She flinched once again, hearing his declaration. As the king, his confidence was supposed to be high, considering no other werewolf was above him, but his audacity to declare her as his, still shook her. Although, she would never admit perhaps even in death ... she quite liked this part of his personality, a side of him only known to her.

"That is..." She try to say, when he was still looking at her cheekily.

"What? Are you going to deny that you are mine?" Salas asked a bit playful, but a fleeting bit of anxiousness could be sensed in his look. She had tried to reject and keep her distance from him before, she had even ran away from him in the garden previously. So though he knew she was his mate, he still needed confirmation from her.

He wanted to hear from her own pretty lips that he had just kissed, her willing answer, not a conditioned response that was spoken regardless of a person's will, each time one had found their half. Only then could he finally believe it to be true.

It seemed he had grown quite greedy, Salas thought. Finding his mate was no longer enough, he wanted her to want him for who he was, just as much as he desired her.

Without thinking too deeply, Celia wanted to deny, that was her first thought. She was not used to having someone she would call her own, so how could she be someone's as well. Not to mention, she knew he wanted to tease her again and she did not want to be caught up in his trick, but she detected a flash of uneasiness in his eyes.

"I am not..." She slowly said, as her voice gradually got more lower, until it resembled a whisper.

It made Salas's heart pang, as he clenched his jaws and fingers because of the nervousness. Did she want to reject him? Did she want to say she was not his?

He had been a bit more confident moments earlier, but now it felt like his very life's fate was rested on those rose colored lips.

"... going to deny!" Celia whispered the last part, but his werewolf ears heard it loud and clear.

The answer that came willingly from her, was even more precious to his ears than when she said the word "mate". It made his heart hurt from joy, even though a second earlier, it suffered from pain.

She did not even manage to see his reaction, as she was engulfed by his strong arms in a tight embrace. She was so tightly held that even if she wanted to, there was no space for her to separate herself, not that she had such intention.

In all honesty, she had never wanted a mate, she had never felt someone would want to be so close to her, she had never thought of herself like someone worthy to become someone's one and only. But he made the desire she did not even know she had, the deepest secret held unknowingly in the deepest parts of her heart, fulfilled, and he had done so with just his presence.

Awkwardly, she put some strength in the hands that were loosely dangling before, and slowly raised them up.

Feeling his hug returned, Salas hugged her even tighter, without much concern to the wounds he had which had not yet healed completely.

He was afraid it was just a dream and he would wake up to find himself alone on the hospital bed and Celia nowhere in sight. But it could not be a dream, her petite frame with her head resting on his chest, her small hands on his back warming him. The feeling of her lips that still lingered on his, and her strawberry scent ever present all around him... these were too vivid for it to only be a dream.

"Is it a bad time? Should I come back later?" Gabriel asked, scratching with his hand the back of his head.

She hurriedly let go of the embrace at the sound of his voice, embarrassed of her actions.

The loss of the warmth of her soft body against his, made Salas frown in annoyance, as he looked towards the "disturbing factor".

Was Gabriel really his friend? He knew he had suffered for the last hundred years because he had no mate, if he saw the scene of them in an intimate setting, shouldn't he have quietly left them alone?

What Salas was not aware of, was the fact that he had also prevented or interrupted Maria's and Gabriel's time together many times in the past, with all kind of different requests that had lessened the time he could spend with her. And Gabriel had held a bitter grudge in this regard.

Of course, the official version, if someone were to specifically ask him, would be the fact that he interrupted them because he was worried about their health.

Satisfied with his little revenge, he approached them more with a warm innocent smile, after closing the door behind him. He had maintained his warm expression, even in Salas's obvious anger and stare that seemed to be able to blow a hole through him.

"Are you alright Celia?" Asked Gabriel, going for the less aggressive one of the two.

"Yes I am alright." She replied hurriedly. Though truthfully, the wolfsbane in her veins was not completely removed yet and she was feeling under the weather. It was only because the interaction with Salas had caught her off guard, and so she did not pay any mind to how she was feeling. But Gabriel's question reminded her of the fatigue and pain.

"What happened to you?" Salas asked, remembering she was dressed in patient clothing. As the joy of finding his mate overclouded his mind and the fact she did not have obvious injuries on her, he had previously omitted this particular fact, but looking closer at her she did have a slightly paler face with small dark circles around her eyes, he had not noticed before as he felt she was beautiful no matter what.

"Ahh ... it was nothing important!" Celia said, dismissing her current state.

"It was not nothing. She helped your treatment against the wolfsbane. Just like you previously helped her. Really, you and Salas as well, you both have to say these things clearly. You are too innocent, even though you are the highest ranking werewolves currently.

It seems to me you are also in need of a teacher in shamelessness, Celia!" Gabriel said with conviction.

Really, the best way to have a firm grip of the other's heart was for that person to be aware of all the things you did for him or her, but it seemed to him that both of them did not take advantage of such facts. Salas had also not informed her before what he had done for Celia when she was injured. They, perhaps, could have avoided all the drama...

"A teacher in shamelessness?" Asked Celia not understanding one bit of his last phrase.

Gabriel coughed, realizing his blunder.

"Ohh... I misspoke, I only meant it is shameless of us, if we do not inform his highness of everything that has happened while he was unconscious!" Gabriel rephrased his words to give them a different meaning, trying to cover his mistake.

"Wait, does it mean you did the transfusion for me, why did you? You could have died!" Salas said, his anger raising. He remember just how numbing the pain of the wolfbane was when her blood had entered his veins, not to mention he had no preexisting problems at that time.

He was completely healthy and he still suffered for days after. But for this delicate woman to also go through such an experience ...

"It was the only solution!" She gently answered, refraining herself from also adding that she could not watch him die.

"Who said so? I could have regenerated myself, there was no need for you to go through it! Did you tell her about the treatment, Gabriel? Or was it the doctor? Who was the culprit?" Salas asked angrily, looking towards Gabriel the whole time, even though Celia was the one who had answered his question. It was like no matter what she said or did, someone else would be to blame.

Gabriel stayed quiet, afraid that anything he would say would incriminate him. Salas looked like he was about to murder the one who had put her in jeopardy.

"Your highness, you are contradicting yourself! First you said that I could have died, and now you say you could have regenerated without help." Celia sighed as she eyed him changing her gentle tone to a sharp one, then she continued to admonish him.

"It was your fault that you could not keep yourself safe, even though that should have been your first priority, now you blame the innocent people who helped you?

Neither one of them are to blame. Gabriel did not know what the treatment was and the young doctor was under your command and could not speak of it, even if he wanted to.

I was the one who ordered the doctor to tell me what he did for me and made him do the same for you! If you want to punish someone then punish me!" Celia said raising her voice, while she hmphed upset.

The sound of her sweet voice, which had never spoken so many words to him at once before by her own choice, and the care he felt from each scolding that came from her sweet mouth, calmed Salas down.

"It is not your fault, of course it is not! It is my mistake, you are absolutely right. Please don't be upset, you will hurt yourself more!" Salas said gingerly, trying to pacify the cute woman.

Gabriel looked baffled at the obvious display of affection, if he could he would bow down to Celia. It was a commending feat having tamed the big bad wolf. Nonetheless, he was also thankful that she had intervened.

When the doctor wanted to separate the two and move Celia to a different room, he instinctively stopped him. He told the doctor that, no matter what, they should be kept together.

His survival instinct was on point. Perhaps if she was not present in the same room, but Salas felt her weak presence in the hospital, he would wreck the place and people to get to her.

"Now that you know what happened with the treatment, let's talk about something else. Did I just witness you hugging Celia, when I entered?" Asked Gabriel, trying to redirect his attention. Who knows, if the king would still blame him?

"Ehhh, that..." Celia's face flushed, she was so flustered by his question that she did not know what to say. Why would the teacher have to talk so bluntly of what he saw? His highness and Gabriel, both really were good friends, they resembled each other. Both liked to point these kind of things out in the open without any shame, she thought.

"It is not your concern to notice that!" Salas said, with a voice full of authority.

It made Celia ease up, knowing that she would not have to talk about it.

"Of course mates would hug each other. It is only natural!" Salas affirmed with the same voice, making Celia become unease again. Really true friends these men were.

"Are you mates? Have you talked with Waning yet?" Gabriel asked thrilled, he just knew he was right.

"Not yet, but Sky has already acknowledged her presence." Salas confirmed. In fact, the black wolf was pacing up and down in his mind, itching to shift to also meet his mate and touch her. He had only managed to talk with her using their mind link, but he was already smitten.

"That's great and all, but can you tell us why she did not reveal herself until now?" Asked Gabriel curious.

"It was not her intention to hide, she could not come out yet!" Celia immediately defended her wolf, she was afraid the latter would be misunderstood.

Seeing her worried face, Salas immediately intervened.

"It is alright. I trust her, don't worry. You can tell me whenever you can, don't force yourself!"

"I can say it now, I am not forcing myself. I will tell you!" Celia replied. She felt assured by his unconditional trust, but she still wanted to tell him her reasons.

At the same time, somewhere else

"Tap!"

"Tap!"

"Tap!"

That was the only sound that could be heard in the large dark room. The room itself was already eerie enough, with its blood colored walls, black drapes on the large mahogany windows and dark candles placed from place to place that barely managed to provide a dim minimal light.

Coupled with the lack of furniture, other than a black iron throne decorated with gargoyles, and the constant tapping sound, this frightening image would make a normal human run for their lives. That was what the people that were kneeled and the floor also felt.

Although not humans, it took a lot of effort to abstain themselves from doing just that, run as fast as their feet could manage, to the farthest place they could. But they knew that they would only be able to reach the door, or perhaps just barely manage to get up on their feet, before their heads would swiftly be separated from their bodies, if they tried to run.

So they could do nothing at all, just have their head lowered with their neck shown in submission, holding their breath and hope they could survive this night.

The tapping sound continued, making them feel like someone was actually tapping on their hearts. They had been waiting, for what it seemed like forever, for that person to open his mouth, the agony of not knowing one's fate, terrifying them to their very core.

"So then... what you are telling me..." The hoarse deep voice that made their head bow even lower, casually started to say. One who did not know him could say he was having a normal conversation, but the peoples on the floor would beg to differ. Just for the fact that his voice was too calm, they already knew that he was as angry as he could be.

"... he is not dead?" The person on the throne finished asking.

"F-from what we could gather..." The person in front stuttering tried to explain. He was already feeling the cold air against his neck, as though it was actually a sharp claw that was about to rip his head off when he started to explain. But by only five words later, he was already regretting his choice in how he phrased said words.

"From what you could gather?" Repeated the person on the throne, still tapping rhythmically his finger on the throne's armrest.

Realizing that prolonging the silence was not in his favor, as it only made that person in front of him angrier by the second, the man continued to speak with more concise words.

"Salas Christian Wolf is not dead!" He said, closing his eyes as he felt small droplets of water covering his face. He was already prepared to be executed for his failure.

Hearing this, the man with platinum blond hair and cold grey eyes, finally stopped tapping his fingers.

"Hmmm... How? I was assured that at least five bullets passed through his body." He asked, still calm.

"Yes five bullets indeed hit him. Of this I can personally assure you!" The kneeled person quickly confirmed.

"Then?" The blond man asked.

"We do not know for sure, my king. We are still..." these were the only words that the kneeled person could utter, before he was struck down.

Red blood spilled from his lifeless body scaring the others, but none of them moved from their places, even though the ones near the body could clearly see that his blood was about to reach their feet. They did not dare even flinch, in fright that they would be next.

"Is there someone else who can tell me with certainty, or are the rest of you not sure as well?" The king asked. He was still calm, like he was not the one who killed his subject, but the red blood on the fingertips, that previously kept on tapping, were proof of his cold act.

If not for his red dyed fingers, you could not actually tell he was the one who killed the kneeled person, as he was still sitting on his throne for the entire time, or at least that was how it appeared.

Moments passed but no one dared answer his question, the next one to answer would be the next one to die. Of course, no one wished to do so.

The person who had just died was the highest ranked between them, even if he did not want to, he was the one who was obligated to provide the information for the cold blooded person on the throne, but the rest were the same rank.

"Hmmm... Well it seems I was just being a bit impatient. I should watch a little bit my temper. After all, we are still in the researching phase. Forgive me, I was getting a little ahead!" The king sighed, as he returned to tapping his fingers.

Only then did the people relax a little, although they still did not dare move from their position.