The phenomenal cover on the side was made by Anika_17899. Thank you!

Dedicated to Ezramadhu. Love you sooo much! You're the best!

A huge shoutout to fairytailfan33 for having supported this story from the very beginning. I really appreciate it!

PLEASE DO NOT COPY MY WORK!

PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END!

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

_____

(This scene starts right after Suzzanah leaves the lounge with Talon)

Zuerien's POV (I know, I know. NOT NOWWW, but I'm evil, so :p)

Megan seemed to grow increasingly anxious as she watched Suzzanah leave the room. Her body was suddenly tense, her brow was furrowed and she was chewing on her lip nervously. Her gaze moved frantically between Del and the door almost as though she were ready to run out of here any minute now.

John, who was listening to Del's report on some matter, also seemed to notice Megan's sudden uneasiness. Even though she had seemed to grow relaxed over the course of the dinner, that composure seemed to be disappearing fast, now that Suzzanah was gone.

"Well, now that dinner is over, I think I should get going too", Megan said, hurriedly getting up from her chair.

"Oh no, please, don't leave just yet", John said smiling, making her frown, "There is someone we would like you to meet"

"Who?" she asked.

"She is on her way here as we speak", he told her, "She should be here any minute now"

"Pardon me for asking this Sir, but...why do you want me to meet her again?" she asked.

"Well she is a very important guest of ours you see", he replied, "And she has been complaining incessantly about always being surrounded by us men and not having any female company. She was quite looking forward to some feminine company"

"I'm not very good company, I'm afraid", she replied, "It would probably be better for her to meet Suzzanah instead"

"Yes, we wanted her to meet Suzzanah too", he said, "but unfortunately something came up and Suzzanah had to leave, so that leaves just you"

Megan squirmed uncomfortably, "I'm not...very good with strangers, sir", she said quietly.

She looked extremely reluctant to meet Prophecy and I couldn't help but wonder why.

"Nonsense", John said, "Almost all of us were strangers to you until earlier this evening and you've been perfectly pleasing company. I'm sure Prophecy will love you"

"Prophecy..." she said quietly, "But really, I think I should go"

"Why?" I asked her, making her eyes dart towards me, "Why do you think so, Ms. Houston?"

I knew I was intimidating her, but I couldn't care less. Despite everything, I was still suspicious of her.

She gulped before replying, "I'm uncomfortable", she replied, "I'm very sorry but this is about as much time with strangers as I can bear"

Alpha, Luna Prophecy had entered the building, Del mind-linked both me and John.

We exchanged quick glances before nodding.

"Alright Ms. Houston", John said, "We won't force you. You can go ahead and leave"

She smiled, looking relieved, "Thank you for tonight"

Bowing quickly, she turned, hurrying towards the door, and we waited till the exact moment of contact to shoot out of our chairs.

The minute she rushed out of the door, she crashed violently with someone who was making their way inside.

Two shocked shouts sounded, and I, John and Del exchanged confused looks when we realized that one of the voices was not the same as the one we had expected it to be.

We quickly rushed out of the door, to find Megan sprawled on the floor, wincing in pain. Opposite to her, in a state similar to her, was not Prophecy, but Matree.

"DAMN!" Matree breathed out, "This is just not my day!"

Megan groaned and John hurried to help her up while Del gave Matree a hand. Matree stood up, holding her head, "Ah it hurts so much more when its two times in a row", she breathed out and I frowned wondering what she was talking about.

Suddenly she let go of her head and blinked, "Hey", she said, "It doesn't hurt anymore", she smiled, "Well, that was faster than usual-" her gaze fell on Megan and she gasped.

"It's you!" she exclaimed making a disoriented Megan frown in confusion.

"You're the girl I and Jessica saw behind Lu-lady Prophecy's cottage just before", she looked at the rest of you and gesturing wildly, "you know", she said.

I and John exchanged looks. We did know. She meant that Megan was the woman she had seen passing by Prophecy's cottage just before Suzzanah and Prophecy's souls were teleported. But when Cole and John had asked her about it this morning, Megan had said she hadn't passed by the cottage at all.

That means she lied to them!

Having realized what had just happened, Megan cringed, her gaze immediately shooting towards John who was already watching her questioningly.

"But didn't you say..." his voice trailed away and she gulped, "Did you lie to us?" he asked softly.

She shook her head and Matree's jaw fell open, "Hey! I saw you with my own eyes"

"Matree, you can leave now", I said, "We need to speak to Ms. Houston in private"

Quickly shutting her mouth, she nodded and bowed deeply before hurrying down the corridor. Once she was gone and I had made sure no one else was around, I returned my gaze to an extremely uneasy looking Megan. She was breathing heavily and her forehead was beaded with perspiration.

"Ms. Houston, don't be afraid", John told her gently, watching her reactions carefully, "Just answer me this. Did you or did you not lie to us earlier?"

She bit her lip before squeezing her eyes shut and sighing, "I'm so sorry", she breathed out, "I didn't mean to lie"

"So you did", I said and she nodded quietly, keeping her head down, "Why?" I asked.

She cringed, "This morning...after having been brought to the cottage like...that", she said, briefly glancing at Del, "I wanted nothing more to do with the situation. Especially after seeing that Suzzanah was alright, I thought I could leave and put the entire mess behind"

She gulped, "But when you and Master Cole suddenly asked me if I had passed by the cottage earlier...I was frightened that it may have something to do with Suzzanah's condition and that if I said yes, you'd think I that I did it"

"We would not have accused you without proof Ms. Houston", John told her, "You could have just told us you had nothing to do with the matter, just like you did at dinner earlier tonight"

"Yes but...I was so distressed this morning", she said guiltily, "I just wanted to leave and lying was the fastest way. I'm really sorry"

We exchanged glances before John nodded, "It's alright Ms. Houston, we understand", he said, "But just tell us this much. Where did you go after passing by the cottage?"

She frowned, blinking thoughtfully before replying, "Back to my room", she replied.

"How?" he asked and she gulped, her frown deepening, "How?" she repeated confused.

"How did you go back?"

She looked at me and Del uncertainly before replying, "I...don't understand why you're asking me this. How do people usually travel? I didn't use any vehicles or anything, if that's what you're asking"

"You mean you walked back?" he asked and she nodded, "Why are you asking?" she asked.

"Well I had rushed out of the cottage just a short while after Matree had told us she had seen you pass by", he partly lied and partly told the truth, "And well...I didn't see you around"

She bit her lip, "Oh", she replied, watching the rest of us wearily, "Well, now that everything has been cleared, please excuse me. I'll take your leave for tonight"

She bowed again and both the three of us looked at each other questioningly.

Where the hell is Prophecy? She should have been here by now!

Megan turned and started to make her way to the door. I was about to mind-link someone to find Prophecy when while passing by a corridor, someone ran straight into Megan, colliding hard with her before both of them fell to the floor again.

"YAAAAIIII", a husky familiar female voice cried out and the three of us jerked in alarm.

Prophecy!

We rushed up to them to find both of them sprawled next to each other on the marble floor, groaning and wincing in pain.

"The heck is happening today", Megan cried, struggling to get up.

"Aaaahhhh", Prophecy groaned and I quickly went over to help her up while Del bent to help Megan. The minute she saw him leaning closer, she cried out in terror and crawled away from him.

Del looked at her puzzled and John sighed before telling him to go ahead and carry on with his duties. Del nodded and left as John bent to help Megan again. Prophecy was still making strange pained noises when I slid my hands under her arms and pulled her up to her feet.

"Prophecy", I said and her eyes immediately shot open, "King!" she exclaimed I cringed.

Like brother like sister

My gaze fell to Megan immediately. She looked too disoriented to have heard Prophecy address me by my title, but I couldn't be sure she hadn't.

Prophecy's eyes followed mine and widened at the sight of a human.

"Shit!" she breathed out wincing and looked at me, "A human", she whispered and I nodded.

Her features twisted in confusion before something akin to realization dawned on her, "OHHHHH!!" she cried out, her head whipping towards Megan who had just managed to steady herself on her feet.

"OH MY GOD! QUEEEEN!" she cried out elatedly.

WHAT?!

Before any of us had time to stop her, she threw herself at Megan and hugged her tightly.

Megan let out a shocked cry and stumbled on her feet, "Wh-What?!" she cried out.

"EEEEPPP! I'm so thrilled to finally meet you!" Prophecy said squeezing her tighter.

The three of us waited for Prophecy to react in any way at all to Megan's touch. If she was one of the Lunas, Prophecy should have been able to feel and recognize her aura, but as the seconds ticked on, Prophecy did nothing but hug a struggling and pale Megan tighter.

"Ugh, please help!" Megan managed to croak out and I quickly pried Prophecy off her.

"Oh King, don't be jealous, this is plainly platonic", Prophecy told me, struggling in my hold, "I've waited too long to meet the Queen!"

I cringed. If she planned on doing that to Suzzanah when she finally met her, I was glad she hadn't met her yet.

Maybe we should just settle for arranging a phone-call between them, Kai suggested and I found myself agreeing with him.

John was patting Megan's back, who frankly speaking, looked like she would faint any second. I looked down at the small blonde woman who was struggling in my hold and sighed.

"Prophecy", I said, and she frowned up at me, "She isn't who you think she is", I told her.

"Huh?" her frown quickly turned to a questioning look, before she finally realized her mistake.

A loud horrified gasp escaped her mouth, which she quickly covered with both her hands. I let her go and she fisted her hair, her features scrunched up in disbelief.

"OH MY GOSH! I'm so sorry!" she said, walking towards Megan.

The minute she stepped closer, Megan gasped and hid behind John, who was shaking his head.

"I'm really sorry!" Prophecy said, "I thought you were someone else"

"Apparently I am", Megan breathed out, taking another step away from Prophecy.

"Damn! This will leave a really bad first impression", Prophecy groaned, "Couldn't you men have said something earlier?!" she cried out.

"When do you ever listen to anyone anyway?"

All of us turned to find an annoyed Marco and amused Cole walking up to us.

"I listen when its important", she snapped before covering her face in her hands, "I just messed up a perfect chance at making my first girl friend!"

Behind John, Megan seemed to pale even more than before and we all exchanged wide-eyed looks.

"Pro!" Marco said, grabbing her shoulders, "Female friend. Not girlfriend!"

"Girl and female are synonymous!" she told him.

"Yeah but girlfriend just gives the wrong impression!"

"Only to men like you, pervert brother of mine!"

We all sighed in unison when another familiar voice shouted, "Pro-fussy!"

She turned just in time to see Rino come running down the corridor and he immediately hugged Prophecy tightly, "You're awake!" he said happily.

Prophecy patted his back, acknowledging the hug, before promptly slapping the back of his head, making him cry out and pull away.

"It's not Pro-fussy! Its Prophecy" she said and he grinned, "Yeah but Pro-fussy suits you more!" he said.

"Don't make me use my paper fan on you!" Prophecy cried out and Rino quickly hid behind me, grinning cheekily.

"Hey, why is everyone out here in the corridor?" he asked before looking at Megan.

"Gee Vegan, you don't look so good, are you okay?" he asked and Megan tensed, not replying.

"Vegan?" Prophecy turned to look at Megan, "That isn't really your name is it?"

Megan shook her head and Rino gaped in disbelief, "What?!"

"Stop renaming people you amnesiac!" she said.

"I don't do it on purpose, I swear!" he said honestly.

Prophecy sighed, before turning to Megan, "Well, I know this won't cut it at all but, I'm really sorry for hugging you like that earlier", she said.

Rino poked my back and whispered, "She's taking after me"

"And also...for running into you and knocking you down before that", Prophecy completed and Marco's jaw hit the floor.

"You ran into her and knocked her down?!" he cried out, "Woman, you're unbelievable!"

Cole and I narrowed our eyes at him, You're one to talk! You did the same thing this morning!

Prophecy waved her hand at him, gesturing for him to stop talking and repeated, "I'm really sorry", to Megan, who shook her head.

"No, it's alright", she replied, having finally found her voice, "I'm really sorry too. I wasn't looking where I was going"

Prophecy grinned, "Really? So...you forgive me?" she asked Megan nodded.

"YAY!" Prophecy shouted, clapping her hands together happily before rushing towards Megan.

The rest of us immediately lurched forward to stop her in case she pulled another one of her strangler-hugs, and Megan too took a few alarmed steps back, but Prophecy just stuck her hand out towards Megan.

"Shall we shake on it then?" Prophecy asked and Megan stared at her hand warily for a second before nodding.

"Uh...sure"

She took her hand and Prophecy shook it happily, "I feel relieved", she said before looking at Megan, but her smile slowly faded and she frowned.

"Hey...you seem familiar somehow", she said and immediately all of us tensed.

Could it be?...

"Wh-what?" Megan stuttered in confusion, trying to remove her hand from Prophecy's grip.

"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..." Prophecy said and Megan shook her head, "No. I don't think so. I've never met you before"

Prophecy bent closer to her making her eyes widen in alarm and her attempts to free herself of Prophecy's grip grew increasingly frantic.

"Not too much, but there is something familiar about you", Prophecy said thoughtfully, bending further into her personal space.

"Uh Prophecy", Cole said cringing, "Maybe you should...you know...give her some space"

"Please, I need to get going", Megan said, looking distressed.

"Cow! Let her go!" Marco said quickly pulling Prophecy back, but Prophecy kept staring at Megan, "Where have I seen you?" she thought out loud.

"Goodnight", Megan said quickly turning away from us.

The minute she started walking away, I mind-linked Del, Megan's leaving the building. Keep an eye on her at all times. Tap all her phone calls and note the people she usually associates with. Make sure she doesn't notice you. I don't want any mistakes

Understood, Alpha, he replied and I cut off mindlink before we all huddled around Prophecy.

"Pro!" Marco said, "Did you by any chance see her in one of your teleportations?"

Prophecy blinked thoughtfully, "I don't...know..." she said.

"Think harder", he said.

"Prophecy", I spoke up, "When you touched Megan, did you not feel any familiar aura at all?" I asked.

"Aura?" she said puzzled, "She had almost no essence at all King. Such a strange human"

I and John exchanged glances immediately before looking back at Prophecy.

"Megan doesn't remember Prophecy, so you probably didn't really meet", Cole said, "It's more likely that you saw her in one of your teleportations"

She nodded, "I agree, but when?..."

"How would we know that?" Marco said irritably.

"Let's see", John said, "What was the first place you teleported to...California! Did you see her there?"

She shook her head, "No. The first time I teleported, I was so afraid and disoriented that I saw nothing but buildings and random faces of adults and children that I don't even remember"

John frowned thoughtfully before nodding. His phone suddenly beeped and he took it out to check the notification.

"Second?" Rino said and Cole spoke up, "Dublin"

Prophecy shook her head, "I only heard the Luna's voice that time, I didn't see her", she said, smiling nostalgically.

"Then...Paris?" Marco asked and she thought about it, "I think I did see a few red-heads in Paris"

"A few?" I said and she nodded, "Okay, Muscat?"

"No", she replied, "No red-haired people there"

"We're not necessarily only looking for red-haired people Prophecy", John told her, looking away from his phone. He looked somewhat unsettled but didn't say anything about it. Instead he asked Prophecy, "Did you see anyone resembling Megan in Muscat?"

"Even if I did, I can't be sure, I mean... when I teleported to Muscat the date was 2003", Prophecy said, "She would have been a kid back then"

"I see your point", I said, "Alright, London"

"I saw a somewhat darkish-haired woman, but like I said, I didn't see her face"

We all sighed collectively and she cringed, "Sorry", she said.

John shook his head, "What place did we miss out?"

"Oh!" Rino said, "Cambridge!"

The minute he said Cambridge, two loud shocked gasps filled the air, one coming from Prophecy, and one from Rino himself. The rest of us looked at Rino in bewilderment but both his and Prophecy's heads whipped towards the corridor at the far end of the lobby and their eyes widened in disbelief.

"LUNAAA!" they both cried out in unison and all our hearts stopped for a second in shock.

The very next second we were all dashing down that hallway with, Marco running haphazardly from side to side to avoid imaginary pillars, while Rino and Prophecy lead the way.

They can sense her! They can sense one of the Lunas!

We neared the end of the corridor where a blonde haired woman was just coming out of the washroom. At the sight of her, me, John, Marco and Cole came to an abrupt halt while Rino and Prophecy charged at her.

The minute she saw them, her face contorted in horror and she let out a scream, "NOT A BLOODY THIRD TIME!" she shouted just before the two jumped at her together.

"LUNA!" they cried out in unison, squeezing Matree to death while the rest of us exchanged gobsmacked glances.

Matree again?!! It couldn't be. The hell is going on here?!

Matree struggled and wriggled in their tight grips, "LET GO! I'm not a Luna!"

The minute she said that, Rino suddenly blinked and then immediately let her go.

"Rino! What are you doing? Don't let her go!" Prophecy shouted.

Rino shook her head, "It's not her", he told Prophecy.

"Yes, it is! I can sense one of the Luna's auras from her!"

He shook his head again, "It's not her", he repeated, before looking at the rest of our bewildered company, "It's the same as with Bell", he said, "The presence is coming from inside her...but she isn't the source of it"

The rest of us exchanged quick glances. When this had happened with Annabelle earlier, we had presumed that it had been because she had made contact with the Luna. So...

Realization struck us all at the same time.

Megan!

But wait...

"Prophecy, let her go", I said and Prophecy immediately released her, her eyes darting between Matree and Rino in confusion.

"Matree", I said making the gasping woman yelp and stand in attention, "Yes sir!"

"You said 'not a third time' just now", I said, "Apart from Ms. Houston and these two, who else did you come in contact with in the last few hours?"

She cringed, "Well...just a few minutes before I collided with Ms. Houston, I had crashed into Mr. Talon"

Huh?

"With Talon?" I asked and she nodded, putting her hands into her pockets.

"Not Suzzanah?" John asked and she shook her head.

"No", she said, "but she was with him. They looked to be in a hurry. When he crashed into me, he dropped this", she said, holding out a familiar looking watery crystal.

"HEY!" Rino exclaimed, "That's the one I was working on! I was wondering where it had gone"

He took it from her while she continued searching her other pocket for something else, "There was another one too", she said, "It looked a lot like this one, but it was smaller"

I looked at John and he nodded, she was talking about the crystal Megan had given Suzzanah

"I can't find it", she said looking around her, "I wonder if it fell out of my pocket when I crashed into Ms. Houston"

With Megan...

I frowned. I wouldn't be surprised if it magically found its way back to Suzzanah somehow. I needed to make sure I took it from her, if it did. I didn't want that thing anywhere near her.

Prophecy who had been briefed about the entire matter was following quite well, but the same could not be said about Matree.

"I don't understand anything that's going on here", Matree said uneasily.

Alpha, I heard John's voice in my head, Please use an Absolute Command on Matree. Tell her to not mention anything about the lost Lunas, in any manner whatsoever, to anyone but the people present around her now.

I frowned but agreed, Alright.

Once I had used the command on Matree, we let her leave. I knew she was confused but if she knew what was good for her, she would keep her distance from all this. And if she didn't, she would answer to me.

Marco immediately set up a maze around us so that nobody could see or hear us.

"Let's see", Cole said once Marco was done, "Our first and most probable option is Megan. But then...Megan collided with Prophecy as well, but Rino can't sense his Luna's essence from inside her"

We all looked at Prophecy, who blinked at us and shrugged.

"He has a point", I said, "The other option is Talon, and well, it's pretty obvious that he is ruled out"

"What about Anna?" Rino asked making us all look at him thoughtfully.

It was not a thought that had never occurred to us. I had wondered quite a few times if it was possible for Suzzanah to be one of the lost Lunas, but Suzzanah had made contact with all of us and Rino had never once sensed the presence of his Luna from any of us. Neither had she made contact with Matree just now.

It was possible that she wasn't his Luna, thank god, and that's why he couldn't sense her aura, but even if she was the other Luna, when Prophecy had confirmed that Karina was one of them, that had been ruled out as well.

Karina was one of the Luna's but she wasn't Rino's Luna, and neither was Suzzanah Rino's Luna, which obviously meant Suzzanah couldn't be one of the two Lunas.

That left only Megan and Karina, out of which Megan was still quite a doubtful option.

"Most of the facts we discovered tonight point against the possibility of Megan being one of the Lunas", I said, "But even if she isn't one of them, there is still something really odd about her. The only scent she radiates is one of perfume or hairspray or whatever. Her own scent is almost non-existent!"

"I know right!" Prophecy said, "I second that! Although that perfume was pretty amazing"

John smiled thoughtfully, "Yes, I noticed that too", he said, "Even earlier this morning when Del brought her to the cottage, I couldn't pick up her own scent at all"

"She is definitely hiding something", I said decidedly, "And I intend on finding out exactly what it is. It doesn't matter that she isn't one of the lost Lunas"

"So you've decided that she isn't one of the Lunas?" he asked me, his wise eyes boring into mine.

I frowned, "Well, no", I replied, "But like I said, most facts point towards her not being one. And we know we can trust those facts because she couldn't lie throughout the evening"

He smiled, "I'm afraid I disagree with you Sire", he told me, "I don't think she didn't lie this evening. On the contrary, I think she might have lied quite a lot"

What?

A wave of confusion washed over all of us, "John, what are you saying?" Marco asked, "She was bound by the King's Absolute Command. She couldn't tell lies, even if she wanted to"

He nodded, "Yes, she couldn't", he agreed, "But not telling lies isn't the same as not lying at all"

Cole frowned, "Do you mean how hiding the truth isn't the same as lying?" he asked.

"Something like that, but not exactly", John replied, "What I'm trying to say is that Megan isn't just hiding the truth by not telling us everything. She is lying by not telling us anything"

I scowled, "John, can you speak clearly just this once in your life?" I asked irritably and he smiled.

"She lied to us Alpha", he told me, "Throughout the evening, she selectively lied to us about all the things she didn't want to reveal"

"That's not possible", I argued, "I commanded her to speak nothing but the truth. And we made sure that we got answers from her to all our questions. None of them were left unanswered. So she couldn't be hiding the truth from us either"

"Yes we got all answers", he said, "And yes, every time she replied to one of our questions, she was most definitely speaking truthfully. But then...she didn't really speak all the answers...did she?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but no sound came out, as what he was trying to convey to me suddenly became crystal clear.

My eyes widened in shock at the same time as everyone else's.

She couldn't have...!

"John?" I breathed out in disbelief and he nodded gravely.

"She may have answered all our questions", he said, "But she answered many of them not verbally, but by simply nodding or shaking her head", he leaned forward, "And since your Absolute Command only forbade her from speaking anything but the truth, she could have easily lied to us by answering via gestures"

Everyone gaped at him in disbelief.

"Bloody hell", I breathed out, feeling utterly stumped, "She answered a lot of the questions we asked her tonight by shaking her head or nodding, but not saying anything"

"Exactly", he replied.

"But...how?" Marco asked in puzzlement, "How could she have known how to find a damn loophole in the King's command? There is no way in hell that a human could-"

He stopped mid-sentence and his gaze met John's. We were all thinking the same thing at that point of time. John nodded quietly and we immediately understood what he was trying to say.

She isn't human!

"John...how?" I asked quietly.

How did she know that I had used a command that prevented her from being able to lie? How was she able to find a way to get around my command? And most importantly, how the hell was she able to hide the fact that she isn't human from all of us?!

John sighed, "That's what I haven't figured out yet, Alpha", he replied, "But the very fact that she lied to us this evening proves that she can't be fully trusted"

"But wait...this is just a theory right", I asked, "We don't have any proof that she lied"

John smiled and shook his head, pulling out his phone and opening some folders.

"I'm afraid that isn't true Alpha", he told me, "We have proof. It came in just a few minutes ago. And its proof that's undisputable. Do you remember what answer she gave us when Cole asked her if she had ever been to Cambridge?"

I thought back to it, "She had denied it- no! She had shaken her head implying that she hadn't"

John smiled before showing us his phone screen on which a document was currently open.

"What's this?" Rino asked as we scanned what looked like a document of academic qualification.

"That is a picture of Ms. Houston's graduation certificate", he told us, "Have a look at the name of Institution she graduated from"

Our eyes immediately found the name of the Institution and a cacophony of shocked gasps and intakes of breath filled the air.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, ENGLAND

"Shit", Marco breathed out, "She lied"

"Yes she did", he replied smiling and looking impressed, "Very cleverly at that"

"When did you realize this?" Cole asked.

"It occurred to me during dinner", John replied, "But I became sure of the matter when Matree had accused her of having passed by Prophecy's cottage earlier and she had shaken her head, lying that she hadn't"

"JOHN!" I snapped, "If you knew that by simply nodding or shaking her head, she could be lying then why didn't you point it out to us earlier?"

"Pointing out her lies earlier would have meant raising Ms. Houston's guard", he replied, "I'm sure a woman who was smart enough to find a loophole in your absolute command would have found a way out of our accusations as well. And after that, we could never catch her by surprise"

I ran a hand through my hair in aggravation while the others exchanged exhausted looks.

"Besides", John added, "I wanted to wait till I had even more solid proof before I made any final decisions, like a picture of her graduation certificate"

"And you only just got that proof a few minutes ago", Rino said and he nodded.

"No matter", he said, "At least now we're certain that Megan is hiding things from us...one of which may be that she isn't human. We just need to find out how and why"

"Oh sure! Now you say it like it's something simple", Marco said.

"You never know, it may actually be very simple", he told me, "The problem isn't just that the puzzle pieces don't seem to fit. It's also that we're missing a few pieces. And the minute we find them and manage to piece them all together, everything will make sense"

"And what do you propose we do to find these missing pieces?" I asked.

"I have a few ideas", he said smiling, "I need to leave here tomorrow. There are a few things I need to look up in the Central Library"

All of us looked at him confused, "The Central Library?" I said, "But that's very far away John"

He nodded, "Yes Alpha, I'm aware. But it's important. I'll be away for about a day and a half. In the meantime, I want you to organize the treasure hunt tomorrow"

Marco's eyes went wide, "Tomorrow?" he asked and John nodded.

"Yes", he replied, "As was the original plan, put up a maze for Suzzanah, to find out whether or not she is a Neutral. But instead of making it a maze just for a neutral who has both Werewolf and human traits, I want you to include witches and wizards too"

Immediately he was met with five pairs of puzzled eyes.

"Just...do it alright", he said, "And also...if possible...put up one for the Luna of Intercession"

"Huh?!" Marco exclaimed in shock, "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Put up a maze which is meant for a woman who has the ability to allow sharing of supernatural powers", John said and Marco groaned.

"That's nearly impossible to do, you know", he said and John smiled, "I know, but I have faith in you", he said patting Marco's back.

Marco's shoulders slumped, "Speaking of supernatural powers, can I please turn mine off now? I'm tired of acting like an idiot and walking around pillars and poles that no one else can see!"

John chuckled and nodded, "Yes you can", he said, "You too Alpha", he told me and I immediately powered down my ability.

"What about the Luna of Hearts?" Prophecy asked, "Don't we need a maze for her too?"

"Can you not!" Marco said, "I'm already dying here"

"I'm afraid we don't know anything at all about the Luna of Hearts so there is no way he can put up a maze specifically for her", he said.

He looked at Prophecy and smiled, "But since you have sensed both the Heart's and Intercession's auras before", he said to her, "you being present during the treasure hunt tomorrow will play an important role. You too Rino", he said looking at Rino.

Rino nodded, "Imma take part in the treasure hunt tomorrow too!" he said grinning, "I hope I'm on Anna's team"

I narrowed my eyes at him when Prophecy suddenly exclaimed, "Hey! speaking of her, where is the Queen!" she asked, "I'm literally dying to meet her!"

I had been wondering the same thing. Talon was supposed to report to me when he dropped Suzzanah off at her cottage, but he hadn't done so yet. I tried to remember if I had subconsciously blocked him out, but I didn't think I had.

It was unlikely that he had forgotten, but even if he had, the idea of having my mate sleep in the same room as Megan was making my blood boil.

"If she's still up, can I meet her tonight?" Prophecy's question brought me out of my thoughts, "I'll quickly freshen up and change, and then I go meet her like real quick. Is that okay King?"

I frowned, "I suppose, if she's still awake. But no jumping on her or hugging the life out of her", I said and she nodded grinning.

"Oh my gosh! I'm excited!" Prophecy squealed happily, "I even have the perfect present for the Queen"

The minute those words escaped her lips, all of us paled a little.

"W-What...gift...exactly?" Marco asked nervously.

She grinned from ear to ear, "A sweater!" She exclaimed, "I made it myself"

Oh for the love of-

All of us exchanged wide-eyed looks. It seemed Prophecy had found yet another victim. Even though Suzzanah would look beautiful in anything, I wondered if the color Prophecy had chosen was one that could be looked at without ocular protection.

Cole and Marco were already trying to talk Prophecy out of the idea. I was about to join in when suddenly I felt a wave of intense fear wash over me, one so powerful that it made my vision blur.

It didn't take me even a second realize that those weren't my own emotions. No, they were the emotions of the one person who was most precious to me.

"Suzzanah..." I breathed out in shock, making everyone quiet down and look at me, their eyes suddenly wide and anxious.

The very next second, a loud scream echoed in all of our minds, making a wave of immense dread wash over us.

SUZZANAH! NO!

In that moment, I felt like my heart had been torn out of my chest. And before anyone could even release a breath, I was running out of the building and into the dark woods.

****

Suzzanah's POV

A shrill, blood curdling scream erupted from my lips at the sight of the dark Shadow hunched under the table. The wraithlike figure was crouched in a crooked squat, it's head twisted to the side in a silent stare.

Frantically, I lurched away from it, reeling in shock. My legs tangled in themselves and I stumbled, losing my balance. And as I fell, my gaze never swayed from the dark figure, my eyes wide in unparalleled terror.

Cold blue eyes stared emotionlessly back at me, the intensity of which chilled me down to the bone.

I felt my blood run cold, and my body go numb, so much so that when I hit the ground hard, I didn't even register the pain.

The shadow didn't move, it didn't even flinch. It just sat there, hunched over under the table, its eyes staying glued to my pale, trembling frame.

And when a few seconds had passed, I watched in heart stopping terror, as its eyes finally closed, and then didn't open again.

Now a shadow in every sense, with a face as void and black as the rest of its body, the ghostly creature finally moved, and I realized in spine-chilling horror, that it was towards me.

Before I even knew it, its inky arm shot out towards me and wrapped itself tightly around my ankle, like a dark wine. The strap of my heels dug into my skin and a thousand chills tore through my skin.

With the last ounce of my strength, I screamed once again, at the top of my lungs.

"ZUERIEEEENNN!"

The minute his name left my lips, the shadow stopped abruptly, and the very next moment, it crept under the table before gliding swiftly into the darkness of the woods.

For what felt like several hours, but were probably just a few seconds, I stayed sprawled on the cold ground, too frightened to even breathe.

I stared silently at the dark woods that surrounded the Game Grounds from all sides, my eyes not swaying from the spot where I had seen the Shadow creature disappear.

It was one of them, I thought in disbelief, It was one of the Shadow People!

Did that mean...that the man who had instructed me earlier was...

My heart was still thundering inside my chest, and a dull ache was radiating from my head, all the way down my spine to my legs. Over the loud sound of blood rushing to my head, I heard a faint voice calling out my name repeatedly.

I tried to focus on the voice, but it sounded distant and muffled. My vision too seemed tunnel-like and hazy.

I felt a weight on both my shoulders before I was shaken lightly. I turned my head to the side to see Mr. Talon watching me anxiously, his eyes wide and face pale.

His lips were moving, and I knew he was speaking to me, but I couldn't hear him. I knew he was holding me by the shoulders, but I couldn't feel his touch. His concerned face appeared blurred and unclear, and I found myself drifting deeper into my disorientation.

I couldn't tell which was my right and which was my left. I couldn't tell what was up and what was down. I couldn't understand anything that was happening around me. All I could remember were those cold blue eyes and the vice-like grip of that Shadow on my leg.

I was afraid, so terribly afraid.

Suddenly another large figure leapt out of the woods, rushing straight towards me. I wanted to move, but my body felt frozen from the shock of what I had just experienced.

The person came to a halt right in front of me, before getting down on one knee. I felt large hands cup my face, sending fluttering tingles through my skin, and almost instantly, I felt my daze clear a little.

Through my hazy and dim vision, I saw familiar warm brown eyes looking into mine with overwhelming concern. His touch was warm against my skin, and I could feel my senses clearing slowly.

His lips moved, mouthing my name and even though I barely heard it, I knew he was probably dying of anxiety. I tried to reply to him, my lips parted, but no words left them.

Something was tugged, making me lurch forward, and my gaze slowly descended downwards. The last arrow that I had picked up earlier was still clutched tightly to my chest in my right hand.

Zuerien gently tugged at it again, and this time I loosened my grip, letting him pry it out of my hand. The skin of my palm where I had been gripping the arrow was red and stinging slightly.

Three more figures dashed out of the woods and I faintly heard them call out to me. Immediately afterward, Rino, Cole and Marco ran up to us and knelt beside Zuerien.

I saw Zuerien lips mouth my name again. I knew he was asking me if I was alright. My lips trembled, and a ragged breath escaped my lips. I wanted so badly to speak, but it was like my voice had escaped me.

In the very next moment I was pulled into a familiar chest and strong, muscular arms came around me, cocooning me in their warmth. A soft whimper escaped my lips and I leaned into his protective embrace. It felt so soothing and warm that I thought I'd start to cry.

As my heart rate finally slowed, and my hearing returned gradually, the first thing I heard, was my mate's deep affectionate voice repeating some familiar words to me, over and over again.

"It's okay, I'm here"

The sound of those words was just so immensely comforting and reassuring, that it was enough to break through all my inertia and reach my troubled heart.

And the very next moment, I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his chest.

"Zuerien", I whimpered tiredly, my body trembling in his arms.

His grip immediately tightened around me and he kissed my forehead.

"Everything's okay sweetheart", he whispered gently, caressing my hair, "I'm here now. You're okay"

I let out a sigh of relief, snuggling closer to him when I heard him ask Mr. Talon, "What happened?"

Mr. Talon started to recite all the events that had taken place from when he had gone to fetch the arrows till he reached my side and after I had fallen.

By then, the shadow had disappeared into the woods. He hadn't seen it.

"Was anyone else here at the Game Grounds except the two of you?" Cole asked and I turned my head slightly to see Mr. Talon shaking her head.

"Did you see anyone around Anna when she screamed?" Rino asked and he shook his head again.

"No", he replied, "But if there was someone, he could have run away before I got to her"

There was someone, I wanted to say, but all that escaped my lips were more desperate gasps for breath.

"I'll go get her a glass", Rino said, before rushing towards the VIP cabin.

Sliding one arm around my back and the other under my knees, Zuerien stood up, with me in his arms. Under normal circumstances, I would have protested, but right now I felt so exhausted that I could barely even breathe.

Marco too got up and turned towards the woods. His body suddenly shone dim blue, and I knew he was using his Extraordinaire abilities.

"He's scanning every inch of the mazes around here to locate every single person who was in the woods right now", Zuerien told Mr. Talon, "If someone had been here, then they should still be in the woods"

I tried to tell him that I had spoken to a man earlier, but all that left my lips was a measly whimper.

"It's okay sweetheart", Zuerien whispered to me, "I'm here now. I won't let anything happen to you"

"Why was the Luna brought here?!" Cole suddenly asked Mr. Talon, his voice not harsh, but laced with disapproval, "Its late and dark and no one is around for miles! If anything had happened to her then who would protect her?"

I felt a wave of panic wash over me as Mr. Talon bowed his head, "I'm terribly sorry Sire", he said in small voice.

"I told you to take Suzzanah back to her room", Zuerien growled out, and I knew that he was probably finding it hard to keep Kai from taking control.

No! Don't blame Mr. Talon! It's not his fault!

Mr. Talon winced and nodded, "I know Sire", he replied in a small voice, "I have no excuse for myself. I take full responsibility for Suzzanah's current state. Please punish me as you see fit"

"No!"

A frantic whisper escaped my lips, but it was enough to catch everyone's attention.

"Anna!" Rino breathed out worriedly as he returned with an empty glass in his hand.

"It wasn't his fault", I barely managed to choke out, looking up at Zuerien. I gulped, "Zuerien...I s-saw it. It was r-right here! H-he was under the table"

All their eyes immediately shot towards the table before they exchanged puzzled looks.

"Who Anna?" Rino asked agitatedly and on recollection of the incident from before, I flinched.

My eyes locked with Zuerien's again and I exhaled raggedly, "I-it was one of them", I breathed out, "I'm sure of it. It was a Shadow!"

In a flash, their faces went pale in horror, as though their worlds had stopped moving and time had come to a standstill. They seemed to have been shocked beyond comprehension.

But the minute that phase passed, they all let out cries of disbelief and I knew they were wondering the same thing I was.

How?...

"But...that can't be!" Marco cried out while the others gaped at me in blatant horror, "My mazes prevent Shadow People from entering our territory. They can't breach them, it's just not possible!"

I knew he was right, and I wanted to believe him, but I knew what I had seen, and I had no doubt whatsoever.

It was a shadow...

"Suzzanah, I need you to tell me everything", Zuerien said, "What exactly did you see?"

Swallowing hard, I narrated the whole incident to them, my voice trembling and heart beating erratically. As I went on, I could tell that Zuerien was getting angrier with each passing second.

"Did it hurt you?" he growled out and I shook my head.

"Did you by any chance see the owner of the Shadow, Luna?" Cole asked me, "I mean the human form of the person whose shadow you saw?"

I bit my lip nervously, "I don't know for sure...b-but..."

"But?" Zuerien asked me gently.

"B-but just before I saw the Shadow..." I said, "I heard...the voice of a man. H-he was standing near that tree, over there", I said pointing with a shaky hand towards a large tree at the edge of the woods, "I-I couldn't see his face, but he sounded a little older. H-he instructed me on how to hit the target, but the minute I did, h-he...disappeared!"

Rino and Marco looked at each other before Rino asked softly, "Anna...are you sure...you didn't by any chance...see another spirit?"

"I don't know", I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut, "I don't understand anything. I-I was so scared"

Zuerien immediately hugged me closer and rested my head against his chest. Cole walked up to the tree I had pointed to and sniffed.

"There is a very faint scent here", he said, "And I'm not sure whose it is, but it's familiar", he looked at Zuerien, "it's definitely someone we know or have at least met a couple of times before"

Zuerien's jaw clenched and I wondered whether to be relieved or troubled that it had been someone who they apparently knew.

"Still", Mr. Talon said, "Can we be sure that the person she spoke to and the Shadow she saw are...related?"

"I don't think so", Cole replied, shaking his head.

Marco finished scanning the woods and turned towards us.

"There are only 21 people in the woods right now in over a hundred miles from here", he told us, "And all of them are werewolves, probably the patrol group for the night. And I sense no intruders"

"What about the pathway here from the cottages?" Zuerien asked.

"2 witches, 14 werewolves making their way either out of or back inside their cottages"

"How far away are the witches?" Rino asked, "Do you think one of them could have used magic to play a trick on Anna?"

My eyes widened in alarm, but Marco shook his head.

"They're too far away Rino", Marco replied, "Besides I don't sense any magic around here at all"

"Talon, did you sense any magic from around the Luna or under the table earlier?" Zuerien asked and Talon shook his head.

"None at all Alpha", he replied, "Nor did I sense or smell anyone around the Game Grounds for at least 15 meters"

"Mindlink all the male werewolves whom you sensed to make their way here immediately", Zuerien told Marco, "If not one of the shadows, then it had to be one of them who Suzzanah spoke to earlier"

Marco nodded and his eyes immediately glazed over. Feeling exhausted and frustrated, I exhaled softly.

"I swear", I whispered tiredly, "I didn't imagine it. It was really here"

Zuerien kissed the top of my head and I could feel his conflicting emotions. He was torn between wanting to believe me, and desperately hoping that I really had just imagined it.

I sighed, glancing down at the table under which I had seen that shadow. It had been a small creature, much tinier than the Shadow that had belonged to Terrence Magnifis.

I knew that Shadow People could probably mold their Shadows to change shape, so just because the Shadow was small, didn't necessarily mean that the caster was too...

When I looked up at Zuerien, his eyes were glazed over and I guessed that he was probably mind-linking Alpha Penson.

Cole was speaking to Mr. Talon, getting him to recite everything that had happened after they left the lounge earlier.

Rino walked up to me and extended the empty glass towards me. While I blinked at it, he splayed his fingers over the top of the glass once and suddenly the empty glass was filled to the brim with crystal clear water.

Despite my fatigue, I couldn't stop a breath of awe from escaping my lips.

"Here you go Anna", Rino said softly and brought the glass up to my lips.

I smiled gratefully at him before gulping down the water. The cool liquid felt refreshing and soothing. Once I had emptied the glass, Rino asked if I wanted more and I shook my head.

He gave me a small smile before looking at me sadly. Above us, the sky had turned dark and gloomy, with thick grey clouds covering the large silver moon.

I looked back at Rino and sighed, "I'm really alright Rino", I whispered softly and he nodded quietly, kicking at the dust.

"The werewolves you asked me to mind-link are on their way here King", Marco said, just as Zuerien cut off mindlink.

Marco's eyes briefly fell on me. His gaze held deep concern as he said, "I'm sorry but...I don't think it's a good idea for them to see you both like this. It'll give away a lot that we're currently trying to hide"

A low growl escaped Zuerien's lips, a deep frown marring his features. Marco simply lowered his head, not saying anything else.

"I-It's okay", I said, gently pushing at his chest with my hands, "You can put me down now"

His eyes temporarily flashed a pitch black and he pulled me closer. I placed a hand over his chest and looked into his eyes.

"Please put me down Zuerien, Kai", I said softly, "I'm alright"

He exhaled a frustrated breath before reluctantly bending to set me down.

I smiled as I set my right foot down. I still felt rather shaky, but I wasn't about to tell him that. Setting my left foot down as well, I felt a dull ache in my leg. I wanted to get rid of my heels and just stand barefoot.

Zuerien held onto me till I felt steady on my feet, and once I was sure, I wouldn't collapse to the floor, I slowly pushed myself away from him.

But the minute I put pressure on my left foot, a sharp pain shot up my leg, making me wince. I hissed, stumbling on my feet and immediately Zuerien's arm came around me, supporting my weight.

Everyone's concerned eyes immediately fell to my left ankle, which I was holding up in the air slightly, afraid to put weight on it.

Mr. Talon quickly bent down to undo the strap of my heels and my heart rate spiked when I realized where the pain had arisen from.

As he slipped the sandal off my foot, everyone sucked in sharp breaths and my blood ran cold.

A dark bruise wound around the entire girth of my pale ankle, in a serpentine fashion. The bruise was a deep purple, indicating a rennet injury and my heart pounced against my chest as I realized how I had gotten it.

"Oh no!" Mr. Talon cried out worriedly as he bent to take a closer look, "Did you twist your ankle when you fell?"

I shook my head gravely, swallowing hard. Zuerien's eyes were frantically searching my skin for any more bruises, but I knew I had no others. None like this one at least.

"It looks more like a bruise caused by tight pressure", Cole said frowning, "Like when a rope of cloth is tied too tightly around it"

"Were your heels that tight Queen?" Marco asked, looking flabbergasted.

"No..." I breathed out in a barely audible whisper, "I knew I hadn't imagined it..."

Everyone's eyes shot towards me, realization and shock mingling in their depths. I looked up at Zuerien who was staring at me in disbelief.

My voice trembled as I said, "This was where the Shadow had grabbed me"

*****

Immediately after we had met the werewolves whom Marco had called to the Game Grounds, Zuerien took me to Room 7, where Alpha Penson was waiting for us.

Luna Prophecy had been taken back to her own room as soon as Zuerien and the others had rushed to find me and Mr. Talon. Her cottage was currently being guarded heavily, to ensure that she was protected.

None of the wolves, who had been summoned by Marco to the Game Grounds, had been the one whose voice had guided me to shoot the arrow earlier. The guys were sure that he was definitely someone who was still present at the Games, and they planned on looking at the footage recorded by the CCTV cameras around the Game Grounds, to pin-point who it was.

After seeing the bruise, everyone had been convinced that what I had seen had neither been my imagination, nor a spirit.

Zuerien had been so enraged at the possibility of a Shadow having gotten close to me, that he ended up blowing up all the lights at the Game Grounds. In a desperate attempt to calm him down, Cole and Marco had reassured him that just because it wasn't spirit or magic didn't mean it was a shadow.

I hadn't understood what they had meant till after I had spoken to Alpha Penson.

The Mazes cast by the Alpha of Mazes had kept intruders out for centuries now. And Marco, though young, was exceptionally good at controlling his abilities. His mazes were very powerful, and the Alpha of Wisdom, Alpha Penson, had vouched for them himself.

There was no way one of the Shadow People could have gotten through them, especially without him noticing it.

There was however, one thing that Marco had admitted his mazes could not fully prevent. He had said that although the human form of the Shadow people could never enter Werewolf territory without his knowledge, it was possible that one of their Shadows could slip in without him noticing.

Every single spec of matter in this world cast a shadow. It was incredibly hard to keep track of Supernatural shadows amongst the natural ones, especially when they weren't moving.

But a supernatural Shadow could not exist apart from its caster for too long. Once detached from its human, not only was the shadow weak, but it was also vulnerable to destruction from any and all forms of light. Even if it remained in the darkness, it could not survive for long without returning to the human it belonged to.

In order for a solitary shadow to exist independently within our territory, its caster or controller would also have to be close by. But the Shadow People were forbidden from even setting foot in the country, let alone this particular city, and there was no way a Shadow could exist so far away from its caster.

By the time he had explained that to me, I knew that the chances of the creature I had seen, being a shadow were extremely slim. But there was also no other explanation for what I had experienced, which meant that the possibility of a supernatural shadow in our territory could not be ruled out completely.

As soon as I was safely delivered to room 7, Zuerien had declared a state of high alert at the Games. Almost every warrior wolf at the Games was outside, searching both the cottages as well as the woods for any signs of the Shadow itself or any unauthorized personnel present at the Games, who could be its possible caster.

Marco had set up another barrier around the Game Grounds to ensure that no one present here could leave. After being assured by me a thousand times that I was really alright, Zuerien left me in Alpha Penson's care and went to search the woods with Cole, Marco and the rest of the warrior wolves.

Rino and Mr. Talon had gone to look at the CCTV footage of the camera that was set to capture everything at and around the archery field, where I had seen the shadow.

Special security had been posted all around cottage 7 to ensure that I and Alpha Penson were safe. But of course the guards thought they were only protecting the Alpha and not me too.

Roma had come over earlier and seen to all my little scratches as well as the dark bruise around my left ankle.

Now dressed in warm pajamas, seated on a comfortable bed with the covers pulled up till my waist, and a cup of hot chocolate in my hands, I exhaled tiredly at Alpha Penson's question.

"Yes Alpha, I really am alright", I told him with a smile, for the third time in the last five minutes.

He nodded his head quietly, the worry not leaving his eyes. I had already narrated the entire evening's events to him, and by the time I was done, he looked deeply troubled.

"You said this shadow was shaped like a small person", he said and I nodded, "And was it well formed?" he asked, "I mean were all parts of its body well defined, like fingers, toes, earlobes or hair"

I shuddered at his question and attempted to recollect the exact morphology of the shadow I had seen. Its body had had a well-defined outline that made it look human, but I didn't remember having seen any distinct minute details like fingers, ears or hair.

I shook my head in reply to his question and he nodded before asking, "Did it say anything to you?"

I almost choked on my hot chocolate, "They can talk?!" I cried out in disbelief and he nodded handing me a tissue paper.

"From your reaction, I suppose I can safely presume that it didn't speak at all", Alpha Penson said.

Chills ran down my spine and suddenly the hot chocolate in my hands didn't seem so hot anymore. I had thought they were deadly creepy already, but apparently these Shadows could get much worse.

Karina...

I gasped as I suddenly remembered the voice message Karina had sent me, "Alpha!" I cried out alarmed, "I had to call Karina! She must be so worried about me. How could I forget?!"

Setting the hot chocolate aside, I frantically reached for my phone that was set on the bed-side table, but Alpha Penson beat me to it and grabbed it first, holding it away from me.

"I'm sorry Suzzanah, but I can't allow you to call Karina", he said, "Especially not right now, when there could be a potential Shadow loose in our territory"

"But-"

"No buts", he cut me off, "I'm sorry, but it's just too dangerous. You can call her when the state of high alert is called off, alright?"

My shoulders slumped in defeat, and I nodded gloomily, Karina...I'm sorry. Please don't worry too much about me, okay...

Alpha Penson set my phone aside, "There is something I've been meaning to ask you", he said to me, "You told me multiple times that the shadow you saw was staring at you. Did you think so simply because its face was directed towards you and you were the only one at the Grounds, or is there another reason"

I blinked, "Well yes, those two reasons you mentioned also obviously added to the notion, but the main reason was because it was actually looking at me", I said, "It's a little hard to ignore a pair of eyes on an otherwise faceless creature that are staring at you"

The minute I finished my sentence, Alpha Penson shot out of his chair, his eyes wide in shock.

"It had eyes?!" he cried out and I immediately tensed, feeling anxious.

"Y-yes?" I replied.

"Eyes?" he asked again and my anxiety grew.

"Yes...." I said in a small voice.

He looked away, his brow furrowing in deep thought and his features contorting into a deep frown as he whispered, "That's not..."

"That's not?" I asked and his gaze returned to mine.

He immediately tamed his agitation and took a deep breath, "Suzzanah", he said softly, "What color were the eyes?"

"Blue", I replied, still watching him worriedly.

"And you say it let you go the minute you screamed Zuerien's name?" he asked and I nodded.

Alpha Penson closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He seemed deeply troubled at it was making me feel slightly panicked.

I was about to ask him why he looked so troubled when his eyes suddenly glazed over. I placed a hand over my chest and snuggled deeper into the covers, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

I wanted Zuerien to return as fast as he could. Without him around, I felt troubled and unsafe. I found myself resisting the urge to pinch myself in hopes that this was all a bad dream and that I would wake up from it very soon.

Alpha Penson's eyes cleared and he blinked a few times before quickly reaching for his phone, "It was Talon", he told me, "He says he had sent me a clipping from the video footage captured by the cameras at the game grounds"

He sat down next to me and clicked on the files Mr. Talon had sent him, "There is unfortunately no footage that captures the man whom you spoke to this evening", he told me, "But there is some evidence of the shadow you encountered"

A black and white film started to play on the screen and I recognized myself in the footage. I was just turning around to pick up the last arrow from the table.

I held my breath as I watched my body go stiff in the video, but my frame was blocking the view of what was under the table. The next moment I was stumbling away from the table in shock and then I fell to the ground. The view of the underside of the table became clear, but because the footage was black and white, the shadow was not clearly seen in it at all.

My shoulders slumped in disappointment, but Alpha Penson continued to watch keenly. Suddenly a dark tendril shot out from under the table and wrapped itself around my ankle. Alpha Penson sucked in a sharp breath and my heart rate skyrocketed.

There it was!

Within the very next second, the dark hand receded into the darkness under the table, and then there was a faint swoosh of something dark across the other side of the table, showing how it had made a swift exit into the woods.

The video ended, and both I and Alpha Penson sat in pin-drop silence. The Alpha seemed to be in deep thought, while I was just completely freaked out again, as though I had just relived the horrifying experience.

Alpha Penson put his phone back in his pocket and turned to look at me.

Alpha?" I said worriedly and he sighed before placing a hand over my head.

"Thank god you're alright", he said softly, looking down at me with concerned fatherly eyes.

I rubbed my arms nervously, "Was it really...a supernatural shadow?" I asked him, feeling afraid.

He didn't reply and I bit my lip worriedly, "There is something...I didn't tell you all earlier Alpha Penson", I breathed out in a small voice, immediately catching his attention, "It's about my teleportation to Canada this morning"

He nodded quietly and I gulped, "I remembered something more when I woke up this evening", I said, "While I was there...Terrence Magnifis, he...he mentioned me"

Alpha Penson tensed as I added, "He told Karina...that he had been the one who had called me that night...you know...the blank call I had received from Karina's number on the night when I first met Rino...it had been him"

The Alpha's jaw clenched, his frown deepening.

"And it's not just that", I added, "He told Karina...that he was looking forward to meeting me...soon"

Alpha Penson squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled heavily, "Did he mention a time?" he asked.

"No", I replied and he nodded quietly.

"Alpha?" I said quietly, "Please tell me what's bothering you. I know you're hiding something from me...and its really scaring me right now"

Alpha Penson opened his eyes and shook his head, "You have no reason to be afraid my dear", he said, "We will not let them hurt you, ever"

"So you're sure then?" I asked, "You're sure that what I saw was indeed one of them? A supernatural shadow belonging to one of the Shadow People?"

He narrowed his eyes in thought, "I'm afraid so", he replied and a fearful breath escaped my lips.

"If you had mentioned having just seen a shadow alone, then I could have attributed it to something else", he said, "But since you mentioned that it had eyes..."

"W-what about it?" I asked anxiously.

He hesitated for a bit before sighing and saying, "What you supposedly witnessed tonight, was an ability exclusive to the strongest of the Shadow People, Suzzanah"

I gulped as he continued, "It's called Shadow sight", he told me, "If one of the Shadow people is in a different city or country, then the leader or higher ups can view everything that he is seeing through his Supernatural shadow"

A shiver ran down my spine and I pulled my knees to my chest nervously.

"When using Shadow sight, the eyes of the person who is viewing the surroundings through another's shadow, materialize on the Shadow's face", Alpha Penson told me, "Which means that the blue eyes you saw on the Shadow tonight, weren't necessarily the caster's own eyes, but the eyes of the higher up using the shadow to look at you"

I sucked in a terrified breath and Alpha Penson placed a hand over my shoulder, "Please stay calm child", he told me, "It's over. You're alright now"

His words did little to comfort me because one thought was haunting my mind, preventing me from thinking anything else.

Terrence Magnifis...had blue eyes!

"Suzzanah", Alpha Penson said softly, "As long as the Alpha and the rest of us have breath in our bodies, we will protect you from anything that could ever harm you", he told me, "I didn't mean to scare you by telling you all this. I'm only doing so because it's probably better for you to know. The more you know, the better an idea you will have of what to do if you ever encounter a Shadow again"

He stood up and glanced at the wall clock. It was 11:35 pm. There was still no news on anyone having spotted the Shadow or any possible intruders.

"You should go to bed now Suzzanah", Alpha Penson told me, "You've had a very rough day and you need the rest"

I shook my head, "I don't think I can fall asleep knowing that one of those things is lose somewhere in this territory", I replied.

Alpha Penson pulled the covers higher up over my shivering frame, "I still don't know how it's possible for a supernatural shadow to exist so far away from its caster", he said, "The problem is we don't know where exactly to look to find it. A shadow hasn't been spotted in our territory for over a decade now"

His words triggered something inside of me and a very vivid memory suddenly flashed in my mind. And on complete recollection of it, I gasped out loud and sat up in bed.

"Oh my God", I whispered, my eyes widened in terror.

"Suzzanah?" Alpha Penson said, immediately bending towards me worriedly, "What's the matter?"

"I've seen it before", I breathed out horrified, "I've seen a shadow before, here, at the Games!"

"What?!" Alpha Penson cried out, "What are you talking about? When and where?!"

My heart hammered inside my chest as I replied,

"Yesterday, at the orphanage"

****

A/N

Hello my darlings,

This update is earlier than the other ones I've posted lately, right? And yes, I know, another cliffhanger, but you guys know me, I can't resist stuffing those in there ;p

IMPORTANT: If you see anyone copying my ideas, plot, scenes from my story and the like, PLEASE notify me immediately via Private message.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I'm sick and tired of plagiarism and I'm done playing nice. If I find anyone copying my ideas hereafter, I will REPORT them immediately. They will get no second chances!

DON'T COPY MY SH!T! WRITE YOUR OWN!

*Takes deep breaths* Alright, now that I've got that off my chest, on to some lighter news.

I went through all the SHIP NAMES you guys suggested. You've all done amazing jobs coming up with some really innovative ones! Personally, my favorite is ZUERIANAH. It has a nice ring to it *shakes head from side to side*

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you did, please do VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE. It would mean a lot to me.

Until next time,

All my love,

Angel