Within the Forest (Werewolf Solangelo AU)

Chapter Fifty-Five: Survive

Nico's POV

I don't know how long I stayed on the floor, curled against the door, clawing at my burning abdomen in a weak attempt to get rid of the pain. Even if I knew that wasn't going to work. The heat has been quite strange. It would be unbearable for a certain amount of time, then it would fade into an almost nonexistence tingle. It has faded into a small stinging feeling that spread just underneath my skin and ate away at my nerves.

At one point back in the East pack, I had somehow convinced myself that if I got under my skin I could somehow fix this problem. That led to Ethan having to physically restrain me since I had managed to break the skin on my stomach with my own nails by working at it for who knows how long. I fought with him, screaming and crying until the burning had eased up and I found myself drained of any kind of energy. It wasn't the most pleasent experience in the world.

I only realized I had been sitting in a silent daze when I felt the door move. Surely I would have heard footsteps if I had been.. Well.. Paying attention. I gasped, twisting myself to try to catch myself only to feel someone grab me. I clung to the forearm of the person who was holding me, currently trying to pull me to my feet, expecting it to be Will. But too many things were wrong about just that one touch.

No warmth spread through my skin at the contact.

The skin of the person was warm, but not close to Will's warmth.

The hands of the person were too soft and small to be Will's.

From how clingy he's been since my return, Will would have picked me up. Not just pulled me up.

This wasn't Will. And I didn't like it.

"-should have said something instead of just bailing on you like that," the person muttered, gently pulling me towards the bed. Apparently they were talking to me. Great.

I pulled away, or at least tried to. Was Will just sending a random person to care for me instead? Why wasn't he here? I didn't want a babysitter. I wanted Will. "Easy Alpha," the person, a girl I think, said as I finally realized we had gotten to the bed. I blinked, looking up at her for the first time.

"Lou?" I muttered, protesting only a little as she gently pushed me down into the bed. "What..?"

"Listen, I know everything is scary and confusing but Auntie Lou is here to make everything okay," Lou grinned, climbing onto the bed next to me and mirroring my laying position. Plain on my back with my arms folded over my stomach, ready to claw at any sudden pain. I glanced over to the door. When did she close it? I really need to start paying attention. "Any questions?"

"Why did Will leave?" I mumbled, my voice a bit hoarse from crying. "Is he mad at me?"

"Of course not! He's just.. A little scared," Lou said slowly, sounding unsure of how to explain.

I turned my head to face her and we locked eyes. How long as she been looking at me? I don't like this. Where's Will? "Are you sure?"

"He came crawling to me with his tail between his legs not too long ago. He's worried about you. What's going on is really serious and he doesn't want to mess anything up so bad that it might end with you hurt."

I sighed at Lou's confirmation that Will didn't hate me for something. But I still didn't like the fact that he just ran from me like I was the walking dead. I turned away and faced the other direction. I just felt.. Tired. Now that the heat had died down, I was exhausted. "Wanna gossip?" Lou spoke up.

I turned back to him and frowned. "About?"

"Will," Lou grinned. "I've pretty much known him since birth. Wanna hear stories?"

For the first time that day, I managed to smile. Stories? Of Will? Sounds fun. "Okay."

By the time Lou finished about three or so stories, we were both laughing until our sides hurt. From what Lou's said, Will has fallen out of a tree when he was seven because the branch was too thin to support his weight, he almost swallowed a fly while laughing a few times, and he got stuck in a tree when he was eight.

"Oh! Oh! And he pronounced the word 'Specific' incorrectly until like two years ago!" Lou recalled. "He said it like 'Pacific'. I don't know how he went that long without being corrected!" Once again, another roar of laughter. This was incredible. I had so much teasing material. "Oh! And he hates spiders. With a passion. He screams like a girl when he sees on!"

It went like that for a little longer. Lou would tell stories about Will and we would laugh until she remembered another one. That was soon ruined by my heat returning.

"Yikes," Lou muttered as I rolled to face away from her with a small groan. "It's always the first timers who have the stronger scents. That is.. What even is that?" Was she trying to identify my heat scent? Why? "Wow. It actually smells the dirt. But like.. No. Like how the air smells after it rains during spring. No wonder Will left so fast."

Lou ran down and grabbed some water, having me drink it. It didn't really do anything, but the icy coldness of the liquid that rushed down my throat did somewhat distract me from the burning. Then she laid back down next to me as I pressed the water bottle against where the pain seemed to originate from and continued to tell light-hearted stories about Will, her and Cecil growing up. I was enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would.

Maybe I could survive how much longer this hell lasts....

(Another long chapter... Cool~)