I cringed against such a word.
Pim hugged me tighter, her shoulders bunched as if she would be swept away if I let her go. Her teeth marks on my shoulder smarted, a faint tickle of liquid hinting she’d drawn blood.
Shit, if it meant she could reverse some of the damage I’d caused by delivering it on my skin, I’d gladly take it.
No wonder my family left me.
They were right.
Look at me.
I truly am a monster.
Holding her was the hardest fucking thing I’d done. I wanted to disengage and give her some space. But if holding her until I died was what it took to redeem myself, then so be it.
I didn’t try to rush her.
While she cried, I did my best to deflate my cock but nothing worked. Her strength was what attracted me to her in the first place. Her tears were what made me snap now.
This felt like an end. I’d ruined it. I’d proven to her that my promises meant shit and she was right to look at me with accusation and suspicion. Right to believe I would one day hurt her because what the fuck was I doing now?
I was inside her against her will. I’d taken something she wasn’t prepared to give. I’d lost control. Again.
Time ticked onward, but I never stopped stroking or cradling.
The gift she gave by allowing me to touch her after I’d forced myself onto her crippled me.
Slowly, Pim pulled away.
I expected her to stand and physically remove every part of me from her. However, her hands landed on either side of my face, her blue gaze searching mine as if hearing my grief and regret.
Her fingers were so soft they tickled as she traced my jaw. Tears fell from her eyes, an awful void inside her.
My gut spasmed. “What is it? What can I do? Name it. I’ll do whatever you need.”
Her touch turned fierce, holding me firm. Her mouth opened to speak.
To speak.
I stopped breathing, my ears throbbing to listen.
She swallowed hard, forehead furrowing with concentration. “El—”
My heart erupted. My cock doubled in size. If I hadn’t just taken her on the floor, I would’ve kissed, and fucking kissed her.
She forced past her unused voice and finished. “Elder…”
My name.
Her first word was my name.
Her voice was everything I wanted and more. Accented, pure, feminine. I needed to come. I had no doubt if she commanded me to come in her perfect, pretty voice, I would.
I inhaled to reply, but she pressed two fingers over my lips and shook her head. She coughed, her eyes tightening against pain.
I obeyed and remained silent.
She sat a little taller. Her pussy gloved my cock with furious heat, and I did my best to push such bliss away. She had no idea how fucking hard it was to stay still and not thrust when every instinct bellowed to drive deep.
Brushing away a fresh river of tears, she gasped. “You hurt me—”
Christ.
I tore my mouth away from her command to be quiet. “I know, fuck, I know. I’m so sorr—”
She clamped her hand over my lips. “I know.” She coughed and swallowed, slowly relaxing into the foreignness of speech. “You hurt me, but before that, you saved me.”
My nostrils flared, and I trembled with the need to rip her hand away and talk.
She whispered, “You saved me, and for that I’ll be for—forever grateful, but…Elder…” Her eyes latched onto mine, swimming with fresh tears. “Where were you two years ago?”
Earth collided with Mars and Venus and hurtled into my chest to annihilate my heart. Asteroids followed, ransacking my insides until all that remained was a gaping hole my dragon could never hope to guard.
Where were you two years ago?
I understood straight away.
I felt the shredding of my insides, turning into strips of bloody flesh.
Her sobs broke through her strength. Her body rocked on my cock, making love to me all while she gave me her agony.
Her hand fell from my mouth as she curled into my arms again. Her sweet, unused voice repeated into my skin, “Where were you two years ago?” Her fingernails scratched my belly. “Where were you when he killed me?” Her teeth bit my shoulder. “Where were you when he sold me?” Her hand curled into a fist and hit me.
“Where were you?” She hit again.
“Where were you?” She struck harder.
“Where were you?” She let loose and pummelled me.
“Where were you?
“Where were you!”
Where. Were. You?!”
And all I could do was sit there with my body inside hers, cold and ruined.
Answerless.
Powerless.
Destroyed.