Mazikeen reluctantly escorts me to my room in the morning after breakfast. I was relieved to speak to Black and learn what happened last night to my aunt’s remains. I owe Wini and Aster big time, and I’m still a little confused why they would hide the evidence of Kane murdering Melody. I don’t know what to make of that, but I trust her enough at this point. Wini could have told her mother or brother. I could have been waking up with those awful tarot cards and my memories gone.
What Kane did was risky, and we were damn lucky to get away with it. I didn’t sleep in my father’s shirt last night, and usually that would mean a night of terrible sleep…but that didn’t happen. Instead, I had the best night’s sleep in a long time, and I was sad that Kane wasn’t with me when I woke up. He left to find Vale. I try not to focus on Vale and his awful reaction to finding out about the mate bond and my dragon blood.
I pause in front of the door to the room I share with Lock. I know I have to go in there and make sure that Lock knows that I spent the night at Wini’s, but at the same time, I really don’t want to. Maz doesn’t want to let me go either. We’re both staring at each other as the door opens behind me. I roll my eyes beforeturning to see Lock. “I thought I heard you out here. Where were you?”
“I thought your sister sent a magical note.” I pretend to be confused.
“I got the note. I still want to hear from you,” Lock growls. Maz tenses.
“Well, Melody and I both started to feel really unwell. Must have been the chicken, as we were the only ones to eat that.” The lie is easy when some of it is true. “Wini took me back to her room to look after me. She was lovely, and I just wanted somewhere to throw up in peace. I didn’t think you’d like the sound of me throwing up.”
“Well, maybe not.” He messes with his hair. “How are you feeling now?”
“Fine. Better.” I nod.
Lock looks over me, to Maz. “Why are you here?”
“I saw my bonded walking past and decided to escort her like the gentleman that I am,” Maz smoothly answers, coming closer to my back and resting his chin on my shoulder.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here, anyway,” Lock says to me, ignoring Maz. “This came for you. Give me your hand.” Lock crowds me, but Maz doesn’t move. Lock holds out a small box. My stomach drops as he opens it and shows off a massive pink-looking diamond on a gold band. It’s over the top, like a glowing brand that I’m his.
He yanks my hand to him, and he slides the ring onto my finger, feeling like a chain around my neck. “Perfect fit. Just perfect, like my wife.” He winks at Maz. “I knew when I took her virginity that I’d never get enough and I’d have her forever. I’m sure you will meet someone like that eventually.” Lock’s words are like visible hits, and Maz moves back to lean on the banister. Silent. Lock isn’t done. “It also has the bonus of being a tracker.I can find you wherever I want, thanks to this magical diamond. I don’t want you getting lost on me again.”
I clench my other hand into a fist. “How thoughtful.”
Lock kisses my hand with a self-satisfied smile. “Come into our room to celebrate when you’re done talking to your bonded.”
Maz is fixed on the ring on my finger as Lock shuts the door, and I make sure the silencing spell’s in place. “I need to break it or throw it in a lake. It’s horrible.” I try to pull it off, but it stays. No! I keep pulling at it, but my finger starts hurting the more I do. “He’s magically bound it to my finger. What a dickhead.”
“That spell dies when he dies.” Maz’s tone is cold. Brutal.
“Not all spells die when people die. You know that,” I whisper. “I’ll figure out a counterspell.”
“Mates only want their mate to wear jewelry from their mates. I hate this.” He growls, coming closer. “I hate that he has been inside my mate, and now you wear his jewelry. It’s driving me insane, Juni.”
I touch his chest, and his eyes drop closed. “I’ve wanted you ever since we kissed on the balcony last year, since we kissed in the classroom the year before with Kane kissing my neck at the same time. I’m yours, and he is nothing to me. Nothing, Mazikeen. I prefer dragon shifters with cheeky grins, and I’m fond of glasses.”
The tension drops away from Maz, and he sighs. “I need some time alone with you, Juni.”
“I’m going to study on Sunday at the library. I wondered if you wanted to come with me so we could spend the day there. I’ve got so many things that I need to research, and it’s a lot to do alone,” I suggest. We’d be mostly alone as it’s an empty library on weekends.
Maz picks my hand up and kisses my palm. Not the hand with the ring. “It’s a date, bonded.”
Heat dances up my spine, especially when he looks at me like that. I can hardly focus. “I-I need you to ask Vale to sit by me in class on Saturday. In the potions class. I need to show him some books on rare ingredients and see if he’d know anything about where we can get them. I think if anybody would, it’d be Vale. He seemed pretty mad, so I’m not going to ask him right now.”
“I’ll ask him and make sure he does it. I don’t think he’s mad, by the way. I think he’s just in denial, and he’s a fucking idiot.” Maz shrugs. “Maybe if I punch him, he will grow some brains.”
“Can I watch? If anyone deserves a punch, it’s Vale.” I laugh.
“Promise. Go back to your fiancé before he comes out here and I kill him.” He coughs on the wordfiancé. “I’ll see you in class in a bit.”
I smile before going into the room, shutting the door behind me. I walk only a few steps before Lock walks straight up to me and slaps me hard across the face. I fall straight to the floor from the hit, and my cheek throbs. He leans down as I wince, holding my sore cheek. “You don’t think I know that you didn’t sleep here last night because you had dragon cock?” He yanks my hair and pulls my face close to his. “You don’t think I don’t have markers on this very door to know exactly if someone comes in and out of my room? Of course I do. This whole room smells like another man. A dragon. You’re just a disloyal whore. So much for wanting to wait until marriage. I should pin you down now and remind you who is your fiancé, but I don’t like seconds.” He lets me go. He’s panting and so pale. “I don’t know why the fuck I feel sick every time I’m around you and it burns—” He pauses as I cup my cheek.
“Maybe we’re just not good for each other!” I snap.
“Or maybe you were trying to ruin everything. I have given you everything!” he shouts at me.
“Really? Because it kind of feels like you forced me into this relationship just because we slept together a few times.You made an entire marriage vow without really asking me if it’s something I wanted. Lock, you know that’s insane, right? I don’t even want to think about relationships right now when I’m getting ready to fight in a war and all I need to do is focus on my bonded and magic.” I sit up. I’m going to need to hide this mark on my cheek from my dragons, or they will kill Lock, and then my plan will go out the window.
