Chapter 36

King Harvey gives me a faltering, uneasy smile as he clutches his right arm with his left hand. His talons press into his burned skin unintentionally and he curses loudly, ripping his hand away.

“I overestimated the time it would take to explain, Elena.” King Harvey exhales heavily through his mouth, his fangs popping out his upper lip. “Are you well?”

“We need to get you help!” I say as I take hold of his left sleeve, as carefully as I can. Blinking the tears out of my eyes, I resolve to push away my sobs as I guide him out of the armory room as quickly as my feet will carry me.

King Harvey groans softly over his pain and I am too scared to ask him how he feels. King Harvey remains silent however, as I push into my room and into the bathroom and open the faucet.

The color water is ice water, and I am thankful when I check it with my hand. Freezing. Perfect. Filling a cup, I begin to run water up and down his arm. King Harvey weakly groans with every wave of water. I know if I look him in the eyes I will sob.

Biting my lower lip to stop my sobs, I keep running water up and down his arm. I can’t ignore the sizzle or smell of his skin, it smells like burning meat. The puffs of smoke that radiate from his arm make me ill.

The skin of his arm appears to be a like a crosshatch, a burned honeycomb.

I have an idea as to why his skin no longer looks human-like. I think his werewolf blood is taking over to heal and compensate for his pain.

Mutely, King Harvey moves his head to the left then right, as if distracting himself from the pain he is under.

“I am so sorry, King Harvey…” I whisper.

Caressing his face, I hope to be somewhat of a better distraction.

King Harvey leans into my hand and sighs. “I am simply…happy,” he groans as his eyes bleed silver. “That you are safe, Elena.”

“We will leave making weapons and bracelets for another time, King Harvey. Far, far in the future.” I know my words are not healing, I am speaking just to speak. “Thank you for being brave enough to protect me, King Harvey.”

Visibly swallowing, King Harvey nods and opens his mouth to speak. Two tall shadows peek around the corner and we both freeze.

To the best of his ability, King Harvey steps to the doorway to cover my body with his.

“Harvey!” His mother cries as she rushes to the doorway. “What happened?!”

“My boy!” King Harvey’s father cries out affectionately. He guides King Harvey out of the bathroom with his left arm and makes him sit in a velvet chair.

“An accident with the lava, Father.” King Harvey says in a whisper.

His downcast gaze almost makes him look younger. When I note tears in his mother’s eyes, I understand why for once he is not looking up. He doesn’t want to see his mother cry.

“What happened exactly, human?” His mother asks as she takes his face in her hands.

King Harvey exhales. “I made a mistake.”

“This is exactly why I disagree with you choosing a human as your luna, Harvey! They are weak creatures that always hurt you!”

King Harvey frowns. “Mother, I made this mistake, and protecting my mate is my duty and right.”

King Harvey’s mother lifts his arm by placing two fingers under his right palm and slightly lifts his arm.

King Harvey’s hissing frown of pain doesn’t escape me.

I see the whole extent of damage to King Harvey’s arm. His burnt skin stops at the top of his bicep and even covers the back of it. His wrist is burnt to the bone, how did I not see that?

The back of his massive hand has all his knuckles showing.

I fall to my knees in front of him, and gasp.

“Elena, I am fine.” King Harvey grits through his teeth. “Elena, please!”

Sobbing, I let myself go for a moment and feel. That would have killed me in one second.

King Harvey looks me in my eyes. “I am sorry to make you cry, Elena.”

I sniffle as I wipe tears from my eyes. “I am sorry.”

“Oh, please, mate? The goddess of the moon always teases people, your mate can’t be chosen, but you can choose a werewolf as the luna of your pack. We need a qualified, luna, Harvey. Your luna needs to be able to tend to your wounds.”

King Harvey looks me in the eyes and firmly states. “That doesn’t matter to me, Elena is my mate, and she will be my luna.”

I have no time to feel nervous about his parents and the powers that radiate off them. My heart is overflowing with unshed tears over King Harvey.

“Human, watch.” King Harvey’s mother demands coldly.

King Harvey’s mother closes her eyes for a few seconds, then opens them. Her eyes now match the exact shade of red as her husband’s. A small crimson flame is born at the palm of her hand and travels up to her fingertips.

The flame pulses at her talons and she waves her fingers up and down King Harvey’s arm. A small flame appears at each of her talons and stays there. In one unheard word, the flames combine into one and wash over King Harvey’s arm.

King Harvey rears his head back once the contact is made, and I watch as he forcibly swallows a cry of animalistic pain. The muscles in his neck strain as he squeezes his eyes shut.

By the time I blink the tears out of my eyes, his arm is back to normal. All the skin is back on his arm, and I can no longer see the bones of his wrist or knuckles.

Exhaling heavily, I try to regain my senses.

My feet feel numb, but I try my best to get to King Harvey and I hug him tightly.

King Harvey’s mother stares at me. “This is Luna’s power. Every woman awakens this power after their mating ceremony with their leader, human. All women that marry the leader of the pack are. My husband and I share power, and he taught me healing by tapping into his power. We train nurses for war with this, but they must be married. I take the masculine energy of my husband and bind it to my desire to heal. You will learn this too.”

I hold back my gasp. “I am human, Queen.”

Yes, a normal human.

Can I awaken the luna power after the mating ceremony? I don’t know if I can.

King Harvey stands in front of me. “I will teach her, Mother. I promise Elena will be the best luna.”

King Harvey’s mother glares at me. “We shall see, my boy.”