Pretend

"Because… ?" she prompted him and held his gaze, as she asked in a small voice. 

"It's… it's for your sake." He pulled her close and kissed her head. 

Vera looked down in disappointment as his words did nothing to soothe the pain that was still sharp in her heart and seemed to cause a lump to be lodged in her throat. And she knew that he knew it as well. 

When she remained quiet, he groaned and ran his fingers through his hair as if he was suddenly exasperated again. "I'm a son of a monster, red…" he said. "I am certain that my child would inherit and then suffer the same fate as mine. I'm a monster and my child will be conceived and born as a monster too. That's why I swore to myself never to…" he paused, his eyes suddenly widening in disbelief. He was shocked at himself that he had said those words out aloud and even to her.