I folded my arms and tilted my chin in the air. “Are my mate and uncle safe?”
“Would you care?”
“Of course. I may be angry, but relationships aren’t plain sailing.”
“There is nothing shakier than a relationship built on falsehoods.”
My heart squeezed, and my throat tightened. It wasn’t all lies. His kisses, his heart, and his soul didn’t lie, but deciding my life and future without my consent would not be easily forgiven. It was going to take serious groveling on his part.
I folded myself into the chair, and Donn slid it under the table before taking his seat. He snapped his fingers, and plates full of Michelin-worthy food appeared. “Eat,” he demanded.
My stomach twisted, starving for something other than what was being offered. I leaned back. “I’m not hungry.”
“Do not lie to me.”
“I’m not hungry for this.”
His lips twitched, and I was swept away by the slight gesture for a moment. Donn had an energy that flowed around the room, and to a being born of death, it was seductive. Even if I wasn’t in the market for a god. My heart belonged to a shifter with boundary issues.
“Then eat something you crave.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose, and my fingers twitched, but I didn’t turn around. Their heartbeats thrummed against my spine, and I fought the urge to discover who or what he’d welcomed for me to devour.
“Perfection,”Indigo purred.
“Souls aren’t snacks,”I snapped at her.
“No, they are gourmet meals.”
Donn’s power swept over me in a caress, taunting me to give in to the being warring inside me. I slammed a lid on my psyche, cutting him off. I wouldn’t be able to hold it for long, but I wasn’t planning on having a sleepover.
“I’m not here for snacks. You said we have much to discuss. I want my grandmother returned to her original state.”
Donn leaned back on his throne and stroked his chin. The heartbeats receded, leaving us alone once more.
“I have no interest in your grandmother or in your petty squabbles.”
“Petty? She is trying to start a war.”
He waved his hand. “This has been done before. Humans have a remarkable ability to survive. Much like cockroaches.”
“Then you will have no problem stepping aside.”
“I told you it would take effort. How will you make it worth my while?”
Negotiating with a god. Where was my training for this? I was used to serpents and egotistical grandmothers. Donn was on another level, and I was struggling to get a read on him. When in doubt, be direct.
“What do you want?”
His mouth stretched into a toothy grin, one that sent a shiver skipping down my spine.
Oh boy.
“You.”
I sucked in a breath. I had enough issues with a determined prehistoric tiger—I did not need a god in my orbit. I shook my head. “I’m spoken for.”
“Literally. He speaks for you and decides your course in life. He doesn’t respect the power in your veins or the woman you are. I would never betray you like that.”
