Page 76 of Queen of Diamonds

“He’s okay. Now, I mean.”

“What happens when I’m gone?” she asked. “I shouldn’t have…” She swallowed, searching for words.

“Have let him fuck you suspended over the whole damn warehouse for us all to see?”

She spluttered a laugh, wiping her eyes aggressively.

“Far as I could tell, he wasn’t really asking.”

Her smile was weak, chin quivering. Damn. She was way more distraught than I’d imagined she’d be.

I’d forgotten how unbelievably cute she was when she was vulnerable. And… well, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, caring. So far we’d seen smoking hot mafia princess, but this was bringing back other memories.

“There needs to be a plan f-for when I…” She trailed off, struggling to find the words. “I can’t stay here forever?—”

She cut off at my low growl, eyes wide as she glanced up at me.

I blinked, realising my hand had jumped to her neck.

“You…” I cleared my throat, trying to ground myself. “You have to stop saying that.”

Why?

It was the truth.

A low, white hot fury boiled in my blood at the thought.

No.

No, it wasn’t the truth. She was ours. Then and now.

Forever.

Reality began to fade: of what she’d done, what we’d paid for that, of who she’d chosen over me. It was all slipping away like water down a drain.

Instead, all I could see was her. My mate, with tears on her cheeks, glittering from the sun above, all because she was afraid for Kyan.

And she was talking about leaving.

Never.

She was ours.

“Zed…” She frowned up at me, eyes darting between mine. “I think…”

Oh.

Shit.

I’d been so focused on Knight, I hadn’t even considered…

Hormones burst like firecrackers in my blood. The warehouse, the patio set, the blue sky above, it all vanished. All I could see were bright brown eyes as my sanity fell away for a rut the likes of which I’d never felt.

KNIGHT

Holy shit.

Zed had devolved in a matter of seconds. One moment the bond was normal, then he’d gone completely primal. Kyan, of course, out and mid-tantrum, had locked the bond down completely.

---