Claws

Chapter Sixty-Five

Zale's back was etched with deep scratches and bruises, crisscrossing in chaotic patterns, painting his skin with dark colors of yellow, blue, red, and black splotches where the blood under his skin had risen to the surface. His skin was raw and inflamed in some areas, with dried blood caked in the crevices of his wounds. Some areas already seemed to show signs of infection.

Zale's muscles were tense and knotted, and his posture was hunched as if his muscles had given out.

I pressed my fingers against my tight lips, feeling sick. I'd already given Zale more than a pint of my blood, and his wounds were still this bad.

"Gosh, I can't imagine what condition you'd be in right now if I hadn't given you some of my blood," I mumbled, pulling the barstool further away from Zale's island so he could sit on it with his back facing me. "Sit. We need to clean you up right now. I'd give you more blood, but I think I might pass out if I do."

"You gave me more than enough," Zale agreed, wincing as he sat down on the barstool again.

When the muscles on his back moved, I looked over the damage that was done once again.

As I gazed at the tender skin, I could feel my pulse quickening. It was so bad.

I reached out with a soft touch, my fingers tracing the jagged lines of the scratches. Zale flinched slightly at my touch but didn't pull away. I could tell that he was hurting, but he didn't want to make it obvious.

"What typical a guy," I thought, biting my lip as I dumped some rubbing alcohol on the clean cloth I'd found inside the kit.

With a gentle hand, I began to clean the wounds, dabbing at them with the cloth. Zale sucked in a sharp breath as I touched the open wounds, trying to clean them out, but he didn't move away. He just started to take deep breaths, trying not to make a sound.

"You know, you don't have to pretend like it doesn't hurt," I finally said, setting the bloody rag down. I twisted Zale's chair so he would face me. I stepped in between Zale's legs and brushed my fingers against his cheek. "I want you to feel like it's okay to be weak around me. I want you to show me you're not perfect and strong all the time. Even though I don't like seeing you like this, I want to know I can at least be there for you. So don't feel like you need to hide anything from me anymore."

Zale gazed at me with dazed eyes, a gentle smile forming on his lips. "I'm so in love with you, Mae Astor," he mumbled, sliding one of his hands on my cheek. "And I'm guessing from what I've just heard in the woods up until now, you at least love me enough to be mine?"

"Generally speaking, I was already yours," I jokingly mimicked him, sliding my hand in Zale's hair and pressing my lips to his. His hands immediately slid to my hips and pulled me to his bare chest as our mouths began to move. I could feel his lips relaxing into mine, his tongue exploring the contours of my mouth. Although he tasted like blood and tears, I let my own tongue respond.

As his mouth roughly moved against mine, I felt like I was melting into him. His arms wrapped around me, holding me close as if he would never let me go. My hands explored the contours of his bare chest and abdomen, making their way up into his hair again. His skin was hot against my fingertips, and I felt him shiver at my touch. His hands tightened around my hips when I tasted him again. I would probably never get used to this incredible feeling.

"I want you to be mine too," I whispered as we parted, our foreheads pressed together. Zale's breath mingled with mine as he brushed his fingers against my lips. "I think I've wanted that for a while now."

Then our lips collided again, and the room filled with our pheromones as we got drunk off of each other. I could feel Zale's heart beating against his chest, matching my rapid pace. When his mouth moved down to my neck, I could feel his lips curve into a smile. I sighed as his kisses got rougher.

"You can't take that back," Zale mumbled against my jawline. When I felt his teeth catch the edge of my ear, I shivered. "I won't let you."

"As long as you behave," I smirked, forcing myself to draw back when he leaned in again. I gently placed my fingers against Zale's lips, and he gave me a playful, seductive look. "No more. Go take a shower and try to wash all of that blood and dirt off of you as much as you can. There's only so much I can do with a damp cloth covered in rubbing alcohol, and I don't want your back to get infected. I'll wash up after you and stay the night if you lend me a T-shirt. We still have some things we need to talk about."

"You'll stay here tonight?" Zale smiled, sounding pleased as he rested his forehead against my shoulder after pulling me close again.

"Yes, but only to talk some more and then sleep. Don't get any other ideas," I sighed, running my fingers through Zale's hair. He was like a big puppy. "Now get up and go try to take a shower. It might hurt, but it'll help you in the long run. If I give you some of my pheromones tonight, you should heal faster, too."

"Sounds like a plan," Zale pulled his head off my shoulder and nodded. He stole a quick kiss from me after slowly standing up. "I actually got you some stuff for my place a while ago, just in case."

"What stuff?" I furrowed my eyebrows, pulling Zale's arm around my shoulders so I could help him to his room. "And when exactly did you start to think that I would be staying the night here?"

"It was a little while after I temporarily marked you. Just as a precaution, I went out and got you a toothbrush, your own mug, some sweatpants, and some other hygienic products your mom said you used, like deodorant and face wash. That was when I learned that women's deodorant smells a lot different than men's. Very fruity."

"What the heck? Why would you go that far?" I gaped, almost losing my footing as we entered Zale's room.

"Well, my mom told me girls have a specific hygiene routine after they shower, so I just figured you might want some here so you'll feel more at home. I don't go a day without deodorant. It's a hygiene necessity. There's no need to be embarrassed about it. At least I didn't buy you underwear and all that stuff. My mom was the one who did that and shoved them all in the guest room drawers, along with some other clothes she bought for you. Don't worry, I didn't look at that stuff."

"Oh my gosh, Linda. What the heck," I sighed, covering my hand over my face. "I don't even know what to say right now. Did she think I'd be moving in or something?"

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," Zale grinned, taking his arm off me to grab his bathroom doorframe.

"Go take a shower before I hit you," I rolled my eyes, turning around. "I'll go in the guest room and see what Linda got me."