The Rejected Mate

"But it didn't just stop at that first slap," I whisper, my voice completely muffled against the warm, hard expanse of Ryker's chest. "It happened again. And then again. Every single time his fists or his words tore into me, he would maliciously twist our sacred mate bond into a brutal weapon of absolute control. He completely convinced me that by crying or pulling away, I was actively disrespecti