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Right when she needed someone the most, he said he just couldn’t do it. That he couldn’t handle seeing her wounds, her pain, and that he shouldn’t have to suffer anymore. Well... he didn’t actually tellherthat while she’d been bedbound and bandaged in the hospital, instead cowardly telling her friends at the time so they could inform Emerie.

It was no surprise she was the way she was. Her history had shaped her into something broken when it came to love and her body.

The only thing that had saved her was she’d enjoyed being a Demonslayer and did have some really good friends back in Zagros Fortress.

Friends she’d abandoned without saying goodbye to, just so she could do the right thing.

I never thought I’d be in this position.Why did Ingram have to be so benevolent and endearing?If I hadn’t jerked him off... he may not have tried to pursue anything with me.

That whole incident right after they’d escaped Zagros Fortress was just a blur of panic.

If it had never happened, her romantic feelings may have been more like her affection towards an overgrown dog, rather than a person she wanted to touch her. She assumed it would have been different. Or maybe it wouldn’t have. She may have felt her heart and pussy flutter for him regardless, but at least it would have been easier to ignore if he didn’t try to make them happen.

If he wasn’t seeking... more.

Emerie pushed back the left sleeve of her uniform so she could examine the bracelet at her wrist. This was her one and only precious possession, given to her by her parents and Gideon. She stroked the beads, and the last remaining charm that she hadn’t lost – which was a silver disc with a ‘G’ engraved on it.

I wish Gideon was here. He’d be able to help me.He’d been so good with advice, and always listened when she really needed him to.He’d tell me to stop being a crybaby.

He would have teased and poked her into an annoyed rage to quell her sadness. Then, when she was settled, he’d help her to think logically. Right now, she needed that more than ever – someone to be her mind when her heart felt all over the freaking place.

I don’t know what I’m doing, or if I can trust how I feel.She let out a shuddering breath, her mind starting to calm and her tears drying.I don’t want my selfishness to hurt him.

Sitting on hard dirt, loose rocks, and small sticks with his back towards where the little human bathed, Ingram stared down at his hands. Legs crossed, tail curling around the right side of his body, he let his shoulders slump forward.

He wished he couldn’t hear her sniffling. He hadn’t meant to make her cry, and he hadn’t known a human couldwhimperlike that. He wanted to go to her, but the splashing of water informed him he would only make matters worse.

This had started because he wanted to see, so to violate that now... he didn’t want to break her trust.

Instead, he inspected the sharp points of his claws.

He’d already blunted them days ago, but they were still so sharp to her. Their crescent-shaped edges underneath were particularly dangerous as well.

Blades on my fingers...

He tightly gripped his left index claw between two fingers and tried to pull it off. His orbs flashed white and a quiet yelp burst from him at the pain. He stopped.

He brought his middle finger to his beak and tried to bite it off, only to yelp once more when a crack appeared, followed by shooting agony down his entire finger.

I cannot remove them.Not without agony. It was like there were little nerves inside them, and his middle one was even producing droplets of purple blood from the tiny split.

Ingram desperately wanted to touch Emerie, but he wanted to enjoy discovering her. He knew he wouldn’t be able to do so if the pain was too distracting.

He wished they would fall off. Why did he have to have such terrible things? Big blades that would hurt this tiny female he craved learning all the secrets of.

What did she mean by touch inside? Like... a wound?That didn’t sound pleasurable.

Go away,he growled at them.

He didn’t care if they fell off or exploded off the tips of his fingers. He didn’t care if that would leave him vulnerable in a fight; he would just use his beak and strength to destroy anything that tried to harm her.

It would be worth it if he could make those soft noises fall from her again, the ones that had his body puffing with the most tingling thrill.

The black, glossy backs of his hard claws glinted in the dappled sunlight that glittered through the tree canopy. The tip of one claw sparkled.

Change. Be human hands.He tried to will it, just like the humanoid transformation of his body.

Nothing happened, and he growled in irritation.