Chapter 83 One Chance
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The trees in the clearing started to blur, as if they were merging into one. I pulled on Sophia's hand, trying to steady myself against the dizziness. Sophia gripped my shoulders. "Adeline, what's wrong? You're so pale," she said. I could see fear creasing her face, which was slowly becoming a blur.
"It's so hot out here, I think I have a fever. I'm fine. I just need to lie down," I admitted. "Please don't scare Jaxon; he's been through enough. My body is probably in overdrive."
She seemed to hesitate, unsure of what the right thing to do was. "Don't worry, I'll tell Jaxon you must have caught a cold, but I'm going to call the pack doctor to check you out just in case," she finally exhaled and said. She reached for my waist, guiding me back to the pack house. I was thankful the enforcers were far enough behind that they couldn't see my condition. There was no doubt they would inform Alpha Jaxon that I was barely holding it together.
Once we entered the foyer of the pack house, Sophia led me into the Alpha's Den—the closest room to the back door for privacy—and laid me down on the leather couch. The cold leather provided some relief to my skin, which was growing hotter by the moment.
"I-I can't," I stuttered, pulling my black dress off my body. Sophia's eyes widened. She ran to the kitchen and returned with a wet towel, placing it on my forehead. I lay there in only my matching black bra and panties, hoping no one would accidentally walk in and see me.
I was relieved when Doctor Raymond appeared at the doorway, gripping his brown medical bag tightly as he approached. Something was very wrong. The heat around me was unbearable, like I'd been thrown into the depths of hell. My wolf cried out for our mate, seeking refuge from the sweat pooling beneath me and making me stick to the leather couch.
Doctor Raymond peeled the wet cloth from my forehead, his brows knitting together. "When did this start, Adeline?" he asked, panic in his voice. I closed my eyes, trying to stop the room from spinning. "On the way back... I went to watch Beverly's body be burned," I admitted. Was this my punishment for participating in such a cruel ritual from the Moon Goddess?
"Could it be the wolfsbane that Beverly and Asher injected into her?" Sophia asked from behind my head. Doctor Raymond reached for the thin thermometer from his bag. The room gradually stopped spinning, and although the heat still pressed against my skin, it didn't feel as scorching.
A growl came from across the room. "Why is my mate lying naked, Doctor Raymond?" Alpha Jaxon scolded. My eyes flew open and my head whipped toward the door, watching fur begin to sprout on Alpha Jaxon's body.
"A-Alpha, I found her like this," Doctor Raymond stammered, stepping away from me.
"Can you calm the fuck down, Jaxon? She's burning up like she's been cooked in a stove," Sophia lectured, placing her hand on her hip in annoyance.
Alpha Jaxon's fur slowly receded as she stepped closer, placing a hand on my forehead. "She's on fucking fire. You said she was feeling warm and there was no need to rush," he yelled at Sophia, clenching his jaw. When nothing else soothed me, his touch felt like ice against my burning skin.
"Jaxon, stop. I told her not to worry you. My body is just tired," I interrupted, not wanting Sophia to face Jaxon's wrath when she was only following my wishes.
"You have three seconds to tell me what's going on with my mate," Alpha Jaxon growled at the pack doctor, still pressing a hand firmly on my forehead.
"Alpha... your mate is in heat," he finally admitted, eyes locked on the white marble floor.
My body sprang up on the couch. I was sure I hadn't heard him right. It was impossible for me to be going into heat. For a shifter to go into heat, it could take up to a month for the bond to take control. Heat was nature's way of nudging mating between fated mates, forcing their wolves to complete the mate bond. It was dangerous not only to the couple but also to the entire pack—males would flock to the female in heat, their bodies fighting for control to ease her pain and mark her. That's why the mating ceremonies among shifters were so important—to prevent situations like this.
"Doctor Raymond, there's no way I can be in heat. I know Alpha Jaxon marked me to save my life, but it's been days—not weeks—since then. The timeline doesn't add up. Maybe Sophia's right—maybe I'm having a reaction to the wolfsbane injected into my veins, or this is just my body tired from everything it's endured," I explained, certain his diagnosis was wrong.
Doctor Raymond adjusted his white coat and shook his head. "With all due respect, Luna, you've been marked by an Alpha who is also your destined mate. The mate bond doesn't work the same across all shifters. Yes, it's developing at an alarming speed, but with Alpha Jaxon being an Alpha by blood, nature is forcing you to finish the mating. A shifter going into heat isn't something to take lightly, please understand that. All the unmated shifters in the pack will smell your presence calling out to them, which could cause a civil war in the pack as they fight to get to you," he explained, the color draining from his face.
I heard Sophia gasp softly behind me, and Alpha Jaxon bit his lip silently, thinking for a minute. "There's only one answer: she has to mark me. I will not allow something to happen to my mate, Doctor Raymond. I've waited too long to find her."
"Jaxon, we can't!" I scolded, realizing the potential consequences. "If we don't have a legitimate mating ceremony, it won't be long until the other shifters who find their fated mates claim they had no choice but to mark them before the ceremony. Please, Doctor Raymond, tell me there's another way."
"With the mating ceremony tomorrow, I have one other option for you, but I already know Alpha Jaxon won't be happy about it," he said quietly.
"Then why would you suggest it?" Alpha Jaxon growled.
Doctor Raymond took a deep breath and shifted his gaze from Alpha Jaxon to me. "I can medicate her one time—just enough to hold the heat over for twenty-four hours. But the medication is laced with silver to suppress the heat from taking over her wolf again. If I give it to her, under no circumstances can you two be near each other. The mate bond is far stronger than any medication I could give."
My eyes widened. "I'll take it. Whatever it is, just make the pain stop. Please," I quickly answered before Alpha Jaxon could even react.
