My Hunted Mate

Corinna

My eyes groggily open, adjusting to the darkness of Malakai's room around me. The covers wrapped around my body are damp with sweat, I quickly toss them off my body but the warmth doesn't go away. Careful not to wake Kai who is sound asleep next to me, I crawl out of the bed. The sun dress I had been too tired to replace when we got home after hours of happily running through the woods, clung to my body like a second skin and I wanted nothing more to tear it to pieces in hopes of cooling myself down.

Instead I find myself wandering through the house until I'm in the kitchen, I swing open a press, grabbing a glass and filling it with cold water that seems warm when it hits my lips. Irritated, I open the freezer, taking a handful of ice that melts in my hand before I can toss it into the glass

A whimper escapes me as my temperature only seems to climb, gaining the attention of a few vampires around me, including Olive who is in front of me in a flash. " Corinna? Are you okay? "

I shake my head. " I don't know, I don't think so. "

" What's wrong? You don't look well, you're dripping with sweat. " She says, the worry in her eyes is clear.

"I feel too warm. " I whisper, feeling my temperature spike again. Olive reaches out, pressing her palm against my forehead but she immediately withdraws it, flinching slightly. * That.. " A look of confusion crosses her face. * That burned. *

I cry out as my temperature once again spikes, Olive quickly moves to lift me but hisses loudly when my skin touches hers. Her eyes dart around the room, she mutters something to me that I don't hear before disappearing out of the room.

She returns moments later with an orange blanket in her hands, she tosses it around me and gathers me into her arms, taking off through the house until we're upstairs in the bathroom connected to my room. The entire time I protest, begging her to take the blanket that seemed to be suffocating me away, she ignores me until she places my body into the bathtub. As soon as she puts me down, I rip the blanket off of me, along with my dress tossing it across the bathroom in a panic.

" What the hell is wrong with me? * I sob, as Olive leans over to plug the bath.

She turns the blue tap all the way up, the water gushes out and starts to fill the tub, steam rises from my body when the cold water connects with it but it brings me no relief.

My sobs get louder and louder as the heat in my body continues to boil, the bathroom door flies open but I barely register it until Kai's scent hits me. I breathe in his scent deeply over and over again, something inside me snaps and I can feel my canines extending, I'm sure my eyes are turning their glowing purple to accompany them.

" What the fuck is going on? * Malaki questions.

Olive says something in reply to him but her voice seems a million miles away, by now the tub is full to the brim with water and the tap has been turned off but I'm still burning. The two continue to panic between them until I intervene.

" Kai. " I call out. " I think I know what's wrong with me. "

He's instantly on his knees at the edge of the tub. " Did I get you sick? I shouldn't have let you stay out in the cold wet for so long, I'm so sorry my darling. *

" No Kai. " I say through clenched teeth. " I'm in heat. "

" Heat? What the fuck is heat? " Olive cuts in.

" Olive, 1 like you, you're lovely but please get the fuck out. " I snap, feeling myself getting irritated and possessive over her being anywhere near my mate.

"1. Okay. I'm sorry. " She rushes out before exiting the room

" What's going on baby? " Kai asks softly, reaching over to brush my sweat covered hair from my face.

A deep sigh of pleasure leaves me as his touch leaves a trail of coolness across my head, I close my eyes and lean into his hand, my teeth now return back to their normal state but I can feel that my eyes are still glowing.

" Heat is something a female wolf goes through when she's been claimed but has been left unmated for a period of time. " I whisper, humming lightly when I feel Kai's fingers massaging my head. * My body temperature has risen to an unnatural heat, hence the name, it feels like my entire body is being burned by fire from the inside out. "

" When does it leave? " He questions.

* It lasts for twenty four hours. " I mumble.

" Fuck. " The upset in his tone is clear and I'm sure if I was looking at him I'd see it just as clearly in his eyes. * What can I do? *

"Just stay close. " I say, reaching out to grab his free hand and link our fingers together. * Completing the mating process gets rid of it completely, but skin on skin contact with a wolf's mate eases it. " Feeling him move closer to me, I open my eyes to look at him, he removes his hand from my head, adjusting himself so he is perched on the edge of the tub. He leans forward, pressing his lips to my forehead for a couple of seconds and then he pulls away completely making me whimper.

"Just a second, my darling. " He speaks, I watch as he rids his body of his clothes as quickly as possible.

He presses his palm flat against my bare back as he climbs into the water, cursing under his breath as he does. " Did Olive use hot water? * he asks.

" No, why? " I turn my head to look at him as he sits behind me with his legs on either side of my body.

" The heat from your body must have warmed the water because it's extremely hot. * He mumbles, wrapping his arms around my torso and pulling my back right against his front.

I release a low sigh of relief as I lay back against him. " You have no idea how good that feels. " I mutter, closing my eyes once again.

He shushes me, rubbing his hand over the top of my head repeatedly in a slow, calming manner. " You just relax now.