Page 16 of Map of Pain
Seventy-two hours without sleep pushedevenvampire physiology to its limits. Luka’s enhanced senses became painfully sharp, his emotional regulation fraying at the edges. The beast’s voice grew stronger as his human consciousness weakened, making it harder to maintain the careful boundaries he established.
Take his pain.Make him sleep.Stop his suffering.
Force destroys trust. He has to choose.
He is in pain.We can fix pain.
Not all pain is physical.
Luka’s gaze traveled over Nick’s clothing—the same shirt, jeans, and boots he’d worn for days. The hunter refused to remove a single item, notevenfor sleep. Clothes formed a barrier between Nick and vulnerability, a last defense against complete exposure.
A distant sound from the hallway made Luka tense, head snapping toward the door. Every protective instinct flared, ready to eliminate any threat to the injured human. The intensity of the feeling surprised him—this wasn’tjustmedical care anymore.
His throat ached from disuse, but also from restraint. Part of him wanted to speak comfort, to use his voice despite the pain it would cause.
Gentle sounds.Soft words.He needs them.
But Luka remained silent, understandingthathis damaged voice might trigger rather than comfort.
The heart rate monitor beeped faster as Nick stirred. Luka shifted in his chair, preparing for the potential dissociationthatwould follow.
«I’m here,»he said, though Nick’s eyes remained closed. The gesture was for himself as much as for the hunter.
Nick’s eyes snapped open, but the person behind them vanished. His gaze fixed on the ceiling, vacant and hollow, like a window to an empty house. The heart monitor spiked, beeping frantically as his pulse rocketed to dangerous levels. His chest rose and fell in shallow, mechanical movements, like a machine running on autopilot while its operatorstepped away.
Luka recognized the absence. This wasn’t sleep or unconsciousness—Nick had fled somewhere deep inside himself, abandoning his body to escape what it felt.
Feel what hurts him.Understand the depth.
The beast’s suggestion vibrated through Luka’s exhausted mind. He’d never tried to sense pain without direct contact before. His ability required touch—skin against skin—to work properly. But Nick’s distress radiated from him in almost visible waves.
Luka rose from his chair, moving toward the bed with deliberate care. His hands hovered inches above Nick’s body, careful not to make contact with skin or clothing. Concentration pulled his brows together as he extended his senses outward, searching for the pain signature through air itself.
At first, nothing happened.Then—a faint crackling sensation against his palms, like static electricity gathering over damagednerves. Heat bloomed above acute pain sources while cold spots marked where old traumadeadened feeling entirely.
Horror built in Luka’s chest as the scope became clear. Nearly every part of Nick radiated suffering. The amputation site burned furiously. His throat scar pulled tight with each breath. Most disturbing was the phantom limb pain—an electrical storm of misfiring nerves creating heat signatures where fingers no longer existed.
Nausea rolled through Luka’s stomach. Nick’s entire nervous system had been conditioned for suffering. Pain had become his normal state—relief would feel wrong, dangerous.
The urge to touch Nick, to sweep away this agony, nearly overwhelmed Luka’s restraint. But forcing relief would betray the fragile trust they built.
Suddenly, Nick’s eyes focused, awareness returning. He saw Luka standing over him, hands extended above his body.
“What are you doing?”Fear flashed across his face as he tried to sit up, his hand moving protectively across his chest.“Don’t touch me! I didn’t say you could touch me!”
Luka retreated to the safe distance, hands raised. He grabbed his notepad:‘Not touching. Feeling your pain through air.’
Nick’s appeared to fear shift from wariness mixed with curiosity. “How much did you see?”he asked, voice rough with suspicion but lacking its earlier panic. His eyes darted between Luka and the door, calculating distances, weighing odds.
“How long were you doingthat? What did you see?”The words came out tight, strangled with embarrassment and violation.
Luka grabbed his notepad, writing quickly:‘Two minutes. Felt pain levels only, not personal details.’
“Pain levels?”Nick’s voice cracked.
Luka scribbled:‘Your body hurts everywhere. Constantly. Old injuries, new infection.’
Nick’s face flushed with humiliation.“So you know... you know how pathetic I am.”The word ‘pathetic’ emerged bitter, dripping with self-loathing.
