Anaya watched Icarus quietly, feeling her nerve endings twist and turn at his unperturbed expression. The waitress had long arrived with their food and placed it in front of them. They didn't have to order since the diner was Icarus' go-to place and it was well known what the Alpha King wanted for breakfast. That miffed Anaya but one glance at the tray and her mood elevated, a smile forming on her lips. All her favorites were arranged neatly on a large tray and she felt her mouth salivate from the delicious aroma. But there was one problem, she wasn't hungry anymore, not with the way Icarus stared at her, and that's what he'd been doing for the past ten minutes.

It looked as if he desired to eat her and not the chocolate waffles.

"Stop," she croaked, squirming in her seat. At least let the girl drink her coffee in peace.

Icarus blinked, shaking his head slightly. Anaya's words had created a very sexy image in his head. They were in the bedroom and Anaya was splayed on the mattress on all fours, naked and dripping for him. He didn't know what changed her mind, but he wasn't going to question her as long as she was ready.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly, trying to keep the emotions off his voice. He couldn't wait to mark her so that she could be his forever.

"Yeah, I thought long and hard. I'm finally ready to take up my responsibility as Luna."

Icarus was puzzled for a split second as he wrapped his head around her words. He tried to not let his disappointment show when it finally registered. He had to be an idiot to let his thoughts wander in that direction but being a werewolf, where others marked and bonded within a day, he'd been waiting for more than a month. He swallowed. "That's great, Anaya."

She sensed the sigh in his voice and that made her wonder if he wasn't happy about her decision. "Do you not-"

"No, that's not it. I'm happy." He placed his hand over hers on the table and smiled. He was indeed happy. Nothing could deter the fact that she was willing to rule by side. "When do you want to start?"

Anaya was silent for a moment while she picked a strawberry from the tray. "Um, what about today?"

He took a sip of his coffee, his smile widening behind the mug. "Of course. We will start with the basics as soon as we get back."

She nodded eagerly and dug into her waffles. Her lips tugged into a Cheshire grin when she noticed the chocolate syrup smeared on the corner of his mouth. She leaned forward and wiped it off with her thumb, catching him off guard.

"Ah, thanks." 

Once they were done, he placed some notes on the table and walked her out of the diner. The warriors stood up and followed closely, waiting for Icarus' order who motioned for them to step inside their respective cars. Anaya found the time alone to voice out another thought that had been nagging her for a while. She knew Icarus wouldn't agree but she had to try.

"Can I meet Aunt Anita and my roommates, please?"

His fingers on the door handle paused and he turned to face her. "Anaya-"

"Just this once. I swear I won't tell anyone about werewolves."

"I was about to say yes when you interrupted me. You can see them anytime.'

"Really?" she whispered in disbelief, feeling her heart stammer in joy. She thought he would outright deny her but here he was, proving her wrong.

Icarus smiled and curled his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him in a way she was shielded from the eyes of outsiders. He tucked a stray tendril of hair behind her ear, making her stomach jump with butterflies. "We will go this Friday, alright?" 

"Yes, thank you so much!" She grinned up at him and threw her arms around his neck.

Her sweetness was infectious and he couldn't keep his gaze off her when she looked at him with those tender doe eyes. With a kiss on her mouth, he opened the passenger door to let her in. 

The engine roared to life and they were off to the packhouse, slowing when they reached the main gate. Ivy came rushing outside and hugged Anaya. "Mom will be down in a minute."

"Are you coming with us?"

She shook her head as they made their way into the hallway. "I have to study for a test." 

"Next time then. What about Immanuel?"

She exchanged a look with Icarus, hesitating a little. "He's in his room. We have tried to lure him out but he doesn't respond to any of us."

"Can I see him?"

"If he lets you." 

Anaya gave them both a small smile and climbed up the stairs. She tried the door of his room but it didn't budge. "It's me, uh, Anaya." 

There was some shuffling inside before Immanuel appeared in front of her looking thoroughly disheveled like a truck had ridden over him. She could see the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, and his room had turned into a pile of broken furniture and empty alcohol bottles. The mess reminded her of Icarus when he had locked himself in his room and she realized how alike the brothers were, twins for a reason.

"You look like shit!" she blurted out.

He stared at her with unwavering eyes and she was about to apologize for offending him when he shook his head and chuckled, inviting her inside. 

"What's going on?" 

At that, he sobered up and pain consumed his expression. "She broke up with me."

Anaya flinched, unable to bear the agony that radiated off him. She pulled his slouched frame for a hug, empathizing with him. If Icarus ever cut her out of his life, she'd be devastated too, that's how the mate bond worked. Love that was supposed to be a blessing could be a killer no less.

"She doesn't want to see me."

"So you're going to give up?"

"I can't. She is my one chance at true happiness."

"Exactly, and you are hers. She may be angry right now, but she loves you, remember? That won't change in a day. Keep trying, okay?"

He nodded and let her go, wiping the moisture from his eyes. 

"Good. Now hurry up and shower, we are going to see Chloe."

Anaya decided to take a look around his room in the meantime. Her eyes found a photo album on his bookshelf and she couldn't help herself from flipping it open, privacy be damned. A smile formed on her lips seeing the baby pictures of Icarus and Immanuel until they were in University. By the time she was done going through his album along with his book collection, he was back, fresh and new.

They headed downstairs, finding Icarus and Zarina chatting animatedly. She smiled at Anaya and wrapped her in a warm hug, silently thanking her for bringing Immanuel out of his room. She then turned to the man himself and narrowed her eyes at him, tears filling in them. "Are you okay? Is something troubling you?" 

"Nothing you need to worry about, Maa." He kissed her cheek and flung his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go and meet my baby sister." 

"Fine. But this conversation is not over yet."

As they made their way towards the car, Icarus tugged at her wrist, smiling at her. "Thank you for easing my mind."

"You know about—"

"His mate?" Icarus shrugged. "He found her before I found you. But the idiot thought I'd be upset and kept it under wraps. What he doesn't know is that I followed him one afternoon and saw them together in a restaurant having lunch. He isn't the type to go on random dates, so it wasn't hard to figure out."

"Heard that," Immanuel grumbled, pinning Icarus with a glare. "Thank you for being my personal stalker."

"Caring brother you mean? Anytime."

Anaya giggled, lowering her voice for only Icarus to hear. "You know I can easily distinguish between you both."

"Yeah?"

Several photos had helped her identify it. "His jawline is a little rounded."

"Correct. And the second difference?"

Anaya's face flushed red hot as she met his gaze. "You make me feel all warm."

Icarus couldn't stop himself, without any thought as to where they stood, he flung himself towards her, pushing her backward in the process. She regained her balance and hugged him back, releasing a sigh of contentment. His heart nearly burst with happiness. It was as good as her declaring she loved him, exact words may not have been spoken but that didn't matter as much as emotions did, and right now she was full of them.

New update is here! Yayay! 💗✨