Love me, Luna

13

The worse pain I can remember is when I fell and broke my arm on the jungle gym. The school called my mom and I was rushed to the emergency room.

Mom was mad she had to leave work and deemed my arm an "inconvenience". My arm was swollen and was turned at an angle that was unnatural.

That pain doesn't compare to the searing hot pain that woke me up screaming. I throw the sheets off my body and welcome the cool air that hits my skin. I force myself to take deep breaths but panic takes over as I start to get tunnel vision.

Without warning, my door is thrown open to reveal a disheveled looking Alec. He rushes toward me and gently places his hand on my forehead.

I shiver at his touch, immediately the burning sensation is gone.

"Fuck." He says as he picks me up bridal style and walks me to the bathroom.

"Stop." I cry out. He goes to argue when he notices the hand that is now covering my mouth.

He hurriedly gets me to the toilet before I puke all over the both of us. I dry heave to the point of almost passing out. Not eating will do that to you.

Alec rubs my back as I sit crouched on the ground. Once he notices I'm done he picks me back up and places me in the shower.

The cold water sends a shock through my body and I shiver under the freezing water. Instead of joining me like last time, he keeps his distance, but makes sure to keep a hand rubbing my back.

Minutes go by until Alec feels my forehead again. With a nod of approval he shuts the water off and angrily yanks a towel down from my towel rack.

He places the towel around my soaked body and I groan in pain as I slowly sit up. I can feel my skin start to slowly heat back up, but ignore it and dry myself off.

"I'll be back." Alec races out of the room and is back in seconds with a glass of water.

I nod my head in thanks and take a sip from the glass. My mouth feels like sandpaper and another wave of nausea crashes over me. I guzzle the rest of the water down and stay seated on the floor taking deep breaths.

"Alec, I can't do this anymore." I finally break the silence.

He sits back on his heals and lets out a deep breath.

"Hadley, I wish I could do something more to make the pain go away. Believe me when I say it's killing me to see you like this."

"So I just have to live like this for the rest of my life?" I ask incredulously.

"No, like I said before. This is natures way of getting a mated pair to complete the bond. Once we're mated, it'll go away." He explains.

"But we're not completing the bond." I give him a blank stare.

"Hadley, it's late and I don't feel like arguing with you tonight. As much as I love your fiery attitude, I think we should call it a night before you start something you won't be able to finish. Because believe me, my wolf is ready to take what's his."

With a gulp, I stand up and walk out of the bathroom to my closet. I shut the door behind me and quickly change my soaked clothes and throw them aside.

I stay rooted to the floor as I begin to process his words. In order for the pain to go away, I'd have to complete this bond thing he keeps talking about.

But I can't, as much as I hate the thought of being in pain for the rest of my life, the thought of leaving Tristan hurts more.

At the thought of his name, nausea takes over me and the pain is back even worse than before. My knees buckle beneath me and I let out a scream as pain erupts in my stomach. I hug my torso as wave after wave of pain courses through my body.