Hi everyone! I know it's not my usual update day but I was held up yesterday (when I had intended to post) so it's here now ;)

I've included a small Luc POV in this chapter and I'd love some feedback about what you thought of it. I won't do it often, I've decided, I just thought it was necessary to get Luc's side of things at this point. More plot revealing!

A small bit of bad language this chapter, just a couple of words. I feel I have to warn you.

Chapter 11

I heard voices, lots of them. They were all talking above each other, shouting around me. Funny though, although they yelled above me, I felt like I was above them, floating somewhere near the ceiling. There were so many voices, but not the one I needed. Where was it? My brain was not conscious enough to translate. The voices made no sense.

"Simplement fait-le!"

"Je peux pas Luc, tu sais que je ne peux pas!"

"Non… Non! Tu dois être capable de faire quelque chose! S'il te plait. Elle est ma vie. Je peux pas la perdre."

"J'ai fait tout que je peux. Tu sais que je peux seulement guérir des blessures physiques! Tu devras l'emmener à la grand-mère de la Visionnaire- elle peut l'aider…"

That was Luc? What was he doing? I needed him. He sounded so broken. Where was I? What had happened? I remembered the echoling, but how had I managed to fall asleep without Luc and so be susceptible? An involuntary groan passed my lips as I tried to take a deep breath to ask something, anything. My breath was choked and I could barely move. I remembered Marcus' hands on my throat, in my hair, around my waist. I felt sick.

"Juste aller!"

The shouting voices receded and there were no sounds apart from my laboured breathing and another person, taking hitched breathes.

My hair was brushed away from my damp forehead.

"Anna?" Only that voice, that was what I needed. My eyes struggled to open and fluttered, trying to find the one person I needed. Everything hurt and I groaned again as I finally won the battle with my eyelids. Luc looked haggard and that was a nice way to describe it. He hadn't shaved, so I could see the dark stubble shadowing his jaw. His eyes were hollowed by dark rings around them and his hair was dishevelled. But his eyes, they were the worst. Haunted and looking darker than I'd ever seen them, I saw an ocean of pain in them. My mouth was the next battle. Struggling with my numb mouth and a throat that didn't seem to be working, I tried to ask how long I'd been under but it just came out as a half mumble. I cleared my throat, wincing, and tried again.

"How long?"

"Two days."

Two days?!

"What… what happened?"

"I… couldn't wake you up. You got out of the dream, but… you were still asleep."

I struggled to sit up, frightened of how weak I had become. I couldn't even lift my own body. Luc leaned forward and supported me, lifting my torso and helping me settle the pillows behind my back. Once I was steady and sitting, he retreated swiftly. I frowned. His mind was closed to me and he seemed almost… afraid to touch me. What was going on? I caught a glance of my arm and suddenly took notice of myself. My whole arm was covered in offence marks, the blackened handprints showing how many times Marcus had hit and grabbed me. It sickened me that my skin showed a lasting impression of Marcus. I decided to stop trying to figure out what was making Luc act so weird and just ask.

"What's wrong?" Wrong question. The previously perfectly blank face of my Significant twisted.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a shaking voice which barely contained his fury. "You have just been attacked and almost killed and you are asking me what is wrong?

"Luc! What's-"

"No! Think about yourself Anna." His hands, balled into fists, were shaking. "I don't deserve your concern. I don't even deserve you, but you're stuck with me and I couldn't… I couldn't save you! I can't protect you Anna!" He choked and looked close to tears. I needed to comfort him, and my body did too, but I was too weak to move.

"Luc…"

"No! I can't, I can't hear you tell me it's alright, it's not alright." He cried. "I wish the imprint had never chosen me, that it had gone to someone else!"

Luc didn't want my comfort. I had always prided myself on being emotionally strong and I was certainly not known for outbursts of any kind. I had barely known this guy for two weeks. Stupid, stupid idiot! I had become so emotionally invested in Luc that I didn't see what had to have been blindingly obvious- Luc would always see me as a liability, a weakness that he had to look after. I was an idiot for investing myself so much in so short a time and I had been punished for my stupidity.

My heart felt like it had stopped. Luc wished he had never imprinted with me. My heart felt like ice, ice that was cracking. Tears poured out from my eyes and I shook all over. My body failed me and I collapsed blindly onto the bed, sobbing silently, blocking out the world around me. My body hurt all over, but that was nothing compared to my heart. There were many voices above me again, shouting louder than they were when I woke up, but I was below them now, so far below in my own personal hell. They were trying to talk to me, but I didn't really notice. He didn't want me. Luc didn't want me.

…

Luc

I hated myself. Truly, I was a piece of shit, shit that even a dog would turn its nose up at. I had let Marcus near her and she had almost been killed as a result. I didn't deserve to live, let alone be her Significant. When I told her I wished it wasn't me who had imprinted on her, I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her and tell her I loved her, but I couldn't. It was better for her to believe that I didn't deserve her and then she would find someone who did.

Why? I screamed in my head, to someone, anyone. Why me?

She was caring, kind-hearted, passionate, stubborn, beautiful, mine. But she didn't deserve to be mine. How could she when I was broken, weak, damaged goods?

I had moved to the corner of the room, knowing that Anna couldn't look at me. My knees were up to my chest and my head was in-between them, hands gripping my hair. Uncle Thomas had obviously felt the high emotions in both of us and everyone had come running to find out what was wrong. Most people were by Anna since she was crying buckets and her whole body was shaking. But she was completely silent, like me. She must have realised what I was. I was a terrible creature, not worthy of her tears. She probably hated me- no she did hate me, of course she did. I couldn't protect her and she had paid the price. Anyone would hate someone who was supposed to be their protector but had let them get hurt, even by accident.

The voices continued for hours. I stayed in the same position, not moving as the commotion continued above me. People tried to speak to me but they got no reaction. I was a sick piece of… eventually, a voice came that I couldn't ignore

"LUCAS ALEXANDRE RENOU!" They were back from patrol. Lifting my head, I looked at my mother and father with blurry eyes.

"Papa, save it," I tried to say but Maman got in before I opened my mouth.

"Listen to your father Luc." I got up slowly, my body willing my feet to run to Anna, to erase the negative emotions in my Significant- the emotions that I had caused. But I planted my feet and crossed my arms.

"Quoi?" (what?) I meant for it to sound irritated, but my voice broke halfway through and it came out as a broken noise. Papa looked at me with his serious eyes and said one sentence.

"Anna thinks you don't want her."

Merde, what?

How had I misunderstood her reaction so completely? How had she misunderstood my words so completely? I wanted to collapse on the floor again and yell, but I couldn't because my Significant was in pain. Because of me. And even though she needed to know how useless I was, I was worsening the wrong I had committed by hurting her more. So I stumbled over to the bed. Everyone parted before me, becoming silent immediately. I really didn't want an audience.

"Go," I managed to gasp at them. They all went.

Anna

I vaguely noticed that the voices had gone quiet. Good, maybe they had got the message that I wanted to be alone. A long silence. Then:

"Anna." A voice I couldn't ignore. But I did. What could he say that would break my heart more? I kept my eyes squeezed tightly shut and the pillow I was hugging to my face that smelt of him- okay I needed to get rid of that pillow, it was surely not helping things- did not move from my face. Luc sighed.

"Okay, I guess this is going to be a monologue… I- I don't… I don't even know what to say."

I waited. Despite myself, I waited for something.

"Anna, I… I'm so sorry." That was not what I expected. My eyes opened and I turned my head so that I was looking at him. His head was resting on the edge of the bed and his shoulders were slumped, as if he had the weight of the world on them. Something wasn't right about what I had thought. The conversation that had occurred when I was just on the edge of consciousness surfaced, but this time I could make sense of it.

"Just do it!" Luc sounded desperate.

"I can't Luc, you know I can't!"

"No…" he whispered. "No! You must be able to do something!" His voice cracked. "Please," he whispered. "She is my life. I can't lose her"

"I've done all I can." Luc's aunt sound tired and upset. "You know I can only heal physical wounds! You must take her to the Visionary's grandmother- she can help her."

So I was his life one minute, the next he's telling me he didn't want me? How did that work? Trying to clear my fuzzy head, I shook it and blinked lots, rubbing my temples. What had Luc said?

"I wish the imprint had never chosen me, that it had gone to someone else!" he cried.

But then, he had been talking about how he didn't deserve me. What was that supposed to mean? The words echoed in my head.

I don't deserve your concern… I couldn't save you… I can't protect you Anna… I don't even deserve you… You're stuck with me.

That didn't sound like rejection. What had my befuddled mind been thinking? I was such a stupid idiot!

Then, it hit me. I finally remembered how I had fallen asleep without Luc. It was the evening of the day we had gone for a day trip to the seaside with the whole family and I had needed a shower after swimming in the sea. I had made Luc go first because I took longer, and then sent him downstairs before me. When I got out the shower, I had somehow managed to lie down on the bed, because I was lazy, and had fallen asleep. How did he think that was his fault, in any way whatsoever?

"Luc," I told him firmly. "Damit, Luc, look at me!"

He lifted his face. Tears glistened on his cheek, and he lifted a hand to wipe them, but I grabbed his wrist. I reached to brush them off myself, but he jerked away from me and stood up, moving away from the bed.

"No Anna! Don't try to comfort me- I don't deserve anything you give me."

Why wasn't he getting it?

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes momentarily. Dragging myself to the edge of the bed and swinging my legs down, I didn't even bother to untangle myself from the sheets. I tried to stand up and walk a few paces to where Luc had half-turned away from me and was gripping his head, but fell over on my weak legs. It had sapped almost all of my strength to get up and drag myself those few steps.

I hazily thought that I was going to hit the floor hard; I didn't even have it in me to try to break my fall. But I didn't. I fell into strong arms, reminding me of the first time that happened. He was going to help me to the bed, but I gripped his arms to hold me up, preventing him from moving me.

"Luc, listen to me." I kept my voice fierce and low as I spoke, hopefully preventing him from interrupting me. "I don't know what alien robot stole your memories, but from what I remember, it was me and not you that sent you downstairs and it was me and not you that was the lazy bones and lay on the bed and it was me and not you that fell asleep without my Significant!" I was practically shouting by the last line and feeling even dizzier than before. Breathe Anna. "Why are you beating yourself up about something that isn't your fault?" I finished softly, shaking my head.

"But it was my fault, don't you see? I should never have left you alone, not even for an hour, I should have known better, especially since-" he cut himself off as he saw me sway and swept my legs from under me, carrying my now practically unresponsive body to the bed. He sat down on the bed with me in his lap and sighed, not finishing the sentence.

"Luc?" I asked warily. "Especially since what?" He stiffened and I knew something had happened before that he thought was his fault and probably wasn't. "What happened?"

Luc's arms tightened around me and I knew it was not going to be good.

"When my grandmother was alive, grand-père was just a normal grandfather. No-one could have guessed what he would become after grand-mère died."

Wait, what? What did this have to do with what happened? I held back my questions and waited.

He sighed. "Anyway, my cousin Maddie always was a free spirit; she did what she wanted- she was never taken in by grand-père, she stood up to him. But I was a coward and ran away.

"I didn't even see any of my family for a whole year. But one day, I went back. I saw Maddie that day, on the 'Pont des Arts', and she was with a man. I could tell they weren't imprinted; one she was too young, two, the imprints had stopped working by then and three they looked incredibly nervous together, like Maddie knew they weren't supposed to be together.

"I kept coming back, every day at the same time for nearly a year. I saw them lock their own lock on the bridge on their anniversary and, right then and there, they imprinted. It was pouring with rain and the river was running high, the wind was howling, but they were oblivious."

"They imprinted?" I interrupted. "But surely they were together before…" I trailed off in confusion, my thoughts bouncing around wildly.

"I guess they just weren't ready yet," Luc gently brushed a strand of hair from my damp forehead. "Anyway, Jacob, although I never found out his name until afterwards, was human so was really confused but they both looked so happy. I was about to stop spying on their obviously private moment when I saw grand-père coming towards them. They jumped apart, but he already knew." Luc shook his head, closing his eyes at the painful memory. "Somehow, he already knew they were together, and came for her. He tried to drag her away, and she was getting offence marks. She got offence marks from her own grandfather... Jacob tried to pull grand-père off her and he managed it, but they were too close to the edge, and the fence was weighed down already by the locks, and…" I gasped.

"Neither of them could swim and there was no-one around- it must have been midnight or later- so there was nothing Maddie could do, standing on the edge… Even a strong swimmer would have been in danger in that river, but I had to try and save Jacob, so I jumped in after them. But they had both disappeared under and when I heard Maddie's scream, I knew there was no hope, she had felt it…" I covered a sob with my hand. Poor Maddie. I knew how it felt to be without your Significant, and especially since he was her boyfriend before, but I had no idea how it felt to have your Significant die.

Luc's voice sounded dark when he spoke again. "I got out when I realised I couldn't do anything in the water and ran to Maddie. She looked at me and smiled, but I could see the grief in her eyes. She said to me 'Luc, go back to them'. And before I could react, she- she…" Luc's voice got stuck in his throat and he clenched his jaw.

"She what?" I asked gently, with a sense of dread.

"She… jumped in after them." Luc shook his head, his fists shook slightly. "Without a sound. Disappeared under immediately and…never came back up. I… couldn't do anything. The waters were too high, I didn't have a phone. So I had to run all the way home and- and tell them what had happened!" Luc didn't continue.

I put my arms around his neck and held him close as he breathed heavily, trying to hold in his anger. I realised now why he had blamed himself for my mistake. It had happened before and he thought it was his fault. But it wasn't. He had done all he could to try and save Jacob and I didn't blame him for not even trying to save his grandfather. That worthless bastar… ahem, person.

I saw now; I had truly got to the bottom of Luc's problem. He had a blaming complex which caused him to hold himself responsible for anything that went wrong, even if it wasn't his fault. I suddenly realised that our minds were still closed off from each other.

"Luc?" I asked him gently, pulling back slightly when he didn't respond. "Luc. Open your mind." I cautiously extended my mind out and found his mind unguarded.

Luc. Listen to me. I grabbed his face with both hands and looked deep into his eyes. He watched me, anger and self-loathing still in his eyes. I decided to attempt to show him a memory- after all, if you could share thoughts, surely you'd be able to share memories?

I showed him every time he had comforted me or helped me or protected me. I showed him how it was my fault that I fell asleep and I hoped I had finally got across that he wasn't to blame. So don't you dare go feeling guilty, I finished, looking at him sternly. I saw that I had won the argument, for now, but that he still believed he didn't deserve me. Oi, I mean it. We deserve each other. If we didn't, then why would we have been put together, huh? It could have been anyone in the clan, and it chose you. I don't hate you and I never will. I never could, I told him, putting my hand on his chest. There's a reason my heartbeat is with yours.

Finally, I had got to him. One of his hands rose from my waist and brushed away the tears that were trailing down my cheeks. When had I become such an emotional wreck? And sickeningly cheesy, to boot! I shrugged. You know what? I liked being cheesy.

My body had finally had enough; I slid to one side and could no longer hold myself up. I remembered Winifred telling me that offence marks took away your energy- I guess that was why my head was feeling so fuzzy. Luc carefully laid me down on the bed and held my hand with a worried expression. I felt cold and shivery and my forehead was damp.

We need to get you to Caleb's Gran.

It's unlikely I'll get to update next week as I haven't quite finished the next chapter and I'm going away for a week but I hope the wait will be worth it- It's probably my favourite chapter so far!

See you next time! :)