There was an older woman, wearing a fur coat and a leather bag, which was what very rich people wore in those days, standing there. She looked down at Allister on the bed as if she were someone far superior to him.
Anna wanted to see All, but not with that woman inside. She was sure she was his wife. She left without them noticing, and went back to her room. But joy accompanied her. Now, it would only be a matter of days before All was well and they were back home and back to their routine. She would research healthier foods and prepare his meals herself.
While she was thinking these things, the door opened and Sarah appeared.
"Anna... The boss wants to see you."
"What does he want now?" Anna asked with no intention of confronting the monster. That's what she'd call All's son.
"He said he misses you."
Anna rejoiced. It wasn't the 'monster. Only two people would miss him. His father and... All!
"All wants to see me? But... His wife was there..."
"She still is, but... Do you want me to say you won't?"
"She'll kill me, but I'll do anything to be near him." She said and put on her shoes.
"You really love him, don't you?"
"Of course."
Sarah thought.
"Convince him to leave with you. It's not going to be a happy environment for you here. They're very rich. They can take a whole team of doctors to accompany their boss."
"He doesn't need a team of doctors. I'll look after him myself when I get home, and he'll live longer than me... And we'll still have lots of children..."
"That would be perfect, but I don't think you know everything yet, and I don't want to be the one to explain the situation to you..." Sarah said with an amused glint in her eye, but Anna realized it wasn't a good thing.
"Is there a problem?"
"Come on." Sarah said and pointed to the door where Anna had been, and entered the door where Anna had signed the marriage contract.
She took a deep breath and went into the bedroom. She still didn't know how to face the hatred of All's wife, but she had always known that this day would come.
She approached. The woman had sat down in a chair next to Allister, and Anna approached from the other side. When All saw her, he smiled and held out his arms for Anna to snuggle into, and she obeyed his silent command.
"You scared me! Don't do that anymore!"
"All the time, all my worry was about you... I knew that if you died, my children and nephew wouldn't be merciful..."
"But you're not dead. And don't you dare die! We're going back home, and I'm going to look after you. In a few days, you'll be stronger than me."
Anna saw All exchange a look with the woman sitting in the chair and stood up. No matter how badly the woman treated her, she had to be friendly, as she was the mother of the children of the man she loved.
"How are you, ma'am?"
She looked at her briefly and then stood up.
"Better than my husband, I suppose. I'll leave you two alone. He has something to tell you." She said and left.
Anna felt her expensive perfume linger in the air, and thought that it wasn't so bad. She turned to Allister and sat down next to him.
"She's a very elegant woman..."
"Yes. And beautiful, and understanding, and companionable and with all the virtues of a good wife..."
"If she's all that, why did you leave her?" Anna was really curious.
"I never said I abandoned her."
"Your sons believe..."
"They're grown-up boys now, Anna. I couldn't reveal the truth to them and I couldn't expose their mother's image either."
"I don't understand anything."
"I've had other women before, Anna. Women I've kept... Anyway, Suzy stopped caring when she realized that it was a necessity for my family, and had nothing to do with love. She gave me that freedom, but with you... My children found out, and I couldn't tell them the truth, because it was no longer the way it was with the other women, who I gave to them too, I shared them, and I didn't stop loving their mother but... This time, I... Anna, I felt I needed to protect you and not do what I thought at first."
"What a crazy story!"
"You'll understand in the future. I... I have tapes in a safe in the house we both live in. The safe is under the desk in my office. As soon as you get back there, watch these tapes."
"What's on those tapes?"
"My true essence."
"We'll watch them all together."
He shook his head negatively.
"No, Anna. I couldn't handle such a long trip."
"I didn't say it had to be now..."
All took a deep breath, seeming to think before he spoke.
"Anna... The doctor only gave me a few months to live. I'm not getting out of this bed anymore."
Anna stood up and walked away. She felt an icy hand grip her heart and squeeze hard.
"What... What are you telling me? What's wrong with you?"
"It seems you were right when you reproached me for smoking... I have advanced lung cancer..."
Anna felt the hot tears on her face and hugged herself.
"You can't do this to me. There must be some medicine somewhere... Some treatment..."
"It's too late for treatment."
Anna walked away to the door, and when she bumped into the doorframe, she looked at the door and then at Allister.
"I can't go on without you, it doesn't make sense to me..."
"Anna, stay calm. We still have time to sort everything out. I'll arrange for..."
Anna ran off and All looked at the nurse who was watching with interest.
"She's going to try to kill herself. Tell my wife." All said sadly. He couldn't tell Anna the truth. He had been poisoned with the only acid deadly to werewolves. He didn't know if whoever did it was generous or cruel, but they put in an amount that his body was taking a long time to absorb, but it was already reaching his heart, and there were no resources to stop the poison from advancing.
The nurse ran out.