Chapter 293: Shocked
Adam woke up with a pounding headache that felt like a jackhammer going off inside his skull. His mouth was dry, his limbs heavy, and every blink brought a fresh throb behind his eyes. He groaned and rolled onto his back, shielding his face with one arm from the early morning light filtering in through the curtains. Just as he began to shift, the blanket slipped off his chest—and that’s when he noticed it.
He was naked.
Completely, unmistakably naked.
"What the hell?" he muttered, shooting upright—too fast. The room tilted around him, and he nearly collapsed back onto the bed. His head pounded harder in protest, but the shock cut through the fog just enough for his eyes to refocus. A prickling awareness spread over his skin, and that’s when he felt them.
Scratches.
Tiny, stinging lines across his shoulders and down his sides. He slowly ran a hand over his chest and winced. There were definite marks there—more than one—and they weren’t the kind that came from tripping over furniture.
Heart hammering now, he pushed the blanket away and forced himself to his feet. The floor felt unsteady under him, and he stumbled, catching himself on the edge of the bed. His legs still felt like jelly from the previous night’s binge, but panic overrode the nausea curling in his stomach.
He staggered to the mirror on the far wall and pulled himself upright to examine the damage. His eyes widened. A small bruise had bloomed at his waist, purplish-blue and tender to the touch. Across his abdomen and shoulders were faint red scratch marks—some shallow, others deeper.
"What the hell happened last night?" he whispered, staring at himself like a stranger.