Unclaimed

Chapter Thirty-Five

I woke sweaty and shaking. Every thirty seconds I went from burning hot to freezing cold. I blew puffs of breath out as I tried to regain control of my body. Along with the cramping, there was an achy tug in my belly telling me to run to my mate. He had the solution to my problems, but the solution would create problems of its own. If I let him get my hands on me, he was going to claim me, and more than likely impregnate me.

I wasn't sure if I was ready for that, but I had a feeling I wasn't going to hold out much longer whether I was ready or not. 
My body could only endure the torture for so long, and I could feel myself weakening already. Soon, my body would take over and silence the parts of me that felt worry.

Werewolves could only take so much before we would snap. Anger makes us turn into our wolf form when it becomes too much, but everything else... I knew I was eventually going to snap, and when I did, my eyes would glow bright purple and my body would lead the way. No more emotions, no more worries, no more complaints.

I had hoped I could make it through the day, but it was becoming less and less likely. Somehow, I was becoming less and less concerned.

"Charli?" Max called through the bathroom door. "I've got breakfast. Will you let me bring it in to you?" I was surprised they'd actually left me alone for four hours. He was the first person I heard from, or maybe I'd missed them while I slept.

My mouth was horribly dry and sticky, but still I forced out, "No. Just leave it outside the door and I'll get it." 

He didn't seem to set my food down. From what I could hear, he hadn't moved. "I might be able to help you. Ya know, take some of your worries away." 

"If you do that, then it's over for me. Every chance I thought I had for a normal life will disappear." 

"This is our normal, honey. Maybe in your next life you'll have another chance. This is what we have. It's probably best to just get it over with. You know this is killing you, right?" Max was begging, and it made everything feel worse.

"I want it to be my decision, on my time." that's a weak ass excuse. Why the hell have I been fighting this?

"Charli," he saided in a worried, accusatory tone."Are you seriously thinking about trying to leave?" 

"No! Of course not!" How could he possibly think I was going to leave?

"Then what the fuck is the point of dragging this out?" 

"What if he changes?" I croaked as pain squeezed my pelvis like a belt being wrapped around me. My body was going to get me out of the bathroom no matter what it cost.

"Into what?" Frustration was growing heavier in his voice. 

"I don't know. Someone different. What if he's not as… nice anymore?" 

"Move," George mumbled from the other side of the door. "Get out of here. Charli! Open the goddamn door. I'm coming in." 

I groaned. George was going to be my Kryptonite. The way he spoke to me often wasn't quite as gentle as the way the others spoke to me, but it was a tough love kind of thing. "George, stop," I said softly, trying to appeal to the other side of him, maybe his sympathy. "I don't want anyone in here with me."

It didn't work. "Well, I'm coming in one way or another, whether you open the door or I break it down." 

I switched plans and shouted back,"Stop, seriously! Just let me fucking be alone." 

"You don't get that. Sorry. You're being ridiculous. I'm going to count down from five, and you better have the door unlocked before I get to one. Five… Four…. Three…. Two…" 

I flipped the lock on the door and curled up against the toilet, trying to disappear against the wall. 

George stalked in, leaving the door wide open behind him, and plopped down next to me, crushing us together between the tub and the toilet. He draped an arm over my shoulder, and stared into my eyes like he was trying to sort something out. "What the hell are you doing locked away in here?"

"I'm scared," I admitted. 

"Of what?' 

I groaned as the heat filled my body and made me sweat more. I was nearly panting.  "I'm afraid I won't be good enough." 

George's arm tightened around my shoulders and he shook me slightly. "Has there been a single second since you got here where any of us have made you feel that way?" 

"No," I conceded.

"So what makes you feel like you wouldn't be good enough after you're marked when you've been good enough all along?"

"I spent five years completely isolated from everyone," I whispered, not fighting the tears that were forming in my eyes. "I can't lose you guys."

He scoffed. "Do you hear yourself? That man is downstairs losing his fucking mind because he wants to help you and you're up here just plain losing your mind. You think he's going to claim you and suddenly turn into a monster and lock you away from us?" 

"The last time I was marked I lost my mate, my mom, everyone and everything I'd ever known. They hated me." I watched as realization shocked him.

"Oh, honey." He jerked me to his chest and hugged me tightly. "We aren't going anywhere. What happened before was terrible, but it's never going to happen again. The Alpha will never change. He loves you so much that he's keeping himself away from you right now. If you were my mate, I don't think I'd be that strong. Let him comfort you." 

"If he comes near me-" My heart skipped a beat as I instantly searched for him. The ice was taking over me, and I had finally broken. I couldn't take it anymore. My thoughts had flipped off and all that was left was the call to go to my mate. "Grady?" I shouted. I used the toilet to push myself up to my feet and walked out of the bathroom.

"Fuck," George mumbled behind me, then his face loomed in front of me. "Hey. You're doing this. You're strong, okay? Don't freak out. Fuck I've never seen purple eyes like that before. He's coming for you. Everything's going to be perfect." 

Grady looked concerned until he saw me, and then his eyes turned to gold. "George, get everyone out of here but don't go too far. She might become lucid again and snap."