Twisted Together - Winters Pepper (онлайн книги бесплатно полные TXT) 📗

Q stopped breathing.

“This new master confused me, hurt me, but ultimately taught me what I was missing all along. I was missing him. He was the hole in my heart—he was my other half. I was no longer lonely, or searching for something I didn’t understand. My grey world became prismatic, and I valued every lesson he taught.”

My heart stuttered. No matter the happiness of being sold to Q, my trials hadn’t ended there.

“But life decided I wasn’t worthy—not yet.” I closed my eyes, fighting back the ghosts of Rio. “I endured a price I didn’t know I could pay, but once again I learned something. The right love—soul-mate love—is priceless.

“My master came for me—proving once again I never had to be afraid or alone but in return I shut him out, hurting him worse than anyone.” My heart cracked for how heartless I’d been. “I shut myself off, unable to trust anymore—trust a life that gave so much but took away more in return. But now I know why. I learned my final lesson.

“Life taught me an eternal love will demand the worst sacrifices. A transcendent love will split your soul, cleaving you into pieces. A love this strong doesn’t grant you sweetness—it grants you pain. And in that pain is the greatest pleasure of all.”

I met Q’s eyes. His lips were pressed into a fine line, containing the smouldering emotion in is gaze. He burned with everything he felt, barely containing it. The connection between us was thick and heavy and I wanted to be alone. I wanted to kiss him. Love him. Worship him.

“Q, I’m not just yours for this lifetime. I’m yours forever. I will follow you through unhappiness, confusion, and hardship. I will bask beside you in success, fortune, and laughter. I will obey you because I trust you. I will push you because I believe in you. I will fight with you because that is where our passion lives. And I will make love to you the way our demons demand.

“My blood is yours.

“My breath is yours.

“And I swear to you when this life is over, I will wait for you to join me. I will travel with you through galaxies and solar-systems to be yours once again. Because a love like this isn’t replicable. You’ve ruined me. Devastated me. Destroyed me by choosing me as your wife.”

A single tear rolled down my cheek. I said my final vow, “Je suis a toi. Je suis ton monstre dans le noir pour toujours.” I’m yours. I’m your monster in the dark forever.

Silence was a heavy shroud, hushing even the tweets of birds outside.

Q hadn’t moved. His body locked down, face hard and dark.

Perhaps I had no right to tell our story aloud. Maybe he thought I’d failed by being so honest. But I wanted Q to know that everything I lived through—every hardship was necessary—because it made me deserving. It taught me Q was worth every sacrifice. It made me strong enough to keep him.

The future was ours. Evolving together. Twisting our souls into one. Knitting our lives into inseparable tapestries. I could never love another like him. Fate designed us from the same darkness, the same fabric of wrongness.

Q cleared his throat. The celebrant didn’t move, waiting for the thick silence to disperse.

Say something! I couldn’t read him. He’d shut down, trembling with colossal energy, glowing with everything he trapped inside. “Tess—” Finally a crack, a small doorway into his feelings. “Je suis—”

Then he folded to his knees.

My stomach lodged in the tight boning of my corset. I’d never seen a man so proud, so strong and fierce, be so shattered and humbled.

Q’s ferocious eyes ensnared me.

“Tess, je ne serai jamais capable d'exprimer a quel point je tiens a toi. Je n’aurais jamais les mots pour exprimer combien Je t'aime.” Tess, I’ll never be able to express how much I care for you. I’ll never know the words to say how much I love you.

He looked away, gathering his thoughts. His back rippled with a deep breath. “Je ne savais pas que j'etais seul. Je ne savais pas que j’etouffais ma douleur et mon besoin d’affection sous le travail. Je hais mon heritage, d’ou je viens et je ne me suis jamais senti digne du bonheur. Mais ensuite, toi, esclave Cinquante-huit ans, est entree dans mon monde. Tu m’as fait tout remettre en question.” I never knew I was lonely. I never knew I smothered my pain and the need for connection beneath my work. I hate my heritage—where I’ve come from—and never felt worthy of happiness. But then you, Slave Fifty-eight, entered my world. You made me question everything.

“Je voulais te briser. T’adorer. Te faire crier. Je voulais tant de choses mais par-dessus tout, je voulais ce que j'ai vu dans tes yeux brillants pour moi, que tu me fasses confiance. Je voulais ton ame.” I wanted to break you. Adore you. Make you scream. I wanted so many things but beneath it all, I wanted what I saw in your eyes glowing for me, trusting me. I wanted your soul.

I reached down, begging him to take my hand. He did, pressing a sharp kiss to my knuckles. “Tu m’acceptes pour ce que je suis. Mes tenebres et le reste. Mes peches et le reste. Tu es mon egal. Mon professeur. Je suis ton disciple. Je suis ton proprietaire. Je ne pourrais pas etre plus amoureux de toi meme si j'avais deux c?urs au lieu d'un. Ma vie est a toi. Mon ame est a toi. Je fais le voeu de toujours te consoler. De toujours te proteger. Je vais pleurer avec toi. Je vais rire avec toi. Je t’enlacerai tous les soirs de notre vie.” You accept me for me. Darkness and all. Sin and everything. You are my equal. My teacher. I am your disciple. I am your owner. I couldn’t be more in love with you if I had two hearts instead of one. My life is yours. My soul is yours. I vow to always comfort you. Always protect you. I will cry with you. I will laugh with you. I will hold you every night of our lives.”

Q’s voice deepened, filling with heartache and overwhelming love. “Je ne deteste plus mes demons, car tu les combats pour moi. Je ne me sens plus seul parce que tu es mon refuge. Je ne me fais plus peur parce que tu controles ma bete. Je suis ton monstre, Tess. Je tuerai ceux qui t’ont fait du mal. Je nourrirais ceux qui s’occuperont de toi . Je ne cesserai jamais de chasser tes cauchemars et de t’offrir une vie parfaite.” I no longer hate my demons because you fight them on my behalf. I no longer feel alone because you are my home. I no longer fear myself because you control my beast. I’m your monster, Tess. I’ll kill those who hurt you. I’ll nurture those who tend you. I’ll never stop hunting your nightmares or providing a perfect life.”

My legs wobbled. The conviction in his tone, the edge of violence in his eyes—he shot barbs right into my heart. The echoes of his vows would live in me for an eternity. He’d made me immortal with his words.

I believed every vow. I cherished every promise. I never needed to be afraid or lost. Ever again. Because he would protect me and I would protect him. Always.

His eyes latched onto the ‘Q’ branding my neck. His face tightened with passion. “Tu portes mon nom, donc je sais que tu seras toujours a moi. Permets moi de passer l’eternite a te proteger et a t’aimer, esclave. Je suis a toi. Je suis ton monstre dans le noir pour toujours.” You wear my mark, so I know you’ll always be mine. Let me spend my forevers protecting and loving you, esclave. I’m yours. I’m your monster in the dark forever.”

Silence fell as Q climbed to his feet, wincing. He looked drained but content as if he’d poured everything from him to me and had nothing left. His broken body needed to rest.

With a look full of black passion, he pulled me into a tight embrace. The celebrant didn’t say a word as Q’s lips pressed against mine. He kissed me with the fine edge of control and anger I was so used to.

His tongue slipped past my lips. I met his with mine, dancing together, making love together. I went limp in his arms. All the tension and love turned me from mannequin to puddle. I wanted the honour of pampering him, healing him. I wanted him naked in bed.