Ruth's voice was soft, her eyes pleading as she turned to me, her fingers clutching at my arm. "Dexter…" Her breath hitched, her voice trembling with a mix of desperation and shame.
"Please breed Aunt Wendy…" She swallowed hard, her gaze flicking to Wendy, then back to me.
"I know it's hard to think about breeding a dirty woman…" Her voice cracked, her fingers tightening around my arm. "But for my sake, please…" Her eyes burned with urgency. "Otherwise, her son's life will be in danger."
From the trees, Eric's voice rang out, raw and broken. "Mother, don't—" His body strained against the ropes, his muscles trembling with the effort to break free. "I prefer to die!"
I looked at Ruth, her eyes wide with pleading, her body tense with fear. She didn't know the truth—that I felt no disgust toward any woman. Not Kerry, not Kina, not Ada, not Vera, not Hina. They all knew it. But Ruth didn't.
And for now, it had to stay that way.
