"I did it, girl," I tell Charlie as she limps over to greet me. "I chose him."
She sniffs at me, probably smelling Shadow on my skin, and wags her tail harder.
I head upstairs and strip off my clothes, catching sight of myself in the mirror.
There are bite marks on my shoulder. Hickeys on my neck. Bruises forming on my hips where Shadow gripped me.
Evidence of his claim.
I should be horrified.
Instead, I trace the marks with my fingers, remembering how each one felt.
How he made me feel safe and desired and owned all at once.
I climb into bed without showering, not wanting to wash away the evidence of what we did.
My body is sore in the best way, and I can still feel the phantom sensation of him inside me.
I close my eyes and try to sleep.
But all I can think about is Shadow.
His hands. His mouth. His voice promising to fill me, breed me, and make me his.
You're mine now, Grace.
And the terrifying, exhilarating truth is...
I want to be.
CHAPTER THREE
Shadow
I wake up harder than steel and aching for her.
The sun's barely cresting the horizon, painting my bedroom in shades of gray and gold, and all I can think about is Grace.
The way she looked at me in the moonlight.
The way she felt wrapped around me. The sounds she made when I filled her.
Mine.
The word echoes through my head like a brand, hot and permanent.
I drag myself out of bed and into the shower, letting the cold water beat down on me.
It doesn't help.
Nothing's going to help except getting inside her again, and that's not happening until tonight.
I've got club business to handle first.
Been the Shotgun Saints' enforcer for years, and that means when Phantom calls church, I show up.
Even when every instinct I have is screaming at me to go to Grace's cabin and make sure she's safe.
