Page 75 of Claimed By a King

Her blue eyes dart from my finger to my eyes and back again before she shifts and her hand appears with her pinky ready.

“You know you have to touch me for me to make the pinky promise to you, right?”

She nods. “But just that.”

For the first time in what feels like fucking forever, the grin that tugs at my lips is real.

“Deal. Just our pinkies.” I agree, and I let her close the distance between our fingers to let her have all the control.

The moment her fragile finger hooks with mine, my heart fucking stops and my breath gets trapped in my lungs for the sheer relief it is finally to touch her again, even in this small way.

I never want it to end, so I’m relieved when she doesn’t pull away, and instead lets our hands come to rest on the mattress between us as her lids start to drift closed.

There are so many things I want to say to her. So many ways I want to show her how much I’ve missed her. So many ways I want to conjure up of making every Reaper pay.

There will be time for all of that.

Now, it’s time to help my princess heal, if that’s even possible.

Zoe

Stirring into a semblance of being awake, my eyelids feel too heavy to even attempt to open. Slowly, I still try to peel them back, only to shut them immediately as the stark light feels like it’s burning my retinas.

“Princess!”

As I hear the word, I ignore my aching limbs and curl into a ball, making myself as small as possible. This is the first time in months I’ve heard that word. It doesn’t bring about the comfort or wrap me in a feeling of being desired like it used to. Instead, it makes my heart beat faster as I wait to see what Gunner’s going to do to me next.

“Are you awake, Princess?”

Wait, no. That’s wrong. I heard that name a lot last night, or was it this morning? I don’t know the exact time and it doesn’t really matter.

The whimper I try hard to keep inside breaks free, and I mentally curse myself for making a sound.

“She needs something to eat. Come on, Zoe, try to sit up.”

“Alana?” I croak.

The moment her name registers, I remember seeing her as well.

“Yes, it’s me. Can you sit up for me?” she coos, sounding like she’s talking to a wounded animal.

Ever so slowly, I stretch and open my eyes, coming face-to-face with the friend I’ve missed so much. “It’s really you,” I breathe. For a moment, I allow myself to be happy, but then I remember where we are and it quickly falls away. “How did they get you?”

Her brows furrow. “Get me? No one got me, girl. You’re home, remember. You’re back with us and you’re safe.”

Tears distort my vision, making her blurry. “No,” I whisper. “That’s what they want you to believe. Listen, Alana, you need to do what they say. Please don’t fight them. They… they’ll break you so much harder if you do. Promise me—”

“Enough!”

At the thunderous boom, I let out a squeak and bury my head in the sheets that smell nothing like the sickly and heavy scent of mold, sweat, and smoke I’ve gotten used to from Gunner’s room. They also don’t smell anything like the over-the-top lemon fragrance Irina prefers.

“No one will ever fucking touch you again, Princess. I fucking pinky promised.”

Ignoring the urgency in his voice, I squeeze my eyes so hard that white dots dance behind my eyelids.

Wait… yes. Gray’s alive, and it’s him talking to me. He pinky promised that the Reapers would never get me again, and I believe that’s a promise he’ll keep with his life.

Fuck, why is my head so messed up? I go from thinking and believing one thing to another. My thoughts are murky, and I can’t quite make sense of it, which might be why I’m so easily confused.

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