Ana

I roll around in the bed, trying to find a more comfortable position. Nothing is working, and I am frustrated. It feels like I have been in this building forever. My body is still in pain, and my healing has not returned.

The symptoms of my heat are still raging along with my injuries. I can feel the fever waning and returning constantly. On top of that, wild desire rages at my core, warning me that I must relieve the sexual tension that threatens to overwhelm me.

Despite how much pain I am in, I want to leave. I have been in the healer's building for far too long. I want to break my bond with Derek and get all of this over with. I wonder if that will make my heat better or worse.

My ears alert me that someone is standing on the door. I sit up, my back against the wall, and stare that way. It is one of the healer's assistants. She is smiling, but I do not return it.

"You're sitting up," the assistant says brightly. "That's good."

"Where's the healer?" I ask in response. Surely there has to be something that can knock me out for several hours until I feel better. In fact, it would be great if they could force me to sleep until the whole thing is over.

"Sorry, Ana, he's going to come and check in on you soon." She seems to notice that I'm not in the greatest of moods, but she doesn't show it if she's offended by that. "You need to be a bit more patient, you know. You literally fell down a ravine, and you're in the middle of your heat."

I grumble under my breath while she puffs up my pillows and places crushed herbs on my bedside table.

"Can I do anything else for you?" Her voice is so chirpy that it is starting to give me a headache.

"No, thanks." I try to be polite, but I can hear the irritation in my tone. "I'll call you if I need something."

"Good." She smiles again, and heads for the door. "He'll be here in half an hour, alright? Try and hold out until then."

With that, she leaves, and I am alone again. My whole body feels like it is on fire. I want to grab anything that even looks like a naked guy and hump it until I lose myself. My wolf is howling desperately inside of me, telling me that I need to get rid of this fever.

I don't know what will happen if I don't. But I'm not sure I even can do anything about it. Every movement is still stiff and sore. Going to the bathroom is an issue by myself, even though I insist on doing that alone.

Almost an hour later, far longer than the assistant had promised, the healer finally strides into my room. He has a clipboard in his hand, and looks concerned. I immediately push myself up, trying to look well enough to be released.

It's a long shot. Sweat is covering me from top to bottom, and I've started shivering.

"I'm fine," I say instantly when he turns to me, but he clearly doesn't believe that. I grit my teeth, wondering how long he is going to make me stay here. My wolf is even trying to drag me towards him, trying to convince me that he can help me relieve all of the craziness of my heat.

"Don't be ridiculous," he answers, tapping at the clipboard with his pen. "You're dying."

The sudden honesty of his words rattle me completely. I did not expect him to say it like that. The reality of it is clear in the tone that he uses.

"How?" I swallow the thickness that has clogged my throat. "Am I not healing?"

"It's your heat that's the problem," he walks closer, riling up the wolf in me. "It's causing a fever, because nothing is being done about it. That fever can end up killing you. Your injuries are improving, but this… This is a serious problem."

"Okay, well, what can I do about it then?" I ask, feeling like throwing my hands in the air. Surely that isn't it. I don't appreciate the irony that I wanted to kill myself, yet now I am terrified of what would happen if the fever gets worse.

Maybe I want to live after all.

The healer glances at me with a frown. He seems uncertain about actually giving me the advice that is on his mind. I wonder if he thinks I'll take it too far.

"Please?" I insist, purposefully exaggerating the shiver that runs through me. "I have to do something."

"You can stay here and ride it out. There is a chance that it might pass and that you will survive." He already knows I'm not going to follow that, I can see it in his face. "We can ask your mate to come, so that he can help you to relieve it. If you reinforce your bond, the symptoms will subside. Or…"

He paused and sighed, scratching at his head. "If you don't think that you are physically capable of that, you can break your bond with your mate. That will certainly stop the symptoms, too."

"What?" I have been thinking of breaking my bond with Derek, but now I am not sure.

"Those two ways are probably guarantees," the healer continues. "I will have someone speak with your mate. I am sure he will come and help you if he understands the urgency of the situation."

"I'll talk to him myself." I find the idea of someone calling Derek for me to be humiliating. I'm not even sure if I want to reinforce or break the bond between us. Both are things that I must initiate on my own.

"Alright, well." The healer shrugs and walks to the door. "Be sure to ingest the herbs and the medication that we have given you. It will help with the pain. Let my assistant know when your mate will be coming by. She will ensure that you do not overexert yourself. I will see you later."

I watch him as he makes his way down the hallway and disappears. The idea of having his assistant bring Derek to me and sleeping with him in this bed makes me nauseated. Whether I am going to break this bond or have sex with him, I decide that I will do it on my own terms.

It takes several seconds for me to get up and finally stand beside my bed. The tubes that are attached to me hold me back, but I have to get out of here. I pull all of them out meticulously, so that barely a drop of blood lands on the floor.

The window is difficult to open. Everything is shaking, and my fever is running rampant in my brain. It feels as if the world is swimming around me. There is a hunger still growing to an overwhelming point, making it difficult to focus.

Eventually, however, the window is open wide enough for me to struggle my way through. I tumble out onto the grass outside, grateful to feel the blades against my skin. Another minute passes before I can finally get to my feet, swaying slightly.

The walk to Derek's place is going to be difficult, but I have to do something immediately. If this fever gets much worse, I do not doubt that I will not survive it. My body is raging against my injuries and my mind. It is only after one thing, and it will sacrifice everything to get it.

I move forward in a near daze, forcing one foot in front of the other. One half of me insists that I break the bond with Derek, that I go through with what I've already promised myself. The other screams that I must sleep with him, that this is all that I want.

I don't know which side I will listen to, but I continue to move. That is the only thing that I can do now.

"Don't fall," I say to myself through gritted teeth. "You have to get there, don't fall."

It takes nearly forty minutes before I reach Derek's yard. It should only have taken ten. The fever is rampant. It has wiped every other emotion, every other semblance of pain from my body. All that I can think about is my heat, and what it wants from me.

I hear something through the open window nearby, and I walk closer to inspect. The sounds are familiar, but I refuse to recognize it until I see it. I reach the window, and look inside.

Instantly, everything crashes together, and I throw my hand over my mouth so that I do not scream.

"Fuck me, Derek, harder!" Medeia is bent over the back of the couch. She is entirely naked, her hair slicked over her face with sweat, her hands grasping at the material beneath her.

Behind her, Derek is slamming himself into her so violently, so quickly that it makes me dizzy to imagine the feeling. "Shit, you feel so good, you know that?"

Medeia is breathing hard, her moans flitting through the sounds of their bodies crashing together. Is he really fucking her right now, knowing where I am?

The flashing pain of Derek's betrayal twists with the fever, creating a world of torture inside of me. I have to get out of there. I don't know what I'm going to do when I get back to the healer's building, but I can't watch this anymore.

"Better than that little bitch Ana, right?" Medeia laughs, and Derek does not correct her.

I turn around, stumbling, trying to run and failing. My breathing is hurried and shallow. The world begins to swim and fade in front of my eyes. I feel confusion mixing in with the sheer, burning pain that is ravaging me.

Finally, my body can no longer deal with any of it. Everything turns into darkness. I can feel myself fall, but I cannot do anything to stop it. I pass out, wishing that I won't wake up again.

~

Standing on the side of the cliff, I am elated at the rush of adrenaline that rushes through my veins at the success of my leap. Turning around, I look at Gisele and laugh in joy.

Gisele laughs with me, and I see her blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight. But then the sunlight disappears, storm clouds roll in from every direction and darkness fills my vision. I see Gisele's beautiful smile vanish and turn into a scream of horror.

I feel arms surround me and grab me. They drag me down the side of the cliff, and pull me under the swirling waters as I desperately try to free myself. Around me is pitch black, but then suddenly I see Gisele before me.

She is pale and there is blood seeping from a dozen cuts all over her face. She reaches out her arms to me, begging me to help her escape from the torment and pain.

All I can see is her flesh rotting before my eyes. I try to scream and get away, but the arms are holding me in place. I can't get to her, I am powerless to help my dear friend.

As I scream, water rushes into my lungs, and I see Gisele's face draw nearer to me.

I try to look away, but her rotting arms reach up to cup my face, and forces me to look at her. I see the flesh on her face melt away, and I see her blue eyes shrivel up, and disappear. Once her eyes are gone, they are replaced by glowing red pits.

"You did this to me! You are the reason I died, and now you will forever be stuck here with me in purgatory as a penance for your sins!" Her voice booms into my head. I get pulled even deeper into the water, and there is nothing but darkness."