever since then, Karina has been the healthiest person I have ever known", I said, "She never fell sick, she almost never got injured and even if she did, she'd heal real fast, I mean, not as fast as you guys but overnight", I told them, "She did however lose consciousness twice in her teen years", I said, "But both times, when she woke up, she was as healthy as a person could be, and no one could really tell why she even fainted"

Marco sat back against his chair, "Whoa...she sounds like Prophecy"

Everyone nodded wide eyed, including myself, "Yeah...actually", I agreed, "But it happened very rarely for Karina"

"Did she say anything about the time when she was unconscious?" Alpha Penson asked, "Anything unusual?

"It's funny that you would ask", I said, "Yes actually, that time in the hospital, when I had spent the night crying next to her...when Karina woke up, she could remember everything I had said", I told him, "She told me that she had heard me and even seen me sitting by the side of her bed. Apparently, she had dreamt of it"

Alpha Penson's brows rose slightly and he nodded, "What about the other two times?" he asked.

"She didn't really remember much from the other two times that she collapsed", I told him, "She did tell me that she had had really vivid dreams in which she was wandering the school corridors, but nothing else apart from that"

"And what did those around her say?" he asked, "Did something trigger her loss of consciousness like low blood sugar or extreme fatigue?"

"No", I shook my head, "They said she randomly collapsed while talking to them"

Everyone looked at each other confused and I too chewed on my lip in puzzlement, "After she had fainted a second time in a similar manner, we had taken her to the hospital for a checkup", I told them, "but the doctors had said she was perfectly healthy and it was probably dehydration or stress that caused her to lose consciousness. And it never happened again after that so we just let it go"

A strange feeling of dread settled inside of me as I asked, "Why Alpha Penson? Is something wrong?"

He looked up at me thoughtfully and seeing the worry in my face deepen he quickly shook his head, "No Suzzanah, nothing is wrong", he told sincerely, "I was just wondering if I could relate these events to either of the lost Lunas..."

"And can you?" I asked and he shook his head, "Not really", he said, "But just because it doesn't seem significant now, doesn't mean it isn't. I think it would be best to talk to Karina about this when we meet her in Dublin next week"

He smiled at me and I immediately smiled back feeling excitement flood my veins. Finally, I was going to meet my sister after so long!

"Now to think of how to get her to Dublin next week", Alpha Penson said and my smile immediately fell.

HUH?

I looked around at the men sitting at the table who were all smiling at me sheepishly. I looked at Zuerien who cringed slightly.

"We haven't figured that part out yet"

****

"Couldn't you tell one of your human acquaintances to convey the message to her?" I asked Cole.

"I'm afraid that'll seem too suspicious Luna", Cole replied, "Up till now, there is a high chance that the Shadow People believe that you and your sister know nothing about the Supernaturals and are oblivious to their existence", he said, "but if some random human whom Karina doesn't even know goes up to her to deliver a message from you, her sister in the enemy territory, it's bound to raise suspicion"

"And that's the last thing we want", Marco sighed and I nodded.

"How about you call one of her friends in Canada and she gives her the message?"

I sighed and shook my head at Rino's idea, "No", I said, "I don't have any numbers of her friends in Canada"

"But you must have some common acquaintances right?" Zuerien asked and I nodded, "yeah...from back at the orphanage"

"And do any of them still live in the Middle East?" he asked and I nodded, "Yeah"

"John", he said turning to Alpha Penson, "The Middle East is neutral territory, we have almost no enemies there and neither do they. If she can contact someone from there, and they convey the message to Karina, it should be alright shouldn't it?"

Alpha Penson sighed, "Technically yes, it should. But it also depends on what exactly the message is. It needs to be something that won't raise anyone else's suspicions that something is wrong. If instead of calling her sister directly, Suzzanah asks an intermediary to convey the message, they will most definitely have questions"

I sighed, they definitely would.

"Besides which, we don't exactly know how the situation is in Canada", Alpha Penson continued, "Especially after the blank call from Karina's number that Suzzanah received last night, it's quite certain that they are pulling more levers than we are"

A chill ran down my spine at the thought of last night's call. They had only just told me that that call had not been most certainly not been from Karina, and it was safe to say that I had nearly had a heart attack.

"He's right", Cole said, "They're probably monitoring all of Karina's calls, especially now that they probably know that she knows about their identity"

"THEY WHAT?!"

Cole immediately cringed and all the men stared at him wide-eyed while I gasped at him with my heart in my throat.

THEY KNEW?!?!

"Suzzanah, please calm down", Zuerien said quickly as I started to hyperventilate.

"They know she knows?" I asked terrified and winced before nodding, "Its quite likely"

"OH MY GOD!" I cried out feeling panic and fear sear through my veins, "Karina..."

"Suzzanah, sweetheart stay calm"

"What is this?!" I shot out of my seat, "Why didn't you tell me you thought that they knew?!" I asked horrified.

"I was going to tell you", he told me, trying to calm me down, "I just didn't know how to without freaking you out"

I clutched my forehead as my heart raced in my chest. They knew that Karina knew...they knew...Oh my God, Karina!

"I need to call her"

Everyone's faces immediately turned shocked and Zuerien stood up, "Suzzanah, relax"

I shook my head, "I need to speak with my sister. I need to know she is alright"

"Suzzanah-"

"Please let me call her", I begged, immediately making Zuerien cringe, "Please, I'm...I'm really scared Zuerien"

He immediately held me gently by my arms, "Suzzanah you can't call Karina's cell phone remember", he told me, "She told you that herself, the call most likely won't go through to her, but to someone else"

"God", I breathed out, burying my face in his chest and he immediately hugged me close. I was starting to panic really badly, the fear of something happening to my sister was driving me insane.

"Please do something", I begged him softly making him tighten his grip around me, "Please help my sister"

"We will Suzzanah, Karina is going to be alright"

"I need to know she's okay...", I said softly, trying to keep myself from breaking down, "Please Zuerien..."

He didn't reply and I knew he was thinking of what exactly he could do to help. Before he could reply Alpha Penson spoke up, "There may be one way"

I immediately raised my head from Zuerien's chest to look at Alpha Penson wide eyed, much like everyone else in the room.

"John", Zuerien breathed out and Alpha Penson nodded, "The answer to both the problem of getting Karina to Dublin, as well as making sure Karina is alright right now, is the same"

He turned to look at Marco, whose eyes immediately widened, "Please tell me you're not serious", Marco said shaking his head and Alpha Penson exhaled heavily.

"I'm afraid I am", he said before turning back to look at me and Zuerien.

"Prophecy"

****

"There is no way she is going to get this right"

Marco paced the library exasperatedly while the rest of exchanged helpless looks.

"She could if she really tried", Rino said, "Have faith in Profussy, Hanko"

"Oh I have faith alright!" Marco cried out, not even bothering to correct Rino, "I have complete faith that she is going to mess up big time. That cow can't even control where she teleports to, let alone whether she goes in Spirit or Physically. If we leave this up to her, she'll probably end up teleporting to some remote island in 200 BC physically, and get stuck there forever!"

I chewed on my lip anxiously, wondering what to do. Alpha Penson's proposition was that if Luna Prophecy could for once control where and how she teleported, then she could go to Dublin, Ireland, in the future, one week from now, and make sure whether or not the Luna in Dublin was Karina.

If it was Karina, then we wouldn't need to do anything to get her there. We'd invariably meet Karina there in a week because that's where she would be.

And about the issue of making sure whether or not Karina was okay now could also be taken care of if Prophecy could teleport, in spirit, to Canada, in present time and see how she was doing.

It's a proposition worth considering!

But the problem was Luna Prophecy had next to no control over her powers. If she ended up teleporting to Canada physically then she be in all sorts of trouble because that was enemy territory. It was a huge risk.

"It's alright, she doesn't need to teleport to Canada, in present time", I spoke up making everyone, including Marco, turn and look at me, "If she can just teleport to Dublin in the future a week from now, and confirm if the Luna she saw was Karina, then that'll be enough. If Karina is alright one week in the future from now, she is bound to be alright now too, right?"

I couldn't keep my voice from wavering as I said those words, making Zuerien put an arm around me. Truth was, I wasn't very convinced of that fact myself, but right now this was the most I could ask for. I couldn't risk putting Luna Prophecy in danger of teleporting to Canada or some other enemy territory physically.

But what if the Luna she saw in Dublin isn't Karina?

I exhaled shakily, trying to keep my calm. I knew that if Karina wasn't the Luna whom Prophecy saw in Dublin, then neither of our problems would be solved. We'd still have to find a way to get Karina to Dublin somehow and I still wouldn't know if she was doing okay.

Closing my eyes, I shook my head. I needed to be positive. Right now, I needed to hope for the best and...

Be strong...

I felt a presence in front of me and I opened my eyes to find Marco looking down at me apologetically.

"I'm sorry Queen", he said softly, "I know you're extremely worried about Karina and her wellbeing. I didn't mean to sound so uncaring by rejecting the idea of letting Prophecy try"

I quickly shook my head, "Please don't apologize Marco, I understand", I told him, "Prophecy is your sister, just like Karina is mine. I understand why you're so worried that something will go wrong if we ask her to do this. Honestly, I'm already demanding more than my right by asking her to try and go to Dublin"

"That isn't true Luna", Cole intervened, "Karina is one of the lost Lunas. She is important to all of us, and retrieving her is our responsibility. You're not asking for too much, in fact doing at least this much is our duty"

"He's right Queen", Marco replied, "Don't feel bad. I apologize on behalf of my cousin that she can't be of service to you in more ways. It's just...Prophecy is hardwired to malfunction, and knowing that, if we still send her into enemy territory, it would literally be like asking them to kill her"

"I know what you mean", I said, "It's absolutely alright"

"Great!" Rino exclaimed, "So now all that's left is to wait for Profussy to wake up so that we can tell her"

"I'm sure she'll jump at the idea of being able to help the Queen in any way", Alpha Penson said and I smiled.

"I'll be forever grateful to her", I said and Marco shook his head, "You really don't have to be Queen. It'll be her pleasure. In fact, if she hears about the idea of going to Canada to make sure that Karina is alright, she'll definitely want to do it"

"Then it's probably best she doesn't know", I said, "I don't want her getting in trouble because of me"

"Its settled then", Alpha Penson said, "We'll talk about this to Prophecy the first thing when she wakes up. Let's hope, the Luna she saw in Dublin was Karina"

Let's hope...

No one said anything about what would happen if it wasn't Karina, but in a way, I was glad. It meant they were all desperately pinning their hopes on it being her. Right now, hoping for the best was all we could do.

"Let's also hope that she can make it to Dublin and back in one piece", Marco said sitting down.

"I'm sure she'll manage", Rino replied, "This will be the third time Profussy will teleport to Dublin after all?"

"Third time?" I asked and Zuerien nodded.

"The second time Prophecy ever teleported, she went to Dublin, physically remember", he said and I tried to recall the names of the places written on the Teleportation Manuscript.

"Because she was still inexperienced back then, and not to mention scared shitless, she never figured out whether it was present time, past or future", Marco added.

"So she met one of the Lunas back then too?" I asked and they all nodded.

"Yes she did Suzzanah", Alpha Penson replied, "It had been night time, and it was raining. That was apparently when she met her"

"And as expected, Prophecy didn't see her face", Marco said, "But she had been a grown woman and not a child, so we are presuming that Prophecy had been in the future when she had met her"

"I see", I said nodding, "Is there any chance that it could be an event that is to happen next week when we go to Dublin?" I asked.

Alpha Penson smiled, "Yes Suzzanah, it is very much possible. When Prophecy teleported to Dublin this morning, it had been morning there too. So it could be that she had either seen the same Luna both at night as well as in the morning on the two different occasions that she teleported to Dublin, or it could be that she had seen both the Lunas, one in the night and the other in the morning"

"But we can't be sure if they happened during the same time frame or on consecutive days because we don't know the date and time to which Prophecy teleported when she first went to Dublin", Zuerien told me.

"Luna Prophecy has a really hard job", I said softly, "I can't imagine how much courage it must take, it's really admirable"

"Prophecy would probably die and go to heaven if she heard you say that", Marco grinned, "She's sort of a big fan of yours"

"Are you kidding? I'm beginning to fangirl over her!" I said and he chuckled, "Well, it's safe to say you'll get along swell"

"I can't wait to meet her", I said genuinely.

"I've informed Talon to let us know as soon as Prophecy wakes up", Cole said.

Zuerien nodded, "Okay. So shall we leave it at that for now?"

Alpha Penson nodded, "Yes, we'll meet here again once Prophecy had woken up and is ready"

"Oki doki!" Rino sat standing up and stretching, "So which one of you is going to accompany me to the pool?"

I smiled, "I'll come"

Rino grinned, "GREAT!"

"Rino, remember, five-foot distance", Zuerien told him and he nodded.

"Don't worry Wolfa, I'll remember", he said, "But what if Anna is drowning?"

Zuerien's head immediately whipped towards me, "You can swim can't you?" he asked agitatedly and I smiled.

"Yes I can, don't worry", I told him, "I'm actually a pro!"

"So am I!" Rino beamed, "We'll have lots of fun!"

I don't like the sound of that, I heard Kai growl out inside my head.

I exhaled a laugh and shook my head, Relax, all yours remember?

Zuerien bent down and pressed a kiss in the crook of my neck.

All mine.

*****

The time spent at the pool was probably the most fun I had had since I got here. Rino was like my long lost soul brother. I had quickly taken a detour to my room and changed out of the lovely dress Zuerien had gifted me, into one of my old shorts and a tank top. Zuerien had refused to let me go with Rino in a swim suit, not that I had bought one with me anyway.

We had jumped at least 10 cannonballs each, and swam nearly 35 laps before I was so tired that I thought I really would drown.

Rino had stunned me out of my wits by suddenly raising me up along with huge wave of water and gently setting me down at the edge of the pool. It had taken me nearly 2 and half minutes to come out of my state of shock.

Being a Water Elemental, he could control water in all its forms. Seeing as the poolside was empty, he had shown me many neat tricks, including the cool water ball trick I had seen him doing the very first time I had seen him.

After that, we had sat down and made appropriate four lettered short forms for everyone's names so the he could remember them.

Talon became Talo, and we had laughed at the fact that it sounded a lot like halo, or J-lo.

Annabelle became Bell, because Anna was already taken.

And Zuerien, when he wasn't Kai or Wolfa, became Zuri. Rino had initially suggested other combinations of the letters in his name, but they all sounded too much like urine, so we let it go.

We tried coming up with something for Marco, like Marc or Arco or even Rona or Aldo from him last name Ronaldo, but somehow Rino just couldn't remember those, so at last we called quits and left Marco's name to the spur of the moment.

Sorry Marco, we tried...

We had spent the rest of time telling each other our likes and dislikes. Turned out he was a diehard foodie, loved taking long walks, loved singing, dancing and swimming and, of course, loved hugs.

He reminded me of Olaf from the movie Frozen!

I had laughed for quite a while when he had told me that he identified with Olaf. He told me that it was perfect because Olaf and Ana were friends, even in the movie. In honor of that, he had almost decided to call Karina Elsa, but then settled for Rina because he liked how it sounded.

"Rina, Rino, it has a ring to it. If you were Rana instead of Anna, the three of us would sound like siblings!" he had said, but thankfully, settled for sticking with Anna.

We had spent almost two hours at the pool, with Zuerien mind-linking me every half hour to ask if I was alright and if he needed to kill Rino yet. I had started to get used to the whole 'speaking in one's head' thing, and realized now that it was rather convenient to not be dependent on a phone for long distance communication.

It would be nice if Karina and I could mindlink...

After rinsing the chlorine off our bodies, I and Rino headed back towards the cottages and got hopelessly lost owing to our shared complete inability to maintain any sense of direction. We had bumped into Delta Del on the way, who I was happy to see had made a full recovery and was looking hale and healthy, and he had led us back to the cottages.

After dropping me at my room, they had both bid me goodbye and headed off into the woods. Rino said that he wanted to go search for that pure stream he had felt yesterday, and Del had assured me that he would keep an eye on him. So after many, many repeated instructions to be careful and not get lost, I had finally waved goodbye to him and Del, and walked back into my room.

Megan wasn't inside. Somehow feeling rather lonely without her there, I quickly locked the room and walked to Room number 7, which I found out, was Zuerien's room. Shocker!

After discreetly slipping inside, I had read and re-read Zuerien's notes many times before quickly taking a shower. Even though this was only his temporary room, the thought of showering in his bathroom and changing in his bedroom made my entire body flush red like a raspberry.

Sharing a room was just so...intimate!

Once I had showered, I changed into another one of the pretty sundresses that Zuerien had bought for me. He had said that he would take me to the orphanage this evening, once he took care of some important work he had.

I decided to go to the restaurant and pick up some snacks for the kids, but somehow ended up going in the complete opposite direction and ended up at the Game Grounds instead. The events for that evening were almost over and everyone was just heading back to their rooms to shower and have snacks.

That's when I suddenly remembered the archery practice and quickly rushed to find the archery field. Mr. Talon was supposed to show me but he was busy, so I'd just have to find it myself. It was probably best because knowing Mr. Talon, he'd probably lose his head worrying about me impaling myself with an arrow, or poking out an eye.

It was unbelievable how large the Game Grounds were, but after a little looking and asking around, I found the archery field. The last of the archers were just leaving with their things. I waited till everyone had left before walking closer to where the bows and arrows were placed.

It had been almost 3 years since I had last held a bow and arrow in my hand and just the sight of them sent shivers of excitement down my spine. I wondered if anyone would object if I tried my hand at it once, but since all events were open to whoever wanted to participate, it was probably okay.

I had taken archery lessons for 6 years, starting when I was 11 till I turned 17. But even in those 6 years of practice, I had only managed to get a perfect score and hit the bulls-eye once. And the day I did was the very last time I held a bow and arrow in my hand.

That is...until today...

I smiled as my fingers grazed the sleek wood of the longbow, feelings of nostalgic washing over me like waves. Hesitantly, I reached out and picked it up. It was heavy, but I had used ones this heavy before and it felt good to hold one again.

Walking to where arrows were placed, I picked one up. Unlike the carbon or aluminum ones used in modern day competitions, the arrows here were made of wood, like in the olden days.

Grinning, I walked towards the shooting line. The target was about 25-30 meters away and I could see the concentric colored rings on it- white, black, blue, red and gold- all designating different points, gold being the highest, 10 points.

I hadn't practiced at in a while, but years of training didn't just disappear after all. I may not get a bulls-eye, but I was hoping I'd at least hit the target.

Taking a deep breath, I quickly tied my hair up in a bun before standing sideways with my legs apart. My body felt charged as I placed the nock of the arrow onto the string of the bow, just like it did every time I had to give an exam in archery class.

Electric anticipation seared through my veins as I positioned the arrow on the bow and pulled the string back. The position felt slightly uncomfortable after so many years, but at the same time it also felt exhilarating. My heart rate sped up and my skin felt warm as excitement flooded my body.

If I told Karina about this, she would be ecstatic. She had always been such an enthusiast when it came to me learning archery. Then again, Karina had been an enthusiast about almost everything I loved to do. She always supported me to pursue my dreams and helped in every way possible to achieve them. She was my hero.

Karina...

"Be safe Rina", I whispered as my eyes focused on the target.

A cool breeze brushed against the flushed skin of my neck, face and legs and I took a deep breath, locking my target in my sight. And then, exhaling in a rush, I released the arrow in a flash and it flew across the ground, tearing through cold air at an enormous speed.

And as I watched with bated breath, it flew to the target, and sunk deep into it nice and firm, making my eyes widen.

Inner red ring- meaning 8 points.

Letting out a joyous cry, I skipping happily on my toes as I clapped my hands like a little kid, "Yes! I knew I still had it in me!"

"So it seems"

My breath caught in my throat at the sound of a familiar voice and my head whipped around to find none other than Zuerien himself, leaning against a tree casually, watching me with a small smile playing on his lips.

My smile immediately fell and my eyes widened in shock "Z-Zuerien!" I breathed out flabbergasted and quickly tried to hide the longbow behind me, as he continued to watch me with his intense gaze, his eyes not straying from my face.

When had he gotten here?!

The sight of his tall, muscular frame sent all sorts of feeling flooding through my body, and I immediately felt conscious under his powerful gaze.

A flush creeped up my neck and I cringed, "I didn't even hear you come", I said awkwardly.

He didn't reply, but continued to watch me with a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. I looked down, not being able to maintain eye contact and fidgeted nervously on my feet.

"I was just...playing around", I told him, tucking a few strands of stray hair behind my ear.

"Is that so?" he asked with a smirk, "Well you must have amazing luck then"

My head shot up and my gaze met him, "Ah! It wasn't just luck", I told him defensively, "I took classes when I was younger, and I used to be pretty darn good"

"Oh?"

He raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement and I immediately felt butterflies in my stomach. My blush deepened and so did my nervousness.

Don't feel conscious Suzzanah, I told myself, And don't fidget. Show him that what you're saying is true. He may be the big bad Alpha Wolf with the body of Adonis and the strength of ten men, but this is your forte girl! Keep your head up!

I immediately raised my head a little higher, trying to seem confident. I was still somewhat embarrassed that he had seen me jumping around squealing even though my result had been far from perfect.

"So you've learnt archery", Zuerien's deep husky baritone immediately caught my attention, "For how long?"

"Six years", I told him and he smirked, "For someone who trained for 6 years in the past, don't you think that shot was rather...bad?"

I gaped at him, "Well, excuse me!" I said glaring at him, "I haven't practiced in 3 years so this classifies as 'pretty good' in my book"

He smirked, "Is that so?" he drawled out, pushing himself away from the tree, immediately making my heart rate spike, "So...would you like to show me something better than that? Or is that all you've got sweetheart?"

I ignored the butterflies in my stomach on hearing his endearment and narrowed my eyes at him, "I'll show you exactly what I've got!" I told him haughtily before storming up to where the arrows were while mentally screaming at myself.

Why did I let him provoke me? How was I going to concentrate with him standing there in all his glory?

I really didn't know, but it was too late to back out now. Besides, if I managed to pull this off, he'd see that I wasn't quite as helpless as he thought I was. It'd help him acknowledge me as more than sweetheart Suzzanah, and maybe...it would make him a little more...proud!

Putting one arrow in my mouth, I walked back to the shooting line and took aim. I could feel his gaze on me and it was literally making shock waves run through my body. Trying to ignore them, I tried to focus on the target, but my hands kept trembling.

Calm down Suzzanah, I told myself, Show him that you're a strong girl who can take care of herself! Show him that you've got what it takes to be his Luna! Make him proud!

Taking a deep breath, I steadied my trembling body and forced myself to stay calm. My eyes found the target before zeroing in on the ring I was aiming for- gold.

Just like Zuerien's eyes

I quickly shook that thought and concentrated on shooting. Once I was sure about my positioning and my aim, I sucked in a breath and released the arrow.

It flew through the air like a missile from its launcher, and I watched with bated breath as it reached the target and hit it hard.

Red ring.

I let out a frustrated groan, and my teeth dug into the wooden arrow in my mouth.

Darn! I was so close.

I reached up to pull out the other arrow from my mouth when I felt Zuerien's presence right next to me. My head whipped to the side and then up, and my eyes zeroed in on his brown orbs which looked darker than they usually did when it was Zuerien.

"Alright", he said, "So I think we've both seen enough of your 'pretty good'. Now..." one of his hands went around my back and I immediately went stiff, "how about we see your 'really good'"

Before I could move away, his large palm pressed into my back and he pulled me into his chest with the bow being the only thing keeping us apart. His head bent towards mine and my eyes immediately went wide I shock.

What is he doing?!

I bit harder into the arrow in mouth and tried to push myself away from him, for fear that someone could be watching, but his hand kept me anchored to him. As his nose grazed mine, I squeezed my eyes shut, a silent screech escaping my lips.

His soft lips first touched left corner of my mouth, and my heart thundered inside my chest as he moved them all the way to the right corner, his lips grazing mine all the way. My knees nearly gave out underneath me when I felt his teeth graze my lower lip, before his lips touched the right corner of my mouth, then moved further away.

I was still desperately trying to keep myself oriented when I felt a tug at the arrow between my teeth and as I involuntarily released it, my eyes shot open to find it now sitting elegantly between Zuerien's pearly whites.

His lips pulled into a lazy smirk before he let me go, stealing the bow from me while he was at it. I gaped at him in unmasked disbelief. He did not just do that!

He pulled the arrow out of his mouth and mounted it on the bow, nocking it on the bowstring nonchalantly, as though he had not just kiss-assaulted me while taking my arrow.

Feeling extremely embarrassed, I immediately turned away but almost instantly his hand came around my waist and I was pulled into him yet again, my back flush against his solid chest, immediately making tingles explode all over my skin.

My eyes went wide, "What are you-"

"Shhh", he silenced my cries and suddenly brought his right hand in front of me, at level with my chest and almost grazing it.

I gasped and pressed myself further into his chest, trying to avoid contact with his hand touching my breasts, when suddenly his left arm also came around me to the front, and in his palm was grasped the bow I had been practicing with.

"Grip", he told me, motioning for me to take the grasp the bow's grip.

I flushed and tried to pull away, "Zuerien this is-"

His right palm pressed into my stomach, pulling me back into his chest while he bent down till his lips grazed my earlobe, "Grip Suzzanah", he repeated making me shiver involuntarily at the sound of his deep, velvety baritone.

He pressed the bow's grip into my left palm and I hesitantly grabbed it. But when I went to pull it away from him, he held onto it, making my brow furrow. With his right hand, he pressed the arrow into my right palm and when I took it, he curled his large hand around mine before guiding it to mount the arrow on the bow.

I immediately knew what he was trying to do, and my heart rate sped up even more. I felt the muscles of his chest flex against my back making more tingles and fireworks erupt all over me. After nocking the arrow onto the string, we held the bow out in front of us, our hands and bodies moving in sync.

We pulled the bowstring back together and he let me bring it till the nock of the arrow was a little below the level of my eye. To my surprise he lowered it a little further, his slight stubble grazing the skin of my cheek as he levelled his face with mine.

My heart was now racing at an alarming speed inside my chest and my breath was coming out ragged. I licked my lips which had gone dry, and swallowed hard. The tingles increased double-fold and my skin flushed against his touch.

The rich scent of wet soil assaulted my senses, clouding my mind and making it harder for me to concentrate. My fingers started to tremble again and I bit my lip hard in nervousness.

"Calm down", Zuerien told me softly, his voice making my heart skip a beat, "You're too stiff, loosen your body a little, relax"

My body involuntarily responded to his words, immediately relaxing so I felt a little more comfortable, but making sure that my form was still appropriate.

"Okay, now concentrate on your target", he instructed, "there is no rush, take your time and make sure your grip and form is steady before you shoot"

I nodded doing as he told me. Once I was felt ready to shoot, he moved the bow a little more to the left and held it firmly there.

"Okay Suzzanah", he said, "Ready?"

I released a breath and nodded.

"Shoot!"

We both released the arrow at the same time and watched as it skid along the bow and then out into the air. I held my breath as the arrow cut through the air at the speed of light and all breath left my body as it sunk deep into the target, the shaft sticking out firmly and the ring standing out proudly.

Gold.

A squeal of ecstasy escaped my lips, "Oh my God! A perfect hit!" I cried out, feeling exhilarated.

"Bulls-eye!" I said ecstatically as I whipped around to face Zuerien with a huge grin.

I found him looking down at me with soft affectionate eyes, a small smile gracing his lips, "That-" he tucked a few strands behind my ear, "-was a really good shot", he said, the back of his palm brushing down my cheek.

Tingles immediately rushed down my body as I smiled, "Thank you..." I said wholeheartedly.

He smiled and shook his head, "So where did you learn archery?" he asked me.

"My sister's friend's mother taught me", I told him, "she was an archery instructor"

"And you learnt for six years?"

I nodded.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it!" I told him grinning widely, "I had been so upset when I had to stop"

"Why did you?" he asked.

"Karina and I had to move away", I told him, "But now, it feels so good to be shooting again"

"Have you ever entered any competitions before?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. I shook my head and he asked, "Would you like to?"

That caught my attention and my brow furrowed.

"The archery event is being held day after tomorrow", he told me, "Anyone can participate. Would you like to?"

My heart skipped a beat and I bit my lower lip before answering, "I would", I replied, "But I don't feel like I'm in any shape to participate in a competition"

When he didn't reply, my eyes moved up to his face to find his gaze locked on my lips, his eyes darkening many shades. I immediately released my lip from in between my teeth, feeling a flush creep up my neck. I cleared my throat catching his attention.

"That doesn't matter", he replied, his gaze finding my own, "If you want to, you should participate. Win or lose, it doesn't matter"

I snorted, "Says the man who is so arrogant about his wins that he goes as far as to bet-" I stopped mid-sentence, my eyes going wide in shock at what I had unintentionally reminded him off.

Oh dear God NO!

My wide eyes immediately zeroed in on the smirk that spread across his handsome face, while his eyes filled with a dark intensity that made my heart nearly burst out of my chest.

"That's right", he drawled out, "That bet", he took a step towards me, "The bet that I...won"

I flinched and quickly took a step back, "Y-You didn't exactly win", I stammered, "The finals have yet to take place"

He snorted, "Must I remind you sweetheart, that my competitor for the finals was already beaten by me yesterday?"

I gasped realizing that he was talking about Del, "I-Is that something to brag about you lout!" I shouted as he kept advancing towards me, "It is if it means that I win the bet"

"Win or lose, it doesn't matter remember!" I cried out while simultaneously looking around for a way to escape him.

"I guess I was wrong after all Suzzanah", he replied and in a flash he stood less than an inch away from me. A startled shout escaped my lips as I tried to jump away from him, but his hand immediately came around my waist, crushing me to his chest.

My head shot up to find that his eyes were now nearly pitch black save for a few brown flecks here and there. And the intense emotion I saw in their dark depths immediately made my heart rate sky rocket.

"Winning does matter", he drawled out, his dark gaze zeroing in on my lips, "And now...I want to claim my prize"

*****

Nock: A nock is a notch in the rearmost end of the arrow. It serves to keep the arrow in place on the string as the bow is being drawn.

Nocking: To fit an arrow on the bowstring and ready it for shooting

A/N

Hey darlings,

I know its been really long, I've been super busy lately. But to make up for the delay I made this chapter extra-long :D

Much more exciting events are to come so I hope you're all excited and looking forward to it.

P.S. for those of you who didn't know, I've started a NEW BOOK, called SHADOW PLAY. Its Karina's Story! Its already up on my profile and I'll be uploading the prologue soon enough so those of you who want to read it can add it to your libraries :)

Hope you liked this chapter. If you did, please do VOTE and COMMENT to let me know what you think.

Until next time,

All my love

Angel