Runaway Rogue

Chapter Fourteen: Indigo's POV

Indigo watched him go in shock. She had really done it. She had actually stopped him. And he had listened. She didn't know which one was more of a miracle. Her wolf had practically been pleading for the mark. It was the most natural thing to want him and, if she allowed herself to consider it, she thought that the mark might bring her ecstasy.

Or maybe it wouldn't. Andrew had tried so many times. He claimed that she was fighting it, that if she wanted him badly enough that the marks wouldn't fade. A mark should have been a proud reminder on her skin, a declaration of a mate's loyalty. And it should have been a wonderful experience, a heated one.

All she could remember from the markings with Andrew was lying on her back, screaming for him to get off of her. The blood afterward. The pain that radiated from her neck, burning her entire body.

She had blamed herself and her wolf for her suffering then, not understand why her dormant wolf couldn't just accept this man who was so adamant that he was her mate. She had thought he had been telling the truth because her own wolf gave her nothing to go off of. She had wanted to love him more, to not be sickened every time he touched her. Now, she hated that she ever believed him and was disgusted at the way he manipulated a young, vulnerable woman, breaking her down until she didn't trust herself.

The marking could have been different with Caspian.

Or it could have been the same.

There was still silver in her bloodstream. She had ingested something to fight off the very wolf that was calling for her to be marked. The gods only knew what would happen if Caspian chose to sink his teeth into her anyway. Could a wolf accept a make while filled with metal?

And what was worse was that she would be tied to him. And his asshole alpha. At least, she would be tied to them until Andrew sniffed her out and decided to see how much she would cost to this group of people.

Being given up by her parents like that had been devastating. But she knew in her bones that if her mate ever tossed her aside, it would cripple her.

She took a shaky breath and moved away from the kitchen table, her traitorous mind flashing to an image of herself splayed on her back, Caspian between her legs.

To humans, one little bite, one single night of quick love-making didn't have to mean anything. To wolves, it wasn't so simple. Each step was a deepening of the bond. If he marked her, he would be able to track her more easily, her scent more noticeable. Their emotions would be more apparent to each other. And every day they spent together, every act of love or kindness – intentional or not—was strengthening a bond she was trying to resist.

Indigo stared longingly at the back door that Caspian had darted out of. All she wanted was to get out of here, but just being outside and reading a book had almost gotten her torn apart. There would be no mercy if she even inched away from the home.

She was trapped and every second she spent with Caspian made it all worse, pushed her deeper into the trench.

"Hey, sorry about that," Caspian said, coming back into the house through the same door. Now, he was just a human with baggy joggers hanging off his hips and no shirt on. But, he was carrying some shopping bags now.

"Oh, no, it's okay," Indigo said, offering up a fraction of a smile. In fact, it was impressive that he had been able to overpower his wolf in such a heated moment. Many men had tried to do the same and failed, Indigo was sure. While she had stood numbly in the kitchen, shocked and a bit horrified about what happened, he released his wolf, got it all under control, and was now acting like nothing had happened. All while looking incredibly delicious.

"Here, I bought you some things so you can be a little more comfortable here. But really, any time you want, we can go to your place and grab your stuff."