Chapter 40: HEAT

STACY

I open my eyes slowly and the white ceiling welcomes me. I stare at it for a good while and then move my eyes to the room. My eyes widen, wait this...this is my room back home where I used to sleep when I was still a child.

It's hot... Extremely hot!

Someone opens the door and I see my dad entering and when he notices that I'm awake, he smiles.

“Oh dear, why are you still awake?” He asks. What's going on? Am I dreaming?

No, this feels too real to be a dream. Sadness overwhelms me as he approaches me and sits at the edge of my bed. I push the blanket away and draw closer to him.

“Dad, I missed you!” I say and hug him and I'm shocked to notice that my voice is high and squeaky. I look at the mirror and my eyes widen even more as I realize that I am a seven-year old child.

My dad laughs and then I see my mom coming into the room. She smiles as she approaches dad and I. She hugs me too. “Stacy, we're going to be gone for a while, be nice to your teachers, okay?”

Oh right, I now remember! This was the night before they left and never came back. I have to warn them.

“Can you not go please, or bring me with you? I don't want to be left all alone here.” I say, tears already falling down my cheeks. I can't let them go because I'm sure they won't return.

My dad smiles sadly and wipes my tears. “Remember Stacy darling, we're doing this for you.”

The scene now changes. It's my 18th birthday, the day I'm surely going to get my wolf, but sadly, she never shows up. Because of that, I become the lowest of the lows since the other Omegas at least have a wolf, but me...am I cursed?

The news spread in the Pack and I welcome the bitter life that's ahead of me. I have to embrace and live it without blaming anyone.

Soon, I become the official punching bag and scapegoat for anything.

Yet again, the scene changes and I'm now standing in front of the Pack House. I've just met my wolf and this...this is the very first time that I am meeting my mate. I am feeling so happy, but as soon as I lay my eyes on Maurice and realize that he is an Alpha, I sprint away.

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As if on cue, I wake up from my dream and open my eyes. I'm surprised by the heat surrounding me. It's hot. Too hot. Extremely hot!

My surroundings become very familiar. I'm in Maurice's room in the Pack House. But then, I feel it. The burning sensation starts on my neck and spreads everywhere. The pain is bearable, but I can feel it getting stronger.

“Stacy, are you okay?!” I only notice now that Maurice is beside me. He appears in my field of view and although I can see him, my vision starts having black spots all over.

As his scent fills my nostrils, it seems to relieve the pain a bit, but then it comes back even stronger than before. Seeing him, I know that there's only one way for the pain to stop.

Although the pain tortures me, I manage to sit up. However, I'm too weak and almost fall down the floor. Luckily, he is quick to catch me and the moment our skins come into contact, I immediately know it... I'm going through my heat!

MAURICE'S POV

Stacy is on her heat, damn it!

As I hold her in my arms, the electric current that I get shocks me. It is way stronger than before, the attraction towards my mate is also as strong. Her scent that fills the room is now slowly becoming a drug.

This is the effect of the heat.

The attraction you feel towards your mate will be multiplied. I can feel my body getting hot too, but it isn't as bad as Stacy's. Although she is in a weakened state right now, she tries her best to hold onto me tightly.

I'm actually surprised that her heat didn't come sooner. It should have happened shortly after we met, it was her body and wolf demanding to be marked after meeting their mate. The longer you are with your mate and haven't marked each other yet, the pain would be greater and longer when the female encounters her first heat.

The only way to stop the heat is by marking her through our first mating process. I curse mentally.

“Maurice...... H-h-heat...” She says weakly as she pants. Sweat drops from her forehead and I can lightly feel her pain, therefore I can only imagine how painful she must be feeling right now.

She wraps her arms around my neck, lifting her head to touch my forehead. Her hot breath fans my face and her touch ignites a flame that spreads everywhere. Suddenly, the room becomes hot too.

Although she looks disheveled, there's no doubt that she's still the most beautiful person I've ever laid my eyes on. I murmur my gratefulness to the moon goddess for giving her to me.

As she looks at me with those unusually grey eyes, it is getting harder for me to avoid the tempting thoughts in my head. It doesn't help that my wolf is getting wild although I am trying my best to keep him under control.

“I'll prepare the tub fo—”

I utter but I can't even finish my phrase because then she presses her lips onto mine. It takes me a moment to respond and I kiss her back, trying to comfort her pain even if it's just for a while.

She tightens her embrace around my neck and it's like my arms have minds of their own since they automatically hold her by the waist as I pull her closer to me.

My hands already start their way under her shirt and I take them off of her. We pull away for a second, but it doesn't take long for our lips to find their way back together.

Damn it, I need to stop!

Maurice, stop!

But it's hard to do so.

Freaking stop it!

Despite it being hard, I pull away before I can do anything more. We are both panting and she looks at me confused. It must be because she is going through an excruciating pain, but her mind isn't guarded and some of her thoughts slips into my mind and her emotions pour through the mate bond.

I immediately regret pulling away from her because she starts doubting herself, asking herself if she has done anything wrong. She's starting to feel confused, angry and even insecure.

“Stacy, it's not like that.” I try to explain myself calmly, but it seems to be too late since some tears are already starting to form.

“You don't want me?” She asks and every word seems to be a dagger in her heart. With one hand, I hold her hand and the other caresses her face, wiping her tears.

“Goodness, Stacy, you don't know how much I want you, especially now. But I'm afraid you're not ready yet, it's just your heat.” I explain as calmly as possible. Her tears slow their flow as she stares at me and her eyes cloud with thoughts which I can't read anymore.

She looks away and turns away. She starts going pale again, our intimacy must've provided some sort of relief to her heat, but now that we are apart and she feels rejected, the internal pain must've started again.

I approach her slowly when I notice that she starts swaying, her eyes slowly dropping. I'm quick to get by her side.

Without delay, I carry her off the ground and bring her to the bathroom. Her eyes are already closed and her consciousness has drifted away again. Oh goddess, the pain must've been intolerable!

I lay her gently into the tub and I start running the cold water assuring myself that the cold water will be of help to her for the time being.