“Do it!”
Once more, my body is not my own as my hands fiddle with the buttons on her bodice. The entire row comes undone. The material slumps to the side, revealing soft, creamy flesh in the middle as well as the gentle mounds of her breasts.
I squeeze my eyes shut. Sweat beads across my forehead. Drops fall down my cheeks, reaching my lips. It’s salty and bitter at the same time.
“Now lift her dress,” the Scarlet Lady says in a bored tone.
I flex my muscles, doing everything in my power to stop this. What I’m doing… It’s not just betraying Miss Moe’s trust in me; I’m also besmirching her honor.
How could I save her from a similar situation and become the predator instead? How could I invite her to my home, to trust me and feel comfortable only to be the monster in the shadows?
Bile rises in my throat—disgust at myself, at the situation and a pure hatred towards the Scarlet Lady.
Yet no matter how much I hate it, the truth is that I have no control over the matter.
No control of myself. No control of the situation. No control overanything. A mirror of my life, really.
Tears fall down my cheeks as my hands grip the hem of her skirt and pull it upward. It’s a struggle between my own willand that of the Scarlet Lady. Seconds tick by. The material rises higher and higher—a signal that the battle has been lost.
“Stop,” she says. The material is now bunched around her midriff, revealing her simple cotton underwear.
I gulp down uncomfortably and move my gaze to the side. Although she commands the movements of my head, I can at least focus my attention on something else. It might not be much but it might be the only act of defiance I can achieve.
Her soft laughter reverberates in the room.
“So distraught and we’ve just begun.” She moves from the wall, coming slowly toward me. “Tell me, Nykander. How does it feel to see her like this?”
I don’t answer. I can’t. If I open my mouth, I will say something that might provoke her further, and the goal is to protect Miss Moe as much as I can—that’s only possible if I don’t antagonize the Scarlet Lady. Even though my pride is being trampled on, my entire ego crushed, it is far better than causinganyharm to Miss Moe.
“Come on. She won’t know a thing. Whatever you do to her, she’ll be deep asleep. She’ll never know.”
“No,” I whisper.
“What was that?”
“I don’t care if she doesn’t know. I don’t want this.”
“But you justsaidyou wanted it. You described in detail everything you wanted to do to her. Why pull back now?”
“Why are you doing this?” I ask softly, my voice defeated. “Why would you make me hurt her?”
“Is it hurting her if she doesn’t know?”
“What kind of question is this? Of course it’s hurting her! I know it and that’s enough.”
“Really… So you don’t think being ignorant of what’s happening around her is good for her?”
I frown. What the hell is she talking about? It’s almost as if this isn’t about this moment or Miss Moe.
“You have all the freedom in the world, Nykander. I grant you full permission. So go ahead and do it. Sate your desires on her body.”
“Yougrant me full permission?” I snicker. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Your friend,” she answers in an amused voice. “And because I am such a good friend, I’m granting you what your heart truly desires.”
“No. You’re wrong. I don’t want this. I don’t wantanyof this. Let me go.”
“Pull down her underwear.” The command is sharp, decisive.
