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I cross my arms over my chest.
“I can help you if we work together. You don’t have to play this part anymore. I know Mak can be very convincing. He always gets what he wants one way or another, but we could convince him to let you out of this arrangement if you’re unhappy. And if you honestly care for him, like I think you do, then you’ll let him be with someone who can love him like he deserves to be loved.”
How can such a lunatic say words that strike me at my core? Through every defense I’ve painstakingly laid over my heart, that last line she utters is a critical blow. Everyone in the heated corridor is holding their breath.
“He told you no, didn’t he?” I ask her.
“He’s a male of honor,” she replies miserably.
“So why were you touching him?” I demand.
Her eyes flare.
“If he told you no, why were you touching him?”
“Did you even listen to me? You’re neglecting your mate! You don’t even want him, and he’s loyal to you regardless. Have you no heart—“
Whap!
The sound of my slap on her cheek is muffled by the leather of my glove.
“That’s for not knowing how to keep your tongue to yourself.”
The corridor goes silent aside from her gasp as she raises a finger to the place where I whacked her with my open palm. With a rattling heartbeat, I glance at the office doorway and find that it’s open, with Viro and Mak standing there with their mouths agape. Viro’s surprise is slowly twisting into a wicked grin of amusement.
“Crazy female,” she murmurs.
“Put your hands on him without permission again,” I say, “and I’ll kill you. I don’t need a kaia’s help to do it, either.”
Her eyes dart to Mak, but his gaze is fixed on me. His refusal to interrupt speaks volumes in silence.
“You are a human fraud!” she spits. Viro jumps into action, slipping his body between the two of us. “You’ll be the end of his line!”
Vi steers her away, blocking her from my view as if he knows I can’t stand to look at her a moment longer.
“Hey, will you rutting calm down if I give you a go?” Viro asks her as he leads her down the hall. Always trying to lighten the mood, that one.
“Shut up, Vi!” she croaks, beating on his side with her elbow. “No one wants your slutty cock, and your jokes aren’t funny!”
“Fine. It’s an expiring offer though.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
MAK
My guard had been gathered for some important scheduling discussions, but they quickly make excuses to disappear following the mess that Annaka wrought on my evening. Ruka heaves a sleeping Nisi onto her shoulders and carries her out with a promise to leave the kaia with the kennelmasters.
When the door slides shut behind her, Francesca and I are alone.
The last conversation we had was full of tension, and now that tension is compounded. Her clothes tell me she had no intention of coming here, as she’s changed her daytime clothes for a loose silken set of sleepwear, complete with a wide-sleeved robe. But while she usually takes her gloves off once she’s in her nightclothes, it seems she threw them on before she left our quarters.
What possessed her to come here in time to witness this embarrassing incident?
Viro’s gone off to deal with Annaka and her mother. I’m hoping his charms will come in handy on the councilwoman when he breaks the news that her daughter will be in serious trouble for what she’s done today. As for Annaka herself, I’d like to go a very long time without having to interact with her again.
Before I can manage a word, Frankie turns around and slaps the lock on the door command. It will signal to anyone walking past that we shouldn’t be disturbed.
I was the angry one earlier, while she kept a cool head. Now it seems the roles have swapped. Her fury towards Annaka has a dangerously arousing effect on me. Once Viro and I had dealt with Nisina, we were treated to the scene developing in the hallway. My practical, calm, elegant mate was throwing slaps and baring her teeth.
