Under The Oak Tree Manga š„
The word "broken" hit him like a mace to the chest. He rose to his feet in a single, fluid motion, crossing the room before he could stop himself. He knelt before her chair, so close he could count the freckles on her nose.
He pulled back to look at her. Her silver hair was fanned out on the pillow, her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright with a mixture of fear and fierce determination. She was not the trembling girl from their wedding night. She was his wife. His partner. His equal. Under The Oak Tree Manga
But "near" was a torturous distance.
He saw the flicker of hurt in her eyes before she lowered her head. "Asā¦ as you wish." The word "broken" hit him like a mace to the chest
Come here , he wanted to roar. Let me hold you. Let me forget the smell of blood and dirt. Let me pretend I am a man and not a monster. He pulled back to look at her
He walked to the fireplace and crouched down, pretending to stoke the flames. "Maxi," he began, his voice low. "Are youā¦ are you happy here?"
That night, beneath the shadow of the great oak tree that watched over Anatol, the beast and the dove finally met not as hunter and prey, but as two wounded souls seeking shelter in each other's warmth. The floor remained empty. The bed, for the first time, held not a lord and a lady, but a man and a woman who had chosen, at last, to be brave.