Dallas's POV
--

I look at them with a guarded expression. What did they see? My father grins smugly at me and crosses his arms, leaning back on his heels.

He was watching. He was watching. Nicole watches them with a blank expression I'm envious of. I'm sure embarrassment is written all over mine. Why would they watch?

I'm suddenly very self conscious of the blood all over my mouth and teeth.

That seems to be the only place they're looking.

"Before you ask, yes. We were watching through that window." Dad indicates at the window in the door. "Doctor came to check on you and..." He grins, his eyes darting to Doctor Monte. Her cheeks are flushed and she seems to struggle for words.

They both know it's unthinkable to interrupt Marking. It's inappropriate to watch. But I know the doctor just wanted to make sure I didn't get myself hurt further.

My father looks as if he's about ready to pounce on me. What for; no idea. I'm not going to. At least not anymore. My instincts aren't apparent at the moment. I've conquered them.

I wipe at my mouth again. Crimson. Licking my teeth, I taste her blood coating them.

I'm humiliated. They watched something so... Intimate. My face is flushed and I cover it with my hands from mortification.

"Don't worry. We couldn't hear anything." That doesn't make it better. They watched me basically struggle to contain my control. I'm freaking out.

Suddenly, Nicole's smell becomes intoxicating, threatening to suffocate me. It makes me ache and desire... Well, I don't know what.

Something starts rising in me again, too fast for me to understand what it is before I turn and practically leap at Nicole. I swear inside my head.

My dad lurches forward, grabbing me in midair and holding me so I can't move. I stare at Nicole, seeing her confused gaze mirror my thoughts. What am I doing?

My instincts.

They're back.

My dad grips me as I growl and the doctor winces as I twist sideways uncomfortably. My stomach isn't fully healed.

Crying out, I become limp. Agonizing pain spikes through me and I see Nicole stand from her position against the wall, alarmed.

My face is contorted into one of anger and need. Pure instincts. My canines are out and I'm breathing heavily. The blood on my face smells like her, driving me to lurch from my dad. He keeps his grip.

Nicole takes a step towards me, her eyes dark. The doctor seems to understand what's happening because she dashes forward to hold back Nicole. Nicole snarls and glares at her, but the doctor resists her deathly gaze.

"Dallas! Call it off! Now!" My dad is shouting at me. Call what off? And how am I supposed to do it? "Dallas!"

I close my eyes. Control. Control.

When I open them, I'm standing without my father keeping me up. I look at him, back to my senses, and wipe at my bloody mouth.

Nicole's staring at me with something in her eyes that I can't read. Odd. My dad steps in front of her and starts saying things that I miss. What's going on? Why are my instincts back?

"Dallas! Get out of here! She won't calm down!" My father screams.

I can feel my side seeping wolfsbane mixed with my blood onto the bandage. I wheeze and start heading for the door. Gripping the doorknob, I quickly open and shut it right as Nicole slams into the door.

--

I'm lying in a new hospital bed, Dr. Monte checking the holes in my sides as they heal painfully slow. She prods at the edges of the holes, my teeth gritting and my head tilting back while I scream through my teeth. Oh it hurts. Badly.

She starts applying some cream or something to my sides. It burns. Now that I've been "burnt" by silver and Wolfsbane, it's nothing. Just uncomfortable.

"They look worse," the doctor observes. "You twisted too much when.. Ah..." I look at her, her face scarlet.

I don't bother saying anything. I haven't seen Nicole for four days. Four. Stinking. Days.

The Mate Bond doesn't help.

"I want to go home." I say quietly. She looks at me with her bright gaze.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Alright." She says quietly, gathering a file in her arms. "You can leave then. Come check in every two three days. Don't do any strenuous activities." She pauses, tilting her head. "Just... Just be careful."

I nod. And then she leaves, the door clicking behind her.

My dad enters minutes later. "Ready to go home, son?" I nod. I'm exhausted. I need to see Nicole. No one'll let me.

When we walk out of the room and down the hall, we walk right past the room I was in a few days ago. The one Nicole must be in.

My father grips my arm, pulling me quickly.

"I need to see her." I suddenly say, stopping. He tugs on me again, only getting me to move a few centimeters.

"What?" My father turns to me completely, his silver eyes annoyed and irritated. "You can't. She can't be near you right now."

A low growl erupts in my chest and I glare at my dad. "I will see her."

"You said you wanted to go home."

"With her." He groans.

"Dallas. She wants to Mark you. We have to let you heal first. The doc and I have been talking. The war is making this too dangerous. You can't go see her now." I rip myself from his grip, aware of the bruises going to form on my arm.

I sprint through the hospital to the room Nicole occupies. As soon as my hand touches the knob, my father seems to grab me harder and tighter. I grit my teeth, squirming so my side isn't touching him as he tries to take me back home.

I just need to see her.

I look through the window as my father starts pulling me. I pull back. I need to see.

Movement on the bed catches my eye and finally, I see her. She's looking straight at me.

Growling, I try to pull one of my arms free from my father's iron grip, but he does something that I know he'll regret later but is the only way to get me to stop.

He punches me. In my side. Hard.

I yell, doubling over until he finally lets go of me. Crumpling to the ground, I press my hands against my side, groaning through my teeth. Roaring pain makes me writhe around on the floor.

The bandage is bright red. They just changed it.

My breathing comes fast and I'm able to get a glimpse of his expression. Blank. But I can read his eyes. He's already regretting it, but he knows he had to. And I know he had to.

Every breath is a struggle, so curling up in a ball, I pray it'll all go away. When it doesn't, I scream. When I look up at the window, I see Nicole's face pressed up against the glass.

Her face is red. Her eyes are watery. And wet stains are on her cheeks.

--

At home, I lay on my bed as a doctor provided by Dr. Monte changes the scarlet bandage. Every time the cloth moves, I flinch. My entire side is enflamed with pain and I know I probably have bruised and broken ribs. Because of the Wolfsbane still in me, they won't heal nearly as fast as they should.

But it's hard for me to be angry at my dad. I should be, right? What kind of father punches their near-death son in a place that isn't healing properly? But I'm not mad. I would have done the same thing had the roles been reversed. I understand why he did it.

The doctor leaves, bowing her head respectfully to my father in the corner of the room before leaving.

He walks up to me, radiating guilt and sorrow. "I'm so sorry, Dallas... I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do."

My eyes are closed, but both him and I know I'm not asleep. How can I when I just Marked my Mate and she isn't here?

My eyes slowly peel open to look at him. "I'm not mad." Silver eyes dart to meet green. "I know why you did it." Each word is like another arrow being pounded into my gut.

That's all I can say. Everything hurts. My father understands.

I close my eyes to stop them from showing the pain I'm feeling. I don't want him to know how badly this hurts. He'll feel worse.

But I know he already knows. "Dallas. Don't try to..." He trails off and I open one eye to look at him. "Don't try to pretend you're okay. I know you're not, but I had to." Opened completely now. He stares at me for a moment, deciphering so many things from my eyes. It becomes unbearable, sucking the breath out of me and making me feel suffocated.

Gritting my teeth, my eyes start watering. I curl over onto my side, facing away from my father so he doesn't watch the worst of it.

I make sure I'm soundless, at least this one time. His breathing quickens behind me. Again, it becomes unbearable. A low groan echoes through the room. And then a louder one. I try to calm myself, to calm my breathing. I tell myself it'll all go away. But I know the consistent aching sessions I have are not from my pounding side. They are from being away from Nicole. Even though she's literally in the building next to this one. I can't sleep. I need to see her.

"Dallas, Nicole got released today." My father's voice is quiet. Rare.

Tilting my head to look at him, I feel something bubble inside of me. Hope. I might be able to see her today. I want to make sure she's okay.

"What happened?" The question comes out as a whisper, though I already know the answer.

"She wants to Mark you." I turn my head to look up at the ceiling. I knew this would happen. Because she doesn't try and keep control often, she can't keep it now.

"Yeah. So why don't you let her?" I ask. I can't speak anymore. It hurts too much. I'll have to settle with motions.

"Have you seen the state you're in? Had the doctors came in earlier or seen you earlier, they would have stopped you. When she came, it was too late so she Linked me. It's not safe right now, Dallas. You're injured. She can't Mark you." My growl echoes through the room. "Right now." He adds hastily.

I shake my head, feeling miserable.

"Can you Link her?" He asks. We both know the answer to that.

No.

I have Marked her, but she hasn't Marked me yet.

"I want to see her." My voice is hoarse. I tilt my head to look at him. He stares at me and I can only imagine what he sees.

And then there's a pounding on my door. I lurch upwards, my body rigid. My father starts running for the door when it bursts open.

Standing in the doorway is Nicole. Her blue eyes are wild and frantic, darting around as if looking for something. Then they land on me. She takes a step and my father grabs her.
Gently. But I'm angry. With a growl, I launch myself out of the bed, nearly collapsing from the searing pain in my sides. But I need to get to her. Her scent. It smells... Different.

She shoves at my dad, her eyes staring at me. I rush forward until I can't take it anymore. I collapse. Nicole is shoved out of the door.

I'm panicking. I want her. I want her with me. My sides are hurting and I know they're probably bleeding.

Finally, I somehow manage to make it to the door. I throw myself against it, a wolf howl leaving my lips. My dad is with Nicole on the other side. I can hear what he's telling her. He's going to lock her in a room. Just like he's locked me.

I really want to get out. She's right there. I have to take deep breaths to calm down. I don't know what to do.

I won't sleep tonight. Just like I haven't since she's been gone.

--

When I'm in my bed yet again, I just stare up at the ceiling. I can't sleep. I can't. Especially knowing she's so close to me. War or not, I need her.

And then there's a creak. My door. I expect my dad. He's going to tell me how I can't see her and yada yada blah blah. He's going to tell me how I need to sleep. I can't.

Propping myself up, I stare at the door and have to do a double take when I don't meet silver eyes. I meet blue instead.

Nicole.