“What?I’mnot hiding anything!”Iscoffed.
“Then you won’t mind showing me.”Hisvoice softened.“Iswear it’s not sexual.Ijust need to know you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,”Isaid, pulling on my arm.Butthough his grip wasn’t too tight, it was firm, and he wasn’t letting me go.“Comeon,Kor—Iwant to go up to my room,”Itold him.
“I’ll let you go as soon asIknow you’re all right,” he said, andIcould tell by the way his voice had dipped to a soft growl that he wasn’t going to let me go until he saw whatIwas hiding.
I didn’t want him to see my shame…and yet, part of me wanted desperately to show him.Tobeg for his help and ask him to make the pain go away.
No, you can’t do that,Ilectured myself.You’reaMoonWidow—it’s time to start acting like one.
ButKorwasn’t letting me go untilIopened my robe.
“All right,”Isaid reluctantly.“Letgo of my wrist andI’llshow you.”
“Fine.”Hereleased my wrist and crossed his arms over his broad chest.“Let’ssee.”
“Fine,”Iechoed.
With trembling hands,Iunbuttoned the voluminous robe.Imeant to open it quickly, then close it and hurry away but the momentIpeeled back the layers,Korsucked in his breath with a hiss.
“Wait—wait!”he exclaimed, grabbing one side of my robe asItried to leave.Hiseyes scanned my front and went from worried to upset.“Vivienne,” he said at last, looking up at me.“Whydidn’t you tell me about this?”
“I…”Ididn’t know what to say.“Ijust…”Butthe words wouldn’t come.
I couldn’t talk.Ijust looked down at myself in silence, feeling hurt and ashamed.
THIRTY-EIGHT
KOR
It was worse thanIhad feared.
WhenVivienneopened the robe, my first reaction wasn't desire—it was alarm.Thewhite cotton nightgown she wore beneath it was damp and clinging to her curves as though she'd been caught in a rainstorm.
The thin material had become nearly translucent in places, andIcould see immediately that her breasts were swollen far beyond their normal size.Worse, the fabric was stuck to them, outlining every painful detail and showing dark wet patches where nectar had soaked through.Thetight points of her nipples were clearly visible through the translucent fabric.
But it wasn't the sight itself that made my stomach tighten—it was the look on her face.
She was hurting.
I could see it now thatIknew what to look for.Thecareful way she held herself, as though even the smallest movement caused discomfort…the shadows under her eyes from lack of sleep…the strain around her mouth.Goddess, she'd been suffering all morning and trying desperately to pretend otherwise.
"Wait—wait,"Isaid, catching the edge of her robe before she could pull it closed again and flee upstairs.
My gaze swept over her and every secondIlooked,Ibecame more concerned.Herbreasts were visibly swollen beneath the soaked fabric, andIcould tell they were tender from the way she flinched whenever the material brushed against her.
"Vivienne,"Isaid quietly, looking back up into her face."Whydidn't you tell me?"
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
For a moment she simply stood there, clutching the edges of the robe with trembling hands.Thenher shoulders slumped, and she looked down at the floor.
"I didn't want you to know," she whispered at last.
Her answer made my heart fist in my chest—not becauseIwas offended she had hidden it from me, but because it told me how frightened she must be.
Vivienne had spent twenty years being judged, criticized, and blamed for things that were never her fault.She'dlearned to carry every burden herself because no one had ever given her reason to believe she could rely on anyone else.Evennow, when she was obviously miserable, her first instinct had been to suffer in silence.
