Page 81 of Aine

“You made me sit in my pee for hours.” My voice is shaky as I bring up the painful memories, but I force myself to speak about them anyway. “You called me incontinent and forced me to shower with you.”

Damien wraps his arm around my waist and tucks my head under his chin as I start to cry in earnest. His body’s warm and unmoving as I leak snot all over him, but I’m grateful to be hidden from the prying eyes of the nearby humans.

I’m sure they’ll be able to tell I’m crying by the shaking of my shoulders and cooing of the giant man who surrounds me, but at least they can’t see my face.

“I’m so sorry, Aine,” Damien whispers into my hair. “Olivia said you needed me to take you to the bathroom, but I assumed Jenna or Avia had already helped you that evening and I’d begin in the morning. I would never have left you in that state if I knew. And I know I shouldn’t have washed you like that. I was angry with myself and took it out on you.”

While I appreciate his apologies, they do little to make me feel better. I sniffle loudly before continuing.

“I saw Freya in your bed the first week I arrived.”

Damien’s chest expands as he sucks in a deep breath. “She snuck in and unclothed while I was in the shower. You happened to walk past while I was in the midst of kicking her out.”

“And Olivia?” I challenge.

I lean back to watch his reaction. While he may have a semi-decent explanation for everything else, I can’t imagine what he could possibly have for moving her into his home and touching her in front of me.

“I was being a dick when I moved her into my house, but nothing has ever happened between us.” He grimaces. “Other than the incident in my office, which I deeply regret.”

My face warms as he brings up that day. I’ve done a pretty good job pretending it never happened, and I’d like to keep it that way.

Damien either doesn’t notice, or he ignores my embarrassment as he continues speaking.

“You don’t have to worry about any other women, Aine. I kept my sexual encounters outside our village, and nothing I’ve done has been meaningful,” he promises. “I know I was cruel to you when we first met. I thought it would prevent me from feeling anything, but that day you moved into my home and I smelt your fear, smelt it directed so strongly at me, I realized I couldn’t do that to you. You’re my mate, Aine, and that may not mean a lot to humans, but it’s everything to us.”

My lips purse, but I decide not to bring up what he did to me that day I moved into his home. He seemed genuinely apologetic when he realized I wasn’t enjoying his touch and went as far as to let me drug him in punishment.

It’s the only time he’s ever forced himself on me in that manner, and I’m going to choose to let it go.

There are a thousand other painful memories swarming around in my head, all of them caused by Damien, and I pick the one most pressing in my mind to discuss next.

“You offered for Alex to rape me,” I state.

Damien stiffens.

“I should never have done that, and I don’t have an excuse. I’m sorry.”

He sounds genuinely apologetic, but I can’t help but think about what Freya said to me in the bathroom yesterday. I haven’t heard anything about Damien liking to share his women, but people have been hushed when it comes to discussing his past.

Is offering his women to Alex something he’s done before?

“Freya told me you like to share your women,” I say.

Before I’ve even had a chance to shut my mouth, Damien’s grabbing my chin and forcing me to look into the darkened eyes of his beast.

Despite his assurances that he won’t hurt me, I feel nothing short of terror at the sight of the angry man. The knowledge that he could snap my neck with a flick of his wrist isn’t lost on me as he forces my head and jaw into whatever direction he pleases.

“No.” Damien’s words are muffled as he speaks around his extended canines. “I’d sooner kill my entire pack than willingly share you with another.”

My jaw aches under his tight grip, but he loosens when I let out a quiet whimper. His face softens as he takes in my terrified one, and after a second, he releases me entirely.

“What else did she tell you?” His hand slides from my jaw to cheek.

I can tell he’s trying to be sweet as he rubs his thumb across my cheekbone and into my hair, but it means little to me after his painful, scary actions.

Frowning, I smack his hand away. “She also told me she marked you.”

Chapter Twenty

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