Two days later,

Late into the night, my sleep was interrupted by a handmaid who stood at my door with a lamp in her hand.

" My lady, the Dowager Luna sent me to fetch you." She said.

She led the way and I followed, the dull light of her lamp illuminating the dark corridors. I soon realized where we were headed.

Rhydian's room.

I hadn't seen or heard from him since he made me leave his room two days ago. No one in the castle save a select few, knew what was happening. They all thought the Alpha had left on one of his usual trips. Rhydian's poisoning was a secret that hadn't been allowed to leave his room.

These past two days had been hard. I had expected him to send for me but he hadn't and I spent the past days in a daze, worrying about his health.

Princess Raelynn had come by the castle for tea but I couldn't even remember a second from the two hours I spent with her. My mind was solely on him. The fact that I hadn't heard from Carrison or the Dowager Luna worried me greatly. It could only mean Rhydian wasn't getting better.

The handmaid stopped at Rhydian's door and knocked on it. A second later, the door was opened by a weary looking Carrison. He dismissed the maid and opened the door wide for me to go in.

My eyes zeroed in on Rhydian's bed. He wasn't asleep but his eyes were squeezed shut. From where I was, I could see his whole body gleaming with sweat. The Dowager Luna sat beside him in the bed, mopping his forehead with a damp cloth. In the dull candlelight, she looked much older and tired. She had aged visibly in the two days of her son's poisoning.

I moved to the bed slowly. Although I had guessed that Rhydian wasn't yet better, actually seeing it hit me so hard. I knelt beside him, my widened eyes trained on his chest in worry. His breathing was laboured, I realized. He really isn't getting better. It took a few seconds before I realized that Carrison was speaking to me.

" The Queen mother and I need to leave the castle in the morning. There is an urgent matter we need to attend to and if we don't, it could lead to suspicion." He informed quietly. " But first, she needs to get some rest. Do you mind looking after Rhydian?"

" Of course not." I said and took the towel from the Dowager Luna. " You need to go get some rest." I said to her.

For a few seconds, she remained seated, staring with immensely sad eyes at her son.

" He should be fighting this better." She lamented under her breath. " He should be better by now." She said and her eyes filled up with tears.

I was surprised by this. He was sick now but his recovery was certain, wasn't it? She was acting like she didn't know if Rhydian would survive this.

" Two of the palace guards also showed signs of poisoning. They're both dead now." Carrison explained gravely.

I stared at him in shock. The palace guards were all powerful werewolves with immune systems almost as strong as Rhydian's. If they hadn't been able to fight this ...I cleared those thoughts from my head. Regardless of their strong blood, Rhydian's was stronger. He was the Alpha. He would be fine.

I placed a comforting hand on her lap.

" He will get better. Rhydian is the strongest person I know. It's only a matter of time." I whispered.

She nodded repeatedly and tried to compose herself.

" You're right." She said. " He will get well soon." She smiled tiredly at me. " He just needs his mate around him. Please take care of him Devenity. I don't want to leave but the chiefs will be suspicious if no one from the royal pack is seen. Please Devenity, he's-"

" I'll take care of him." I said firmly and she nodded again looking blank.

Carrison took her hand and led her to the door.

" I'll escort her to her room." He said to me. " A worker will bring in his food and supply of blood when it's time for him to eat." He informed and I nodded.

When they had gone, I turned back to Rhydian. He was still feverish and I continued to sponge his body with the towel in an effort to cool him down. He was asleep now and kept groaning like he was in pain. He probably was. I felt tears prick my eyes, wishing I could take his pain away. All I could do was look after him but it didn't feel enough.

I buried my face in my palm and brought it down to his chest as tears flowed free.

I was scared. He was only getting worse and two powerful werewolves had already died of this. The thought of loosing Rhydian was mind crippling. I couldn't think straight. I didn't even want to. All I wanted was for him to be back to his usual stubborn and annoying self.

I lost my mother already. My family. My coven. I had given my heart to Rhydian ...I couldn't lose him too.

I felt a sudden increase in his heart rate through my hands on his chest and straightened quickly.

His eyes were open. Vibrant and green and more importantly, focused. Last I'd seen him, his eyes had been glazed over and unfocused.

I felt my heart rate increase as happiness surged through me. He was awake. That meant a lot.

" Deven." He whispered my name, his voice somewhat scratchy and I smiled back in response.

He moved to seat up.

" No Rhydian, you need to rest." I said but he ignored me and soon, he was seated up. Well, he was back to being stubborn that much was clear. I knew it would be futile to try to convince him to lie back so I just took a pillow and propped it up behind him to increase his comfort.

" How do you feel?"" I asked, eager for his answer.

" Where is Carrison?" He ignored my question. He was clearly back to being annoying.

" He and your mother need to leave the palace soon so they've gone to get some rest." I said resuming with the towelling.

" Where are they headed?" He asked pushing my hand away.

" Don't bother yourself with that."

" They're meeting with the chiefs. I should be the one meeting them." He looked worried.

" Well you're unwell -" I began.

" I'm fine!" He snapped suddenly at me and I cringed. For a few seconds, I stared wide eyed at him, stunned by his outburst.

The door was opened slowly and a worker came in with a tray. She placed it on a table quietly then just as quietly left the room. I took the tray to his bed. His eyes followed me till I sat down beside him. I began to open the dishes.

He leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes.

" I'm not hungry, Devenity." He said quietly.

" Still, you need to eat to regain your strength."

" I'm fucking strong." He grumbled, sounding like a scolded child.

Ignoring him, I dished out small portions of food into a plate to make it easier for him and brought it closer so he could reach it.

" Please?" I begged.

He opened his eyes and looked at me for a few seconds. Then he sighed in defeat and took the spoon. He took a bite, chewing slowly. I waited for him to take more.

He didn't.

" Eat more, Rhydian." I said.

" I've eaten enough." He said.

With an impatient sound, I took the spoon from him and attempted to spoon some food into his mouth.

His eyebrows shot up.

" I'm capable of feeding myself, Deven."

" Then do so." I said but when he made no move to do so I tried to force some into his mouth but he dodged the spoon.

" I'm not hungry!" He growled.

I tried once again to feed him but he didn't let me. I frowned at him.

" Stop being such a child, Rhydian!".

He glared at me and I feared a glaring contest was on its way. I sighed and covered the plate. Was this what the Dowager Luna had been going through these past few days?

" When do you plan to be hungry?" I asked, irritated.

" Food is the last thing on my mind." He said and made to get out of bed. " I need to talk to Carrison about -argh!" He grabbed his chest, his face contorted in pain.

I gently pushed him back down to a lying position.

" See why I said you need to rest." I scolded rubbing his chest till he calmed down.

He didn't try to get up and remained lying down with his eyes closed. I sat against his head board beside him wondering if he had to eat right now.

" I'm sorry I raised my voice at you." He said quietly, so quietly that it took me a few seconds to get his words.

He was apologizing? I looked down at him and asked the question that had been on my mind.

" Why did you send me away?"

For a few seconds, he was quiet, his eyes closed. I took the time to study his face. The two days of being ill told on his features. The sides of his face were drawn thin, his eyebags were more prominent and his lips were pale. But he was still beautiful. Absolutely so. His long lashes fanned across his cheek and I ached for him to open his eyes so I could gaze into the green depths of his eyes.

" I didn't want you to see me like that." He whispered." I didn't want to look ...weak in front of you."

" You're the strongest person I know, Rhydian." I whispered. " Not just in strength. You're the Alpha of the greatest kingdom in the West. Ruling Aradia is not a job for the weak." I stroked the side of his face as I spoke, my voice filled with admiration.

A small smile teased his face making me smile.

" I was weak though." He said.

" You were ill." I said firmly. " And you'll get better especially if you eat." I said suggestively.

The smile left his face and he turned away. Silence reigned for a few seconds then, he said out of the blue.

" Tell me about yourself."

" What?"

He opened his eyes and smiled at me.

" You're my mate and we've known each other for a little over two months yet all I know about you is that your name is Devenity, you're a moon witch and you don't know how to follow instructions."

I scowled at him but felt touched by his desire to know me better.

" How about we make a deal?" I asked. His eyebrow shot up questioningly and I continued. " For everything about myself that I tell you, you have to take a bite out of your food."

He grinned at me.

" I should have known you'd pull something like this." He said with a groan as he sat up. I replaced the pillow behind him and held his food ready.

" Ok, first thing about me ...I'm a moon witch." I said thinking hard. It was going to be difficult telling him about myself as I remembered very little.

Rhydian's grin widened.

" I figured." He said. " That doesn't even count. I knew that already."

I shrugged bringing the spoon closer.

" You never specified whether it had to be information you knew or not."

Thankfully, he accepted the food and chewed slowly with a frown on his face.

" It's bitter." He said and I realized that his taste buds were also affected.

" Just try, ok." I pleaded. " Alright, umm I was raised by just my mother." I said.

" What happened to your father?"

" He died in a clash with a neighboring coven. That was before I was born." I said almost indifferently. It had been so long since I wished I'd grown up with a father. It didn't necessarily hurt now.

" I'm sorry." Rhydian whispered but I shrugged it off.

" I'm not. Not really. I had my mother and she ...was my everything."

He was quiet for a few seconds and I continued.

" She died during the purge ..."

" Deven, I'm so sorry." He stuttered looking pained.

I shook my head, struggling to hold back the tears that were forming in my eyes. I didn't want to break down whenever I thought of my mother. Three years had gone by and I expected to be better by now.

Rhydian pulled me into his arms and I feel grateful when his fingers brushed against my cheeks erasing tears I hadn't even known had flown free.

" I'm sorry." He said again. " Your mother ...she would still be with you if I had been able to stop my father from starting the purge."

I couldn't help but laugh at his words. I wasn't amused though, I was bitter.

" I have a memory of your father." I said looking away from him. " He wanted the purge to happen." The moon people's association with the vampires was just incentive. Any other misunderstanding could have caused it because Eryk Rivinlyte wanted to be the king who 'dealt' with the moon people. He wanted the praise of his citizens for exacting pain on their enemies and he got it. I can still remember being dragged through the streets of Aradia by the werewolf soldiers after the attack on my coven, the glee that filled the eyes of the Aradians at our suffering, the pride in Eryk Rivinlytes' voice when he gave the order for our imprisonment."

Let them rot.

I laughed again startling Rhydian. I could see the confusion in his eyes but it only made me laugh more. I could imagine he thought of was losing my marbles.

" Deven," He whispered my name, the confusion evident in his voice. There was a quality to the way he always whispered my name, electing shivers from me. The way he was always about to throw me off balance ...this man, the son of the king who had started the purge. Did I resent him? I had always been worried about my sisters resenting my relationship with Rhydian because of whose son he was, but what about myself? Could there be any pushed 'feelings' down, waiting to sprout up and hinder our relationship?

The answer to that seemed clear to me. He couldn't choose whose son he was but he could choose the man he would be. So far, he was the man who had protected the survivor coven by supplying them with ardenite against the rulling of his Alpha chiefs. He was the one who had released my siblings and I from the cells. The man who has saved me from that asshole, Brutus. The man who was taking steps to finally release my kind from the cells.

I smiled at him and his face visibly relaxed.

" You couldn't have done anything about that." I said softly, stroking the side of his face. " But you're doing so much now. Thank you." I placed my forehead against his and whispered. " You're a good person."

The sudden conflict in his eyes was intense at my last words. I wished I could hear his thoughts and understand what was bothering him.

" I'm not a good person." He mumbled, not meeting my eyes. He absentmindedly picked at nonexistent fluff on his blanket. " Deven ...I didn't release you all from the cells because I cared. I'm not a 'good person' Devenity. I've been acting Alpha king for close to two years now and I never bothered with the people in the cells. I never cared until I needed them."

I shrugged remembering what the coven mother had said to me.

" You helped the survivor coven before you even knew your mate was a moon witch. Give your self some credit."

" I don't deserve any."

Why were we even talking about this?

He shook his head sadly.

" Is it strange that I feel ...glad about the damage to the barrier?" He asked and I looked at him questioningly. " If it hadn't happened, those cells would've probably remained locked up for good. I would have never met you."

He was quiet again, his expression far away.

" I never wanted a mate I despised the thought of a Luna. I wanted to be ...great all on my own. I was dense." He laughed at his own self and I felt him relax. " The thought that I could have never known you ..." He paused tensing up again. " That you could have died down there ...I hate it." He said simply and I smiled at him thinking that I could never be so dense as to doubt his feelings for me again. He might not know how to express it or name it, but he was still able to show it and that was enough for me. It was enough to know that he was falling in love with me.

The smile on my face widened at my thoughts but he didn't see it. He looked far away, lost again in his thoughts.

" I remember the first time I ever saw you." He said quietly.

I smiled remembering.

" Are the ball."

" No." He shook his head. " That's not it. I saw you first outside the dungeons when you were released."

He was right. I remembered him explaining the reason for our release. I could also remember thinking he was pompous and overbearing. I almost laughed.

" Your hair went down to your feet." A grin crossed his face. " I remember looking at you and thinking ...she's so dirty."

I paused at his words feeling embarrassment creep up. Jeez, Rhydian had seen me covered in three years worth of dirt. The gross kind. I wanted to bury my head in his pillow but then I realized something.

" Don't werewolves know their mate as soon as they meet them?" I asked and he nodded. " Then how come you didn't realize it that day."

He thought for a second.

" We mate by scent and I couldn't smell you. All I could smell was dirt." He said.

I felt embarrassment creep up again. Why had I asked?

" I'm sure I smelled absolutely scrumptious that day." I said jokingly and he grinned.

" No you did not."

Laughing, I snuggled close to him.

" But at the ball, you smelled divine." He continued. " I didn't want a mate and I refused to acknowledge that I had just mated. My wolf knew though that the amazing scent was from my mate. I just summed it up to sexual desire."

I was quiet at heart creepy into my cheeks. He had wanted me from the start. Of course he had. We had kqissed after only a few hours of meeting. And it's had been incredible. Absolutely-

" Incredible." He whispered to me and I blushed. Of course. He had heard my thoughts. Whenever we were aroused, the mate bond sprang to life and I was certainly aroused.

My eyes fell on Rhydian plate of food. He hadn't even eaten or taken his daily dose of blood and I sprang to my feet.

" I can't believe I forgot. Your need to eat." I said and he groaned but sat up once again. This time, he didn't complain when I spooned the food into his mouth.

" If I remember correctly, you were supposed to tell me something about yourself for every bite. Instead, I did all the talking." He said with a pout that transformed his face into a beautiful wonder.

I struggled to remember his words having been so mesmerized by him that my brain faltered.

" I don't really remember much." I said work a shrug. " And I'm glad you opened up to me." I picked up a bowl of fruits and Rhydian scowled at me. I knew werewolves hated fruits and that it would be much harder convincing him to eat it but he needed the vitamins the fruits had to offer.

Ignoring the spoon, I washed my hands in a bowl of water and hand feed the cut up fruits to him. Thankfully, he didn't resist but the scowl on his face only intensified. When he was done with his daily dose of blood, he lay back. I got up and removed the blanket around him so his body wouldn't heat up. Then I took a woven hand fan and began to fan him with it.

" You don't need to do that." He said taking the fan from me and throwing it to the floor."

" Yes I do." I argued and leaned over his chest for the fan but instead, I found myself up against him, eyes widened by how fast he moved me.

The expression on his face was serious though so I knew he wasn't after ...'hanky panky'.

" Did you mean it?" He asked quietly.