In Sickness and Health

6

Knocks at the door made me jump. 

Pain was crippling me; my body was shaking violently and I was sweating profusely. I curled around myself and tried to tell whoever it was to come in but I couldn't move. Claws seemed to be ripping apart my insides and I taste blood. I wish for death. I'm crying and trying to keep my whines at bay but they escape as tears slide down onto my pillow, soaking it and my hair. I briefly catch my mate's scent and my heart thumps wildly.

I try to call his name but all that comes out is a strangled cry. My throat convulses and something wet and metallic fills my mouth. I spit out red. 

Hearing my cries, Stephan lets me know he's coming in and I'm so grateful that I forgot to lock my door. 

Stephan enters and immediately rushes over to me, dropping to his knees. "Oh God, Tony, what's happening?!" He pulls me into lap, though has a hard time because I'm shivering in agony. I sob into his chest and he wipes away the blood from my mouth. "You'll be okay, beau." His voice is shaky as he picks me up as gently as he can. "We'll get you to the hospital." My stomach drops. I violently shake my head. 

"N-no, mmkay, d'n't." I try to plead but my jaw refuses to work properly. 

He starts heading to the door and I'm pulling on him, his shirt, hair. "Don't!" My voice comes out clearer. He stops and looks at me in bewilderment. 

"You- there's blood coming from your mouth and you're in pain so there's obviously something wrong and you don't want me to take you to the hospital?!" 

When he tries to go out the door again, I cry and squirm in his grasp. "N-no hospital!" I cry, more tears sliding down my face. Stephan must've secretly sensed something because he says, "I'll at least take you to my house." 

Stephan gently slides me into the back seat and throws the jacket he's wearing over my shivering body. He quickly starts up the truck and drives. As he's driving, I try to talk to him. "S-Stephan," I croak, hugging myself. 

"What mi amour?" His voice is full of worry. 

"I-I need ta t-tell you somethin'." 

I hug his jacket closer to me, knowing this would be the last time I would get to breathe in his scent like this. Tears ran down my cheeks and I cried aloud as my insides burned like fire. My vision was blurry and I couldn't swallow away the metallic taste of blood. I wished I would just die.

Stephan pulled into his driveway. "Hold on, sweetheart," he said urgently, yanking my door open to quickly carry me inside. 

He set me down on his couch as he began to run around his house, gathering medicine and a first aid kit. "Stephan!" I cried. He ignored me, still running around his house. "Stephan!" I screamed. "Stop! Please!" 

My mate paused and came over to me, setting everything down onto the ground. "You need help, mon loup." His voice broke and tears slid free from his gorgeous, gray eyes. 

"Stephan," I said brokenly, shaking my head, "you can't." 

"I don't understand," he whispered, taking my hand in his and kissing my knuckles. I sat up and he embraced me, both of us crying. 

"I'm dying," I sobbed, finally breaking down. His arms tightened around me. "I have cancer, Stephan. That's why I kept pushing you away. That's why I didn't want to be your mate!" I clung to him. He was going to leave now, I knew it. Don't leave me, please.

"I'm so sorry, Tony," he whispered, his voice cracking. He's going to leave me now. 

"P-please," I begged, clenching the fabric of his shirt in my fists, "please!" 

He slowly pulled away from me and wiped away my tears with his thumbs. "Please what, mon beau?" 

I sobbed harder, burying my face into his chest. "Please don't leave me!" I love you. 

I didn't know if it was the mate bond or my true feelings, but I knew I loved him. I love you so much! 

"Oh Tony," he cooed, "I'll never leave you." 

His strong hands rubbed my back soothingly and I felt myself slowly relaxing, the pain beginning to slightly dim. My body was still shaking. "Please don't leave, don't leave me!" I couldn't stop crying and my throat and eyes burned. "Everyone else did. My mom, my dad... They all abandoned me! All except my sister but she doesn't talk to me anymore. They all hate me, Stephan!" I felt his lips press against my temple and I heard his voice but couldn't make out the words. "They don't know about the cancer. I was hoping I'd die before I found my mate. You don't deserve this! I should've killed myself." 

"Hush, mi amour, you don't know what you're saying-" 

"It​​​​​​​ hurts so much Stephan," I sobbed, feeling him rocking me. "It hurts." 

He continues to soothe me, pulling up my shirt so his warm hand can rub my back. The skin-on-skin contact helps relax me further. My sobs slowly start to lesson. I feel drunk, stuck in a haze of pain and sleep deprivation from the nights of agony. 

My breathing began to stop stuttering and my eyelids grew heavy. I felt so warm - safe​​​​​​​ - in his arms. "It's spreading," I whispered, taking in his scent. "It's spread from my stomach to the neighboring organs. They don't think I'll live another year. I'm so scared​​​​​​​. Not so much of dying, but of leaving you​​​​​​​." 

He was steadily crying now, I could hear him. But my mind refused to work properly. "Go to sleep," he urged. "We'll talk more in the morning." 

"I love you," I said dreamily, "so much." 

I felt him stiffen then he gave a sigh of relief. "I love you too."

Thoughts?!?! 

Please tell me! 

Love ya, 

-Ally