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“I don’t give a shit whether the court’s in danger or not,” I said bluntly. “If the fucking court wants my protection, its guards will learn how to keep my mate safe. Horvis might have their damned loyalty, but they’d better fucking remember who keeps the moon from setting every morning.”

Akari made a noise that sure as hell didn’t sound like agreement.

I held her firmly to my chest as I bent over and twisted the handle to turn the water on.

Her arms were wrapped around me, though her grip wasn’t tight. I could still smell the man’s blood on her, and I didn’t want to consider what else could’ve happened in that bathroom if she hadn’t ended his life.

“You did good, Akari,” I murmured to her, as I took her hands one by one and gently washed them under the warming water with an old, tiny hunk of soap I had remaining in my bathroom.

She didn’t answer me, her eyes focused silently on something out in front of us as I scrubbed her fingers clean.

The water was hot when I finally finished cleaning beneath her short, chewed nails. After murmuring to her that I was going to, I stepped up to the front of her, facing the undergarment she wore. It was thicker than her usual ones, and was held together by buttons at the front of it.

Her fingers hung lifelessly at her sides, her eyes closed.

“Look at me while I undress you.” My voice was quiet, my command soft. “You could stop me at any time if you wanted to. You have all of the power here, beautiful.”

Her eyes squeezed tighter. “I killed him, Espen. I could’ve knocked him out, but I killed him.”

“He was in your room—in your fucking bathroom—without permission, holding a weapon pointed at you. He deserved a far worse death than you gave him, and I would’ve ensured he got that death if you hadn’t.”

She swallowed roughly. “I knew him. He was one of the prison guards; they rotated a lot. Diora didn’t know all of them, because they weren’t doing as much to her, but… he was there. In my prison. I should’ve asked who he was answering to instead of killing him. Instead, I destroyed whatever evidence he could’ve given us.”

“I’m glad you destroyed him,” I said bluntly. “Otherwise, I would’ve had to torture him.”

Her smile was genuine, but slightly sad before it faded back to neutral. “I can undress myself,” she finally said, stepping back a bit.

I stepped back with her, though it was forward to me. “And deprive me the pleasure?” My fingers skimmed her ribs, and her cheeks flushed.

“We’re not together.”

“I never said we were.” I dragged my knuckles over her ribcage feather-lightly.

Her eyes closed, her expression becoming almost blissful. “Stars, I love the way you touch me.”

Every fucking part of me hardened, except my fingers.

Which I brushed over her ribs again, just as lightly as I had the first time.

This time I moved them further, sliding down over her belly. She was still wearing her undergarment, but that didn’t prevent me from thoroughly enjoying the feel of her body beneath my fingers.

“Eyes open,” I murmured to her, reminding her of what I’d said earlier.

I wouldn’t ever make her feel like she was back in those chains, in that hellhole she had survived. When I undressed her, she would look at me and know that she was safe—that she was free.

And that I was so interested in her I could hardly fucking take it.

Her eyes fluttered open a moment later, her gaze locked on mine.

“Ready?” I asked her.

Though I was referring to removing her clothing, the question felt like so much more.

“I think so.” Her voice was soft, the tone lightly uncertain.

“You can tell me to stop at any time,” I reminded her, my fingers closing around the tiny button at the top of the row.

“I know.” Her fingers reached out to my bare chest, landing gently on my abdomen as I began to slowly work my way down the buttons at the front of her body.

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