chapter 13(2)

My claws slip from my fingertips with blinding speed as they dig into my thigh; ripping through my flesh. Jarring pain courses through me and I welcome it, relishing the way it burns. The relief, however, is short-lived as my blood spills over the tops of my thighs and washes down the drain. My claws retract but still, it is not enough, and I pierce my flesh deeper than ever, seeking the numbness that usually comes with it, yet I receive nothing. Not even as I rake my claws through my skin all the way to my hip. It isn’t enough. Why isn’t it enough? Darkness taints my blood, streaks of black spill onto the floor and swirl through the scarlet liquid that spills out of me. I shudder as the coldness seeps through me, coating me with a numbing relief when I hear a knock on the door. “Marabella?” Jonah’s voice calls out, and I panic. I look down at my mutilated legs. Shit. I forgot I’m not alone here, not hidden in the confines of my bedroom. I’m not home where I can suffer in silence. Usua