Chapter 67: Revealing Scars

Esme stood up again and slid her leather jacket down to the ground, then pursed her lips at the white-haired vampire watching her. It was her turn now. Her turn to show him her body. Even though she said those words confidently, she was still in turmoil with her body image and the number of scars on her body.

"Gabriel.." Esme whispered both in awe at seeing such a magnificent being naked in a tub with the city lights behind him and the soft glow of candles around him and in nervousness at being naked in front of him. 

Esme looked down and unknowingly started to reach for her rubber band. In an instant, Gabriel stood before her, the water glistening down his chiselled body. Esme became distracted immediately and could only stare as some bubbles slid just above his right 'V' muscle, and a few popped under her gaze. She refrained from looking lower where she knew her mind would be completely lost with the passion now brewing in her core. She bit her lip and looked back into his striking eyes that were hooded with desire. 

With his hand wrapped around Esme's wrist, his thumb caressed the area around the rubber band before he lowered his lips to the inside of her wrist and kissed it. "I can give you some privacy in here if that is what you want.." He whispered, his lips grazing across her tender skin, sending shockwaves across her body. A delightful shiver rippled through her at the tender yet fiery gaze he was looking at her with.

"I um.." Esme released her breath and shifted on her feet. "Gabriel.. my body.." He continued to stare down into her eyes, his gaze melting her then and there. "It's just… I have scars that might.. shock you. And.." She looked away, trying to spit out what she knew would come up. "Before I step into that bath.. I need you to keep an open mind.. I.." 

Her mind began to spin, and she felt herself getting lost in the depths of despair again. The scars over her mark could not hide what it really was, and Gabriel wasn't stupid; he'd know what a werewolf's mate mark looked like. What would he think of her? 

And the other scar, the one she couldn't bear looking at. Maybe she could keep that one hidden. Esme gulped and felt her mouth and throat go dry; it was then she realised she had stopped breathing. 

"Esme.. breathe.." Gabriel caressed her cheek with his wet hand. "I know without a doubt your body is beautiful. Nothing will deter me away. Nothing."

"Gabriel, please keep in mind that I will tell you everything.." She searched his eyes and tried to convey trust behind her own. Maybe Gabriel wouldn't care if she had a mate, but from how he reacted to Lenny and Leo's scent on her, she had some idea of how he would react. 

"Nothing can compare to Ethan, though.." Isana muttered with a shudder causing Esme to grimace and push away the bloodied images from her mind.

Gabriel kissed her hair lightly and released her, climbing back into the bath. He sat this time with his back to her, allowing her some privacy before she could hide beneath the bubbles. Esme inhaled deeply, trying to keep her racing heart down but knew it wouldn't calm until all of this was over. 

Slowly, she pulled her hoody off, watching Gabriel still even though his back was to her. Then she stripped down and placed all her clothes on the side, removing her rubber band and the clip from her hair. Esme was unaware the entire time; he could see her through the reflection of the window. 

Climbing into the bath, she could hear her heart pulsating in her head far too loudly, and she clenched her hands into fists, her back now to Gabriel. By now, she already knew he would see the large claw mark on her back, even with her hair covering a portion of it and the bubbles surrounding the lower part of the scar. 

Esme lowered herself further into the steaming water and turned around, holding her breath as she did so and feeling grateful to the bubbles that now covered her up again. The city was to her back and her vampire to her front. She stared back into his eyes that now glimmered with a mixture of emotions. His mouth parted suddenly, and his fangs came into view as he hissed and looked away, clasping his hand over his eyes, rubbing them. 

Esme released her breath. She didn't know what to think about his reaction. 

"I am finding it hard to control myself right now, Esme.." He groaned. "First." He opened his eyes and looked at her like he wanted to devour every part of her body. "I want to fuck you and claim every part of your body as mine.." His gaze then lowered to her chest, where she knew he must have seen the mark before it was hidden behind the bubbles. "And I want to know who the fuck ETHAN is."

With a loud slosh in the water, Gabriel was in front of her in seconds, the water overflowing the side of the bath. His hands gripped the slabs by the sides of her shoulders, the marble under his fingers cracking from the pressure as he leaned over her. Esme's face paled at the name of her mate and the intensity of Gabriel's eyes.

Esme glanced down to her left arm, hidden beneath the water and bubbles. The arm she kept hidden even from herself because of the overwhelming feeling of wanting to throw up every time she saw it. The arm with the letters 'ETHAN'S' cut deeply into her skin. Just thinking about her arm without even looking at the disgusting mess that it was, reminded her of every agonising moment, every slow cut of the blade into her skin until he was finished, and she was left on the cold floor in her own blood. 

"FUCK!" Gabriel shouted, clenching his eyes shut as part of the slab crumbled beneath his fingers and fell into the bathwater.

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Esme realised then; she'd inadvertently opened her mind up to him. He'd just seen her staring at her bloodied arm in the basement, the cage door open, and Ethan's back walking away through her blurred vision of tears. Esme pushed Gabriel out of her mind; that wasn't something he should see right now. Or something she wanted to think about, it was one of the worst nights of her life, and she felt chilled in the warm water thinking about it.

"Once I find that sick fuck, I will torture him a thousand times over what he did to you," Gabriel growled quietly; his voice was deadly and sent shivers down her spine at the look in his eyes. She'd never seen him so furious. 

"FUCK!" He pushed away from her and now sat at the opposite end of the tub to her. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. "I don't want to scare you, Es. What did.. How.." He gripped the sides of the bath, and she heard it groan under the pressure of his grip strength. 

Esme slowly approached him. Most of her body was covered with bubbles, and he still had his eyes closed. At least her body wouldn't make him angrier? She felt the tears pool in her eyes as she slid on top of him and held her wet hands against his face. 

Gabriel's eyes snapped open again, the fire still burning brightly behind them but were settled slightly as he stared back into hers. "Thank you," She whispered, her voice breaking with all the emotions swelling up in her throat and the tears wanting to break free from her eyes. She didn't let it overwhelm her and closed her eyes as she kissed his lips gently. 

Thank you for understanding the need to hide my secrets.

Thank you for being angry on my behalf.

Thank you for.. Everything.

She couldn't express herself enough and now clung to the back of his white locks.

Gabriel frowned at a loss from their positioning and her words; he could hear them in her mind. Again, she'd opened up to him enough so he could listen to her thoughts. He wanted to delve deeper into her memories, but he held back, the fire burned beneath his skin, and it was a wonder she didn't get burned right then. But she was calming him down just by being there, and even though there were many questions, he knew now he was right in waiting for her to reach out to him and tell him her story. 

Esme kissed him again, lingering on his lips longer and inhaled his scent before pulling away and staring back into his eyes. He released the sides of the bath and caressed her cheeks, searching her eyes, searching for answers to the questions held on his tongue. How did she find the strength? He could only imagine now what the she-wolf had been through and stared at her in amazement. 

"You. Are. Incredible." He growled, punctuating each word with a kiss on her cheeks and forehead. Then he couldn't hold back anymore and pulled her into his arms, crushing her into him as he met her lips again, parting them in the movement to his as their tongues intertwined. Their hands became urgent as they roamed each other's bodies, caressing, groping and clinging to each other like it was their last night together. 

Esme moaned and pulled back breathlessly from their passionate kissing. "I think.. we should calm down first?" She questioned her own question. He could see her trying to gain control over herself and started to move away from him.

Gabriel grabbed her backside and pushed her back on top of him. His pulsating shaft between them and the need to push into her was almost overwhelming, but he wasn't a teenager and could refrain himself, even if a goddess was sitting on him. 

"You're not going anywhere. You had your chance to run and hide," He growled. "Now you have a Vampire King beneath your thighs. There are no take-backs."

His hands smoothly caressed over her breasts and up her neck and down her shoulders and arms. He wanted to feel every part of her and make her feel better. He repeated the motion and smiled in satisfaction at the small whimper leaving her lips as his hands brushed past her nipples, and he met her lips once more.

He wanted nothing more than to protect her, pamper her, and look after her like the Luna she was meant to be. 

No, like the goddess she is.

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