“Everly.”
“You can mindspeak over that great of a distance?” Tristan breathes, his wide purple eyes bouncing between us.
“Seems like it,” Maxon responds.
“That’s amazing!” Rayna gushes. “But why haven’t you confirmed your mating status? It is obvious from Everly’s markings, but I thought this would be something you’d be shouting from the rooftops.”
“There has been a lot going on, and I didn’t want to overwhelm Everly.”
“Right. Your memories returning and the prophecy.” Her casually spoken statement catches me off guard, and I blink in surprise.
“Sorry, I told her.” Zaria looks contrite.
That’s when I notice Zaria is bleeding from a cut on her arm. The vivid crimson of her blood catches my attention, standing out against her sage dress. My eyes zero in on the gash, the sight of it sending a surge of concern through me. It seems I’m not the only one to notice. Raiden, with a determined stride, storms over to her. Zaria’s brown eyes widen in surprise as Raiden gently lifts her arm. I can’t see his face; all I can see is the tension radiating from his shoulders.
“What happened?” His snarl echoes through the room, startling Rayna and causing her to retreat a step.
“An arrow nicked me. It will heal soon enough.”
“It would heal quicker if you could shift,” Raiden snaps.
Hurt lines Zaria’s eyes, and I can see tears building. A sharp pain pierces my chest at her obvious distress. Maxon's attention shifts to me, as if he can feel the weight of my pain.
Zaria’s tail pokes Raiden in the chest twice. “You don’t think I know that?”
“I didn’t mean–”
“Yes, you did.”
Raiden reaches up, cupping her neck, his thumbs grazing her jaw. “I didn’t.”
Then, surprising us all, Raiden leans down, dropping a gentle kiss on her forehead. My heart swoons, and my gaze catches Maxon’s, his lips tipping up in a knowing smirk.
Zaria and Raiden take a step back, creating a space between them. I watch as Zaria makes her way toward me, her hands sending a chill through my skin as she clutches mine. Zaria is never cold. As a shifter, her body heat keeps her warm, even in the coldest of temperatures.
"Are you okay?" Her concern is evident in her voice. “I tried searching for you when you weren’t in your room, but then with the Outcasts and everything, I needed to get to Rayna.”
“There is no need to explain. I was fine. I came through the tunnels to Maxon’s chambers when I couldn’t sleep.”
Raiden snorts. “She was not fine. These fools locked her in a wardrobe to stop her from leaving the room when the commotion started.”
Zaria’s ears twitch, understanding lighting her feline eyes.
“Raiden told you?” I whispered.
“Yes. But I swear I have told no one.”
“It’s fine.”
Tristan steps forward. “Would you stop saying everything is fine? It’s not fine.”
“He is right,” Maxon agrees, his eyes narrowing on him.
Ignoring them, I pull Zaria down next to me on the sofa and tilt her arm so I can see the gash better.
“It’s still weeping blood,” I murmur. “And you’re cold to the touch.”
“I know . . . ” Zaria sighs. “I suspect the arrow waspoisoned.”
