His eyes flared with warning, some sort of hidden message brewing in his azure depths.
Had they sent him down here to torment me while they observed?
Was I supposed to admit something?
Remain quiet?
Fight him?
I didn’t know.
“It would help if I knew what I was on trial for,” I said, narrowing my gaze.
“You don’t remember what you told me last night?” he countered, his lips curling. “I suppose the sex was pretty intense in comparison.”
Sex? We didn’t have sex. He’d used his thigh to force my climax. Then Zeph and Kols had taken over my dreams afterward.
What are you trying to tell me? I wondered, some of my ire cooling in favor of confusion. “I told you I should be exterminated.”
“Yes, if your power can’t be controlled,” he replied, his emphasis on the word if making me frown. “Do you have anything you wish to add to that statement?”
“What would I add?” I countered.
“That’s why I’m here.” His thumb stroked my wrist. “Is there anything you want me to say on your behalf?”
“I don’t want you to speak on my behalf.”
“That’s not how our rules work.”
“Well, your rules are archaic.”
“Perhaps, but that’s a discussion for another day, Aflora. I need to know if there’s anything else you want me to tell them. That’s why I’m down here—at the Council’s request—and why some of them are watching us right now.”
There it was, a reiteration of a warning.
They can hear and see us.
Okay.
I expected that.
But why did it concern him? Because he didn’t want me to mention the quad-bond? How would that impact him? Everyone knew we were mates already. Kols and Zeph were the ones who’d suffer if I mentioned what happened last night.
Well, and me.
However, I didn’t matter to any of them.
Just as Kols and Zeph didn’t matter to Shade.
So why would he care?
“If you have nothing to add, then I’ll handle it from here,” Shade said, his voice lower as his thumb continued to massage my wrist. “I know exactly what happened last night, little rose. But don’t worry. I won’t go into specifics on how good you feel around my cock.”
My brow started to furrow. “What—”
His lips caressed mine. “It’s okay, sweetheart. They won’t ask for specifics. They just want clarification on the recording. I know what you meant, and I’ll make sure they do, too.”
Another riddle.