Page 62 of Bound By Hate (Born in Blood)

For a moment, I blanch. “If I’m not thin enough, I can’t return to ballet.”

“Who told you that?”

“My dance instructor back in New York. I used to work for her ballet company, but then I broke my ankle. I haven’t been able to return since then. But my ankle is almost healed, and once my rib is healed as well, I can dance again. I just need to be thin enough.”

“You’re already thin enough, Viktoriya. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

“I doubt it. My face is hideous.”

“Why do you put yourself down like that?”

“Like what?” I take a bite of the potatoes. They’re creamy and mushy in my mouth. God, I haven’t tasted food this good in a while.

“You act like you need to be perfect all the time. You don’t need to be perfect for me, Viktoriya.”

Aleksander’s words make me … uncomfortable. He’s clearly trying to reassure me, but it only reminds me I’m not perfect.

And I have to be if I’ll ever dance again.

I push my plate away. “I’m done.”

His eyes flick down to the half-eaten steak and veggies. “You’re not done yet. You haven’t eaten everything.” He places the plate back in front of me.

I push the plate away again. “Listen, I don’t need your pity. I don’t need you telling me that I don’t have to be perfect.Iwant to be perfect. I’m going to do what I want. I don’t know why I listened to you. Now, I’m going to have to work harder to burn off the food I just consumed.”

“Viktoriya,” he says sternly, making me sit up straighter. I wince from the pain in my side. “You’re hurting. I can tell. That’s why I wanted to marry you.”

“I thought you wanted a challenge.”

“That, too. But I could tell you were in need of a stern hand. You need permission to eat because you’re not granting yourself that. So, eat. Eat everything on your plate.”

“No.”

He leans in close to me, but I don’t lean back. Aleksander doesn’t intimidate me. “You will eat.”

“I’m not going to take orders from a poverty-ridden man.”

His lips quirk up. “I have money now. I have more money than most men in this world do. That makes me powerful. I’m going to make you submit to me, Viktoriya. You need to eat. So, eat.” He moves the plate closer to me. “If you don’t eat, I will feed you myself.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Without responding, he picks up the fork, jabs it into a piece of meat, and holds it to my lips. It smells heavenly. I know how good it tastes. I know how good it feels in my stomach. For once, I don’t feel the constant ache of hunger.

But I cannot let Aleksander take control of me. There’s no one I trust more in this world than myself. Aleksander could hurt me like Gleb did. Like Akim did. Like those guards did.

I am not safe.

I face him head-on and give him my best sneer. “No.”

“You will eat, Viktoriya. You want to. You need to. You’ll feel much better once you do. So, eat.” He doesn’t lower his hand. The steak is still so close to my lips. I could just lean over and …

I let myself give in and take the bite. I almost moan from how good it is.

“Good.” He cuts off another piece and holds it up to my lips. “Again.”

I can fight him. I can argue until my face turns blue. It’s my specialty, after all.

But if I’m being honest with myself—I want to eat.

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