Page 17 of B Negative

Seven

Sunny’s statementhit me like a horse kick to the guts.

“Why would I leave?” I asked, reeling. “And more importantly, why do you seem perfectly happy to be Titus’s new mate?”

Sunny’s expression hardened. “It is one of the highest honors to be mated to a king. Something you failed to consider, since you were too busy second-guessing everyone and everything.”

I stumbled backward. Sunny’s words struck again like a physical blow. “What is happening here? You’re not acting like you, Sun. Was that girl’s blood laced with something?” A mind-controlling agent?

“Ishta’s blood is pure and untainted. I’m just tired of justifying myself to you, Eden. Now if you please, let me get on with my duties as the new queen.”

“Justify? What are you going on about? I’m not asking you to justify anything. I’m only asking to understand your total one-eighty on the Titus matter. You escaped this very tower. You said you hated him. Now you’re kicking me out so you can redecorate? What the fuck is happening here?”

Sunny took a deep breath and changed tactics. “It’s dangerous for you to be here. You’ve been away from Julian long enough that your scent has already begun changing.”

“I rejected him, Sunny. My scent changed because I broke our mate bond.”

Sunny’s eyes grew wide, color draining from her face. “You did what?”

“Titus informed me, based on his superior scenting abilities, I’d been on Julian’s blood for far longer than our first blood exchange. The dick had been dosing me from the start with those stupid Starbucks cups.”

Sunny glanced downward.

“So, after seeing you take a header down the stairs because he just had to impress Titus with an extra steep staircase, I rejected him. I was going to figure out how to do the same for you and Titus’s bond, but that’s only because I assumed, based on our previous conversations, that you actually didn’t want to be mated to him.”

“Eden, you can’t stay here. You’re in danger.”

“I know that! I’d planned on steering clear of Titus even though I brokered an agreement with him granting me protection should he find out I’m made.”

“Eden, you don’t understand. You can’t be here.”

I folded my arms. “I’m getting tired of you saying the same thing over and over without explaining yourself.”

Sunny’s gaze went to the carpet, bottom lip between her teeth. “I knew.”

“What? What did you know?”

Sunny met my eyes, sadness brimming from the inside outward. “I knew Julian was dosing you and I didn’t say anything.”

The one-two kick of that sentence sent me reeling, as if I were both weightless and immense. “You what?”

“I knew. I knew what he was doing. I didn’t say anything and I don’t deserve your help now. So, please. Just go.”

I gripped the arm of the sofa, steadying myself as the world fell around me. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” My throat hardly let the words out, voice thick and far away.

I stumbled to the door, vision tunneling, leaving Sunny to her mate suite.

A guard caught me as I tumbled out.

“Are you all right, Ms. Vaughn?”

“No,” I breathed. “I’m really not.”

“How can I be of assistance?”

“I need to get out of here,” I said, as he righted me.

“Of course. I’ll escort you to the garage level.” He mumbled something to the guard on the other side of the doorway about staying stationed with the queen, and steered me toward the elevator.

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