Chapter 8

HUDSON

I was so screwed.

My wolf was begging to be let out and I was struggling to keep him inside.

Calm down right now!

Go to mate! Mark mate! Mate is ours!

My breathing became harsh as my wolf got stronger with every moment that passed. The scent of her was making his urge to be let out stronger.

My fingers gripped the edge of the desk tightly causing my knuckles to turn white. A loud roar escaped me as my wolf started to emerge.

Shit.

Stay down! You are not allowed to come out.

Mate! Go to mate now!

He didn't care about anyone or anything except for Alexis right now, which was somewhat good and somewhat bad. The bad news was that he was willing to injure or kill anyone who got in the way of him. The good news was that I could convince him to calm down using Alexis as bait.

You will scare her. She won't want you.

He quieted down immediately to think over what I said, but he didn't back down.

Mate want us no more?

It took me a second to figure out what he meant considering his grammar got worse as he became more primitive.

She won't want you if you're like this.

I mentally prayed to the Moon Goddess he would back down slightly. If he didn't, there was no way I could leave this room without hurting someone. There was only so much I could do to control him.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and that made my wolf start up his ruckus again. I felt my claws and fangs emerge as my body started to surrender to my wolf.

"Hudson! Open the door!" Boston yelled.

My claws dug into the wood of the desk, leaving deep scratches. I fell to my knees, letting out small growls through my panting. My wolf completely blocked me out of his mind as he continued his attempts to take over completely.

There was a loud thud from the other side of the door, and another before the door came off its hinges and landed on the ground with a bang.

"Fuck, Hudson. You can't stay here," Boston snapped, trying to come closer to me but I let out a loud roar and flashed him my fangs. He froze in his tracks and stared at me worriedly. A minute later, Matthew rushed into the room and took in the scene in front of him.

"He's losing control, Boston. We have to get him out of the house," he said, coming closer to me with his hands up to show he meant no harm. My wolf watched him closely, ready to snap at him if he even stepped in the wrong spot. He stretched his hand out, and my eyes darted down to see a small jacket in his hands.

"It's Alexis's. Her natural scent should calm you down," he explained gently, trying to get me to take the jacket.

"How about we just smother him with it?"

My head snapped to Boston, and I let out a warning growl which made him step back nervously.

"Ignore him, Hudson. Take the jacket. It's your mates," Matthew coaxed, watching my reaction carefully.

I took the jacket with one claw and held it up to my nose slowly. The distinct scent of Alexis filled my senses, making my tense form relax slightly.

"Sniff it some more, Hudson. Go ahead."

My wolf moved forward and sniffed it, letting out a satisfied growl.

"Now, let's go downstairs and take a nice walk in the woods," Matthew said, reaching forward to grip my forearm and pull me up. I continued to hold the jacket to my nose because it seemed to calm my wolf down immensely. He even let me back into his mind.

I want mate. We need to mark mate. Too many males around.

We are not marking her without her consent. I don't care how hard it is. We are going to wait or else we will hurt her, do you hear me?

My wolf stayed quiet, letting me know that he was not happy about my decision but was willing to listen for Alexis's sake.

"Alpha Horris," Matthew called as we made our way down the corridor. Alpha Horris was rushing up the stairs to Alexis's room when he stopped and looked at us. His eyes widened at my appearance, and he shook his head tiredly.

"You guys have to make sure he stays outside or in Alexis's room–"

"That is not an option," I snapped angrily, "My wolf is ready to mark her at first sight. If anything, I'll sleep in a tent just to be away from her."

A rumble vibrated from my chest as I spoke, causing the three of them to tense.

"Hudson, calm down. Alpha Horris is just concerned for Alexis. She needs you right now, but you're in no state of mind to be with her. You don't understand how much pain she's in,"

Suddenly, the door to Alexis's room opened and Neville stepped out, "Dad, I think we should get the pack doctor. Alexis can't stop throwing up. Mom is starting to freak out."

My heart plummeted, and I quickly held the jacket up to my nose again so my wolf was distracted.

I was torn on what to do. I could either risk her safety and stay in her room so our wolves calm down or I could leave the house and let her suffer on her own so that my wolf could calm down.

"On second thought, you should probably stay," Boston muttered, wincing as a loud whimper came from Alexis's room. Neville opened the door to go back inside and we could hear her gagging from the bathroom.

I bit my lip, ignoring the piercing pain as my fang broke the skin of my bottom lip.

What was I going to do?

ALEXIS

I collapsed beside the toilet with a groan and placed my head on the cold tile, grateful for a break between all the gagging.

"It's okay, dear. Mommy's here," My mom whispered from beside me, running her fingers through my drenched hair. I gave her a weak smile which she returned with a watery one of her own.

I winced slightly and groaned as my cramps started to get stronger and the urge to gag returned.

I was never going to complain about getting my period after this. My period seemed like a walk in the park compared to this.

The bathroom door opened and Neville walked in slowly, holding a clean towel. He crouched down beside me and ran his hand over my forehead, pulling the strands of hair that were stuck to my skin back.

"Come on," he said softly, "Let's get you cleaned up."

I grabbed his hand and let him pull me to my feet, wobbling slightly and nearly falling over once again. He steadied me and tugged me over to the sink. Once I had a grip on the counter, he let go of me and rummaged through the drawers to find my toothpaste.

Meanwhile, I just stared at my reflection in horror. My skin was pale and patchy, and my eyes were extremely red like I hadn't slept in days. My hair, on the other hand, was stuck to my face and sticking up in random directions.

I grabbed a hair tie and pulled it up into a messy bun to keep it out of the way. The last thing I needed was vomit hair.

Suddenly, a wave of pain washed over me and I buckled forward, clutching my side. The cramps felt like someone was stabbing me with a thousand knives. I whimpered and panted quietly, waiting for the pain to subside.

There was nothing worse than being aroused and in pain at the same time.

My stomach started churning rapidly, and I scrambled back to the toilet to let out whatever was left. It got to the point where I was gagging, but nothing was coming out.

"Horris, we have to get the doctor or let Hudson in her room. She's getting weaker. Her wolf has even stopped communicating with her," I heard my mom say as she rubbed my back.

"Hudson is not in the right state of mind right now. If we let him in, he might hurt her. I mind-linked the pack doctor and he should be here in a moment."

"Where is Hudson, dad?" Neville asked.

"He's out in the woods trying to calm his wolf down. If he calms down a little, we can let him in so her wolf can relax. Until then, we just have to help her out the best we can."

"I don't remember my heat cycle being this bad," my mom whispered as I fell onto my back and rested my head in her lap. She took a wet towel and mopped up the sweat on my face.

"It's harder for her because Hudson hasn't accepted the bond."

Great, so I was suffering the consequences of my mate's decisions.

I tried reaching out to my wolf, but she wouldn't let me. I had no idea how she was coping, but I did know that she was blocking me so that I wouldn't have to feel her pain as well.

"She has the chills. Neville, grab a blanket from the linen closet," My mom muttered.

Her words took a few moments to register before I realized that I was shivering furiously. Goosebumps were popping up all over my skin as my mom tried to warm me up with her body heat.

"Let's put her in bed," my dad said, walking further into the bathroom. He crouched down and picked me up, eyeing me sadly. I could sense his wolf pacing back and forth worriedly in his head.

He carried me back to my room and placed me on the cotton sheets gently. The moment my head hit the pillow, I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath.

The heat cycle was way too much for my body to handle.

I heard someone enter the room and quiet chatter as my body traveled back and forth between consciousness and unconsciousness. Eventually, it gave up and the world around me became darker and darker until it was almost black and the faint chatter was hardly audible.

My eyes finally closed completely, and I allowed myself to pass out.