Page 1 of Viktor’s Temptation (East Coast Territory #2)

The pain was a ravenous beast, clawing and biting at every inch of her body.

Gracie Andrews clung to the cold granite wall, her trembling frame pressed against its unyielding surface.

She wasn’t aware of much beyond the agony consuming her—muscle and bone singing in a cacophony of torment that felt endless.

Every nerve screamed, each one a live wire sending jolts of unbearable suffering through her.

She had never imagined anything could hurt like this.

Not even when her fiancé had struck her days ago—no, weeks, perhaps?

Time was a blurred smear in her mind, lost amidst the haze of unrelenting pain.

The only marker she had now was the darkness around her.

Night had fallen again. She was certain because the punishing light of the sun no longer burned her eyes.

Though even now, her eyes throbbed, the deep ache seated somewhere behind them.

Her entire body felt invaded, as if sharp, molten needles were being driven under her skin, over and over again, with no reprieve.

The heat came next—searing, unbearable. It wasn’t like the fever she’d had last winter, the one that left her sweating and weak but alive.

This heat was all-consuming, scorching her from the inside out, leaving no place untouched by its fury.

Desperate for relief, she pressed her palm against the rough granite, hoping the chill of the stone might soothe her burning flesh.

But the touch brought no comfort. Instead, it was like pressing her hand into shards of broken glass, each jagged edge slicing deeper until she pulled away, gasping.

Even the air moving across her skin stung like acid.

There was no escape. Every movement, every breath, every heartbeat was a fresh wave of anguish crashing over her.

Tears, hot and unchecked, streaked her cheeks, though she scarcely noticed. Her throat was raw as she whispered into the silence, her voice hoarse and broken. “Make it stop. Please… make it stop…”

Her plea fell into the still night, unheard and unanswered. She was utterly alone, ensnared in this unending nightmare with no one to pull her from its grip.