Page 23 of Damaged Princess

The aching need to know all her secrets hits me square in the chest.

I need to know her shame so I can take it and harbor it for her. More than likely, whatever is weighing on her isn't her misdeed. But if it is then I'll take that, too.

"I submit to you and you forgive me?" Ana asks, shaking her head. "I don't think it's your forgiveness I need."

We're at a precipice. She's teetering on the edge. I can't force her to trust me. I can only prove myself if she gives me the opportunity to show her that she can.

I move slowly to give her the chance to object. When she doesn't, I wrap my arm around her back and lift her into my lap.

"You're worried about the consequences of something. I haven't put the pieces together, but I will eventually. The thing is, once you're mine no one else can get to you without going through me first. And I can be a mean son of a bitch when I need to be, but never with you."

Her eyes dilate at my words.

Yes, I'd say Anastasia is naturally quite submissive whether she likes that side of herself or not. Her impulses seem pleased by my words, but a lifetime of being disappointed by alphas has made her wary of trusting anyone.

I run my finger over her soft cheek. "Whatever or whoever it is you're afraid of won't touch you. The only person to dole out discipline will be me. I'm the judge, jury, and enforcer of your sentence. You won't always like it, but once you've been punished for something it's over and forgiven. That, in and of itself, can be a huge relief."

"Until it's brought up the next time," Anastasia whispers, glancing away.

"No, not with me. If you make a mistake, which we all do, then you trust me to decide your punishment. Once you've been punished, the slate is wiped clean. You release that guilt and your shame to me. I carry it from there. I assure you, princess, my shoulders can handle a lot."

Anastasia bites her cheek as her huge blue eyes meet mine. I ache to soothe the discomfort that she's feeling.

"Do you know why alphas and omegas work so well together?"

"I haven't had a lot of experience seeing healthy relationships first-hand," she says. I'm still holding her chin, but her gaze falls to her lap.

"Alphas aren't fulfilled unless we're offering care and comfort to those around us, especially omegas. Omegas do best when you have gentle guidance and someone to help you work through the difficult shit life throws at all of us. Give me your trust. I'll take your worries and carry them for you."

"Why would you do that?" she asks.

She's so fucking beautiful, and so vulnerable at the same time.

How could anyone see how much she's hurting and not do everything in their power to fix it?

"I'm drawn to you," I tell her truthfully. "I can't stand seeing you suffering. If you put a little faith in me, I'll fix whatever it is that's weighing you down."

"How?"

"I'll set boundaries and reinforce them, but I'll always have your best interests at heart. You might not always like my rules, but you'll follow them anyway or there will be consequences. We'll discuss those together. I'm open to your thoughts and opinions, but it doesn't mean I'll always take that course of action."

"Another man who wants to hurt and control me," Ana scoffs.

"I want to take care of you because, frankly, you fucking suck at taking care of yourself. Do you want to know the main benefit of being mine?"

"What's that?" she asks, chewing at her bottom lip.

"You'll always know how much you're wanted," I murmur, brushing my cheek against hers. "I'll feed you by hand, tell you what a good girl you are, spank your ass red when you're naughty, and fuck it both for punishment and rewards. And then there's the fact that no one hurts you but me."

Anastasia lets out an adorable little gasp.

"Would you like a demonstration?" I taunt.

"A demonstration of what?"

"What it feels like to let go of that guilt that's stewing in your gut," I say, staring into her eyes.

"How?"

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