His Trouble Maker

Perfect.

Chapter 118

JESSICA

“Hold still,” Grayson mutters, twisting the cap off and dumping disinfectant straight into the gash.

I bite the inside of my cheek, slow and deep. It hurts, sure, but that’s not why–I need control. Need the pain to look real. Controlled. Like I’m flinching for him, not for me.

He crouches close, cloth moving over my skin like he’s scared of breaking me. His fingers press steadier than they should, but his

eyes won’t meet mine.

My stomach flips. I swallow it. Nothing to feel bad about–except that I do.

“I shouldn’t have gone after him.” I let it out slow, quiet. The lie scrapes my throat raw. “I thought I could-“I stop before the rest

can crawl out.

“You were trying to protect us,” he says, cutting in. But the way he says it–it’s not for me. It’s for him. Like saying it out loud makes it real. “Could’ve been worse.”

I keep my eyes low. Watch the cloth darken with my blood. Could’ve gotten worse.

I wonder if Grayson will still forgive me after all of these lies.

“There, it’s good.”

Grayson leans back a little, his knees cracking as he shifts weight, and I can tell–he’s scanning me. “Can you tell me again what happened?”

I met his eyes this time. “W–What do you mean? I already told you everything.”

duck my head slightly, like the eye contact hurts, let my fingers dig into my

That he

seem frantic, like I’m spiraling when I’m counting seconds in the back of my head. “I thought! imagined it. At first. But they were-“I suck in air like the memory knocks it loose. “They were glowing. Not gold.

I can stop it, drawing my arm tighter around my middle like I’m keeping

you?”

breath–and look away as I nod,

don’t know if he believes me or not. He just told me to get some rest before I saw him talking to Pierce. When he saw me eavesdropping on them, they quickly vanished outside making me a little

know it’s

123

Chapter 118

His body’s still changing, still rebuilding itself around what I gave him, still figuring out how to shift without tearing open too fast or forgetting what

talk at him until the part of him I gave voice to gets buried under whatever loyalty he still

won’t

This is worse

back out there with nothing real. I drag in a sharp breath, steady my hand, and push my claws

instantly. Warm. Raw. Blood wells up thick and dark and I press into it harder, until it starts dripping down past

and I’m going to hell for it but I do it anyway. My pulse is racing too hard now and I can feel it in the tips of

the door open. They’re both there–Grayson and Pierce- eyes locked on me like they

first to

breath catch. Drag my bloody hand against the frame for balance. He’s already coming

“What the hell happened?”

“I think

you bleeding?” he asks, eyes already dropping to the streaks down my thigh, the way they trail to the floor, messier than anything I’ve let him see

sleeve up, showing the edge of the fresh gash. “I… I must’ve scraped it when he

stepped forward

fall,” he says, voice lower now. “Did you

“Excuse me?”