Chapter 22
Skyla
B linking slowly, the first thing I notice is the sterile scent of antiseptic and the steady beeping of the heart monitor beside me. My vision clears seeing that I am in a dimly lit hospital room. Closing my eyes again, the memories of what happened assault my brain, making tears fill my eyes.
Sensing someone is in the room with me, my eyes drift to the man sitting in the chair next to the bed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. It is like I can feel his pain as he prays quietly.
I never would have had Camo down for praying, but here he is.
His presence brings a wave of comfort and a rush of emotions. He stayed with me. I remember he was there before everything went black for the last time.
"Skyla?" His voice is a mixture of hope and relief, and his eyes, though tired, shine with a fierce protectiveness.
I manage a weak smile, my throat dry and voice barely a whisper. "Hi.”
He stands, taking my hand in his, his grip gentle yet firm. "Holy shit, baby. You scared the piss out of me. Don't ever scare me like that again," he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. "You're not leaving my side, not now, not ever."
His words hit my heart, but then I remember what it was like before I got hurt and I tug my hand back, making him frown.
“Skyla?”
Shaking my head, I instantly regret it, as I get dizzy. I close my eyes to fend off the nausea that swirls in my stomach.
“Be still, baby; you are hurt pretty bad. They had to put the drain in because your lung collapsed and you have some broken ribs,” he tells me.
Tears fill my eyes as the whole attack plays out in my head like a movie reel. The pain, the screaming. The way those men laughed as they hurt Clark and me. My eyes spring open and I look at a frowning 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 to be 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 on my 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.”
With that he walks out of the room, leaving me alone with my confused and conflicted thoughts.
Damn the man for making this hard. Why couldn’t he have just given in and let us be together before all the emotional pain he caused?
I close my eyes and let his parting words sink in but they are interrupted by a deep voice that would have women orgasming over the phone just listening to it.
“Do you need anything?” I peel my eyes open, taking in the striking man who is Thorin, the club’s resident vampire.
He is well over six-feet tall with dark buzz cut hair, and dark stubble that adds to his attraction like his muscles and tattoos.
Shaking my head at him, he gives me a chin lift, and I expect him to leave but he stays rooted to the spot, looking at me like I am a bug under a microscope.
“What?”
“We both know that my brother is a stubborn prick, but he did genuinely think that he was doing what was best keeping you at arm’s length.
Now before you jump down my throat, I do not ever condone what he did that day at the clubhouse, but his rage controlled his actions.
He still has not talked about it, so that is between you both.
Maybe you both need time to talk and learn to move on. ”
“I am not sure that I can, Thorin.” I sigh in defeat. “I need to sleep.”
He nods in understanding.
“Holler if you need anything.” With that he leaves and once again, I am alone with my thoughts.
Rage and anger might have powered Camo that day, but he could have pulled away from the club girl, or at least looked remorseful but instead, he added fuel to the fire with his words and actions.
I am not sure I can forgive him for what he has done, but I do agree with Thorin, Camo and I do need to talk.
Right now my main focus is on healing, and wanting to see Clark. I need to see my besties, my family.
They are the glue that holds me together.