No, I don't want to feel any empathy for him.
"I've dealt with my punishments, allowed my brother to have his fun, because at the end of the day, I can't be broken."
The words are scary, a wave of trepidation moving through me as I watch him. The muscles in his back move, flexing, and the wounds shift as well. I know it has to hurt.
"I'll never be broken." His voice is just above a whisper. He doesn't say anything for a moment, his eyes trained outside the window. Finally, he pulls the curtains closed and slowly turns around, his gaze on me.
His eyes are cold, his lips pressed into a thin line. "But you, Winter Chastine, are a completely different enigma. You can be broken."
All the blood drains from my body.
He prowls closer, stopping just at the side of the bed. I scoot back, but he reaches out, grabbing my wrist to keep me from moving.
"Look at you now, feeling bad for me after all that I've done to you, after all that I've taken from you, and will continue to take from you." His rough grip loosens, turning into a soft caress as he continues to stare at me. "It's pathetic, it's weak, and I'm going to destroy it and you completely."
I take a deep breath, my heart going wild in my chest, trying to figure a way out of this situation. I should have run the second his back was turned, but now I'm trapped.
"It won't be today," he says, as if he’s reassuring me, "and it won't be tomorrow." He suddenly pulls my wrist hard, jerking me up until I'm on my knees in front of him. “It’ll be when you’re least expecting it.”
My chest is pressed against his, warm and hard. His eyes never leave mine. "Because my brother may have captured you, but I promise I'll be the one to break you, Winter Chastine."