He could hear what she was saying. Torrent could sympathize and empathize but it didn’t make him feel any better. His dragon prowled and growled. Hearing her say those things didn’t calm him. “You’ve told me. I will come to terms with it. I need you… now. Don’t deny me. Don’t deny us.”

She shook her head. “We’re not ready to take that step. I thought that we were but I was wrong.”

“What will it take?” He growled. The sense of urgency rose even higher and along with it a feeling that he was losing her. Candy. She was his.

She shrugged. “ I don’t know.” Candy shook her head. “You need to come to terms with what I used to do. You need to get the hell over it or let me go… one or the other.”

“I’m never letting you go,” he growled. “You are mine.”

“Stop saying that.” She poked her finger into his chest. “You’re acting like a complete jerk. I did what I had to do. Something that I have to live with, that I have to deal with. You are the one that needs to get over it though.” She turned and paced away from him. Candy opened the closet and grabbed a shirt. Then she changed out of the ripped sweater and pulled on the fresh shirt. Her movements were jerky and angry.

Torrent ran a hand through his hair. He was losing her. What was wrong with her? He didn’t understand it. He was offering her everything. A whole new life. An opportunity to be a queen, to be his mate and it didn’t seem like she wanted it.

Maybe she didn’t want him.

A king.

Why didn’t she want him? She allowed human males to pay her money to rut with her and yet she refused him at every turn. White hot anger coursed through him. It was unacceptable. Did she not realize that she was lucky to even be here? It was her that should be begging him and not the other way around.

Torrent went to his side of the closet and yanked open the door. He opened the golden chest in the far corner and and chose a couple of items.

Candy was at the far end of the chamber. She was staring out at the view, deep in thought.

Torrent swallowed thickly. Something gave him pause. A voice maybe. Something that told him not to do it but he ignored it. Candy was his female. She’d had sex with others for far less. Rutting her was his right. She was his dammit. Why was she being so stubborn?

“Here.” He held out the jewelry to her. Torrent had tried to speak with her but they had gotten nowhere. Hopefully she would understand this.