The warriors and healers cleaned the hall, but the scent of blood still lingered. In the west wing of the palace, the healers helped the injured pack members. I kept looking at Deus. Even though he had suffered a fatal blow, he still managed to instruct and guide his pack.

When he was done, my fingers trembled as I ran them along the torn fabric of Deus's sleeve. I made him sit at the edge of one of the empty beds and helped him remove his clothing. I ignored how good his body was and how naughtiness danced in his eyes. It was like teasing me.

I called a healer, and he began fussing over the burns on his arms. Deus didn't flinch. Not once. I sat beside him, holding his hand tightly. He didn't say anything when I reached for it. He didn't pull away either.

"You don't have to act like it doesn't hurt," I whispered.

He turned his head slowly towards me. The silver strands of his hair fell across his forehead. "I don't feel pain when you are near."

I rolled my eyes, even as warmth crept into my cheeks.

"You're impossible." I hissed. He had time to fool around when I was so worried about him.

"And you are stubborn," he replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

The healer cleared his throat politely and stepped away, leaving us in silence.

"You shouldn't have done that," he sighs. Probably, tired of hearing me saying he shouldn't have saved me.

"And let you take the hit? Never. I can't watch you die again." I bit my lower lip, unsure how to respond, even though I hadn't heard the last part. 

It was one thing to claim someone as your mate. It was another way to face death for them. Especially for someone like me, someone who took advantage of him.

Remembering the image from a while ago in the hall, broken furniture, scratches on the wall, Deus' warriors bleeding, and a trace of magical ash on the floor. That was the price of accepting my stupid proposal to Deus.

"They will come again," I whispered.

Deus nodded slowly. "Yes. And next time, they won't be so foolish."

Later that afternoon, a council meeting was called. I didn't expect to be invited, but Deus insisted.

"You are no longer just a guest here, Annika. You are my equal. Let them see that."

Equal. The word felt strange, heavy. I had never been anyone's equal before. Not to Kios. Not even to my father.

The council room was a vast, round chamber, cold and dim, with a high ceiling and banners bearing Deus's crest. Warriors, advisors, and councilors filled the chairs. When we walked in together, I felt every eye turn to me.

But I walked taller. Straighter. Because I wasn't hiding anymore.

"The attack was no simple breach," Deus began. "They brought magic into my kingdom. A sorcerer masked by shadows and protected by forbidden blood rites."

Murmurs erupted across the room.

"Do we know who cast it?" Ask one of the council members.

"A rogue spell weaver," Deus uttered. "No coven would risk a pact violation." I was in awe at how he knew those. I only read it from the forbidden bookshelf in my father's library. Now I understand why it was forbidden and out of reach of somebody.

"Unless they were promised power," I said.

Every head turned toward me.

I stood a little straighter. "Alpha Theo has always been obsessed with legacy. And Kios, he has never accepted loss. If there is a sorcerer helping them, it's not just for vengeance. It's because they promised him something in return."

"How can we believe you? You are the daughter of Alpha Theo. Who knows, everything was just a plan to get close to the King. And you are a pawn waiting to checkmate."

"She is telling the truth. I already marked her, so I know her intentions." The room filled with murmurs again. "Annika knows them better than any of us. We.Will.Listen."

I breathed slowly, grounding myself. "Theo will never stop. Not until he reclaims me, not because he cares, but because he sees me as property. And Kios…" I swallowed hard. "He's changed, or I say, he's already showing his true self. What we saw yesterday wasn't just jealousy; it was something more. It was something darker, twisted."

Silence followed. Then one of the royal advisors stood and bowed slightly to me.

"Thank you, Luna." He said.

Luna.

It struck me like lightning. I had been called many things before. But never that.

Deus looked at me from the corner of his eye. He didn't smile, but I saw pride in his eyes.

The council adjourned with orders to tighten the borders and investigate rogue magical activity. Silvermoon and Fenrir packs are now on the watch list. Deus sends some of his elite troops to observe. As soon as the doors closed, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

Deus touched my back gently, "You were brilliant."

I scoffed. "I nearly fainted and silently prayed the floor would swallow me, especially when they pointed out my suspicious actions of running towards you."

He shook his head, "But you stood your ground. And now, they saw you."

We walked in silence for a few moments before he guided me towards the gardens. It was his sanctuary, he'd told me once. A place untouched by war or duty.

The scent of blooming jasmine filled the air, and the moon hung high even in daylight, a soft crescent that seemed to watch us.

"I used to come here after battles," Deus said, kneeling to touch a cluster of white blooms. "When blood still stained my hands. It reminded me there was something worth protecting."

I sat beside him on the stone bench. "And now?"

He looked at me. "Now I have someone worth fighting for."

Silence fell between us, soft and warm. I let my fingers brush against the petals.

"Deus, can you feel a connection between us before?"

I do not know why he suddenly looked up at me. His eyes conveyed something I couldn't understand.

"I do," My heart stopped for a moment. "How about you?" he asked. I look away.

"My wolf reacts, but I contradict since Kios was my mate." He nodded his head.

As far as I remember, he once told me he lost his mate not so long ago. There is no news about it, and I heard nothing about it.

My heart hammered inside my chest as I now clearly heard what he whispered a while ago. I can't watch you die again.

What does he mean? I observed him again as he looked at the sky.

It can't be...