“Bet he loves that assignment.”
“Actually, he volunteered,” I replied.
Tray’s dark eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “Did he attend the meeting?”
I nodded. “He served as a witness in her trial.”
“Wait, there was a trial?” Aflora asked. “Why wasn’t I allowed to te
stify?”
“Because you’re a female,” Ella muttered. “The Council is full of sexist assholes.” She looked pointedly at me and Tray with those words, the argument a common one between us.
“It’s how our world functions,” I replied, more for Aflora’s benefit than Ella’s. The latter already knew full well how we did things around here. “Only males are allowed to present to the Council. If you have something to say, you send your mate.”
Aflora snorted. “Because I can trust Shade to speak on my behalf.” She shook her head, giving me a look. “I’m technically a queen, Prince Kolstov. I speak for myself.”
“From what I understand, you still haven’t accepted your ascension, which makes you a princess,” I corrected. “And as I said, our Council does not allow females to attend our proceedings.” As I agreed with her concerns regarding Shade, I didn’t comment on that part. But I did feel it was necessary to add, “That said, Shade did speak on your behalf today. And he did well.”
Her lips parted. “What? What did he say?”
“It’s not important. What you need to know is, the Council ruled to allow you to continue attending classes, but they want you to wear this upgraded collar. Shade, Zeph, and I have also been charged with monitoring your power growth, so you’ll be partnered with at least one of us in each class.” I glanced at Ella and Tray. “Do you mind giving us a minute to sort out the power exchange? Just in case there is a fallout from the swap?”
Normally, I wouldn’t mind their presence, but I wouldn’t risk Ella again.
Tray clearly agreed because he set his beer down without a word and walked to his mate, extending a hand.
“Really?” she said, giving us both a sardonic look. “Aflora’s not going to explode.”
Neither of us replied because we both knew that Aflora could indeed explode at any moment, and I was the only one powerful enough to handle the fallout.
“It’s fine,” Aflora murmured, pushing off the couch. “Let’s go to my room instead. I won’t fight the exchange.”
After her easy capitulation earlier, I assumed she’d say something like that. Because Aflora put everyone else’s safety above her own. This collar could very well suck the life right out of her, for all we knew, and yet she would willingly let me put it on her if it meant she’d suffer instead of those around her.
I admired the hell out of her for that.
Because I would do the same thing in her situation.
It was the responsibility of a royal to put others first. Which, consequently, was exactly why I loathed Emelyn Jyn. She only thought of herself, not others. When I told my father that, he merely shrugged and said it was my future duty to keep the woman in line. So, yet another task to fall on my shoulders in my future role.
Pushing the annoyance away, I focused on Aflora’s thick black hair falling in waves down her back as she led me to her room without another comment. She really was beautiful, in an otherworldly way, with her creamy skin, soft curves, and heart-shaped ass.
Any other lifetime, and I’d bend her over her bed, plunge deep inside her, and make her moan my name for hours.
But this life denied me the ability to follow through on that lust-crazed fantasy.
I caught her hand as she entered her room and led her to mine instead, desiring the familiarity of my personal space for the conversation we needed to have.
She didn’t fight my nonverbal request, just allowed me to take her into my quarters and shut the door. Stopping a few feet inside my room, she turned and watched me warily.
“I have no idea what this is going to do when I put it on you,” I admitted in the stillness between us.
Her throat worked as she swallowed. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
“Actually, I see there being two approaches here.” Hence the reason I wanted her in my room for this discussion. I was breaking about a dozen rules, but the idea came to me while on my journey home.
Collaring her felt wrong. Like a steep path I didn’t want to risk going down because I probably wouldn’t enjoy whatever I found waiting for me at the bottom.