OPHELIA LISTENED QUIETLY but could mostly focus on the molten fire now flowing through her veins instead of blood. She was now dripping sweat as her body temperature was increasingly getting more hotter by the second.

Her throat was getting as dry as the air in the desert. Thankfully, there was a bottle of water on the bedside cupboard. She tipped her head back and downed the entire bottle in a few sips.

Then she went back to Darius' side. Darius worriedly watched her as she drank like she had been thirsty all her life.

"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile to pacify him.

"Although I'm not quite certain what this is about, how can I get rid of this heat?" Ophelia asked.

"Alpha better explain this to you himself, Luna. I request permission to leave now, Alpha," Samuel said without turning his head.

Ophelia thought they took things too seriously. She wondered if it was another wolf thing.

"Wait! You can't just leave, Samuel. You made the diagnosis so you have to give me the prescription," Ophelia responded.

"You are excused, Samuel," Darius said and Samuel left seconds later.

"Why did you let him leave?!" Ophelia asked, upset that Samuel left without telling her how to get rid of the heat.

"Did you honestly think I would allow another man to talk to my mate about sex?" Darius asked, his tone letting her know how absurd he thought the idea was.

Ophelia was lost.

"Sex? How is it related to the hea... Oh!" she voiced out in realisation then a groan left her as she wondered how much more she must be likened to an animal.

DURING HIS RESEARCH and travels, the Alpha King had heard of cases that could be considered miracles.

Cases of the Goddess intervening in the lives of mates that might have rejected each other, forcing them to respect the mate bond.

Darius had searched the Wolfnet and he was the only Alpha who had a human mate in the last eight hundred years.

The most uncommonly common occurrence was regular wolves being mated to humans. And even if they were, the humans wouldn't be able to experience the monthly heat like she-wolves.

The Alpha King then concluded that this was probably the Goddess' will coming to play once again.

"Darius!" he heard Ophelia cry out, making him realise that he had been lost in thoughts since Samuel left.

He quickly leaned over her and pulled her into his arms. "Sorry, my mate, I was just thinking. How do you feel now?"

When she raised her head to meet his eyes, he could see tears gathering at the rim of her eyes. The sight instantly broke his heart.

"My stomach burns! It really hurts!" she cried out, clutching her abdomen tightly.

From what the Alpha King knew about heat, it wouldn't be long before the pain increased to an unbearable level. She-wolves would pass out from the pain if they were not mated by that time.

Ophelia was human so she had a much lower level of tolerance than she-wolves. He couldn't imagine how much pain she was in at that moment. And hers was progressing too quickly.

Her groan made him spring into action. He gently picked her up and rushed over to the bathroom, placing her into the bathtub. By now, she was silently crying.

Darius turned on the cold water, letting it gradually engulf her. Ophelia sighed in instant relief, leaning back and letting her head rest on the edge of the tub.

"Better?" he asked, watching her relax as the cold water ran down her shoulder into the tub where it met the rest of her body.

Ophelia nodded without opening her eyes. "Hmmm."

For a few minutes, the Alpha King marvelled at how beautiful his mate looked, lying there like that.

Her red hair was tossed behind her, giving it the illusion of a waterfall. He hadn't noticed how beautiful her lips looked. Although it was dry from the heat, it was still rosy and luscious.

Unconsciously, Darius was already leaning forward but caught himself quickly. He made a move to get up but Ophelia quickly grabbed his hand and opened her eyes.

"Stay," she said.

"You sure?" he asked but had already knelt beside her.

"Somehow, the closer I am to you, the more bearable the heat becomes, so, yes, please stay," she told him then shut her eyes once again.

Darius smiled.

The Alpha in him loved that she was dependent on him. It stroked his ego even though Darius knew he probably owed everything to the Goddess. She must have planned a lot to ensure that mates would stay together.

~•~°×°~•~

"How does it feel now?" Darius asked after some time.

Ophelia sighed, turning her head to look at him. "Everything still burns, especially my stomach. If this is what female wolves go through then I am thankful to have been born a human."

Darius wanted to tell her that even her originality as a human was questionable but he thought against giving her something else to worry about.

The pain was evident in her voice and Darius could do nothing but watch her. In all his life, he had never felt more helpless.

"If I could take the pain from you, I would do it without hesitation."

"Since you can't take the pain, you can help me get rid of it," Ophelia said with hopeful eyes. Her eyes were fully dilated and her face flushed.

The Alpha King knew instantly that his mate was aroused. He had expected this but much later.

At that moment, Darius was thankful that he had lost his strong sense of smell because the scent of her arousal would have driven his wolf nuts.

Ophelia might be manipulated by the heat but his wolf would not mind. So, regardless of whether she meant it or not, he would have to rein in his desires.

"I'm sorry, but that is not an option, Ophelia. Although I can't bear seeing you in pain, I also can't take advantage of you in this manner."

"But why not?" Ophelia gasped with a grimace, clearly facing another wave of heat. She quickly pulled him closer, seeking comfort.

The Alpha King touched the water in the tub and felt that it was already getting warm. It wouldn't hold her for another ten minutes. He needed to find another way to keep his mate cold. And fast.

He sighed, looking back to face her. "It doesn't have to be like this. We will find another way to curb the heat."

Ophelia snatched his right arm in her warm wet hands. "Darius, I don't care about finding another way. Right now, you're not the one whose insides are being roasted!"

{•}

Thank you for reading.