Page 105 of Scorned

When Lyric pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, I jumped from my seat, heading into the back, and squeezed past everyone sitting on the benches.

The van hadn’t even stopped when I flung the back door open and jumped out, praying I didn’t eat concrete.

The instant my feet touched the ground, Luka threw the Jeep in park and bolted out, sprinting toward me.

No one else in the world existed when our bodies smashed into each other like two stars colliding. He ripped me off the ground and I hung onto his neck, my legs wrapping around his waist.

“I’m so sorry,” I whimpered into his neck, tears staining his shirt.

He held on tight with one hand, rubbing my back with the other. “What could you possibly be sorry for?”

Every muscle I had trembled against his warm body and the tighter he hugged, the more I never wanted to let go of him. “For not saving you sooner.”

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. You broke into a highly secured research center for me. A guy couldn’t ask for much more out of a mate.”

I pulled back, my watery eyes meeting his. “I’m your mate?”

“Of course you are, Princess. Our bond is eternal. No one will ever separate us again.”

My breaths were fast as I leaned in, gently pressing my lips against his, a sense of peace flooding through me.

“Get a room!” Winnie hollered, and we broke free.

I laughed while crying and Luka sat me on the ground. “I’m really tired. It’s like I’ve slept forever, but somehow haven’t slept at all.”

Peering up into his eyes, I took his hand in mine. “I have a warm bed for you to sleep in.”

Once our group had exited the vehicles, we made our way to the back of the hotel, our silence speaking volumes. Winnie managed to get us into a private entrance and I was grateful. Our blood-soaked clothes told the tale of our night, and I prayed no one lingered in the halls at five am because it was a story we weren’t willing to reveal.

Despite appearing normal, Luka’s eyes had a slightly distant look as we stepped into our room. He went straight to the bed and stared at it.

“Let me clean you up first.” I slid my hand into Luka’s and pulled him toward the bathroom, stopping by the door. “Winnie, can you find him some clothes?”

“I’m on it.”

I shut the bathroom door and helped Luka shed his once white scrubs that were now splattered with the reminders of the lives lost.

“I’m too tired to shower, Princess.”

“Okay, but the sheets here are white so we have to at least get the blood off you.”

Luka nodded, his eyes slowly blinking as if he was forcing himself to stay awake for me.

With a heavy breath, I turned on the sink and once the water was warm, I ran a washcloth under the stream, then added some soap.

He stood silently, staring into nothingness as I briskly cleansed him, noticing his naked body still had some scars on it.

Winnie came back with his clothes and slid them through the door. After I helped Luka get dressed, we returned to the bedroom. He stood next to the bed, staring at it like it was a foreign object before he finally laid down and let out a long breath.

More worry filled me as I took a seat at the tiny table by the window, and by the time I removed my boots, Luka was asleep.

“We’re really going to have to clean this place up before we leave,” I said, stifling a yawn. Exhaustion had hit me hard, pulling at my eyelids. “There will be so much DNA evidence.”

“You don’t worry about that, Sagelynn. I already set my alarm to get up early,” Lyric said, bringing my slanted eyes to her. “You go shower first, then Winnie and I will once the water is warm again.”

I nodded and grabbed a long T-shirt to wear to bed before stumbling into the bathroom. Each piece of clothing I shed became a strain on my heart. Blood covered my hands, my legs . . . my entire body. I made sure I completely avoided the mirror. I didn’t need a picture-perfect, horrific memory engraved into my brain of what my body looked like in the aftermath.

With a deep breath, I turned the shower on and slid in. As I quickly scrubbed the blood from my body, I thought about Marcus. I really needed to talk to him and make sure he wasn’t upset with me. But that was a problem for tomorrow.

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