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In the end, it wouldn’t matter when he cut my tendons. I’d reached the high of my career, and despite knowing I could’ve joined any ballet in the world after my performance that night, I was happy to give it all up for him… only for him. Not because he’d forced me. Because I wanted to give myself to him fully. Not just the perfect, polished parts but the jagged broken pieces as well.
He would get Odette and Odile, and he would love me in equal measures for both personalities fighting to exist within me.
I looked back at him, my man, my love, my Rueben, my Thorn. I gave him a tentative smile as I twirled, reaching to my ankle and pulling the blade free. It was small and dainty, and I kept it hidden in my palm, the blade gently cutting into my skin. For all its size, it was sharp as hell and drew a line of blood over my palm. I didn’t care. I was sure it couldn’t even measure up to the pain of what I was about to do next.
The dance was about to end. One last move and there would be applause, flowers and the inevitable waiting for me back at the Mansion.
I took a moment to think about our love story. It hadn’t been simple. It had taken casualties. It had torn through our lives, changing them forever. And now it was time to commit to it as fully as I possibly could.
I pulled out the knife, and as I twirled, I came to a sudden stop, making my audience gasp audibly. I stood, frozen, my eyes on Thorn’s as I took the blade from one hand, watching the silver glint under the theater lights.
I watched Thorn get up, his eyes filling with alarm as he stared at me. I gave him a bright, happy smile.
Then, I reached down and cut through my first tendon.
There was absolute silence, not even a peep as I tore through the muscle and the skin, blood dripping on the stage. Thorn had moved out of my vision, away from his seat. I cut the second tendon feeling like I was in a daze.
I’d researched this before with Thorn. He’d felt my ankles and shown me exactly where the cut would be made. Not bad enough to make me unable to walk, but bad enough that I’d never be a ballerina again. I followed the gentle touch of his fingers with Madame’s blade, and once I was done, I bowed for the last time, and the curtains closed to a stunned audience.
I stood there until they fully closed, and then I collapsed to the sound of applause. My body hit the floorboards hard, and I let out a sigh of pain as a set of arms pulled me into their embrace, furious, angry and so fucking worried.
“Harlow,” he demanded. “What the fuck have you done? What the fuck did you do?”
“N-not Harlow,” I whispered. “She’s gone. Now I really am your Rose, just like you wanted… Just like you wanted me to be. Only yours.”
He stared at me in disbelief, groaning and kissing every inch of my skin that was exposed while my legs bled over his suit.
“Stupid girl,” he whispered. “What have you done, Rose… What have you done…”
I looked into his eyes and gave him a faint smile, starting to drift into unconsciousness.
“I gave you everything…” I whispered, and with those words, my eyes closed shut and I succumbed to the darkness once and for all.
Twenty-Two
Rose
I would never get sick of waking up in his arms.
His strong, muscular arms that held me tighter than anyone else ever had. The feeling that filled my body reminded me what it felt like to be loved, to belong. To submit yourself completely to a soul more beautiful than yours, and yet your only possible counterpart in the world.
Vivid memories of the previous night filled my mind. Being rushed to the emergency room, denying treatment. Suffering through a pain so savage it tore through my body and I cried myself to sleep while Thorn held the pieces of me together.
Regretting what I’d done but never saying it out loud, never showing how afraid I was, and slowly, so slowly, accepting the fate I’d already said yes to twice.
He kissed my lips good morning, waking me from a deep sleep and memories that felt like nightmares. Thorn’s stubble scratched at my skin, and I pulled him closer needily, my blood-soaked and gauze-wrapped legs wrapping around his waist. I ignored the pain, pushing up on his cock and showing him what I so desperately needed.
Finally, I got a good look at him, my Thorn, my future, my Master. He was dark and delicious like only he could be that early in the morning.
