He steps forward from the corner. “You missed my request for you and your lovely mate’s presence on the royal island, so I thought I’d come to you and find out why you’re ignoring me.”
I wince. “I forgot, really.”
The lie is weak and we both know it.
Amir looks to Mara and bows his head. “Did you forget, beautiful lioness?”
She bows her head back. Her tail drops in submission, but she doesn’t answer him.
“Now that I have you both, we can finish this discussion.” Amir’s voice is pleasant.
“Can’t we try to reschedule or something?” I sound childish.
Mara grabs my arm, her grip firm.
It hits me late that I don’t know how much he heard. Eric. The Glen. Fear slides down my back at the thought.
“How much of our private conversation did you hear?”
Amir starts to walk around the suite, grinning.
“I’m not in the business of knowing your marital conversations. What I’m here for is to counsel you about what happened with Solaris Pride. This is not something you can avoid,” he says.
I look to Mara. She nods to me, encouraging. I told her I’d deal with it, and now I have to.
“Alright.” The word feels inadequate for the magnitude of what’s coming.
But then Mara surprises me.
“There’s something I need to do,” she says.
I turn to her, suspicion rising. “And what is that?”
Mara falls quiet. She starts to purr, soft, but her tail is swaying. My brows pull down. She’s up to something.
Amir approaches her, his presence making her seem smaller. “While I would love for you to join us, beautiful lioness, you are not obligated. I’ve already spoken my piece with you.”
Her ears fall flat against her head, a gesture of submission that makes something protective rise in me. Amir bows to her. Mara bows back, her movements graceful despite her obvious discomfort.
“My lord,” she says.
He lifts his finger to her chin and raises it until her eyes meet his. She gasps, small and startled, and I have to force myself not to step between them.
“You are my family, Mara, not my subordinate. Do not bow to me again.” His voice is gentle but carries an authority that fills the room.
Mara gasps again, her lips parted.
“Hopefully, my words to you were enough to make my point,” Amir says.
She nods, solemn.
I grab her arm and pull her to me. “Mara, baby. What are you up to?”
Amir grins, clearly amused by our dynamic. Mara doesn’t respond.
I frown at her, hurt and confusion warring inside me. “I’m going to find you as soon as I finish with Amir.”
I release her arm. She turns and walks out the door, her tail brushing the doorframe on the way through.
