Zarek didn’t stop.
He fucked her through the pain, through the screaming, through the way her body clenched and fought him with every thrust. The shower water ran over both of them, washing away the blood that slicked his cock, diluting it into pink swirls that spiralled down the drain.
"Breathe," he said. His voice was steady, almost bored. "You’re not going to die from this."
Elsa couldn’t answer. Her hands were splayed against the tile, her forehead pressed to the cold porcelain, her breath coming in ragged, hitching sobs. Every thrust sent a shockwave of pain through her . A burning, tearing sensation that made her want to crawl out of her own skin.
But beneath the pain, something else was building. A heat. A pressure. Her body was betraying her, adjusting to the intrusion, producing slickness that hadn’t been there before.
"That’s it," Zarek murmured. He could feel it .. the way her cunt was loosening around him, the way her muscles were relaxing. "See? I told you. Your body knows what it wants."
"I hate you," she choked out.
"I know." He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, arching her spine. The new angle let him go deeper, and she gasped . a sound that was half pain, half something else entirely. "But you’ll learn to love me. They always do."
He fucked her harder. The sound of their bodies slapping together echoed off the bathroom walls, competing with the hiss of the shower. Water ran into Elsa’s mouth, into her eyes, and she couldn’t tell if she was crying or if it was just the spray.
"You’re tight," Zarek said. "Tighter than I expected. For someone who’s never been touched, you’re taking me well."
She wanted to spit at him. She wanted to claw his eyes out. But she couldn’t move , couldn’t do anything but stand there and take it, her body rocking forward with every thrust, her breasts pressed against the cold tile.
He reached around and found her clit. His fingers were rough, calloused, and when he rubbed her, she jerked like she’d been shocked.
"Don’t"
"Shut up." He rubbed harder, circles and pressure, and she felt something building inside her ,something she didn’t want, something she couldn’t stop. "You’re going to come for me. I want to feel it."
"I can’t.."
"You can." He bit her shoulder , not hard enough to break skin, but hard enough to hurt. "Come for me, Elsa. Come on my cock."
She didn’t want to. She fought it. But her body was a traitor, and the pressure was building, and when he pinched her clit between his fingers, she shattered.
The orgasm ripped through her like a current, making her whole body convulse. She screamed not in pain this time, but in something worse. Something that felt like surrender.
Zarek fucked her through it, his thrusts growing harder, faster. She could feel him swelling inside her, could feel the tension in his body, and then he pulled out and spun her around.
"On your knees," he ordered.
She dropped. Her legs wouldn’t hold her anymore. She landed hard on the shower floor, her knees banging against the tile, and looked up just in time to see him fisting his cock.
"Open," he said.
She opened her mouth.
He came.
The first spurt hit her tongue hot, thick, salty. She gagged, but he grabbed her hair and held her in place. More came, splashing across her lips, her chin, her cheeks. Rope after rope of it, painting her face like he was marking his territory.
"Swallow," he said.
She swallowed. What she couldn’t swallow dripped down her chin, mixing with the shower water.
Zarek stepped back and looked at her. She was a mess kneeling on the floor, cum dripping off her face, water plastering her hair to her skull. Her lips were swollen. Her eyes were red. She looked like she’d been through a war.
She had.
"Good girl," he said.
He reached down and turned off the shower.
Zarek grabbed a towel off the rack and tossed it at her. She caught it with shaking hands and pressed it to her face, wiping away the cum and the water and the tears.
Elsa stood beneath the remaining drops of water, barely able to keep herself upright. Her breathing was ragged, her body exhausted from everything that had happened since the apocalypse began.
"Clean yourself up."
She caught it with shaking hands. For several moments, neither of them spoke.
Outside the hotel, distant screams echoed through the ruined city. Somewhere far below, something crashed against a wall, followed by a distorted howl.
Zarek glanced toward the window.
"We’re leaving in the morning."
Elsa paused.
"Leaving?"
"This hotel." He walked into the bedroom, scanning the room once more. "We’re not staying here."
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere safer. We’ll find somewhere outside this place."
He opened his bag and pulled out a clean shirt before tossing it toward her.
"Put that on."
Elsa caught it. The shirt was far too large for her, but it was clean and dry. She pulled it over her head, letting the fabric fall past her thighs.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked quietly.
"Because you need to understand the rules."
Zarek sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her.
"At the place we find, you’re mine. No one touches you. No one takes you from me. You don’t leave without me."
Elsa stared at him.
"And if someone tries?"
Zarek smiled.
"I kill them."
She believed him.
The answer was so simple that she didn’t know what else to say. Zarek leaned back against the headboard.
"Now get some sleep."
Elsa remained standing for a moment. Then she slowly sat down on the opposite side of the bed.
She didn’t trust him. She didn’t forgive him. But she was alive.
For tonight, that was enough.
The room became quiet.
Outside, Vesper continued to burn.
Zarek closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, he’d make his first investment. Tomorrow, everything would change.
A translucent panel suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Bond Established.]
[Partner: Elsa]
[Bond Slots: 1/3]
[Favorability: -10/100]
He opened one eye. He stared at the number for several seconds.
-10.
A small laugh escaped him.
She really hated him.
Fair enough.
He closed his eyes again.
The first bond was complete.
Tomorrow, the real investment would begin.