Page 32 of Craving Her Vampire

I sigh, and lift my head. “I pretended to like him.”

“You flirted with him,” he assumes.

“He’d been drinking. When he drinks too much, he lets his guard down.” It is one of the lowest moments of my life. “I don’t like being in the same house with him, so getting close to him turns my stomach.”

“But you did it for your brother.”

“Yes.”

“He knows you took it.”

“Yes, but he didn’t at first. He tore the house apart, looking for it. I finally admitted I had it. He beat the shit out of me after my confession.” His hand tightens on my leg. “I told him I would return the coin if he told me where Liam is; he has refused.”

“Where is the coin?” Micah asks.

“I have it…” I trail off, not sure if I should show him.

“Do you trust me?” he asks, hurt in his voice.

“Yes, but I have to say something else before I show you.” He nods. “Lace does tattoos. My legs are covered.”

“If you think that's going to turn me off, you're wrong.”

“One reason why was to cover the scars,” I whisper.

“They left scars when they bit you,” he snarls.

“I wanted to cover them and try to forget they were there.” I rub my leg. “They hurt,” I confess softly.

“I’ve noticed your pain,” he says, surprising me. “You move differently, as if trying to relieve the pressure.”

“I feel it every day.” I ease off of his lap and stand. I press my palms to my waist, nervous.

“Daisy?” Micah watches me curiously.

“I have always felt different.” I look at my bare feet. “Not only because I am a coyote, hated and feared by most shifters, but because of the scars. We heal so quickly; it’s odd to have scars on our bodies. I never wear shorts or skirts. I keep my legs covered at all times, especially when I’m around the pack. I hide the pain. I don’t show weakness; I can’t, or they will exploit it. When I was running in the woods, my legs were in agony. They must know what their bites did, but they don’t care. I learned to shove those feelings deep inside because I wasn’t allowed to feel those emotions. The only time I give in to them is when I am alone in my room, but I still slept in my clothes every night.”

“Fuck, love,” he whispers.

“I always had to be prepared to defend myself.”

“I will kill them all,” he promises. “No one else knows how much pain you are in,” he guesses.

“Lace knows and tried to make something to ease the sharp pains, but it didn’t help much. It is the worst feeling because it’s invisible. No one can see it. It lives inside me, and I hate it. It makes me feel invisible, less than, and damaged.” I tug at the waistband of my pants and shove them down, using my feet to push the fabric away. “The tattoos are my way to decorate a horrible memory and make something beautiful from the pain. Even though I don’t show anyone, I know they are there, and it makes me feel a little better.” I dig my toes into the floor. “I live every step with the uncertainty and fear that the torment will consume me. Can you accept such a mate?”

Chapter Ten

Micah

“You are stunning.” I lean forward and graze my fingers over her hip. “I will never let you go,” I vow. “You are mine. I don’t give a fuck what you hide.” I continue my caress down her leg. The beauty of her skin is blinding. She shivers when I run my knuckles over her knee. “Your skin is your story. Mine is my story. You may have done it to cover what you thought of as a weakness, but you continued because the images meant something to you.” I look up at her as I cup her calves.

“Yes,” she whispers.

“You are not weak. Nothing about you is damaged, and if you speak about yourself like that again, I will blister your ass,” I warn. “Do you understand?” She nods. “Give me the words, pet,” I demand.

“I understand.”

“I will gut everyone in your pack for what they have done to you. They will beg me to kill them.” I encircle her ankle and feel the coin under her skin. “Lace did this for you?”

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