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“I’m going to gather my belongings,” she says with a smile. I’m sure she’s been waiting to be able to say that since she got here. She steps past us and goes toward her room. Zypher advances on her so fast that no one sees it but me.

Zypher shoves her against her door, and I’m already halfway to her when Daemon reacts. I push him aside to get between them. Zypher doesn’t touch me, but he gets in my face. “She doesn’t belong to you anymore,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Zypher, as of this moment, you have been stripped of your right to a maiden,” Daemon says as he gets closer to me. Zypher has pure hatred in his eyes as he stares me down. I know he heard Daemon, but he doesn’t respond to him.

“You’ll have to find someone willing, otherwise you won’t have anyone to let your entire pack fuck,” I say bitterly. “I know forcing the innocent is your thing, but you’ll adapt.”

“You little…” he starts to say as he steps toward me.

“You know the rules about touching someone else’s mate,” I say, and he freezes in place. “Imagine what would happen if you touched the mate of the three kings?”

“You…?” he starts to ask, but Daemon promptly grabs him by the throat and slams him against the wall beside Leli and me.

“Understand that we know the details of what you forced Lilith to do. We know how many men you allowed to assault her. Also, understand that the only reason you are still breathing is because she has mercy for you. If you so much as breathe wrong, I will rip your throat out myself. Have I made myself clear?” Daemon growls. Kael and Callum casually watch from a few feet away, looking amused.

“Yeah,” Zypher says with a sneer.

“Excuse me,” Daemon says, squeezing his throat.

“Yes, sir,” he chokes out.

“Now bow to your queen,” Daemon demands as he lets go of him.

Zypher stands his ground and doesn’t bow, so Kael takes a few steps toward him, as if stalking his prey.

“Your king gave you an order, Councilman,” Kael says.

Zypher growls but bows to me. I look at Leli, and she smiles brightly. “So… I’m going to get my stuff now.”

“Okay,” Daemon says softly.

“Do I have the power to make decisions?” I ask Daemon.

“Yes, ma’am. You can,” he says with a grin.

“Zypher Fallins, I am stripping you of your position with the council due to claims of abuse against your maidens. It is forbidden to allow others to touch her, yet you have a history of tying your maidens down so that your entire pack can rape them. This is an abuse of power; you will also be stripped of your position as pack leader. If you are not willing to hand over leadership to your Beta, I will dismantle the pack as a whole. This house is paid for by the royal family, so you have seventy-two hours to be out,” I say.

“I don’t take orders from some whore fox that I had on my cock every day,” he snarls.

“You do now,” I say simply. “Have I made myself clear?”

“Do you scream for them like you did for me, Lilith?” he asks.

“You wouldn’t know how to make a woman scream, even if you had gasoline and a match. Don’t flatter yourself into thinking you measure up to the Three Kings in the least,” I retort, and Kael laughs. “Better get to packing, Zypher.”

“Fine,” he growls.

“I’m sorry. Come again?” I ask.

“Yes, ma’am,” he growls, no longer hiding his anger from me. It is painted all over his face in the way he clenches his teeth, causing a vein to protrude from his temple. His breathing quickens, and his hands are drawn into tight fists as he keeps eye contact with me. He may have bowed, but he is certainly not submitting. I refuse to be the one to break eye contact. I will never submit to Zypher the way he wants. We stare at each other in a silent battle for power to see who will be the one to break eye contact.

“A title does not make you superior, little Lilith. If you want to play big kid games, fine. But you’re in over your head,” he says.

“Is that a threat?” I ask simply.

“It’s merely an observation. You have no idea the storm you’re putting yourself in the middle of,” he says with warning in his tone.

“Iamthe storm. I am everything from the high winds to the pouring rain. I am the rainbow when the clouds start to break apart and the sun shines through. Take a good look at what you created… it wasyouthat taught me to be resilient when you had your entire pack rape me, over-and-over-and-over. You taught me how to shove down all those emotions and do what needs to be done to survive. I survived you, but you will not survive the monster you have created. If you are seeking my submission with your mind games, understand that you will only find wrath. I can promise you now…Thatis a side of me that you do not want to meet,” I say with a grave tone.