Page 37 of Claimed By Fur and Fangs

“The truth?” she laughed bitterly, tears streaming down her face. “You think this was about the truth? This was about control. About winning. You don’t care about me, Aidan. You care about yourself.”

Her words cut deep, but as the doctor entered, Amelia turned away, defiant, and though I stepped back, I stayed, watching her stiff shoulders and crossed arms, unable to shake the sinking feeling that I’d lost her for good.

The doctor checked Amelia’s vitals, his expression calm but concerned.

“Your blood pressure is quite high,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “You need to rest and avoid stress. I’ll give you something to help stabilize it, but you must take it easy.”

Amelia took the pill silently, refusing to look at me, so I retreated to the kitchen, prepared a meal, and returned to find her still on the couch, her gaze distant.

“You should eat something,” I said softly, placing the tray on the table in front of her.

“I’m not hungry,” She didn’t even glance at it.

“Amelia, please,” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “You need to keep your strength up.”

“I don’t need anything from you,” she replied coldly, her tone cutting through me like a blade.

I sank into the chair beside her, my shoulders heavy with guilt and regret. For a long moment, I just sat there, staring at my hands, trying to find the right words. Finally, I took a deep breath and spoke.

“I want to tell you something,” I began, my voice low and hesitant. “Something I’ve never told anyone before.”

She didn’t respond, but I could feel her tense beside me. I pressed on, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Over 150 years ago,” I started, my voice trembling, “there was a fire in my village. It wasn’t an accident. It was set by a rival village…they wanted to wipe us out. I was just a boy then. I survived, but barely. I was burned… everywhere. I was in so much pain, I wished I had died with the rest of my family.”

Amelia’s breath hitched, but she still didn’t look at me. I continued, my voice growing thicker with emotion.

“I was lying there, at the edge of death, when a man appeared from the shadows. He carried me to his home. He gave me something to drink…I didn’t know what it was at the time. But assoon as I drank it, my wounds started healing. The pain faded. I thought it was a miracle.”

I paused, swallowing hard.

“But it wasn’t a miracle. That man… he turned me into a vampire. He saved my life, but he also took away the life I knew. My family was gone. Everyone I loved was gone. And I… I became something else. Something I didn’t understand.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but I forced myself to keep going.

“The man and his family took me in. They became my new family. But I’ve carried the weight of what I am—what I’ve lost—every day since then. I’ve spent centuries trying to make sense of it, trying to find some kind of purpose.”

I turned to her then, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I didn’t tell you because I was afraid. Afraid you’d see me as a monster. Afraid you’d look at me the way you’re looking at me now.”

Amelia finally turned to face me, her eyes glistening with tears. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The weight of my confession hung heavy in the air between us.

“I didn’t choose this,” I said, my voice breaking.

She didn’t say a word, but the tears streaming down her face told me everything I needed to know. I reached out, hesitating,before gently placing my hand over hers. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t hold on either.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice raw with emotion. “I’m so sorry, Amelia.”

Amelia’s tearful gaze met mine before she kissed me, tentative at first, then deep and desperate, and I kissed her back, pouring all my pain and longing into it.

“Amelia,” I whispered against her lips, my voice rough with emotion. “I’m so sorry… for everything.”

She kissed me again, harder, her hands clutching my shirt, pulling me closer, her breath ragged and body trembling, and when she pulled back, her eyes blazed with anger and desire.

“You hurt me,” she said, her voice shaking. “You lied to me. You manipulated me.”

“I know,” I said, my voice breaking. “And I’ll spend the rest of my existence making it up to you, if you’ll let me.”

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