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I’d been stunned into silence when she stood up to the woman.

She’d claimed me as hers—said she was mine.

Sure, I could have brushed it off as words meant to drive the woman away, but her scent said something more. There was a sharpness to her scent that I didn’t recognize. It wasn’t sour like when she was uncomfortable or afraid.

In that moment, I wished I understood more about her scent signature to know what it meant to her when she claimed me.

Because the claim meant something. I smelled it in her scent.

She hadn’t lied.

That was a real mindfuck.

Calling her out just blew up in my face. I asked her straight up how she felt, only to have her throw the past back at me. Not that I didn’t deserve it.

I groaned and scrubbed my face.

“Cyn, wait up!”

I looked over my shoulder as Zeke waved a hand.

“We’re walking too,” he said, catching up to me with Raelynn, Ezra, and Ash trailing behind.

Raelynn yawned. “I need some fresh air, anyway. I’m worn out and don’t wanna fall asleep in the car when we’re not too far.”

“Are you sure you want to walk?” Ash kissed the top of her head and looped his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll carry you inside if you fall asleep.”

“It isn’t a problem to get a car,” Ezra said.

She glanced back down the driveway toward the palace, holding her dress up to keep from stepping on it. “Yeah, I’m fine. Besides, I wanna be awake for tonight.”

“What’s happening tonight?” Zeke asked.

She tucked her head and smiled.

“What?” Zeke looked between her and Ash when Ash chuckled.

“They’re going to fuck again,” I said, already annoyed by the sappy shit.

Why did it bother me? I liked knowing Ash had found someone. But something about having it shoved in my face pissed me off to no end.

“Watch it,” Ash said, shooting me a look that told me I’d overstepped.

I sucked my teeth and walked ahead of the group, tuning out what Zeke said and Ezra’s response.

I didn’t want to fight with her anymore.

I didn’t want to bond with her either.

As much as I wanted to trust her like my brothers, I couldn’t. It wasn’t so much that I distrusted the woman. It was what she represented. She didn’t even know her true species. What other secrets were hiding behind her silvery-purple eyes?

I believed she didn’t know more than she said, but it didn’t mean we could take her existence in our lives at face value.

Could I ignore those concerns to live with her? Sure. But to bond with her as a complete Nyrith pairing? Even if I could, she didn’t want the bond. She didn’t trust me—and I deserved that.

I tucked my hand into my pocket, fisting the small bag inside.

“Cyn!”