Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 79(@200wpm)___ 63(@250wpm)___ 52(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 79(@200wpm)___ 63(@250wpm)___ 52(@300wpm)
I’d never felt such… vulnerability from a man. And I reminded myself he wasn’t one. It had been exhilarating in a way I’d never envisioned.
The remnants of sleep still mingled with the shock of his intimate obscenity.
The cavern, with its ancient carvings and the steady, hypnotic pulse of nature around me, suddenly felt like a stage where my life was playing out for no one but Marrex.
The monster was slicing through meat, creating strips and tossing them in a crudely erected bowl. I was silent as I lay there still and calm and just watched him work. He moved then, striding with purpose to the fire burning in a ring of rocks in the middle of the cavern.
His strong, deliberate hands tipped with black claws placed the strips of meat on a slab of rock in the center of the flames. He prepared food with a quiet skill, turning the thin slices over the dancing fire and making sure they cooked evenly.
The aroma of spices and cooking meat started to fill the space, mingling with the earthy scent of stone and water. My throat was suddenly so parched, my belly so empty.
I continued to watch him, my gaze fixed on each careful movement, as if in those small rituals I could catch a glimpse of a life beyond captivity. He was so massive that even in this vast space, Marrex seemed to take up all of it.
Beside the fire, a vessel filled with water gleamed invitingly in the muted light. There was no doubt in my mind the creature knew I was awake, and as if hearing my silent thoughts, Marrex paused and lifted his steady, pitch-black eyes to me.
My stomach churned with hunger, and despite the confusion roiling inside of me, I found myself unable to resist. I held my breath when he took several strips off the fire, placed them in a bowl with berries, grabbed the jug of water, and approached me.
I found his presence both comforting and unsettling. With a gentle, almost tender gesture, he lifted a warm, crispy strip of meat and brought it to my lips, silently urging—forcing me—to open for him.
My belly grumbled, and without realizing it, without putting up a fight, without even a word, I parted my lips and let Marrex feed me. In that simple act of nourishment, the boundaries between our fates seemed to blur, leaving me with a bittersweet taste of cautious acceptance.
“Freydis,” he murmured, his voice low and resonant but lacking its usual menace. “Today, you'll eat until you're full, and then you'll drink deeply from the spring. You won’t want for anything as my mate.”
Surprisingly, the statement brought only comfort, not my usual, natural response of defiance.
When my stomach was full, Marrex handed me the jug and urged me to take my fill of the water. “Drink,” he commanded softly, and I obeyed, the cool liquid quenching a parched ache that went deeper than mere thirst.
Settling beside me, Marrex’s black eyes softened further, and his tone took on an unexpected warmth. “You are my mate, Freydis. I will always protect you, and you’ll never have to fear for your life again,” he vowed, as if he wanted to make sure there was no doubt in my mind.
His declaration, heavy with a possessive certainty, etched itself into the fabric of my very being.
The cavern suddenly felt less like a prison and more like where fate had led me. I couldn’t deny the pull of his words—a promise of safety that offered a glimmer of calm solace amidst the chaos of my life and current situation.
With Marrex so close, absorbing his heat, replaying his words, I found myself feeling a flicker of hope that this was the moment I was finally going to be free… even if I was a captive.
7
FREYDIS
It had been several weeks since Marrex had stolen me to his lair, and although he hadn’t claimed me fully, hadn’t penetrated my virgin body, every night he lay beside me and touched me.
He petted me like he was mesmerized by every single inch of me.
Each day blurred into a much more relaxed routine of survival than I’d ever lived during waking hours, and restrained pleasure in the evening, when he curled his big body around mine. I’d never slept peacefully before, but now, being pressed to Marrex, I slept like I had no worries.
I woke up each morning on a soft bed of furs, my eyes heavy from the deepest of sleep humanly possible, my skin sensitive from all of his petting. And the first thing I did was look for Marrex. He always seemed to be watching me or preparing food for me. He cared for me like I was the most precious creature in the world.
And every day, Marrex made sure I was fed until I had my fill. It was a simple act, but in those moments, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of his words as they echoed in my mind. “You’re my mate, Freydis. I will always protect you, and you’ll never have to fear for your life again.” Even though his tone was calm, I knew he meant what he said with every fiber of his being.