Chapter Ten
In & Out

I laid in the middle of the bed, the sheets damp from tears and sweat, my eyes feel cracked and bloodshot, my throat is hoarse and raw, my head remains pounding and my body is so weak that I couldn't even find the energy to turn my head.

I had been dealing with agonizing torture for longer than I could even begin to fathom, I had watched the dead of night turn into the light hues of a new morning and the bright colors of the day passing me by, I had become a prisoner locked in my own body by this internal torture.

I wasn't sure if I had even urinated at some point, I must have as it seemed impossible to hold my bladder for so long and yet I couldn't tell for sure as my body had betrayed me long ago and with every passing hour I feared my mind would follow suit.

I heard as heavy steps made their way upstairs.

"Harper."

I couldn't move, and worse, the lusty embers began to whip through me fiercer than ever now that he was here, my body wretched and jerked on its own as I cried out the hot tears stinging my eyes leaving scorching trails along my face.

"Oh Harper my love." He sounded softly, but his face read horror, he was terrified to look at me and I could tell he was forcing himself to do so, I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed with uncertainty.

"H-help me." My words cracked, my voice was barely above a whisper.

I watched on as his own eyes watered, "I-I don't know how to help you without hurting you more."

"Please help me." I croaked desperately.

He stood up and shook his head, "I, I don't know what to do...baby tell me what to, how can I help you?" He was fully crying now.

"It hurts" I sobbed, " ITS GOING TO KILL ME!" I screamed, I was terrified that my words would hold true, I was also experiencing more and more discomfort along with this new desolation.

"Harper...what can I do?"

I feared that his touch would make everything worse, I didn't want to risk being touched and suffer even more.

"Leave." It was all I could say before I could no longer contain my scream, every shriek of pain echoed in my head and before I knew it I had passed out once again.

__________

I never really knew how long I'd be out for or for how long I'd be able to withstand the agony before passing out again, but it continued like that throughout the rest of the day.

Sadly Braxton never returned to the bedroom.

The last time I passed out I stayed out until the next morning.

__________

"Good morning."

I carefully opened my sore eyes at the sound of Braxton's voice, I slowly willed my head to move and face him, I found that the slight movement didn't cause me much pain.

"It's all over Gorgeous, you did it...you survived your heat." He smiled sadly.

I moved to sit up and he helped me. My body was just as weak as before and instead of the excruciating pain I was now full of soreness, but I'd take the full throbbing of an over worked muscle anyday.

"Easy beautiful, let me help you." He said gently as he carefully sat me up, I noticed that I was in fresh clothes, and that the bedding had been changed. "After you told me to leave I sat outside of the room door...I've never felt so helpless in my whole life Harper, you scared the shit out of me." He growled.

"I'm sorry." I rasped.

"I mean it" he sighed heavily. "I don't know what I would do without you and what's worse is all of this should've been prevented."

"I know." I sounded.

He was right, it was my own stubborn will to have some sort of control over being marked when I want, and how I want, that got me into this whole mess.

"I'm sorry..." he apologized, "I know you've just had to deal with a whole lot of shit but that really freaked me out Harper."

"Hey," I said, I could tell he really was beating himself up over this. "It's over and there's nothin we can do to change what's already happened so let's move on from this."

He nodded, "I hope you don't mind, But I cleaned you up."

I nodded meekly and blushed a little I mean it's not as if he's never seen me naked before, but still, I am usually awake during those moments shared. "I don't mind, but how did you know when I was over my heat?"

"Like I said, I was sitting outside of the door, you'd go quiet every now and again and that's when I'd come in and check on you, I'd put ice packs on you and even brought in all of the fans I could find in the House...when you were asleep for the longest time period I came in and noticed that your temperature had regulated and I knew it was officially over."

I listened on, I didn't want to interrupt him.

"I got all of the fans out of the room and threw some clean blankets onto the floor before I grabbed some fresh clothes for you and brought in a large bowl, I went to the restroom and filled it with warm water and some of your soap and came back into the bedroom I removed your soiled clothes and gave you a sponge bath, I didn't want you to wake up feeling sticky on top of being sore...anyways after I got you redressed I carefully moved you to the ground, I didn't want to wake you...you really needed your rest." He smiled.

I could see how tired he truly looked, no doubt he'd stayed up until I woke up just now.

"I laid you on the blankets while I changed the bedding before placing you back into the bed, I got everything into the washer and everything's also been dried so don't worry about wet laundry sitting around." He finished.

I couldn't help but smile as well.

I leaned in and kissed him, it felt amazing to be kissed by him, like I hadn't done that in a while.

It was a quick peck but it meant so much.

"If you want, I can draw you a bath and heat up some of your leftovers...we can bring everything down into the movie room and just be super lazy." He offered.

Once again I smiled, "you don't know how absolutely perfect that sounds...and don't think I'm not going to ask about the council meeting."

He looked at me and I could instantly tell he was trying to figure out what exactly to tell me to appease me and what to leave out.

"I want to know everything Braxton, if I'm going to be your Luna I'm going to need to know everything from here on out even if you don't think it's safe or necessary for me to know, we're partners my Alpha."

He nodded, "I know...but you've gone through so much I wanted to hold off on adding any stress to you."

"Was it that bad?"

"Depends on your prospective." He sounded. "They'll allow you to be trained as my future Luna...to be honest they want you to start your training immediately."

"That's great!" I said with genuine happiness.

"There's three conditions." He sighed, "of course I have to mark you, we already knew they'd ask for that."

"And I have no qualms with taking your mark, especially with I've just gone through."

Once again he nodded, "after you've been marked you are to be presented to them, I suppose they want to see your mark for themselves to make sure I've honored my word...lastly they want you to be trained in the ways of a Luna by my packs Luna Grand."

"Luna Grand?" I asked. "I've never heard of that title."

At this he sighed heavily, "um...okay, every Pack has an Alpha, a Luna, and a Beta but of course there are always predecessors, we'll stick with Alpha's and Luna's for now and you can learn about the betas in training...anyways the current Alpha and Luna are the Alpha and Luna... and of course when you're being prepared to take on the position of Alpha or Luna you are known as Alpha/Luna in waiting which is what you are...the previous Alpha/Luna are called Alpha/Luna Regent and then if the Alpha/Luna that was before them is still alive You address them as Alpha/Luna Grand."

"Wait a minute...so I'm the Luna in waiting, your Mother is the Luna Regent so that makes-"

"My Grandmother Ocklan the Luna Grand."

My heart began to race a little, "Braxton!"

"I know, it's my fault that you haven't even met her yet...I promise I would love you to meet all of my family but Harper, there's something you need to know about my Grandmother Ocklan."

I was still thinking about having to take these history filled lessons with a woman I've never even met when he was already laying something else on me.

"My Grandmother isn't exactly a warm and delicate sort of woman like my mom, on the contrary, Grandmother Ocklan is a bitter old pill hell bent on tradition..."

I could tell he was trying to tell me something without hurting my feelings. I sighed out of frustration. "Braxton whatever it is please just tell me...my head is already pounding as it is."

"Well it's like I said, Grandmother has always been very grumpy and even more so rooted in traditions...meaning she's mean by nature and when she finds out the next Luna of the pack isn't a She-Wolf, she won't be happy and won't make your lessons easy."