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His eyes dropped to the floor
The connection was severed, and I suddenly felt cold
“There’s so I have to do…and I don’t want to”
So, he was there for a reason My punishun “You said you wouldn’t kill me…”
“And I won’t,” he said, his deep voice rough like coarse sand “I keep my word”
“Then…what do you have to do?”
He lifted his gaze and looked at me, his stare just as intense as before
The lit fireplace The food The silence It all became clear “No”
“I said I don’t want to”
“Then don’t”
He drew in a deep breath, his chest rising in his armor “It’s not that simple—”
“You said you would never desire me that way”
His eyes dropped again, his jaw tight
“You said you wouldn’t—”
“That’s not why I’m here I’m here because I don’t have a choice”
“You don’t have a choice?” I asked quietly, in disbelief “You knohat? Be a man and just own up to it—”
“Yes, I desire you” He raised his chin, his eyes darkening “The moment you shot that arrow into round The ot into that bedroll and admired me The moment you sliced down the Teeth and savedht? There’s the truth”
My mouth shut at his words
“But that has nothing to do with this”
“She asked you to do this, didn’t she?” I whispered “What kind of barbarian gives an order like that? Especially a woman—”
“A woman who’s been raped while her son was forced to watch”
Like the breath had been stolen fros, I couldn’t breathe
“By your father”
He and the queen had the same eyes, but I didn’t notice the similarities until now
“I tried to change her mind But she refused”
“Then we’ll just pretend it happened She doesn’t need to know the difference”
His dismayed look told me that wasn’t an option “She’ll check”
“Check?” I asked incredulously “As in—”