“Tired and weak and broken, maybe. Dead? No. That would have been much kinder than sending me off to be his payment to the Cripple Creek Pack.”
Devon snarled. The sound sent shivers over my spine and I scooted a little further up in the bed.
It didn’t matter he ripped off the blanket in a single angry motion.
I scrambled to try to cover my body. A hand on my breasts, over my exposed girly bits and it didn’t matter. There was no way to cover my entire body and the way he looked at me had me realizing it wasn’t going to matter. He would do what he wanted, and I wasn’t sure I’d stop him. His words doused my confusion.
“These, these fucking marks and bruises are from that fucking pack?”
I looked at the scars and the fresh bruises and nodded.
“Sure. Most of them.”
My skin burned as tendrils of heat swirled around my body. His hand slid up my leg waking up my body as it fit the dreams of the real deal. The only thing keeping me grounded was the pause over each mark of abuse.
“Most are old, I wouldn’t worry about it.”
He didn’t seem to hear me and I closed my eyes without thought because, hell. The way his fingers danced over my skin? I’d never felt this in my entire life and it wasn’t just kindness. His hand froze as he neared the apex of my thighs and what the hell was wrong with me? I wanted him to continue, but that was stupid and depraved and it was the only damn thing I still had.
The idea of being a breeder came to mind, and I flinched and tried to roll away from him. He felt too damn good touching me, but somewhere inside me was an innocent little girl who still believed her mate would come save her and if he didn’t? Well, I’d saved myself and I was never going back to a hell where I was a slave.
“They touched you? They beat you? Did they-“ he broke off.
He pulled away from me so quickly a small breeze had my own panic receding. I peeked back at him and saw his hands raking through his hair. Ripping at the strands. I kneeled quickly and tried to reach for him. Why did I care how he felt?
“Stop. Stop hurting yourself. This isn’t your fault. They beat me and punished me to make me pliable and somehow through it all I was never - I wasn’t their type I guess. Even they had standards. Slaves were rarely an object of desire when they had all the other females.”
I watched as he dropped his hands and realized that my words had done something. Calmed him maybe. I watched his chest rise and fall in a deep breath and his muscles seemed to relax.
“You were their captive since that day?”
I nodded and again the set of his shoulders relaxed and suddenly I saw it. I saw the boy I’d met that night for a single second.
“You didn’t die? This is a huge fucking mess.”
I shrugged, but couldn’t stop myself from admiring what he’d become. My dreams hadn’t done him justice. My wolf, on the days they were late to drug me had been the most helpful in recalling him. She hadn’t been awake when I’d met him, but she seemed to pull at the memories for me. Without his scent, I never seemed to be able to make him real.
It’s why he was always my dream. The boy I ran to when I needed to escape.
I watched him pace. Every muscle was easy to see as they flexed with every movement. No. I hadn’t done him justice at all. How strange he was the last male I’d seen as a free young female and now he was the first I saw. I wish this was fate throwing me something that I needed for once in my life.
Fate was a strange thing. I wish my wolf were fully awake, but then maybe this was for the best. Still, I wish she could see the male that saved my sanity for the last ten years.
“How did you end up in the trades then?” his voice pulled me back to him.
My blood ran cold, except he reached for my hand and the strength from him helped me relive my last nightmare.
“I’d been foolish to think that I would ever be free. My last day on the contract was yesterday. Or well, no. How many days have I been here?”
He looked at the moon, and a shadow crossed over his face.
“It’s been two days.”
The sheets were soft under my fidgeting fingers. My heart beat harder and on my next breath I swear it shuddered.
“Well. Then three days ago I guess. They never intended to let me go. Those goons?” I blew out a breath and tried to calm my pulse.
“It’s okay. I just need to know. I need to know what I am dealing with,” he said.