I looked down at my hands, at the crumbs stuck to my fingers. “You’re wrong,” I whispered, my voice raspy from the burning in my throat. My head was starting to hurt.
“Then tell me why,” he answered.
I shook my head, breath coming faster now. “You don’t understand. The Covenant—everything there was rules and punishments and fear. Jace is different. He’s kind. He listens to me. He tells me I’m doing a good job. And I like it when he makes decisions for me! I like that he takes that pressure away. He isn’t doing it to make me hurt or make me afraid of him. You don’t see the way he looks at me when it’s just us.”
Aarev blew out a breath. “I didn’t want to fight about this.”
“Then you shouldn’t have insulted my Daddy,” I asserted.
Aarev studied me for a long moment, his eyes sad. “That’s what I’m talking about, Elior. That Daddy stuff? I get that some people might like that sort of thing. I do. But how is it that it’s okay to push a kink onto an inexperienced, vulnerable victim?”
“Is that the issue? ‘Victims’ can’t be into kink?”
Aarev’s brows shot up. “I didn’t mean it like that—”
“Please, just stop,” I said, tired and more than ready to go home.
He sighed, “…Okay.”
Relief washed through me, shaky and fragile.
“But,” he added, voice quiet but firm, “I want you to know this—if you ever feel scared of him, or trapped, or like you’re not allowed to say no… you can come to me. Any time.”
“Take me home, Aarev.”
12
Elior
When our house came into view, my heart lifted instantly, especially when I saw that Daddy’s car was in the driveway.
The relief made my knees weak.He was home.Everything would be okay now. He’d be there, and I could crawl into that calm place he made for me where nothing hurt.
Aarev’s car was parked beside his.
I didn’t think much of it—just that Daddy must have gotten home before us. Maybe they’d talk. Maybe Aarev would leave. Maybe this weird, heavy feeling in my chest would finally settle.
I took a step up onto the porch.
The front door slammed open.
The sound cracked through the air like a gunshot, making me flinch hard.
“Elior.”
Before I could even open my mouth, Daddy’s hand was on me.
His fingers wrapped around my upper arm, and he pulledme toward him, positioning me behind his body in one swift motion, like instinct.
My face pressed briefly into his side, breath knocked from me as his other arm came up to bar the doorway.
I clutched his shirt. “Daddy—” I started, suddenly overwhelmed.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jace snapped, his fury directed at Aarev.
Aarev stopped short at the edge of the porch. His posture stayed calm, but his teeth clenched. “Jace. Take it easy.”
“Easy?” Daddy barked out a humorless laugh. “You came to my house on a day youknewI’d be at work, and fucking took him! And you’re telling me to take it easy?”
