Immediately, Eira's guilt and shame skyrocketed. At the same time, she remained quiet, which told Erik that he'd struck a nerve—a nerve Eira already knew was there.
"I— I—" she finally stammered in clear distress, unsure what to say. Her emotions flickered around in a panic as Erik's bond with her wavered slightly.
"You don't need to answer now," Erik told her softly. "Just think about it for a little while. I won't blame you, no matter your answer, just as I don't blame you for what happened with Edda."
His voice grew a little sterner, "That said, it's important we both know the truth, because if, fundamentally, you see me as a tool, then we need to fix that before we can even start building the kind of relationship you want."
Eira mentally gulped as her mind began to calm down a little. "I— C— Can it be all three?"
