“You’re never going to know any other male’s touch again, human or Vepar. Do we understand each other?” he insisted.
I nodded, breathless at what I was seeing and hearing.
“And if any other male does decide to touch you...well you’ve seen what will happen to them,” he said, referencing the now tongueless cart Vepar.
I opened my mouth to say something stupid like ask what would happen if I actually wanted another’s touch, but Thane quickly cut me off.
“You can lie to yourself all you want but we’ve ruined you. We’ve made sure that there won’t be another who could satisfy you the way we do, could make you burn the way we do. Oh..” he said, a sly smile on his face. “There’s also the matter of our little blood bond. You wouldn’t be able to find pleasure with another now that we’ve done that.”
“So you’ve ruined me,” I said woodenly. “Meaning if I lose these trials than I’ll never find someone to be with that could make me happy. You’ve literally ensured that I will be miserable for the rest of my life.” I could feel tears gathering in my eyes at the prospect.
Thane’s eyes stopped glowing and I could feel the intensity lessen.
“You’re going to be happy, pet,” he said, taking my hand in his and putting it over his heart. “And you’re going to win.”
I looked up at him forlornly. “Have you seen the other Vepar women?” I asked. “It’s not even a contest.”
“The tests aren’t just for physical strength, they’re also about someone’s mental toughness...their inner strength. And you Ella, have more of that than anyone I know.”
I looked at him gratefully. Everything he had been saying was shocking to me. It added a whole new depth to this thing going on between us, and I didn’t know how to handle it.
But one thing was for sure...I actually wanted to win the trials now.