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Riithan looked at them and said, “Miss Baola, I would like to speak with your aunt alone.”
“Don’t yell at her, and don’t make her mad. I want to see my cousin. She’s gonna be cute.”
Ylara smiled as her niece crawled off the bed. “Baola is a very accurate seer. Just like the rest of us, but mine seems to have been knocked off its rails lately.”
Baola stopped and glared up at him. “Be nice, or I will ask Salat to cut that tail thing off.”
Riithan blinked in surprise. “You think he would do it?”
“I have never asked him for a favour before. If not, Khytten would happily shoot it off.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
“Why would Khytten do that?” He flicked a glance to Ylara.
Ylara started to laugh. “One, I am her sister, and two, she is Baola’s birth mother. Three, she likes shooting things.”
He looked down at the tiny scowling young woman. “I see. I will be polite, but some things I need to say to her will not be nice.”
“Fine. But keep all hands above the equator.” Baola poked him in the chest and flounced out of the room. “Khytten said she will help me with target practice. The babies need to get used to the sound.”
She closed the door behind her, and Ylara was alone with Riithan.
She smoothed her hands over the fabric of the duvet, and she didn’t say anything.
“I have never seen someone who had been infected with my venom still alive this long after exposure.”
She leaned back and closed her eyes. “Yay me.”
“If you had left the mark intact, you would have been fine.”
She opened her eyes, furious. “I had to get the mark removed; you didn’t want me. I am not going to torture myself with a mark from a man I am not going to be with again. Mating marks are for mates. I didn’t consent.”
He walked up to the edge of the bed. “No. I didn’t ask you, did I? It was an impulse, an instinct.”
“Can you undo this?”
He sat next to her and nudged her legs with the back of his hand. “Make room.”
She gritted her teeth. “I can’t. I lost control of my legs an hour ago.”
She laughed helplessly. “I am glad they brought me here, though. Vallu was getting pretty bummed out that she didn’t have enough energy to do more than stalling the progress.”
Riithan took her hand in his and turned it. “You are losing feeling in your hands.”
“Yup.”
“You are trying not to worry your family.”
“Absofuckinglutely.”
She watched as he got up and flipped the bedding back.
He looked her over. “Lovely gown. You knew I was coming?”
She snorted. “No. All my clothing is from my wardrobe at the BDC. It’s a bit outdated. They raided it for me when I went to the lab after passing out.”
“Did you wear it with any patrons?”
“No. Why would I? My dates weren’t that long.”
