Chapter 99 : Heartsick

Maya

She blinked, slowly realizing that Xavier had somehow been the cause of the wolf aura growing within Karen. Of course, she had known that Karen actually already had a dormant wolf aura within her, which came out of the sacred moonstone and her father's blood - the same gemstone fragment as the one around her neck - but she had not fully realized the specifics.

While gently turning her beloved girl's body over with her hands on her shoulders, she began to rub cold water over her back and arms, 'cleansing' her. That was just an excuse, what she was really doing was looking for any excuse she could think of to be able to touch all that bare skin of Karen. How far would she be allowed to go without being stopped... No! Stop thinking about that. Now was not the time to... tease the girl she loved without her knowing something was wrong with her maid and running away.

Fishing for information, she asked, "How did Alpha Xavier help?"

Unaware that the real Helga had been privy to such intimate details, Maya was puzzled when Karen remained silent. Then, as if nothing was wrong, Karen timidly replied.

"He... ah... kissed me and flowed the wolf aura energy into me that way. To strengthen my own of course. At least that's how it started," she babbled.

He kissed her?!

She desperately wanted to kill Xavier for taking away her rights to the girl she loved.

While Maya struggled with her feelings of jealousy, Karen was filled with restlessness. The thought that someday soon she would turn into a full-fledged she-wolf and not a hybrid anymore was always in the back of her mind. One would think she would have already submitted to that thought by now, but no. She was terrified. She felt fear. Impulsively, she turned quickly - too quickly for a mere hybrid, but she barely noticed - and threw herself at Helga, hugging her as if she were her only lifeline.

When Helga's body was stiffened, she didn't care. She needed comfort, and Helga was her friend, right? Surely it wasn't too much to ask for a little comfort in her moments of emotional turmoil. Helga would understand, right?

"Miss... Karen...?"

Tightening her embrace on Helga, not caring that they were both naked, she cuddled with her friend. "I'm scared," she whispered into the woman's neck.

Little did she know that her intimacy elicited a strong and uncontrollable physical response from Helga, aka Maya. She didn't notice how Helga's breath was coming in gasps or how her heart was beating faster than usual.

While Karen was trying not to cry, Maya was having a hard time focusing on anything other than the soft skin against her body. Until she finally heard the words of the girl she loved. She immediately hugged her tightly.

"Why? There is nothing to be afraid of when I'm around you. I will protect you, Karen. Always."

"That's not it."

"Then what?"

Leaning back, Karen looked at her with a pained expression, all of her lust now evaporating at the sight of such devastation. Wordlessly, she took Karen by the hand and stepped out of the pool of water. Using her underwear, she quickly dried her body, ignoring how her fingers wanted to linger on the caress. She felt like a person who could not resist the desire for intimacy while Karen was emotionally distraught.

A few minutes later, they were both dressed - minus Karen's soaking wet underwear - Maya once again sat at the mouth of the cave with Karen on her lap and held her tightly, letting the sun warm them both.

"Tell me exactly what's bothering you," Maya pleaded.

Then it all came out, how Karen was afraid that every time she used her spiritual energy, the energy of her wolf aura would interfere. She talked about the mark at her side, what she and Xavier knew from Benjamin, and the shift that took place, and the unavoidable risks in her life.

"And I think I just made a war between the Bloodmoon Pack and the Westwood Pack," Karen concluded with a desperate whimper, afraid of how Xavier would feel after her mistake. Would he hate her? No longer want to have anything to do with her after she unknowingly destroyed the alliance between the two packs? That thought should not have come up. She could not live with herself if Xavier hated her and wanted nothing to do with her.

"No, no, Karen. None of this is your fault," Maya assured her. "And if you turn into a full-blooded she-wolf? It doesn't matter, because I will always be here for you, never leaving your side. I will help you get through this. I promise you. And who knows? You might actually be cut out to be a werewolf or a she-wolf."

Maybe she had said the wrong thing.

"Didn't you catch that?" Karen asked, not in an annoyed tone. "Without Xavier's help, I would most likely die!"

"Let me see this mark..."

Within seconds, with Karen still lying on her lap, her dress open, the two ignored the fact that she was naked to anyone who might be at the mouth of the cave. They were too busy staring at the gray marks on her sides.

"Oh, Moon Goddess! It's already in my chest! It's almost reached my heart. But... how?!" After a brief pause, as they stared at each other with worried expressions, Karen gasped. "Chase Goldstein! It must have grown after my wolf aura increased when we fought. Oh, no," she whimpered.

Hearing about it and actually seeing that ominous mark moving closer and closer to the heart of the girl she loved scared her to death. Was she really going to die? No! Absolutely not! After all the pure werewolf blood she had absorbed since her rebirth, surely she was strong enough to transform Karen successfully, right? They didn't need the help of Alpha Xavier. As she closed and re-tied Karen's clothes and fastened her ribbon, another idea struck her. Surely if it was she who had to help Karen through this life-threatening change, the girl she loved would realize that she - as Maya - would never hurt her. Surely, Karen would forget her previous associations with Nathaniel and begin to... love her too?

"It grows every time I use my wolf energy," Karen muttered with dread. "One more time... I'm sure if it happens again I will... shift."

Hearing this, Maya felt her heart choke with pain at the terror in her voice and scent and yet, she wanted to force that shift. Here. Now. Just one more feeding of the wolf aura, right? And the deed would be done. Maya refused to think that she wouldn't be strong enough to help Karen through this ordeal. She was strong and capable. She could do this. Hopefully, Karen wouldn't be too angry with her after this.

She was so desperate to reveal her true identity and the love she felt for Karen, that all rational thought was lost. She had just grabbed onto her chin, bringing her face close to her face, planning to kiss her, when they were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice that they both recognized.

"There you are. I've been looking for you."