ANMELDENLiak’s POV The touch triggered a survival alert in my mind and I tried to pull away sharply; in response, he released me immediately, stepping back enough to give me space, without any display of anger or impatience. He simply waited for me to find my own balance. It was then that he picked up a heavy military blanket and draped it over my trembling shoulders. In that instant, the soldier did something that completely transformed the atmosphere of that sterile room: he looked away, focusing on some random point on the wall while I tried to cover myself. It was a small gesture, almost insignificant in the middle of a war zone, but one that carried the weight of salvation he was trying to preserve what little dignity I had left, treating me like a human being when I had already accepted myself as a disposable object. Pointing toward the dark corridor, he murmured a final command. I didn’t know the man’s language, but I perfectly understood the meaning of that door open for the fir
Liak’s POV Pain was the only constant, an unrelenting gear that never stopped turning. There were moments when I naively believed I had reached the absolute limit of what the human body and mind could endure, but the men in that place always found a new way to prove me wrong, refining the suffering with an almost surgical cruelty. I lost track of time so long ago that days, weeks, and months collapsed into a single, eternal nightmare under the harsh white light of that laboratory. The penetrating smell of chemicals seemed embedded in my own skin, mixing with the constant echo of distant voices doctors debating technical terms, soldiers exchanging obscene jokes, and men in suits who stared at me through the glass as if I were little more than an exotic specimen about to be discarded. My name was Liak Vassiliev, I repeated those two words like a silent, desperate mantra, the last fragment of identity I clung to so I wouldn’t completely disappear into the fog of pain that tried to e
My arms rest on his shoulders, his hands on my back pulling me against him, and his face now buried in my neck, smelling and sucking me, marking me… We’re both at our limit… He says in a somewhat desperate, low voice as he thrusts deep inside me: “Liak, I love you.” That hits me hard. I’m really surprised. He groans deeply and I know he’s released. He squeezes my ass, pushing even deeper, and I feel my hot spurts as I surrender to the orgasm. I lift his face from my neck and we kiss deeply. We’re calming down when we look deeply into each other’s eyes. Then he says, a bit shyly: “Don’t feel obligated to say it back.” I even bite back a smile at how adorable he looks right now. I run my hand through my hair, trying to push it out of my face, and say: “I just really wasn’t expecting that.” He keeps looking at me and I open up completely to him now because he deserves it: “No one has ever said that to me before. I don’t really know how to react.” He looks at me
I get closer and he grabs my waist, pulling me toward him in a way that leaves me breathless for a few seconds. I missed him so much that even the smell of his perfume makes me close my eyes for a moment. He raises his hands to my face, holding it on both sides, and says with that sorrow in his eyes: "I missed you so much." That’s enough for me to close my eyes and feel his lips on mine. We kiss with desire and need as he shrugs off his jacket. We take a few steps back and he sits on the sofa. I sit on his lap and we keep kissing while our nervous hands roam over every part of our bodies, as if we’d lose each other if we didn’t. Longing, lust, and desire consume us now. Then he gently pulls my face away with his hands and looks me in the eyes, saying: "I talked to Lacey about us. That I want you and that we’re going to be together." That really catches me off guard. I admit that for a second I thought this might just be a relapse, but I see that it’s not, and my face lig
She now looks genuinely surprised and just says: “Oh.” Then she stammers: “You… him… you two…” I say, feeling awkward talking about this with her — it’s all new to me too: “We haven’t exactly decided this. It’s something new for me.” She stands up slowly, looks around a bit disoriented, then takes another deep breath, runs her hand through her hair, and says: “Are you really sure about this?” I nod: “Yes, I am.” She sighs and then says: “Okay.” She doesn’t look well, but there’s not much I can do right now. She thinks for a moment, puts her hands on her waist (she always does that when she’s defensive), but then says: “Look, this doesn’t change anything between us. I’ll always be here and you can count on me, especially regarding your mom.” “I appreciate that.” She then says: “Just give me some time to process this.” I reply: “Of course.” She tries to smile without much success. I see her eyes watering. She wipes her face before the tear falls and
I’m back from the mission and, before even going home, I head to my mom’s town. It’s been days since I’ve had much news about her and her health, and right now that’s one of the things I most want to know. Besides, I don’t want to go home and find everything there as empty as it has been since Liak left. I find her in the backyard working in the garden, and I like seeing that proof that she’s feeling well. “Hi, Mom.” She turns around and her happy smile when she sees me standing there instantly makes my day a hundred percent better. She stands up, comes over, and gives me a tight hug, saying: “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming today?” I hug her back and reply: “I wanted to surprise you.” ... I was so tired that my body insisted I sleep for a while before doing anything else. So that’s what I did. I wake up and realize I slept for several hours straight. It’s already around four in the afternoon. I take a shower and smell cake and cappuccino throughout the house.
He then walks toward us, still holding eye contact with me. I look away and go back to talking with Angeline. However, he sits on one of the stools right behind her and orders a drink from the bartender. I must have imagined things he probably just needed a refill. I feel somewhat relieved and c
Connor assured me they would take good care of him and keep him safe from any danger, which gives me some comfort. But not enough to make me feel okay here. After the shower, I go to his room, sit on his bed, and run my hands over my face. I really like him more than I thought I did but as he sa
Connor calls one of his subordinates and soon we’re on our way to the room where Liak is. My heart feels tight and a little fast. I don’t like him being here — it brings back memories of that afternoon when I found him. When the door opens, he looks a bit surprised to see me, but not completely.
“Liak?” I walk through the living room toward the kitchen, but there’s still no sign of him. Maybe he went out to buy something? I think so. I reach the kitchen and see no signs of anything being prepared. I’m about to walk to the fridge to get a glass of water when I notice a white envelope on







