Mariana’s Pov

The world comes back to me in fragments. There is a throbbing pain in my side, the distant hum of the air conditioner, another throbbing pain in my head, and the weight of something warm pressing against me. 

My ribs scream in protest as I try to shift, but I freeze when I feel it.

A slick, wet trail glides along my neck, slow, cautious. A shiver of disgust shoots down my spine as realization dawns. His tongue.

“Get off me,” I rasp. My voice is weak but the venom ...