Page 60 of Catch a Tiger

Refusing to blink, she studied him and tried to ignore the fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“You only wanted me for Rune,” she whispered, understanding then why this whole thing had felt so odd from the very beginning.

Mylo blinked so slowly she would have thought he was asleep except his eyes finally opened again, but he still didn’t say anything.

“It’s disgusting, isn’t it?” She chewed on her bottom lip, knowing the real problem. “I don’t have a scent or fur…I have nothing to give you, but…”

Vix gently pressed her hand to his chest, watching his reaction closely.

She couldn’t give them anything, but she could take what they couldn’t bear.

“I can be better,” she promised, her soft words barely audible even for a shifter. “I promise.”

You desecrate everything you touch.

Instantly, she yanked her hand back at the sound of those vile words slithering through her mind, and Vix felt like she could hardly breathe, but it didn’t matter because he was still looking at her.

“You played a trick on me, Mylo. It wasn’t a very nice one, either.”

Her heart was pounding just as hard as it was when she’d thought he might be dead. Tears burned her cheeks and she held her breath, waiting for him to tell her this was all just a mean game.

Or maybe she’d wake up…

“I thought you wanted to claim me.”

“No.” Mylo watched her like none of it mattered to him at all. “I don’t.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” she whispered, dropping her eyes to the scar along his throat that was in a perfect, straight line. Even where they’d stitched him back together had scarred. “Not even hell will claim me, so why would you?”

Still, he was her mate.

Vix brushed the tip of her finger along that scar, easing just the tiniest sliver of his overwhelming pain. “Please…don’t abandon me—I’ll do better, I promise.”

“What could you possibly do better?” Mylo asked, wrapping his long fingers around her wrist and pulling it away from his throat.

If she could figure out the answer, maybe he wouldn’t push her away, maybe?—

“Vix.”

She looked up to see him bringing her finger to his mouth, his long, wet tongue licking the tip of her claw. It was so obscene to watch she couldn’t stop him even if she wanted to.

“What kind of shifter are you?”

“I ca—can’t shift,” she stuttered, cheeks burning in embarrassment. It wasn’t her fault though when that tongue of his slid over the tip of her finger. “Am I even a shifter if I can’t…”

He wrapped that pink tongue around her finger then and Vix had no idea what was going on. Didn’t he just say he didn’t want her?

“Before,” Mylo clarified, using the same word she had. “What animal could you shift into? What fur did you wear that was all your own?”

“I’m scared you won’t like my answer.” She swallowed hard, blinking just once to ease some of the burning in her eyes, but more tears fell and shehatedit. “What if it makes you hate me more?”

“Impossible,” Mylo murmured, pulling her hand so her arm could drape over his neck. “I already despise you for making me need this. Nothing could make me hate youmore.”

Then he pressed his hand to her lower back, bringing her just a little closer.

Vix felt too hot.

She sat up, trying not to rip the coat off of her, but it wasso hardwhen she was panicking and her claws were so sharp?—

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