MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

10. LUCAS: DAMNED HORMONES

The sound surrounding me was familiar. It was a relief against the constant silence that filled the house.

My body still throbbed from the abuse it suffered the night before. The dinner I made hadn't been up to his standards. It was my own fault because I'd hurriedly cooked it so I could finish my projects to hand them in early. I was fully booked at the tattoo studio so I wasn't planning on going to class.

Missing a few classes won't do any harm but a drop in my grades might cost me my scholarship and I couldn't risk it. If I lost my scholarship my plan to destroy them would fall through.

"Hey kid, your 4 o'clock appointment is here," Jarrod called from the doorway.

I glanced up and gave him a nod. "I'm ready."

Grabbing the drawings, I stood and walked over to the chair in the middle of the room. I placed it down and moved around the room to get everything else I needed. I double checked to make sure I had the right coloured ink.

The person who entered the room was not someone I expected.

"Hey," Eva greeted as she hovered in the doorway.

I swallowed and gave her a stiff nod. If I'd known that it was going to be her, I would've declined but Jarrod said that the woman had specifically asked for me.

"Where do you want me?"

"Take a seat," I ordered.

I washed my hands and then pulled on a pair of clean latex gloves before I turned to face her. She looked more put together than she had been the last time I'd seen her a few weeks ago.

Her brown hair was tied back neatly and her clothes clean and wrinkle free.

"Where do you want it?"

Eva's eyes snapped back to me. "My sternum. I want the Dandelion here"—she pressed her fingers to a spot between her breasts—"and the birds to move up over here and stop on my shoulder."

I smirked at her. "Is this your first tattoo?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure that you can handle the pain?"

Anger flashed through her eyes. "I'm not a wuss!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "I can handle the pain."

"Okay," I said softly as I grabbed the bottle of disinfectant.

I had no doubt that she could handle the pain of a needle repeatedly stabbing her skin. She wasn't human after all.

Taking a seat on the chair next to the one she was sitting on, I placed the bottle down.

"You're going to have to take off your shirt and bra. When you're done, lie down for me."

I gripped the leaver of the chair and pushed it down to lower it. Eva hesitated before she followed my order.

It was hard to focus on my task. One glance from beneath my lashes and I'd get a glimpse of her bared breasts.

"If at any time it feels like the pain's too much or you want to take a break, just let me know," I told her. "I'll be doing the black ink first and then add the colour."

"Do you give that speech to all your customers?"

My eyes shot up when I heard the quiver in her voice. The angry colour that had flooded her cheeks a few minutes ago was gone, leaving her pale.

I'd watched her just like I'd watched Ariana so I knew that the girl sitting in front of me was a side she'd never shown to anyone. Eva was always smiling. She was a ball of energy and always up to do all kinds of shit.