I looked up through glassy eyes, looking into Dylan's stormy orbs, my head throbbing. Gia took hold of my face, turning it until I was looking at her; her face masked with concern.
"We need to get you home," she stated, pulling into a standing position and wrapping her arm around me, supporting most of my weight.
"What happened?" asked a concerned Jared as he wheeled over quickly, attempting to reach out to me, but my mate growled in response.
"No one touch her!" ordered Dylan, causing Gia to scoff, shaking her head.
"I get that you're worried about her Dylan, but you do not get to tell me what to do when my best friend is going through something like this. How is this happening so fast anyway? I haven't heard of a heat starting this quickly!"
"I'm an Alpha, Gia. The process is very different to other wolves." Dylan growled, his jaw tensed after hearing Gia's harsh tone.
"Someone tell me what the hell is going on?!" demanded my brother.
"Please, don't fight. I just want to sleep," I mumbled, scrunching my nose up, rubbing at my temples.
"We'll take you home," offered Gia, causing me to shake my head.
"I don't want my Dad to see me like this. I know it's only going to get worse," I replied.
"You can stay with me," said Dylan, grabbing my hand and squeezing it gently, causing tingles to dance along my skin. It almost felt as if the sharp pain in my stomach dulled due to Dylan's touch, warming me from the inside, causing me to smile to myself.
Gia shook her head, furrowing her brows. "Is that really a good idea?"
Dylan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, letting go of my hand and taking a few deep breaths, attempting to calm himself. "You're right. She needs to be somewhere safer."
"She is safe! What are you talking about?" asked Jared, running his hands through his hair, wheeling up to me, gazing into my glassy eyes. "Clara, what's going on?"
Gia raised her eyebrows at me, her mouth set in a firm line, causing me to sigh, nodding my head. "Tell him," I whispered.
"She's in heat," replied Gia, causing Jared to blink quickly, taking in the information.
"How can she be in heat? She doesn't have a mate?" questioned my shocked brother.
I looked over at Dylan, his jawline tensed due to gritted teeth, the muscle slowly moving as he swallowed.
The sight of him made my muscles tense up, including down below, which made Dylan clear his throat, turning away as he hung his head back, running his hands down his face in frustration.
Suddenly, Jared's eyes widened, and he looked between Dylan and I, his brows furrowing. "Is he...?"
I nodded, shooting my little brother a regretful expression, feeling guilty for not mentioning it to him sooner.
"You didn't tell me, or Dad," he mumbled, shaking his head at me.
"I was going to," I replied. "You were just so down about that fact that you couldn't be a fighter, I didn't want to add another issue to the mix."
"You thought I would be upset that you found your mate?" asked Jared, shaking his head.
I replied with a nod, dropping my gaze.
"Clara, am I jealous that other people can walk and I can't? Hell yes. But that's because it's something I'll never be able to do. You finding your mate hasn't made me upset, because I know mine is out there waiting for me, and it's going to make dealing with all of this being paralysed crap worth it. I'm not upset, I'm happy for you, and Dad will be too."
"Thank you, I'm sorry," I said with teary eyes, pulling Jared in for a hug, wrapping my arms around him tightly, rubbing his back.
"I am going to miss you though when you eventually leave to go and become a Luna. Those are some big shoes to fill," said Jared, smiling, pulling away from the hug.
"Clara, you're sort of heavy," moaned Gia who was struggling to hold my weight, letting out a deep sigh. "Where are we going? Can we start to make a move?"
"I'll take her," said my mate, wrapping his arms around me and picking me up bridal style, causing me to let out a little yelp, his touch soothing my scorching skin.
"I think it's best if she comes to mine. I can look after her," suggested Gia, gaining a confused look from my mate.
"I still need to be with her. I'm not leaving her in this state, and like she said, it's only going to get worse."
Gia nodded, sighing. "Clara, are you okay with that? It's your decision."
I nodded, pressing my fingers harder into the back of Dylan's neck, trying to tighten my grip, enjoying the feeling of having him so close.
"I'll head home and tell Dad," called Jared as he started to wheel away, giving me one last concerned look.
Nerves overtook me as I thought about how my Father would react, knowing he wouldn't take the news lightly. I was hoping and praying he wouldn't come racing over to Gia's, demanding to see me, making a huge scene.
My head throbbed as Dylan began to walk, every step causing me to groan to myself with pain.
"I know, I'm sorry," mumbled my mate, caressing me softly with his fingers.
"Gia, do you have anything I can take to get rid of the pain?" I asked her.
"I'll have a look in the cabinet, but I don't think it can make the pain from a heat go-"
Gia stopped mid sentence after Dylan shot her a glare, causing her to clear her throat, scratching at the back of neck as she continued to walk, speeding up so she was in front of Dylan and I.
We rounded the corner, and I sighed to myself in relief as Gia's house came into view. I was hoping her parents wouldn't question us much, but I knew they could be a little up-tight sometimes, causing panic to set in.
"Gia will stay with you tonight, okay? I don't want anything to happen that you might regret," whispered Dylan in my ear, his huskiness causing my inner wolf to howl, begging me to pull him to me for a kiss.
"Where are you going to sleep? I need you to stay," I said, distress rising in my voice.
"Yeah, don't worry," said Dylan calmingly. "I can stay, I just need Gia to stay with you too."
I nodded, pressing my head into his chest, his steady heartbeat comforting my wolf.
"Okay," mumbled Gia as she opened her front door for us, gesturing for Dylan to follow her upstairs towards her bedroom. "My parents aren't here right now. They'll probably be back later on though, so if there is going to be any sex, please just keep it as quiet as possible."
"Gia..." warned Dylan, setting me down gently on Gia's large king sized bed. I snuggled up to the pillow, pushing the sheets away with my feet, not enjoying the sensation of them touching my burning skin.
"Shall I run a cold bath for you? It will cool you down?" offered Gia, causing me to nod eagerly.
Once she left the room, I turned to Dylan, pulling him down on the bed with me, snuggling up to his chest.
"Clara, this is dangerous," growled Dylan huskily, swallowing harshly.
"I need you here," I whined, clutching at my painful abdomen, furrowing my brows.
"Okay," replied my mate, running his hands through my dark hair, massaging my scalp, causing me to moan.
"No, Clara, don't do that please."
I chuckled to myself, arousal flowing throughout my body, filling my veins, almost overflowing. I caressed Dylan's jaw as I studied him, gently pulling his lips to mine, kissing him passionately.
I moved my lips against his, almost moaning into his mouth, enjoying the feeling of having my mate so close to me. Dylan cupped my cheek with one hand, the other trailing up and down my thigh, causing a shiver of pleasure to run down my spine.
I ran my hands down Dylan's bare chest, tracing the lines of his defined muscles, gaining a growl from him, telling me he was enjoying it.
Suddenly, Gia opened the door, jumping back as she took in the scene in front of her. "Oh, sorry."
"It's fine, she needs a bath," said Dylan, swooping me up in his arms, carrying me into Gia's en suite.
I gazed down at the freezing cold water, my scorching skin yearning for it. I started to fiddle with the hem of my spandex shorts, grabbing them to pull them down, but Gia stopped me, shaking her head.
Dylan cleared his throat, swallowing as he watched me, his eyes fixated on my fingers that were playing with them hem of my thin shorts. His eyes were pitch black, and my wolf could sense his arousal, causing my breathing rate to quicken.
"Dylan, go watch some TV or something," ordered Gia, watching him intently as he slowly nodded, exiting the room.
I ripped at my clothes, sinking into the cold water in the tub, dunking my head underneath until I was fully submerged. The ice cold water felt like pure bliss against my skin, causing me to sigh to myself in delight.
I stayed in the tub for what felt like hours, but the clock insisted it had only been forty five minutes. I knew my heat was getting worse due to the cold water no longer keeping the fire at bay. My skin seemed to feel hotter by the second, and eventually it became unbearable.
I leaped out of the tub, almost slipping on the wet tiles, and pulled on the fresh clothes Gia had laid out for me, holding back tears as the fabric felt like needles piercing my pale skin. I pushed the bathroom door open, revealing a shocked Gia watching a movie from her bed.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
"I feel like I'm dying!" I yelled, causing Gia to rush over to me, leading me to the bed.
"I know, it's okay," she soothed.
"No, no, it hurts!" I yelled, the pillow muffling my scream as I ripped at my skin, just wanting to rid myself of the burning feeling.
"Clara, stop, you're going to hurt yourself!" begged Gia, attempting to pin my wrists to the bed, but I wiggled out of her grasp, kicking at the sheets.
Suddenly, Gia's bedroom door burst open, revealing a wide eyed Dylan; his chest heaving. He rushed over to me, grabbing my wrists, pulling me to him, stroking my soggy hair. "Shh, Clara, stop it. It's okay."
"I can't," I cried, shaking my head. "I can't do this."
"You can," soothed my mate, rubbing my back, causing tingles to erupt.
"Make it go away," I wailed, rubbing at my tear stained face.
"Clara, I can't," muttered Dylan, shutting his eyes and gritting his teeth. "I'm sorry."
"Clara, do you want to sleep? It will make the pain go away?" asked Gia, her face masked with worry.
"Lie down," said Dylan, gently placing me down with my head on the pillow as Gia pulled the curtains closed, darkness taking over the room.
"I'll go and make some food for you for when you wake up," said Gia, swiftly exiting the room.
"Stay with me," I whispered to my mate, causing him to reluctantly nod, lying down next to me. I snuggled up to him, my wolf howling with delight.
I wanted Dylan, but I didn't want it to happen like this. I was more than grateful for Dylan's thoughtfulness and self control, although I could tell it pained him to see me like this.
He traced circles on my back as I closed my eyes, attempting to drift off to sleep, trying to ignore the burning sensation I was feeling throughout my entire body.
"You're going to be okay," he whispered to me, soothing me.
I was hoping he was right...
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