Page 148 of Plug and Claim

Horror swept through her.

I’ve morphed. I’ve fucking morphed in front of the prince of bloody vampires.

Her head snapped up, her gaze darting to Nathaniel, but somehow, miraculously, the vampire was still asleep; his face smooth and his breathing soft and even.

He hadn’t seen her, not yet.

Don’t panic.

But she was panicking. He had one arm wrapped around one of her wolf selves—the one that was fierce and wary—whilst his face rested on the soft fluffy belly of the other, the one who was more passive and amenable. Both of them had submitted to Nathaniel, in the end.

She watched him sleep from two sets of eyes, fear coursing through her as her mind raced. The urge to flee, to fight, to strike before he struck her, was high.

But she couldn’t do it. She could not hurt him. And yet she was in far greater danger than he. It was as if she were caught in a spider’s web, where the tiniest movement would alert the predator of her existence. And yet, she had to change back into human form—right now, before he saw her.

Right now, Kira! she screamed internally, her heart thundering in her chest as she forced the transformation to begin. Golden light shimmered around her, long black claws and fur receding, face flattening, tails vanishing, and her bodies merging into one. She returned to human form, praying the vampire would not wake.

Had it been a mistake to change back? In her human form, she was more vulnerable than ever. Fear made skin crawl and she couldn’t breathe.

She forced herself to turn her head to look at her enemy’s face, dreading that his eyes would be open, the irises bright crimson.

Nathaniel didn’t stir for several more minutes, during which she lay beside him, stiff and paralysed, trying to decide whether to stay or flee.

I’m safe, I’m safe, I’m safe. He didn’t see. She tensed when he spoke.

“Good morning,” he greeted, stretching and yawning before he’d even opened his eyes.

She relaxed a little, forcing her tone to be cheerful as she clambered off the bed. “Good morning!”

“Is everything all right?”

“Of course. Just fine.” She went to the window, pretending to look out at the forest, but she didn’t see any of it. She was all too conscious of the vampire’s intense gaze on her back.

She startled when he appeared behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, massaging the muscles as if he hoped to relieve the tension there.

“Kira, I need to tell you something. Can you come to my office?”

“Your office? N-now?”

“Yes. It’s a better place for the conversation we need to have.”

Kira didn’t ask why that was the case. Instead, she got dressed and followed him upstairs, glancing at him worriedly. She had the horrible feeling she was making a mistake, but she was too anxious to do anything but follow him up the steps.

Nathaniel looked as if he hadn’t slept at all, and they walked at a slow pace up the stairs.

“Do you want to stop and rest?” she asked when they reached the foyer, her fear momentarily forgotten. He was weak and slow. If it came to a fight, she could finish him and run. Or, if she didn’t have the heart to kill him… She could just run.

“No need,” he said lightly, but his smile was strained.

It made her heart clench, and her fear dissipated, leaving her worried for his wellbeing.

Don’t be a coward. He needs to feed

She opened her mouth to offer him her blood again, but shut her mouth at the last second. While she believed in the good side of him, she still needed to be cautious. He was still her enemy until proven otherwise, their cooperation a temporary thing. His refusal to drink from her last night may have been a saving grace.

She couldn’t afford to forget that, even if she felt for him now. What scared her the most was the fact that she’d been comfortable enough around him to subconsciously morph into her wolf forms. It was almost as terrifying as the feelings coursing through her—the way her heart beat faster whenever his hand brushed hers. The way she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his side, and the way her instincts to protect him kicked in.

Because he was her mate. Whether she’d chosen him or not. Whether it was fate, or simply that he’d claimed her. But she was irrevocably his.