He didn’t even look at me, just stood under the spray of the shower. I couldn’t stop staring at his massive hand braced on the wall…the one now missing a thumb. Burned, seared flesh was now a stump. The sight alone made me feel nauseous.
We must’ve been in here for an hour. In all that time, Colt hadn’t said a word. He just stood there, letting the hot water cascade down his strong back onto the cuts and bruises marring his body.
This will help with the pain, the doctor muttered as he pushed the needle into his flesh. But Colt never even noticed, just stared with that catatonic stare. One that still held him transfixed.
“Colt?” I whispered, taking a step closer. The spray hit my arm as I reached out to trail my fingers along his arm, drenching my shirt. But I didn’t care. My focus was only on him. “Maybe we should get you out of the shower, huh? You must be exhausted.”
All I saw was that filthy fucking kill room where they’d held him, the one stained with terror and blood. My hand shook and my fingers danced on his skin. The tremble seemed to wake him enough to lift his head. I reached past and hit the faucets, ending the spray.
“Let’s get you dried, okay?” I grabbed the towel, carefully brushing it over his arm before I dared to move closer.
His hard muscles quivered, making my pulse race. The last thing I needed was for him to lash out and hurt me. So I put my trust in his love. Because he loved me…deep down…under whoever this person standing in front of me was.
I brushed the towel across his shoulders, then moved to the other side. He didn’t move, just let me touch where I needed, wiping the water from his arms, then moved to his torso. A deep purple hue covered most of his stomach, bulging out at the side.
Internal bleeding. That’s what the doc had said. Although he was sure it wasn’t life threatening, not anymore, at least, as it would’ve already killed him. I didn’t need the doctor to say the words. I saw it all in the mangled marks in the shape of fists. I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat. I didn’t know how he’d survived. By DeLuca’s stare, he didn’t know either.
“I’ll get you into bed in just a minute,” I assured Colt as he shivered.
I ran the towel over the marks on his chest. The small punctures were the same everywhere, all over his chest and stomach, even on his back. I stared at the two-point marks as I gently dried his back. They were almost like bites. I scanned the rest of his body as I knelt to run the towel down his thighs and his legs.
He was clean, as clean as I could get him, anyway.
It’d take much more than an hour standing under the water to scrub away what they’d done to him. Still, it was a start.
“There, all dried,” I urged, gently pulling him toward me.
He followed me into the bedroom and just stood there as I pulled a soft white t-shirt over his head and eased him against the bed. Sleep shorts were next. I heaved his heavy feet upwards one by one until I gently pushed him down on the bed and worked them up as high as I could.
Cold rippled through me. My sodden sleeves clung to my skin. I needed to change, put on something warm.
“Stay.” The word was a husky plea.
I glanced at his eyes as they closed, then at the bedroom door. “Okay.” I pulled the covers high up to his neck. “Whatever you need, but I need a shower first.”
He reached behind him and tugged the covers low on the other half of the bed as I kicked off my boots, pulled the wet shirt over my head, and hurried for the bathroom.
Get it off…the stench and the filth of that place were like a brand I needed gone. I scrubbed hard, using the last of the hot water to wash cobwebs, grime, and the sickening smell of that kill room off me until the water ran cold.
The bedroom was quiet, not even a shift under the covers. Hurry. I washed, then stepped out grabbed the towel, and dried before heading back into the bedroom.
He was still awake, still…unresponsive. I slipped on a pair of panties I’d left here earlier, then one of his massive black t-shirts and climbed in. Fear made me hesitate as I reached for him, so I curled my fingers, then pulled away and tugged the covers up high instead.
He just lay there, unmoving, with his back to me. I didn’t know if he was asleep.
I wished to hell I could sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw that room.
That fucking room where they’d held him.
I shifted my gaze, watching his big chest slowly rise and fall with every deep breath. He was asleep…good. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, fighting back tears. That’s really good. You sleep, baby. You sleep and let me stand guard this time.
My attention moved to the door, and the sliver of faint light out in the hallway. Carven and London were out there somewhere, maybe even asleep themselves. I glanced back as a wave of exhaustion slammed into me. Right now, I felt lonely, with the weight of my thoughts ready to take me under.
I tried to stay awake by opening my eyes and my mouth wide until the corners of my mouth stretched.
Still, that heaviness waited. My eyes drifted closed. No…I opened them once more. Gotta stay awake…if…he…needs…me—
THE BED SHIFTED BESIDE ME. Still, I stayed under, sinking deeper into that heaviness, until a hard blast of a breath battered against my cheek. I cracked my eyes open, saw a shadow looming above me, and for a second my mind didn’t understand. “Go back to sleep, Colt. It’s too early.”
A low, guttural rumble followed, loud enough to drag me back into reality. The kill room…Colt chained there. Colt…a savage be—
I snapped my eyes wider, finding him on all fours, hovering over me. That threatening rumble like thunder in his chest making my pulse spike.
“Colt?” I croaked.
He lowered his head, his heavy breaths scattering my hair.
“Colt, what’s wrong?”
“Not. Colt.” The blunt snarl followed.
Not Colt? I flinched as he moved, placing one hand on either side of me and leaned down to sniff the back of my neck. I fisted the sheets, my gaze directed at the wall of the room and away from the door. But I didn’t dare turn my head. Not when he—
That snarl grew deeper and his breath was hot against the side of my neck, before he licked.
It was the same thing he’d done earlier, right before he ran from the dungeon where they’d held him. Would he run again? I winced as his tongue came once more. I couldn’t let him run again, couldn’t do anything to scare him.
“If you’re not Colt, then who are you?” I dared to whisper.
“Beast.”
I swallowed hard as he moved down my body, swiping the covers aside roughly. I flinched, turning to look at him, until his hand landed on the back of my neck, squeezing hard enough to frighten me.
“Colt,” I croaked, too terrified to move.
“Told you,” he snarled, leaning down. “Not Colt.”
My pulse was thundering as he pressed his face against my hair, then bit.
Pain flared, sharp…terrifying.
“Oww.” I fought, pushing upwards, but I was no match for his grip around my neck, pinning me in place. “Stop…Colt.”
He was scaring me now. I thrashed, trying to turn my head, and opened my mouth to scream for Carven…until I froze, playing out what would happen in my head. The bedroom door would fly open and Carven would launch himself across the bed, taking his brother out.
It’d be bad…really fucking bad.
Fists, blood. Screaming and roaring.
Hearts would shatter all over again.
I closed my eyes as he shoved my face harder against the pillow. The movement couldn’t be more bestial. Don’t move, it said. Every savage draw of a breath, every dip in the bed, I felt it all as he pressed his face against the back of my neck and bit once more.
I flinched, wincing.
But it didn’t hurt as much this time. Instead, it was careful, more controlled. Was he trying not to hurt me? “It’s okay,” I whispered, praying he understood me. “I know you don’t want to hurt me.”
He moved down my body, pawing at the over-sized t-shirt I wore. He pressed his nose against the fabric and into the middle of my back, drawing in a hard breath.
A rumble followed, almost like a purr in his chest. Did he like that I wore his shirt? Did he want his scent on my skin? Christ, I hoped so.
“It’s you.” I tried. “It’s always you.”
His warm hand pawed my ass, then shoved upwards, driving his t-shirt high. “Don’t…move,” he warned.
I swallowed hard, trying to stop myself from fighting. I clenched the sheets, my breath warming the pillow pressed against my face as he pressed his hand against my ass.
That sound came again, threatening, predatory. Teeth scraped the flesh of my ass as he bit the sides of my panties. I clamped my mouth shut, biting down on the insides of my cheeks to stop from crying out. One thrash of his head and the thin lace ripped.
“Wildcat,” he snarled. “Mine.”
I stilled, trying to catch my breath as he lifted his head, those dark blue eyes searching for mine. I dared risk shifting my head, meeting them.
There was a tortured look that pinched his brow as he growled. “Won’t hurt you.” He turned away, lowering his head to my ass.
Pain flared as he bit the soft flesh. I cried out with the sharp sting making me buck. But that growl came again, desperate and needy this time. Don’t move. I sucked in hard breaths, gripping the comforter with all I had as he licked.
Soft, wet…followed by the hard press of his face into the crease of my ass. Warmth followed as he licked again, his tongue taking my mind away from the aching throb his teeth had left behind. A moan tore free, pain and pleasure taking over as he pressed his face harder in my crease, then moved down.
“Colt,” I whispered. “I mean…Beast. Don’t you think…” His tongue pushed into my core, making me squeeze my eyes closed. “Don’t you think you need to rest?”
He eased back, turning his head to nip the inside of my thigh.
“Okay,” I yelped, writhing. “Whatever you need…Christ, whatever you need.”
Hard fingers gripped my torn panties and yanked, lifting my hips from the bed before the ruined panties completely ripped free. He cast them aside, then shoved the inside of my thigh, widening my legs. I had no choice but to let him do what he wanted.
He wasn’t in his right mind. He wasn’t in any mind. That thunderous purr came again as he pressed his face against my pussy. “Mine.”
“Yes.” I arched my back as he licked, driving my hips higher, giving him all the access to me he wanted. “I’m yours.” His hand was still clenched around the back of my neck, holding me down as he took what he wanted. “All yours.”
It didn’t matter he wasn’t the Colt I knew right now. All it mattered was that it was him.
He eased his hold against my neck, lifted his head to grab my hips and flip me over…like I weighed nothing at all. He shouldn’t be able to do that, not without screaming in agony.
But he did…
He did and looked savage and wild and dangerous doing it.
I bounced against the mattress, jerking my gaze to his as he knelt on all fours, towering above me. That wild stare captured mine before he looked down at the t-shirt I wore. With a snarl, he reached up, gripped the neckline and jerked, ripping the garment straight down the middle.
Panic punched through me as that animalistic stare found what it wanted. My nipples tightened in response, puckering as he lowered his head.
“Just…” I whispered as he took one in his mouth, his teeth grazing sensitive flesh. “Don’t hurt me.”
He lifted his head. Somewhere in that bestial stare was the man I loved.
He dipped once more, dragging his teeth across the tip, making me buck, which only drove my nipple deeper into his mouth. Pain. Softness. He nipped and licked until I couldn’t tell the sensations apart. By the time he nuzzled the shredded shirt aside to expose the rest of me, my breast was throbbing, shooting the sensations all the way to my clit.
Panting breaths caught as danger mingled with desire. I shouldn’t be allowing this. Not while he was in the state he was, but as he lowered himself further down the bed, I knew this was what he needed.
He needed me.
The points of his teeth pressed against my clit as it throbbed. “Colt,” I whispered. “I want Colt.”
“No Colt…” he growled. “Not yet.”
Pressure. Suction. He shoved my legs wider, sliding his hands under to tilt my hips to his face. “Not until I have my fill,” he insisted.
“Oh, fuck,” I moaned, looking down.
This wasn’t Colt. Not the sweet, protective, soft man I knew.
He dipped, that guttural sound rumbling in the back of his throat as he opened his mouth wide and speared his tongue inside me. I threw my hands up, holding on as my nipples pulsed, driving the throb deeper. “Oh, God,” I cried.
He lifted his head, his lips glistening with my desire. “Not God. A beast.”
He wasn’t a beast. He was a tortured, damaged man. Still, he felt like hunger as he licked and sucked, drawing that terrifying, delicious feeling closer.
“My kitten.” He rose, shoving his boxers down. One swing of his arm and he tore the shirt I’d dressed him in free. “My Wildcat.”
I couldn’t stop myself from wanting this, lifting my knees, opening wide for him to settle between my thighs.
“I love you,” I moaned as he thrust, driving his cock all the way inside. “I. Love. You.”
He was a savage, holding nothing back as he unleashed all that anger and that pain on my body. My body jolted, driving higher in the bed with every thrust.
I wanted more. Anything he could give me.
“That’s it,” I moaned, reaching for him. “Fuck me. Fuck me and take what you need.”
I grabbed his arms, lifting myself as he drove that hard length all the way to the hilt. But I wasn’t ready to stop fighting, not the way my protector needed. I slid my hand up, gripping him behind the neck and snarled, “You fuck me, then you give me back Colt.”
There was a curl of his lips. Rage and desperation burned in his stare. But he was so focused on his hunger. So desperate to fuck that he didn’t fight. That gave me all the hope I needed.
He yanked his cock out, then shoved me to the side. I moved then, knowing instantly what the beast wanted.
He wanted to mount.
He wanted to rut.
I braced myself on all fours as he thrust back in. His hand moved to grip the back of my neck. I lifted my head as his fingers entwined to grip the strands of my hair.
“That’s. It.” I urged, my elbows buckling with the strength of his thrusts. “Fuck me.”
He unleashed a growl and thrust harder…faster. The sound rebounded from the walls to slam into me, making my core clench. I rode that dangerous, terrifying edge of euphoria until, with a brutal slam of his hips, I tipped over.
I throbbed and swelled, crying out as he came hard inside me.
My arms gave way, letting me fall to the mattress. I couldn’t think, couldn’t move. Couldn’t do anything but feel the quakes his possession left behind.
His grip on my hair eased, his huge hand heavy as his arm drifted down to encircle my waist. One yank and he wedged my body against his.
“Every kitten needs a beast,” he murmured, his tone thick with exhaustion. “Now you know yours.”
