Page 90 of Retrograde

Because they hadn’t suggested it to help. They’d wanted me to fall into the stupidest trap ever and make the public hate me more.

Yeah, I wouldn’t forget that, and I gave that Alpha a look that he’d made a mistake. A big one.

Clearly, he wasn’t happy I’d handled his issues with the drought without him. Well, he shouldn’t have been an asshole.

I turned when there were several murmurs and my eyes went wide when threemassiveflower arrangements were carried in.

“Why are you bringing them inhere?” Onyx demanded of the guards as he came jogging over. “They’re for her room or study.”

“You sent me flowers?” I asked, glancing between him and the gorgeous arrangements.

He cleared his throat and looked around before moving closer. “My dragon wanted to apologize and you—the last ones died. I want you to always have some sort of—you like flowers and I want to learn which are your favorites.”

There was a loud snort behind us. “Someone’s trying to get laid tonight.”

“Over the line,” someone snapped and a few people agreed as Onyx chuffed like he was going to pound someone.

But then everyone froze, like went eerily quiet and I wasn’t sure why.

Myriam sighed when I glanced at her. “You have the best poker face in the world—legendary when it’s politics or being a royal, but you—we need to work on hiding your personal feelings.”

My hands immediately went to my cheeks that were fire dragon hot and I was sure my ears were too even. I was about to grab one of the arrangements and hurry out of there, but Thorn was suddenly in front of me chuffing.

“You haven’t been with him,” he muttered, grabbing my wrists and pulling them away from my face.

“What?” I gasped and yanked my hands away.

“That’s not your business,” Onyx snapped and shoved him away from me. “Why do you keep embarrassing her?”

Thorn didn’t even cut him a glance. “We all just saw it. You’ve not had sex.”

I glanced at Myriam who nodded to confirm it. Whatever I’d done had somehow alerted the entire fucking huge room that I’d not slept with Onyx yet. “Okay, whoever made the inappropriate crack about yourqueen’ssex life needs to run. Seriously, we’re having words later.”

“Oh no, let me,” Fraser chuckled darkly. “They can’t keep treating you like a woman instead of their boss and then not be gentlemen butpigs. It’s just any reason to disrespect you.”

I was glad when several people clearly agreed. I thought it was over and I went to move on, but Thorn didn’t let it go.

“Say it. Say you haven’t been with him,” he chuffed and reached for me.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” someone shouted. “Youhavescrewed her. That’s why you’re acting like this.” There was some cursing and I turned to find his uncle throwing a fit. “That night she was drugged. You were the one. You disappeared during the feast and were weird the next morning. That’s the interview you had to help her.”

Well, at least he just went on the record with witnesses to knowing something from his emails. I filed that away for later but focused on this new fucked up crazy.

“How could you not update me on this progress? Who do you think you are to—”

I was across the room before most could blink and backhanded Alpha Kael hard enough that I broke bones and he landed on the ground in a heap. “Who do you thinkyouare?Progress? I’m not astock, Alpha. I’m not aninvestmentthat you’re making. I’m yourbossand Queen of Thovudin. He screwed me? Are you out of yourmind?”

I stood up and turned to face the rest of the room, letting out a slow breath.

“Ifanyof you release that information, it will be—you willnotlike the outcome. Don’t test me on this. I was drugged and don’t remember it. Thorn was traumatized because of it and—do not speak of this, and forget you heard it.” I turned back to Thorn’s uncle. “Or you will loseeverything. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he bit out, knowing when he was bested. He glanced past me and shot Thorn a look of retribution.

I moved into his view. “He did as he should and kept his promise to never speak of it. We’re not together. We’ve not been together—leave it alone before you end up in my dungeon to cool your head.”

“There’s room after some elders have been cleared out,” Maple said with a chuckle. “Besides, we had to investigate Thorn wasn’t the one who drugged the queen originally since there are rumors you like to use that same drug on women forfun, Alpha.”

Kael got angry… At being busted. Not insulted.