Page 101 of Rise of a Fallen Man

His muscles strained under my touch.

Relax.

Relax and enjoy.

The words jolted me with alarm. I stiffened, dreading where my mind was about to go. Coercion led Leafar and me into my bed tonight. I’d been forced, and my mind reacted, threatening to veer off into the darkness once again.

Unlike my panic attack with Salas, however, there were no gentle arms cradling me, no soothing words to support me. I couldn’t count on anyone but myself to get me through this.

“Ahh, it feels good.” Leafar let go of the sheets he was clutching and gripped my hips. Sliding me forward over his cock, he bucked his hips up.

“Wait...” I pushed against his chest.

“How much longer do you want me to wait?” he snapped, his fingers digging into my flesh. “Have I not been patient enough?”

It wasn’t his fault. He didn’t know me. Maybe I didn’t give him enough chances to get to know me, but he had rejected every opportunity I gave, and the more I’d learned about him, the further away it drove me.

Fighting against his grip, I scooted back.

He glared at me.

“It’s because ofhim, isn’t it?”

I froze, startled. “What are you talking about?”

He pulled himself up into a sitting position. With his fingers locked on my hips, I straddled his thighs.

“I’m talking about that slave turned gladiator you’ve been fornicating with.”

Blood stopped in my veins.

I licked my dry lips. “Who told you about him?”

“Did I even need to be told?” he scoffed. “Everyone saw how you looked at him in the arena during the games and at the ball tonight.”

I could deny it, but I’d lied enough. Leafar was my only future, and what kind of future would that be if we built it on lies?

“I’m sorry, Leafar.” I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I met him before I met you. I’m sorry my feelings for him grew out of my control. I’m sorry I can never regret meeting him. But if I hurt you in any way, I hope we can find a way for you to forgive me, because hurting you was never my intention. Your safety and your position in Rorrim were never threatened. And now...” I swallowed hard. “He’s gone, Leafar. I’ll never see him again.”

“Oh, he is gone,” he lashed out. “Absolutely. I made sure of it.”

My muscles tightened in apprehension. “What do you mean?”

“Powerful women take lovers. It’s a fact of life.” He spread his arms to the sides in acceptance of that fact. “Women will be women. My feelings aren’t hurt,” he scoffed. “I knew my place long before I came to Rorrim. As your husband, I’m supposed to celebrate whatever makes you happy. And if it takes several random men to satisfy you, so be it. But if it’s just one man, there is always a threat of him eventually taking my place. Especiallya former whore, whom you went through the huge trouble of elevating to a royal gladiator.”

“How do you know all of that?” I scrambled from his lap, almost falling off the bed in the process.

“Another gladiator kindly informed me, so I knew where the danger lies.” He followed me into the sitting area behind the screen.

“Who else knows?” I didn’t bother putting my robe on, grabbing my discarded dress instead. It might smell like horses, but I had no time to look for anything else.

Butt naked, Leafar watched me, his eyes flicking nervously between my face and my clothes. “Where are you going?”

“Who else knows, Leafar? Whom did you tell about Salas?”

“Salas?”

“The man whose secret you just so righteously threw in my face.”

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