Page 30 of Unwrapping Ember

"Koda," I begin, but he interrupts me, his fingers gliding along the seam of my pussy in a teasing motion.

"Talk to me, baby sis. What's going on?" Concern laces his tone, and despite his touch awakening my desire all over again, anxiety begins to grip my chest, making it hard to swallow and to find the words I really want to tell him.

"I just..." I struggle to articulate the truth about Shawn and let my words drift away, my gaze drawn to the world outside.

"Did something happen that you're not telling me about?" His question sends a jolt through me, my heart pounding and breath hitching.

Yet he continues to stroke my clit, enticing me to push aside my worries. I force myself to inhale deeply, feeling the sheer weight of my guilt pressing down on my chest, feeling like I’m about to burst at the seems if I don’t tell someone what happened.

"Shawn," I finally manage to say. Koda's fingers freeze, and his expression shifts to one of seriousness as he braces for what's to come. "He..." My voice falters.

I can sense Koda's tension as his jaw tightens against my cheek, intuitively grasping the gravity of my words. He remains silent, waiting for me to say what’s on the tip of my tongue.

When I hesitate, he kisses my cheek and sighs softly. "Please don't say it, Ember."

"He raped me." The words hang heavy in the air between us, and all I feel is shame and embarrassment, waiting for him to react.

Koda’s jaw clenches, his eyes darkening with unspoken fury, yet he maintains a haunting silence, urging me to continue. His hold on me tightens, almost as if he’s trying to silently tell me that he’s not going anywhere, and neither am I.

"I'm so sorry, Koda. I didn'twant to tell you," I rush to explain, tears brimming in my eyes.

As Koda’s fingers still, he pulls me closer into his embrace, holding me tightly.

"I'm not angry at you, Ember. I'm just furious with myself for not seeing it sooner," he murmurs, his touch both soothing and warm.

I can feel his arms tightening protectively and possessively around me and the fierce clench of his jaw as anger rises within him.

"I should have protected you. I'm so sorry," he says, his voice heavy with remorse as he heavily sighs against the back of my neck.

"It's not your fault, Koda," I reassure him, relief flooding through me at having shared my burden with someone I trust. "I don't want to lose you," I sniffle, clinging to him as if my very life depends on it.

"You won't. I promise," he assures me, planting a soft kiss on the top of my head. "Now, tell me everything about this Shawn kid."

eight

Restrained in Ribbon

Koda

Motherfucker.That’s all I can muster right now. I suspected Ember was hiding something, but this revelation is far more than I anticipated. Now, after what we've shared, guilt gnaws at me, and I can't quite pinpoint why, even though deep down I have an assumption.

As she naps peacefully in my bed, I find myself in the game room, consumed by thoughts of how to track down that bastard and make him pay for hurting her. With Christmas fast approaching, I know she’ll be heading back to college soon, and he’ll be waiting there. Is it too controlling of me to suggest she not return? Yes, undoubtedly. But I feel compelled to fucking do something.

Snowflakes begin to cascade from the sky again, and I down another shot of Baine's whipped vodka, craving some sort of buzz to cope with the weight of Ember’s revelation. It’s not strong enough, but I’m too damn lazy to retrieve something more potent. Lost in my thoughts—and drowning my guilt in alcohol—I realize I need to open up to the guys and ask their advice.

But what if Ember doesn’t want them to know? Damn. I shake my head and take another shot, feeling the creamy liquor slide down my throat.

My mind driftsto the secret I've kept, and I wonder if I should confide in her since she trusted me with hers. But what if she can't handle it? What if she doubts me? I have evidence to validate my truth, but the damage has long since been done. I’ve been bearing this burden for thirteen years, a weight for which I already paid the price. The guys are aware of what happened—of course, they fucking are.

Taking a deep breath, I finally decide to speak to Ember about it. I can’t continue carrying this weight; she deserves to know the truth. As I return to the bedroom, I notice her stirring awake and take a seat beside her on the bed.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Hi. Shit, how long was I out?” She stretches, and I can’t help but smile as I thumb her bottom lip, imagining it wrapped around my cock once more.

“A couple of hours. It’s snowing again.”

“That’s not surprising. What’s the matter?” She senses the turmoil brewing within me; she knows me well enough not to be fooled.