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“I’ll be right out,” I informed Zephyrine, poking my head out.
She smiled at me warmly, and my chest tightened at her beauty, but as her lips parted to answer, I felt a brush of movement behind me, and Stralia joined the conversation.
“I’m just leaving,” she cooed sweetly.
I watched Zephy’s face change into confusion, then shock, and then anger. I whirled around to confront Stralia, but the fae had already pushed past me to make her way into the hallway. I cringed as Zephy’s eyes took in her skimpy attire.
“Miss Zephyrine,” Stralia drawled, offering an exaggerated curtsey toward Zephyrine before vanishing down the hallway.
Accusingly, my bride-to-be stared at me, but without a word, she spun around to leave.
“Zephy—”
“It’s all right,” she rasped, not looking back.
I grabbed at her arm, and she tried to wrench away, but she was no match for my hold as I yanked her into the privacy of my suites. The last thing I needed were more rumors circulating among the staff by catching us arguing.
“Let me go!” she shouted, the emotion in her voice cracking me.
I closed the door with my free hand and shook my head.
“Not until you listen to me,” I replied evenly. “It’s not what you think.”
“I think you had a half-naked fae in your suites. Are you saying I dreamed that?” she retorted.
“I mean that nothing happened between Stralia and me.”
Zephyrine snorted in disbelief, folding her arms over her chest. “You lied to me about her. Youarestill involved with her!”
“I didn’t lie!” I shot back. But I willed myself to calm down. Stralia and I did have a past, and I had been dishonest with Zephy when I introduced myself as Axel when we first met. She had good reason to question me. “She came to me unexpectedly. I told her to leave.”
“Yes. It looks like you were trying very hard to get her out.”
I glowered. “Sarcasm isn’t a good look on a queen.”
“Adultery isn’t a good look on a king!”
We glared at one another for a moment, and I was forced to draw in a breath before the matter could escalate. “I understand why you’re upset, Zephyrine, but you’re wrong about what you believe happened here. Why would I have a mistress here when I knew you were coming?”
Her face softened slightly. “Maybe because you’re a cruel sadist?”
My jaw tightened. “Is that what you think of me?”
She dropped her chin, but she didn’t answer.
“I asked Stralia to leave, but she is having a difficult time accepting that she is no longer the main focus of my attention.”
Furtively, Zephyrine snuck a glance at me, and I offered her a taut smile. “Yes. I’m saying that you are, Zephy.”
She blushed and looked away again.
“You may not know me well, but I think you know me well enough to know that I’m not a sadist. I don’t have any intentions of hurting you.”
“I don’t know that. I know you’ve already lied to me once,” she blurted out.
I tensed at the reminder. “And I explained why. I wanted to know the real you.”
“And I don’t know the real you because of your little ploy.”
