Page 28 of Their Shared Mate
Despite his nonchalance, it was obvious that the incident still bothered him. How could it not? He’d loved the woman enough to ask her to marry him. “Did you see her after Nuevo was liberated?”
“My mother said she’d heard that Kallie was already on her second marriage, but I never saw or spoke to her again.”
“Wow. Sounds like you dodged a bullet.”
Victor scoffed as he got to his feet. “By spending a decade in hell?”
There was no way she was going to sit here helplessly while they surrounded her. She stood and moved behind her chair. “I didn’t mean it like that. Kallie just wasn’t the right person for you.”
“I agree. Now tell me who is,” Victor challenged.
Instead of giving in to his provocation, she shifted her gaze to Raphael.
“It’s time for our next session,” Raphael told her. “Look into my eyes and tell me why your brother died.”
Guilt swelled through her, instantly flooding her eyes with tears. Damn it. Was she really going to do this all over again? Why couldn’t she think about Joel without feeling overwhelmed by unwanted emotions?
Unsure if she wanted to subject herself to another humiliating ‘session,’ she cleared her throat and said, “The wolves attacked our camp and murdered my brother along with many others. It had nothing to do with me.”
“True.” He easily closed the distance between them and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. “Unfortunately, you don’t believe what you just said.”
“I believe it,” she insisted. “I know it’s true.” It wasn’t a lie. In her mind she understood the sequence of events and her role inthem. Her heart, however, had yet to accept what her mind was telling her.
“Then why is guilt and regret pulsing off you in waves?” Victor asked as he came up on her other side.
She gasped and looked at him. “You’re empathic?”
“We both are, so don’t bother lying to us about this,” Raphael warned. “Why did your brother die?”
Her lips began to tremble, and tears escaped the corners of her eyes. If they could sense the emotions surging within her, then she had no choice but to admit what she was feeling. Wasn’t that the purpose of these sessions? Well, one of the purposes. She’d been on Rydaria long enough to understand the social dynamics. They couldn’t claim her until she accepted their authority and yielded to their sexual domination.
“I’m waiting,” Raphael prompted. “Why did your brother die?”
“Because I convinced him to apply to Nuevo Biotech.”
“What else?” Raphael’s authoritative tone allowed for no hesitation.
“I didn’t quit when I should have. If I had quit, he might have too. My greed cost Joel his life.” A sob tore from her throat. She felt selfish and foolish for not taking the danger seriously.
“Do you deserve another spanking?” Raphael’s voice dropped to a sensual rumble.
She trembled, dreading the pain, but desperately needing the emotional release. “Yes, Sir.” He hadn’t prompted her to use the title, but it felt right.
“Undress and crawl into my bedroom.”
“C-crawl?” She looked at him as hot color burned her cheeks. “You want me to crawl?”
He released her wrist and fisted the back of her hair. “When I give you an order, I expect it to be obeyed. Needless questioning or arguing will result in more intense punishments. Is that clear?”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Yes, Sir.”
“I don’t repeat orders. Now, get busy.”
Claire’s hands trembled so badly that she could barely get her sweater unbuttoned. With her bra still covering her breasts, she pulled off her boots and unzipped her jeans. “Do I need to be completely naked?”
“Yes,” Victor told her. His handsome features were expressionless, but hunger burned in his amber eyes.
She tensed, suddenly unsure if she wanted to demean herself in this way. “I’ve changed my mind.” She reached for her sweater, but Raphael snatched it away.
