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But no. He owed it to himself and this shot at a future to try.

Lucien fought past the shaking in his hand as he quietly, so as to not wake the others, knocked. A muffled female sound—Elain—answered.

He’d learned to master his pain. Had survived his father’s cruelty and a grief so profound it had remade his very soul. After the horrors of today, he could certainly face his mate, and all that he had contributed to her suffering.

With a silent prayer to the Mother, Lucien opened Elain’s bedroom door.

It took him a second to understand what he was seeing. That it was not some nightmare conjured by Bryaxis.

The monstrous, bat-like wings attached to a tattooed, powerful male body.

Elain under that male body, now turning her head Lucien’s way, pleasure still flushing her cheeks, breasts he’d never seen, peaked and gleaming, where the male had been suckling on them—

Azriel was in his mate’s bed, naked. And Elain was naked too.

CHAPTER

20

Azriel

How the hell had Lucien walked right into this room and Azriel had no fucking idea until the male was in the doorway?

He knew how. In the back of his mind, Az knew it was because his shadows had fled the moment he’d sought out Elain. They had gone to sulk in the hall, so they hadn’t been here to warn him of the male’s approach. And now it was too late to fade into a shadow himself, to deny this had happened.

“I . . .” Elain began, sitting upright, the blanket clutched to her chest. Covering those beautiful little breasts that he’d been exploring, the first steps in his journey toward what lay between her legs, which, despite their nakedness, he hadn’t yet touched, tasted—

“Get out of her room.”

Lucien’s low demand was barely audible.

Az knew that growl. A predator descending into a level of primitive violence that would only end with spilled blood.

Az didn’t take his focus off the male as he peeled his body from Elain’s. As he stood, his hardened cock already subsiding, and set his feet into a defensive position. Braced his wings.

“This is,” Elain gasped frantically, “this is a misunderstanding—” She scrambled to her feet beside Azriel, and he extended a wing to let her slide back into her nightgown in privacy. Privacy from the male, her mate, still staring as if he didn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

“What’s there to misunderstand?” Lucien’s voice was cold, even as Az could have sworn red-hot flame flickered in his eyes.

Where the hell were his shadows? There—out in the hall. Watching everything.

Come, Az commanded them. They refused. Didn’t move one inch closer.

Lucien pointed at Azriel, flame simmering at his fingertip. Its light bounced off his mechanical gold eye. Or was that magic brewing there, too? “Get out.”

“I’m not leaving her alone with you.”

Lucien bared his teeth. “Get. Out.”

Searing power crackled from the High Lord of Autumn’s youngest son. Az’s hand curled at his side, the Siphon atop it flaring to life. But if he manifested that power, drew a weapon—

What worse could he do to Lucien? The male had already found Az in bed with his mate.

“I’m going to rip out your fucking throat.” Lucien’s voice was soft with menace.

Az couldn’t stop his snort. “I’d like to see you try.”

“Please,” Elain begged, stepping between them, nightgown white and pure as moonlight. Az hauled her back behind him.