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"What? Why?"

Fuck. Stop there! Please let her stop —

"He's obsessed with her, of course," she replied, voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. "Kaiya said he abandoned his post to track her all the way to the Isle! From what she said, he acts intense and angry, but he's a bit of a softy on the inside."

Oh gods.I exhaled sharply, cheeks warming.

"And they met up after leaving Dragon's Peak?" Liam asked. "I'm shocked she didn't just send him on his way."

Mrs. Harlsted let out a laugh. "I was, too. You know how Kaiya gets."

I tried to ignore their voices and go back to sleep. Listening to them was almost as bad as wrestling with a gremlyn.

And talking to them about it — well, that woulddefinitelybe worse.

Forsaken hells!

"Supposedly," Mrs. Harlsted continued. "He interrupted her and Jaiel mid … coupling the night after they left us. And from what I understand, it was quite the experience! She and Jaiel were just finishing when he appeared buck naked and —"

"Naked?!"Liam interrupted.

"— supposedly very well endowed, if you know what I mean."

Oh gods!My face might light my hay bed on fire!Why had I mentioned that detail to her?! Or any of it, for that matter?I needed to learn to keep my damn mouth shut!

"He sounds a bit like a stalker to me," Liam grunted. "Obsession like that isn't healthy."

"Is that jealousy I hear, nephew?" Mrs. Harlsted teased. "That's rich. Especially coming from a man who had his friend keep an eye on Kaiya for ye —"

"Okay, okay," Liam interrupted and I squeezed my eyes closed. Liam would never be jealous over me. Eli, perhaps. But never stick-up-his-ass Liam. "I get it. Then what's his deal? If he's so loyal to the Kings, why would he choose to help Kaiya over the Empire?"

"He has to. He's her ma —"

"STOP!" I shouted. That was it.I couldn't handle another second.I plowed on before she could speak another word, hoping to answer all their questions as quickly as I could and stop this terrible conversion in its tracks. "Yes, it was Tye. But he's a bastard and can't be trusted. Now, can wepleasestop talking about this?"

"Oh. Decided to stop pretending to sleep, did you?" Liam said, voice warmer than I'd heard it in what felt like forever. "No need to be embarrassed. I knew you'd toyed with Jaiel, myself, and Lynk, but I should have guessed there would be others."

My face ached with the pain of wincing so hard.

"Oh, shut up," I shot back. "I never toyed with — oh gods. Think what you want. I don't care. Tye and I went ononedate and sharedonekiss … not that it's any of your business."One scorching, brain melting kiss … but still."How was I supposed to know a single kiss would awaken a mate bond between us?"

"A MATE bond?" Liam practically shouted.

Fuck! I meant to just saybond.

"That guy who showed up today and tried to convince you to leave with him is yourmate?!"

I nodded, face on fire. I wasn't sure if I wanted to punch Liam or myself. Hells! Every word I said made it worse!

I should've just kept pretending to be asleep!

"Don't worry, Liam," Mrs. Harlsted cut in. "She didn't consummate the bond."

"WHAT?!" Liam and I shouted in unison.

Holy hells. How did she even know that?!

Silence filled the space for a few moments as I resisted the urge to bury my head in hay and never come back out. If there were ever a time I wanted the guards to show up and take me away, now was that time.Anythingto escape this conversation.