We end up having grilled cheese and tomato on toast for dinner. We eat silently before watching TV, I’m not really watching though. I feel a little off, I feel like I’m heating up like I’m put in an oven. I start sweating profusely and excuse myself to go have a shower. Tobias, refusing to let me be on my own, follows and sits on the sink watching me, after a few minutes of watching, he strips and hops in.
He jumps as soon as the freezing cold water touches him. “Geez, Imogen, that’s freezing, turn the heat up,” I ignore him. Instead, I slide down the shower wall to a sitting position. No matter how cold the water is I feel like I’m overheating; my skin feels like it’s on fire. Tobias glances down at me and turns the heat up slightly. “You okay love? You smell different.”
I shake my head, I feel out of breath, hot and on the verge of passing out. Tobias pulls me up to a standing position, pulling me against his chest. “Shit, you are burning up. Theo, get in here.” Within seconds Theo is in the room with a panicked expression on his face. Theo pulls me out of the shower and Tobias turns the water off before stepping out himself. I can see my reflection in the mirror above the sink. My face is flushed, my cheeks a bright crimson color.
“She definitely has a fever,” Theo tells Tobias.
“Heat?” Tobias asks, Theo gives me a weird look. “I don’t know, can humans go into heat?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, she smells different though.” Tobias announces.
“Yeah, she does, it’s the only thing that makes sense,” replies Theo. I stare between the pair of them confused.
“What is heat?”
“Means the bond is kicking in, will make you more sensitive to us. You will want to mate, and if your scent gets any stronger, we won’t be able to help ourselves. We will mate you.” Tobias explains.
“What, like a dog? I’m not a dog, I’m not bleeding either. I don’t want to be a dog,” I say, appalled at the thought. This is fucking ridiculous because of them I’m turning into a dog.
Tobias growls lowly. “I’m not a dog; will you stop saying I am? There is a clear difference between a dog and a werewolf.”
I lean into Theo, liking the coldness of his skin. “Well, you turn into a furry dog and look like one.” I mutter, Theo laughs behind me, clearly finding our arguing amusing.
“No, I am different. What dog do you know that is the size of a bear, Imogen? And is immortal, for that matter.” Tobias keeps arguing even though I don’t think he can change my mind anymore.
“Great Danes are pretty big, and you bark or growl or whatever that thing is you do.”
“I do not bark; I also don’t cock my leg on trees to mark my territory either, if you must know. I am not a dog, I’m a fucking werewolf and it is insulting that you keep saying it.” He has a point: they are vastly different, but still, they do have some similarities. Like the tail and all the fur.
“Fine you’re not a dog, chill, settle down Fido.” He growls, and I turn my back on him, ignoring him.
I walk over to the bed, I need to lie down. I dry myself with Theo’s help before laying down. Theo places the blanket over me, and I immediately kick it off.
Theo says he’s leaving to go get Tylenol to try and bring my temperature down. I sometimes forget they aren’t human and have no need for such things. I don’t know what time he comes back but I’m woken listening to the pair of them trying to figure how much of it to give me.
“Just give them, here,” I say, sitting up and holding my hand out for the box. They pass me the box and I tear three out of the foil wrapping as they hand me a glass of water.
“Just so you know, it tells you on the back of the box the dosages.” Typical men, not bothering to read the instructions. Theo glances at the box while I swallow them down.
“It says two, not three,” he states, worried.
“They are weak, they aren’t morphine, I will survive. Clearly, you haven’t taken pain medication for a while.”
Getting up, my legs feel unsteady, but I decide to go find something stronger to kill the cramping in my stomach. I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. They both follow, wondering what I’m doing as I search through the kitchen cupboards before walking into the pantry. I manage to find some whiskey.
Unscrewing the cap, I start chugging it down. Coughing on the sudden burn, I walk out and sit at the counter on a stool. Tobias walks over and grabs the bottle, “You’re not drinking.” I snatch it back out of his hand. “Imogen,” he says angrily.
“Leave her, she is in pain. Just let her go, she might sleep better.” Theo argues for me. Tobias isn’t happy but doesn’t try to take the bottle from me again.
“When will it stop?” I ask, hoping that it will be over by morning.
“I’m not sure, you’re human. Your scent is getting stronger though,” replies Tobias.
He shifts uncomfortably, adjusting his pants. I look down and can see his erection, pressing against the fabric. Looking at Theo he looks just as uncomfortable. I swipe the bottle off the counter and head back to the room. I chug a good amount of the bottle before Theo walks in and hops on the bed. I lay next to him, his cold skin soothes my overheating body. I move closer, resting my head on his chest enjoying the coolness.
“Sit up.” I quickly do, and he takes off his shirt before pulling me onto him, my whole body cooling slightly. I close my eyes and before I know it, I drift off to sleep.
I gasp, my eyes snap open. I’m still on top of Theo, he looks down at me before putting his phone down that he was reading off of. I turn my head and can see Tobias moving around in his sleep like he’s extremely uncomfortable. Everywhere Theo’s skin is touching me feels electrified, like static electricity, I run my hand up his side, he shivers from the heat of my hands.