Kols bristled but didn’t take the bait.
“Now isn’t the time to provoke each other,” I interjected. “We have a serious problem.”
“There’s more.” Kols cleared his throat, his intense gold eyes landing on Shade. “The attack was in the village near AcaWard at the tavern Tray took Aflora and Ella to the other week. Ajax’s parents were injured.”
Shade’s taunting aura disappeared in a breath. “Are they all right?”
“We don’t know yet,” Kols admitted. “My father tried to wake them, but they appear to be in a magically induced coma. Ajax is with them now.”
“And no doubt blaming you for it,” Shade added, running his fingers through his dark hair.
“He’s not my biggest fan,” Kols agreed solemnly. “But I didn’t do it.”
“I know you didn’t,” Shade replied, surprising me.
“How do you know that?” I wondered out loud, suspicious. “Where were you and Aflora?”
He arched a brow. “Are you asking if we did it?”
“No, I’m asking how you know Kols didn’t do it and also where you took Aflora.”
“Sounds like an inquiry underlined in an accusation,” Shade drawled. “What do you think we were doing, Zeph?” He glanced down pointedly at his bare abdomen. “Frolicking around the village?”
“He’s just surprised that you’d so readily believe my innocence,” Kols said, folding his arms. “And frankly, so am I.”
Aflora pushed off the door, drawing Shade’s focus to her. She arched her brows at him, her eyes intense, but didn’t say anything. He gave her a similar look, then cocked his head to the side as if he were indulging her.
Several beats passed, the intensity between them mounting by the second.
My lips parted as understanding sliced a hole through my chest. “You finished the mating.”
Kols jolted as if he’d been shot, his eyes widening. “You bit her again?”
Shade grunted, then twisted to show the opposite side of his neck and the healing mark on his throat. “She bit me first.”
Aflora’s cheeks reddened as Kols and I turned to gape at her. “You bit Shade?” I asked, the question stabbing me in the gut.
She chose him.
She chose him and not me.
My abdomen clenched with the realization. It was one thing to watch her with Kols, but to know she enjoyed Shade, too… I wasn’t sure how to accept that.
“I… yes,” she whispered, her tongue snaking out to dampen her lips. “He pulled me out of the spell, and, um, things got heated.”
Shade smirked at her description, while Kols narrowed his gaze. “What spell?”
Yeah, I was still on the realization that Aflora fucking bit Shade.
And not me.
Or Kols.
After a week of playing.
She still doesn’t trust me, I realized. Not that I could blame her, but the knowledge of it hurt a bit. Even if I did deserve it.
“Headmaster Irwin had us practice psychometry in class today. Aflora’s object took her on a ride through the past, and not one she was particularly prepared for.” He gazed at our mate, his blue eyes flickering with comments unspoken.