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My past had gone forever

My future was fucking bright and clean

Birds chirped

Love swelled

Blissful happiness filled my heart

I openedher abdoether Panic covered her face with damp shile her eyes ith terror "Don’t Stop it! Don’t hurt him!"

I raced to catch her before she passed out and fell flat on her face "Zel, no!"

Holdingto ht the sheet up over her shuddering body Her face was ashen, ith stress

My heart hadn’t known such love I’d never believed I could feel so fucking happy

I stood nuivenhilassed her eyes

"Godda heart attack" She curved her body around Vasily He began to cry under her fierce embrace

His wails wereelse No orders No rush of conditioning

All there ere the harsh shrieks of ed pants of the wo

Livid tears spilled down her cheeks "What the hell were you doing? My God Can I never trust you? Will you never be free?" Her body shook as shock took over "How can we raise theether if you can’t ever be around them? What hope is there? What--"

It wasn’t fair that she was so distraught and I alking on air

Grabbing her chin, I jerked her mouth up and kissed her I kissed her like I’d alanted to WithI didn’t have to watch ainst her touch

It was fucking heaven

Twenty-eight years and I’d finally found what I’d alanted

Happiness

Her lips froze beneath ue Pulling away, I murmured, "Don’t cry"

Her eyes widened as she rocked a screa Vasily "Don’t cry? If I can’t cry over the fact I love a man who can’t be around his children what can I cry about? It’s hopeless Everything--it’s over"

My stomach twisted at the desolation in her voice

"I can’t do this anymore I can’t live in fear that I’ll find you’ve ransacked the nursery or stolen our children’s lives I want you gone--"

The dagger went straight throughof anger Everything affected er A thousand ti myself to a whole new existence where the sun burned my skin, tears dissolved my will, and Zel’s sadness ripped out my heart with claws

"Don’t It’s over, dobycha It’s over"

She sniffed, dropping her eyes "I know it’s over It has to be" A sob escaped her lips

So I never drea to cutone of her ared her hand toward o Stop it" Her eyes narrowed "Take your hands offfor a wave of conditioning, so used to obeying allnothing

No rush of orders

No crush of co need to kill

I sers "You said you trusted me Trust ruff Less bound to a past I’d always run froo slack She never took her eyes off me as I very carefully laid her hand on aze "What do you see?"

She shook her head "I don’t understand What are you trying to do?"

I reainstthe racing beat beneath her fingertips Her fear surrounded me but slowly a trace of hope filled her eyes

"What do you feel?" I ainst s of aliveness and heat throughher head, she narrowed her eyes "What happened? What’s changed? I don’t understand"

I laughed, feeling weightless

Guiding her hand up entle touch caled with Clara’s silver star around ers up and up, until her entire palm cupped my scarred cheek

I never let her touch

It ruled ers from hers, I whispered, "What do you sense?"

The hope she’d nursed exploded into her entire body Vasily stopped crying and a brilliant sone?"

My heart expanded until I couldn’t breathe My legs wobbled in sheer gratefulness

"Oh, oosebumps and every emotion that had been muted all my life over one All of it Every last bit"