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“And?” he pushed.

“And that’s it.”

“No, it’s not. It’s far from it. Fucking admit it. Be honest.”

I shook my head. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

“Ari—” he implored, reaching for me.

But I stepped back. “No. I can’t give you more than this. I can’t. My life… my existence… it isn’t built for that.”

“You’re wrong.”

“No, this time,youare.”

He tried to reach for me again, but I bolted for the door, and then I was throwing it open and rushing outside, leaving him back inside, stumped.

I’d only made it a couple of steps away, when I smacked into somebody I hadn’t noticed passing by in my haste and discombobulated state.

“Whoa there,” a familiar voice uttered, before I felt hands on my shoulders steadying me.

I jerked back at the heated touch, and looked up to see Vorzyr standing there eyeing me with a mixture of worry and curiosity.

“Sorry,” I offered.

“No need to be.” He looked me up and down studiously. “What’s happened?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“You’re clearly out of sorts.” He scented the air, his eyes narrowing slightly, before they zoned in on the Ruminat hut I’d just hightailed it from.Oh no.

He dragged his gaze back to me and he shook his head, then told me with so much vehemence that it caught me off guard, “Someone like you shouldn’t kneel, Ariana.Ever.”

“I don’t—what are you—”

“You’re worth more than that. Much more.”

Before I could even begin to process that, let alone formulate a response, Kai emerged from the hut, carrying my shorts and sports bra. He conjured a bag, then handed them to me. “You forgot these.”

“Right… thanks,” I murmured, taking the bag and feeling my cheeks flaming, as it was so obvious what had just happened inthere now, obvious to someone I barely knew, the one person who hadn’t judged what I was. And now here I was making a crappy impression.

“Kai,” Vorzyr rumbled at him.

“Vorzyr,” Kai returned, glaring up at him, their mutual ferocity clashing with one another’s. “Can we help you?”

“We,”Vorzyr mused.

“That’s right,” Kai rebutted.

“Hmm, I don’t believe it is. Just like with your driving, you’re a little slow on the uptake where that’s concerned.”

“And just like with your driving, you’re being an interloping cunt.”

“Kai, stop,” I uttered.

Instead of doing that, though, Kai took an aggressive step toward him.

Vorzyr merely smiled. “You neglected to scent-proof what was transpiring inside that room. Or even soundproof it either. I guess you were too eager this time to privacy spell yourselves.Orcould it be that you wanted others to know what was going on? That you wanted anyone who happened to be passing by to believe that you were owning Ariana?”