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“I will continue to punish you so long as you choose your mates over me,” he says.

“Am I going to get whipped again?” I ask, forcing my voice to tremble in fear. If he says anything but no, I will let all of my power out at once and take us all down.

“No, Lilith, I won’t whip you again. Morwen either,” he says.

“Then I will accept my punishments until I decide,” I say.

“When you decide to stay, you will reject your mates, and I will let them return to the Capitol unharmed,” Zypher says.

“I will let you know when I decide,” I say. “But Zypher…”

“Yes?” he asks.

“If you want me to stay, I need you to prove to me that I will be happy with you,” I say.

“I will show you happiness, love. You’ll see,” he says as he dabs on the medicine, a smile spreading on his face.

“Fucking idiot,”I say to my mates.

“You sly little witch,” Kael says, amused.

“See that camera in the corner?” Zypher says. I look up to the corner by the door and see a camera in the corner with a flashing red light on it.

“Yes.”

“I can hear and see everything. I won’t restrain you, but you are not to get off this table unless it’s to use the restroom. Got it?” he says firmly.

“Yes, sir,” I say. “But…”

“What?” he asks.

“You’re going to have to let them use the restroom too at some point. You can’t just keep them tied up like animals,” I say.

“They deserve it,” he growls.

“No. They were protecting their mate from someone they perceived as a threat. If I were your mate, you would do the same thing,” I say.

“I would do the same for you without you being my mate,” he snaps. “Iwilldo the same thing when you becomemymate.”

“I know you will,” I say softly. “That is why I’m asking you to show some grace here and not keep them tied up like animals. We know the rules. No touching or talking. I will stay here, and they will stay there. You told me you wouldn’t hurt me, and until I decide otherwise, they are an extension of me for now. It’s instinctive, and you know I can’t help that. I’m trying to keep the peace here so that I can give you a chance to prove yourself to me,” I say softly, intentionally looking into Zypher’s eyes to show a level of affection that he is searching for in me.

“Careful,”Callum says.

“Please, Zypher. Don’t be that person; you’re better than this,” I ask, gently laying my hand on his. He doesn’t flinch or react in any way, but he does close his eyes and sigh.

“The collars stay on,” he says. “When we are in here, they are expected to sit there and shut the fuck up.”

“Yes, sir,” I say with a sweet smile. He grunts in response before kissing my head. I keep the fake smile on my face until he points for me to lie back down. When I turn to face away from him, the smile falls away, and I roll my eyes again when I know he can’t see me. Zypher walks over to the guys and takes the chain off the back of the collars that are fashioned around their necks.

“Goodnight, Lilith,” he says before opening the door to the room.

“Goodnight, Zypher. Thank you for taking care of me, even though I made you mad.”

“Go to sleep,” he says before walking out and shutting the door.

I bite my lip to stifle a laugh. “Too much?” I ask my mates.

“Not at all,” Daemon says. “You’ll have him wrapped around your finger in no time.”