Page 105 of Claimed

I was fine until I moved, then that gnawing ache spreading through my body exploded in bright, blinding clusters. Pain tugged at different parts of me. My nipples stung, and the insides of my thighs were tender. I unleashed a soft moan and opened my eyes, trying to come to terms with what happened last night.

It was a mess. A whole terrifying, elated, cruel mess.

I turned my head, wincing at the ache at the back of my neck as I found Colt lying beside me, his eyes closed, his hand wrapped firmly around my arm.

But was it Colt?

Or was it the beast?

I closed my eyes as a low moan gathered like a storm in the middle of my chest. Only I didn’t let it free. I kept it down there, trapped and rumbling, desperately quiet so I didn’t wake him. I didn’t want to wake him, and it wasn’t just because he needed to rest. No. Because the truth was…I was scared.

The more I thought about last night, the further sleep slipped away.

I was awake…very awake, remembering everything.

Not Colt.

The words resounded and a new ache flared, one in my heart. My body clenched as the heaviness in my bladder tugged my focus. I needed to get up…and pee. I swallowed my breath, gulping it down as I shifted my gaze to his once more.

Lips together.

Eyes closed.

Still fast asleep. He won’t even know I’ve—I rolled my arm and gently pulled. His eyes snapped open, the blue so dark it was almost black. But he didn’t look at me. He looked through me, like I wasn’t even there. Panic punched, making my pulse skip.

“Colt?” my voice squeaked.

Then in an instant, he blinked and came to life. The deep blue brightened a little. There was a quiver at the corner of his mouth. “Wildcat?” he spoke, his voice husky and raw.

I smiled, pushing up to brush my fingers across his hard, bristled cheek. “Hey there, it’s me.” He tried to smile at me, but I saw the panic, the doubt. “You’re okay now. You’re out of there. You’re here with me. See?”

I touched his cheek and grazed his jaw before leaning close to kiss him. But his lips barely moved. I pulled away, desperately trying to think of how to ease him. He winced, growing pale.

“Are you hurting?” I shoved upwards, biting down on another moan, and pulled the sheets away from him. He was naked and in the faint spill of sunlight between the blinds, I saw the damage more clearly.

He wasn’t just black and blue…he was all black.

All of his stomach.

All of his chest.

The tread of a boot was stamped clearly into his check.

Revulsion gripped me, making my stomach clenched. Acid surged into the back of my throat.

“Vivienne?” he croaked as I slammed my hand over my mouth and shoved from the bed.

I couldn’t stop, and launched for the bathroom, even when the ache flared deep with every step. The burn spilled out, splashing against the sides of the bowl. Heavy steps came behind me.

“Vivienne?” Colt croaked as he stumbled into the doorway.

I shook my head, my eyes blurred with tears. “I’m okay. I’m okay…I—”

“What the fuck happened to you?” he growled as he lurched closer, holding onto his chest with one hand and the doorjamb with the other.

He yanked me hard, spinning me around until he could take a good look. The panic in his stare didn’t get any better. “What the fuck bit you?”

I swallowed hard and looked down. Red, swollen, bruised. I knew it’d be bad, but this…this was too much. I yanked from his hold, covering myself. “It’s nothing.”

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