Chapter 84
In the heavy darkness, Preston’s eyes flickered open, his gaze sliding sideways to rest on Georgia’s sleeping form nestled in his arms. The faint moonlight traced the curves of her face and fell upon the soft skin of her neck, marred by dark, angry hickeys–silent evidence of their violent closeness. A tangle of emotions tightened inside him, but with a slow blink, he closed his eyes again, shutting the world away.
To his astonishment, he noticed the numerous bloody puncture wounds she had left on his shoulder. Why had he allowed it? Why had he not stopped her when she bit him so fiercely? Why had his lips traced every inch of her body with such desperate hunger? The instincts that ruled his kind roared inside him, urging him to claim her utterly, to tether her to him in a bond that neither could resist. Yet, against his will, a voice whispered inside his mind: Don’t think about it. Just don’t.
The morning light crept into the room like an unwelcome truth. Georgia’s eyes fluttered open, bloodshot and heavy with exhaustion. For a moment, the fog of sleep held her captive, but then the memories from the night before crashed over her like a tidal wave–raw, painful, suffocating.
She bolted upright, scanning the room with frantic eyes. Preston was gone. Relief washed through her veins in a cold rush. She breathed deeply, trying to steady the thundering in her chest. But a dull ache settled low in her heart–an ache bom from the intimacy she hadn’t asked for, the vulnerability she had refused to accept.
Her hands trembled as she became painfully aware that she had spent the entire night naked beside him, his presence pressing against her skin even in sleep. She raised her palm and struck her check sharply–once, twice–with a crisp slap that echoed through the quiet room. How could you? the stinging pain seemed to ask. You could sleep with anyone, but not Preston. Not him.
The sharp sound of her own hands against her skin was a brutal reminder of her self–disgust. She collapsed back onto the bed, eyes clouded with pain that only she could understand. After a long, ragged breath, she slowly forced herself to sit up and dress, ignoring the tom buttons that hung loosely on her blouse–silent testaments to the chaos of last night.
Rather than flee, Georgia shuffled to the bathroom and stand bafom the mer. Her fingers trembled as she reached out and twisted the tap, water flowing cold and c
Chapter Unlocked, Enjoy Reading! hands and washed her face, scrubbing away the ghostly traces of sleep and shame.
Her gaze caught the glass perched on the edge of the sink, Without warning, she lifted it, gripping it tight and raising it as if to shatter the fragile reflection in front of her. The glass hovered just centimeters from the mirror’s surface. A breath away
from destruction.
Then, her grip faltered. Her hand shook violently, veins standing out stark and raw beneath the skin. Despite the rage thrumming through her veins, the glass remained suspended in her trembling palm.
After what felt like an eternity, she released it slowly, letting it drop back onto the counter with a soft clink. Then, without thought, she pummeled the sink with fists, pounding again and again as if the cold porcelain could absorb her pain.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and a gust of air swept through the room as a powerful hand grabbed her arm. She staggered, nearly falling under the force.
“How dare you harm yourself!” Preston’s voice was a raw growl, thick with fury,
Georgia said nothing. She made no move to resist as he pulled her from the bathroom.
“Let go!” she spat.
Preston ignored her, dragging her mercilessly toward the living room.
“I said, let go!” she insisted, desperation creeping into her voice.
But before she could react further, she was thrown onto the worn sofa, the cushions groaning beneath her weight. Preston loomed over her, his cold eyes boring into hers.
“How dare you damage your own body?” he demanded, voice low and dangerous. “Who gave you that right?”
Her voice cracked as she snapped back, “I can do whatever I want with my body! It’s none of your business!”
Her scarlet eyes burned with accusation, the pain of their fractured bond etched into every line of her face.
<Chapter 84
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“This isn’t some werewolf prison,” she declared stubbornly, “I am free. You don’t get to control me!”
Preston sneered, an ugly twist of contempt crossing his features. “Free? Tell me, how are you free when you owe someone a life? When you still carry that debt?”
Her face drained of color, and a bitter thought stabbed through her–Maya, I’m useless.
Slowly, she raised her head and met his gaze. “Let me go.”
Preston’s expression shifted, the coldness flickering into something strange and unsettling, a look that made the fine hairs on her skin stand on end.
Then, a cruel grin spread across his lips while his eyes remained icy. “Sure. After I’m dead.”
Georgia’s eyes widened, a mixture of shock and wild disbelief flooding her chest.
“Preston, tell me what exactly do you want from me? I have nothing left.”
She pushed herself up on the sofa’s armrest, leveling her gaze at him, voice rough and desperate. “Look carefully. What do I have left? Name it, and I’ll give it all to you.”
Preston stared, stunned by the raw, desperate beauty she radiated. There was a fierce madness beneath her exhaustion, like a condemned prisoner fighting for one last chance. The sight took his breath away.
Though he fought to deny it, deep down he knew: Georgia was his mate. His instincts pulled him closer even as his mind resisted. He inhaled her scent, stronger and more intoxicating than before, and felt the pull of a bond neither wanted to claim.
“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.
“Yes,” Georgia replied, steady and resolute.
Preston’s senses swam in her presence, and in the back of his mind, a voice–Luca’s–whispered urgently: Mark her, Preston.
Suddenly, clarity struck him. He shook off the haze and looked at her sharply. “What can you give me?”
“I’m no longer worth anything to you, Mr. Hill. Just let me go,” she said coldly,
Preston sneered, venom dripping from his words. “Georgia, do you think three years in werewolf prison can pay Giselle’s life? She was the only family Derek had. How do you think my Beta would feel if I let you off easy?”
for
His voice was hard and unyielding. “Of course, you’ll stay with me. I’ll break you bit by bit until you’ve paid your debt.”
Georgia fell silent, and Preston frowned. The timid woman he had come to despise had resurfaced, the one who made him uncomfortable in his own skin.
“Mr. Hill,” Georgia said, lifting her head just as he reached out toward her. “You said before, if I earned a million dollars and transferred it into that account within a month, you wouldn’t care whether I stayed or left, right??
Preston’s anger flared visibly. She’s so determined to leave me, he thought bitterly.
“Yes,” he growled. “But let me remind you–it’ll be a month soon.”
A secret sigh of relief escaped Georgia’s lips, though every subtle movement she made was carefully watched by the man before her.
He stood, long legs carrying him to the opposite side of the sofa. His voice was cold and final. “Get out.”
