Author's Note: I dedicate this chapter to @Potterhead_NIki . She made me smile yesterday, which I have been needing for a long while. All the love to you, dear... ❤❤ 

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I gasped for air and my dear life while surrounded by an impenetrable darkness. My chest burned something furious that I thought I must have reached hell's gate for once and all. Everything inside and around me was burning. My chest, my lungs, my skin — every freaking cell of my body was hot and incurably inflammatory. I tried to move but could not move even an inch. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt glued-shut. They were heavy as hell!

Except for my eyes, every other sense of mine was remarkably at work and became intensely alerted when I felt this uneasy feeling of a light brushing against my forehead and temple. The faint smell of lemon and peppermint hovered over my nostrils. My ears perked up at the rustling footsteps not far from me.

Which was when the memories of the gruesome encounter with the demon crashed over my hyper-sensitive mind. The impact of the fear was so high that it prompted my eyes to flutter open that instant and an unrecognizable yelp left my mouth.

"Sh-shh! You're fine, don't panic!"

I was hyperventilating.

Readjusting my focus on my surroundings, I realized I wasn't anymore out in the woods. In fact, I was lying on a... bed!

The first thing I noticed was the unknown wooden ceiling. This wasn't my room! I blinked slowly, and a suppressed groan escaped my mouth. This wasn't the packhouse. The footsteps strode over to me in urgency. While the bed shifted and someone got up from my side, leaving an emptiness.

The room was dimly lit. I changed the position of my head at a more comfortable angle so that my eyes could have a better access to the room. The twins were towering over the bed with a concerned look on their taut faces, and lips pursed together tightly.

Veer anxiously went over to the left, out of my sight while Ved looked straight at me, scrutinizing my every move. I had no idea how my thoughts immediately ran towards his bewitching eyes. They were beautiful and so dark that it was inhumanly impossible. Then also, they weren't humans.

Realization dawned on me out of nowhere.

I was in some secluded place with two biggest wolves I had ever seen in my entire life. Not that I had seen any for that matter.

I glanced at him cautiously and shivered almost instantly for my burning body. A struggling moan escaped me when Veer returned to my side with a ceramic cup in his hand. He came and sat beside me; I was suddenly aware of the fact that it was him who was sitting beside me before when I returned to consciousness.

"Urvi," he carefully inquired, "are you okay?"

I wasn't but managed to nod slightly before he helped me sit up. I glanced at Ved and saw his eyebrows knitted together in a frown. Veer held the cup before my mouth, drawing my focus on the dark liquid. It wasn't water.

"Water," I croaked. My voice was horribly hoarse.

Veer shook his head, "No. Drink this. You need this."

He raised the cup and touched my mouth with it. I took a sip. The unpleasant taste was somewhat between grapes and bitter gourd. To be honest, it was whack. I squirmed away but Veer disapproved by moving it along with me and commanded, "Drink." The same authoritative tone like his brother. I trembled slightly at the intensity and realized I had no other way but to oblige. I gulped down the liquid and immediately the gag reflex hit me.

Veer put the cup down on a small table placed beside the bed when I carefully looked around to get a good view of the room. The interior is unlike the pack house, it looked sort of a cabin. We definitely weren't at the pack house. I heard no human voice but the constant chirping of the crickets. "Where is this place?"

"This is one of the watchtowers of Rudra S&I," Veer answered.

My eyes went wide in panic as I stupidly glanced between them, "You mean we are still in the forest?"

In response to that I received a single nod of agreement.

"Bu-but the de-demon is still out there. He-he said he would find me," I hopelessly stuttered and at that moment, hated my life the most. "Shouldn't we go to the pa-pack...house where the security team is... in abundance?"

"Are you doubting our abilities?" Ved spoke for the first time and his voice boomed across the room taunting my suggestion.

My face turned hot in embarrassment, "I-I didn't mean that. It just... appeared safer if we were at the pack house instead of this... umm, apparently forlorn place." I carefully chose my words and immediately winced as a cold shiver ran down my spine.

"You're safe, dear... until one of us dies, that is," Veer beamed at me. I looked at him puzzled. Did he call me with an endearment?

The Veer I saw in the forest was otherworldly and... lethiferous. This was a little more... genial. Veer put the back of his hand on my forehead before saying aloud, "Still burning."

I wouldn't lie, I actually squirmed under his touch. He didn't mean anything amorous, I knew, but it didn't feel a normal touch either and it scared me. The way he was looking at me or being polite with me, it bloody scared me!

Another cold shiver ran down my spine, causing goosebumps all over my skin.

Then the power play began.

A chilling sensation spread throughout my bones, freezing them to the point where I shivered to hell. The next moment, the burning in my chest returned with a full force that I thrashed to stay still. It felt like a thousand red, hot needles were piercing my skin, spreading the burning under my skin. I was a mess and blinded by the high and low of the fever struggle. The inflammation gradually increased, apparently to the point of boiling my blood. Tears rolled down my face surreptitiously as I clenched them shut.

"Ow!" I couldn't endure it anymore.

Unintelligibly, I heard one of them say, "It is not working. She's too weak."

I felt a hand snaking around my waist and then I was lifted and pulled closer to someone's chest. I thrived to open my eyes and through my blurred teary vision, I couldn't recognize which of the twins it was I was leaning into.

"Urvi!" It was Veer.

"Why aren't you taking me to the doctor?" I croaked, struggling with the severe pain. My teeth clattered together vigorously while fire was all I felt running through my limbs. Sweat and fire. Bitter and cold. Two different sensations. But I felt at the same time.

"I am leaving, Veer. Do whatever is needed. I'll be closer in case you need any assistance."

"Okay," Veer assented before helping me to lie down and covered me with a woolen blanket. I didn't have the slightest understanding of what was going on. Why weren't they taking me to a doctor? And unfortunately, I couldn't talk my thoughts out loud as the power play inside out, had almost immobilized me. Veer sat beside me and leaned in, "Urvi, you have to trust me, okay?"

I wanted to scream, 'I don't'. I didn't trust anyone of their kind. They were freaking werewolves, for god's sake. Where did trust come from?

But I just could not. I could not form any fucking words, nor could I move. I cursed my entire existence at that point. Why the hell did I come here in the first place? I could only manage a faint moan, wishing the night would just pass away.

He lied down beside and wrapped his arms around me. What was he doing? I panicked, then stiffened as a sense of calm washed over me. As if a couple of strong and invisible limbs, like an octopus tying me over and around. The rush of calm sent me over the edges as I trembled, floating on an ocean of lemon and peppermint.

Veer cooed in my ear, "Try to sleep. You'll be fine."

I opened my eyes and stared into his. The darkest green I had ever seen. They held my gaze softly. Something terrible yet beautiful was hiding in them, and it frighteningly made me feel safe. He brought one of his hands to my face, then wiped off the tears with two of his fingers.

"Go to sleep," he mumbled, "I'm here."

Although the burning was still there, the intensity wasn't severe.

I should feel ashamed of what I did next, but at that moment it felt most normal to do. I immodestly snuggled closer to my employer engaging myself in a perfectly impractical and perhaps lewd behavior. But by the gesture of him, it didn't seem he minded at all. He wrapped his arm around my belly, tightening it and pulling me closer.

My body relaxed at the comfortable closeness and warmth of his body, and as an irony, I really fell into a slumber in his arms.