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I cleared my throat as I approached, letting him know I was there so I didn’t take him off guard.

His icy stare snapped to me, but he said nothing.

“Hi,” I whispered, wringing my hands in front of me.

With his intense eyes fixed on me, the well-known sensation of wanting to defer to him wrapped around me.

No.

I shook my head rapidly.

His eyebrow arched in question.

“Can’t sleep?”

Smooth.

Again, nothing.

I lifted my hand, squeezing my forearm. “I was hot.”

His gaze flicked to the thermostat.

I lifted my hands. “No. I’m fine now. Just three people in the bed makes it—you know what? You don’t need to hear about that.”

Oh my god, why couldn’t I get it together?

My hand went into my hair, fluffing my bedhead. “Listen, I wanted to talk.”

“You’re talking,” he said, voice low and restrained, back to the Ezra I knew all too well.

“Touché.” I huffed a laugh and glanced out the window. “I mean, about the bond.”

He wasn’t aware, but I caught his shoulders stiffen in his reflection on the glass.

“Not about the guys,” I rushed to say.

I didn’t want him thinking I wanted to give him details about what happened between Cyn, Zeke, and me. What we experienced wasn’t really his business, but he’d felt it.

When Ash and I bonded, they’d told me they knew the moment the connection snapped into place. They’d also known when I’d gotten off—but I couldn’t remember if that was through the magic of the bond or because of how loud I’d been.

I shook off the thought.

“Did you know there’s a way to break an incomplete tether?”

Silence.

“Quinfina once told me about it, but advised against it. But when I was with Rinlora’s mother, she’d explained it.” I wrapped my arms around my waist. “They were going to use the magic to break my connection with you all—which you already know. But I got to thinking… we could use it to sever our tether.” I turned to him.

He’d looked furious in the kitchen, but now he looked downright murderous.

“I mean, not with the others. I wouldn’t do that to them. I love them all.”

His expression didn’t change. In fact, it seemed to grow darker.

I didn’t understand.

“I swear I wanna keep my bonds with them. You don’t have to worry about that.”