Page 44 of Wickedly Yours

Talon’s face sharped. “And we’re only just now finding out about this?” He muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

“Kairos knows.” Zain gave an exasperated sigh. “And anyway, we’rehere, aren’t we?”

“It won’t happen again, my lady,” Thorn promised. “You’ll be safe here.”

“You don’t…” I started, feeling my face warm. “You don’t have to call me that. Luna is fine.” I fiddled with the ends of my hair.

Lilith crossed her arms over her chest, a concerned expression painting her face. “What happened?”

“Mother of…” Zain cursed. “I don’t know.Someoneobviously found out about my unsanctioned visits. They must have sent them to figure out what I was doing.”

“What were they, exactly?” I asked, my voice faint. “They mentioned my scent, right?”

More specifically, they mentioned that Zain’s scent was all over me. He’d mentioned it before. It was a thought that still made me feel a little warm and tingly, even though it should have been the opposite.

“They’re trackers. Once they lock onto a scent, they won’tstop until they find their prey.” Talon pinned Zain with a stare. “All the more reason you should have told us about them immediately. Especially if they found?—”

Zain cut him off with a wave of his hand. “I took care of it. They’ve been disposed of.” A scowl formed, and suddenly, I barely recognized him. I could see the moment his mask slid into place. Was this who he was here?

I needed that reminder of who he really was. Because despite how much my heart wanted him to be, he wasn’t the human I’d been falling for. As much as I wanted to go back to those nights in my apartment, sharing my bed in the wonderful bubble we’d made for ourselves… It was all a lie. None of it was real.

Neither was this.

“What’s stopping it from happening again?” Asura asked. “If someone in the palace leaked your location…”

“You are.” Zain’s gaze was petrifying. “And if one hair on her head is harmed…” The room grew colder and darker, and it felt like the gold of his eyes sparked like actual lightning. He shook his head, redirecting his stare. “Lilith. Evaluate all the staff of the palace. Find out who knew about my trips and if they had any cause to leak them.”

She nodded. “Of course. I won’t let you down.”

“Talon. Thorn. One of you will remain with Luna at all times. She’s free to explore anywhere in the palace as she wishes but remain vigilant by her side.”

It felt alittlelike overreacting, but if it gave Zain the peace of mind to sleep at night, I supposed I couldn’t protest.

“And what would you have me do?” Asura asked, running a hand through her cropped bob.

He looked away. “Keep doing what you’re doing.” A nod.

His fingers drummed over the desk. Like he was still silently plotting, deliberating, and making his next move.

“Zain.” My voice was quiet. His eyes connected with mine, and all the malice melted away in them like he softened just for me.

“The rest of you are dismissed,” he said, waving a hand. “We need a moment.”

“We do?” I asked as the rest filtered out, giving me small smiles and welcoming me.

But it was hard to focus on anything other than Zain’s serious face as he talked about demons tracking me. What did they want fromme?

“Luna?”

“Yes?” I looked up, finding him staring directly at me.

“Come here, Moonbeam.”

I swallowed, not sure why I felt apprehension in my gut. It wasn’t like I feared him, but it felt like the entire foundation of my life had crumbled in only a day. Anyone would feel overwhelmed by that, right?

Moving my feet, I came to stand by his side, and he moved me between his legs, letting me sit on the edge of his desk.

“Are you okay?”

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