He stopped talking once her tears fell.
Raising his voice had been uncalled for, but he could not help himself. The sight of the blackness crawling beneath her skin had clawed something primal out of him. It was like fear and anger knotted into one. Now, with her shoulders trembling and her head bowed, the weight of his tone hung between them like smoke.
He exhaled slowly, the edge leaving his voice despite the overwhelming tension. His fingers that were still curled around her wrist loosened when he noticed how red the skin had turned beneath his hold. There was a shallow mark, blooming faintly where his fingers had pressed too hard.
Levan's expression flickered, his frustration giving way to something guilty, so he turned her wrist over in his palm as his touch gentled. The pads of his fingers brushed over the tender spot, tracing it to erase the painful sensation she might be feeling.
