Mavis jolted awake, panting wildly as she tried to catch her breath. She grabbed fistfuls of her hair as tears began to run from her tired eyes. The repeated torture was becoming too much for her to handle. She constantly felt like she was drowning in her misery. She knew she needed help, but she was too embarrassed to reach out and grab the hands that were extended to her. This should have been her burden to bear, she didn't want to drag anyone else into it.

She wiped the sweat from her brow, tucking damp pieces of hair behind her ear as she moved towards the edge of the bed. She shivered as her bare feet touched the cold floor. Her eyes fell onto her pillow drenched from her night terrors.

She got up from her bed and walked towards the door. As she drug her feet across the hardwood, she wondered if this is what being an undead felt like.

The house was quiet, apart from the soft pattering sound from her feet against hardwood. The twins were definitely still asleep upstairs and she really hoped they wouldn't hear her. As she entered the kitchen, her shoulder clumsily bumped against the wall and she stumbled a few steps before she slammed into the pantry cupboards.

She held her breath waiting to see if she would hear footsteps coming down the stairs. The house remained still for some time, so she slowly released the breath she had be holding. She walked over to the sink and took a glass from the cupboard before she began to fill it with the coldest water she could get. Her eye lids felt heavy and she struggled to keep them open. None of the lights were on, but the reflection of the moon's light agasint the pristine snow was more than Mavis's tormented eyes could handle.

She shut the water off and took monstrous gulps to soothe her parched throat, but pulled away quickly as she coughed harshly. Doubling over the sink and coughing a few more times. She painted painfully as she collected herself. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she dumped the rest of her water down the drain and left the glass sitting at the bottom of the sink.

She was sweating profusely, like she had just come out of a sauna. She couldn't help but moan in discomfort as she approached the sliding glass door, pulling it open. She let out a breath of relief as she felt the frigid air hit her heated skin. Her eyes slid shut as she constrated on her breathing.

Mavis couldn't help but to think about the Gagnon's. When she was standing in their home, watching them grieve. She knew how they felt. Nothing was ever going to be alright again. They had lost their only child. She wanted to help them. She wanted to give them the one thing she wanted for herself. Revenge.

She flinched violently when an arm slid past her and shut the sliding glass door. Mavis quickly spun around, her eyes widening when she realized how close Halic was standing to her.

The lock clicked behind her and his brow creased. "What are you doing?"

She didn't want to tell him. She knew he would fret over her and she didn't want to deal with his bullshit right now.

"I'm just a little warm and wanted to cool off. I'll go take a cold shower." She tried to walk by past him, but he grabbed her arm.

He pressed the back of his hand against her forehead. "You're not running a fever."

She brushed his hand aside. "I'm not sick. I left the fireplace going all night."

"Did I wake you?" She wanted to change the subject.

"No. I was already up." He raised a brow. "But I heard you stumbling around down here." He pulled her into him, simultaneously wrapping both his arms around her.

Where their skin touched throbbed, sending warming waves down her skin, making her mind go blank. Without realizing it her eyes slid shut. The house became quiet. Apart from their breathing, the clock's swinging pendulum was the only sound.

"Are you okay?" He whispered into her ear after some time had passed.

Lulling her out of her relaxed state. "I'm... fine. Why?"

His arms tightened around her. "That was a straight up lie. You never let me touch you and now you are letting me hold you?"

Coming to immediately, Mavis's eyes widened. She looked down at his arms wrapped snuggly around her. She tried to pull his arms off her, but he wasn't giving her an inch.

"I know something is wrong. You looked really tired today, and your completely exhausted right now; and yet you're up in the middle of the night."

"Halic. Let go." She warned.

"I'm not letting go until you tell me what is going on."

She squeezed the sensitive skin around his wrists and he unwillingly released her. She made it two steps before he caught her wrist.

"Let go!"

He did not let her go, and he didn't say anything. His deep blue eyes seemed more intense under the light of the moon, and even she found them intimating. Despite this she glared at him.

Everything went quiet again. A few minutes later the clock chimed once, letting them now it was one in the morning. Mavis finally sighed, if she didn't tell him, he was going to make her stand here for the rest of the night. His eyes were also making her uncomfortable. She was fully aware he wasn't going to hurt her, he was too observant for that. He had always been careful with her, even right now. His grip was firm but in no way did it cause her pain. It was those piercing blue eyes of his that made her falter.

She couldn't stand to look him in the eyes anymore, so her gaze fell to her bare feet. "I can't sleep."

"Why?"

She took her time answering him. "Isla..." she swallowed. "She died in my dream."

"How long has this been going on?"

Mavis exhaled out of her nose slowly. "Since she died."

He swallowed loudly. "Why didn't you did you tell me?"

Her brows etched. "I didn't want to talk about it." She tired to pull away again. "Please let go."

"I should have some melatonin in my office. Why don't you try that? See if you can get some sleep."

Mavis finally looked up at him, meeting his consuming eyes. He gently pulled on her arm leading her towards the stairs. She thought about resisting him, but when she thought about closing her eyes she decided it follow him and give it a shot. It couldn't hurt.

He took her up the stairs and then down the hall into his office. He finally let go of her arm so he could look through the pill bottles in his medicine cabinet. Mavis thought about sitting on one of the chairs on the other side of the desk, when he handed her a purple bottle. "Don't take more than two."

She stared at the bottle, already feel drowsy just by looking at it. "Thanks, Halic."

"Go get some sleep. We will go to the packhouse when you wake up."