Page 21 of Claimed By the Damned

Zeke decided not to push the topic of his past. He knew Drake would eventually have to face it, but pissing him off further wasn’t the best course of action right now. ”So, again I ask, why did you fuck her? There were plenty of other girls at the bar you could have picked up.”

Drake growled again, punching a hole into the cabinet above his head. “I don’t fucking know, okay? I’m not immune to the effects of this thing. I just don’t want a fucking mate.”

Zeke pointed at him. “Well, you have one, and now you have to figure your shit out because you’re going to hurt her more than you already have.”

Drake rolled his eyes. “I didn’t fucking hurt her. She enjoyed every second of it.”

He scoffed. “I saw the look in her eyes when you stormed out without a word. She may not have said as much, but you definitely hurt her. If roles were reversed, how would you feel?”

”In case you didn’t notice, most girls I hook up with don’t stick around long after we are done. I’m not exactly a cuddler.”

”Yeah, well… She’s not like most girls. She’s your mate, and she has real feelings.”

”Then why didn’t you mark her too then, huh?” Drake exclaimed. “If you are so ‘team Amara,’ then why is it only Knox had the balls to claim what was his!”

”Because out of this entire situation, I’m the only one with my head on straight. She had reservations about mating, and I didn’t want to force her to start something she wasn’t ready for. It’s called being a gentleman. You should try it sometime.” He tipped his head to the side and quieted his voice. “Or are you too far gone, Drake?”

Drake’s nostrils flared. “Well, you have fun with that shit. I’ve made up my mind. I’m not doing this.” He poured himself another glass of alcohol and then disappeared down the hall to his room.

Chapter Nine

Amara

Amara felt as though she had just managed to get to sleep when she was once again woken up by something cold and sharp sliding up her bare leg. The sudden realization that she wasn’t alone and that whoever was in her home had some kind of weapon caused her to scream as she struggled to disentangle herself from the bed sheets. Then, a heavy hand clamped down on her mouth, cutting her scream short while also pinning her to the mattress.

At first, she thought that it was her father. She feared that he had somehow discovered what she had done earlier that evening and was coming to punish her for disobeying him so blatantly. However, it was Knox who appeared over her, a dark and sinister look in his eyes, and she blinked in surprise.

So many questions popped into her mind that it took her a moment to realize that he was dressed only in a pair of boxers and that the rest of his clothes were in a pile on top of her dresser. His pupils were blown wide, and he had his signature cocky smirk on his face while he loomed over her, holding a knife to her thigh. It was clear that he had plans for her. Plans that would definitely get her into a lot of trouble if the two of them were caught.

Her brief moment of relief vanished in an instant at the thought, and her fear spiked once more, though not because of the blade he was pressing against her delicate flesh. She knew, deep down, that he would never hurt her. At least, not in such a way that would be too much for her to handle. The problem was he wasn’t supposed to be there; he wasn’t supposed to be in the pack’s territory at all. If her father found out, if he was discovered in her cabin, she didn’t know what her father would do, and she feared for Knox’s safety.

For several heartbeats, the two of them just stared at one another, Knox clearly giving her a moment to process that it was just him and not some intruder. But the knowledge wasn’t any more comforting. As happy as her wolf was to see him, she knew how dangerous this was. She needed to get him out of there. Sooner rather than later.

Shoving at his chest and forcing him to back away, Amara shook her head and sat up, the blankets pooling around her waist. “Knox, what are you doing?” she hissed at him. “You can’t be here!”

“I’m doing whatever the fuck I want,” he replied, grinning like he owned the world and could do whatever he pleased.

“How… how did you even get in here? How did you find me?”

Her eyes darted down to where he started dragging the knife higher up beneath her shorts. Her heart hammered against her chest, torn between being terrified and strangely turned on. She knew Knox was unhinged, but even despite all that, she trusted him. She just hoped that trust wasn’t misplaced. She didn’t know him that well after all, and she didn’t know how far he would take things.

“The internet. And then I followed your scent once I got here.” His grin broadened when she started to shiver as he cut a bit of fabric from her shorts, his gaze locked on the blade as it dragged along her skin.

“Okay, stalker,” she muttered breathlessly, running her fingers through her hair and trying to regain some sense of her composure.

She sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling. The whole situation was so messed up, and she didn’t know what she was doing anymore. She knew he needed to leave before they were caught, but a part of her didn’t want him to go. With him there, the pack’s territory didn’t seem so scary. It was surprising that someone like him could make her feel so safe and secure, but she guessed that came along with the mate bond.

Inside her, a war was raging between what she wanted and what she should do. She didn’t know which side of her would win yet.

“I’m afraid to ask, but how did you get into my cabin?”

He chuckled playfully. “Yeah, about that. You’re going to need a new door knob.”

His response wasn’t surprising. In fact, she should have expected it. It was sweet, in its own strange way, knowing that he wanted to see her that badly, but it was also wrong. He didn’t know her or her situation well enough to know the ramifications if they were caught. The thought made her shudder again.

“Jesus-fucking-Christ, Knox. Okay, look,” She placed her hand over his that was holding the knife, stopping him from tearing off another shred of fabric. One of them needed to be rational, and it obviously wasn’t going to be him. “You really can’t be here. If my father finds you…”

He frowned before he grabbed her wrist and removed it from his hand, pinning it against the mattress. Using the blade, he cut more fabric from her shorts. At this rate, the shorts she was wearing were going to be ruined.

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