I collapse fully, laying on the ground withering in pain. My body trembling from the fire pulsing through it. I struggle to keep my eyes open. I place my arms onto the floor and try to push myself up. As I do, more pain floods into my body. My arms give out and I collapse once again into a heap on the floor.

A moment later I hear foots steps approaching. At first they are slow, then they start running. I struggle to push my upper half off the ground. Shakily, I make it to my knees. I look up to find Raymond approaching and fast. He comes rushing to my side, filled with worry.

"Holy shit. Lucia, what's wrong? What happened?" He asks. He gets to my side and collapses next to me on his knees. His left hand goes to my back.

I groan in pain. My muscles collapse and I fall onto Raymond. He catches me and holds me to his side. Then suddenly he growls. The vicious tone bounces through the hall.

"That brat. Greyson did this, didn't he?" He hisses. "I'm going to kill that son of a-"

I use what's left of my energy to reach up and grab hold of his shirt, stopping him mid sentence. He looks down at me. His eyes filled with worry.

"It's not..." I try to say but the pain erupts in my gut. I groan. Unconsciously my hand squeezes Raymond's shirt tightly. "It's not Greyson." I manage to tell him.

"It's not Greyson... Then... Then what's happening?" He asks, his voice shaking. He's clearly freaked out seeing me in so much agony.

I loosen my grip on his shirt. I need to get control of this pain. I can't be freaking Raymond out like this. I try to push myself up. I manage to do it successfully. I get to my feet, take a small step, then the pain attacks me again, sending me groaning to the floor. Luckily, Raymond catches me.

In the next moment, I'm swooped up and being carried Princess style.

"Lucia," he whispers, "I'm going to get you help."

The last thing I remember is moaning an agreement. Then I pass out.

-------------------------------------------------

"Why is it all red? Is it supposed to be that color?"

"I don't know. I mean I've seen them before, but I've never seen one so... agitated."

I groan. What the heck is going on?

"Oh my gosh! She's waking up, thank god." It's Rina.

My eyes blink open. A splitting headache races through my skull. The pounding is made worse by the sudden loud cheer and hug I receive from my best friend. She holds onto me tightly. I gently pat her back soothingly. I catch a glimpse of where we are.

We're in Derek's room. I'm on his bed. Derek's in his normal wheely chair. Raymond is standing next to my side of the bed looking down at me. Ruben is in the chair at the foot of the bed. Leo is sitting at the foot of the bed and Rina is next to me on the bed. She quickly releases me from our embrace.

"My god Lucia, you had us all worried sick." Rina tells me.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me..."

"Raymond told us you were in major pain, that you could barely speak." Derek says, "did Greyson-"

"No!" I cut him off quickly. Almost too quickly. All eyes turn my way. I blush and let out a small cough. "I mean... Greyson had nothing to do with it." Derek eyes me wearily. I sigh, clearly annoyed that he would accuse Greyson of such a thing. "Derek I promise. I've been experiencing this pain since the mate-pairing ceremony. It has nothing to do with Greyson."

"Since the mate-pair ceremony?" Derek asks, confused.

I nod my head, but don't give him further explanation. For one, because I'm too tired to really explain. For two, because I don't really know why I'm experiencing this pain myself.

"Speaking of your ceremony, how long have you had this sucker?" Raymond asks as he swoops down and touches his hand to my neck.

A huge pain surges through me. The fire burns and bubbles through my skin like lava. "Shit!" I scream out in pain.

"Ow!" Raymond cries as he pulls his hand quickly away from my neck. "That fucking hurt." He complains as he shakes his hand back and fourth. "What are you, made of fire?"

I groan, "I could ask you the same fucking thing. That hurt like a bitch."

Derek glares at Raymond. "Are you a dumbass? Don't touch her mark you idiot."

"Well excuse me, I was just trying to ask her a simple question. I didn't know her skin was going to burn me." He retorts, his voice filled with embarrassment.

I laugh, "it's okay guys, you don't need to argue. We live and we learn, ok?"

Raymond nods in agreement and so doesn't Derek.

Rina cuts in, "but why did it react like that, and why is her mark so... red?"

Leo decides to answer this one, "marks are important for doing exactly what the name suggests. They mark one werewolf as possession of another. If the mark is touched by another wolf who didn't make it, it will burn both the person with the mark and the one touching it. This is used to protect the person who was marked from being claimed by another and to also stop them from being with another person."

"So what happens if I touch the mark?" Rina asks.

Leo frowns, "it will burn you too."

Rina's eyes widen, "why?"

"Because marks don't discriminate by gender. When a person is marked, that's it. They are marked forever."

My heart cracks a bit a his words.

Marked forever huh?

A cold chill runs down my spine. I shake lightly and wrap my arms around myself, to create a sense of warmth.

Rina glances my way, giving me a sympathetic face. Then she huffs angrily and turns toward Leo, "okay mister know-it-all, if you are such an expert on marks, then why is her's so red and agitated? Huh?"

Leo sighs. He knows he pushed Rina's buttons a bit, but he just isn't sure as to why. "I don't know. Marks are a way for two wolves to stay connected. I've never seen one so tender though. It almost looks like a fresh wound. When did you two mark each other?"

My cheeks flare red in embarrassment, and a bit of hurt. I can't believe they assumed I marked Damien as well! What the hell? I frown. "He marked me the night of the ceremony." There, that should clarify.

"That was over two days ago. There's no way it should still be so red." Derek informs us on the obvious.

I sigh, "guys, it doesn't matter anymore. Okay?" Everyone just watches me silently. I groan, "I'm fine now, understand? No need to worry. Get your heads back into mission mode."

Slowly, everyone nods their head in agreement. I give them all a small smile, the best I can muster considering my condition. My eyes scan the room. A sadness sinks into my heart at the missing squad member. Then memories flood into my mind. Tears quickly moisten my eyes.

All the commotion had me forgetting about my last encounter with Greyson. Thinking about his last words that he said to me hurts. He believes that I'm just like the other girls in this pack... Does that mean he thinks I'm a slut like one of those service girls? After all that time he spent getting to know me, that's the conclusion he got? I don't know if I should be hurt, sad, angry or just averse.

Needless to say... I still love him.

But if this is what he needs to do to get over me, who am I to stop him? If roles were reversed, I think I would be just as upset, if not angrier than he is. I don't know how much I can blame him for taking out his hurt on me. After all, I caused it.