POV: Clara

Clara awoke to the sound of the radiator and the ache of her muscles. Her sheets were clammy again, soaked through with sweat. She pushed them aside with a sigh and sat up, pinning the heels of her hands to her eyes.

Sleep wasn’t helping anymore. It just dragged her down into fever-dreams of golden eyes and calloused hands, of teeth at her throat, of heat burning through her like fire. And she woke each time shaking, slick, and angry at herself.

She slipped ...