Runaway Rogue

Chapter Twenty Nine: Caspian's POV

Caspian gawked down at his mate. The proud woman was suddenly so small, her body crumpling on itself as if she couldn't stand up to her own gravity. And the sounds that were pouring out of her tore at his very soul.

Sold.

His mate had been sold. And purchased like she was a cow at an auction mart.

All the lies she had told him, all of her strange and distant behaviors. It was because of this. It was because of him.

Caspian vividly remembered the way Andrew paused just outside of his home, commenting about the scent of his mate. Heavy, almost metallic. Like silver. Andrew would have found her if the silver in her bloodstream had vanished. All the signs seemed so obvious now.

Caspian lowered himself to the floor of his alpha's home and opened his arms. He wouldn't force her to come to him, not now. But as soon as she saw his offering, she shuffled closer, moving until she was on his lap, chin tucked against his chest.

And he just held her as wails ripped through her, her entire being shaking in his arms. All he could do was hold on and smooth a hand down her back or over her hair. He could have been there for hours or perhaps only mere minutes, but slowly, her crying eased. He would have stayed there forever if it would ease any more of the hurt.

"I'm going to take you home and we can talk about it, okay?" he murmured, brushing away stray hairs that had got caught in the path of her tears. He rose when she finally nodded, helping her stand as he went.

She was wobbly and still sniffling, so Caspain kept an arm around her waist and helped her out of the house. Tears were still streaming from her eyes so steadily she probably didn't even see Forest talking with one of the warriors when they left the house, but Forest saw them.

Caspian met his eyes and nodded slowly once, letting his alpha know that they were okay, that some sort of progress had been made. Was it the progress Caspian wanted? Well, no, not exactly, but he couldn't deny his relief either. She had been dancing around his questions or outright fighting him for so long that hearing the truth from her was incredible.

He just wished it wasn't so disgusting.

Once he got Indigo settled on the couch and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, he brewed two cups of calming tea and sat beside her.

"Can you tell me how your parents made the decision to sell you to Alpha Andrew?" Caspian asked quietly, taking both of her hands in his.

Indigo was quiet for a moment, her beautiful face reddening. She kept her gaze down, locked onto his hands. He didn't know how this woman could make herself so small when it was clear to him, she was never meant to be.

"I don't really know. They never talked to me about it," she confessed.

"Surely, it must have sounded crazy. We have mates, we don't do things like forced marriages," Caspian insisted.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I know that. But my wolf wasn't coming out and he said we were mates. I think my parents resisted for a while, but everyone can be bought, can't they?"

Caspian felt as if a puzzle piece had been pushed into place. All those comments she made, the ones he hadn't thought twice about. He released her hands, instead moving to cradle her face. Tears coated his palms as he tipped her head up to meet her eyes. "Indigo, you are priceless. Do you hear me? I would never, ever let anyone take you from me. Not for all the yachts or houses or land in the world. Never."

Her golden eyes searched his and he prayed that whatever she was looking for was there, but when she turned away ever so slightly, it was so clear that she didn't believe him. That she might never believe him. He couldn't even blame her for her lack of faith.