Page 34 of The Mourning Throne
It tore out of him.
One long, ripped open sound, like everything inside was trying to claw its way out through his throat. Blood showed up next—Lex couldn’t even tell where from. Mouth? Nose? Who knew. It mixed with the snot and spit, pink and too-shiny on his screen.
Morgan stood.
Just stood there, looking down. Head tilted like he was evaluating something.
Ollie curled again, the sheet biting rings into his skin. Ankles. Wrists.
Knotted up. Shaking hard. Still breathing.
Barely.
Still conscious.Somehow.
Jesus.
Ollie was either stubborn on a different level, or had the pain tolerance of god himself.
“See how much simpler it is when you listen?” Morgan asked. “Much better.”
Lex clicked stop. Saved the video to the hidden folder.
His cheeks hurt. Took him a second to realize why.
He was smiling. Hard. Didn’t even mean to. Just—fuck. It rose up from somewhere deep andstuck, like it belonged.
This was better than some quick bathtub bleed out. Better than screaming. Better thaneverything.
Morgan picked up his empty glass. Shook it. “I’m out of ice.”
Chapter 6
Sleeping wasn’t happening.
There was no fucking way.
Lex tossed and turned in bed for god knows how long before he gave up.
His legs wouldn’t stop moving. Bugs crawled under his skin, burrowing into muscle. His feetskritch-scratchedacross the sheets until he wanted to rip his goddamn hair out.
He put his hand on Morgan’s cold shoulder. Waited.
No response.
Good. Morgan wascompletelyout.
Standing, he stretched. Cracked his back. His knuckles.
The light was still on in the second bedroom, creeping out from under the locked door.
Lex unlocked it and leaned against the frame.
Ollie hadn’t moved from where Morgan left him—tucked in the corner like a discarded coat. Too scared to stretch out. Still breathing, though. Eyes open. Staring.
Spaced out to hell and back.
“Night owl?” Lex asked.
