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"Still, though, sweetheart." His lips touched my forehead. "You can't talk to her when you're asleep."

I heaved a sigh and blinked myself awake. "Calhoun?"

"Yes?”

"I trust you."

"Okay…"

"I just thought you should know because I knew you were wondering why I didn’t tell you about the cameras." I winced, still hating myself for that.

"I never thought you didn’t trust me." He leaned in closer, his breath hot on my ear. "You don't fuck someone on a highway if you don't trust them."

I bit back a moan as I flashed back to straddling his lap behind the wheel, his hands driving me wild while we sped down the highway with his cock inside me. My dragon fire purred awake, and I sensed Calhoun’s steaming inside him too.

He swept his lips across mine, hardly a kiss at all compared to what I had in mind. "Get dressed. I'll see you in the throne room in five."

I groaned into my pillow while he left the room. Before I'd met my harem, I'd never been so horny. Forget the stressful queen stuff. I just wanted to ride all of them. But I rose from the bed anyway and dressed quickly, my curiosity about the seer burning a fire underneath my feet. I made it to the throne room in four.

It stood empty when I got there, the room shifting slightly and adapting to my presence all on its own. Ahead, a slight wrinkle in the red carpet smoothed out before I passed by, and the temperature noticeably climbed, just a little though since I liked it cool. If I had time someday when I wasn’t poisoning myself and preparing for my coronation, I wanted to read the open books on the pillars I strode past since I was sure it would be fascinating.

I sat on my throne and waited. Outside the open door I'd just passed through seconds ago, something squeaked. Not a mouse, because it was constant and growing louder. Then my harem appeared, filling the wide arched doorway with their strong, imposing bodies. And rolling in front of them— I gasped. It echoed in the stone room and widened my harem's eyes, hesitated their steps, but my gaze was locked on what—and who—Vance was pushing in.

A wheelchair. With Bad Mama January sitting inside it. Was…wasshethe seer? Or was this some kind of mistake?

What. The. Hell.

The closer she drew, the stronger the scents of cigarettes and patchouli became. She wore a large, flowered skirt and a beaded top, and her long silver-white hair looked bushed around her head like wires, like she’d plugged herself into an electrical outlet.

As she came closer, I could feel her fury bouncing off of her. She squeezed the arms of her wheelchair so tightly, her knuckles had gone white, and she sliced me up with her glare.

"Youbitch," she spat.

Tavis jerked back and dropped his mouth open. "Whoa. Hold up now."

Calhoun swung around to face off with her, matching Bad Mama’s fury with his own. "Madame, that is the dragon shifter queen. Watch your tongue, or I'll—"

"Calhoun," Vance snapped and stopped the wheelchair about eight feet away from me on the red carpet. "Madame, have you met Queen Yara personally before now?"

"Yes." She was shaking with rage so much she could hardly get the word out. Tears filled her eyes as she glared up at me. "She's a fucking traitor to her species."

Calhoun fisted his hands, and if the dragon fire inside him had been power surged, I knew steam would be curling off of his skin. Tavis stepped between him and Bad Mama, and Vance crossed so he stood between her and me.

I shook my head, all of my explanations tasting bitter, even to me. Where to even start? "Bad Mama…"

"Thisfilth sacrificed my daughter, Yara, and now you're cozying up to them after they almost did the same to your Asa? Howcouldyou?" she snarled. The look of pure betrayal in her eyes made me wonder about the answer myself.

Had I made a mistake?

"No," I choked out. "You're Madame. As a seer, you saw me coming."

"I said whattheywanted to hear. I gave them false hope so I could sit back and laugh at them." A mad gleam lit up her usually kind brown eyes.

Who was this woman?

"But you helped me, Bad Mama,” I said, and my voice sounded like I was pleading. “You knew what you told them, and yet you helped me get to the Evenza building on the very day you told them their next queen would come to them."

"So what, Booklet?” she snapped. “I don't even remember what I told them. I just wanted them out of my shop."