Chapter 22

"Ugh," The light from my window was shining brightly into my eyes. I rolled over and grabbed the pillow next to me. I covered my head and let out a sigh. I heard a chuckle from the other side of the bed and knew exactly who the voice belonged to.

I shot straight up from the pillows and bashed my head against the headboard. "Ow!" I yelped. My hand automatically reached up to stroke the spot where my head had collided with the evil head board, but there was already a hand there in an instant. I looked up into Percy's green eyes and saw his worry for my head. 

"Are you alright?" he asked. I couldn't think properly with his hand stroking my head, trying to ease the pain. I just nodded and saw that he was sitting in a chair that was right beside the bed that I had been sleeping in. As I looked at him, I saw that he was also affected from our separation. He looked like he hadn't slept in months. His hair was disheveled and sticking out at weird angles. He looked skinner, as if he hasn't been eating enough, and his eyes seemed to think that I would disappear at any second. 

Even though he looked like he didn't want to, he pulled his hand away from my head. He looked away from me and I wondered why. That's when the recent events raced back into my mind, refreshing all that had happened before. My magic is gone, I thought to myself.  But Percy had fought Edmund for me. Percy, my Percy. 

"Percy, I-" I started to speak but Percy held up a hand to silence me. 

"Crystal, there have been many things that I've wanted to tell you but couldn't over the past week and I know you have questions and want to talk, but please. I have to tell you now in case something else happens." He looked at me, waiting for me to say it was okay before he continued.

I nodded my head and Percy began talking again. "Crystal, this past week has been hell for me. For starters, I have said things a wolf should never say to his beloved mate and I have hurt you. I even avoided you, afraid that you were going to yell and scream at me that you didn't want me either and I wouldn't have been able to handle it. 

"After talking to my father, I knew that I couldn't avoid you any longer. The separation of just not being able to touch you or even talk to you was killing me and I knew that I had to apologize for my despicable behavior. 

"When I thought I saw you in the garden, I ran over and begged for you to take me back. I was so worried that I had made too great of a mistake and so relived that you had forgiven me, that I didn't realize that the female before me was not my mate, but another in disguise. When I saw you throw the female to the ground and saw her disguise disappear, I-I did't know what to think. You looked so hurt and heartbroken by my actions, something inside of me snapped and broke. I had told you I didn't want you and had kissed another female. My wolf was so outraged by the man's actions, that it took over and silenced the man. I just wanted to make things right again, and I had no idea how. But then I saw you leave with the two males-" Percy stopped and was shaking. It looked like he was barely holding himself together. I reached over and entwined his hand in mine. His head snapped up to look at me, surprised. I didn't say anything but motioned for him to continue again.

He let out a small sigh and squeezed my hand tighter before he continued, almost as if it was my touch that kept him going. "Luna, I became a monster. I was so lost without you. Not knowing what kind of torture you must've been going through at the hands of those males and the thought of you being claimed by another-" He shook his head. "I wouldn't eat, sleep, or rest until I had you back in my arms, where I knew you were safe. When Terrell called my father about the fight, I knew that I had to go and fight for you. I had all this pent up energy in me that I used to defeat the blonde male. But when I challenged Edmund for you, and you appeared in the field, it was all I could do to stay in the ring and not run to you. I had barely lived a week without you in my life and seeing you there was like seeing rain in a barren desert.  I craved your touch, your smile, and your voice so much that I lost focus on the wolf in front of me. He would've killed me if it wasn't for you." Percy placed his other hand on my cheek and I automatically leaned into his touch. "You are my mate, my Luna. You hold the other half of my soul and I can't live without you. You saved my life, even after all the pain I had caused you. I love you more than life itself and I would move mountains and walk through hell if it meant that I could be by your side. You are mine as I am yours. So please, my Luna, forgive me."

I opened my eyes to look into his and knew he was telling the truth. "Percy, of course I forgive you. I-I love you too."

After the words left my mouth, Percy grinned so wide I thought his face would break. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap. I reached up and placed my hand on the side of his face. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch. He brought his hand up to where mine was and held my hand in place on his face.

"But Percy, I don't have my magic."

He opened his eyes and met mine. "I know. The high council of the Fae deemed it would be best for the entire supernatural world if your powers were tucked away in a safe place so that you may still live in this world and not pose a threat to everyone."

"That's not it." I took a deep breath. Even though I was still upset at the Fae for stealing my magic, I had a bigger issue to address. "There's a reason the bond hasn't opened back up between us. I gave up my wolf so that I may fully commit to my magic. That's why I was able to control all of the four natural elements. My wolf would not allow me to practice magic except for fire and I needed all the elements in order to escape, so I think I silenced my wolf for good so I could break out of the Alphas' prison. And if I'm not a wolf anymore that means-" I stopped short. I couldn't speak aloud what I was afraid of saying. If I said it aloud, it may become true. If I'm not a werewolf, then Percy and I couldn't be mates anymore.

Percy shook his head. "No," he growled. "No, you are my mate and nothing will change that."

I stood up from his lap and took a step away from where he was sitting. Instead of letting me go, he also stood up and wrapped me again in his arms. "I'm not letting you go, Luna. My wolf still feels that you are our mate, and you are my mate as I am yours."

Just then the door opened, and Riley's head popped in. "Is she awake?" she whispered. Then she saw me in Percy's arms and practically screamed my name. "Crystal! You're okay!" She ran over and pulled me from Percy. She hugged me so tight that I couldn't breathe for a good fifteen seconds. 

"Riley...I...can't breathe!" I barley got out the words before she finally let go of me.  

"Oh! Sorry, I'm just so happy to see you awake. You've been out for two days you know. I've been checking up on you every hour to see when you were going to finally join the living again, but Percy has been with you the entire time. I mean seriously. I don't think he even used the restroom once."

I turned back to face Percy and saw him looking straight at me. "It's true. I've never left your side, but for the record, I did in fact use the restroom, Riley."

I rolled my eyes at them both. I turned back to face Riley and felt Percy's arm slip around my waist and pull me towards him. 

Riley walked up to me, examining something that was on my face. After a second she pulled back and said, "Your eyes. They've changed! They're blue again, instead of the menacing purple." 

"What?" I asked as I looked over into the mirror hanging on the wall. I saw that she was right. My eyes were back to their normal shade of blue. "It must be my magic. Once I fully committed to my magic, they became purple. I guess now that I don't have my magic, they're back to being blue."

"I personally love your beautiful blue eyes, my Luna, more than the purple," Percy commented.

I blushed and quietly said thank you. 

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Riley exclaimed. "Jen, Sally and Jacque want to see you in the library, and of course, you can bring your wolf with you."

"Like I have a choice off leaving him here." I snorted. 

"Nope. You're stuck with me, Crystal." Percy pulled me tighter against him and winked. I rolled my eyes but smiled.  

Wolves thrive on touch and they especially crave the touch of their mates. If they even go a day without being close to their mate, they can go a little crazy, so I've been told by Jen. After seeing Percy the way he is now, with a week of me being gone, I could see that she was right. He needed me, now more than ever. Only I couldn't truly be his mate now that I didn't have my wolf. The mental bond would never again open between us because of the choice I made. 

As if he could sense my unease, Percy leaned down and whispered, "Don't worry, my Luna. We'll fix this. I'll be with you no matter what."

A while ago, that would've scared me that someone would actually tell me that they'll never leave me. Now, all I felt was happiness and love for the wolf standing beside me. 

"Um, Crystal, I don't mean to interrupt, but I think we should not keep them waiting too long, right?"

"Oh yeah, right." I nodded my head followed Riley out the door and down the hall. Percy walked beside me, his hand entwined in mine. 

Once we reached the library, Percy held the door open for Riley and I to enter. I saw Jacque and Sally sitting and quietly talking to each other on a small couch while Jen was sitting in a leather armchair, talking to someone on the phone. 

When Percy shut the door behind us, Jacque and Sally looked up at us and smiled. Jen said good bye to the person on the phone and turned toward us. "How's Thia?" Jacque asked Jen.

"She's fine. Loving college in the states and missing her mother of course." Jen smiled. 

"Is Thia your daughter?" I asked Jen.

"Yep!" She replied. "My baby girl. She wanted to see the world and get her dream job of being a lawyer before becoming the Alpha female of the Serbian pack. I don't blame her, though." Jen flipped her hair over her shoulder. "She has some pretty big shoes to fill if she wants to be as great as an Alpha female as I am." 

Sally and Jacque giggled and Jen shot them a mocking glare.

I cleared my throat and the ladies turned back to face me. "What is it that you called me in here for?" I asked them.

"Oh yes, that." Sally stood up from the couch and walked toward me. "While you were recovering, I healed you and felt a presence in the very back of your mind that was extremely faint, but yet still there. If I'm correct, I think your wolf is still inside of you and not completely gone."

"Wait, hold on. You're telling me that I'm still part wolf?" 

This time Jacque stood up. "Yes, Crystal. Your wolf is a part of you, something your born with. I don't think you could give up your wolf anymore than you can change your eye color."

I was about to say that my eye color had indeed changed because of my powers but I kept quiet and let her continue.  

"You see, I'm only half werewolf. My dad was a full werewolf while my mother was a human. Jen, as you know, only has one drop of werewolf blood. Yet we can both phase into our wolf forms."

"How?" I asked, astonished. 

"Well," Sally said. "There's a certain ritual that you and your mate would have to preform in order for your wolf to resurface. And once your are able to reconnect with your wolf, the bond that you two share will once again open."

I looked up at Percy and saw that he was already looking at me. His eyes showed the hope that he was trying to conceal, just in case the ritual didn't work.

Somehow, a part of me knew that it would. If I did do this and my wolf did resurface, I would be able to be the mate that Percy needs and that was what I was going to do. 

"I'll do it."