The Defiant Claim (The Claim: Book 2) LGBT

Chapter 19 - Mik (Part 2)

Music: "Nothing Else Matters" by Apocalyptica

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Darkness and agony was the totality of Mik's existence. With no windows to gauge the passage of time, he couldn't be sure where one day ended and the next began. He slipped in and out of consciousness, from one dark place to the next, one real and one in his mind. One burning, tortuous agony to the next. He hadn't felt this miserable since he nearly froze to death his first winter as a rogue.

Even then, when that happened, his father was there with him. His father was there trying to take care of him and keep him alive.

He had no one now. No one but Dr. What's-His-Name coming in and redressing his wounds. Mik was in too much pain and embarrassed to ask him his name. Why didn't he pay attention before? This man treated him months ago without judgment. He should have learned his name then, tucked it into his memory instead of letting it slip away...

Like Sam.

Mik's father curled his lip. 'You'll never become Alpha if you accept him. No one will follow a fag.'

In his moments of consciousness—or were they dreams? Mik couldn't be sure with the fever raging within him. Whatever the case, his father appeared in his mind, his voice whispering in his left ear. The only companion he had when the doctor didn't pay him a visit.

What did it matter if he became Alpha now? As much as the thought of fucking Sam made him physically ill, it still gave him a raging hard-on. And if he couldn't get a stiffy with Nikki—a sexy female strong and capable enough to act as Luna at his side—how could he fuck any other female?

The matebond was the enemy, the one pushing him and Sam together. How could he break free of the matebond? Death of a mate was the only thing he could think of and that was the last thing he wanted for Sam.

'You have to kill him,' his father sneered. 'He isn't natural.'

Groaning, Mik pushed him away as a door opened overhead. Footsteps strode across the wooden floor to the door that led to the staircase to the cells in the basement. The doctor's scent drifted toward Mik as he opened the door and began his descent toward him.

"Thank the Goddess you're here," Mik grunted out.

"Hello to you too," the doctor replied. "Feeling better, are we?"

"Going fucking insane," Mik grumbled as the doctor's boots hit the grated floor and walked toward him.

"That would be the fever."

"How's Sam?"

The doctor paused in his steps at the foot of the door to his cell. An inhale of breath and an exhale made the hairs of Mik's nape stand on end.

"Hard to say," he answered.

Mik frowned. "How many days have passed? He should be doing better, right?"

"Only two days have passed."

"What? You shitting me?" It felt like at least a week to Mik.

"45 hours since he was brought to the infirmary to be exact."

Damn, he really was going crazy down here.

"It's Friday morning and Sam is still in a coma. His body appears to be healing, but it's abnormally slow for our kind. His heartbeat is weak and that's probably slowing the healing process down as it's not able to pump blood as easily throughout his body. His lungs collapsed... multiple times..."