What the fuck did I just do?

My chest is throbbing and burning. Burning because I just had a hot ass fire poker actually burned into my skin. I reach to touch it and then immediately drop my hand, realizing that will do more harm than good.

Looking down at my chest and then up at him, my eyes start to swell with tears. I don't actually feel like crying, I think this is just my body's way of processing the pain. "Fuck," I say, because I need to say something.

Without hesitation, Wulf scoops me into his arms and he's carrying me back to the house.

"That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen," he whispers, making me laugh through the pain.

The rest of the night is a bit of a blur. He holds me in bed, laying delicate kisses on my neck and shoulders. He keeps me on my side, careful not to touch my burn. A thick layer of aloe is soothing, but only for a moment. It mostly throbs all night.

As he holds me, caressing his hands over my body, I feel so grateful in this moment. "Thank you," I whisper.

"For what?" he scoffs.

"For everything. Bringing me here, giving me the chance to go to school, taking care of me tonight, not forcing me to have sex with you."

He told me I should thank him, and he was right. I never thought I would feel this way, but I'm falling in love with this man. The man who I thought was my captor, the man who I thought I hated. I've learned though that he's so much more than that.

We fall asleep, tangled together, feeling closer than we've ever been.