I'M JUST SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT!

Dedicated to SilverRos for all you amazing support and encouragement. You don't know how much it means to me.

A huge shout-out to VeronMesia for being such an incredible supporter of this story from the very beginning. I can't thank you enough!

This chapter is not very exciting or very thrilling or very insightful or very anything actually, but I did my best so I really hope you guys like it.

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

_____

RECAP

"She's..." he breathed out, and it pained us all to see how hard this situation was for the Alpha. He took a deep, "She's-"

"Alright"

My breath caught in my throat and everyone's eyes went wide when a sweet, feminine voice drifted to our ears from behind us. And joy unfathomable seared through each one of us as all our heads whipped back towards the source of it, that voice...

That familiar voice!...

The minute our eyes landed on the pale, fragile, beautiful young woman standing at the top of the stairs, the greatest relief we had ever felt rained down on us all like a downpour, with no one even caring to ask, how...

And Alpha Zuerien stepped forward, his eyes wide in disbelief and breathed out in a voice filled with unparalleled affection,

"Suzzanah..."

****

Zuerien's POV

She's back! My Suzzanah's back!

I almost couldn't contain the surge of emotions that exploded within me at the sight of my mate, as she stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at us.

She was conscious, she was up on her feet, she was-

She was alive!

She's back...

The minute she uttered the word, "Alright", her eyes zeroed in on me, and she smiled. It was the same, her familiar, gentle and warm smile, and I knew she was trying to reassure us.

That small gesture was enough to do so. Her smile could lift the spirits of the weariest of souls, and I could say that without the slightest of doubt, because I saw it with my own eyes.

Right then and there, I saw the crestfallen faces of every person standing beside me disappear in a flash, being replaced by incandescent joy.

It was the kind of joy that accompanied an answered prayer, the kind of elation that was born out of a fulfilled hope.

It was...the kind of affection...that welled up from the very bottom of one's heart, and left them feeling like they could burst from the intensity of it.

She's back...

"Suzzanah..." I found myself breathing out her beautiful name, as I could no longer hold in my turbulent emotions.

Holding onto the railing, she took one unsteady step forward and the very next second, I found myself dashing up the stairs at a speed that was exceptional, even for me.

"Zue-", she was in my arms before she could even finish the word, and I held her so close to me that it was like she had become a part of me.

But then again, she was. She was a part of me, the most important part of me.

She's back...my mate is back...

"I'm alright..." I heard her breathe out again softly, the sound of her sweet voice like music to my ears, "I missed you"

"God..." was all I managed to breathe out in my overwhelmed state, as I held her impossibly close to myself, her soft, small frame feeling extremely fragile against my large one.

Her rich Arabian scent surrounded me, filling me with the most profound sense of relief. Encircling her waist tightly, I buried my face in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent deeply, letting it soothe my frazzled nerves.

She's-

"-BACK! SHE'S BACK!"

I heard a thundering cheer from behind us, and I smiled against her skin. The intense happiness and relief felt by my comrades was conveyed to me through their exhilarated voices.

Suzzanah exhaled a soft laugh, before slowly raising her head from my chest. Multiple heavy footsteps raced up the stairway and soon we were surrounded by a crowd of beaming and misty eyed faces.

"Thank the heavens! You're back child!" Talon cried.

"Finally! You've returned my lady!" Del boomed.

"Suzzanah, you're back. What a relief!" Cole exclaimed.

"Suzzanah dear, thank God!" John breathed out.

"ANNA! WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Rino shouted.

Everyone spoke together, their voices as loud as a massive thunderbolt. They all gazed down lovingly at my mate- Talon wiping his eyes, Del beaming from ear to ear, Cole patting my shoulder, John caressing her hair and Rino jumping on my back.

For the love of-

"RINO!" I grit out looking back at him.

"WOLFA! I'm so relieved!" Rino cried out, hugging me from behind.

I let out a heavy sigh as Rino looked down over my shoulder at Suzzanah, just like on the day of their very first meeting.

"Missed you Anna..." he repeated, his voice thick with emotion and the overwhelming earnestness of his words had me fighting both the urge to smile in appreciation and the urge to push him a few feet farther away from my mate.

Suzzanah smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners, "I missed you guys too Rino", she breathed out wholeheartedly, "So, so much! How long was I..."

"A little over an hour", Cole replied and I cringed.

It felt like forever...

Rino slid off my back and patted it twice making me look at him with what one would call an almost smile. I couldn't even help it, I was too damn happy to have my mate back in my arms safe and sound.

Suzzanah let her eyes trail over every single person, acknowledging everyone individually with her warm and gentle smile, before her gaze came to a halt at something at the foot of the stairs. Her smile widened and she called out, "Megan!"

All our eyes went wide and our heads immediately shot towards the red haired woman still standing downstairs.

Megan!

She smiled up at Suzzanah, looking strangely relieved herself, before raising her hand to wave at her.

"Suzzanah, good to see you", she said, "Are you really okay?"

I immediately felt something soft press against my chest and I looked down to find my mate pushing at my chest with her hands, while still smiling awkwardly down at Megan.

"Oh uh...y-yeah!" she replied sounding uncomfortable. She threw me a short, exasperated glance, telling me to let her go, but I just narrowed my eyes at her before pulling her even closer.

Her breath hitched and her eyes widened, making a small smirk appear on my lips.

There is no way in hell I'm letting you go, I mind-linked her making her heart rate spike.

Tightening my grip around her waist, I let my eyes drift towards her roommate. I had totally forgotten that she was even here, and judging by the looks on the other guys' faces, so had they.

Everyone except...John, of course.

My eyes immediately moved to John who was also looking down at the young girl with his characteristic thoughtful eyes, and almost instantly I knew that he was thinking the very same things as me, probably much more.

"Ms. Houston", he spoke up, "It seems the matter we needed your help with has already been resolved", he smiled at her, a mysterious look clouding his eyes, "It seems your arrival has brought us good fortune"

A collective sound of sharp intakes of breath sounded as all of us immediately understood what he meant.

Suzzanah had regained consciousness...soon after Megan had gotten to the cottage. That meant-!

"Oh my God!" Rino cried out, "Vegan is the Lu-"

Cole and Talon grabbed Rino together, clamping their hands over Rino's mouth hurriedly. Suzzanah gasped softly beside me, and I knew she too had guessed what we were all thinking.

But what surprised me was how, instead of looking honored or even flattered by John's compliment, Megan immediately looked uncomfortable and took a step back.

"Uh...I highly doubt that. But I'm glad there isn't a problem anymore", she said, not even bothering to ask what the supposed problem was in the first place, "So, I guess, I'll get going then"

She quickly turned towards the door and all of us immediately tensed.

Why was she in such a huge hurry to leave suddenly?

"No, wait Ms. Houst-" John stopped talking abruptly when Megan yanked the door open only to crash painfully into someone who ran inside at the very same time.

I cringed as the two of them hit the ground hard, a deafening thud resounding throughout the cottage followed by two pained groans.

"Goddammit hot stuff! Can't you look where you're going?!"

We all exhaled knowingly at the characteristic insult.

Marco...

"Argh!" Megan cried out in exasperation, "Can't you?! And get off me!" she shouted pushing Marco off her.

"I was in a hurry", Marco said, cringing as he sat up, "Besides, who are you? And what are you doing in my cousin's cottage?"

Megan squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her fingers against her forehead before saying, "I have no idea"

"What?"

While we all exchanged looks, Suzzanah quickly slid out of my arms, before I could stop her and hurried towards the stairs. But the minute she started to walk, she stumbled on her feet, and my heart almost stopped when she lost her balance.

In a flash, I pulled her back into my arms, catching her before she fell down the stairs. The bickering from downstairs stopped abruptly followed by a plethora of horrified gasps as Suzzanah head fell against my chest, her eyes closed and brow furrowed.

"SUZZANAH!" I cried out, my eyes wide in concern and fear, "Suzzanah, sweetheart, are you alright?"

Everyone immediately huddled around us again and I heard footsteps running up the stairs.

"QUEEN!" Marco cried out as he joined us.

Suzzanah groaned and pressed her fingers to her forehead. I immediately slid one hand under her knee and picked her up, holding her close.

"Suzzanah?" I said again, feeling my worry spike tenfold, and she forced herself to open her eyes.

"I'm okay", she breathed out softly, "My head's just spinning a little"

I cringed, tightening my grip around her. Her body was still cold from her ordeal earlier, and although her skin was less pale than before and the blue tinge was disappearing from her lips, she still looked absolutely exhausted.

"Suzzanah..."

My gaze immediately shot  to Megan as she spoke up. She had also run up the stairs with Marco when Suzzanah had started to collapse, and was now standing a little further away from all of us and looking at her worriedly.

Suzzanah turned her head to Megan and gave her a tired smile, "Hey..." she whispered, too tired to even try and get out of my arms as she had done before, "I'm alright"

"Are you sure?" Megan asked, "Should I get the medic?"

"Already called her", Del said, "She's on her way here"

Marco exhaled in relief, "It's good to have you back Qu-"

I kicked him in the shin before he could finish and he cried out in pain.

"Damn, what was that for?!" he shouted, glaring up at me as he clutched his ankle.

I scowled, get with the program here, Marco!

Why was he so disoriented?!

"I'm so sorry for worrying everyone", Suzzanah said, catching our attention again as she tried to pull herself up.

"You have nothing to be sorry about child", Talon cried out before even I could, "None of this was your fault. We're just so relieved you're with us again"

John cringed slightly and I looked at him just in time to find his eyes flicker towards Megan. My eyes widened slightly as I realized how all this must sound to a human, especially one who had no idea what the hell was even going on.

Surely she would be wondering if Suzzanah had gone away somewhere or if something had happened to her.

But when I looked at Megan, she didn't look quite as confused, disturbed or bewildered as I would have expected an unsuspecting human to look. And I was well aware of how Marco had shouted 'Queen' as he ran up the stairs. She hadn't really reacted to that either.

It could either be that she thought it was some kind of inside joke or nickname and chose to mind her own business...or...

Or that she knew exactly what was happening and didn't even need to ask...

And even though, under ordinary circumstances, that scenario would be next to impossible, our current situation implied otherwise. At this point in time, anything was possible, especially if she was who we thought she could be...

Luna of Intercession...

"You guys, please don't look at me like that", Suzzanah said softly, "I'm okay, just a little tired, that's all"

"Of course you're tired", Rino said, "You just had the soul sucked out of you l-!"

Everyone glared at him and he bit his tongue just before he added the word literally.

Suzzanah laughed nervously at his comment before looking at Megan, "How come you're here?" she asked.

We all cringed, Megan included as she cleared her throat uncomfortably, "Uh...I was called in to help with something, but apparently it's not required anymore"

Why isn't she pressing to know why she was called here? Why does it seem like she doesn't even want to know?

"I thought you said you didn't know why you're here", Marco said and she gave him a brief irritated look before looking back at Suzzanah, ignoring his comment.

"Take care of yourself", she said with a smile, "I'll get going. Good day to you all."

Cole, I and John immediately tensed.

"But we can't let the vegan go, can we?" Rino asked Del and we all immediately exchanged wide-eyed glances, except for Marco who still looked confused.

Megan immediately cringed and started walking away faster, pretending not to have heard him, even though it was obvious that she had.

I looked at Cole and John and shook my head.

Don't let her leave

Understood, Alpha

The two of them immediately hurried after Megan who was literally running to the stairs now. Suzzanah gazed up at me tiredly, a questioning look in her eyes. I bent down and kissed her forehead gently.

"I'm taking Suzzanah inside to rest", I told the rest of them, "When Roma gets here, send her to us immediately"

"Yes Sir", they replied collectively.

"Talon, come with me", I said and he nodded before quickly opening the bedroom door for us, while Del and Rino filled Marco in about Megan and what had happened while he was gone.

And just before Talon closed the door behind us, I heard Marco shout in shock, "She was the LUNA?!?!"

I sighed, Marco...always the last one to know...

****

"Oh my God! You two, I'm okay!" Suzzanah cried out, pushing back the scarf wrapped around her head that was falling over her eyes, for the fifth time.

"No you're not!" We both replied together and she groaned letting her head fall back onto the pillow.

"Come now child, a little bit more", Talon said, bringing a spoonful of chicken soup towards her mouth.

"Didn't you guys hear what Roma said?" Suzzanah asked, pushing his hand away gently to avoid spilling the soup, "I'll be fine if I just get some rest and eat well"

"Yes, and you're refusing to do either of them", Talon told her, extending the spoon towards her again, making her cover her face with her hands which was the only part of her body that had not been covered up already.

Once we had brought her into the room, I had laid her on the bed, putting multiple pillows behind her, by the headrest. Talon had taken out multiple comforters and blankets from the cupboards and we had tucked her in, to keep her warm.

Talon had also produced a colorful scarf out of nowhere and wrapped it around her head, saying it would prevent cold air from entering her ears. The only problem was that it just didn't stay in place and kept falling into Suzzanah's eyes every few seconds, making her push it back in irritation.

And I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the most adorable thing I had ever seen in my life, apart from that 'burrito' picture I had of her of course. It was currently my phone's home screen picture.

Roma had arrived almost immediately and done a complete health check-up of Suzzanah. She had asked to take a blood sample to make sure everything was alright internally and I had agreed very reluctantly, knowing I could trust her.

Still, at the sight of my mate's blood when she pricked her finger, I had almost ripped Roma's hand off in rage. Kai was very edgy today and it was very hard for me to control his animalistic inclinations. All he saw was that someone was drawing our mate's blood, and it drove him crazy, regardless of the cause.

I couldn't blame him; I was much the same. We were wary of anyone who came too close to our mate, even if they were people we knew. The only people I didn't mind being close to Suzzanah were Talon and John.

Suzzanah's memory was still very hazy. She couldn't remember exactly what she had seen when she had teleported in spirit, but she had said that she did remember seeing her sister.

The minute she had said that, both I and Talon had tensed immediately. If she had seen her sister, then it meant that either she had been teleported to Dublin in the future...or in present time to...

To Canada...

And if the latter was true then...she could have seen-

No! She couldn't have. Don't think about this. Don't think about this.

That bastard had better stay away from my Suzzanah. I didn't care that she was teleported in spirit, even the thought of him being in a radius of a 100 feet from her had me on the verge of losing control again.

I would never let him or his kind hurt her. Not Suzzanah. Not my Suzzanah.

Roma had said that it would probably take some time for her memory to recover completely, and that it wasn't anything to worry about.

Apart from that, Suzzanah's BP had been rather low but she didn't want to be put on an IV line and said she would like to eat something instead. But after only two and a half bowls of chicken soup, she was finding it hard to even swallow another sip.

I wonder why?

"Suzzanah, eat please", I told her and she gaped at me.

"I've eaten a month's worth of chicken soup already!" she said, "And drunk a dozen gallons of water! At this rate, I'm going to be sitting in the bathroom for at least a week!"

I was about to reply when the door opened and Cole and John walked in.

"Alpha, Luna", they said and bowed to us, while Talon bowed to them.

As a reflex, I pulled Suzzanah into my arms, making her cry out alarmed as I set her on my lap, still wrapped in shawls and blankets. When I brushed the hair out of her face, her skin felt warm, and I knew it was because she was blushing, but at least she wasn't cold as ice, like she had been earlier. It was...relieving.

"How are you feeling Suzzanah dear?" John asked as they approached us. Suzzanah smiled up at him, squirming awkwardly on my lap.

"Uh...good...thank you", she said in a small voice, and I knew she was feeling embarrassed.

"What news?" I asked them and they both looked at me.

"We managed to convince the Ms. Megan to join us for dinner tonight", Cole said, "With difficulty, might I add. She seemed extremely reluctant to have anything to do with us"

"I'm not surprised", I replied, "Given the manner in which she was brought here, I'm surprised she actually consented"

"What manner? What are you guys talking about?" Suzzanah asked confused and we all exchanged glances.

"Uh, Luna..." Cole spoke up, "thing is...we think that your roommate, Ms. Houston, may possibly be the Luna of Intercession"

"WHAT?!" Suzzanah cried out, "Are you serious?"

"We are serious, but not sure", John said, "It's just a hunch as of now. We have several things we need to clarify before we can be ascertained of the fact, which requires time to get to know her better, which is why we asked her to join us for dinner tonight"

"We asked her if she crossed Luna Prophecy's cottage sometime over an hour and a half ago, when Luna Suzzanah's soul was teleported along with Luna Prophecy's", Cole told me, "And she said no"

She said no, did she...

"She denied having passed by here earlier", John said, "How far that is true is uncertain"

I frowned and nodded, "But if she is telling the truth?"

"Then she isn't the Luna, simple as that", John said and looked at Suzzanah, "and Suzzanah miraculously managed to return to us safely, all on her own. And given all the other unbelievable things she is able to do, I wouldn't be surprised if this is too"

All of us looked at Suzzanah in agreement and she smiled sheepishly before shrugging, "It's like I said before. I'm always malfunctioning, which is why I'm not surprised that my soul was teleported and not one of yours"

"That could also be because you were the only person who had made physical contact with Prophecy at that moment", John told her, "You touched her shoulder, so it must have triggered the transfer of powers"

She shrugged, "I guess...because honestly I can't really remember doing anything in particular to have my soul teleported", she said, "Just like I can't remember having done anything to be teleported back here"

"And also just like you probably don't remember having done anything to suddenly end up seeing ghosts", John added with a smile and she giggled.

"Are you...sure Suzzanah isn't the Luna herself?" I asked making Suzzanah choke on air.

Cole and John immediately lurched forward worriedly as I patted Suzzanah's back while Talon hurriedly poured her a glass of water and handed it to me. I put the glass to her lips and she took a large gulp before glaring at me with her mouthful.

Cole shrugged, "I asked John the very same thing earlier"

"And I have to say, I'm not so sure she isn't anymore", John replied smiling at Suzzanah, who was still staring at us like we had all suddenly turned into cockroaches.

I mouthed the word 'swallow' at her and she did so, hard, before exhaling heavily through her mouth.

"Okay, I agree, I do end up doing crazy, unbelievable stuff too often", she said scratching her forehead, "but I really don't think what happened with my soul teleporting was my own doing. Just like me being able to see spirits isn't really my doing. They just seem to find me very...fascinating-!"

The minute she said that word, she stopped abruptly and her eyes widened as though she had remembered something. My grip around her waist immediately tightened, and worry seeped into me.

"Suzzanah?" I said worriedly and her brow furrowed in thought as she shook her head.

"Child?" Talon asked, "Are you okay-"

"I'm okay", she said squeezing her eyes shut, "I just...I felt like I had suddenly remembered something when I said the word fascinating"

I immediately tensed and exchanged glances with John.

Please don't tell me...

"What was it..." Suzzanah thought, "something from when I had teleported in spirit. Never mind, I just...like I said, I don't think I'm the Luna of Intercession"

I tried not to dwell on the uneasy feeling from earlier as John spoke up, "I don't either, but you've proved us wrong every time up until now so..."

"And what of your theory about the Luna of Intercession being just a mediator between two people and their powers, and not a recipient of the powers herself?" Cole asked.

John's brow furrowed in thought, "I'm afraid I still do stand by that theory quite strongly", he said, "but given our Queen's strong history with the unexpected, I think it's only wise to consider it, no matter how small the chances"

Suzzanah sighed and slumped against me tiredly and I immediately gave John and Cole a sharp look to drop this particular topic of discussion. The idea of being the Luna of Intercession was stressing her out, which was the last thing she needed right now. Both of them immediately nodded apologetically as I hugged Suzzanah closer.

"What if its neither Megan nor Suzzanah", I asked, "Matree said that the human she saw pass by the cottage around the time when Suzzanah's soul was teleported, was dark-haired, didn't she?" I asked, "But Megan is red-haired"

"Yes, but red-hair can easily look darker when standing in the shade", John said, "especially a coppery shade like Ms. Houston's"

"But what if Megan was telling the truth and she really didn't pass by the cottage earlier?" Suzzanah asked, "Wouldn't that mean that we got distracted and let the actual culprit escape? What if when I suddenly returned, someone else- the actual Luna- passed by this cottage, and none of us paid attention or went outside to check because everyone was too shocked by my return? Myself included"

Talon gasped and my gaze immediately met Cole's wide-eyed one.

"Shit! She's right!" he said, "We all thought that it was Megan's presence that had caused your soul to return, but no one went outside to see if someone else had passed by at that exact time! We never thought of that!"

"I did", John replied making all our gazes shoot to him. He smiled, "I thought of that already, so after Suzzanah's soul was teleported, I told Del to assign four guards on all four corners of the cottage, at a distance, to keep an eye out for anyone who passed by"

"And?"

"And when Suzzanah returned, there was no other female in the vicinity, outside the cottage", he said making all of us relax.

"Well, that's a relief", Cole said, "So if not the Queen, it should be Ms. Megan then"

"Should", all four of us replied together.

I looked at John, "So at dinner with her tonight, what exactly are we looking for?" I asked, "For what should we keep an eye out, to pinpoint whether or not she is the Luna of Intercession?"

"To be very honest, I'm not very sure myself", John said, "Unlike the Luna of Hearts, I can't say much about the Luna of Intercession's personality traits. So I'm guessing, we should stick to what we already know about her powers and work with that"

Cole, Suzzanah, I and Talon exchanged confused glances making John smile.

"We know that Luna of Intercession is a mediator", he told us, "someone who can allow sharing of powers, which enabled her to allow Suzzanah to temporarily acquire Prophecy's ability to teleport in time"

We all nodded.

"So seeing as she did it once, who is to say she won't do it again?" John said, "I suggest, you and Marco keep your Extraordinaire powers handy at all times"

My eyes widened, "The whole time?" I asked and he nodded, "Yes", he said, "If by any chance she manages to transfer your powers to someone else in the room, we'll know almost certainly that she is the Luna we are looking for"

"But what if she doesn't use her Extraordinaire powers?" Talon asked.

"I don't think she can control that, she probably isn't very experienced in using those powers", John said, "That being the reason why Rino can't sense her as his Luna, if she is the Luna. I think she has just started manifesting her powers and has no control over them, because of which the power just leaves her body suddenly and causes...accidents, like what happened with Suzzanah"

"Well such accidents should be made punishable by law", I grit out, feeling anger rise within me, "If anything had happened to Suzzanah, Luna of Intercession or not, I would have made her pay dearly for it"

Suzzanah immediately put on hand over my chest, trying to calm me down, "It's okay", she said, "The most important thing is...that everyone is alright now, right?"

I looked at the soft smile on her face and then the tiredness it was trying to overshadow. Beneath that energetic façade, I knew Suzzanah was really exhausted.

Her skin was still pale and there were bags under her eyes. My mate had had one hell of a terrifying experience, even if, for now, she couldn't remember it.

I hugged her closer, placing my head on top of hers, not replying.

"The most important thing is...that everyone is alright now, right?"

Wrong

It wasn't. The most important thing wasn't that everyone was alright.

No. It was her.

The most important thing ever, was that Suzzanah was alright.

Always her.

Only her.

"Alright", I said looking up at John, "I'll keep my powers surfaced the entire time, but I'll need to wear contacts so she doesn't see"

"Huh?" Suzzanah looked up at me puzzled and I kissed her forehead, "My eyes change color when I use my extraordinaire ability"

Her face lit up, "Really?!" she exclaimed and I nodded, "You've seen it before"

She frowned and shook her head, but I nodded, "You have", I said again before adding, "And it's your favorite color too"

She stared at me for two seconds before gasping, "The gold?!" she cried out and I nodded, my lips turning upwards in a half-smile.

"My eyes turn golden when my Extraordinaire abilities surface", I told her, "It's a trait unique to the Alpha of Power. Depending on how much power I'm using, the intensity and quantity of gold in my eyes changes"

"That's freakin awesome!" she cried out and I felt really happy to know that it excited her.

"I'll show you later", I said looking down at her lovingly and she nodded, "So you'll wear contacts to hide the golden in your eyes?" she asked and I nodded.

"But is that all we'll be depending on to recognize the Luna?" Cole asked, "Megan accidentally using her powers and causing us to share ours?"

"No, there are other things too", John said, "Like where she is from and where she did her schooling. If any of those places match with the ones on the Teleportation Manuscript then the chances of her being Intercession go up, naturally. And if not, we can just ask her if she has ever been to any of the places on the Manuscript before"

"According to one of Luna Prophecy's previous teleportations, one of the Lunas was in London in the month of June right?" Cole said before looking at Suzzanah, "Luna, was your sister in London in June?"

Suzzanah shook her head, "No", she replied, "Karina started working in Canada from the beginning of June and I don't think she has left the country since"

"So the woman would have to be Megan, right?" Cole asked and John nodded.

"Indeed, it would", John said, "Now everything depends on whether or not Ms. Houston gives us truthful answers...that is...unless the Alpha Supreme plans to-"

"I'll think about it", I cut him off and he nodded in understanding, not pressing any further.

I could feel Suzzanah's gaze on me and I shook my head, letting her know I'd tell her later.

"We'll have to make sure that we ask the questions in such a manner that they seem natural and not too intrusive", John continued, "The only reason why she accepted the invitation to dinner was because we told her we wanted to make it up to her for the...uh...incident from before", he said, making Suzzanah frown.

She looked at me again, and I told her I'd tell her later. I wasn't really looking forward to it though.

"So at all times, we must make sure that we don't come off as overbearing", John said.

"But how will we know if someone has suddenly acquired the Alpha's powers?" Talon asked, "Werewolves are naturally strong creatures, so unless it is a human like Suzzanah who suddenly manifests super strength, how will we know if it is actually his power working through one of us?"

John smiled and looked at me, "Well, their eyes of course", he said making all our eyes widen, "They'll change like the Alpha's, to gold"

"And how will be explain that to Megan?" Cole asked and John waved his hand, "We'll just have to make sure we spot the change before she does"

"And what about Marco? How will we know if someone suddenly acquired his power?" I asked.

John smiled amusedly, "Oh, I have some ideas about how to handle that, don't you worry", he said and the rest of us exchanged knowing looks.

Somehow, I have a feeling, Marco won't like this

While Del had gone to make arrangements to fix the damage I had caused to the living room when I had lost control earlier, Marco and Rino were currently with Prophecy. Apparently she was sleep talking and they were trying to figure out if there was any useful information in her unconscious banter.

"What about Prophecy?" I asked John, "If she wakes up before dinner, should we have her attend it?"

"That would probably be a good idea right?" Suzzanah asked, "After all, she is the only person who has actually seen the two Lunas, even if not their faces. If Megan is the Luna and she unconsciously uses her powers, then Prophecy should be able to recognize her aura, shouldn't she?"

"With Luna Prophecy, you can never really tell", Talon said cringing.

"He's right", I added, "She malfunctions even more than you do"

Suzzanah slapped my chest and I kissed the top of her head.

"I'm not sure how good an idea it is to bring Prophecy either", John said, "After all, her powers are also highly unstable. It's possible that what happened with Suzzanah's soul could happen again at the dining table"

I immediately tensed, hugging Suzzanah tighter as Cole added, "And even if that doesn't happen, Luna Prophecy could end up suddenly teleporting herself away in the middle of dinner and then we'll have to make up a pretty interesting story to explain that to Megan"

We all cringed in unison at the thought of such a situation when a different voice spoke from the door.

"I think its best we sedate her"

"Marco..." we all breathed out together as he walked inside followed by a smiling Rino.

"ANNA!" Rino said running up to us and Suzzanah's hands immediately clamped over my shoulders, trying to keep me calm.

"Hey Rino, Marco!" she said smiling widely, "Is Luna Prophecy alright?"

"Yup!" Rino said grinning.

"Nothing can ever happen to that cow", Marco said and Cole raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh really? Then why do you always worry so much when she teleports away?"

"I don't worry about her", he said, "I worry about the people she will cause trouble for!"

We all exchanged blank looks, yeah right!

"Did she say anything important in her sleep?" I asked and he shrugged, "She keeps repeating 'she won't be alone. He'll be there' again and again", he replied making Suzzanah frown in thought while I felt my gut wrench.

I didn't like the sound of that.

"But as I was saying, I think we should sedate her", Marco repeated, "Because if she wakes up before dinner, even the gates of hell won't be able to stop her from coming to dinner with that Megan chick"

"We'll have to assign someone who can guard her while we're at dinner", Cole said and we all looked at Talon.

"No! Please!" he said putting his hands up, "I cannot contain a woman as rambunctious and strong willed as Luna Prophecy, especially against her will"

"Why don't you do it Franco?" Rino asked Marco and he glared at him, "Forget it! And its Marco, not Franco!"

"Maybe we should ask Del", John said.

"Hey, this is really mean you guys", Suzzanah said, "Let the poor thing attend if she wants to"

"If she attends, you won't", I told her and immediately her jaw dropped to the floor.

"WHAT?! Why not!" she asked trying to pull away from me.

I pressed her closer, not letting her move away, "I can't risk something like what happened to you this morning happening again", I told her, "Not you"

"But I'm the only person Megan knows", Suzzanah said, "If I don't go, she'll be super uncomfortable"

"Suzzanah's right about that", John said, "I think the only other reason Megan consented to dinner was because we said Suzzanah would surely be there"

"Alright then, Suzzanah, you can come", I consented, "But if Prophecy wakes up and wants to see Megan, then you'll leave, and only come back inside once Prophecy has left. I don't want all three of you in the same room at once"

Suzzanah groaned, "You make us sound like a really dangerous mafia trio", she said, "At this rate, I literally will never get to meet Luna Prophecy!"

"You can meet her when there is no potential Luna of Intercession candidates around", Marco told her and I nodded.

"Need I be present Alpha?" Talon asked, "Perhaps I am not required?"

"Of course, you must come!" Suzzanah beat me to it, "You're a part of the group, you can't sit out!"

Everyone smiled together at her reply, it was so her to include everyone and not make them feel left out. Talon nodded with a smile and I tried to ignore the doting looks everyone was giving Suzzanah, knowing that they were born from respect and adoration.

"It would be so convenient if, just like the Queen, the other two Lunas also suddenly just arrived at our doorstep", Marco said with a sigh, "Or at least if there was some easier manner to locate them, like the King's eyes for instance"

"Yeah, it's such a striking feature", Cole said, "If only the two Lunas also had some features like that"

"Maybe they do", John said, briefly glancing at Suzzanah, "We won't know unless we meet them, will we?"

"I guess", Marco replied, "At least I hope so, so that we can record them in journals and our descendants can have it easier than we do. They can just search for that particular feature and when they find it, they can go 'Found you'!"

I was about to ask Suzzanah if Karina had any such striking features but before I could Suzzanah suddenly gasped out loud, going stiff in my arms as her face was painted with shock.

Alarm bells immediately went off in my head and I quickly pulled her closer as everyone leaned in worriedly.

"Anna?!" Rino cried out, sitting down in front of us while Marco sat next to him, "Queen, you okay?"

"What you just said..." Suzzanah breathed out, looking at Marco, "Those words..."

"What-what words?" Marco asked confused.

She licked her lips which had suddenly gone very dry and swallowed hard before whispered, "Found you..."

Everyone exchanged puzzled glances, not understanding what she meant.

"What about it?" John asked and she bit her lip nervously.

"What is it sweetheart?" I asked and she looked up at me.

Her large brown eyes were filled with worry and it immediately made my overprotective nature kick in. I didn't want her to worry about anything while I was still alive. I cupped her face and asked again, "Sweetheart, what is it?"

"I remember..." she whispered, immediately making everyone tense, "I remember everything from when I was teleported in spirit, everything I saw and heard...And those words...found you..."

I immediately looked at John whose eyes twinkled in excitement, "What about them?" he asked again.

"He said them", she said softly, looking up at me briefly before looking at Marco and Rino, "That man...the same he that Luna Prophecy was probably talking about"

My eyes widened as realization washed over my features. Please no!

"I saw Karina", Suzzanah continued, "I saw her...in Toronto, Canada...in present time"

My jaw clenched and my grip around Suzzanah tightened even more as everyone listened to her with anxiously.

"And she will be in Dublin next week", Suzzanah said, before gulping again, "And he'll be there with her"

He...

She looked into my eyes apologetically, almost as if she knew that the subject of that particular person would pain me.

"He'll be there", she whispered softly, "I heard him say so himself"

I exhaled a ragged breath, feeling my eyes darkening already as Kai threatened to take over, "Then that means..."

She nodded cringing, "I saw him there", she said, gently placing one hand over mine, "I saw Terrence Magnifis"

****

"He did WHAT?!"

"He let her go", Suzzanah repeated rubbing her temples, as all of stared at her in shock, "And she started to fall"

"And then?!" Rino asked wide-eyed.

"He saved her", she said, "She fell on some black object which moved however he willed it to"

"His shadow", John replied and Suzzanah frowned, "What?! No! I saw his shadow; it didn't look anything like the plank she fell on"

I almost didn't hear the rest of the sentence. She had me at 'I saw his shadow'.

"You saw Elryon?!" I cried out, pulling her into me and she nodded, "Uh...yeah?"

A wave of power exploded out of me making everyone fall backwards, except Suzzanah who was safely encased in my arms.

"Alpha, please calm down", Cole said placing one hand on my shoulder but I immediately growled out loud.

"She saw that bastard's freakin shadow and you want me to be calm?!" I shouted, "They can sense spirits better than any other Supernatural beings!"

Suzzanah gasped making us all look at her, and she immediately tried to wipe the shock off her face.

"What?" I asked as dread started to fill me, "Suzzanah what?"

"Its...not important-"

"Yes it is, tell me!" I said and she cringed.

"I have a feeling..." she said in a small voice, "that shadow of his...knew I was there"

"WHAT?!"

She cringed again as all of us shouted together. I immediately cupped her face, "He saw you?!" I cried out and she nodded.

"I think so..." she said, "He stared at me for a long time, or at least I think it was me he was looking at-"

"GOD DAMMIT!" I cried out and the lamps on either side of the bed shattered into pieces.

"King!" Marco said jumping away from the lampstand, "Can you please not destroy the cottage any more than you already have? At least while we are all still inside?"

"Easy there Wolfa", Rino said as he sat up again, patting my leg.

I squeezed my eyes shut, gritting my teeth as power and rage seared through my veins like molten fire, pressing for release. I wasn't mad, I was freakin furious! That bastard saw my mate! He was that close to my Suzzanah.

I could kill someone!

"Zuerien please calm down", Suzzanah breathed out, rubbing my hand, "I'm back aren't I? Everything is okay. I'm okay"

"Please just try and control you anger son", John said, "There is nothing we can do about what has already happened"

I knew he was right, but it didn't stop me from feeling like I could kill every single one of those Shadow people and not feel satisfied. Kai was raging inside me, growling and howling and seeking out.

"If he saw her", I spoke through gritted teeth, "Then that means..."

John nodded, his brow furrowed in concern, "He can recognize her now"

"WHAT?!" Suzzanah shouted in confusion and John looked at her.

"The Shadow People are known to be the best spirit trackers out of all Supernatural species that exist", he told her, "The presence and absence of one's soul is best picked up by them"

"But I thought you said almost no one can see spirits like I do", she said alarmed.

"They can't see spirits", John replied, "But they can sense them better than any of us can. And they can remember the aura or essence of that spirit. So if he sees you again, he'll be able to recognize your spirit as the one he had sensed today"

"That's so creepy!" Rino said and Suzzanah nodded, shuddering in my arms.

"If Suzzanah goes to Dublin and he sees her there then he'll definitely recognize her", Talon said.

"Is that bad?" Suzzanah asked.

"It wouldn't be if you were...um...not alive", John said, making sure he didn't use the word dead. A wise decision considering the mood I was in, but it didn't stop a low growl from slipping out of lips anyway.

"What?" Suzzanah asked confused.

"Well as you can probably guess", John replied, "spirits aren't supposed to leave one's body unless the person is dead-"

"Or Prophecy", Marco added and John nodded, "Yes, or Prophecy. So sensing a spirit isn't exactly anything the Shadow people would be disturbed by, but seeing the owner of the spirit alive and well? That's bound to catch their attention"

"If the Queen comes to Dublin, we have to make sure that she never catches that bastard's eye", Marco said.

I couldn't have agreed more.

"But won't that reduce my chances of being able to meet Karina?" Suzzanah asked worriedly.

"Until she is rescued and safe with us, yes it will", I replied.

Suzzanah sighed in disappointment, "Are you serious? Isn't there any chance at all that he won't remember my essence and I could pass for some random spirit passing by his castle?"

"His castle?!?!" we all cried out together and she winced again, "Uh...maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that"

"What castle?" Marco asked and scratched his head.

"The place I was teleported to was apparently the man's castle", she replied, "And from what it looked like, he is keeping Karina there against her will"

"Is he ill-treating her?" Cole asked worriedly.

"Dude, did you not hear her when she said he dropped her off a balcony?" Marco asked.

"But he did save her too right?" Rino added.

"Typical Terrence", I grit out, "Always exerting his dominance and showing people that he is always in control of everything that happens. Son of a-"

"Fae", Suzzanah cut in, making all our heads shoot towards her. She cringed and shrugged, "He said it"

I exhaled in exasperation as Talon asked, "Do you think he'll hurt her?"

"I don't think so..." Suzzanah said softly, catching our attention, "I don't think he'll hurt her. He seems to...like her..."

"You're kidding?" Cole said and she shook her head, "No. He said it himself, he finds her fascinating"

"What is she? A story book to be found fascinating?" Marco asked.

"Wait till her mate hears about this", Cole said making Suzzanah gasp, "What?"

I looked at her, "You didn't realize yet?" I asked softly, making her eyes widen, "Realize what?"

"Rina is a Luna", Rino said, "Which obviously means that she is mated to an Alpha, just like you"

"Are you serious?!" she exclaimed and we nodded.

"Yes Suzzanah", John said, "If Karina is a Luna then without a doubt, one of the Alphas out there is Karina's mate"

"And he will most definitely not be happy to know that his mate is in the hands of the enemy", Talon said.

"Well then, we'll just have to recover her at the earliest then, wont we?" Cole said, "Before those Shadow idiots get too attached to her"

"Uh...There is something else..." Suzzanah said anxiously, "He specifically referred to Karina as...extraordinary"

There was a palpable rise in the tension in the air, as everyone sucked in sharp breaths, their eyes going wide in horror and dread, much like my own.

John inhaled deeply, "It seems he has picked up a lot of things about her already which probably means that she has started manifesting her powers", he said, "Did he mention anything about the powers?"

Suzzanah shook her head, "No...it was just like a passing comment he made. And he also knows that she knows about them, I mean who they really are. That they are Supernaturals"

"Good gracious", Talon breathed out as everyone's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"But...he didn't seem fazed by that fact", Suzzanah added, "And I really don't think he will hurt her or kill her because if he wanted to, he wouldn't have saved her in the first place", she told us, "he said he intends on finding out more about the strange abilities she possess"

"So is it safe to assume that Karina is out of danger as long as she can stay fascinating to him?" Marco asked and Suzzanah nodded.

"That's what I'm hoping", she replied before her brows knit together again, "And well...he also said one other thing. He said that he wasn't sure Karina was human"

What?!

"He said that did he?" John asked and she nodded, "Hmm...in that case I think he doesn't really know for sure that she is a Luna Extraordinaire", John told us, "He knows that she is different from the usual humans, but he doesn't exactly know how so he's probably inclining more towards her being a Supernatural with latent abilities"

"Is that a good thing?" Rino asked and John nodded thoughtfully, "As long as Terrence doesn't find out that she is someone important to the Werewolves, things may still work out in our favor. Because fascinating or not, his opinion of her will most definitely change in some way when he finds out that she is a Luna"

"So we just need to hope that he doesn't find out till we can get Karina out of his clutches!" I said and everyone nodded.

"But how are you planning to do that?" Suzzanah asked, "Now that we know that he will also be in Dublin, won't it be harder to rescue her?"

"It will be considerably harder", John said, "But don't worry. We have someone who may be able to help us plan a strategy and prepare for that time"

He looked at me and I nodded in understanding.

"Really who?" Rino and Suzzanah asked together.

"General Reginald", I replied and Rino grinned, "Oh! You mean the cool old dude who doesn't look old!"

We all gave him blank looks, knowing that was true about most werewolves, before I continued, "He was my teacher alongside John. While John taught me all theoretical concepts as well as everything I know about ruling, General Reginald taught me everything I know about combat and physical warfare"

"Wow, he's coming here?" Suzzanah asked and I nodded, "yeah. He has actually been on a search for the Lunas all this time too. But when he heard of Prophecy's latest teleportations, he decided to come by so he could get a more updated idea of where to look"

"He is especially good at planning all these recuse missions, secret operations and the like", Marco said, "So he'll probably be able to help us in figuring out how to deal with this situation. But damn! General Reginald is hella scary!"

"I agree", Cole replied, "I'm quite terrified of him"

"Really? Why?" Suzzanah asked nervously.

"The man is like a tank", Marco replied, "Invincible"

"His skill and power on the battlefield is legendary", Talon added, "Even Alpha wolves are not a match for him when it comes to power alone. Well, none except the Alpha Supreme of course"

She looked at me wide eyed and I shrugged, "He taught me fighting and when my Extraordinaire abilities surfaced, my power surpassed his. But even now, if I don't use my Extraordinaire abilities, he is a fearsome opponent"

"General Reginald used to literally kill us during training", Marco said, "I'm really not sure how I survived his lessons"

"Nor I", Cole added.

"Sounds...intimidating", Suzzanah said, her face falling slightly.

"Hey", I said softly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "Don't worry. He may be a terrifying teacher, but as a person, he is warm and welcoming. And I'm sure he'll love you"

She gave me a small smile and nodded, "Well, here's hoping"

"So when is he arriving?" Rino asked.

"Not sure, sometime in the upcoming days", I said.

"It will be nice if Megan turns out to be one of the Lunas huh?" Rino replied, "That way we can surprise him"

Everyone smiled and nodded. Like Suzzanah said,

Here's hoping...

I looked down at my mate to find her in deep thought about something. Despite everything she had been through, she was coping exceptionally well. Not only was she keeping her calm, but she was also keeping up with all the new information we kept throwing at her.

To say that I was proud of her wouldn't even cut it. She was everything one could hope a Luna to be, and more. And seeing the admiration in everyone's eyes when they looked at her, I knew for sure that they agreed with me.

"Okay then, everyone can return to their duties for now", I said, "Dinner will be at 8:00 pm. You can have lunch wherever you like, you don't have to assemble at the lounge for it"

"Yes Sir", everyone replied and started to make their way out of the room, after saying their goodbye to Suzzanah and wishing her good health. They knew I wanted some time alone with my mate.

"Take care Anna! Rest up kay", Rino said happily. He was the last person to exit the room. Seeing him back to his usual cheerful self was...strangely relieving.

"I will, thanks bud", she replied smiling, immediately making him grin and me frown.

Bud?!!!

"See ya, Wolfa", Rino said and left the room, closing the door behind him.

The minute he left, I looked Suzzanah, "Bud?" I asked irritated and she exhaled a laugh and said, "Really?"

"Yes really!" I replied, "Why are you nicknaming him? Its bad enough that I have to hear him call you by your nickname"

She gave me a blank look, pulling the scarf, that had fallen onto her face again, off. How it had stayed in place throughout our earlier discussion was beyond me.

"He can't help that, as a rule, he can only remember four lettered names", she said before frowning, "But how does he remember his last name then? Doesn't it have five letters"

"There are obviously exceptions to that four letter rule thing", I replied, still feeling annoyed, "I wonder if when he finds his Luna, her name will be one of them. I sure as hell hope he finds her soon, so he'll leave mine alone"

She laughed lightly, "I didn't realize it bothered you that he called me Anna"

"It doesn't", I replied honestly and she cocked her head to the side, "So what's the problem?"

"It's annoying that he has a nickname for you and I don't", I told her and she laughed, "Silly! Then why don't you call me Anna as well?" she asked incredulously.

"Too mainstream for me", I replied turning her in my arms so that she sat straddling me, "I want to call you something no one else will have the right to"

She smiled, "Well then, do your thinking Alpha, and when you come up with one you like, I promise I'll accept it, no matter how stupid it is"

I narrowed my eyes at her and squeezed her waist making her cry out in shock, unintentionally pressing herself closer to me, "Why do you think I'll give you a stupid nickname?" I asked.

"Because I already did the whole nickname thing for you when I was helping Rino think of a four lettered to call you by", she said, "And trust me, most of them were pretty stupid. You have such an un-nick-nameable name"

I bit back a smile, "So what? I don't get a nickname at all...not even bud? Even Kai has a nickname!"

"You and Kai are the same person!"

"Yeah, but Steroid just suits him more than me, given that he's abnormally large, even for a werewolf", I replied, "I'm actually a normal sized human being"

She snorted, "Yeah right! You're like Hulk Junior", she replied with a grin, "But if not Steroid, then I'm afraid you shall forever remain 'The Man with many titles, but no nick names'"

This time I did smile, until I heard an all too familiar voice speak up in my head.

Just call him human, like I do

Suzzanah's grin widened while my smile fell as both of us said together.

Kai!

Hey sweetheart

Suzzanah laughed, "It'll be so hilarious if I really take Kai's advice and call you human", she said, her eyes twinkling with mirth, "I could just be like 'Good morning human' or 'I missed you so much human' or 'Aww, you're such a Human!'"

She threw her head back and laughed while I rolled my eyes, smiling to myself. The sound of her laughter was just so sweet that I couldn't think of anything else but how incredibly amazing she was.

God, we missed you! Kai and I said together making Suzzanah stop laughing and look into our eyes.

She smiled again, the beautiful whole-hearted smile that reached her eyes, I missed you too, I can't tell you how much! she said genuinely, making a strange warmth flood my body.

"It feels so good to be back", she said, running a hand through my hair, "And to be able to actually feel things again!"

I frowned, "What do you mean?" I asked and she bit her lip, immediately making my eyes follow that action.

"The memories are still hazy, but I do remember having something of a mini-freak-out about not being able to physically touch anything as a spirit", she replied, "My body just slid through everything"

Smiling she patted my chest with both her hands before looking into my eyes again, "It feels good to be able to feel again", she said softly and at that moment, something just exploded inside of me, flooding me with emotions.

"There is only one thing I want to feel right now", I managed to breath out as I bent towards her.

And before she could even complete her question, "What's tha-" I was kissing her, hard.

My lips on yours

My lips moulded against her soft, smooth ones as I kissed her with an overwhelming fervor. My hands wrapped around her torso, pulling her closer, pressing every inch of her soft body into mine and loving how amazing she felt against me.

Soon I felt her hands wrap around my neck, her fingers running through the hair at my nape as she pulled me down towards her, kissing back just as passionately.

I inclined my head to the side, deepening the kiss, moving my lips feverishly against hers. I felt starved for her, unable to get enough. Tingles and electricity seared through our bodies leaving me feeling exhilarated beyond belief. And I knew that this feeling would never grow old. I would never tire of it.

She was my everything!

"I missed you so much", I breathed between kisses, "You have no idea"

I ran my thumb across her soft, flushed cheeks before tangling my fingers in her hair and kissing her harder.

"Nothing had ever terrified me more", I whispered against her lips, "than the thought of losing you"

She smiled into the kiss and cupped my face with both her hands before pulling just about a centimeter away from me so she could look into my eyes.

"I promised I would never leave you didn't I?" she said softly, her brown eyes brimming with so much affection and sincerity that I nearly couldn't fathom it.

A feeling I had bottled up in the deepest part of my soul, having told myself that I would never allow myself to feel it again, suddenly started to seep into my veins with a zeal so strong, that it left me more than a little bit stunned.

"I meant it Zuerien", she whispered softly, caressing one side of my face, "I meant every word. I will never leave you...ever"

My breath grew ragged, catching unevenly in my chest. And that forbidden emotion grew stronger, doubling, tripling, leaving me feeling alarmed at the intensity of it. The feeling felt so new to me...so foreign and yet...so right!

"No matter what happens, I'll always be with you", she said, rising up on her knees and gently pulling my face towards her as she pressed a long, lingering kiss to my forehead, making my heart beat harder than it had never done before.

My eyes closed involuntarily, as the gentle, soft kiss left me feeling more emotions that I had felt in the last 14 years combined. And the one thing I had felt, constantly, was suddenly drowned under the onslaught of that forbidden feeling.

I couldn't feel it anymore; I couldn't feel any pain.

When Suzzanah sat back down on my lap and I opened my eyes, I saw the reason for my entire existence. The reason living through all that torture for so many years was worth it. The reason I could go on and be happy.

It was her.

It was Suzzanah.

Mom...you were right...

"I'll always be here", Suzzanah told me, her eyes brimming with tears, "I'll always be-" she patted my chest, right over my thunderously beating heart, "right here", she said, looking into my eyes.

The smile that made its way to my face at that minute was so genuine and overwhelmingly relieving, that I felt like all the suffering of 14 long years was suddenly washed away, because she was here.

"It's a promise", I breathed out softly and she nodded, smiling back at me as a tear rolled down the side of her face.

"It's a promise", she said gently, as I wiped away the tear, "No matter how far away I may go...in the end, I'll return to you...because..."

Because...

"Because you are my home", she told me and my heart nearly exploded in elation.

That feeling from before bombarded every barrier I had ever put up, breaking down all my walls, and making itself undeniably known. And I found myself thinking again.

Mom...you were so right...

Pulling her into me, I crashed my lips against hers again, kissing her like I had never done before. I poured my heart and soul into it, holding onto her like she was my lifeline, breathing in her scent like it was my oxygen and kissing her like she was...

Like she was my everything!

As long as my mate is still here, I will always have a reason to go on living...

I pushed her back onto the bed, climbing on top of her while never breaking the kiss. I tore at the blankets keeping us apart and threw them to the side, letting my hands wander the sides of her perfectly molded body.

I pressed my hard chest into her soft one, making sure I didn't crush her under my weight, but also making sure that we could feel our hearts beating against each other's. I wanted to mark her so bad, and God knew Kai was making it hard for me to resist right now, but I just needed to wait a little but longer.

Just until she was somewhere safer. Just a few more days, just a little but longer. I knew I could wait. If it was for her, I could wait forever.

Her hands wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer as we both moaned into the kiss at the same time, before smiling together.

This was what I had wanted, all along. All this time...I had wanted a family, I had wanted to be happy, and I had wanted...more than anything else...to be loved!

I had wanted her...

And now that I have her...I'll never let go. We'll never let go.

As we broke the kiss and pressed our foreheads together, looking into each other's eyes and smiling involuntarily, those words continued to resonate in our minds, their echo reaching down to our souls.

We'll never let go

Because you are my home, she repeated and I smiled and replied,

And because you are my heart

****

A/N

Look who's back from the dead!

Lol actually no, I'm still quite dead haha, partially zombie-fied.

First off, I'm so so so so sooo sorry for the incredibly long wait. I'm not going to rant about life being hard because it is for everyone, so instead, let me just thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for all the support and encouragement I have received from all of you.

And also thank you so much for being patient with me. I know it couldn't have been easy and I really appreciate it a lot!

I know this chapter was slow and not much happened in it but I'm incapable of writing without details like day-to-day conversations or in depth explanations, so to my very smart readers as well as others who felt like this chapter was a real drag, I really am so sorry :'(

I'll do my best to speed things up in the chapters to come so please continue to support this story through WATTYS 2016 and even after. And if you liked this chapter, please do VOTE, COMMENT AND SHARE.

I love you guys from the bottom of my heart, you're really the best ever!

Until next time,

All my love (your's zombie-ly)

Angel