“It belongs to Tanith,” Ravi murmurs behind me.
I whirl to face him. “Tanith?”
His expression clouds over. “Alden’s mate.”
“Alden has a mate?” I scoff. “You expect me to believe that?”
Ravi glares at me. “I’ve done nothing to warrant your distrust.”
I snort. Right. Other than sitting on my damn throne. Just then, Alden reappears. Ravi and I step apart.
“I have the perfect afternoon planned,” I say cheerfully to the prince. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”
Cursing under my breath,I cut my twentieth lemon into wedges and toss them in the plastic garnish container behind the bar. Being assigned menial tasks like this is exhausting. If I want to uncover who summoned the Balam, I need to focus on productive activities—like revisiting the attack site for additional clues. Spending my time on bar prep does nothing to help improve Queen Vyvyan’s situation or bring us closer to finding the person behind the summoning. How does she not see that?
“I feel bad for Vane,” one of my colleagues whispers to another further down the bar.
“Me too,” another replies, a hint of malice in her tone.
“Why doesn’t she just leave? He doesn’t want her, and neither do we.”
“Yeah, not after what she did to Misty.”
“Misty’s so much sweeter, and he chose her?”
“Everyone is saying he regrets it . . .”
I lower my gaze, focusing on the cool water flowing between my sticky fingers. If only I could scrub away my past as easily as this lemon juice.
I hate him.
If I had been honest with Misty, none of this would have happened.
But that’s Vane’s fault, too. He made me lie.
The citrus scent washes over me as I scrub my hands. Suddenly, I’m transported elsewhere—tangled in cotton sheets, safe in strong arms that hold me like I’m precious. The memory is so vivid I can almostfeelthe warmth of his skin and hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my ear. I blink, forcing myself back to reality, but the ghost of that embrace lingers.
“Hey, sunshine.”
I lift my gaze, my heart leaping. Jaxson flashes a smile that could liven a morgue, and for a moment, I forget everything—until the weight of watchful eyes returns. I shut off the water and grab a rag, hands trembling as I dry them. Each step around the bar echoes with whispers from the vampires tracking my movement. Their judgment crawls across my skin. With forced casualness, feeling like there’s glass in my throat, I tug Jaxson out of earshot.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I hiss.
If Vyvyan finds out he was here, there’ll be hell to pay. Witches aren’t allowed inside the club during off hours.
If she found out he came to see me, she’d make an example of us both.
Jaxson simply laughs, warm and nostalgic, melting some of my anger. But coming here is reckless. “Good to see you, too, Desi,” he replies. “Even if you aren’t answering my calls.”
My lips purse. I don’t have time for Jaxson’s antics tonight. I’ve been ignoring his calls since I got called into Vyvyan’s room about Mom’s cure—not out of disinterest, but to keep him safe and my place here secure. He deserves an explanation, but not here.
“Do you have a death wish?” I ask, and Jax raises an inquiring brow. My stomach does a low flip as I take him in. By the stars, he’s so attractive. Gone are his boyish good looks, and in their place are masculine features that seem chiseled fromstone. He’s a dangerous distraction from my promise to Vyvyan. “You need to leave. I’ll call you?—”
“Desi, I’m not here to see you.”
I blink, finally noticing his uniform. Jax smiles again, and my heart pounds—betraying me, considering how easily he cast me aside for Wilder last year. The familiar ache of abandonment twists in my chest, as sharp as a scalpel, while heat floods my cheeks. That smile used to make me do unlawful things to him back when I thought I meant more to him.
“Then why are you here?” I ask.
