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“Why don’t you go with them, Rae?” She didn’t need to be here with Rhazien sniffing after her and Caelia ignoring her. Even the treacherous desert would be safer for her heart.
She shook her head. “It’s not safe to leave you here alone.”
“I’ll be fine. We should depart in the next few days. Striker is our priority.”
She stared at me for a long moment before nodding, a sigh of relief escaping her.
“Good hunting. But be careful,” I warned them all.
Our group fell silent as my mother entered. Her suffocating presence seemed to suck air from the room and caused my heart to hammer in my chest.
“Out. I need to speak with my son.” Nyana said, his cold voice ringing with authority.
Raenisa, Herrath, and Zerek excused themselves, leaving me alone with her.
Her eyes bored into mine, the weight of her expectations crushing me. “What did Varzorn tell you last night?” she demanded, a flush rising to her pale cheeks.
I hesitated, trying to come up with a suitable answer. But my mother was not one to be kept waiting. “He said I would be returning home.”
My mother’s eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer to me, her expression darkening. “Home? Not the Niothe?”
I swallowed hard, a knot forming in my stomach. “Yes, home.”
“Foolish boy.” She glowered at me. “You’re trying to usurp your brother again, aren’t you? You want to take his place as heir.”
I clenched my fists; the anger rising within me. “That’s not true,” I spat.
My mother stalked forward, her eyes blazing with fury. “You will fall in line, Theron. Or I’ll make sure you never disobey me again.”
My fear and anger warred inside me, and I struggled to keep my voice steady. “I won’t be caged again,” I said, my voice shaking. “I’ll do what I must, but I won’t let you break me.”
Nyana’s expression twisted into a wintry smile. “We’ll see,” she said, before turning and stalking out of the suite, leaving me to wonder what my mother’s next move would be.
A scrape drew my attention, and I saw Kael watching from a crack in the door. She quickly averted her gaze, but not before I glimpsed pity in her green eyes. Embarrassment and anger flooded me as I realized she must have overheard our conversation. I stalked forward, pushing the door open as she backed up as I crowded her.
“What were you doing?” I growled.
She lifted her chin, her familiar glare in place once more. “Eavesdropping.”
Stubborn woman. The only time she ever submitted to me was when I pleasured her.
I stepped closer, trapping her between my arms. Her eyes widened, and I relished the heat radiating from her body.
“If you wanted me to pleasure you, Kael, you should have just asked,” I said as I leaned down, my voice low and seductive.
“Never.”
“You want this as much as I do,” I murmured, my lips brushing the shell of her ear. “You want to feel what it’s like to have my cock buried in that tight cunt of yours.”
“Bullshit. You know nothing about me,” she said, trying to push past me.
I grabbed her arm and pulled her back, my arms encircling her waist.
“I know you’re attracted to me,” I breathed as I leaned in close, my lips hovering over hers. “But you’re too scared to admit it.”
She trembled in my arms and looked away, unable to meet my gaze any longer. I had found the one thing that could break through Kael’s tough exterior—fear of desire itself.
Her breathing quickened, and I could see the flush of passion on her cheeks. Despite how much she detested me, her attraction was undeniable.
