Page 64 of Property of Camo

“Clark?”

He sighs. “He got hurt bad. There is a bleed on his brain and some broken bones. He is in for a long recovery, but they won’t know shit until he wakes up just how much damage he has.”

“Oh God.” I cry harder.

“This might not have happened if you had just taken my protection, Skyla. Fuck, baby, you were almost taken from me.” Through water-filled eyes, I look at him, my mouth dropping open in shock.

“Are you seriously blaming me for this?" I shout, anger boiling up inside me. "After everything, you have the nerve to turn this on me?"

Camo's eyes narrow but I know he is shocked by my outburst. "Skyla, fuck. I?—"

"No!" I cut him off, my voice trembling with rage, my chest aching but I push the pain down. "You don't get to make this about your so-called protection. Your prospect was nowhere tobe fucking seen, Camo. You think I didn't want your help? I refused it because I couldn't trust you anymore, not after what you did."

He looks down, breathing deeply with his hands on his hips, trying to calm his own anger but fuck me, he has no right to be pissed at me. He is the one who fucked up. He growls, stepping closer. His hands rest on the bed, on either side of my hips, and he gets in my face.

“Today will be the last time that you throw what I did in my face. We are moving past that shit. I am claiming you, Skyla, you will be my Ol’ Lady, and you will have the club’s and my protection indefinitely.”

“W-what?” I stammer, breathlessly.

I hear the machine beeping increase again but his intense eyes hold me hostage. His warm breath fans my face, and his closeness makes my healing body tingle. Damn, now is not the time.

It must be the drugs that they have me on.

“No more fucking around. I admit that I fucked up, hurting you, causing you unnecessary pain when I could have claimed you. We could have had a year of the good life, but my stubborn head kept me away. No more.” He leans in, pressing a kiss to my lips before I can stop him.

“It is not that simple, Camo. You hurt me, badly. My heart cracked open seeing you with her. Hearing about you with them was painful but physically seeing it, well that broke any trust or faith I had in you. When we started what we had, I knew going in that you would never give me you, but my soul told me that you would be worth the wait. It looks like the supernatural gods or whatever you pray to were wrong. You never thought of me as yours, not really. A quick fuck when you felt like busting a nut. That is all I ever was to you.”

It feels good to finally say everything I have wanted to say and not in anger either. To really show him how badly I wanted us to work, and how badly he hurt me.

His eyes widen, forcing him to sit back.

“Simply saying that you are claiming me, that I am your Ol’ Lady, does not mean that I will forget the past, Camo. You are an alpha asshole and you know it.” I sniff, hating that I am crying. “Faith and trust were broken. I need time,” I tell him.

“There is so fucking much I want to say but clearly you are not in the place to listen to it. Winger told me time and time again that I was going to fuck up so bad that I would lose you, and I guess he was right.”

Neither of say anything for a long time, but he sits there looking at our hands that are still entwined. So many emotions pass through my body, that I cannot hold onto one and roll with it.

I am so confused and conflicted.

Tears stream down my face as the weight of everything that has happened crashes down on me. Camo reaches out to brush away new tears that fall freely. I want to move out of his touch but I also crave it.

Breathing in deeply, I bring my eyes up to look into his deep dark ones, that are now filled with remorse and regret, and it pains me to see, but I have to think of me and my well-being.

"I need you to leave," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "Like I said, I need time.”

His body stiffens, and he pulls in a deep breath, keeping his focus on me.

He finally nods after a beat. “You can have time, but you will be staying at the clubhouse in my room. No arguments about that, I need you safe while you are healing.”

He climbs off the bed then leans down, kissing my forehead, then my cheeks, then the corner of my mouth before settling onmy lips. He lingers there, and I am too tired to fight him off. He pulls back to look me in the eyes once more, before adding a peck to my lips one last time.

“You will have a new prospect on the door.”

“The fuck she will,” gets called out from outside my room.

Camo shakes his head and I am stunned seeing a ghost of a smile flit across his face.

“Fucking Thorin.” He looks to me again. “You will have the bloodsucker watching over you when I am not around, which by the way will not be much, so—” he leans in again so our noses are a breath apart “—take today, because tomorrow, baby. You are mine, and nothing and no one will hurt you again, me included.”

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