Page 101 of The Umbra King

Even though there was nothing she could have done to fight off being shoved from behind, it couldn’t hurt to prepare herself.

Bellina bumped her shoulder. “If she tries anything, we’ll all beat her ass. Caius may even kill her.”

“You think he would?”Rory mused.

“Of course he would,” Kit said with a snort. “I don’t think you understand theAeternumbond. You would kill for him, too. Especially once you’re married.”

“Ifwe’re married,” Rory corrected, and Kit shook her head. “Are there any books onAeternumsin Vincula’s library?”

“I’ll look,” Kit promised.

Cat was uncharacteristically quiet, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Tallent. “What are you thinking about?” he asked her suspiciously.

She looked at Rory thoughtfully. “If someone is trying to kill you, it’d be wise to marry the king as soon as possible. Youwilllove him, Rory. It is not damning yourself to a life of misery.”

Rory’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her glass. “I wish everyone would stop telling me whom I will love. How is that fair?”

Bellina ran a soothing hand down Rory’s back. She did that often, her maternal instinct coming out when her friends were upset.

Kit sighed. “You really don’t understand.”

“Then tell me,” Rory snapped.

Kit narrowed her eyes. “TheAeternumbond doesn’t force you to love him. You would love him anyway, given the opportunity. Your souls were created by theSeraphimat the same time, but yours was sent when he needed you most. You’re soulmates, and I can’t believe I have to explain this.”

“Then why is there a bond at all?” Bellina asked. “Why not let nature take its course?”

“The bond connects them like…” Kit searched for the right words. “Like a safety device. They can tell when the other is in danger, and they will always find one another. It connects their souls.”

Cat slammed her glass down with a smack. “I can’t wait for all of Erdikoa to know The Butcher is the new Prison Queen. Fitting.”

Bellina and Roryparted ways at the door to the throne room. She needed to speak with Caius about reopening the outside entrance to her room. It felt ridiculous, taking a secret tunnel.

Not wanting other staff to see her walk into his office, she often took the back entrance behind the dais. When she closed the door to the throne room behind her, the room was dark, and her soft-soled slippers made no sound as she crossed the room.

In the dim lighting, she saw Caius exit the door behind his throne and pound down the stairs toward the door leading to hallways and stairwells. He was only wearing athletic shorts, and her heart skipped at the sight of his muscular back as he pulled on a t-shirt.

She’d only ever seen him in slacks and a dress shirt or pajamas. He looked damn good. She still needed time to process how she was feeling, and instead of calling out to him, she let him leave.

She opened the door to his office, and ice doused her insides. Nina slid off Caius’ desk as she buttoned her dress, and when she saw Rory, a smug smile pulled at her lips as she stepped into her shoes and sauntered to the exit.

“You didn’t really think you could keep him, did you?” the redhead asked and opened the door with a wicked laugh.

Rory’s chest cleaved in two, and white-hot rage filled the canyon. He’d played her. It made her question if she was really even his mate.

She couldn’t make heads or tails of it, nor did she understand his motivation for wooing her.

“That jerk!” Screams ripped from her throat as she swiped everything off his desk and smashed anything breakable she could get her hands on.

Next were the books, the ones she worked hard on putting back. They sailed across the room as fast as she could throw them.

Fuck him, and fuck Nina.

Chairs were flipped over, and her last parting shot was opening the drawers to the contracts, ripping them out, and throwing them around like confetti. “Have fun reorganizing those,Your Grace.”

As she stood in the middle of the rubble, her shoulders sagged. The staff would clean this, not him, and immediately guilt overcame her. She was too pissed to pick it up now, but she would sneak back once she calmed down to get to work.

Turning on her heel, she marched out of the office toward her old room. If he thought she was sleeping in a room he gifted her after this, he was out of his mind.

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