Page 28 of His Brazen Bride

I grunt and push away from him. I’ll be sleepingwayon the other side of the bed from now on.

* * *

I don’t want to cry.

I tell myself I’m not crying over Ryz but for my friends—dead out there, or worse, alone, scared and in pain—and being unable to do anything about it.

It’s tearing me apart.

Still, part of me also is devastated that I can’t trust my own husband. I thought we had connected and shared something special last night. Turns out it was purely physical.

To be fair, I believed that initially, too. But the depth in his eyes, his touch, and the sincerity in his voice made me change my mind—and then Ryz was gone before I woke up.

So I went straight to the bath to soak. Now, I’m sobbing in the sudsy water, feeling sorry for myself.

This is sonotme.

I get out and throw on a robe. Maybe I should try talking to Ryz again.

As I'm about to get dressed, I hear movement in the room.

“Hello?” I call, wondering if it’s a servant coming to clean up.

No answer.

I turn and someone grabs me, clamping a large palm over my mouth.

I struggle in their grip, but they’re too big and strong. I try to catch their reflection in the mirror, but all I see is a hooded robe.

“Please don’t scream, or fight, or hurt me like you hurt Ryz.” He chuckles. “Though I would’ve loved to have seen that.”

My mind whirls. The stranger talks about Ryz like they are close, instead of referring to him as Royal Commander. And how does he know what I did to him? Ryz wouldn’t let us share that with anyone.

His grip loosens slightly, and I elbow him in the gut. He groans, but just grips me tighter.

“You either aren’t listening, or you don’t care. Either way, I kinda like your spunk,” he says, but still doesn’t move. “Fine. I’ll get to the point. I know where your friends are. Now, will you behave?” he asks.

That stops me in my tracks.

He knows about Iris and Lacey?

I don’t like his condescending tone, but if he knows something about my friends…

I relax and nod. He slowly removes his palm from my mouth and I get a glimpse of gold metallic skin. He moves back from me and I turn as he pulls his hood down.

My mouth falls open. He’s definitely Kraetian and looks familiar somehow. Tall, thickly muscled. I can see a hint of his chest under his robe and it bulges in a way that reminds me of Ryz’s. His skin is shimmery gold, with long hair of the same color. His eyes are a striking neon violet.

And he’ssmirking. Where have I seen that smile before?

“Who are you?” I ask, tugging my robe tighter around me and crossing my arms over my breasts as I watch his gaze travel down the length of my body hungrily. “Answer me,” I order. “And where are Iris and Lacey?”

He sighs. “I can’t tell you who I am. Ryz will go ballistic. He’ll lock you up for just uttering my name.”

“Then why should I trust anything you say?”

“Let’s just say there’s a lot you don’t know, human. A lot Ryz isn’t telling you.”

That stings, even though I probably should’ve known. Still, this guy isannoying.

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