Hot, heavy, hungry, and heated waves rolled over my body from my toes to my fingertips and set me ablaze.

I was so aroused that it hurt. It hurt like nothing I have ever felt. No pain could compare to this, this was torture in it's finest form.

I was hot and needy and emotional and pained; my nipples hurt so bad that I would have loved to claw them off, the slightest touch only made the heat flare up and stimulate me to the point of tears.

The heat.

Derek had carried me home as fast as he could. Immediately he locked all the doors and had Evie strip me down then put me in the bathtub that they filled with ice and Epsom salt. While I was trying to ride through the waves of heat, Derek barricaded all the doors while Evan had our patrols switched out.

Bernard was mildly helpful. He walked around and found some herbs that grew out naturally in the wild for me. He gave them to Derek then told him that he and Lyanna would be working on the 'poofing' issue.

I called Andrea. I was crying in the tub with a glass of wine that didn't help. She felt horrible and offered to come, but I could send her into heat and her pack needed her too. That and, well, with Jaxon gone I wouldn't subject Andrea to this torture as well–she would def have my ass for that.

Evie tried to get me to work on things, things like finding 'The Snake', but eventually the waves of the heat got so bad that I couldn't focus on anything but riding through it. My beast and I groaned, this was not as amazing as the other females had made it sound.

This was hell.

Dagny and Ragna had stopped by and offered to stay. According to Evie, who 'hated that blue haired creature,' Bernard argued with them before he allowed them to stay. Dagny had apparently helped him pick more herbs that were supposed to help–they didn't help.

Evie tucked me into bed that first night and surround my body with bags of ice. I was fine at first. Uncomfortable? Very, but it was nothing that I couldn't handle. My beast and I kept reminding each other how much worse the shift was, and that gave us some relief.

Eventually though as I clawed out at our bond I started to crack. I cracked as another wave hit me in the middle of the night, drawing a liquid that had already been oozing out of me all day from my throbbing core and down my thighs. A sob escaped my mouth, followed by another, then another as a wave rolled over me–the heat like firy fingers on my back.

Ethan. I needed Ethan. I missed Ethan.

I tried to link him but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. More sobs escaped my lips as the tears fell, they fell as my tired body somehow cried itself into a heated sleep.

A sleep that was soon awoken; soon awoken as another wave of tingles rushed over me.

It was late, late in the night and I was laying on my stomach. Something was behind me, someone was behind me.

I felt it again. The delicious fire that spread as a hardness ground up against my ass. My back involuntarily arched into a firm chest with a scent that I recognized.

"Ethan?"

"Did you miss me, sunshine?" he murmured against my shoulder as he ground himself against my ass again.

His teeth bit on my shoulder playfully drawing a whimper from my lips as the heat flared up. "Oh my God, Ethan? You're home!"

"Mmm?" he murmured against my skin. "Did you miss me, baby?"

His fingers found their way to my front, one hand moved to my breast and tugged teasingly at my nipple and the other rubbed at my swollen clit that had been the most painful thing on my body all day.

The tendrils of delicious flames lapped at my skin as a soft moan escaped my lips. I arched myself into him, his hardness still grinding on my ass.

"Ethan–" I whimpered out.

"Baby, I asked you a question," he replied as his fingers rubbed in tantalizing circles.

I bit back another whimper and pressed myself against him. "Ethan, please–it hurts," I murmured to him.

I felt his breath on my back as he placed little kisses along my spine up to the bottom of my neck. "You smell so good, Charlotte."

"Ethan, please–" I was cut off as another wave of heat rolled over me.

I let out another breathy moan as he ground against me, his fingers working a little faster now. His hands wove through my hair and started to gently massage my scalp as his lips kissed around my mark that felt like it was on fire.

"Did you miss me, baby?"

"Ethan–" I whimpered out again, words were not a thing that I was really capable of doing right now.

His hands grabbed a fistful of my hair, forceful to the point that it made me let out a sharp cry. He yanked my head around and kissed my lips in a kiss that was so possessive it took me aback.

I heard a dark chuckle and blinked my eyes open. "Did you miss me, sunshine?" Marcus asked.

A scream tore through my lips as I looked into his perfect taunting smile and gelled hair. A scream that ripped through me as the heat flared up over my body. A scream that had me clawing out to the bond; clawing out to the face in front of me to rip it apart. A scream that had hands shaking me until water was poured over me.

I gasped for air and shot up in bed to see Evie and Derek staring at me with horrified expressions on their faces. My breath was labored as I looked around; I was in my room–my room with the two vampires and neither Ethan or Marcus was there.

It was a dream.

I let out a sharp sob and wrapped my arms around my body that was surrounded by bags of water that formerly held ice. Evie had her arms around me and was rubbing my back and whispering comforting words to me while I cried on her shoulder.

"Let's get her in the bath again," Derek murmured out.

Evie nodded and let him pick me up; he looked down at me with eyes full of pain that looked like it was eating at him. "What did you see little one?"

"Marcus," I whimpered out.

Derek stilled and blinked hard before he set me in the tub. He kissed my forehead then looked back at Evie. "Stay with her, I'll be back."

Evie walked to me and knelt down by the tub. She took my hand in hers and rubbed it gently before she looked at me with her big brown eyes. "Can I see?"

I let out a sob and nodded. She leaned closer and looked into my eyes, her eyes dilating as I felt another presence move around in my brain. She held my gaze for a few more moments before she leaned back quickly with her hand over her mouth.

"Oh my God, that's–I'm so sorry Charlotte. I'm so sorry."

Cries came out of my lips as another wave of heat rushed over me. Evie pushed the sweaty hair out of my face while I cried. My beast whined, she wanted her mate. We were in pain, and we were exhausted, but really the only thing that could end it was him. Otherwise, we would have to let this hell run its course.

Derek filled the tub up with ice and sat with me until my crying settled down. Eventually, I cooled off enough to go to back bed, I was so exhausted and my body needed sleep. I could only hope that he would come home soon; it was that hope that kept me going and helped to carry me to sleep.

When I woke up morning was breaking through. My heat was dying down but I could feel him, I could feel him coming. I let out a whimper of relief and jumped out of bed, running down the stairs and passed Derek who looked at me curiously as he drank his coffee.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"He's back!" I called back before I ripped the door open.

I ran out, my feet pumping hard against the dirt and the old t-shirt of his sticking to my skin; I didn't really care how I looked and I doubt he would too. He was home safe; he was home in time to end my damn misery.

I saw him walk through the tree line; he had on a pair of shorts and a loose sweatshirt and damn he looked good. My thighs clenched and I groaned inwardly at the sight of my male, as did my beast.

He walked closer and cocked his head, eying me up and down before he looked at me. "Hey."

I smiled. "Ethan, thank God," I breathed out as another wave threatened to creep up.

He cautiously stepped closer, his nostrils flaring as he took in my scent. "You're in heat?"

"Obviously you idiot," I gasped out as the sweat pooled on my brow. "Did you not feel that over the bond?"

He cocked his head again. "Bond?"

I shook my head. "Ethan stop being an idiot! I have been through hell with this damn heat and I don't have time for your games!"

"Derek, what's going on?" Ethan asked as he stopped in front of me, looking over my shoulder to Derek.

"I don't know," Derek said as he walked towards me. "She came from your room. No idea."

I looked back at Ethan as his blue-green eyes took me in. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Listen, I know you're in a lot of discomfort, but we need to find your mate," he quickly replied.

My mouth dropped. "You are my mate you asshole!"

His brows rose and his eyes swirled. He pulled down his collar to reveal a scar, a scar that was not the scar that I put on him, and shook his head. "I think you are quite mistaken."

I felt vile creep up my throat. I shook my head and searched my neck–my neck that was smooth. Smooth without a scar.

"No, no, no, no, no," I murmured to myself as tears beat their way out. "This can't be happening. This can't be happening."

"Who is your mate? We need to find them before you send the pack into a frenzy," Ethan said more firmly. "And what the hell were you doing in my house?"

I felt the air taken from my lungs. I dropped to my knees as the heat flared up again. Tears were spilling from my eyes as I looked at my male who looked at me as if I was a perfect stranger.

"Ethan?!" A female called. "Baby, who is that!?"

Screaming.

I was screaming again because it felt like someone was clawing my heart out. I shook my head and beat my arms against the bed while the heat rushed over me again.

The bed.

I sat straight up and looked around. I was in my room. I was in my room and it was early in the morning. The sun wasn't out yet, but the darkness of the night was starting to fade.

Derek zipped in and eyed me again. "Charlotte."

I let out a shaky breath as another wave rolled over me. "Who is my mate?"

"What?" Derek gasped out.

"Who is my mate?" I replied, tears streaming down my face.

"Charlotte you know who your mate is, little one what's wrong?" Derek said as he stepped closer.

"It is still Ethan? Is it?"

Derek took my face in his hands and looked at me like a parent looking at their child who was sick, sick with something they didn't understand. "Charlotte, yes of course, Ethan is. Little one, what's wrong?"

I let out a sharp sob as the tears wracked through me. I shook my head and let it fall on his shoulder. "He wasn't. He was there, you were there," I sobbed out. "He didn't know me. There was someone else."

Evie zipped in and looked at me. She eyed Derek and shook her head. "Is this normal?"

Derek looked at me and then back at her. "Let's see how she is in the morning."

But nothing got better by morning. I was plagued with nightmares all night that felt so real that at one point, Derek almost couldn't convince me that I had actually woken up.

I woke up again, though, in the morning sun that shone gently through my bedroom windows. The heat was still humming through me, but it wasn't so bad–more manageable. I leaned back and thanked the damn moon, I thought this thing was literally going to drive me crazy.

"Charlotte?" I snapped up and turned around. "Damn baby, you smell good," Marcus said as he leaned against the door frame to the bathroom.

"You're not real," I said more to myself than to him.

"Am I not?" he asked with a sly smile. "You've been a very bad girl Charlotte."

I growled and snapped my teeth at him. "Get the hell out of my house."

He rolled his eyes. "Why? Come on, you're in pain and that other guy isn't here. Come on, why not? You'll feel better baby, I promise it will feel good. You remember how good it used to feel, don't you?"

I snarled at him as I jumped out of bed, stalking him as my beast snapped her teeth at him. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Do I look dead?"

I shrugged. "You look close to death."

"Close to death?" he replied with a raised brow.

"Well, in a few seconds you will be dead," I bit out before I lunged at him. I lunged at him and landed head first into my counter, crashing into the cabinets upon landing. I groaned and opened my eyes to find myself alone in my bathroom. My skin shook and my bottom lips trembled. "No, no, no, no. He was just here," I murmured out.

I stood up, wiping the fragments of wood off of me and looked around the bathroom, but there was nothing but me there. Just me.

I tugged at my hair as another wave of heat rushed over me. Heat that had me falling to my knees, gasping for air as my nipples ached so bad I thought they would explode.

"Thorne, shouldn't have let him go to the mountains Thorne." I jumped up and walked into the bedroom. Thomas was leaning against a bed post, eyeing me casually before he looked towards the television that Derek had set up on a credenza. "Should have listened."

"What the hell are you doing here? You are dead. We killed you."

"Yap, well, I'm here now aren't I Thorne?" I backed up and shook my head while my beast clawed wildly at my mind. Thomas rolled his eyes at me then looked to his right. "Damn girl is losing it."

"Lost it a long time ago," Emmett answered.

I covered my mouth as my wolf snapped out harder. "You hung yourself."

"Yes, thank you for reminding me girl," he replied.

"Wha–Why? How?"

"Does it matter Thorne? Your boy's in those mountains and it's been how long since you've heard from him?"

I snarled at Thomas. "He's coming back," I bit out.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Doubtful."

"He's coming back," I snarled out again.

Thomas shook his head. "That's a suicide mission and you know it."

"No it's not! Ethan is coming back!" I growled out as another wave of heat rushed over me.

Suddenly the door burst open and Derek zipped in front of me. He held my face and bent down so he was eye-level with me. "Charlotte there is no one else in here. It is just you and me."

I shook my head. "They're here Derek."

"Who?" he asked.

Tears fell down my face as another wave of heat washed over me. "Emmett and Thomas. They're here."

Derek snarled and whipped around. I leaned over and looked around him but saw nothing. He was right. He was right–there was no one there but me.

I let out a sharp sob as Evie zipped in. Derek pulled me to him and pushed my hair back before he looked over at Evie. "Get the witches."

He picked me up and carried me back to the tub. I was so tired, so exhausted. Another wave rushed over me; I felt drops of sticky liquid drip down my thigh which only made me sob harder.

"I miss Ethan," I whimpered out.

"I know little one," Derek replied as he dropped a bucket of ice over me. "He's coming back, he'll be back soon."

"What if he isn't? What if he's not?"

Derek bent down quickly and tilted my chin up. "Charlotte, there is nothing in this world that Ethan loves more than you. He is coming back. Alright? You need to stay calm and fight through it."

"But Derek," I replied. "I see them. They don't think he is."

"Who Char?" he replied.

I looked over his shoulder where Emmett, Thomas, and Marcus were all eyeing me. "They're behind you," I replied breathlessly as a wave rolled over me.

Derek snapped around and snarled, but when I blinked I saw what he saw. Nothing. Again there was nothing there.

I sobbed harder and tugged at my hair while he pushed my hair back and whispered encouraging things to me.

He sat with me until footsteps approached, footsteps that smelled like burning sugar. Ragna and Dagny looked at me in the bathtub with Evie eyeing them incredulously.

Ragna turned to Derek with a raised brow. "She's in heat."

Derek snarled at her. "Obviously, but she's also had nightmares and daydreams so real she doesn't know half the time what is real and what isn't!"

Dagny's eyes widened. She bent down to me and pushed my sweaty hair back as a whimper escaped my lips. "I'm so sorry dear."

"Ethan, just bring him back, they say he isn't coming back," I murmured as the demons around me laughed.

Something hissed around Dagny before she shot up and glared at Ragna. "We have to do something!"

"She needs her mate and there isn't anything that we can do!" Ragna bit back.

I let out a sob at the word 'mate.' Thomas was back by the counter I had broke, eyeing Ragna and shaking his head. "You have no mate now wolf," he snickered out to me.

I sucked in a sharp breath while my skin crawled. Dagny's eyes widened as she looked at me while my beast clawed out at the bond. The bond. The bond that reminded me that he wasn't here.

Derek snarled over my sobs at the blue-haired witch then looked at Evie. "Where's the other one?"

"With Lyanna," she answered.

"You think I'm wrong?" Ragna shot out, her blue eyes like blazing sapphires.

Derek hissed at her, his fangs elongating as he held her gaze. "I think one of my best friends has more than just her heat consuming her and you are letting your goddamn pride cloud your judgment."

Something crackled around her as another wave rolled over me. I let out a pained moan as my core throbbed harder. Dagny bent down and took my hand, rubbing it between hers gently. "It's ok Charlotte, you'll be ok. We won't let anything happen to you."

"I'll be back," Evie said without her eyes leaving Ragna's before she zipped out.

Ragna looked back at me and cocked her head. She walked around the room and smelled the air then shook her head. "If you think it's magic, then who Derek? One of you?"

"I am not pointing fingers. I don't care about that right now, I just want her better," Derek hissed out.

"Dagny," I murmured to her while Emmett winked at me from the other side of the bathroom. I bit back a sob and shook my head. "What's wrong with me?" I asked, my voice cracking and my beast howling out for her mate.

Dagny looked at me with big eyes full of pained concern before she turned to Ragna. "Ragna, this isn't her heat. She's seeing things. Are you sure? Did you check her bedroom?"

Ragna held Dagny's gaze before she marched into the bedroom with Derek hot on her heels. She walked around, smelling the air while Dagny massaged my hands.

I kept seeing them though, the ones that we thought we cleansed this pack of. Heat would roll over me and sobs would pour out of my mouth. Derek poured some more ice in my bath while Ragna walked around, but the blue haired witch just made my beast and I angry. She wasn't helping, just biding her damn time.

"Charlotte!" A female called. "Charlotte!" Lyanna called out.

She ran to me and knelt down beside the tub, her hands pushing back my hair as her silver eyes swirled. "I brought Bernard."

"You shouldn't be here," I murmured to her.

"You're my Luna, yes I should," she answered back.

Tears leaked out of my eyes as heavy footsteps approached me. Bernard stopped in the bathroom and looked at the broken cabinet then at me. He held my gaze, something hissing around him, before he walked forward and knelt down next to Dagny.

He gave Dagny a sharp glare, causing her to quickly move over before he crept forward. His longer fingers tilted my chin up while my lips let out labored breaths from the heat that licked relentlessly at me.

"What have you seen?" He asked, his voice calm–so calm it almost scared me.

"Demons of the past," I replied, my voice tired and raspy.

Bernard nodded then stood up. He looked around and walked back into the bedroom as I sat up. Lyanna eyed me and picked up a towel. "Do you want out?"

"Yes," I replied as calmly as I could. I took the towel and wrapped it around me as I stood. I let Dagny and Lyanna help me out before I walked slowly into my bedroom where Bernard was doing a slow three-sixty turn.

He let out a hot breath and shook his head. "You damn idiots!"

"She's on her heat and her mate is away," Ragna bit out.

"How much of your own damn Kool-aid are you going to drink?" he fired back.

He walked back to me and knelt down so he could look directly at me. "I want to know exactly what it is that you saw."

I bit back a sob and nodded. "My ex. He was here last night. I thought it was Ethan but it was him. He called me–he called me 'sunshine,' and tried to–"

Bernard held up a hand and nodded to me. "That's good enough, thank you." He stood and turned to Ragna, magic crackling around him as he marched to my bed

He murmured something and felt around until I could hear his magic hiss. Lyanna pulled me to her as he pulled out a knife and stabbed the mattress.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ragna shot out.

Bernard paid her no mind and tore through the mattress until he found a few small burlap pouches. He pulled them out and clenched his jaw, shaking his head as his magic seemed to lash out at Ragna.

His forefingers on his free hand rubbed together until fire lit from them. Lyanna and I both jumped up as he tossed the pouches in the air and flicked his fingers at them, flames shooting out and turning them into nothing but ash that floated gracefully to the wooden floor.

He turned back to Ragna after the last ash hit the ground. "You're supposed to protect her and this pack and you let a little basic Mare's Weed come between you?! Who's side are you on?!"

Her magic hissed while Dagny shrunk up against the wall. "That's not basic magic and you know it," she bit back.

"She tells you she cannot sleep because of vivid day-mares and you think that her heat just got to be too much? Are you out of your damn mind?!"

"How do we know it wasn't you Bernard?" Ragna shot out.

Bernard rolled his eyes. "Of course, point the blame to someone else. I have only been here today whereas you and you two little peons have been here for much longer. Hmm? Where is Melinda? She is not here and left the day before this happened?"

"Our coven wouldn't do that to each other!" Ragna hissed out.

"Covens have done worse. Just because their blood smells of sugar, does not mean they are sweet!" Bernard shot back.

"I agree with Bernard," Dagny said, her voice small yet fierce. Ragna shot her blue eyes to Dagny, but the witch with tight blonde-pink curls stood strong. "The house was guarded but there has been opportunity for someone to slip in."

"Dagny do you even realize what you're saying?" Ragna asked with wide horrified eyes.

"She's been acting strange all week! And well, it smells a little like her magic!"

Bernard let out an annoyed breath and looked over at Dagny. "You can stay." He turned to Ragna. "Either help or leave, you've done enough damage."

"How dare you! I have looked over this region for years!"

"You know what it would have done to her?! Drove her mad! Are you going to let another innocent person die and cover it up? You think her mate will let you live if that happens? Levi and Ethan are not someone you can sweet talk with your charms, they will kill you and rightfully so!"

Magic crackled around her again as Derek snarled at her. Evie stepped towards her and cocked her head. "Unless you want me in your head witch, then I suggest you get the hell out of this house."

"You will regret this," Ragna hissed out.

Evie snarled at her and tackled her down. She held her face between her hands and looked straight into her eyes. "It was a beautiful day, the day she met them, the Thorne brothers. They were so handsome, so handsome and kind. She wondered if she would be one of their mates–maybe she would—"

Evie was cut short as she was pushed off the blue haired witch. Derek snarled at her as he helped Evie up while Ragna let out a series hot breath's as her blue eyes swirled like angry flames. "Get out before I tear you apart myself and send your limbs in a box to Camille," Derek growled out to her.

I shuddered as another wave of heat rushed over me. Lyanna rubbed my back and helped me to a chair as Ragna cast us one last parting glance before she stormed out. Evie shook furiously then looked back at Bernard who was eying her in approval. "I hate that witch. That and her damn hair."

Dagny bit back a laugh and shrugged. "It's obviously not natural, not at all."

"Is yours?" Lyanna asked with a raised brow as she rubbed my back.

Dagny waved her off. "Course not, don't be silly."

Lyanna rolled her eyes while Bernard looked around. "Alright," he breathed out. "We need to cleanse the house. Dagny do you have extra sage?"

"Yes, in my bag back in my cabin," she replied.

"I can take her," Lyanna said.

Bernard nodded. "Thank you, but know that unless you want to be in the same miserable place as this one, that you should probably stay away."

Lyanna looked at me, she was fighting with herself; a battle that could tip either way. "Lyanna, I need you at the pack. The pack needs you. Please," I whimpered out.

She nodded and headed out with Dagny on her heel. Derek let out a frustrated breath and looked up at Bernard. "What do you need us to do?"

"Get her in a bath and keep her cool. Evie, we need to air the house out. The Mare's Weed could still be lingering. We air it out, cleanse it, then shut it up so her scent doesn't drive the pack crazy."

Derek was staring at the floor then walked over to me. "Levi said he wants to meet with Bernard after this is done."

"Thank you," I whimpered out to Bernard as another wave rolled over me.

Bernard held his hand up with tired eyes and pointed at the line where the cut was healing. "I swore an oath to you little wolf."

I nodded as I tried to ride through the wave of heightened arousal that was so intense that I thought my skin would melt off. Derek had scooped me up and was carrying me back to the tub when I saw Marcus again over his shoulder, waving lazily at me by my bed.

"He's there Derek, Marcus is there."

"He'll be gone soon, Charlotte. You killed him and this is just a bad daydream," he replied as he set me in the tub. He turned on the cold water then picked up a wash cloth and started to wipe away sweat from my brow.

"I'm so tired," I breathed out.

"Sleep little one," he replied. "I'm not going anywhere."

I nodded and let sleep pull me in, pull me deep into its embrace that felt like a pool of calm water. Calm water that rocked me gently, it was as if sleep decided to throw me a bone that day.

It was a deep sleep that carried me well into the late hours of the night. I blinked my eyes open, rubbing them as the heat dully throbbed. I groaned and cursed my uterus, but thank the moon that it was just a dull throb.

My head felt clearer though. Before, earlier it felt like everything was in that place between asleep and awake, almost real but not quite.

This was real, my beast and I knew that. Our head, although consumed with the heat, was much clearer than it was; I would have the asses of those damn witches after I got through this damn heat. My beast growled lowly in the back of my mind, she wanted to tear all the blue hair out of Ragna.

The doors weren't open but there were a few box blowing a gentle breeze in the room, and there were bundles of herbs hanging by strings of fishing line duct taped to the ceiling. It smelled like sage, lavender, and there were a few other things that I didn't recognize.

"It's to cleanse the house," a voice said from next to me.

I snapped my head to my right, wiping my hair out of my dewy face in the process to see Lucas smiling at me.

My eyes went wide. "I'm losing it. Right?"

"Probably."

I growled lowly at him. "Lucas, I am in no mood right now."

He stood from the chair he was sitting in next to my bed and shrugged innocently. "Come on, I just wanted to do some cool shit that you see on ghost hunters."

I eyed him for a while as he approached. My lungs inhaled a few deep breaths of air that felt crisp and clean as it combed through my body. My wolf cocked her head, but we were both too tired to really put up a fight with our brother.

"Lucas?"

His silver eyes almost identical to Levi's glistened. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair that was so light, almost the color of sunlight, and tugged at it. "I just–you were not doing good and well, I always wanted to try doing this ghost shit. Eli totally didn't think I could, but obviously, he was wrong as usual."

"What?" I breathed out as he sat on the bed near my feet.

I reached out the tried to touch him but only found air which startled me since he looked so real, his flesh looked real. He rolled his eyes. "You must be really losing it, sis, I just told you I am ghosting your ass. Have you like never seen Casper?"

"Shouldn't you be comforting me?" I asked, sitting back against the headboard.

Lucas scoffed at me. "Come on, what fun would that be?"

"God you are such a dick," I replied as a wave rolled over me.

I whimpered a little and clutched my stomach. Lucas moved closer and looked around. "Shit, you need to call those vamps. Mom said you're going to need ice."

Another wave rolled over me. I let out a breathy moan and looked back at him while my fingers fisted at my loose t-shirt. "Can't you go ghost them awake?"

Lucas mused for a second and wiggled his head back and forth before he looked at me with devious silver eyes. "I'll be back," he said in a mock Arnold Swarzanager voice.

I rolled my eyes right before another wave hit. I tried to breathe through it, because wasn't that what you were supposed to do? Breathe through the pain? It helped last time, during my shift.

My beast rolled her eyes because we both knew that 'breathing through it' only got us so far last time. I groaned right as the door opened. I popped up to see Evie walk in with a bucket of ice bags and Lucas dancing around behind her.

He looked at me with a proud smile as he mouthed 'I did it!'

Evie eyed me curiously then walked over to me and looked me over. "How are you?"

"Better," I answered honestly. "This heat is still hell but my mind feels better."

She let out a sigh of relief and hugged me to her. "I was so worried. I am going to skin that witch when I see her again."

I growled lowly and nodded. "You'll have to get in line." I looked down at the mattress as images of Bernard tearing through it came to mind. "How did the mattress?"

"Magic," she replied casually. "He's quite handy, your new witch."

"I would certainly say so," I replied as she placed the last ice bag around me.

She looked back at me with a warm smile. "Need anything else?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you, Evie."

She nodded. "Course Char," she replied before she left, shutting the bedroom door quietly behind her.

Lucas walked over with a little swag in his step before he hopped back up on the bed while I held an ice bag to my neck where my mark was starting to burn. "Looks like I am one badass ghost."

"I am definitely losing my mind," I groaned.

"Nah, you've always been a little crazy," he replied with a sly smile as he laid back beside me.

I rolled my eyes as another wave lapped at my legs. "This is horrible. What if they're right, what if he doesn't come back, Lucas. Can you see him at all? Up there?"

Lucas sighed and shook his head. "I haven't maybe Chris has? I could ask? Don't worry he's coming back. Ethan's tough and the moon knows he'll come back especially when you smell like sex on steroids."

"Lucas!" I hissed while he burst out in laughter.

He tugged a little his gray t-shirt and shrugged. "God I love this ghosting shit."

I moved the ice around while the bond twisted some more. Lucas' laughter died down and his face softened. My heart was throbbing dully for him while my beast looked around for him, for our mate.

"What did you see before?"

"He wasn't my mate," I replied mindlessly. "I woke up and felt him come home. He looked at me and showed me his neck with a mark that wasn't mine He wasn't mine. There was no mark on my neck."

"It was just the Mare's Weed sis," he replied softly. "You still feel him?" I nodded because I had been holding onto the bond like it was a life raft all night. "That mark on your neck is his sis, no one can take that away from either of you. That's permanent even in death."

"I just want him back," I murmured.

He sighed and nodded. "You should try to sleep some more."

I shrugged. "I can't. I'm too hot and my mind is too restless."

"Well," he said as he pointed to the remote. "Go on, I would turn on the television but it seems that I am unable to, which is total bullshit."

I chuckled and clicked on the flatscreen then looked back at Lucas. "What do you want to watch?"

"I don't know, scroll through?" he asked.

I nodded and hit the 'menu' button on the remote then started to scroll through Ethan's Netflix account. I kept going until Lucas sat up with a dreamy gleam in his eye. "Diehard."

"That's what you want to watch?" I asked with a raised brow.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "It's a classic sis, and besides, I think the violent explosions will make you feel better."

"How are you here Lucas?"

"I told you, I'm ghosting your ass."

"Will you leave?"

"Do you want me to?" I shook my head. He nodded. "I won't leave you. I'll try to ghost you until he comes home, mostly because God knows I don't want to stay after that and–"

"Oh my, God Lucas," I groaned before I clicked on the movie. 

Lucas just chuckled. "What would you do without me Char?"

I sighed and shrugged as my heart twisted at the sight of him. For a moment if I suspended all logic, it was like Lucas was really here with me watching a movie and helping keep the nightmares away from me. It was like he was really here–not dead. 

That thought in itself gave me a blanket of peace to cuddle up to and slowly drift off into a dreamless sleep.