Page 37 of Rescuing Mara

My clothes are right where I left them on the floor. Guilt floods my system as I pull out the transmitter before I put them into the laundry bin. I have made my choice - I chose O’Rec. I will choose him again and again, but why do I silently put the transmitter into the pocket of my clean trousers? I should tell him about it. If I did, he would understand, wouldn’t he?

I spin the little device in my fingers, flipping it around and around. I should tell him. I should…

“O’Rec?” I look for him, but the bedroom is empty. Sighing, I flip the transmitter one more time. Later will work just fine.

I must have been so engrossed in my thoughts that I missed O’Rec walking out because I’m startled by the sliding doors when he walks back in from the hallway.

“O’Rec! I didn’t hear you leave.”

“I am sorry, my mate. I thought you heard me when I told you I would grab something to drink for us.” He holds out a bottle of water, which I gratefully take.

“Did you bring snacks as well?” I ask playfully, and he grins.

“Of course I did!” His grin is catching, and we just stand there for a moment, grinning at each other. He places the bottles and the bowl with snacks on the bed, and I sit down and grab the bowl.

“What is it?” And I peek into the bowl. “Is it fried roots?”

“It is something L’Ren thought up,” O’Rec says as he rumbles around in one of the cabinets, grabbing his tattoo stuff. “She experiments with food all the time. I like these. They are spicy and very crispy. She said they reminded her of something called chips.”

“Chips?” I let the word ring around in my mind, but it doesn’t ring a bell. I decide it’s worth the try and take one of the roots and carefully bit off a little bit. Taste explodes into my mouth. “Wow! It tastes really good!” I swallow and immediately devour the root. I take another one without thinking, and I only notice O’Rec staring at me when I’m happily munching on it. Blushing, I hold the root out for him, but he shakes his head.

“You should eat, my Zarra.”

He walks towards me, and I guess I was too hungry to really notice him because he looks way too good. He’s wearing soft gray pants that mold to his hips and show off his muscled thighs. The pants are just a shade lighter than his skin. He’s not wearing his harness, and I lick my lips at all that gorgeous flesh on display.

Growling, he takes the last step to reach me and kneels in front of me.

“Tell me you are too sore for me to touch you,” he rasps.

I whisper. “I’m too sore for you to touch me.”

“Good,” he says, struggling to regain his self-control. He leans in any way and gives me the softest kiss before he sits back on his knees. “Now, talk to me about that tattoo.”

CHAPTER24

Mara

The hum of the tattoo machine is soothing in contrast to the sharp stings the needle gives me. My right arm is outstretched, kept steady by O’Rec’s tail, as he works his way up my arm from my wrist. He creates a delicate spectacle of lines and swirls moving up my arm in a circular motion. I love it. The way he works is mesmerizing. He is silent and focused, and it almost feels as if his mind is giving his hand free rein.

I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, giving in to the same relaxation I felt when he altered my slave tattoo. The new one is all me. Only me. Because I am free, I am no longer Ananta’s possession. I am my own. I am also O’Rec’s mate, but that does not mean I’m his property. His presence surrounds me like a warm blanket, and I lose myself in his comfort until the humming stops.

O’Rec is smiling at me when I open my eyes. Pride shines through, and I can see why when I look closely at my arm. The design is stunning. Moving up from my wrist all the way to two thin bands across my upper arm.

“You can do magic, O’Rec! It looks just like jewelry.”

“I am glad you like it,” he grins.

I get up and launch into his arms, grateful for all he is giving me - more than he knows.

He keeps giving me these little things throughout the days that follow. It’s in the way he always takes care of me, bringing me water and food. It’s also how he involves me in his calls with M’Ran. His advisor, who stayed on the Ring, their secret hideaway. We are on a stealth course towards that Ring, and I can tell O’Rec is excited to show me his home.

Whenever he talks about his home, I get a bitter taste in my mouth, though, thinking about the transmitter that burns in my pocket. I don’t know why I haven’t told him. I trust him, I really do, but I’m also scared. Especially when he talks about how my future as his mate is by his side, as his queen.

I told him I felt a little useless, not having a project of my own or anything to contribute to the ship. He told me not to worry, first we should get to the Ring and we can talk about the future later. Luckily Lauren could use a helping hand, so I help her with her plants and preparing meals.

I talk a lot with Lauren when I help her in her garden. She tells me about her telepathic link with D’Var, and I feel jealous. Even though O’Rec and I have mated a lot since that first time, I can barely feel his emotions, let alone his thoughts. I’m scared there must be something wrong with me. I’m afraid it means I’m somehow broken, and he will reject me when he finds someone more suitable.

When O’Rec holds me close after our mating and whispers how much I mean to him, I know he means it. I feel it echo inside of me. But still, there's always that voice in the back of my mind - a voice that sounds a lot like Ananta.

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