If this was Hell, it hurt like a bitch.

I had the sensation of being devoured by fire, skin and organs torn apart by the flames, flesh sizzling in agony. Even breathing felt like swallowing a puddle of lava. I wondered if being burned alive was my eternal punishment, because damn. It truly was a torture. At least I hoped that Satan was some sexy piece of eye candy so I had something pleasant to stare at while burning for eternity. Slim consolation, but still..it was better than nothing. I tried to move my tongue, but it was stuck to the palate. Sandpaper. Or cardboard. That's how it felt like. There was probably even someone hammering on my head, cause a raging headache was currently devouring my mind. Rude. As if burning wasn't enough. Apart from that, however, it felt empty.

My wolf.

I tried calling to her, but no answer came. Panic spread through me, my heart nearly stopping in my chest. Where was she? I attempted to move, but my body didn't respond. No, no, no, no. Not alone, I couldn't be alone.

My wolf, my wolf, my wolf, my wolf, my wolf

I needed to, needed to, needed to..

"Easy."

A voice sliced through my thoughts, but I didn't care. Where was my wolf? Why wasn't she answering me? I wanted for that headache to stop. I wanted to know why my wolf wasn't answering me. I wanted..

"Easy, Lara."

That voice again. It sounded somewhat familiar. It reminded me of chocolate. Of spicy cinnamon rolls. Of anise scented tea.

"Here, drink this."

Something metallic was placed upon my dry lips and soon after something wet and cold went down my throat. Water. I drank greedily, even if it hurt. Did they serve water in Hell? Nice. My mouth was feeling less like a desert now and I could move my tongue. Barely, but enough to try to mouth some words.

"Where...wolf...I-I..can't...fe-el.."

I didn't recognize my own voice. The few words I uttered were slurred and raspy, sounding like nails on blackboard.

"It's fine. She's fine. She is just recovering like you are. She will come back when she's healed."

Water was offered to me again and I accepted, swallowing as much as I could. I tried to open my eyes, but as soon as I did light blinded me and my headache roared. Wasn't Hell supposed to be dark and gloomy? Strange. I tried again, blinking repeatedly my eyelids to get used to the light.

I met ocean blue.

Deep, raging blue. Streaked in gold. Darker in the center, lighter around the borders. Suddenly, the voice, the smell, the blue made sense. Hercules. So I wasn't dead? Wasn't I in Hell? Or was Satan designed after him? At least my desire of Satan being a sexy piece of eye candy had been fulfilled.

But then I looked at him more attentively. His hair was disheveled and unkempt, strands of black matted and unruly. Same went for his beard. I had always seen him with a well groomed scruff or bare faced, never with facial hair this long. It looked like he hadn't shaved in days. His t-shirt was messy and wrinkled, like he had put it on in a hurry. The feature that stood out the most, however, were his eyes. Or, more accurately, the dark circles and bags under them. The livid hue contouring his eyes was stark against the pallor of his skin. He had the appearance of someone who hadn't slept in days.

"You look like hell," I managed to croak out.

Hercules' expression didn't change. His stare was hollow, vacant.

"I may do, but you still hold the podium."

I wanted to scoff, but stabbing pain in my back prevented me from doing so. Little by little, I became aware of my surroundings. I was lying down on my stomach, my face twisted to the side. I was on something soft, something whose scent was familiar. It smelled of me. Hercules was crouched down beside the bed, our eyes on the same level. My eyes moved from his face to the background, taking in the familiar walls. I was in my room. In the cabin. Definitely not dead.

"So I'm not dead. Not yet anyway."

Every word felt like a punch in the throat, but at least my tongue was now moving freely. Hercules did not laugh, if anything his expression turned even more somber. He tightened his lips in a straight line, tiny wrinkles appearing at the corners. Party pooper. I was the one nearly mauled to death. I could say whatever the fuck I wanted. I tried to shift my arm, but my whole body was stiff as a board, pain lacing every attempt at moving.

"Easy Lara, or you'll reopen the wounds."

I felt Hercules stand up, arms stretched over me, ready to stop me just in case. A whiff of his scent reached my nose and I inhaled, chocolate and spices soothing my aching mind.

"Let's get to the point. How bad..how bad is my shape?"

I knew it was bad. I just wanted to know which level of bad we were talking about. His silence told me enough. The sound of wood scraping against wood made me flinch and I closed my eyes, my headache roaring with fury. I could sense that he was no longer standing, but seating down beside me.

"When I found you," he started, but then his voice broke down. I felt him swallow. "When I found you, there was so much blood. You were laying there, blood pouring out of you, breathing unevenly...and I..."

There were such anguish in his voice, such pain, such rawness. I felt something squeeze in my chest at the brutal emotion that laced his words. His tone reminded me of...

"It was you," I whispered, "The howl. It was you."

I opened my eyes to dare to look at him. He was looking at the wall, but his eyes seemed unseeing. As if his words had brought him back into that clearing. And I could swear - I could swear - that there was silver lining his eyes. The weight in my chest intensified till the point where I didn't know if I was hurting more outside or inside.

"How?"

He neither confirmed nor denied my words, but I knew it had been him. I just knew it. A myriad of questions was swirling into my mind, but somehow that was the first one to come out of my mouth. I needed to know how.

"The she wolf mind-linked the pack to ask for help when she got injured. A group of wolves was already running towards her when she told us that a wolf with grey pelt and golden eyes had come out of nowhere to help her. I knew it was you. I ran as fast as I could, but I was far...And then she told us that you were injured. Badly. And I..." his voice cracked.

"When I got there, I didn't know where to look first. There was a dead bear laying in the middle of the clearing and there was so much blood that the entire place reeked of it. But then I saw you. I saw you, laying on your side in wolf form. I saw you, slowly bleeding to death. And you don't know how..."

Now I was certain that there was silver lining his eyes. And surprisingly, my heart bled at his pain. His anguish was so heartfelt that I had to close my eyes.

"I picked you up and sprinted towards the pack house as fast as I could. You were loosing so much blood and...then you unconsciously shifted back into your human form. When I saw your wounds...Goddess, I think I never ran so fast in my life. Robert was already waiting for us when we reached the infirmary and when I had to hand you over to him...seeing you on that bed..Lara, I.."

He stopped. Then breathed in and out.

"You had several wounds, some superficial, some deep. The ones on your back were...bad. The worst ones. So deep that we were scared that your lungs had been punctured. But then Robert understood that your breaths were shallow because you had two broken ribs and one just slightly damaged. Your left arm was broken in three pieces. Your body had already started to heal them, but the way they were placed...it was wrong. Robert had to re-break your bones to rearrange them while I held you down. Until I couldn't. You started screaming even if you were out and...my wolf went ballistic. I had to step out before my wolf did something drastic. When I got out, Cameron and Sean were there. They pinned me to the ground while you screamed and my wolf tried to take control. Then he sedated you. And stitched you up."

I swallowed.

"When you were stable enough, I brought you back here. I just knew that you wouldn't have liked to be surrounded while in such a..delicate..state, so I moved you in your cabin. And forbad everyone to come near the cabin's grounds. I know you won't like this, but I temporarily moved here too. I needed to..check on you while you rested and recovered. And your wounds needed regular cleaning."

I willed myself to open my eyes. I wanted to look at him. I needed to see him.

"You stayed with me and took care of my wounds while I was sleeping?"

He looked at me and nodded, his eyes still faintly rimmed in red. And then the dark circles, the unkept hair, the beard, the wrinkled clothes suddenly made sense. He had stayed by my side, guarding over me, tending to my wounds while I had been passed out and vulnerable. And the pain I had felt through his voice... There were no words. No words to describe what I was feeling.

I gritted my teeth, trying to drown the raging pit in my head. I needed to focus. Clenching my right hand, I tried to move my arm. The muscles in my back protested, burning and painfully stretching. I did not care. My hand slowly slithered on the sheets, feeling the cool cotton against my skin. I reached the edge of the bed and straightened my fingers. Hercules had both his hands on his knees and, with a last effort, I placed mine over his nearest one. The warmth of his skin was pleasant against the clammy film coating mine. I pried his hand open, interlacing our fingers together.

"Thank you."

I looked into his eyes, pouring every inch of gratitude, every raw emotion I was feeling into my gaze. I wanted him to see. Everything. No mask. Walls crushed to the ground. I squeezed his hand as tight as I could and he squeezed right back, his eyes never leaving mine. They were brimming with emotion, a mirror of my own.

"I should be the one thanking you. You saved a member of the pack."

My thoughts shifted to the injured she wolf.

"How is she?"

"Grace is fine. She's recovering in the infirmary. Her leg was pretty damaged, but she'll manage. She hasn't stopped asking about you."

I was glad she was alive and healing. Glad that we had been able to walk away alive. Both of us. Hercules grazed the back of my hand with his thumb. A feather-like touch. Almost reverently.

"Many have, actually." He whispered.

"What?"

"A lot of pack members have been asking about your conditions. They're worried about you."

My throat closed up with more emotion than I could imagine. I was touched by their concern. Deeply. None had ever cared for my well-being in four years. No werewolves at least. It was strange to have someone tending after me. To have someone worried about me. But it was nice. And heart warming.

"I'm an hard bitch to kill. The bear had no chances."

Hercules' lips tugged upwards, a small smile appearing on his face. That smile was my undoing. I had just witnessed him crying - a very feared Alpha male, actually crying, for me - and now that little stretch of lips was everything that I wanted to see. Needed to see.

"Glad to know that your humor is still intact."

"My humor is even tougher than me."

A low chuckle came from him and I wanted to join, but instead of chuckling, I coughed. Fuck. It was like having someone stomping on my back. Hercules' smile vanished immediately, replaced by lines of worry. He reached for the glass on the night table and then placed it on my lips. I drank but then coughed again. Droplets sprayed everywhere, dripping from my chin. He made a move to stand up, but I gripped his hand as hard as I could. I wasn't ready to let go of him. Not yet.

"I'm fine," I said, swiping my chin on the pillow case.

"You're not."

He narrowed his eyes at me. He was right, but I didn't want for him to worry more than it was necessary. I wanted for that little smile to return.

"It's time to check on your wounds anyway."

Hercules gently pried open our interlocked hands and stood up, backing away from the bed. My fingers twitched, empty air now replacing the warmth of his skin. I heard him fumble through something and soon after he was again by my side.

"I need to remove the sheet from your back. Is it okay?"

Ever the gentleman. Or gentle-wolf. Was it even a thing? Pain was making me delirious. I nodded as best as I could. Cool air met my back, goosebumps raising all over my skin. I wondered if I was completely naked. I didn't care if I was. It was not the time for modesty. Not that I was a modest person to start with.

"I'm going to take off the gauze now. Tell me if I hurt you."

His fingers skimmed over my shoulder, stopping above the scapula. He removed the gauze with such gentleness, such tenderness and care that I nearly felt the urge to cry. As soon as the cloth was off, my skin began to itch.

"The stitches look clean. Robert told me to put antiseptic on them so I'm going to apply it now."

Even if the cream was cool, my wound began to throb and burn. I bit my lips to refrain from hissing until I tasted blood in my mouth. I didn't want for Hercules to feel guilty. A little bit more of pain wouldn't kill me.

"How.." I bit back a groan, " how are the wounds?"

"Your bones are fine now. Most of your wounds healed and shut in the past days, but the three on your back...were nasty. They'll probably scar." He then added, a little undertone, " I'm sorry."

I didn't give a damn about scars. They would remind me that I had battled against a lion mountain and an angry ass bear and had survived, but...days? I've been unconscious for multiple days?

"Days? How long?"

I heard him cut a piece of gauze.

"You've been in and out of consciousness for nearly three days now."

Three days? Fuck. That meant that it was the middle of the week now. I needed to..

"I already called the hospital and explained to them that you were incapacitated to go to work. You're on leave for the whole week."

"You called the hospital? For me?"

He was carefully placing the new gauze on my wound now.

"I did."

"Thank you." My voice broke down.

Hercules then proceeded to clean and sterilize the other two wounds, his moves always gentle and careful. I was lost in my mind, the pain overshadowed by my thoughts. This male had turned out to be nothing of what I had expected him to. And in that moment, I truly missed my wolf. She would have made fun of me, huffing and swishing her tail. She would have laughed - in the way a wolf could laugh - at the confusion I was feeling. My stomach rumbled, slicing through the silence of the room. Hercules repositioned the sheet on my back and crouched down on my eye level.

"Are you hungry? What do you feel like eating?"

I was. Apparently, I hadn't eaten in three days. My stomach rumbled again.

"I am. But I don't think I can stomach anything more that maybe a yogurt and some fruit for now."

He stood up and disappeared from the room, leaving me alone. I casted a glance towards the windows, noticing how the sunlight was slowly disappearing. Feet pounding on the stairs announced Hercules' return, his scent becoming more prominent with every step. He soon appeared in front of me, a tray in hand. He placed it on the night table and my eyes zeroed on the bowl of yogurt and the sliced apple the tray was holding. I tried to pin myself on my elbows to get up, but crippling pain took hold of my back. Hissing, I slumped back on the mattress.

"Stay still. I'll feed you."

Like hell he was.

"I can eat by myself, you don't.."

Hercules' stare shut me up. It was intense to say the least.

"You'll only risk reopening the stitches if you try to eat by yourself. So don't be a prideful female and let me feed you. You can go back to try to bite my balls once you're fully healed."

I held his stare, but I knew that it was a lost battle. I lifted my head just enough to be able to swallow without choking to death. Hercules passed me a spoonful of yogurt and I opened my mouth, tasting its tartness on my tongue. He must have sweetened it with honey. Spoonful after spoonful, my stomach quieted. It was a little embarrassing being fed by him, but Hercules was right: I still wasn't able to eat on my own. When the last slice of the juicy apple vanished, my belly was completely full.

"Thank you." I said, eyes on the fingers that had brushed my lips and tongue just moments before.

"You're welcome. My wolf is quite pleased right now. He's proud of having provided for you."

I wanted to scoff.

"Your wolf is an overgrown domineering mother hen then."

He chuckled, the sound reverberating through my bones. There it was. That smile again. Hercules then sat down, a bowl of yogurt and dried fruits in his hands. I eyed it curiously.

"What about the meat though?"

He swallowed and my traitor eyes followed the arch of his throat, his Adam apple bobbing.

"What meat?"

"The meat from the Hunt."

I bet all the pack had been feasting on tender chunks of fat and muscles after the Hunt, so why was he - their Alpha - eating yogurt? Hercules stopped eating, looking at me in the eyes.

"None ate the meat. You won the Hunt, Lara. The first bite is yours."

I blinked.

"I won?"

"Of course you did. You brought down a bear, Lara. A huge male bear. After having battled and killed a mountain lion no less. Nasty felines that they are."

Something shone in Hercules' eyes. He looked proud. Proud of me.

I had won.
I had won.

"You found the mountain lion?" I whispered.

He nodded.

" The elders have been preparing their pelts for you. As the winner, you get the first bite of meat and the pelts of your preys. You can use them as you wish."

I had won the Hunt. And now the pack members were waiting for me. The first meat was mine. It belonged to me. An outsider. A lone wolf. Someone who didn't belong to the pack. And I had earned the pelts. An honor among the shifters.

"Ah well, I just needed a little mountain lion rug to place in front of the fireplace. The bear will definitely sleep with me."

Hercules smiled. I mirrored him. The dying light from outside kissed the planes of his face, making his dark circles look more prominent. He needed to rest. He had taken care of me for the past days; he must have been exhausted.

"You need to rest."

"I'm fine," he said, " you are the one who needs to rest. I'll watch over you."

His eyes said otherwise. Prideful male.

"Stop it. You've been caring over me for the past three days. Now I'm fed and my wounds are clean. I don't need you hovering over me all the time. Rest." Then I added, "Please."

Hercules released a breath. "Fine."

Savoring my victory, I watched as he stood up, picking up the chair with him, and moved towards the end of the room. From the corner of my eyes, I saw him sit down, placing a discharged blanket on his legs, and close his eyes.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Resting."

The audacity of this man. I just couldn't deal with it.

"You mean to tell me that you spent the past three days sleeping on that chair?"

He cracked an eye open.

"Sometimes on the floor."

On the floor? If I could have bristled, I would have. He had the courage to tell me that he didn't need to rest when he had spent the previous days sleeping on a chair? Or on the floor?

"Get your Alpha ass on the bed."

He opened both of his eyes now.

"No. You need space to rest and heal properly. I'll sleep here."

"It's not up for discussion. There is enough space for the both of us. I don't want you cranky tomorrow morning because your wolf ass is stiff."

He was glaring at me now.

"But.."

"No buts," I interrupted him. "Don't argue with me while I'm sprawled here with my back mauled. Argue with me when I'm up and ready 'to bite your balls'."

Time passed. I was ready to further prove my point when I heard him move, feet shuffling on the ground. I felt the bed dip and soon a cocoon of warmth and chocolate enveloped me. He was as far from me as he could, but at least he would sleep comfortably tonight. I lowered my eyelids, feeling better than when I had woken up.

"Lara," Hercules said, voice strangely grave, "I need to tell you something."

Reopening my eyes, I fixated them on his profile. He was looking at the ceiling, shadows kissing his face.

"What?"

He sighed, still not looking at me.

"I think the pack knows. Or, at least, they suspect."

"About what?"

"About us. Being mates. Many have seen me picking you up from the ground bloody and battered. A few have witnessed me going mad outside the infirmary and then...I've been here for three days straight. Not allowing anyone to come near the premises. Not leaving the cabin once."

Silence settled over the room. Then, a whispered,
"I'm sorry."

The roaring pit that was my mind quieted down. The Silverblood pack might know that their Alpha was my mate. The secret that I had fought to keep hidden from the start. It could be now out in the open. Exposed. Revealed. Did it change things? Probably. Did I care? Not as much as I thought I would. It was a matter I couldn't avoid to face, but now -here, with Hercules- it didn't matter. I didn't want to think about the repercussions it could have. I didn't want to think about the reasons why the possibility of our secret being revealed didn't bother me as it should. I even didn't know what to say, so I settled for,

"They better not start calling me Luna though."

Hercules went stiff as a board. He was probably reading many meanings behind my words, trying to decipher which one I meant. We had to talk, about many things, but this was not the right occasion.

In the dark, I moved my hand. It reached his side, searching for the portion of sheet warmed by his heat. I found his hand clenched in a fist and I enveloped it with mine, carrying it back to the center of the bed. There, I gently pried open his fist, interlacing our fingers. He remained stiff for a moment longer, but then his hand molded with mine.

"Thank you," I whispered," for everything."

Hercules squeezed my fingers with care.

I drifted to sleep like that: my hand lost in his and my mind telling me that both the times we had shared a bed, it had been because he was taking care of me.

———-

I even had this chapter in mind since the very beginning.

I just love their interaction here.
What do you think about it?
About Hercules taking care of Lara?
About Lara's reaction?
I'd love to hear you thoughts.

I didn't proof read, but I wanted to publish this for you. I'll re-read it tomorrow.

We're almost at 100k reads. I don't know what to say if not that I love you. Very much. I'm so grateful for you.

Vote, comment and share if you liked it!

Ps: I hope you spent a Merry and safe Christmas with your families.

Kate