Page 110 of Rescued By the Beast
"Well, I'll leave you two alone," he says, already turning his back on us.
A wave of embarrassment washes over me, and a nervous laugh escapes my lips. My face burns with shame. Mark, without saying a word, presses his forehead against mine, letting out a heavy breath, before collapsing to the side, pressing on his injured ribs.
I see the grimace of pain appear on his face.
"Are you all right? Oh, for heaven's sake, you're hurt!" I exclaim, concern overwhelming me.
He tries to smile, but the effort makes me worry even more.
"I'm fine, I just... lost my breath for a moment," he says, turning his face to face me.
My gaze drops to his shoulders and I gasp, feeling tears of guilt sting my eyes.
"And I still scratched you..."
"I loved feeling your claws on me, Kitten." He holds my chin, forcing me to look at him again. "Don't even think about apologising for that."
My cheeks burn from the intensity of his gaze.
I just nod, lost in the expression of pride and possession stamped on his face. His eyes shine like molten gold, and the silence between us stretches out, filling the space with an intensity that seems to last an eternity.
We are locked in each other's gaze, neither of us looking away. And in that moment, nothing else exists. Just him and me.
But I need to break the silence, I need to know.
"You knew who I was..." My voice is a whisper. "How? When did you find out?"
Mark bites his lip as if holding back a smile.
"Kitten, practically from the beginning..."
"What?!" I widen my eyes and sit up. "Then why didn't you say anything? I don't understand..."
He looks at me with that expression that baffles me, more serious, and sexy as hell.
"Actually, when I rescued you, I wasn't sure. I couldn't smell your essence, you were so exhausted that you weren't exuding it, I just felt..."
"You sensed what?"
His gaze darkens and he reaches out, gently touching my cheek. I lean in slightly, closing my eyes as I savour the caress.
"I felt I needed to save you, to stay close, not let you get away..." His fingers slide down to my neck, gently encircling it, pulling me closer. My face hovers over his, and our breath mingles. "I felt the connection."
I gasp, my words lost for a moment at his revelation.
"Connection?"
"Yes, don't you feel it?" he asks, the softness of his voice making my heart race.
My heart skips a beat, I feel fragile, but at the same time, secure. I am speechless, I just nod yes, the heat in my face betraying me.
"Later, as you recovered, I smelled you and knew. But you didn't transform... you were still too weak. Or was it because you were afraid of me?" His voice is low, almost a whisper to himself.
I don't answer, and my eyes burn, small tears forming. Because, deep down, I can't deny that I was afraid. I want to tell him about the curse, reveal everything, but the words get stuck in my throat when he continues, and I don't want him to stop. I want to hear every word, feel every emotion, know everything he keeps inside.
"All I wanted was to protect you. When you tried to escape and were almost attacked for the second time, I freaked out. I shouldn't have barred the windows, I never wanted to take away your freedom, but with so many dangers out there, with the monsters... I just wanted to make sure you were safe, Sandra. At least while you remained in cat form."
He pauses, his voice wavering before he continues:
