Claws // Colby Brock

💫 34 💫

☯︎☯︎☯︎☯︎☯︎

"Don't feed, just bite."

Kristen was the closest person to me, watching carefully. By the time she spoke, my mouth was open and I'd already grazed Amira's skin with my fangs. I was reining myself in, mentally blocking all the images of what feeding on her properly would feel like instead.

I did as I was told. I let my teeth puncture her wrist, held it for a second trying to ignore the blood that began pouring into my mouth, then started to stand up. But the moment my fangs snapped into my gums, a sharp pain cut across my face followed by a sharp inhale.

It took me a moment to process what had happened. Then I understood.

My bite had the same effect as that of a werewolf mate — it'd worked, and the first thing Amira had done upon waking up was slash my face. I felt my hand automatically touch my cheek, where I could feel a painful sting that lingered on my skin. It stretched from my temple to my nose, barely reaching my eye.

As I raised my head to look at the woman sat hunched forward desperately dragging air into her lungs, Katrina gasped, her hand over her mouth.

"Holy shit!" Jake added.

I felt self-conscious, pulling my sleeve over my hand and rubbing at the wound on my face. It took me a second to see Amira's eyes on me. That doe brown gaze was apologetic, distraught, but she was still recovering from her own ailment.

"How are you feeling?" Anna asked her, not caring about me. I was glad. I didn't want anyone else looking at whatever damage Amira had caused, and I needed to know it had really worked. Was she okay?

Amira rapidly shook her head, causing her hair to cover her face and smack both Kristen and Anna in the face. She swiftly brushed it all back with one hand, sighing. "Fine. Mild headache, but fine." As she dropped her arm, she caught sight of the bite mark on her wrist, but she didn't mention it, looking up at me. "Sorry, Colby."

I just shrugged. My face still stung where she'd cut deepest, and I dreaded to think how it looked. I supposed those claws of hers really weren't a joke. If they could slice so easily through me, perhaps I should lay off on the jokes and fucking around.

"You're lucky, Amira," Kristen said as she stood up from the floor. "If you hadn't met your mate, that attack would have put you in a coma for the rest of time."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she grumbled back, rubbing her face in her palms.

Anna frowned. "You sure you're okay? Something's off..."

"Says you." Amira scrunched her nose as she waved her away. "You stink of a foetus, back up." Anna got up and dragged Blake over to her, tucking into his side. Amira started gagging at the soft look on the man's face.

"We'll talk another time," Anna promised as she glanced between each of the werewolves, questioning if they were ready to leave. I hoped so. I didn't feel as free around them as I did my own clan, and my One needed a little bit of attention right now.

Amira stood up like she wasn't just in an actual coma. "Yeah, like tomorrow or something. I need something to eat." She didn't even stay long enough to say goodbye to her ex-pack, walking blankly out of the room.

It took me a moment to realise she wasn't as fine as she was letting on, that she was pushing them away for some reason. And everyone else.

Following her lead, I zipped into the kitchen behind her, standing in the entryway as she grabbed random ingredients from the cupboards. She set them out in front of her, never once looking at me. She didn't even call back to Anna when she loudly yelled goodbye. I sensed the storm brewing, sensed the trouble I was in.