Chapter 19

"Had I known you wanted to kiss me this badly, I would have done it earlier." Thane chuckled against my demanding lips and I was suddenly embarrassed by my sudden display of affection. I felt my cheeks heating up as I looked into Thane's brown eyes that looked darker with a hint of hunger in them.

My mind was swirling with thoughts being in this haze of affection. The craziest thought being what I had initiated and the fact that I was really happy I did it.

As Thane saw my flushed expression, he pulled me into his arms and connected his lips to my own with an immense amount of passion that nearly knocked me off my feet by the connection and emotion that was pouring between us like a chemical reaction.

With his arms wrapped tightly around my waist and my hands weaved into his thick, brown, soft hair, we pulled each other as close as we could, as our bodies molded together perfectly.

What felt like hours locked in our passionate embrace but were merely minutes, we both pulled away only far enough so we could catch our breaths but still in each others' arms.

"That was..." Thane said huskily as he blinked down at me in awe.

I felt a smile spread across my lips and agreed, "It was."

Thane's normal cool and dominating facade was completely gone as he gazed at me with a softness and something inside me felt almost completed and whole as I stood in Thane's arms. It was as if the connection between us was palpable and I felt myself drifting closer towards Thane both emotionally and physically even though we were pressed up together.

"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that." He grinned at me and I couldn't help but blush and shift my gaze away from his eyes and press my forehead to his shoulder as his body shook with his laughter. "I love it when you blush like that." He pressed.

"It's not funny." I tried to scold him as I playfully swatted his arm but couldn't help the smile that was plastered on my face.

"Oh but it is sweetheart." He plastered a kiss on my head before he lifted my chin so I would meet his gaze. "Thank you for that." He sincerely said and made my heart flutter.

"I think we both needed it," I said.

He looked amused at my response, "That's true but I meant thank you for saving my sister. Honestly Emery, she wouldn't have made it without you."

I shook my head and said, "No you're wrong, she wouldn't have been in that position had I not been with you. I shouldn't have let you taken me so far knowing that you have duties and responsibility for all of the pack."

He eyes flashed with something that I could describe as admiration as he opposed me, "I guess we're both going to blame ourselves in someway. But, it's my fault. What happened can't be changed now and Tate is alive so that's what matters."

"But-" I started but he interrupted me.

"No buts. Even if I was here, there was no way I would have been able to stop the attack on my sister."

"Yes but you would have had your mind link open." I cupped his cheeks. "I'm sorry for what happened to Tate." I pecked his lips.

"Don't blame yourself, I cut my link off and you saved her." He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"My 'special powers' did, I didn't. But you shouldn't blame yourself either." He was about to argue again with me so I decided to change the subject before we went back and forth all night. "How is she?"

"Recovering fully, though it may take her a few weeks to get off the bed but she will be back to normal in no time." He looked grim and I couldn't help but feel for him because I wouldn't know what I would have done if it was my sister.

"And the rogue that they kept alive?" I asked cautiously.

"He's as good as dead." He whispered out angrily and I knew if it was up to him, he would have them all chained up in his Crypt and tortured before he was finished with them.

"I will look after her myself." I vowed before I asked the pressing question that's been plaguing my mind. "Thane?" I asked looking into his eyes, "Tell me about my 'powers'."

He nodded his head before he guided me towards his bedroom, "How about you take a shower and regain some of your energy before we start?"

It then dawned on me that my undergarments were still damp from the swim we had in the waterfall earlier and I didn't have the opportunity to change yet. I was also still in his jacket which was huge on me but it smelled of Thane's forest scent which I loved.

As we reached his bedroom I reluctantly took off his jacket and threw it in the wash basket before I trudged back to the closet to get a pair of pajamas to take with me into the bathroom.

Thane was in the little patio that overlooked the backyard while I took my much needed shower. I made sure to lock the bathroom door before I peeled off my wet clothing and hopped into the warm shower where I scrubbed my body clean and washed my hair since it got wet in the waterfall.

By the time I was finished I felt rejuvenated and refreshed as I changed into my warm comfortable pajamas. I walked out into the bedroom as I dried my hair to find Thane was still in the patio so I trudged quietly towards him but I knew he could sense me from the way he stood upright from leaning on the ledge.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked him shyly as I leaned my back against the handrail and faced him to see his sorrowful gaze.

"My sister slipped into a coma. Doctor said her wolf pulled her in so that her body can heal itself but it's a rare case for a wolf to go into a coma so he isn't sure when she will regain consciousness." He explained.

"What can I do?" I asked hoping my abilities will make me useful in helping her.

"I don't think even you can help her." He explained as he placed both his hands on either side of my waist and rest his forehead on mine.

"I can try." I told him in an effort to not just help his sister but to also make him feel a bit better. Since the kiss I felt what I guess was our mate bond, grow stronger and I could somehow sense Thane's emotions as if it were my own and my body told me to do whatever it takes to make him feel better.

If this was how I felt after just one kiss, I was even more terrified to find out how the mate bond will evolve when I become an official part of the pack and mate with Thane. Yet even through that nervousness, I felt a hint of excitement for being able to experience this with Thane and even happier to realize that I was maybe one of the few humans to meet their true soul mate, as crazy as it seems.

Thane was made for me and I was made for him. Sounds like some pretentious crap but this was anything but, what I felt was true and Thane being a werewolf was something I couldn't even begin to have an explanation for.

"No, you will drain yourself of energy." He pulled me out of my reverie and took my hand in his while he lead me back inside.

"What do you mean?" I asked him while he closed the patio's glass doors.

"Every time you use your abilities, you use up your energy and your health. It's kind of like using a battery, you have a limit to how much you can use it at once before you start wearing yourself out." He explained to me.

"Oh." I stated remorsefully. "But I only helped your sister so I'm sure I can try to wake her up."

He gave me a small smile before cupping my cheeks in his palms, "Even though it's only one person, you used a lot of your energy to save her. Tate was on the brink of death and you healed her. I would say you used up most of your energy."

"I could-"

"No, I don't want to hear it Emery. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a shower." Thane walked away from my stubbornness and left for the bathroom.

I rolled my eyes at his retreating form and suddenly felt the length of the day weighting on me as I let out a yawn and felt my shoulders sag in exhaustion.

I tucked myself into the bed and tried to keep my eyes open before Thane finished so that he could explain everything to me. After a few minutes Thane walked out of the shower in only his towel and I suddenly felt a surge of energy rush into my system from the sight if his body even though I saw his half naked figure for most of the day.

I waited for him to exit the closet in his boxers and a t-shirt as I felt a blush creep up on my cheeks when he saw me staring at him.

He let out a low chuckle as he approached the bed with some apprehension and suddenly turned shy as he rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness.

"Mind if I join you?" He timidly asked.

I gave him a simple nod and tapped on the spot next to me because my mind found it difficult to form words.

He slipped into the bed next to me with a shy smile as my mind played catch up. I slowly sat up and leaned my back on the headboard following Thane's position before I muttered, "You never asked before getting into bed, so what made you ask tonight?" I smirked.

He cleared his throat before answering me honestly, "I just didn't want you think I was taking advantage of the situation just because you kissed me."

I pondered over what he said a bit before slowly moving closer to him until our thighs were barely touching and gingerly took his hand into my own. "I want this." I looked up into his eyes to show him that there was no apprehension in my actions. "Whatever this is, I want it. I want us. It's not only because we're mates. I want this because I truly feel something for you and I want you to know that I get it. I get why you did it. While it may not have been conventional and I don't think I would ever get over you kidnapping me, I think that I'm willing to overlook it because we were made for each other by the universe. This is where I want to be now. With you. And we're boyfriend and girlfriend aren't we." I finally declared so that I would rid him of his doubts.

He gazed at me like I had just told him that I would catch the moon and stars for him. It was a look of pure adoration and I was living for it.

"I wouldn't stop apologizing for what I did Emery. It was just the way it had to be done according to my customs and as much I am sorry for what happened and wished it was different, I don't regret it if it meant meeting you again." He admitted.

"To be honest I wouldn't have changed it either." I said deranged even though the part of my brain that holds all my common sense is yelling at me saying 'stockholm syndrome alert'. But it wasn't stockholm syndrome, it was an actual connection with Thane and it's not like he didn't give me a chance to leave even though my other option was to be dropped off on the other side of the country.

"You have no idea how much that meant to me. We may not have known each other that long but whatever you feel for me, I feel it tenfold and more because as a wolf my senses and feelings are all heightened and when I mark you as my own it will only increase if it's possible and you would feel it too." He explained with reverence.

"Mark as yours? I may be okay with this Thane but just because I'm sticking around doesn't mean I'm your property or that you have any control over me." I stated and made a point to clear the air.

He however didn't hesitate to nod at what I said, "As an alpha, it's in my blood to think that archaic, but I didn't mean it in an ownership way. More like a you're my mate and I want every wolf to know who their Luna is and that you should be respected as such. We're equals Emery, and I couldn't be happier."

I didn't know what to say to that so I leaned across and gave him a brief peck on lips only to pull away and see a deep blush on his face, "You're really something else."

He chuckled at me and cockily said, "I know but you can keep reminding me."

I playfully hit his muscular arm and resisted to feel him up when I saw him watching me with what I could only describe as an intense hunger in his eyes. "Okay enough chit chat, you have some explaining to do Mr. No More Secrets." I gave him a look.

He scratched the back of his neck in nervousness before he proceeded to tell me everything about my powers, "Okay so it all began with Ida."

"You're great how many ever grandmother, who was essentially the starting point for the ritual." I stated with understanding.

"Looks like someone paid attention to my history lesson." Thane smirked and gave my hand a squeeze which I now remembered was still in his hand.

"What can I say I'm a great student." I cheekily replied.

He just shook his head in amusement before continuing, "So because Ida was human most of pack didn't want to accept her because they thought she wasn't strong enough to lead them, much less rule beside the alpha as their Luna."

"That's absurd." I couldn't help but say because just like Ida, I was human as well.

"I agree but back then they thought that the pups of their alpha and Luna will be more human and that the pack will eventually fall apart from a lack of strength, protection and leadership. So the day when Ida's father and the pack went to war and Knox almost died, the moon goddess decided to prove right then and there to everyone that Ida was just as strong as any werewolf even if she wasn't able to run as fast, shift into a wolf, hear a pin drop from a mile away or see in the darkness. Right in front of the eyes of everyone Ida healed her mate back to life."

"Wait didn't you tell me that Ida died from the pain she felt?" I questioned now realizing something.

"Yes." He nodded in confusion as to where I was going.

"Then how was I able to heal Tate today if she was on the brink of death." I asked curiously.

He smiled at me, "Ever the curious one." He touched my cheek with his free hand, "Well for one Ida didn't just absorb Knox's pain put she also felt the excruciating pain of losing her mate which is said to be the worst kind of pain and secondly Knox was an alpha so he required more energy to be healed since he was a bigger wolf with a silver bullets buried in him whereas Tate is a small wolf with cuts and bites." He grimaced recalling his sister wounds.

"Oh...you can continue." I nodded in understanding.

"Well from that day, everyone assumed it was a miracle gifted from the Moon Goddess that healed Knox up. But when their son became alpha and found his mate, she had another power, the element of earth manipulation. Around that period of time there was famine so her skill was praised as she was able to grow crops of all sorts in a quick and healthy way. From vegetables to fruits and beautiful flowers, she was able to provide for the pack. From then on out the pack realized all Lunas had a gift and Ida's gift was healing.

After her, the other generational Lunas received different powers that also manipulated the elements, there was fire, air and water manipulation, different Luna's had a different element manipulation or healing, but they usually are an innate part of the Luna. For example you were studying to become a doctor so it was in essence apart of you already." He finished and blew my mind with all the magical mumbo-jumbo.

"So let me get this straight, there are five powers, healing, earth manipulation, air manipulation, fire manipulation and water manipulation?" I furrowed my eyebrows in question.

"That's right, and your power is healing. That's also the reason you recovered so fast the morning you tripped over me and fell and hurt your side."

"Wow." I said in both excitement and bewilderment on how it was possible. But then again Thane shifted in a wolf so I guess I lucked out in the weirdness department.

"You have what I believe is the greatest gift." He pulled both my hands up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on each of my palms.

"So you said your mom planted the garden in the backyard, I'm guessing her power is earth manipulation?" I guessed.

He nodded his head, "Yeah my mom grew up in a farm so when she got here she realized she could plant basically anything in abundance and they would grow at super-speed plus she could control vines and branches to her will so she could easily slap you with a branch if you're near a tree." He said in amusement.

"You're talking from experience aren't you." I laughed at him.

"Never said I was a good kid sweetheart." He growled playfully and grabbed my hips before I could protest and sat he on top of him so that I was straddling him as he leaned back against the headboard. Taking in our current position I started to blush profusely and Thane just chuckled at my sudden shyness. "Hey, if you're uncomfortable-"

"No, no it's fine. Like I said before, I want this. I want you and I." I cut him off before he thought differently.

"Great because I really wanted to kiss you some more." I began to laugh at his bashfulness but was instantly silenced by his lips.

After a few minutes I pulled away and tucked my blushing face in Thane's neck only to feel him chuckle beneath me. He buried his face in my hair and I felt his sniffing me and couldn't help but giggle.

"Are you sniffing me?" I asked with a grin on my face at the oddity. I pulled back to look in his eyes and saw a sea of emotions and a sudden softness around his eyes when he looked at me.

"I'm a wolf and you're my mate, you have the most intoxicating scent to me." He grinned and I brushed my hands on his cheeks where his dimples formed when he gave me his real smile and not some fake smirk he shows everyone else.

"You should smile more often." I whispered.

"Only if you're the one putting the smile on my face." He winked.

I rolled my eyes at his cheesiness but deep down I felt my heart flutter. Then with a sudden strike of lightning in my brain, I remembered something that should have been my first thought when I discovered my powers.

"Can I cure my sister?" I asked Thane with so much hope that if he said no I would be crushed.

The look in his eyes alone gave me the answer I needed. "Emery, I know that nothing will make this easier for you to hear but I'm sorry, you can't."

I didn't want to hear him, I shook my head with so much confidence as if I told him he was wrong and convince myself he was, that it would be possible to save her. "You're wrong." I croaked. "I'm sure no one ever tried so how could you possibly know. Plus my powers could be different, I could save her."

Thane took my face in his hands and looked at me with pure concern, "There has been other Luna's with healing sweetheart and they tried to cure just about every kind of illness but I'm sorry, not even the moon goddess's magic can cure muscular dystrophy because it's a human ailment and she was born with it. It's just not possible."

"What do you mean it's a 'human ailment'?"

"Wolves don't get sick Emery, unless we're affected by a poison or silver but we don't get cancer, polio, muscular dystrophy, name any disease and we don't contract it. It's something only humans get." He explained.

I shook my head, "But I can still try."

"I'm sorry sweetheart but we can't leave the pack's territory. We would risk running into rogues or hunters from your town and possibly leading them back to the pack." He sighed and brought me into a hug. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but I can't lie to you and give you false hope."

"I know and I'm sorry."

"No, why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong." He rubbed my back and it was only then that I knew I was silently crying into Thane's t-shirt.

"I don't know. I just always wanted to protect my little sister and I can't even do that with