His Worst Behavior

Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - TRANSITION

I saw Dr. Burnett again sooner than I thought.

By the end of the week, I had developed a fever. A very high fever. It was as if I was stranded in a desert, naked underneath the blistering sun. Patches of my skin were tingling. A flare of hot heat repetitively shot down my arms and legs. Yet, I was shivering, a layer of sweat coating my whole body.

"Come on, get her in the bathtub," Dr. Burnett, gesturing towards me on the bed. "She's burning up too fast."

In a split second, Roarke was swiping me into his arms and rushing me down the hallway. Upon entering the bathroom, Maurice turned off the cold water and stepped away from the bathtub. Roarke instantly submerged me in the water, right up to my neck. I blew out a breath, hugging myself.

It was happening. My first transition had finally come. Up until this point, it didn't really feel real. And, that was my fault because I had chosen not to grasp the situation. It made it easier for me to accept death.

"Yes, she will transition today," Dr. Burnett was telling Roarke, standing off to the side. "The medication I gave her has helped with the irritation of her bite. She's healthier than ever before. Her survival truly depends on her mindset now."

Roarke rubbed his jaw. "What about her bond with Julius?"

"I think she can survive this transition without him," Dr. Burnett said, quietly. "It's just - you need to convince her to live. Commanding her wolf to fight for survival will not do it." Her gaze flickered over to me, filled with concern. "You cannot command someone to live."

"Why not?"

She gave him a look. "You can't."

Pain shot through my spine and I winced. "Ow, ow."

Roarke rushed to my side, crouching down at the side of the bathtub. He grabbed my hand, giving it a small squeeze. "The more you fight your wolf, the more painful this will be. Don't fight the transition."

I gritted my teeth together. "I-I'm not doing this."

"You have to do this," he said, watching me. "You don't get to leave me." I turned my head, curling my upper lip in distaste at his words. Dr. Burnett lingered near the sink while Maurice had left the bathroom with watering eyes. I guess Maurice couldn't stand to watch me die.

"I didn't ask for any of this," I breathed, flinching in pain. "I c-can't do this."

"You can," Roarke said, his tone serious. "We all die someday. You really want to die here? Like this?" I was taken back by his words. I glanced over at Dr. Burnett who was watching in silence. "From what you've told me, you've survived so much. You're going to let this kill you? Give up? Let this be your end?"

I inhaled deeply. "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to make you realize how weak you're being," he told me, eyes narrowed. "I know you don't like werewolves. You don't like us. But, if you die here, we win."

"If I become one of you, I lose," I responded, trying to shut out the pain. "I become something that I hate."

Roarke tilted his head. "And, I thought you realized that not all of us are easy to hate." He was still holding my hand, even when I twisted in the bathtub with a painful groan. "Not all werewolves are like me. Some are good and you can be good, too."

I looked him straight in the eyes. "You don't want me to live."

"Why would you think that?"

"It's not a thought," I told him, sharply. "It's a warning." Roarke leaned back, studying me for a moment. Dr. Burnett straightened, concern in her gaze. "If I survive, I will not stay here and wait for more bad things to happen to me. I will not feel sorry for myself. I will fight for my freedom and I will fight for humankind."