Great.
There went my happy evening. All because of a song. I shook my head and followed them inside, ready to face whatever else waited to be thrown my way. Because at this point, what was one more mark on my record?
Chapter Eight
Kols
I glared down at the message from Emelyn, not in the mood to deal with her bullshit. Alas, I had no choice but to appease the bitch. I couldn’t risk her finding out I mate-bonded Aflora. Not because I cared about Emelyn’s emotional reaction—which, I imagined, would be violent considering I was supposed to mate her, not Aflora—but because I knew Emelyn would go straight to her father with the information.
And he would go to my father.
Sighing, I typed out a response regarding her outfit question and hit Send. Then added, Not that we’re going together. Because no, we were not attending the Blood Gala as a couple.
Talk to your father, she replied. He’s the one mandating we make a public appearance, Prince.
I rolled my eyes because I heard the derisive snort on the end of that sentence. Consider it done. We’re not going.
Good, she shot back.
Good, I repeated at her.
Then I put my phone down on the coffee table and ran my fingers through my hair. “Fuck,” I muttered, exhausted. My father had been trying to force my hand with Emelyn Jyn for several years. Neither of us was keen on the arrangement, nor did we have much say in it.
Her father, Lima, was Malik Nacht’s right-hand man. They’d established the agreement between our families years ago, deciding that crossing the birth lines would produce one hell of an heir.
Sure, Emelyn and I would create a powerful child.
But that required us to fuck, which would never happen.
She despised me almost as much as I despised her. And there was only one female I wanted in my bed right now—the one walking through the door with my brother and his mate. Mmm, I loved her legs in that skirt and boots combo. But I didn’t particularly care for the wary expression upon finding me sitting in the living area.
Aflora was not going to forgive me easily. I hadn’t betrayed her trust, at least not intentionally. However, her blue eyes said I’d destroyed every bridge we’d built, landing me near the top of her dislike list.
I cleared my throat and stood. “Your packages arrived and have been put away.”
“By you?” she asked, sounding displeased at the prospect.
“Yes, but you can reorganize however you want.”
She lifted her chin a notch upward, lengthening her regal neck. “I will.”
Yep. Definitely not going to forgive me anytime soon.
Tray cleared his throat before I could reply, not that I really had a response. “Aflora, sing again.”
My brow furrowed at the bizarre request. “What?”
“Quiet,” he snapped at me, focusing on my gorgeous mate instead. “Sing again.”
She cleared her throat. “It’s just a ballad my mom taught me.”
He nodded. “And I want Kols to hear it. Please.”
Uh… I looked at Ella for an explanation, but her concerned gaze was on Aflora. My mate twisted her hands in front of her and cleared her throat. Then she began to hum, and I swore my heart stopped at the hypnotic sound.
I gaped at her, amazed by the sweet notes leaving her mouth. Ballad was an understatement. Aflora resembled a siren, her voice tugging at my very soul.
Mine, I thought. This beautiful creature is mine.