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Again, I can see his mind working. “I don’t know.”
“That’s what I thought,” I say, then spin on my heel and head to my room.
Finally alone, I release a slow breath. I just need a minute to myself.
On the balcony, overlooking our lands, I think about the weight of our mission. My father and my people are depending on us to make the right decision. When I realized the young shifters were dying, I was willing to put more pressure on Princess Tara, but not so much pressure that we break her. That we have to be ashamed to be her husbands. To be men. Because we’d become the kind that hurt women.
I want answers, but not that much.
Our lands stretch below my balcony, quiet and bathed in sunlight. It looks peaceful, the opposite of what I’m feeling inside. I’m torn between these unexpected feelings for Tara. That’s truly where a lot of the confusion comes from. I’m so drawn to her strength, her beauty, and her innocence.
But if she’s a part of the witches doing this to my people…
Truly, I know what needs to be done. I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to do it.
TEN
Tara
A day has passed since the uncomfortable conversation between me and the men in King Talon’s room. Still, I can’t seem to shake it off. Everything I’ve done – eating, exploring, sleeping – my thoughts have been filled with the argument, wishing things had gone differently.
But all I can do is take my mind off of it.
Lady Scarlet and I are walking through town as the sun sets, painting the sky in brilliant reds and oranges. She has her arm linked through mine as she finishes telling me about a recent ball she went to in a neighboring town. I like listening to her because she’s a good storyteller and she has a beautiful voice, but also because I feel like I’m learning so much about life through her tales.
Plus, it helps to distract me after everything that happened with the princes.
If I start thinking about it again, I’ll start shaking. I don’t want to shake. I don’t want to be afraid. I just want to forget it even happened. And forget that until Lady Scarlet came to my room and invited me to town, I’d been seriously considering hiding in my blankets until I felt better.
“And then Lord Henry put his coat on my shoulders and Lord Bars threw it off. They were snarling and growling at each other, ready to fight because they both wanted their scent on me. It was a riot, especially since I’d already made it clear to both of them that I wasn’t interested.”
I laugh. “You shifters and your scents are weird.”
“Oh?” she asks, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
“Yes.” I hesitate, then decide to go for it. “When I wore the blacksmith’s shirt, the princes lost their minds. It was so silly I wanted to laugh.”
Her expression grows more serious. “Scent is very important to shifters. Those three have been trying to cover you in their scent from the first moment they met you, I bet, and I’ve seen them enjoying your scent far too many times.”
I blush. “Really?”
She nods. “The ultimate way to make you theirs is to scent you with their cum, of course, but touching you and being near you works nearly as well.”
My cheeks feel like they’re on fire. “Oh?”
She waves at some children that run past us, a smile on her face. “Yes, I’m around you enough to notice that your scent should be a little… different, after having three husbands.”
“Oh?” I repeat again, like a dumbass.
“Do you want to talk about that?” she asks.
I do, but I don’t.
When I don’t say anything, she continues. “I hope my cousin and those idiots are being respectful and giving you time, and not something else.”
Like that they hate me?
“I honestly just don’t understand men,” I blurt out.
