“I thought that sort of thing was only in your movies,” Skarg says.
I snort. “I wish.”
Kafran gives me an encouraging smile. “Go on, Little one.”
“Well, you asked if I had friends, and the answer is no. I don’t have a single friend. A few of the maids in the house were nice to me, but that’s about it. The only time I ever left that mansionsince I was a child was to attend church. Even when I needed a doctor, they brought one to me.”
“You didn’t even go to school?” Skarg asks.
My face heats with embarrassment as I shake my head. “No.”
Kafran frowns. “And their son, Fredrick, he lived in that house, too?”
“Yes, but I rarely saw him. Plus, he’s five years older than me, so he was away at college for several years. He doesn’t like me. He made that clear every chance he got.” More tears fall. Darn it.
“So, let me get this straight,” Skarg says. “Neither of you was interested in entering into one of these flimsy Earth marriages, and yet you did it anyway today.”
“Basically.”
“Then what happened?” Kafran asks.
“The entire day seemed like a blur as if I hadn’t been participating in it. People fixed my hair and makeup, dressed me in this godawful pile of fluff, and told me what to do. I went through the motions of the ceremony like a zombie. Afterward, there were pictures and lines of people waiting to give us their fake regards. By the time I got into the back of the limo with my husband after the reception, I was exhausted and on the verge of tears.”
“I’m so sorry, Little one,” Kafran says.
I sniffle again.
“Tell us what happened next,” Skarg encourages.
“Fredrick has always been mean to me. I know he doesn’t like me, nor does he find me attractive. He’s always making jokes about my weight. He…” My voice trails off. They don’t need to hear what that dickface said to me in the limo.
“He what?” Kafran growls. “Finish.”
Fine. Why should I care? “He told me I was disgusting and he didn’t want to see me any more than absolutely necessary. He expected me to stay out of his sight if I knew what was goodfor me. We would have separate rooms and he wanted me to provide him with my menstrual calendar so he could come to me on my fertile nights. That I should be naked under the covers in the dark on my stomach so he could…” My breath hitches.
Kafran is seething. Literally. His fingers are stiff on my thighs, and his eyes are red. I think he might turn and punch a hole in the wall. To be honest, it feels kind of nice to have someone listen to me and give a fuck. Two men. I’ve slipped into another dimension.
I decide to finish my sentence. “So he could fuck me from behind without having to look at my face or see my fat rolls. As soon as I got pregnant, he would stop coming to me.” I draw in a breath, trying not to let my emotions take over again, but I lose that battle. A sob escapes.
I think Skarg has removed all of the pins because he suddenly threads his fingers in my loose hair and pulls me against his chest. “I’m so sorry, Baby girl. That man was an ass. He didn’t deserve you, and you’ll never see him again.”
“He’s right,” Kafran says, his hands sliding up my outer thighs. “What a dick.”
A choked laugh escapes between my crying sobs. “That’s the nickname I used in my head. Dick.”
Neither man laughs, but Kafran gives me a wan smile. “You were dealt a crappy life up until now, Little one, but it’s over. From today forward, you will be worshipped and loved and doted on for centuries.”
I gasp as I glance at him. “Centuries?”
Kafran nods. “Yes. You’ll age slower on Eleadia, the same as Skarg and me. We live healthier on Eleadia. We have cleaner air and food. We will live hundreds of years together, and we promise that you will know you are loved every single day of your life.”
I stare at him. Loved? It’s been so long since I’ve been around anyone who even liked me. The only person I recall loving me was my grandmother. Should I tell them the only education I’ve had is what my grandmother taught me while the two of us were sequestered in that stupid mansion?
I decide not to. I’m too embarrassed to admit how ignorant I am about most things. Naïveandignorant. The only reason I know what Fredrick meant when he said he would fuck me is because one of the maids explained the birds and bees to me seven years ago when I got my first period. I thought I’d been dying when blood started coming out of me.
Kafran lifts my free hand to his lips, holds it tightly, and pricks my middle finger again.
I wince, trying to pull away, but he doesn’t let me.
