AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Don’t guess, Rory. Know. You were a good human.”
Tears stung my eyes. “Thank you.”
His words were so different than the ones Allen had given me, even in the very beginning of our relationship. I had never been enough for him, in any way. And while I’d been emotionally disconnected from him for over a year, I was still around him, constantly. Being insulted, day after day.
I’d never had someone compliment me like that, and it made me feel so good, I didn’t even want to know whether or not it was a red flag or green.
“How long were you…” he trailed off, uncertain how to ask the question.
I knew what he was asking, though.
“With Allen?” I supplied.
“Yes. How long were you with Allen?”
“About three years. The first few months, I thought he was perfect. He paid attention to me, and listened when I talked. Most of the men I’d met didn’t do that. He brought me flowers after we had a disagreement, and I thought we’d be together forever. I was so, so stupid.” Closing my eyes, I let out a long breath.
I had never told anyone the full story.
I’d called the hotlines before the first time I tried to leave, before I’d known that he had cameras in our house and my phone connected to some kind of recorder. He’d heard everything I’d said… and I’d never been brave enough to talk, since.
That had been a year and a half earlier.
Part of me wanted to tell the story. To get it off my chest, so I could at least attempt to let it go.
But I couldn’t let myself open up that completely to Amarok, so I didn’t say anything else.
“What did he do to you?” the man’s voice was gravelly.
I borrowed a few of his words from when I’d asked about the glowing. “At this point, I don’t think you want to know.”
His body tensed visibly, but he didn’t argue or growl at me.
We were both silent while he finished cooking, but the delicious smells of whatever he was making kept me from growing stressed or worried.
And how bad could he be, if he came from a culture where the men were trained to feed their woman? I wouldn’t let myself get attached to him in any sort of a romantic capacity, of course, but still.
He was taking care of me, like he had since we met. That had to count for something.
If Ihadto be mated to one of the men, why not Amarok? He had basically offered to keep our relationship platonic, and I wasn’t against platonic. It would be nice to have a genuine friend.
Knowing he wanted to be more than that might ruin it, though…
I wasn’t sure.
Maybe I’d decide after we got to his pack.
He made us both massive plates of food, and I barely stopped myself from salivating at the sight and smell. I didn’t know what it was, but it smelled good and looked fancy, with a bunch of different components and some kind of a sauce over all of them.
“Thank you,” I said, and meant it.
He dipped his head in a nod, though he still looked a little tense.
We both started eating, and holy shit, it was delicious. The foreign flavors melded perfectly, and though I had no words to describe them, they were quite possibly the best things I’d ever tasted.
I was lost to the food until I finally scraped the plate clean. When I lifted my head, I found Amarok watching me closely, his own plate empty and a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
My face warmed. “I’ve never had a man cook for me before.”
