-Aurelian Salvatore:
The door clicked shut behind me with a softness that felt undeserved. For a long moment, I remained there in the dim corridor, my palm still pressed against the wood as if I could feel the warmth of their bodies through it. My forehead slowly lowered until it rested against the cool surface, and the chill of it bled into my skin.
"What was that?" I whispered to the empty hallway, my voice barely more than breath. "What have I done?"
The question did not carry regret, not truly. It carried shock, and something far more dangerous than regret. It carried the memory of how easily I had yielded and submitted. Me, Aurelian Salvatore, kneeling and submitting like some fucking whore and loving it.
I had always been the one in control. I had been the one others looked to for direction, for permission, for structure. I had guided hands, controlled breaths, dictated pace and silence, and I had known exactly what my sexual partners needed before they spoke it aloud.
