EIGHTY-SIX | BLOOM

Every breath is utter agony. I'm sitting on the floor in the center of my room, Mikyle rubbing soothing circles into the spot between my shoulder blades as I struggle to drag in air. My lungs are on fire, every inch of my body heavy and icy - aside from my mouth. That, too, is an inferno that refuses to warm the rest of me up. I have no idea how long we've been like this, the curtains have been drawn so the thin streams of light filtering in could mean it's noon - or six.

"You're doing great, princess." Mikyle tells me gently, his voice low and serious. I know he's probably as thrilled as I am to be here right now. We both know his presence is only required because Hale told him - and incase I need him to off me. But I try not to think about that last part because, right now, it feels like the void looming ever-wider in my chest is growing. The cold, I expected, but the nothingness...I don't like feeling it. Hate how empty I'm starting to feel.

"Is...there..." I struggle to get my lungs to comply with getting enough air to complete my question. My head begins to swim with the lack of oxygen, the room whirling in my blurring vision. "Something...anything..." My mouth feels too full, my lips aching as my a burning jaws begin creaking. *This isn't right*. Panic begins to flood through me, wondering what the hell is happening. Hale never mentioned anything about me physically transforming. I get the feeling this has nothing to do with a typical vamp's transition and more to do with the fact that I'm part Wolven. Then again, I know how it feels to shift into a wolf and this sure as shit isn't like that.

"I don't know, princess." Mikyle runs a frustrated hand over his face, eyes trained on my mouth - but the expression on his face makes me think he's about to jump out of his own skin because of what he sees. It only asserts my earlier thoughts: *this isn't normal*. Something else is happening to me - aside from the typical Blooming.

"Get Hale?" I manage to groan, wrapping my arms tighter around myself as the ache intensifies. My head's drum-like pounding begins to beat harder, pounding against my skull like my heart's trying to break out of my head. I groan, clutching at my forehead. Mikyle gets to his feet, grimacing.

"He's not in town right now," He explains in a strained voice, the worried tone grating in my ears like nails against a chalkboard. I let out a moan of pain, pressing my face into my knees and rocking a little as the throb in my head starts to shudder through my bones. My eyes begin to prickle with unshed tears, adding to the aching I'm already feeling. "*Shit*." My ribcage feels like jelly, bones shifting under my skin. I let out a hiss and feel my body fall to the side, curling in on myself the twisting and attempting reformation of my bones feels a lot like-

"Get Mom-" I whimper, squeezing my eyes shut so I won't have to look at the mix of horror and fear in his face.

"You mother's with him!" Mikyle cuts me off and I can hear him pacing.

"Blue?" I ask after a beat, peaking through my lids to meet his eyes. He's stopped pacing now and is looking down at me, a clear look of hesitation in his dark red eyes. I don't think I trust anyone else at this point. Not Doc Blythe or Doc Quin - not with my life - not the way I trust my parents or Mikyle and Blue.

"I'll be right back." Mikyle tells me and is gone before the next wave of pain can overwhelm me. Once he's gone, I let out another breath, trying to expel the heat in my lungs, but it only hurts more without the precious oxygen, making all the other aches grow. I cry out, feeling my spine twist back, like the muscles along it have shortened, then lengthened. I curl back into a ball as the spasm alleviates and let out a choked sob.

Ice and fire rage through me, finally twining, but not in the way I was hoping. Sharp and pungent, smells I haven't noticed in weeks flare to life in my nose. A stabbing assault in my head, overloaded by everything at once. My ears feel like they're about to bleed. The distant rustle of the branches outside are like the crack of lightening and thunder in my mind. The crash of cymbals and roll of drums so loud I know it's not real. Not really that loud, but my mind's not getting the memo.

I've gone back to gripping my head, curled tight into myself - as if that could block out the world. Someone's screaming, a loud heart-wrenching cry that feel like- not, someone, me. I'm screaming. I can feel the burn in my lungs from it, the scraping air in my throat, mouth open to release the sound-

"-*Red*," Blue's voice is in my head, warm and intoxicatingly gentle. My body's suddenly soothed, power flows over my skin, forcing out the pain and overwhelming everything. And it's just me and Blue. I feel Blue's power, the thing silencing the agony in me coming from him. The blessed calm from him like a blanket, wrapping me and strengthening out connection - our bond. "*Just breathe, Red.*" Blue's voice is both in my head and in my ear. His body wrapped around mine, holding me close as my own body seems to continue whatever the hell it was doing before.

I may not be feeling the pain, but I can sure as shit feel every cell in my body humming as my bones groan and creak and begin to shatter. I suck in a breath, keeping my eyes shut as my ribcage disintegrates in one second, then reforms. My body spasms, another wave of icy and heat shooting up my spine and pooling in my skull. *It feels wrong, this reformation, so incredibly unnatural-*

"Stop thinking and just breathe, Red. Don't over think it." Blue tells me on a growl, but it's not an angry thought, more like he's jus trying to help me through this. I press my face into his neck, smelling the fresh richness of his scent, pine and parchment, Wolven and- *Iron. Blood*. Sweetness, calling to me. I shiver, trying to pull away, but his arms tighten around me. My mouth is inches from his skin, the thumping beats of his heart now the only thing I can hear.

I cringe back, as far back as Blue'll let me, though all I want to do is bury my face in his throat and taste the hot blood I can all but taste thrumming in his veins-

"No-" I croak out, pushing against his chest as my mouth begins filling with saliva, a singular thirst unfolding in me. Blue holds hast, tightening his grip and practically smothering me.

"It's fine." He tells me solidly, truth ricocheting through both his verbal acceptance and the connection that's like a bridge between our minds. "Do what you gotta do, Red. I trust you." He murmurs in my ear, a languid warmth rolling through me, over me.

I shiver, unable to stop from basking in the sunlight-like feel of that trust and- yes, that's what I think it is. I can feel the echo of the emotion from my own heart, despite the numbing blanket of his power, still burning in me is the respect and adoration for him that's been haunting me for months. Growing and intensifying with each passing conversation and look until it's become it's own force. It's own powerful and all-encompassing bond. Intoxicating, more than blood could ever be and twice as strong.

The craving grows in me, beyond the simple one I've been feeling for sustenance, a different need. A wish in my soul. I feel my face inch closer to Blue's flesh, my mouth grazing the supple warmth as his pulse throbs back. I breath in, through my now parting lips and taste his scent on my tongue. The sharpness of pine and familiarity of parchment and irony-sweetness melding into one as my mouth closes over the jittery pulse. My teeth ache, two canines sharpening of their own accord and embedding deep.