Page 167 of Dragon 7

“Tell me. . .”

“Why?”

“I should know.”

My view of him became blurred from the tears. "There was a metal hook. And they. . .put it inside me. . ."

His eyes closed, and more rage rose through our bond. "Did they give you something for the pain?"

"No."

The rage shifted to a thundering storm, spilling out of me and filling up the entire room.

"Oh, Tora. . ." He pulled me back into his arms and held me tight.

Then, his grief poured into me along with his guilt and his helplessness.

And I knew he hated what was done to me. I knew he hated that he had not been there. I knew he hated that his body—trained, feared, and worshiped across this entire country—had not been the body between me and that hook.

"You were not supposed to bleed for us, Tora." His mouth was against my hair. "Not you. Not my Tiger. You were not supposed to feel any pain or lose our child for the sake of this fucking victory. This war was to protect you and keep our children safe. And I failed you."

"No. Don’t say that"

"I will spend the rest of my life making it up."

I buried my face against his chest and sobbed.

How long did we stand there?

With him holding me as I cried.

With his love and sadness wrapping us together.

The bond made it more intense. I could feel all the things he could not say because the pain of losing our daughter had crippled him. And I knew he no longer cared about the victory. His arms told me. His breath in my hair told me. The empire he had built with his teeth had gone quiet inside him.

Like I’d done in the forest. . .he did in this room. . .he mourned.

I wiped my tears away. "It was not your fault, Kenji."

"I will kill all of the Silent Ones—"

“You can’t. They’re your mother's people—"

"Then why do I feel like they betrayed me?"

"Kenji. . ."

"I love you, Tora." He slid his hands up to my braids. "And not just because you are mine. Not just because you are beautiful, sexy, and you make me feel so fucking good.”

I trembled in his hold.

“I love you because you taught me all the levels of love in every facet the human heart can create—love of family, love of strangers, love in sacrifice. . .”

I swallowed.

“You deserve better than me, but I will never let you go. I would kill over you again and again. There would be no escape. There could be no escape. Because you have my heart. My soul. My brain. My brother. My men.. My dragon-shadow. What am I without you? What is life if you’re not in front of me?"

More tears left my eyes. “Baby. . .”