Page 102 of Sunrise

“I told you already. Like a monster.”

“Deeper than that, Alex.” His eyes are fixed on my back. Is he staring at the Medusa tattoo? “How do you feel… at the bottom?”

My throat tightens. This is not a time to lie. Even if it was, I wouldn’t.

“Excited,” I admit. And I didn’t even have anorgasm.

Knox doesn’t look at all surprised. “When you use Shibari in a scene, do you think of the way your wrists were tied back then?”

Wow, he’s cutting deep today. “Yes.”

“How do you think your rope bunny feels when they’re bound and immobilized by you?”

“Safe.”

“Why?”

“Because they trust me.”

“Exactly.” He stands behind me and we stare at each other through the mirror. “I trust you, Alex.”

“I hurt you.”

“You gave yourself to me. You were raw and vulnerable and passionate. It was the real you.”

I don’t want to hear his acceptance. Knox should strangle me for what I did to him.

He frowns, thoughtfully. “I knew I had a primal kink but didn’t expect it to be so… head rushy.”

“That wasn’t a chase through the woods. That was an attack.”

“Yeah, but there’s always next time.” He waggles his eyebrows at me. “I’ll submit then, too. Don’t worry your pretty little head.”

“Primal hunts and CNC are not the same, Knox.”

He shrugs. “They can be.”

He’s not flustered like me. Not shaking like me. Not ashamed like me. I wish I was more like Knox. “How did you know you had a primal kink?”

“Um because my smut books tell me so.” The more he talks, the better I feel. “I’ve read enough shifter romances to know that I’m down for a hunt and chase.” Knox tilts his head and stares at myreflection. “I guess I should be grateful you don’t have a knot.”

“What the fuck is a knot? Wait.” I hold my hand up. “No, no. Don’t tell me.”

“I’ll give you my favorite omegaverse book and you can find out yourself.” He clutches his chest. “I wouldneverspoil the surprise.”

The excruciating tightness in my chest eases a fraction. I can finally take in a deep breath.

How does he always know how to make me feel better? Bracing against the counter, I stare at our reflection. There’s a cut on his lip and bruising on his cheek. I’m not much better looking, if I’m honest. “We look like Dmitri.”

Knox’s shoulders bounce as he quietly laughs. The harder he tries to keep it in, the louder it gets. Then it becomes contagious because I’m cracking up too. The emotional whiplash I’m getting today is wild.

“Jesus, I hope we’re better looking than that ugly motherfucker.” Knox flips the camera in the bathroom his middle finger. A secondary red light blinks back at us, which means D’s still watching.

Tears stream down my face and I hold my stomach as I keep half laughing, half falling apart. I’m a mess. This is so unlike me. Vault doesn’t unravel and shutdown. Vault doesn’t feel emotions.

Maybe that’s why they kept using my real name out there. To remind me I’m human.

“Come here.” Knox pulls me against his chest and squeezes the life out of me. “You’re going to be okay.”

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