A Second Chance (Fated Mate)(44)

Conner didn’t want them to see his mate. He roared his fury and the entire room went silent, except for his mate’s soft weeping. One of the gun toting police officers started for her, and Conner vaulted himself into his path.

“Ma’am could you call off your dog?”

Conner let loose with a mournful howl as the police collected their struggling man and shot out the door. Conner slowly approached the table and ripped her bindings with his teeth. Katie began to shake uncontrollably; he thought she might be going into shock when he noticed a device under his paw. He lifted and her shaking stopped. Bloody hell, he had just tazered his mate. After all she had been through-he was mortified.

Katie rolled to her side and simply lay there. She needed to be alone. “Please leave Conner; I can’t stand your pity.”

He whimpered and she looked stonily at him, “Leave.” She reached around and ripped the Taser spikes from her shoulder and the wounds began to bleed. He went to her and licked the blood from her shoulder, and she flinched away.

“God dammit I said leave. Make sure the officers see you leave so they know it’s safe to come in.” She turned her back dismissing him, asserting her independence.

Conner walked out of the cabin and bounded into the forest. He got far enough away, and shifted. He saw Jake coming but couldn’t have a conversation now. He dressed and walked over to the edge of the woods where the cabin was.

Conner watched, she could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn’t face him. She was devastated that he had found her like that. She had always protected herself, had always been independent, and she felt so vulnerable. She simply wanted to be alone. The officers told her she’d need to give a statement after she went to the hospital for an exam.

While in the hospital she was informed that Shana had arrived, but she refused to see her. She was told by another officer that Decker was on the phone. She took the phone and simply said, “I’ll take you up on your offer. I’ll call you when I’m ready for pickup.”#p#分页标题#e#

The exam was complete. She had stitches to both of her thighs from knife wounds, plus the ultrasound of her healthy puppies clutched in her hand; she left for the police station.

She gave her report, and two hours later Decker had picked her up, and was driving her to his house. She could feel Conner near, but he was giving her the space that she needed.





Chapter 16



Katie had been at Decker’s house for a week. Her bruises were healing and her stitches were removed, but the shame would never go away. Every time she thought of Conner, and him seeing her like that, she felt like being sick all over again. Decker worked during the day and at night he would bring her ice cream. They would snuggle on the couch and watch a movie.

It was nice being alone with her thoughts, but she knew that at some point, she was going to have to make a decision. Conner and Shana called her every day, and she even got a text from Trevor. She merely wasn’t ready to face anyone.

One night, while eating ice cream on the couch with Decker he blurted, “I spoke with Conner today. In fact, I speak with Conner every day. He seems like a nice enough guy.”

“He is.”

“Then why did you leave him? He misses you, and he’s hurting.”

She knew Decker wouldn’t understand so she stayed quiet.

“I know I’m just a guy, but if you want, I’d like to help. It seems like you two have quite a thing going-or had.”

“I just can’t anymore. I can’t be with him and share a life. I don’t want to be that girl.”

“What girl? The woman in love with a great guy, starting a family? You know I love you, and I’d do pretty much anything for you, but it’s time to get up off the couch and move on.”

“You don’t get it Decker. He saw me naked tied to a table, beaten and bloody. I can’t be weak, and he saw me at the worst. He’ll never see me the same. He’ll look at me with pity. Poor Katie’s parents got killed, poor Katie the virgin, Poor Katie can never compete with the guys, and poor Katie got kidnapped and beaten.”

“Virgin? Damn, Katie, that was too much information. I know exactly what happened to you, and I don’t think you’re weak. I saw you get stomped on by several perps, and I don’t think you’re weak.”

“It’s different, okay.”

“No, Katie, it’s not. There is only so long that I can keep him away. You’re going to have to face him sooner or later, and I think you completely misunderstood the look on his face. It wasn’t a look of pity. It was a look of guilt because he got there late, and he feels he didn’t protect his woman. Katie, he feels responsible for what happened to you.”