“I could spank you until you tell me,” he threatens playfully.
I pause. “Well don’t tempt me with a good time.”
“Jay . . .” he warns.
“Fine, okay. I’ll tell you... At first, I thought maybe, but now I’m definitely sure.”
“About what?”
“You were conceived here.”
Caleb’s face contorts into pure horror. He runs a hand down his face as if trying to wipe it off. “I never should’ve asked.”
“Yeah...” I roll over onto my stomach and place my chin on his chest and grin. “Now about that spanking.”
***
“I’ve got another question,” Caleb says.
We’re heading back to the pack and satisfying our curiosities about each other. I would say we were walking, but after the vigorous spanking, it’s more of a waddle.
“Of course you do.” I laugh playfully and smile to myself.
He’s had many questions, so I’m not surprised. It doesn’t bother me. I find his interest in me entirely charming that’s why I don’t hesitate to answer every question. It’s nice that someone wants to get to know me instead of assuming they know everything about me.
“Why did you want to keep the scars? I thought they were painful memories.”
“They are but...”How do I say this and not sound like a crazy person?“...I earned them. Maybe someday I’ll cover them with tattoos, but for now, they are a piece of me. It’s something I’ve survived.”
It’s the truth. Most of it, at least.
What I don’t tell him is that it’s a masochist thing. I must want to wear my reminder of the pain I suffered because, well, it’s painful.
I know, I know, I tell my wolf.I sound ridiculous.
So I tell Caleb about my time at the Pound. Pretty much everything—at least what I can remember. The rest remains in my wolf’s secret vault of trauma.
“I’m sorry you went through that. That’s awful.”
I shrug. “It was a long time ago.”
“How did you get out? Of the Pound, I mean.”
“My Master created a monster, a true killing machine. So, when he got too busy making a buttload of money off his champion, he hired help and a bunch of newbies were sent in his place to handle me. I ran.”
“How old were you?”
“Eighteen, I think.”
“Is that when you met Colin?”
“Yep. He was creepy, but he gave me purpose. One where I wasn’t just fighting to make a man rich but fighting for something greater. He was an outcast like me, so he understood me better than anyone else at the time. He grew the horde of rogues, and suddenly, I was fighting alongside others who shared that same purpose.
“And it was... nice. Like I finally belonged but didn’t belongtoanyone. After being someone’s prisoner for years, I didn’t want to be ruled by anyone but me. At least not entirely.”
“How old were you when you were trafficked?”
I stop walking. “Trafficked?”
