Page 12 of Emerald

"And my intended?" Cara asked, her voice still eerily calm. "Will I at least get to meet him before the wedding?"

As if on cue, the office door swung open and a hulking figure stepped inside. He was tall and broad, with a thick neck and cruel, piggish eyes that raked over Cara like she was a piece of meat. I hated him on sight, my entire body tensing with the urge to throw myself between him and Cara, to shield her from the malevolent hunger in his gaze.

"Ah, Mikhail." Declan stood; a jovial smile plastered on his face. "Perfect timing. Come in, come in. I was just telling Cara the good news."

Mikhail Sokolov lumbered into the room, his bulk making the spacious office feel suddenly claustrophobic. He stopped in front of Cara, his lips curling into a smirk that made my skin crawl.

"So this is my bride-to-be," he said, his voice heavily accented and dripping with condescension. "I must say, Declan, you've outdone yourself. She's even lovelier than I anticipated."

Cara flinched, a barely-there tremor that only I seemed to notice. I wanted to snarl at the Russian, to tell him to keep his fucking eyes to himself. But I forced myself to stay still, to keep my expression neutral even as my heart raced and my blood boiled.

Mikhail reached out, catching Cara's chin in a meaty hand and forcing her to look up at him. "I am very much looking forward to our wedding night, little one. To breaking in my virgin bride and making her scream for me."

Bile surged up my throat, hot and acidic. I could see the revulsion in Cara's eyes, the way her whole body went rigid with fear and loathing. But still, she didn't pull away. Didn't make a sound of protest.

That, more than anything, told me how truly fucked we were.

Declan cleared his throat, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "Yes, well. I'm sure you two will have plenty of time to get acquainted after the ceremony. For now, let's give Cara some time to process the news, shall we?"

It was a clear dismissal. I stepped forward, putting myself between Cara and Mikhail's leering gaze. "Come on, Princess. Let's get you back to your room."

Cara nodded numbly, rising to her feet. I took her arm, my fingers gentle on her elbow as I guided her out of the office. I could feel Mikhail's eyes on us, boring into my back, but I didn't look back. Didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing the rage and pain on my face.

We walked in silence through the halls of the compound, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on us like a physical thing. I could feel Cara trembling beneath my hand, could hear the hitch in her breathing as she fought to keep herself together.

When we reached her room, I ushered her inside and closed the door behind us, engaging the lock. And then, finally, I let myself look at her. Really look at her, taking in the ashen pallor of her skin and the glassy sheen of unshed tears in her eyes.

"Cara," I breathed, my voice cracking on her name. "Fuck, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

And then she was in my arms, her face buried in my chest as great, shuddering sobs wracked her slender frame. I held her tight, my own eyes burning and my throat aching with all the things I wanted to say. All the promises I wanted to make, even though I knew I couldn't keep them.

"I can't do this, Finn." Her voice was muffled against my shirt, thick with tears and despair. "I can't marry him. I can't let him touch me, put his hands on me. I'll die before I let that happen."

My heart clenched, a physical pain that stole my breath. "Don't say that. Don't even fucking think it. We'll figure something out, Cara. I swear to god, I won't let him hurt you."

She pulled back, her eyes red-rimmed and her face blotchy with crying. "How? How are we going to stop this? You heard my father. The deal is done. I'm to be sold off like a fucking cow to that... that monster."

I flinched at the word, at the image it conjured in my head. Because she was right. Mikhail Sokolov was a monster. The thought of him putting his hands on Cara, forcing himself on her. It made me want to kill him. Made me want to wrap my hands around his thick neck and squeeze until his piggy eyes bulged out of his skull and his face turned purple. I'd fucking kill him with my bare hands if it meant keeping Cara safe.

I cupped Cara's face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away the tears that still clung to her lashes. And then I kissed her, hard and desperate and full of all the things I couldn't say. She made a soft, broken sound against my mouth, her arms coming up to wind around my neck as she kissed me back just as fiercely. And god, it was everything. The slide of her lips against mine, the hot, wet press of her tongue, the way her body molded to me like she was made to be there.

I walked us backwards until her legs hit the bed, my hands already tugging at her clothes with clumsy urgency. I needed to feel her, needed to be inside her. Needed to claim her as mine. She seemed to understand, her own hands scrambling at my belt, my zipper. We undressed each other with frantic, graceless movements, our mouths fused together like we were trying to crawl inside each other's skin. And then we were naked, pressed together from chest to thigh, and I couldn't think anymore, I lowered her to the bed, my body covering hers, like I could protect her from the world, from her fate. She clung to me, her nails digging into my shoulders, her hips arching up to meet my desperate thrusts.

"Please, Finn." Her voice was a broken whisper, a plea and a prayer all in one. "Please, I need you. I need to feel you inside me, just once. Just this one time. Don’t let him be my first."

I groaned, my forehead falling to rest against hers. I knew I should resist, should be strong for both of us. But I was fucking weak when it came to her. I reached between us, my fingers finding her slick and ready, and guided myself to her entrance. And then, with a slow, careful thrust, I pushed inside her. Breached her, claimed her, made her mine in the only way I could.

She cried out, her head falling back and her eyes slamming shut as I stretched her, filled her. I gritted my teeth against the urge to move. She was so fucking tight, so hot and perfect around me. Like she was made for me, made to take my cock.

"Finn," she breathed, her hands clutching at my biceps. "Oh god, Finn. You feel... it's so..."

"I know." I kissed her again, soft and sweet this time. "I know. You're perfect. So fucking perfect, Cara. You are mine.”

Cara's breath hitched. "Finn..."

I silenced her with another kiss, my hips starting to move in slow, shallow thrusts. I wanted to make it last, wanted to draw out every second. But I could already feel my orgasm building, the tight coil of pleasure winding in my gut as Cara clenched around me. She shuddered, her eyes squeezing shut as her own climax crashed over her. I felt it, felt the flutter and squeeze of her muscles around my cock, the hot gush of her release. And it was too much. I couldn't hold back anymore.

With a hoarse shout, I let go, emptying myself inside her in long, shuddering pulses. She held me through it, her arms and legs wrapped around me like she never wanted to let me go. How I wished I could stay here, buried inside her, for the rest of my fucking life. But in two weeks, she would belong to someone else. In two weeks, the only woman I'd ever loved would be lost to me forever.

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