I wasn't the first to wake up. But the movement beside me made me the second, just a few seconds later.
We were on the floor, naked, intertwined in a chaotic embrace. To my left and right, Tonks and Andromeda, their bodies still warm from what had happened.
Tonks was the first to open her eyes. But she didn't wake up suddenly. She took her time, dazed, trying to remember who she was, where she was, and what had happened. And if that wasn't enough, the signs on her body – her irritated holes, the stickiness all over her, the pain in every fiber of her being – finished reminding her.
At first, she just blinked, confused. Still caught in the aftertaste of the emotions her body remembered and she didn't yet, along with that strong smell of sex that could knock anyone out. But then, she turned her head and saw our naked bodies, mine and her mother's.
In that instant, her mind pieced everything together in one go. She jumped up, even though it caused her battered body great pain.
The movement was so abrupt that even Andromeda, who was sleeping with her head resting on my chest, stirred as if to wake up.
"HHAAAaahh—!"
A scream tore from Tonks' throat. A muffled, choked sound, but loud enough to freeze my blood. Her eyes widened like saucers, just like when she discovered us fucking.
I could see her enter absolute panic. Her skin lost color. Her breathing became erratic. Her tears fell uncontrollably.
I tried to call her name, take a step towards her, intending to use [Calm] to prevent her from falling further into despair…
But before I could do anything, a punch hit me in the face with such force that it disoriented me.
Tonks ran off.
I was stunned. Not by the punch itself—my body is constantly enhanced by my blood magic—but I still felt it. What was most impressive was that Tonks never, not even in a fit of rage, could have punched that hard consciously.
I quickly composed myself, but Tonks was no longer there; she had run as fast as she could to get away from here. I ran after her at the same time as I heard the faint voice of my other partner, who was still half-asleep.
"Go for her…" Andromeda murmured, her eyes narrowed and still with no intention of moving.
I nodded without answering. I left one of my clones with her to carry her and take her to bed. I didn't know if she planned to keep sleeping or not, but at least she would be more comfortable if she did.
And the truth is… I didn't know how to face my mother-in-law after what had just happened either. So, instead of saying anything, I remained silent and waited for her to take the initiative when she was ready.
But for now, my priority was elsewhere.
I ran after Tonks.
However, when I got outside, her trail had already vanished.
I knew the general direction in which she had escaped, but at some point she must have transformed into a rabbit and gotten into hiding places impossible to follow.
I was surprised at how much she had managed to master her Animagus form in just one day. Despite the pain and exhaustion from the wild sex, she was fleeing with an almost superhuman determination.
I tried to follow her. But Tonks wasn't going to a particular destination, she was just running. Running aimlessly, without direction, just getting away, sometimes even in circles.
The worst part is that, even with my clones tracking every possible area, I ended up losing her trail at some point.
She never stopped, never stopped running. It was obvious she knew I was looking for her... or maybe it was just my bad luck.
Actually, I wasn't calm at all.
I kept running, searching for her relentlessly. I sent clones in all directions, exploring every corner, but I couldn't find a single trace of her… until, a few hours later, I finally knew where she had hidden.
And at that moment, I wanted to kick myself for how stupid I had been.
..."
I arrived at the fief just as the sun began to set on the horizon.
The street lamps were already on, casting a warm light over the streets, though the sky had not yet darkened completely. I had designed a day and night cycle here, but I still hadn't perfected a starry night sky.
I didn't stop to admire the beauty of the place.
I kept walking with steady steps through the empty streets.
Lily had warned me that she saw Tonks. And as soon as she described her expression, I knew the situation wasn't good. So, I deactivated the NPCs in the area and asked the other girls to stay away.
Now, I was standing in front of 'the restaurant,' where Tonks resided.
I pushed open the door and entered.
The place was completely empty, except for a round table for two in the center, where a figure with bubblegum-colored hair was sitting, motionless.
Her face was the very picture of indifference. There was no visible anger or sadness, but also no life in her expression. As if nothing in this world could matter to her.
On the table in front of her was a half-empty bottle and a glass with liquor halfway filled. It was a strong drink. Enough that, despite her apparent apathy, I could see the burn traveling down her throat with every sip. It was clear that it was difficult for her to drink it. That it hurt... but she poured herself more anyway.
I sighed, preparing myself for what was to come.
I walked slowly until I was one meter away from her. But she didn't react. She didn't even shift her gaze from the wall she had been staring at for a while. She simply took another sip.
"Tonks…" I said in a calm and soft tone.
She didn't respond.
"Tonks…" I repeated, this time taking a step closer.
"No… don't come near me…" she murmured loudly, dryly, and in a broken voice. As if it was hard for her to control her words.
But she didn't look at me.
"Alright…" I replied, staying in my place.
For a moment, her face showed no emotion. Then, when I got closer, I felt her emotional instability at the surface. But as soon as I backed off, she returned to that coldness. This was something I had to handle carefully.
The silence between us stretched until she took a few more sips. Then she spoke.
"Why…?" she murmured, before raising her voice. "Why can't you have limits?"
Her voice cracked with every word. The facade of indifference began to crack. Her eyes reddened, and her hands trembled.
"We were fine… and then you decided that you couldn't have just me…" her voice grew more aggressive. "So I let you have more women under your 'persuasion'…" she said, making air quotes with her fingers.
Her voice seemed to break with every word, the indifference she had shown beginning to crack. Her eyes turned red, and her hands trembled.
She stopped only to take another sip.
I could see the burn searing her throat, but also the rage in her eyes when she looked at me again.
Rage...Pain...Fracture...
"Then… I forgave you and accepted that you got another girl pregnant…" her voice choked. "I knew that, after everything I had accepted, it was possible… but you didn't tell me anything. You didn't ask me. You just did it…" Her scream echoed in the silence of the restaurant. "But I still accepted it! I knew it would hurt, that it was unfair… but I accepted it because I loved you and couldn't live without you…!" The last word shattered in her throat.
Her broken voice and words hurt me. No, I didn't regret what I had done… but seeing her like this, in so much pain, tore me apart inside. Still, I said nothing, because she still had more to say.
"And then… as if that wasn't enough, you tell me you have a depraved relationship with a unicorn… A FUCKING UNICORN!" She screamed so loudly the entire fief could hear her. "And I had to accept that too… but… but… why couldn't you stop there?"
She took another drink, this time straight from the bottle.
"Why…? Why?! Why is it that every time I accept something selfish from you, you have to push it further? Why can't I be enough? How far are you going to go? WHY MY OWN MOTHER!?" Her voice broke completely. She no longer sounded like an angry woman… but like a shattered child.
"Tonks..." I tried to step closer again.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed, throwing the glass at me with force.
I dodged it effortlessly, but maybe it would've been better if I hadn't. Maybe, if it had hit me, she would've felt a little better.
"I should've known… it's never enough for you." Her voice dropped to a mere whisper, but each word weighed like a stone. "But… why… why my mother…? I already accepted everything you wanted… but why this?" She covered her face with her hands.
"Tonks... I never wanted to hurt you like this… but—" I tried to speak, not daring to move further.
"But it always ends the same way!" she interrupted with a bitter laugh. "I'm sure now you'll want to tell me it was the only way, that it wasn't your intention but it happened anyway, that I'll get used to it and, at some point, I'll see that it was for the best." Her tone turned cruelly mocking. "Then you'll fuck me until I can't think straight, and I'll end up accepting it, right? Well, now you can fuck me alongside my mother too, so neither of us can escape you…"
Every word was a dagger, each sentence cutting deeper.
"It must be so easy for you to be happy… you have everything, and no one can stop you. It must be great to be you, not caring about anyone else, because you can fuck them until they end up accepting it…"
I remained silent. My mind searched for something to say, but, to my surprise, the response didn't come from me.
"If I were a sane person... if I loved myself, if I valued myself even a little... this would be the end between us. Something that should've happened a long time ago... since you decided I wasn't enough." Her tone turned icy. "But it's too late for me. You broke me to the point where I'm worth nothing to myself anymore."
"Don't say that, Tonks!" I replied urgently. "You're worth more than you think... even if my actions make you think otherwise."
"It doesn't matter." Her eyes were empty. "It doesn't matter anymore. Not even my decisions are mine anymore… You already made us fuck with my mother present. I've learned that my will means nothing compared to yours." She gasped slightly, as if it hurt to breathe from all the pain. "But, as I said... the normal thing would be to leave you... but I know I can't do that."
"So...?" I asked, sensing she wanted me to ask, as it was one of those situations where there was a 'but.'
"I'm not going to leave you." Her words sounded like a sentence, though I couldn't tell if her reason was love, dependence... or desperation. "But with one condition."
"What?" I asked, feeling a small sense of relief. If she was putting conditions, then there was still something to hold on to.
"DO NOT... touch me again." She said it with such difficulty that her voice trembled. But she said it.
The atmosphere turned cold. The lights flickered and dimmed. The entire fief felt a chill when my dark aura emerged uncontrollably. Anyone who had seen me at that moment would have been horrified by the coldness in my expression.
"...Until I allow it." Tonks finished her sentence.
And, as if nothing had happened, everything returned to normal. She didn't even seem to notice the change… but I did. The idea of losing her, of her no longer being mine, had shaken me from my calm state and unleashed something dark inside me. It wasn't intentional… it was just that the beast within me had awakened.
"Alright..." I accepted with a sigh. A sigh of guilt.
At that moment, I understood. She was right, I couldn't let her go. I couldn't even have her without her being mine… I'm horrible.
Even if I could only see her from a distance, even if I couldn't have her in my arms right now... I would never allow myself to lose her forever. I could wait a little longer... until everything is like before...
"I also want to go somewhere where I can kill or fight until I pass out... somewhere where I can release all this anguish. For a long time." Tonks finished what was left in the bottle in one gulp.
She stood up with difficulty, stumbling. She almost fell from her drunkenness. Instinctively, I tried to catch her, but when she looked at me with a murderous expression, I stopped dead in my tracks. I could only watch her slip and put all her effort into getting up again.
I knew where she was going. And she knew it too.
We approached the bulletin board, and although she could barely stand, she ordered me to choose something. Not because she didn't want to do it herself… but because she could barely hold herself up.
So I did.
I took a mission that would last several months... maybe even a year and a half.
And I selected only two participants.
Her and me.
---///---
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