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I stayed silent, refusing to say yes or no. I trusted and believed in Viktor—but if it meant living in this hellhole to protect Malory, then I would gladly leave Viktor behind.
Viktor took my ballet flats from the floor and placed them on my lap. He folded my fingers over them, forcing me to hold my worn-out flats.
“You will dance again,” Viktor said.
They weren’t just meaningless words, from a boy who held no power.
It was a promise made by a man hell bent on saving my soul—with his tainted one.
My fingers caressed the ribbons, speechless. We were both silent for a moment before Viktor broke my dreamlike daze. He took the ballet flats from me and placed them back into the box before hiding it in the drawer again, sealing it away from eyes that wanted to hurt it.
I crawled into my bed, laying on my side with my knees curled to my chest. Viktor climbed in from behind me, molding his body into mine—a perfect puzzle.
His lips were on my neck, and he placed the sweetest kiss there. My eyes closed, and I released a deep breath.
Even though my heart was hurting and I felt strangely empty—Viktor was slowly filling that black void in me. He made my aching heart peaceful.
***
1 week later
A slight touch in my shoulder roused me from my sleep. I rubbed my eyes and blinked them open to see Viktor staring down at me with a small smile on his face.
We just made love…I must have slept for only thirty minutes.
Groaning, I closed my eyes again. His fingers slowly drifted from my shoulders to my sides before tickling me.
My eyes snapped open, and I quickly tried to move away from his torturous hands. “Viktor, stop!” I giggled and quickly smothered it by pushing my face into the pillow.
He stopped and pulled me into a sitting position before nudging me to sit on the edge of the bed. Confused, I did as silently commanded. With my legs hanging over the edge, I anxiously waited.
Viktor appeared slightly nervous—his small smile told me so. And the way his eyes would meet mine before quickly looking down, it was strange yet endearing. For someone else, I would have said they looked shy.
But for Viktor—the word shy could never be associated with him.
Even through his nervousness, there was still that commanding presence around him. He was all rugged and alpha male. Strikingly confident with every step.
He knelt at my feet, and my eyes widened when I finally noticed what he was holding. In his hands, there was a white box. Viktor slowly opened the lid, showing me what was inside.
My heart stuttered at the sight of what was inside the box. Almost, like it was a siren call and I was completely mesmerized, waiting for it to pull me into its dark, never-ending depth.
With a finger under my chin, he lifted my face up. Our eyes met, and the world stilled. My stomach clenched, and I was suddenly breathless at the look he was giving me. Heated with a mix of sweetness.
“I want you to dance for me,” he spoke. I could almost imagine his voice against my ears, like soft velvet.
His thumb brushed my cheek gently. His caress was intimate, reserved for me—our moment. “Will you dance for me, sweet Valerie?”
My throat closed with unspoken emotions. The lump grew, and I gasped for my next breath. My hands shook, my blood pumping and roaring through my veins furiously at his words.
Taking the ballet flats from the box, he placed them on my lap. “They are new. I had them made for you.”
Finally, I tore my gaze away from his and looked down at my lap. The most beautiful pair of ballet flats sat in front of me. They were a soft pink, made with silk. Golden vine designs laid on top with pearls scattered all over the surface. The long ribbons were pink and almost see through.
My fingers caressed the ballet flats, and tears blurred my vision. I looked up into Viktor’s face, and he was regarding me with understanding eyes—my own guardian angel in this crimson hell fire.
“New ones. For a new beginning,” he said.
For a new beginning.
What was once lost had been returned to me.
Another broken piece of my soul glued to the cracked puzzle. Slowly, Viktor was putting all the scattered pieces together. Until it was revived into its old mold—not perfectly, but enough to truly live.
But…
“I can’t,” I whispered back.
Viktor stared at me, unblinking and clearly not surprised by my words. “Yes, you can.”
I shook my head. I wanted to—almost desperately, but I couldn’t. “I haven’t danced for eight years. It’s been so long, Viktor.”
His hands gripped mine tightly. His eyes turned hard, those black orbs turning darker as he spoke. Viktor looked beautifully vicious. “It doesn’t matter. You still have it in you. I want to see you in your element. I want to see you let go and be free.”
