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“No.”

When Ezra didn’t elaborate, I clenched my teeth together and started sawing away at the last of my grilled meat to avoid saying something I’d regret.

I didn’t want to embarrass them, but he didn’t have to make it sound inevitable.

“She’s not going to embarrass us,” Ash said.

“I’m not saying she will.”

“Kinda did,” Zeke said.

“That’s because she doesn’t know anything,” Cyn said.

“Correct. If she goes into Elyrdin without an understanding of our ways or laws, she will not only embarrass herself but as the princes’ Nyrith, she’ll be held to a higher expectation.”

“Who cares about what anyone expects?” Ash glanced over at me as I continued to massacre the meat on my plate, stewing in silence. “I agree she needs to learn about our world—if she wants to—but are you that concerned about how she’ll make us look?”

Ezra exhaled. “Honestly? No, but Father—”

“Shit!” My hand slipped when I cut too hard, forcing the knife’s blade into the side of my hand. I dropped the knife onto my plate with a clatter and inspected the cut where blood beaded.

Ash took my hand in his, inspecting it.

“It’s fine.” I pulled my hand away. “Just a little cut.”

“Need some tissues?”

“Nah, it’s not bad.” The wound closed as I sucked the blood from the cut. It still blew my mind that my body was capable of that.

Cyn shoved his chair back, drawing everyone’s attention. His heated eyes met mine before he turned and stormed out of the room.

Zeke sighed.

“I didn’t think this would bother him after earlier.”

Ash sat back in his seat. “Earlier?”

My neck heated. “I… kinda let him try my blood.”

“You what?”

“I did it to help us.”

Zeke poked at his salad. He already knew.

Ezra sat back in his seat, resting his palms on the table.

When they said nothing more, I squirmed in my seat. “Well, I thought it’d help. He has a problem with it. I thought maybe if he got it out of his system, maybe we could live amicably.” I shrugged. “Guess not.”

“It makes sense,” Ezra said. “That said, without a closed tether, it can only act as a temporary balm.”

“What do you mean?”

“While Cyn enjoys blood more than we do, his response to your blood is the same as any Nyrith’s.”

“Wait a minute.” I looked from Ezra to Ash. “Neither of you got all weird about it.”

“No,” Ash conceded. “But Cyn’s tolerance for blood is already low. Putting the fresh blood of his mate in front of him is bound to cause a volatile reaction.”