Chapter 932 Chapter 932
Marie stopped and looked in the box again. She couldn’t focus on what she was doing. This was a simple task. Take the items out of the large box and put them on the carts that were sorted by category. She really shouldn’t be struggling with it the way she was. All she could think about was Webb kissing her and what Amari had said. Her mind kept replaying a thousand times, kissing Webb.
Closing her eyes, she blew out a breath and forced her tense muscles to relax.
“I don’t know what you’re doing over there, but it seems to me you are making it harder than it needs to be.”
Marie spun around and looked over at the man in the cage. She'd forgotten he was there. He had pale hair that was slicked back. The neatly trimmed goatee on his chin was the same shade as his hair. She couldn’t guess his age, because she would have to get closer to do that and she wasn’t going to.
“Sorry, I startled you.” He moved over and stood closer to the bars. “There’s not a lot to do in here but watch you. I’m Grifter.”
“Marie.” She shook her head. “Rhogue. My name is Rhogue.”
He lifted one eyebrow. “That explains why it looks likes you’re having some kind of deep conflict. You can’t even pick a name for yourself.” He lifted his hands. “I’d help you do whatever it is you’re trying to do, but I’m busy doing penance right now.”
He seemed too nice to have been with the other three men. “Do you need to do penance?”
He went over and turned the chair to face her and sat down. “Don’t we all?”
She drew in a deep breath. “I suppose.” Glancing at the items on the carts, she narrowed her eyes. She needed to get this done for Rayne. They were allowing her to stay here. Protecting her and giving her a home for the first time in her life. She wanted to be useful.
“So is your animal arguing with you? Is that the conflict issue?”
Marie turned back to look at him.
“Sorry. I’ve run out of things to lie here and think about.”
Marie looked to see he had a bed, a table, and chair, and a small space with a partition that she assumed was a tiny bathroom. She grabbed the box and moved over to the first cart. “I’m only half shifter.” It seemed better than saying half-breed. The very sound of that made her seem less.
“Half one-form?”
She studied his expression before answering. He wasn’t sneering at her like many full-blooded shifters did. “Yes.”
“Some shift.” He shrugged. “Maybe you’re at odds with your animal and that’s why.” He grinned. “I mean, you can’t decide on a name.”
She knew he was joking, but what he said gave her pause for a moment. She found three of the items for this cart and took them out of the box. “I just recently decided to use Rhogue,” she said.
“Interesting choice. Are you one of the rogues?”
She nodded, but didn’t stop to look over at him.
“So you’re one of Cassius’ people?”
His tone wasn’t filled with judgment. “Yes, my entire life.”
“I have great respect for him. He never took any crap from Pike or Maxton. He's a good leader.”
She found a few more things and set them on the cart before moving to the next one. “Why travel with people like that?” She glanced at him. It really wasn’t any of her business, but she wanted to know.
“Sometimes life doesn’t give you a choice. I know you understand that.”
Marie stopped and looked at him. “I do.”
“Look, I’m sorry if Pike and the others hurt any of your people. I wasn’t around for that, or I would have done what I could to prevent it.”
She closed her eyes and stood there. “I wish you had been there.” She opened them and then looked in the box and found the items for the cart in front of her. He didn’t say anything, so she kept her mind on the task and found the rest of the items for this cart.
“You’re her.”
She stopped and looked at him.
“The one Kiloh claims is his. Did he mark you?”
She hugged the box. “He tried.”
Grifter stood up. For several seconds, he just looked at her. “And you can’t shift to help the mark gone.”
“That’s right.” Her voice was shaking.
“Do they know?” He motioned to the door. “The prince? The princess? Did you tell them what he did? It’s illegal, you know, forced mating or marking.”
Marie looked at the door. “I know it is.” She shook her head. “No. I haven’t told them.” She turned back to finish what she was supposed to be doing.
“You want to prove yourself to them. You don’t want to come across as a hindrance.”
He understood. “It’s humiliating.”
Grifter made a strange noise. “Kiloh is a cruel prick. You stopped him and got away. Nothing is humiliating about that.”
She quickly sorted the remaining items and then set the empty box down. Pulling her shoulders back, she looked at him. “I’ll carry the scar of that cruel prick for the rest of my life. Not even my mate will be able to see beyond it.” She thought of Webb and the way he looked at her.
Grifter nodded slowly and then lifted his chin and looked at her. “I think you are wrong. If I ever find mine, I don’t care if she’s missing parts, I’ll still cherish her very existence.”
She hoped for his sake that that was true. For her, the look on Webb’s face meant anything but acceptance. She knew he was her mate; some part of her had known the day she met him in the bush with the other man, Zain. “Can I get you anything before I go?” She couldn’t help herself. Regardless of why he was in the cage, she couldn't watch any suffer.
“No. Marie Rhogue, I’m just fine in this warm spot out of the weather.” He lifted his arms. “Got me a full belly and clean clothes.” He shrugged. “It’s the best holiday from reality I’ve ever had.”
She understood how he felt. “It is nice. Being clean and warm.”
He grinned. “Damn straight. You think about what I said. Telling them might help you figure out if you’re Marie or Rhogue.” He turned and went over to the cot and stretched out on it.
She looked at him for a moment longer and then walked toward the door. Who was she? Marie or Rhogue? She needed to figure that out.