A rush of possessiveness flooded through me as she involuntarily curved into my body. The scent of her clouded my senses, and I nearly forgot who I was. Who she was.
After grasping her waist, my right hand moved over the slight ridges of her spine until my fingers delved into her soft curls. Closing my hand, I pulled her back against me by her hair.
My lips grazed the delicate shell of her ear as I commanded, "Breathe through the pain."
Her body trembled. "I can't. Oh god, it hurts."
"I know,moya ptashka."My little bird.
The endearment fell from my lips unbidden, too intimate for this moment, yet somehow not intimate enough. Rain began to pelt against the roof, enveloping us in a cocoon of sound, separating us from the world outside.
My hand shifted to caress her throat before wrapping around her neck, cupping the base of her jaw. Using my grip, I turned her to face me. Tears glittered in her gaze, her eyes shining sapphire bright.
"Look at me."
She tried to turn her face away.
My voice deepened with authority. "Viktoria. Look. At. Me."
Each word fell like a stone between us, heavy with unspoken implications. The power I wielded over her in this moment was nothing compared to what I wanted.
Her full lips tightened as she inhaled and held her breath.
My thumb caressed the edge of her jaw. Fuck, she really was quite beautiful. "That's it. Good girl. Keep your eyes on me. Now breathe."
Her head shook as she kept holding her breath.
I leaned in close. My lips almost touching hers. "I said breathe."
The inch between our mouths was charged with electricity. Her defiance, even now, stirred a primal need within me. I could crush that hint of rebelliousness, but I found myself wanting to preserve it, nurture it, even as I demanded her surrender.
She opened her lips. For the barest of moments, we shared the same air.
One breath. Then two.
Her eyelashes fluttered, dark crescents against pale skin. Every subtle shift of her body against mine registered like a brand.
The sharpness in her eyes faded as the worst of the initial shock and pain ebbed. I knew from experience there would be a throbbing soreness for several days, but at least the worst of her agony was over.
She stepped back, away from my touch, swiping at the tears on her cheeks. "Please, can I go home now?"
The sudden distance between us felt wrong, leaving me cold where her warmth had been. Outside, a branch scraped against the window.
I searched her face as my brow furrowed. I didn't like the idea of her leaving.
At my silence, she backed away another step and raised her right hand, almost as if to ward me off. "Please. I promise. I won't…I won't say anything about what has happened here."
Of that I had no doubt. Especially once she learned of her father and brother's fate after this night.
That didn't stop me from securing a more definitive solution. "I will let you leave?—"
"Thank you."
I stepped closer.
The floorboards groaned beneath my weight, a warning she heeded, her eyes widening. The small cabin seemed to shrink around us, pushing us together even as she retreated.
She continued to back away.
