Chapter 97

• HAERA
• I was sweating but I was shivering too. My blood was boiling yet my outer skin felt like ice...how do I explain this? It wasn't this serious yesterday and I hadn't anticipated this rapid development of whatever was happening to me. I had thought it would end despite the pain I felt since this illness began. I wondered why this arose during the period when I needed to be strong for my mate and his pack members. I was burning....burning like hell. "What do we do, Haera? I don't understand the cause of your condition." Dezra said, releasing her worry into my mind which almost made me cry out in pain but I kept it in because his eyes were watching me like a hawk. "Your skin is hot, mum. What...what do...I do?" Alpha Zachary cried. I was the one feeling the pain but he was doing the crying on my behalf. He had refused to leave my side, not even to release his bladder. My mate was being a baby yet he didn't close his eyes overnight as he stayed beside me. "I'm fine, Zachary. Do not fret." I tried to assure him while controlling my voice to avoid a break that would frighten "little Zach". "You have said that to me countless times, mum but everything about you screams pain. Tell me where it hurt....please." My mate pleaded but I didn't answer. His voice was making my head ache painfully and I could only hope that he would stop talking soon. Alpha Zachary touched my forehead again before rushing off the bed towards the bathroom. I would have panicked if he went towards the door because I didn't trust him not to announce the state of my health to everyone in the pack. He returned with a bowl of water and a towel to dab my hot body. As much as I wanted to appreciate him, I couldn't because his actions were adding to the toe-coiling shivers that I had been feeling. The water was too cold. "Tell him to stop, Haera. This is making you worse. I can feel you trembling internally." My wolf shouted but I resisted. I couldn't let Zachary know that his gesture was causing me pain. Whereas, he was simply trying everything to reduce my high temperature. "I can sense your struggles, Mum. Say something." My mate cried out again. Tears were begging to roll freely out of his eyes as he soaked the towel again. His tears were mixing with the water in the bowl but he didn't seem to notice because all of his attention was on me. "You promised to be better by morning yesterday but I can see that your health has worsened over the night. I'm scared, Mum." Alpha Zachary didn't stop crying and I had to stop him from talking due to the pain in my head. "I'm feeling better. What I'm experiencing right now is what everyone goes through before they become healthy again. Don't worry-" "Don't tell me not to worry! I have had enough of your obvious lies, Mum. I'm calling the physician immediately." My mate shouted at me and I cringed away from the effect of his loud voice. I should be glad I've given the guards that were stationed at the door the day off because if they were around, my sickness wouldn't be a secret anymore not with Alpha Zachary's loudness. "You won't dare do that, Zachary! How many times do I have to tell you that no one except you and Alan can know about my predicament?" I forced the words out of my mouth matching the same tone my mate used. I wished someone could take him away for a while...I wished my momma would come to nurse me. "But your health is more important, M-" "As much as I would like to disagree with the Alpha, he is right." Alan butted in, entering the room to support his Alpha's statements. "You're also wrong, Alpha. You're making things worst by shouting and whining." Alan pointed out. Would someone save me from these immature men? They were helping the banging sound in my head to increase drastically for goodness sake! "More reason why we should call the physician to check on her! Please Alan do something to help my mum. please." Alpha Zachary gritted. He was shouting but in the same way a scared little boy would have done if his mother was bedridden. "Will you stop shouting! Please!" I called both of them to order with a lot of effort that left me panting and breathless. "This is about me, right? And I say no to calling the physician. Do you know what would happen if this gets out? I'm supposed to be leading, not breaking down health-wise." I added quickly before installing and exhaling steadily just to catch my breath. "But, Mum....you come first-" "You are wrong, Zachary. The pack comes first." I breathed before closing my eyes to hide my pains. "Pleas-" "Stop pestering me for my sake...." I cut my mate off and there was silence for the next few minutes. The headache I was feeling was becoming numb and I thought I was finally getting some peace but Alan just had to ruin it by speaking again. "Would you agree to see the physician if I get him to sign a confidential statement? Or make him agree to not expose your illness to the pack or the werewolf council." Alan asked but I saw no sense in his suggestion. Why would the physician agree to such terms when the life of the pack members was at stake. "You think he would subscribe to this whole idea of keeping a secret that might cost him a lot?" I forced those words out of my stuffy throat. "He has to, Mum. You're dying for goodness sake..." Alpha Zachary said and I quickly countered him. "I'm not dying!" Although I winced after the clarification, I still didn't accept my mate's ridiculous observation. I wasn't dying...right? "I'll try my best to ensure that the physician agrees to our terms. Just give me your permission, Princess Haera." Alan persuaded further. I was tired of listening to both him and Alpha Zachary so I simply nodded to be free of them. Alan left to summon the physician, leaving me with my mate who seemed annoyed. I ignored Alpha Zachary, closed my eyes, and focused on numbing the fatigue that had become part of me. I could feel Dezra trying to help me too but I had drained her energy too which made her tired as well. "I can't lose you again, Mum. Please stay with me." Alpha Zachary whispered as he held my hand affectionately. He touched my forehead again and he attempted to place the wet towel on my head but I was done pretending. "Don't do that, please. I'm cold." My mate was shocked upon hearing my confession but he didn't ask me why I was just stopping him. Instead, he went to get a thicker blanket to cover my body. He was still at it when the physician and Alan arrived. "Since when has this been happening?" The physician exclaimed, rushing toward me with his worries printed all over his old face. My eyes were failing me but I fought to keep them open. That was the only assurance I could give those that were worried for me. "She started a few days ago but yesterday was the beginning of her current situation. Tell me you can help my mum, please." Alpha Zachary explained as fast as he could, making enough room for the old physician to check me. I was in pain because I had caused my mate to worry even though he was also sick. "I can't promise you anything until I examine her, Alpha. Try not to disturb the process." The old physician responded. "Did he agree to keep this a secret?" Although the physician was closer to me, I asked Alan instead of directing my question to the physician. Alan replied with a tip of his head and the physician began his examination while I zoned out completely due to fear. The fear of what the result would be... The fear that I might find out that I was truly dying. I felt the physician's fingers checking for my pulse and other things that people in his line of work do to diagnose their patients. "Why aren't you saying anything? Is it bad?" Alpha Zachary voiced out the questions that must have been eating him up internally. "I'm still checking. Please allow me to concentrate." The physician answered and I slowly allowed my eyes to roll back into their sockets. I noticed that I was slipping out of consciousness and the thought of it made me gasp for air. That must never happen! "Tell me what's wrong with me." I became impatient which made me say those words to the physician. My hand was gently placed back on the bed and I opened my eyes just so I could see the physician's expression. Maybe it might give something away. But the physician's face was blank. "Is everything alright with her?" Alan asked, rescuing me from questioning the physician myself. Alpha Zachary had started sobbing silently but not silent enough for the sensitive werewolves' ears in the room. "You don't have to cry, Alpha-" "Don't call me that! I just don't want my mum to die!" My mate yelled at the physician. Alan tried to calm him down but Alpha Zachary shoved him out of his way as he rushed to hold my burning body in his arms. I was shivering in his arms but he didn't let me go. "There's really no need to worry. I think her body needs to rest." The old physician said but that wasn't enough. I mean, why would he use the word "think" instead of confirming his diagnosis confidently. "What is the nature of her illness?" Alan questioned. "Hmm...I can't say. She has been through a lot of stress lately so it's normal for her body to break down but I can't put a name to it." The physician answered as he mixed some weird looking liquid which I assumed was for me to drink. To me, the physician was saying I had been caused to fall sick by a mean person I must have offended....that was what I deduced from his statement. A cup was placed between my lips after the liquids have been mixed properly and I drank the content in a jiffy. I regretted not drinking it slowly because within two seconds after I swallowed the concoction, it began to affect me strangely. I gasped for air as I felt my lungs burning and closing up. If I didn't know better, I would have thought the physician made me drink poison but it couldn't be. "W-what's happening to my mum! What did....you add to the medicine?" My mate's voice sounded faint and far away even though I could still feel his tight grip on my body. My eyelashes fluttered as the scene before me finally disappeared. I didn't hear any other sound but I felt tears dropping onto my bear face. That was the last thing I felt before everything went blank. I was thrown into peaceful darkness that welcomed me with wide arms and a dark grin. I didn't know how long I remained in the darkness but a voice called my name and I opened my eyes to see who was disturbing my peace. The last scene I remembered wasn't what I woke up to see because Alan, the physician, and surprisingly even Alpha Zachary wasn't in the room with me. I didn't have the chance to feel lonely or to even think about how long I had slept that day. The owner of the voice that woke me up was Opaline and I wasn't opportune to hide my state from her as she barged into the room. "So... it's true? You have been sick and I didn't know?" Opaline asked but instead of answering her questions, my head began to reason how she found out about what I'd tried to keep hidden. "How did you get to know?" I asked but Opaline's response made me wish I didn't wake up from that peaceful darkness...