“Dumb as a fucking rock,” Bael muttered under his breath. “It was a rhetorical question, Stoney.”
“She said she wanted to know.”
“Newsflash, you’re not that much older than me,” Nix told him. “I’m from six years in the future.”
Thierry swallowed and nodded stiffly. “Apologies.” Lucky for him, he appeared remorseful.
“It shouldn’t matter if I am a swan, a dragon, or a phoenix shifter. You do not get to decide ‘what to do’ with me without consulting me.”
She looked right at Thierry as she said, “I told you that if you left me there, in that cage with a stranger, that I would never forgive you. And. You. Still. Left.Youare the reason I died.”
Her words acted as a spear driving through his chest. Thierry stumbled back a step; his mouth hung open in horror as his wide eyes projected an aching sadness. “Nix… It wasn’tme.”
She added, twisting the invisible knife she lodged in his chest, “Yet. I promised myself in this second chance at life, back at the academy, that I would never be helpless again,” Nixadmitted and flinched at how she had failed, at how she had becomedistracted. “That I would not be subject to the mercy and ‘kindness’ of self-righteous, self-centered alphas.”
“Baby—” Bael began.
“Fuck all of you. Why do you think you should haveany final sayon what happens tome and my body?” Flames lit up Nix’s hair like a glorious halo.
“Nix…” Thierry opened and closed his mouth twice before speaking. “I cannot fathom a situation where I would knowingly put you in danger. To put you in acage, I—I must have had a good reason—”
“Oh, defend yourself more.” Her eyes flashed a flaming red. “I dare you,” she told him.
“I—I’m sorry.” Thierry’s breath caught, and he rubbed a hand over the left side of his chest. “I’m sorry.”
Pushing her shoulders back, Nix told them, “You all need to learn to respect my thoughts and decisions as much as your own. Trust me when I say, Iwillwalk away from you all—I watched you do it to me.”Left me in a cage.
A growl rumbled in Ryker’s chest.
“So, this time around, we are going to go with my plan.”I need to come up with a plan, she thought internally, whilst feigning complete confidence. “You can either get out of my way or do exactly as I say,” she told them. “Can you do that? Ignore your alpha me-so-smart-and-strong instincts andlisten?”
She expected some level of insult to be taken, but instead, her men gazed at her with remorse.
Thierry exhaled choppily. “I think something has not been made clear, and I take responsibility for that.”
The next second, Thierry kneeled in front of her. He stole her palm and kissed the back of it.
He said, “My mate, my heartbeat, every book I have read was to prepare to act as your advisor—never your decider. Any knowledge I have is for you to use;neverto be used against you.”
He continued, “I do not seek to control you or own you or make your choices for you.” His silver eyes penetrated her soul as he swore, “From this day, the only iron fist you will see from me will be around your enemies’ throats—at your command.”
Persius kneeled as well, stealing her other hand to kiss and swear his loyalty.
Ryker fell to both knees, right between the other two, and kissed her abdomen. “Mine. And yours.”
Bael blew a kiss at her. “You know I’ll do whatever you want. Always.”
Nix huffed and crossed her arms over her chest—not able to fully forgive. Still, emotions swelled and wrung in her chest. “I need a protection potion this morning.”
Bael cocked his head to the side in curiosity.
Able to look back on her memories with a clear head, Nix informed them, “The Oadess family enchants me today to make me believe I am in love with Adar. You all found me with him and hid me away.”
“Foundyou with him?” Bael’s red eyes flashed. “Found you how?”
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing happened—”
“Did he try something?” Persius asked in an unusually dark voice for the normally sunshine-like man.
