Page 121 of The Hunter

Her chest constricted, and her heart ached with a deep hollowness. Telok had wanted to stay with her, had wanted to hold and console her. But she’d asked him for space. Stupid fucking space that Lacey now regretted. Because she wanted to be wrapped in his embrace and lose herself in his scent, wanted to feel his claws soothingly stroking her hair, wanted his quiet, steady presence and strength.

But her mind had been such a chaotic, jumbled mess…

Now she was lonely, cursing herself for her cowardice, hating that it was her fault Telok wasn’t here with her.

You could go find him and apologize.

“Yes!” Lacey whipped the pillow and blanket off and sat up. “He’s probably waiting for me.”

He’d told her he would join the others, but she knew him well enough to doubt he would’ve followed through. He had probably found somewhere quiet where he could brood.

Alone. Rejected by his mate.

That made her heart ache more fiercely. Lacey had sent him away when she was the only person he wanted to be with.

“I have so much apologizing to do,” Lacey muttered as she got to her feet and stepped off the bedding—only to freeze as she felt something warm and viscous leak out of her.

She snapped her thighs together. “God damn it. More?”

There had been a stall with a makeshift toilet in the shower, obviously crafted with a human in mind. Lacey had used it to pee when Telok brought here there earlier. She hadn’t believed the pressure of how full she’d been, or the immense relief once she’d emptied her bladder. She’d showered afterward, cleaning as much of his cum as she could from inside her. But he’d apparently shot bucketloads into her, because it just kept coming!

With her shorts now sporting a large, dark spot, she undressed and tossed them in the corner to wash later. Every sore muscle, scrape, and bruise made itself known to her as she moved. She lightly ran her fingertips over the scratches on her hip, where there was a clear, bruised imprint of Telok’s hand. Whatever pain she might’ve felt from his grip had been overridden by the immense pleasure she’d experienced, or it had simply added to it.

She touched the bite on her shoulder and hissed. The wound was quite tender.

But it was her pussy that she was most aware of. Her labia were swollen and sensitive, her clit still pulsed dully, and there was a distinct feeling of emptiness where Telok had once filled her.

Sighing, she crouched next to her bag and retrieved a small jar of salve she’d packed. She bit down on her bottom lip as she dabbed some of the green ointment over the bitemark.

After putting away the jar, she used a spare cloth to gingerly scrub between her thighs, hoping the worst of the leakage was over. Then she tossed the cloth atop her shorts before pulling on a clean dress and tugging on her boots.

As she was combing her fingers through her hair, working out the tangles to make herself somewhat presentable, there was rapping against the doorframe.

Telok!

With her lips stretching into a wide smile and her stomach aflutter with excitement and anticipation, she ran to the entrance, grasped the curtain, and tugged it aside.

Everything within her deflated.

Sophia stood before her, holding a clay cup and a pitcher, wearing a short, dark brown, one-shoulder dress and a gentle smile.

There was no big black and green vrix anywhere to be seen.

“Hey Lacey. I…hope it’s a good time? I just wanted to come by and see how you’re doing.”

Warmth spread over Lacey’s skin. “I’m… I, uh…” She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back from her face. “Truthfully? I’m mortified, and I think I’m only starting to come out of shock.”

“I can imagine. And there’s no judgment here, I swear. I’m just glad you guys are okay. Everyone is.”

Some of the tension that had been building inside Lacey eased. “Thank you.”

The woman’s smile widened. “Are you up for a little chat?”

“Um, sure.” As much as Lacey would’ve preferred to go out and find Telok, she stepped aside and held the curtain open for Sophia to enter. “Do you…know where Telok is?”

“Last time I saw him, he was with Tas, but that was a while ago,” Sophia said as she walked to the table, filled the cup, and set the pitcher down. She turned, handing the cup to Lacey. “Here.”

“Thank you.” Lacey brought the cup to her lips and nearly moaned as water cooled her parched throat. Before she realized it, she’d drained the cup and was refilling it to take another deep drink.