Chapter 8

• Zack was so screwed.
• His wolf was begging to be let out and he was struggling to keep him in.
• 'Calm down now!' said Zack.
• 'Go to the mate! Mark mate! Mate's ours!'
• His breathing became ragged as his wolf grew stronger with each passing moment. Her scent intensified his desire to be let out.
• His fingers clutched the edge of the table tightly, turning his knuckles white. A loud roar escaped him as his wolf emerged.
• Damn.
• 'Stay down! You can't come out,' Zack demanded.
• 'Mate! Go to mate now!'
• Dickson didn't care about anything or anyone except Freya at the moment, which was both good and bad. The bad news was that he was ready to hurt or kill anyone who got in his way. The good news was that Zack could convince him to calm down using Freya as bait.
• 'You're going to scare her. She won't want you,' Zack said.
• He immediately calmed down at what Zack said, but he didn't back down.
• 'Doesn't mate want us anymore?' asked Dickson.
• It took Zack a second to figure out what he meant, because his grammar was getting worse the more primitive he got.
• 'She won't want you if you're like this.'
• Zack prayed in his mind to the moon goddess that Dickson would back down a little. If he didn't, Zack couldn't leave this room without him hurting someone. There was only so much Zack could do to control him.
• Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, causing his wolf to scramble again. Zack felt his claws and fangs protrude as his body began to surrender to his wolf.
• "Zack! Open the door!" roared Chance.
• Zack's claws dug into the wood of the desk, leaving deep scratches. He dropped to his knees and let out a low growl through his gasp. His wolf pushed him completely out of his thoughts as he continued to try to take control.
• There was a loud thud from the other side of the door, and another before the door fell off its hinges and landed on the floor with a thud.
• "Shit, Zack. You can't stay here," Chance snarled, trying to get closer to him, but Zack roared loudly, flashing his fangs. Chance froze and stared at him anxiously. A minute later, Reece stormed into the room and looked at the scene before him.
• "He's losing control, Chance. We need to get him out of the house," he said, stepping closer to Zack with his hands up to show he meant no harm. His wolf was watching him closely, ready to snap at him if he so much as stepped in the wrong place. Chance held out his hand, and his gaze fell on a small jacket in his hands. "It's Freya's. Her natural scent should put you at ease," he explained gently, trying to get Zack to accept the jacket.
• "How about we just smother him with it?" suggested Reece.
• Zack's head turned to Chance and he emitted a warning growl that made Chance back away nervously.
• "Ignore him, Zack. Take the jacket. They're your mates." Reece placated, watching Zack's reaction closely.
• Zack took the jacket with one claw and slowly held it to his nose. The unmistakable smell of Freya filled his senses and made his tense form relax slightly.
• "Smell it again, Zack. Go ahead."
• His wolf moved forward and sniffed it, letting out a satisfied growl.
• "Now let's go down and have a nice walk in the woods," Reece said, reaching forward to grab his forearm and pull him up. Zack continued to hold his jacket to his nose, as that seemed to calm his wolf immensely. His wolf even let him back into his thoughts.
• 'I want mate. We need to mark mate. There are too many males,' Dickson said.
• 'We don't mark them without their consent. I don't care how hard it's. We'll wait or we'll hurt her, do you understand me?
• His wolf remained calm, letting Zack know he wasn't happy about his decision, but was willing to listen for Freya's sake.
• "Alpha Nathan," Reece called out as they walked down the corridor. Alpha Nathan was hurrying up the stairs to Freya's room when he stopped and looked at them. His eyes widened at Zack's appearance, and he shook his head wearily.
• "You guys have to make sure he stays outside or in Freya's room..."
• "That's not an option," Zack snarled angrily, "My wolf is ready to mark her at the first sight. If anything, I'll sleep in a tent just to be away from her."
• A rumble vibrated in Zack's chest as he spoke, causing the three of them to tense up.
• "Zack, calm down. Alpha Nathan is just worried about Freya. She needs you right now, but you're in no shape to be with her. You don't understand how much she's suffering."
• Suddenly, the door to Freya's room opened and Oliver stepped out, "Dad, I think we should call the pack doctor. Freya can't stop throwing up. Mom is starting to freak out."
• Zack's heart was pounding up to his throat and he quickly held the jacket in front of his nose again so his wolf would be distracted.
• Zack was torn about what to do. He could either stay in her room so their wolves could calm down, or he could leave the house and let her suffer alone so his wolf could calm down.
• "On second thought, maybe you should stay," Chance muttered, wincing as a loud whimper came from Freya's room.
• Oliver opened the door to go back inside, and they could hear her retching from the bathroom.
• Zack bit his lip, ignoring the stinging pain as his fang broke the skin of his lower lip.
• What was he going to do?
• ***
• Freya settled down next to the toilet with a groan and laid her head on the cold tiles, grateful for a break between all the retching.
• "It's okay, honey. Mommy's here," her mother whispered from next door, running her fingers through Freya's drenched hair. Freya gave her a weak smile, which she returned with a watery one.
• Freya winced slightly and groaned as her cramps grew stronger and the urge to retch returned.
• Freya would never complain about getting her period again. In comparison, her period was a breeze.
• The bathroom door opened and Oliver slowly walked in with a clean towel in his hand. He squatted down next to her and stroked her forehead with his hand, pulling back the strands of hair that stuck to her skin.
• "Come," he said gently, "let's get you cleaned up."
• Freya grabbed his hand and let him pull her to her feet, swaying slightly and almost falling again. He held her tight and dragged her over to the sink. As she held onto the sink, he let go of her and rummaged in the drawers for her toothpaste.
• Meanwhile, Freya stared in horror at his reflection. Her skin was pale and blotchy, and her eyes were extremely red, as if she hadn't slept in days. Her hair, on the other hand, was sticking to her face and sticking out in all sorts of directions.
• Freya grabbed a hair tie and pulled it up into a messy chignon to keep it out of the way. The last thing she needed was hair made of vomit.
• Suddenly, a wave of pain washed over Freya, and she doubled over, clutching his side. The spasms felt like someone was stabbing her with a thousand knives. She whimpered and gasped softly, waiting for the pain to subside.
• There was nothing worse than being aroused and in pain at the same time.
• Her stomach began to turn rapidly and she crawled back to the toilet to let out what was left. It got to the point where she'd to gag, but nothing came out.
• "Nathan, we need to get the doctor or let Zack into her room. She's getting weaker and weaker. Her wolf has even stopped communicating with her," Freya heard her mother say as she massaged her back.
• "Zack isn't in the right frame of mind right now. If we let him in, he could hurt her. I made a mind link to the pack doctor, and he should be here any minute."
• "Where's Zack, Dad?" asked Oliver.
• "He's out in the woods trying to calm his wolf down. When he calms down a bit, we can let him in so her wolf can relax. Until then, we'll just have to help her as best we can."
• "I don't remember my heat being this bad," her mother whispered as Freya fell onto her back and laid her head in her lap. She took a wet towel and wiped the sweat from Freya's face.
• "It's harder for her because Zack didn't accept the bond," Nathan said.
• Great, so she'd to suffer the consequences of her mate's decisions.
• Freya tried to reach out to her she-wolf, but she wouldn't let her. Freya had no idea how she was coping, but she knew Aurora was blocking her so she wouldn't have to feel her pain too.
• "She's got the chills. Oliver, get a blanket from the linen closet," Jennifer muttered.
• It took a few moments for Freya to realize she was shivering violently. Goosebumps formed all over her skin as Jennifer tried to warm Freya with her body heat.
• "Let's get her to bed," Nathan said, continuing into the bathroom. He squatted down and picked her up, looking at her sadly. He could feel his wolf running anxiously back and forth in his head. He carried Freya back to her room and laid her gently on the cotton bedding. The moment her head touched the pillow, she closed her eyes and expelled a shaky breath.
• The heat cycle was far too much for her body to handle.
• Freya heard someone enter the room and soft chatter as her body oscillated between consciousness and unconsciousness. Finally, she gave up, and the world around her grew darker and darker until it was almost black and the soft chatter could barely be heard.
• Her eyes finally closed completely and she let herself faint.