Page 103 of Colton

I smile, and he runs.

Smart boy.

The monster in my chest roars in frustration, denied its prey. But something else, something quieter, whispers that I made the right choice.

For her.

Alwaysfor her.

I turn back toward my car, leaving the bartender to his pathetic life. He’s not worth it. Not worth losing what little progress I’ve made.

But if he so much as looks at her again...

Well, maybe next time, the monster won’t be so easily tamed.

The voices won’t shutup as I drive, their whispers becoming screams that echo through my skull.

She’s yours. Go back. Take her. Keep her.

My hands clench the steering wheel as I try to focus on the road, but the darkness inside me writhes and twists, demanding attention.

“I can't,” I growl, but even I don’t believe myself anymore.

You left her there. Alone. Anyone could take her.

“Shut up!”

The car swerves as I slam my palm against the dashboard. Pain shoots through my hand, but it’s not enough to drown out the noise in my head.

Weak. You’re getting weak. The therapy is making you soft.

Maybe they’re right. The old Colton wouldn’t have hesitated. The old Colton would have marked her, claimed her, made sure she couldn’t fucking walk for days.

But I left.

Because you’re afraid. Afraid she’ll see the real monster inside.

“She already has,” I whisper, remembering the way she looked at me tonight, the way she surrendered. The way she fucking craved it.

Then why leave? Why deny what you both want?

My vision blurs as the voices grow louder, more insistent. Are they even separate from me anymore? Or is this just the fractured pieces of my psyche trying to make sense of the hunger that consumes me?

Worst still, they’re fucking right.

The darkness pulses behind my eyes, and I can still taste her on my tongue, still feel her pulse racing beneath my fingers.

Go back. Take her. Keep her.

“Fuck!”

I slam on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt in the middle of the empty street. My breath comes in harsh pants as I rest my forehead against the wheel.

They’re right.

I’m hers as much as she’s mine, and running from that truth is only making the monster stronger.

The darkness purrs as I turn the car around, heading back to her apartment.