I heard voices coming towards me and as I looked it was Orion. Just in his mere presence, my wolf calmed, and I fell to the floor, in the sudden pain relief. I sucked in air I couldn't before, and he was next to me.
"Esmerelda, what are you doing here?" I tried to speak but was too exhausted. He picked me up and carried me back to where he came from.
"It's the heat. She hasn't been accepted." A woman's voice called but I couldn't place it. It made my wolf panic, and I began stirring in his arms.
"Hey, don't panic. I'm here." Orion kissed my head. I hardly felt the tingles.
Soon we arrived inside a house. He placed me down on the sofa before bringing me a cold glass of ice water which I downed.
As my vision returned, so did my voice. I looked to see Sienna awkwardly sitting on the chair in the corner of the room whilst Orion was putting out the fire.
"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" I spoke, a little angry. I went to get up, but pain rushed through me, and I collapsed down to the floor. Squealing in pain, I held my stomach as Orion rushed to help me up. He put me back on the sofa but moved away as I glared at him.
Sienna excused herself not even looking at either of us. She shut the door and left us in silence. My breathing became more rapid as his presence wore thin.
"Esmerelda, what's going on?" Orion asked worry creasing his features.
I shook my head, not wanting to open my mouth for fear I would scream. I clutched the arm of the chair almost ripping through the fabric.
Without much warning, Orion got up and picked me up placing me on his lap. The sparks hardly touched my body but I began to breathe. I rested my head on his shoulder as he began rubbing my back.
He soothed me with whispers in my ear as my body began to relax.
Accept mate. It will stop the pain. I turned myself to face him and he looked up at me.
"If we accept each other, the heat will stop." I heaved. He picked me up and walked out of the lounge and up the stairs.
He walked into the furthest room and sat me down on the bed before kneeling himself down in front of me.
"Esmerelda." He sighed. "I can't accept you. I can't mark you."
My brows furrowed and anger sparked through my entire being. I shoved him hard.
"I am filled with pain. My whole body is on fire. I struggle to breathe. I feel sick constantly. Are you serious? You can stop this!"
He stood up and ran his hands through his hair.
"What do you want me to do? If I do this, people will know!"
I glared at him, angry at all of him.
"Take me home." I whispered.
"What?"
"Fucking take me home!" I yelled as I tried to pull myself up. Orion's face darkened and his face went blank. He just switched off all emotion.
"Sienna can take you home." With that, he walked out the room, down the stairs and straight off out the door.
I was too angry to cry but the tears came anyway. As soon as my wolf was separated from him, the pain returned.
Sienna walked in but didn't say a word. She walked over to me put my arm over her shoulder and helped me to her car. I screamed out in pain and began whimpering as every step felt like I was stepping on burning nails.
We reached the car and I huddled myself into a ball on the seat. I began shivering as the sweat dripped off my face. Sienna put on the air conditioning as she drove to my house.
"Orion is a complicated man." She spoke on the drive.
"Shut up." I groaned as my sight disappeared.
"I'm just saying you should give him time. Things are more complicated than what it seems."
"I've heard that a few times now." I spat out as another wave hit me. I screamed out and gripped the seat tearing through the fabric.
As we got into the driveway, Sienna helped me to the door. She knocked a few times until mum opened it. Her voice was laced with worry and the two of them pulled me up the stairs into my room.
I was laid down on my bed and they left me alone. Tears stained down my face as I writhed on the bed like a soldier poisoned with mustard gas. The pain filled every part of my body, and it didn't take long before my wolf fell asleep. I couldn't hear her voice anymore.
The night was long and devastating. Mum came in every so often to try and cool me down. She fed me wolfsbane which calmed the pain but could easily kill me. It was a waiting game as my life was held in the balance. No one knew what was going to happen.
The next day was just as difficult. Many people came in to see me including Mei and Seb.
Mei brushed my hair out of my face and kissed my forehead as she sat beside me. She began whispering things, but I couldn't hear her. Seb tried to comfort me whilst he sat on the bed. He didn't stay long, and I knew it was too painful for him. The doctor came in and out of the room constantly throughout the day, injecting me with wolfsbane. I felt myself getting weaker but in less pain.
All my senses were gone apart from my smell. I knew who was where, but I couldn't see their faces or hear their voices anymore. I felt like I was dying. But I just couldn't let go.
The second night crept in as waves of consciousness blurred the time. I could feel the pull of the moon and that's how I knew night was upon us. My door was shut, and I could sense everyone was in bed.
The pain was excruciating. Every time I got used to it, the pain intensified. I assumed many had left as I shattered the calm of the night with my deafening screams.
That was until I heard his voice.
"I, Orion, future alpha of the Lupus Constellatio pack accept Esmerelda, tracker of Lupus Constellatio and prepare the journey to join our wolves as mates blessed by the moon goddess." He whispered into my ear.
I gasped as the pain disappeared instantly. My wolf returned and as I sat up and looked around, all I saw was the open window. I laid myself down only to feel how soaked my bedsheets were in my sweat.
Picking myself up, I stripped off my sheets and changed them leaving them in a pile on the floor. I was quick to take off any remaining clothes and walked into my en-suite to take a shower.
I glanced at myself in the mirror and saw how ugly I looked. My hair was matted, sticking to my face. My skin was puffy and swollen with tears staining my skin. My arm had punctures where they had injected wolfsbane.
I got in the shower washing away all the stress when someone knocked on my door.
"Esme? Are you okay?" It was mum.
"I'm fine." I called back. I heard her leave and quickly finished up my shower tying my hair into a bun and putting on some pyjamas.
I walked downstairs to see mum had made me something to eat. I sat at the dining table and scoffed it down.
"I was so worried about you. I watched as I thought you were going to die. But you're okay?"
I nodded as I wiped my mouth. "Yes, my mate accepted me whilst you were gone. The heat is over, for now."
"I don't see a mark." I brought my hand up to my neck and felt no indentation.
"Maybe there is another way? I'm not sure. All I know is that the pain is gone, and he told me he accepted me." I shrugged.
"This is only a temporary fix, Esme. Don't settle for this, okay?" Her face was stern, and I nodded to get her out of my face before she walked out of the room.
I huffed out and picked up my plate, putting it in the kitchen. As I began to wash up the dishes, I heard voices outside. Pushing the window further, I recognised Seb. He sounded incredibly angry. As the wind changed direction, I smelt the comforting scent of my mate.
"He just left her to die! He didn't once come and see if she was okay and left her struggling to live."
"But your mum said she's fine now. So, he must have done something." Orion's voice was strained, cautious of Seb's aggression.
"Orion, she could have died. He is not worthy of being mates with my sister. If I ever get my hands on him." The anger seethed off him.
I sighed out knowing this was another reason Orion would never tell anyone he was my mate; he didn't want his best friend hating him. Putting down the plates, I turned to walk out of the kitchen.