THIRTEEN
ANNABEL
My n*****s were as raw as my c**t when I finally awoke without the haze of heat fogging my mind some days later.
Behind me, cool flesh pressed against my back, rising and falling with the rhythm of Grim’s steady breaths. He’d slung an arm over my midriff, cocooning me with his chilly body, and I hummed a small sound of appreciation.
As far as heats went, having my mate regulate the awful, feverish temperature hike had been a godsend.
Mate.
I prodded gently at the new bond in my chest—the only one that wasn’t a dark, festering wound. Grim murmured in response, tightening his grip on me, and I eased off our connection with a smile.
I’d not been prepared for how… good it’d feel.
My other four mating bonds had come with pain and angst. I’d expected Grim, of all people,
