Samantha
“Tell you what. How about you mark me first?” Holden says, and I freeze.
‘Mark him, mark him,’ Aria repeats several times. ‘Please, mark him.’
I stare wide-eyed at my mate. We have been making huge strides together, but the thought of marking still frightens me to my core. My first mark was forced on me.
“Samantha,” Holden touches my arm, and I yelp.
“No,” I mutter and keep backing away as tears well up in my eyes. All my memories from the day I met Dmitry come flooding back. The utter terror I felt. He scared me into not telling my family what was going on.
I sit beside the pool, pull my knees to my chest, and sob.
A hand on my back makes me jump, but I don’t move away as Holden sits beside me. “I’m sorry,” he says while rubbing my back. “I didn’t mean to push it.”
I loo
