Page 19 of Rescuing Mara

“Okay,” she finally says.

* * *

Mara

I can’t believeI am going to let him mark me. Well, not his mark. MY mark. A mark of my own because I am free. No, that’s not right, I’m not free, I am still and will always be Ananta’s. Only he doesn’t know.

I push the guilt back and bury it deep. I haven’t done anything wrong and never made him any promises. And I really, really wish he was right. I wish I were free - free to choose my path and keep an open mind, as Lauren said.

“Marra?” O’Rec calls out to me. I blush, realizing I was lost in my thoughts again.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“I am going to get my supplies. Are you good waiting here?”

Alone? Without him? Panic rises in me.

“I will ask L’Ren to keep you company,” he says before my anxiety entirely takes over.

I give him a wry smile. “Thank you.”

He is silent for a minute, his eyes distant, then smiles back at me. “She will be here soon.”

“What did you just do? Talk to Lauren?”

“No, but I did talk to D’Var. We have a mental link. It is a special thing that can form between crews of warriors.”

“And mates?”

“And mates,” he adds. “When mates have a fully formed bond, they can connect mentally. Sometimes, it happens quickly, but other times, it can take a while. Usually, something blocks the connection, and only trust and honesty can open it up to its full potential.”

Before I can say anything, I hear the buzz of the sliding doors, and Lauren enters. Hair mushed and cheeks flushed.

“Did I interrupt something?” O’Rec says with a grin.

Lauren sticks out her tongue and shoos him away. I stare at her in awe when he walks away laughing. She hops onto the table next to me.

“So, what are you guys doing?”

I smile, feeling butterflies erupt in my stomach.

“I am going to get a tattoo!”

“That is awesome!” she exclaims.

“Yes.” I hesitate for a minute, but I take a deep breath and straighten my shoulders before I look at Lauren.

“This.” I point at my neck. “Is a slave band. It’s a symbol to say I am a slave, that I am property of the High Commander’s house. In this case, I am his daughter’s slave.”

She gives me a sympathetic look but doesn’t say anything. I close my eyes and count to ten before I continue.

“I hate it, every time I see myself it’s a reminder, my life is not my own. O’Rec said he can change it to make it mine.”

She smiles at me. “That sounds like an excellent idea.”

The doors slide open again, and O’Rec walks in. He makes a beeline for the table, setting down bottles of Ink and a small device.

“The ink goes here,” he says, pointing to the top, where the bottle can be placed in a holder. “When I turn it on, the needle will pierce your skin and insert the ink under it.”

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