Dawn broke with Kolton wide awake, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. Sleep had abandoned him completely, leaving him trapped between two sources of torment that refused to let him rest.
Kimi consumed his thoughts like wildfire, her image burning through his mind no matter how hard he tried to push it away. But even more unbearable was the searing pain that carved itself across his back like molten metal.
Standing before the bathroom mirror, Kolton twisted to examine the damage. The wounds that had been healing for days were spreading again, angry red lines branching across his skin like lightning frozen in flesh. The pattern had grown overnight, creeping toward his shoulders with relentless precision.
A sharp hiss escaped his lips as he traced the marks with his eyes. Each movement sent fresh waves of agony through his body.
He rolled his shoulders experimentally, testing the limits of what he could endure. The pain was getting worse.
