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Grief tightened my chest, clenching around my hearts until I found myself trembling. No soldier with my training should have ever been so weak, nor should they have allowed their tormentor to rock them like a baby while they wept.
* * *
A little cakewaited inside the pink box from my mother. Her gift was beautifully decorated with white frosting and tiny golden details.
Proud to show me her fine cake, Cyderial said, “It’s a human tradition. A wedding cake for the bride and groom.”
A precious gift from a well-meaning woman who could not have known how deeply I regretted my mating.
When I gave no response, he added, “I’ll take you to visit her when you’re feeling better.”
They were the only words that would have garnered a reaction. Pulling out of my melancholy, I finally met his eyes.
To see if he spoke the truth. To measure this man who never lied but misled with proficiency.
I very much wanted my mother in that moment.
There was no hiding my longing, my expression silently begging that this was not a trick.
Like hiskiss.
As if to prove his good intentions, Cyderial pulled out a chair so I might sit at his table. “Please, sit.”
Quiet, I obeyed, my attention moving to the pretty cake Cyderial presented with a flourish. And for the first time in my life, I found I had no appetite for sweets.
It was something else I craved. Something I would not consider.
The general cut me a slice.
Though the exterior was pure white, the inside was a riot of fun colors. A rainbow whirl of cheerful brightness that was unexpected and impossible not to smile at. My birth mother had made thisfor me.
She lovedme.
Reaching out to gently test how soft the exciting color might be, I found the cake delicate yet resilient. Like her.
A smile replaced my frown as I poked the treat again. “I would like to see my mother.”
Something about the shift in my demeanor brought Cyderial to purr. “It would be my pleasure. We could visit Mrs. Hyun and, afterward, tour the city. If you’re interested, I can make reservations for dinner someplace special.”
“At a restaurant?” Like the ones I saw by the reservoir, where couples ate together and conversed under glittering lights?
A social gathering location and relaxing experience after a day’s work.
But I would not go. I already gathered my long hair to drape it over my shoulders, to hide my breasts from his sight. Yet such a trick would not be enough. Not in public.
“Will you provide me with appropriate clothing?” It was a fair question. Beyond the fact that the silky fabric draping my skin was obscene, it was also soiled. I’d be mortified if my mother saw me in such a state.
Green eyes glittering, he smirked, “That gown is only for my private view, and I would beunhappyif anyone else ever saw you dressed this way.”
Easy access in an indecent dress—his confirmation of my suspicion only annoyed me.
Chuckling, he winked. “Please do not blame me for enjoying your body draped in silk. You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. And before you get too angry, that particular fabric is supposed to help cool the sensitive skin of a female in heat. There weresomealtruistic motives behind my choice for you.”
That he could be so easy when I was so anxious gave him an advantage I envied. “I want regular clothing now.”
He may have nodded in agreement, yet still he warned, “Cake first, then I will show you what I have collected for your use. You can wear whatever you wish. But take heed, any other fabric might not feel comfortable against your skin until I have satiated your needs.”
Hot, yet much cooler than before hiskiss, I was willing to take my chances.
