Hearing the name "Sky" and the word "mate", made Celia snap out of her haziness, she remembered that just moments earlier she was exchanging blood with his highness, she must have fainted. And her human consciousness was brought here, but why? Was it Waning, the one who brought her?

"Sky ... Sky is the name of his highness's wolf. Then, he is your half? His highness is truly our mate?" Celia asked Waning with eyes wide open.

"Yes, he is our rightful mate, and we his rightful Luna!" Waning replied telepathically after a moment of silence. She had kept the burden herself, all this time, but by doing so she hurt him, even though she did not mean to.

Perhaps she should have said it earlier and they could have avoided this situation, but ... it could have also made it worse. Their mate was strong, that was why she had counted on him doing alright even without her, at least for a little while longer. But, Crescent she, what would have happened to her?

"You told me he is suffering, but we are now helping with his highness's treatment, is it not going well?" Celia asked worried, the most important thing was this, above all else, even if her mind was chaotic and bewildered by Waning's earlier statement.

"He is at least getting more stable, before ... his life was slipping away. I was just overwhelmed by almost losing him and by my inability to do something about it." Waning replied honestly.

"So the treatment is affective?" Asked Celia getting a bit relieved, if he was stable then the dangerous period should have passed.

Waning nodded, making Celia finally settle down in regard to this issue, and now she could return to the previous topic.

She kept silent for some time, trying to understand why her wolf had kept things hidden from her. She sighed and tried to collect her thoughts. No matter what, Waning had always put Crescent and her first, she always thought about them before herself. She was the one who had sacrificed the most.

Celia knew Waning kept herself hidden all these years because she was too strong and did not want to disrupt Celia's life, she was even content with only Crescent shifting. Whenever Celia felt lonely, she was always there for her. The only times she ever took control, was when their life was in danger.

Waning would never intentionally hurt someone, so if her actions did hurt a person, then she must have had a proper reason to do so.

"But how, why... But if his highness is my mate, then why have I not felt it? Why did I not realize it when I first met him?" Celia asked, finally deciding on what to ask first. There were too many questions she wanted answers to.

"I hid myself deep within your mind, so deep no one would have felt me present." Waning replied, bringing her muzzle down on her paws, in remorse.

Celia realized Gabriel was right before. His highness on some level, had recognized her as his, but she, she did not. She loved him, but because Waning was mostly hidden she did not feel like he was her counterpart, her half. Then where did Rayan fit in all this?

"Then, Rayan, why did I recognize him as my mate? And he also recognized me." Celia asked confused and bewildered.

"Rayan is not our mate entirely, you could even say he never was.

He is Crescent's mate. And you, having her consciousness, felt like he was indeed yours too, but he is only Crescent's." Waning replied, but seeing that Celia was confused, explained more.

"There were supposed to be two of you at birth. Diane was pregnant with a pair of identical twin girls, but each time a queen of werewolves is born her existence is too strong, more so with us being as strong as our mate. And even if there was another baby with her in the womb, the other baby would vanquish, it would be absorbed by the stronger one.

Which was our case, we remained the only ones in your mother's womb. I felt sorry for the other girl, but there was nothing that could be done for her to survive.

The problem was, just before she was completely absorbed, I felt another consciousness in her. I felt her wolf.

In general, a normal wolf gains self-consciousness later than the human side, so the other twin should not have had a wolf yet. But unfortunately, Crescent was already there even though your sister's human side was not. Her 4th rank and her elements of fire and water had made her much stronger and thus surface earlier.

Without a body to be born with, Crescent was dying, so I did the one thing I could think of. I stopped us from sinning before even being born. I took her consciousness and placed it alongside mine." Waning tried to explain as best she could.

"But why did you never tell me this?" Celia said, as she was putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"How could I tell you? We are supposed to be the queen of all werewolves, I am supposed to safeguard and be a mother to all wolves, but even before being born I was killing another wolf because of my existence.

You were a baby at first, then a child, even if I told you, you would not be able to understand it, and as you got older it was even more difficult to say. The human side is always the more to be burdened by the daily life.

You were the one to interact with our family, the pack and other people. Because of their actions, you closed yourself from the world, you chose to hide your feelings, bit by bit everyday... until you do not show your emotions at all now.

This was the least I could do... so I carried this burden by myself.

And Crescent, she... she knows nothing. She was barely a young pup frightened and alone. Informing you then, she would know as well." Waning replied, getting even sadder. Small whimpers could be heard from time to time as she was explaining.

"Then, she knows now because you told me?" Worried asked Celia, indeed Crescent was the most cheerful of the bunch, she would not take this information with ease. To find out that she was not supposed to exist would break her, to say the least.

"No, she does not know. She is in a dormant state. To keep her safe... I can only do this for now." Waning replied.

"Why, is she not well?" Celia asked concerned.

"For now she is safe, but this is only a temporary solution." Waning sadly affirmed. Crescent had been so dear to her, and the pain of losing her was the same as the pain of losing a sister.

"But she has been with us all of our life, we can still keep her with us in the same body. Why is she getting weaker?"

"When I placed her with my consciousness, I thought it would be enough, I hoped she could live with us. But for both of us to coexist in a place meant for only one wolf, a fine balance was needed.

I am stronger than Crescent, but I suppressed myself as much as possible, I tried to avoid even shifting, I tried everything to prevent us gaining more power to maintain that very frail equilibrium.

But by rejecting Rayan, Crescent lost more of her strength, making it harder for me, as I had to lower mine also. So I suppressed myself even more, I hid in the deepest corner I could.

But us the dominant side, finding our rightful mate, made the tip of the scale become even more unbalanced.

Meeting Salas and Sky, recognizing and accepting one another as mates, I knew I would gain more and more power... the more we would be fond of them the stronger our bond would get, making her consciousness slip away. I would kill her.

So I temporarily tried to hide from my mate. I thought he would not love us if he could not sense a complete us, person and wolf, but he still fell in love and now he was about to die.

It was only supposed to be temporary, just until Crescent was saved, then I would've told you and him.

I never thought that..." Waning said sad.

Trying to acknowledge all the information she just learned, Celia now understood her reasons. Honestly, if she would have been in her place she would have done the same. She would also not be able to accomplish her wishes, if it meant hurting someone. Especially, being selfish and fulfilling her desires and, in the process, kill Crescent or Waning.

"If she is in a dormant state then ... will she die?" Celia asked with a heavy heart. Even though Crescent was never her wolf, the bond they had was stronger than family. It had only been the three of them, one person two wolves. Not to mention that for her, it still felt like Crescent was her wolf no matter what.

"Clarissa has been trying to find a solution all this time that was why she is traveling. She is close to finding it." Waning replied, she was getting a bit more relaxed, having shared everything with Celia.

"Clarissa knew of this?" Celia asked wide eyed.

"Yes, she has always known. From the moment she found us in the forest after we killed those rogues, from the moment we first met her. But I asked her to not tell you." Waning said.

"Will there be enough time for Clarissa to find the solution? Can we also help?

We can't just stay and do nothing." Celia said anxious. Although, she knew Waning was level headed. If they could have done something with their own hands, Waning would have already told her before and they would also search for the solution, but it was most likely not something they could do themselves.

Clarissa was a witch from the most powerful of covens, and some time ago she even assumed its leadership. A witch was the best problem solver, she had the best connections with every other supernatural creatures.

The spells, curses and potions of a witch were sought out by everyone and, generally, the payment for those were a favor the witches would get from said creatures. That was their traditions from long ago.

Clarissa had helped a lot of high ranking creatures in her long life, so she must have gotten information from them.

"The best suited to help us is a witch, no one else.

And as werewolves, because of the last war thirty years ago, most connections with witches were weakened. They would not help us, they would even try to sabotage us finding the solution, if we would ask ourselves. Clarissa is a fortunate exception.

Do not worry, with Crescent in dormant state in the deepest corner where I previously was, she can hold on for longer. Keeping her in one place is easier. Clarissa also informed me that she would be coming any day now." Waning tried to comfort Celia.

As Celia thought, she could not have helped, or else they would already be in the middle of doing something. They could only wait, but even waiting, Waning had been doing it herself. Celia looked at the majestic white wolf feeling a sense of déjà vu.

Waning was already a queen, her sorrow and loneliness in being the only one aware of everything, could be felt and seen all around her, she resembled Salas in this way.

Celia did not ask more questions for now, Waning was safe unlike Crescent, but she felt the need to keep her close. She approached her wolf that was towering above, burying her body in the white fur, embracing her large neck.

"Are you alright, Waning? We have been talking about Crescent, but how are you doing?" Celia asked gently.

The white wolf said nothing more, but small whimpers could be heard as she lowered her head near Celia's, trying to hold her close. Since young they only had each other.

The rare light rays of the winter sun that entered the window, kept Salas from sleeping longer. He opened his eyes, a bit disturbed by the blinding white light and tried to accustom his eyes and clear them from their haziness.

Hearing the beeping sound that he did not recognize, he looked around him, realizing he was not in his room inside the royal palace, but in the hospital. Only then did he remember the rogues' attack. He thought he had been sleeping, but in fact he was previously unconscious.

Trying to find someone to get some information on the current state of things, he looked around, stretching his neck. If he could find a nurse or maybe his phone, then he could get Micah or Gabriel to come.

But he did not find one or the other. As his head moved, while looking around, his eyes froze captured by the view on the right side of his bed.

Like his own attire and appearance, the love of his life was also laid on an adjacent bed.

She was dressed with a pale blue hospital gown and covered with a white colored blanket. The only parts of her body that were not covered were her small soft hands connected to machines, and an intravenous drip going in her smooth small wrist. She was sleeping or perhaps unconscious.

It frightened him, seeing the petite woman again in this state. He had sworn before, she would never have to suffer like that and here she was looking how she looked several weeks ago.

It scared him, thinking that the rogues had managed to get so deep inside his palace and hurt her.

Luckily, his anger and anxiousness that kept on rising, were easily subdued, when the frail woman slowly opened her beautiful eyelashes to reveal her chocolate brown eyes.

Locking her sight with his, he was left speechless. He could not utter a single word, as the feeling of completeness overwhelmed him.

His heart beat faster and faster, until it felt like it would jump out of his chest.

The captivating gaze of her eyes that were revealed from under her long eyelashes managed to fill every corner of his entire being. He had loved her so much from the very first moment he saw her, until he felt like he could no longer love her more than that, he felt it was impossible to feel even more love, but right in this very moment he did the impossible.

He could not look away, although he felt he could not even breathe. But strangely, he did not feel any discomfort still, as only one word came into his mind and without thinking of saying it, slowly opened his mouth and reflexively whispered.

"Mate!"

"Mate!" The small woman mirrored his answer. Affirming for him, what he had desired with every fiber of his being for the last hundred years. He had finally found her, the half a soul the Goddess split from him at the moment of birth.

He had found his soulmate, his reason for existing, his everything.

Feelings shy under his relentless scrutinizing stare, as Salas did not look away even after some moments passed, Celia slowly felt awkward, even her cheeks were getting warmer and redder by the second.

Trying to dispel the silence, she thought to say something, but the only meager word that managed to escape her lips was only two letters long.

"Hi!" She slowly whispered.

"Hello! He whispered back, showing the warmest smile she never thought was possible to be seen on that solemn face.

It was not the unnoticeable smile that, he would show from time to time. It was a blinding smile that warmed up her heart until it felt she would be scorched from within.

That was it, she could no longer take being under his constant gaze, so she took the blanket that only covered her abdomen, and concealed her body whole, not even a strand of hair could be seen outside.

He opened his blue eyes more, surprised by her cute reaction, before breathing out in a low hoarse laugh, as his lips widened into an even bigger smile, seeing the cocoon she turned herself into, flinch under the covers. He realized that even his laugh affected her emotions, making his heart swell from happiness.

"You are so cute!" Salas appreciated, voicing out his real inner thoughts.

"Don't!" she said from under the covers, as she did not dare to look at him.

"Don't what?" He asked, teasing her. Although he knew she meant to not speak further.

She did not speak again, aware of his taunting, this man would be the death of her.

The room became silent once again, making her wonder what he was doing.

Why couldn't the doctor come faster or someone else? Anyone it didn't matter who, just so they wouldn't be alone, Celia thought.

"Ouch!" He voiced aches of pain some moments later, scaring her.

She had been so mesmerized by him, that she had overlooked his wounds, she realized. She quickly uncovered her face and tried to sit up, what if his life was still in danger?

But, as she sat up and took the cover off her face, she remained petrified.

The foreign feeling that she thought she would never come to know again, the warmth and touch of his lips covering hers, shocked her, numbing her resistance away.

He kissed her softly like one would peck a small baby, barely touching her small lips, afraid she would retract them. But she stayed still, delighting him.

Moments later she finally reacted and slowly moved back. She was lost for words.

Opening and closing her mouth, she finally said to the lying man who still had not backed away... who was still leaned over her bed.

"Shameless!"

He had dared use her concern for his wellbeing just to make her look at him and take advantage of the situation, Celia thought.

Realizing he was still the king, she instantly regretted her words as she gasped and covered her mouth with both her hands. Would he reprimand her? Would he feel she had overstepped?

She looked into his eyes trying to find the answers, but he was still smiling unaffected.

"You are mine!" He chuckling affirmed.

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