Our Fatal Failings (Twisted book two)

Chapter Twenty

Don’t you get tired? I think, lying awake in utter agony. My bones quiver with each movement. I can’t see, not really. Just see him, smell him all around me.

I growl and step to the floor, my body collapsing under me. How do I shift? Do I just think about it? My body stays unchanged. Do I pray to the moon goddess. I close my eyes, but no prayer comes. I can’t pray to her. I squeeze my eyes shut and think about what I should look like as a wolf. The last time  saw myself, I was smaller than Jonah, with patches of brown in mostly gray fur. I had large, brown eyes that were always wet. I don’t suppose I was a scary wolf, in the way wolves go. 

I open my eyes and take in a sharp breath. My bones crack. I let a hiss of relief pass through my mouth as I shrink, the pain feeling more welcome than anything else. The door clicks softly open and Mira, the Beta’s mate, stands in the doorway. She’s visibly shocked. “Luna?”

I stick my tongue out. So cool. “I suppose you want to run,” she says, voice shaking. I nod as best I can. I spend the rest of the afternoon tearing across the royal lands. 

Jonah avoids me like the plague for the next three days. Between my heat and her message, that witch didn’t give me much time to collect information. But I’ll disortient him. He’ll come back to me. He has to come back to me. Mira, lingers nearby like a mother bird, fluffing my pillows, bringing me more blankets and delivering chicken noodle soup. When she’s not doing that, she’s asking a maid to do it. I asked her why and her reply was, “The whole pack, the whole country relies on your health and the health of the baby that might come out of this. This is my civic duty.” 

My sickness becomes worse on the second day. I knew this was his castle, but I was never truly aware of it until now. His scent is everywhere. “It hurts.” I scream until my voice gives. “It hurts!” Mira pats my head with cold water.

“Yes, yes, I know. This will pass. Don’t worry, this one is always the worst one. This will pass.”

“Help me!” Her forms spins in front of me. I’m going to black out.

“That’s just your body finally maturing.” She smoothes back my hair. Her hands are cold. “It’s going to be okay. It’s all going to be okay.” 

I don’t believe her. Instead, I just grab onto her hand and cry for the rest of the day.

The third a day proves to be my own personal circle of hell. My eyes are glassy. My skin is on fire and I swear as I slip in and out of fever dreams. 

“Imani?” Mira comes into the room. She has her stuff gathered. “Imani, I’m going to leave.”

“Don’t leave me.” I sob. I want to break every bone in my body if that will bring a different kind of pain. “Don’t leave me please.”

“He’s coming, okay? Just relax, just breathe. He’s coming.”

She opens the door. “Mira. Don’t leave me. Mira.” She shuts it behind her. “Mira! Mira, don’t leave me!”

But I’m alone. I sob harder. I don’t want to do this. I can’t take this anymore. I kick off my blankets and fall to the floor with a hard thud. My body blooms with hurt on impact, but for a split second, it’s different from the fire tearing through my muscles. I drag myself by my claws to the bathroom. I turn on the spout and rip my clothes off. The tatters fall to the floor. Between blinking realities, I fall face first into the cold water. I manage to turn off the tap. 
 The cold surrounds me, alleviating some of my pain. It’s not enough though, it’ll never be enough. In this place that smells like him, it will never be enough. I curl up, holding my knees as my teeth chatter. Water clings to my eyelashes, obscuring my already haze filled world. My ears roar with the sound of my blood, my heart pumps wildly in my chest, beating like a snare drum. I can’t help but think that this is the moon goddess’s way of punishing me. Or maybe, all werewolves are this way. And maybe this is why my mother began to poison me. And mabe-

“Imani.” The whisper drags me out of my thoughts. My pulse quickens and I swallow spit to wet a dry throat. 

“Hello.” I inch back. 

His eyes are feral, his stance is predatory, his canines gleam and his claws threaten to descend. He’s already loosening his tie. “Come here.”  

I hesitate, ignoring the thoughts that swirl in my head. “I need a towel.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I find myself agreeing in my head as I step out of the water. Goosebumps rise on my skin. He’s a very bright light and I, a moth, can’t help but come closer. Closer and closer. Until there’s no space left to cross. 

I remember the vial in my closet, through my pain. I hope I can still recall it, when everything goes blank. 

Blush pink. Blush, blush pink. I twin around silky, stain sheets. 

Pink pillow drops, blush baby blue. It doesn’t make any sense. Nothing makes sense as I dig my fingers into his hair. Everything disappears. Except for him. 

“It hurts,” I whisper. My throat is raw. 

“I know.” I disappear further as he palms the plane of my stomach. “I’m sorry.”

Sorry? I curl up around him, nervousness coiling in my stomach. It doesn’t say much. I’m satisfied here. Down to the deepest fiber of my soul, I’m singing. 

I’m singing. 

I’m chanting.

I’m here. 
 
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Jonah’s POV

I am lost. 

I don’t know how long it’s been. Time fades away here, beside her, swimming in her sweet divine. 

It’s heaven, the purest, sweetest heaven. 

And it’s right here. 

I find myself thanking the goddess. A women this beautiful, she can only be a product of the goddess. Hand-crafted maybe. 

She holds my face in her hot, hot hands. A sheen of sweat covers her face, her fever remains unbroken. Still, she smiles at me. A pleased, stated, dreamy smile covers her face. “Imani,” I whisper, hands digging into her shoulders. A groan escapes her lips and I grin, bringing my forehead to hers. “Do you love me?”

She opens her eyes and stares at me, her eyes strangely clear. A knot works in my stomach. That wasn’t the question I should’ve asked, that wasn’t-

Instead, she kisses me softly, bringing my head back down to hers. I watch her face. She kisses my nose, kisses my jaw, kisses my cheek, kisses my forehead until I’m hot and sweating all over. Then she goes back to singing. My name is the refrain.