from between her legs. Her eyes closed in disbelief. She was humiliated by her actions.
She was a sham, nothing more than half a woman. Already the effects of the drug were hitting
her again. Pretty soon, she'd be completely numb to all emotions. She had nothing to offer him.
Nothing. Although she might look twenty-five, she wasn't. The time spent as a prisoner had changed her, leaving behind a woman not worthy of what he was offering. Marrok deserved much better than she could ever be.
He deserved a woman that could love him wholeheartedly, free of the shaming experiences
she'd been through. It would be committing them both to hell, just for the pleasures they found in bed together. Even that would get old to him quick, once he realized she had nothing else to offer him.
Taylor was changed, altered in ways that would never allow her to be free again. She'd seen too much, been through too much to ever be normal again.
A shiver ran through her. Carlos would be after her, if he wasn't already. He was too powerful to escape from. Staying with Marrok was just putting him, and the entire pack, at risk. They were too good and kind to ever deserve that. Should Carlos find her here, he would somehow manage to
eliminate or capture the entire pack. She couldn't be that selfish, she refused to be.
* * * * *
“What are you doing?” Marrok asked her, sinking back on his feet to watch her with a bemused
expression. His dick was still hard and pulsating, but the red was quickly fading from his eyes.
She'd stood up and pulled her clothing on, keeping her back to him. Hurt and anger shot through his body with equal intensities. Her statement was bold, even without the words. His mate was
rejecting him.
His eyes narrowed. It would be over his dead body before he let her ever leave him. It was
unheard of. Mates simply didn't refuse their mating. He'd waited nearly his entire life for her, it was past time to move forward with this.
He knew she was hurt, scared, and healing from a terrible time. Marrok wanted to be a part of
that, a part of her future. Recovering from that terrible ordeal was one thing. He could accept it and give her as much time as she needed. This was something unacceptable, though. Taylor was outright refusing him as a mate, and that was something he couldn't allow.
He stood up and gently turned her around. Her eyes were filled with tears, but her expression
was calm. “I want to know what happened to you during the years we were apart,” he said with his eyes locked on hers. “I have to know what happened.”
She shook her head in refusal. “What happened to me is my own burden to bear. I'll tell you
anything but that. That's the one thing I will never talk about. Ever .”
“I won't accept that,” he growled out, his voice quietly dangerous and determined, even to his own ears.
Whether or not he could have swayed her, Marrok would never know. A knock sounded on the
front door, and Taylor appeared relieved at the interruption. Marrok didn't leave, though. Instead he stared down at her, silently willing her to say something, anything to give him hope. She pressed her lips together and looked away.
The caller began to beat impatiently. He shot a glare at the wall, his body pulsating with anger, anxiety, and lust. “This isn't over, Taylor,” he said, looking back down at her. “Whatever has happened to you we can get through, if you let me in. Just let me in. ”
* * * * *
Marrok walked out of the bedroom without a backward look. She exhaled deeply, feeling
exhausted again. Her stomach growled, demanding food, not to mention she still had to use the
bathroom. Funny how a woman could forget those things in the heat of the moment. Then again,
Marrok was fine enough to make a woman forget anything but being in his bed.
She heard him answer the door. Knowing the coast was clear, she headed to the bathroom.
Washing her face and brushing her teeth, she stared at the woman in the mirror. Her
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