Clara scrambled upright, the sheets tangling around her bare legs. The sharp scent of mildew mixed with their own sweat-heavy air, suddenly suffocating. She could still feel the ache of his body, the lingering warmth of their earlier intimacy, but fear burned through it.
"They can’t be here," she whispered, clutching the edge of the mattress as if it could anchor her. "We… we locked the doors—"
Another slam silenced her words. The thin wood splintered, dust falling from the top of the frame. A low groan seeped through the cracks, wet and unnatural.
Kael stood, not bothering to reach for the sheets. His body was still damp with sweat, his muscles catching the dim motel glow. The fact that he was naked didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. He bent, scooping up the broken chair leg h
