Page 77 of When Death Whispers

My cock twitches to life with embarrassing speed, my traitorous body betraying me instantly. I shift, trying to adjust myself in my sweats, but there’s nowhere to go. And of course, my movements just drag her attention downward.

Her gaze flicks to my groin. To my hard, very obvious cock.

It twitches again.

Fucking traitor.

She drags her icy blue eyes back to mine, one perfectly arched brow lifting. “What is it?”

Her voice snaps me back to reality, and I fumble like a goddamn idiot.

I open my mouth. Close it again. Fuck.

“I—uh—I’ve been thinking.”

Really, Hudson?

I scrub a hand down my face, drag a breath in. “I owe you an apology. For last night. For a lot of things. I didn’t listen. I judged you when I should’ve just… been there. I want to talk. If you’ll let me.”

She stands, arms folding over her chest—andfuck, that only pushes her tits up higher. My jaw clenches, my cock aching painfully now. If her intention was to distract me with that move then… It’s working. I’m at a clear disadvantage here.

She eyes me. “Why are you still here?” Her tone is guarded. Sharp. But not cruel. Just… tired.

I hesitate.

And she sees it.

Her expression shutters, that glimmer of vulnerability disappearing behind a cold, guarded mask.

“Let me stop you right there,” she says. “If you’re here to apologize and still think you get to decide how I live with this—how I cope with it—don’t bother.”

I wince. “Wait. I’m not—I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry. I’m fucking this up again.”

She exhales slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Hudson… you and I? We’ve been surviving together the last couple of days. That’s it. We don’t really know each other. But you know my shit. Almost every ugly piece of it now. You’ve been there, you’ve seen it. And I know almost nothing about you.”

Fuck. That’s fair. It stings, but it’s fair.

“I know how I reacted was selfish,” I say. “I made the situation about me. About what I think is right instead of what you needed. I made assumptions where I had no right to, when it’s clear you and I are just starting to know each other… I just… I feel like I belong here Parker, you are unique, interesting, I’m fucking hooked. This isn’t an excuse, but I owed you an explanation.”

I take a deep breath and decide to come clean with what I’ve been suspecting. “I’m scared, Parker. I feel like something’s draining me. Like your monster is still tethered to me somehow.”

Her eyes sharpen, but there’s no surprise in them. Just quiet confirmation. “I wondered,” she says softly. “After the streak in your hair showed up. I thought… maybe he marked you. Maybe he was feeding.”

I nod, the knot in my chest tightening. “It’s like every time I get too close, something sinks its teeth in deeper. And I don’t know how to fight it.”

Her expression flickers—guilt, worry, something else I can’t name. She looks like she wants to apologize, but doesn’t. I’m glad she doesn’t. This isn’t her fault.

“But that’s not why I’m here,” I add, stepping closer. “Are you okay?”

She exhales a shaky breath and crosses her arms tighter, like she’s trying to hold herself together from the outside in. “I don’t think I am,” she whispers.

The honesty of it slays me. Not just because she’s hurting, but because she’s finally saying it out loud.

“You’re allowed to not be okay,” I say gently. “You’ve been through hell, Parker. You don’t have to pretend.”

She doesn’t meet my eyes. Her gaze stays locked on the floor like it’s safer, like if she looks up everything between us might crack open again.

“I don’t know what’s real anymore,” she murmurs. “My body reacts to things I can’t explain. My thoughts feel like they’re not mine half the time. And the dreams. God, the dreams…”

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