When they touch me (Shelagh Milano)



Chapter 86 ARTEMISIA

The next day I wake up in an empty bed.

Passing my hand over the now cold bedsheets, I sigh deeply.

He must have gotten away from me as soon as he could.

I know that he struggled at the fact of not marking me, but he was just too set on doing it with his brothers as their marks would help me to withstand his.

Especially Cayden's.

Getting up groggily, I moan lowly as the fantastic feeling of soreness between my legs gets my body to scream at me to lay back down, but I ignore it with a smile.

I collect Fynn's t-shirt off the floor and pull it over my head, letting it envelop me with his scent.

Taking a deep breath, I wrap my arms around me, clutching the fabric to my skin.

Perfect, now I'm a creep.

Just as I'm about to walk to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee, the door of the lodge swings open, and Lisa barges into the house. "Oh, my Goddess! Missy!"

I jump, turning around with a startled expression as she scurries towards me with Daisy following her. "We were waiting for you and saw that Fynn had left. Are you okay?"

"Erm..." I say confused, looking around lost. "Yeah... I guess."

Daisy is still looking around in awe as Lisa hugs me. "Oh, I was so worried about you! Are you sure you are alright? You seem a bit pale."

'Act like it,' Drake growls, confusing me even more.

'What are you trying to tell me?' I ask back, making him grumble.

'Let her think you are hurt!'

'But I'm not. Won't that be bad for Fynn? I'm-' I try to argue, but he interrupts me with another growl.

'Just do it, mate!'

"I'm- I'm..." I stutter, making Daisy look at me with a sad expression as well.

Lisa grabs onto my forearms, making me mirror her hold as if she were stabilising me.

Sorry, Fynn.

Lowering my voice, I lick my lips, the words burning in my throat. "It's nothing... really..."

"Missy! What did he do?" Lisa is so convinced that he hurt me that she pushes further. "You can tell us."

I let my eyes roam over the room before I finally get the words out that are stuck in my throat.

"He cut my skin," I whisper, making her eyes widen. "And I think something... you know... down there..."

Taking a breath, I shake my head, "It feels like it ripped."

She gasps, and I grimace, surprised that she believes the bullshit that I'm telling her.

My heart beats wildly, and I can't understand why I should make something like this up. She is my friend. Shouldn't I share with her how happy I am? Daisy throws her hands in front of her face, whimpering, and I shake my head again. "Oh no, but please don't tell anyone. I'm okay, really. That is what I wanted."

"Is that what he told you to say to us?" Lisa asks, showing me that I hit the right tone for my act.

Remembering Logan's words, I sink my claws into her forearms. "No, no! I swear! Please don't tell anyone. He would kill me."

"Oh, dear," Daisy hiccups, and Lisa steers me to sit on the bed.

"I'll make you a cup of tea," she says, letting go of me.

Daisy sits next to me silently, laying my hand on mine to squeeze it soothingly.

I cringe internally, but my heart jumps as Drake laughs, 'This is perfect!'

Even before Lisa turns around with the tray with three cups in her hand, the hair in the back of my hair stands up. "Here you go, honey." "Thank you," I say lowly, taking the cup from her.

'Don't drink what she serves you!' Drake growls, making me halt in my movements.

What the hell?!

Sniffing at the beverage instinctively, I make Lisa lift her brow. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no!" I gulp, jerking up. "I was just asking myself what it might be."

“Ah, normal camomile, hun. Don't be too disappointed because I don't have my special ingredient with me," she giggles, winking at me. "Before I forget," Daisy rummages through her bag, taking out a colourful pillbox. "Your supplements."

'Don't drink it,' Drake warns me, but I just distort my face.

Overwhelmingness gets the best of me as I try to keep my breath even while Drake's voice booms through my head, "I don't want to take them,

Daisy!"

"But you have to," her voice gets a little bit more high-pitched as she smiles at me, the colourful pills spread on her palm.

I gulp, shaking my head again. "I really don't feel like taking them."

“Just take them,” Lisa presses too, crossing her arms with a worried expression. "It's exactly what you need right now. Vitamins will help you heal."

I scrunch up my nose, my heartbeat

regulating slowly as suddenly Fynn's voice invades my mind, 'I'll be there in a second, babe. Keep rejecting what they give you!'

Gasping lowly, my shock must be written all over my face as Lisa tilts her head. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes! Just exhausted." I nod, taking one little pill off Daisy's palm, moving slowly, waiting for Fynn to reach us.

Or did I just imagine his voice out of sheer desperation?

It can't possibly be as he didn't mark me.

And how long could it actually take him to just cross a small park?

“Come on now, drink!” Lisa tears me out of mytrance, and I shake my head, thinking I must be too exhausted for my own good and I take a big gulp of the tea shemade for me.

I'm just about to lay the small colourful pill on my tongue as the door to my love nest opens with a bang crashing into the prettily decorated wall.

Fynn stands at the entrance, his chest heaving, rage written all over his face.

Lisa and Daisy jump out of their skin, facing him with a shocked expression while I clasp my cup as if my life depended on it.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he growls, and I squint my eyes at him as I notice that he is talking to me. I think he is talking about me drinking the tea he told me not to drink, but apparently, I got it all wrong.

"Everybody is out getting ready to leave and you are here drinking tea? Get moving!"

Are you fucking kidding me?