Chapter 17 " You only see me as something to be possessed , " I hissed , reaching for the car door handle . " But I'm not . I'm a person , and I'm tired of being your obedient little trophy . " And with that , I climbed out of the car , leaving Killian stunned and still holding his face , and hailed a cab home on my own . The first thing I did when I arrived was head to the kitchen , hungry for dinner as I hadn't had the stomach to eat anything at the auction . I pulled out the ingredients to make a simple pasta dish : ground beef , tomato sauce , dried farfalle , spinach , mushrooms . The act of cooking soothed me , the rhythmic chopping of the knife and the sound of the water boiling allowing me to fall into a deep meditation . I was able to avoid thinking about Killian for a little while , at least while I was cooking. But by the time I set the table with a single plate and a glass of wine , the sorrow set in . I sniffled as I took my seat , willing the tears to stay inside where they belonged . Many times , I would sit just like this , alone and pathetic and in tears . Killian never came home for dinner unless he really had no excuse , even though I always - always - cooked only what he liked and never what I liked . So many nights wasted . In my eyes , couples , especially fated mates , should savor every meal together . Eating together was a time to break bread , to talk and laugh and share the part of the soul that could only be expressed through a lovingly cooked meal . I only ever wanted the type of love where I could cook for someone , to laugh over a glass of wine and dance together in the living room afterwards . That was the type of relationship Natalie and Killian had . But even though he was my fated mate , he would never give that part of himself to me . I would have to learn to love myself from now on in this life . I had spent too many nights loving someone who didn't feel the same way . I hadn't realized that the tears had fallen anyway until one plopped into my wine glass , making the red liquid ripple . I sniffed and wiped my face with the back of my hand , shaking my head. " Don't cry … Stupid , " I whispered . Just then , the sound of a creaking floorboard caused me to snap my head up . Killian was standing in the doorway with a plate of the food I'd cooked in his hands . I stiffened , expecting him to retaliate for the slap . His cheek was still slightly red from where I'd hit him . But to my surprise , he just sat down across from me , poured himself a glass of wine , and began to eat . For a few moments , I just watched him eat , completely dumbfounded . I made no move to eat my own food , too confused and shocked to have the stomach for it . Killian ate quietly for a bit , his fork scraping against the plate , then finally glanced up at me through his dark brows when he reached for his wine . 1 " You're a good cook , " he said . I blinked mutely . He had never tried my food before . He had also never complimented me before . I wasn't sure how to react . Killian sighed and set down his glass . For a long moment , he seemed to struggle with something he wanted to say , dark eyes roving back and forth across the white tablecloth . Finally , he said , " I apologize for what happened earlier . I've been reflecting , and … " He took a deep breath and looked at me , really looked at me , and for the first time ever , I thought I saw a hint of the man who had once looked at Natalie like that . " I'll come home for dinner on time from now on . " My heart ached , and my voice softened . But my words were still firm as I replied , " There's no need . I won't cook for you anymore . " COIN BUNDLE : get more free bonus