Page 97 of Claimed By the Fae Lord

The male might have said I was welcome but I’d already shut the door and got my ass moving, worried something had happened.

Bursting into the study, I stopped in my tracks. Raina stood near my father. Others were there but she was all I saw.

A silent assessment confirmed she bore no new wounds, nor any traces of the old ones, and something within me settled just a fraction.

Then, movement from the corner. A silent monolith approached. Memories of our last encounter, when jealousy and misunderstanding had turned words into weapons, hung between us.

Without a word, Lorne raised his fist to his chest. I mirrored his action, and we clasped one another’s fisted hands with our free ones.

Relief flooded through me. I owed him more than a mere apology.

“Lorne,” I nodded. “It’s good to see you.”

“You, as well.”

“Thank you. But why are you here today?”

Lorne nodded to my father and I gave him my full attention.

"What's happened?"

"I have new information," he grunted, "from our captives. Lorne was summoned because what we've learned isn't for prying eyes or loose tongues."

A spike of adrenaline flooded my bloodstream. I wasn’t going to like whatever he had to share.

Looking from me to Lorne, he asked, "Does the name Sidra mean anything to you?"

I forced out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. My eyes instinctively sought out Raina, but she might as well have been a statue for all the connection I felt.

She wouldn't meet my eyes, and I couldn't blame her.

"Yes," I answered, rubbing the back of my neck where tension knotted. "I know a female named Sidra Blake.

The name tasted like bile on my tongue. She was ambition personified. Many males found her so polished and smooth they didn’t know she was toxic until they were choking.

At first glance, I’d thought the same. Then I was forced to interact with her on behalf of my king.

I had escorted Sidra to several social gatherings, endured her vapid conversations, and dodged her not-so-subtle manipulations. Twice Raina had witnessed this charade, her violet eyes sparking with emotions I couldn't decipher then or now.

Bedding Sidra had crossed my mind. She was absolutely stunning. Curves for days. Plush red lips. Thick dark hair and a wicked sex drive to match. Few resisted when she was on the prowl.

For me, the thought had evaporated as quickly as it came. Sidra was the type to climb in your bed and in your head, trying to fuck you both ways.

Once upon a time, she had warmed Nox's sheets. It was reason enough to keep my dick in my pants.

I was struggling to maintain composure at the mention of that damned name. I never touched that female, but Raina had seen Sidra’s hands on me as she flirted and made overtly sexual passes.

And like the asshole I was, I played along enough to make sure I wouldn’t have to deal with Sidra’s pouting.

Father's eyes narrowed, and I knew whatever came next would be the kind of truth that shattered illusions and laid bare the rot beneath.

Lorne’s voice, flat and factual, shook the uneasy quiet. "Sidra was involved with Nox," he declared, each word measured.

“A former lover?” my father tried to clarify.

Lorne’s lip curled disdainfully. "Hardly the term I'd use. Their interactions were confined to four walls and a bed. They did nothing together outside of the bedroom. Plus the termloverimplies intimacy beyond fucking and that never happened.”

"Then perhaps," Raina offered, her voice devoid of inflection, "I should refer to her asyourformer lover, Liam. After all, you paraded her around publicly, shared meals, laughed at her hollow jokes."

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