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She eyed me skeptically, one pale brow rising. “What is the catch?”

“Don’t you trust anyone?”

“Are you askingmea question, or am I asking you?”

I wanted to spank her, kiss her, fuck her, and tell her I loved her.

Instead, I said, “A question for a question. So that maybe the next time Lyrena gets us to play her stupid game, we don’t embarrass ourselves.”

Veyka tortured her bottom lip, but she did finally nod.

“Then ask away, Princess.”

“Queen,” she hissed.

“My queen.”

She shivered at the invitation and promise in my voice. I wondered what she’d do when I murmured it while my mouth was between her legs.

My gaze made it from her lips back to her eyes—only to find the pupils ringed in glowing blue. I knew mine burned in answer.

“Ask your question before I take your mouth.”

Veyka dragged her tongue over her bottom lip.

I pulled her in closer, letting her feel my cock, already rigid for her. “You’re almost out of time,” I warned.

A breathless chuckle tumbled out of her, half desire, half nerves. I didn’t have time to question how I knew.

“Why don’t you talk about your family?”

Trust Veyka to cut right to the heart of things. I bit back the sarcastic retort—Why don’t you talk about yours?—because I already knew the answer. The most important ones, at least.

And while I’d shared about my power awakening, about my capture and the attempts on my life… it wasn’t the whole story. We both knew it.

My hand wandered up her shoulder, toying with the ends of her shorter hair. I wanted to feint, but even if Veyka had made no promises to me, I’d made them to her. They were real and binding, even if they only lived within my own mind.

“My mother was exiled from Wolf Bay before I was born. My father followed her to Eilean Gayl. I do not speak of her out of habit. I’ve seen enough terrestrials sneer at the mention of her name—and slaughtered enough of them for it.” I jerked in a last shred of air. “My brother is long dead.”

I could see the questions in Veyka’s eyes. Either she wanted to spare me the pain of answering, or she was afraid I’d demand an equal number of answers of my own in recompense. She trailed her fingertips over my cheekbone, down around the stubble of my chin.

Her brows rose in silent invitation.

“Why does it bother you so much to be called the Queen of Secrets?”

I felt her flinch again, but not in my arms. Through the mating bond. She tugged away, the vulnerability inside of her trying to escape. Even as I watched her open her mouth and speak.

I was in total awe of her—her strength, her courage. Every facet of my beautifully flawed and yet terribly perfect mate.

“For twenty years, my secret was what defined me. My mother punished me for it. My brother tried to protect me because of it. Even you,” her voice caught, her chin trembling terribly. But I knew if I stopped her, even to try and offer comfort, she may never be able to start again.

“Even you hated me because of it. Some part of me… I just wanted someone to seeme.”

The ache in that last word…

I wanted to go to my knees before her, to vow my love—my love forVeyka, the female, not the Queen of Secrets or anything else they tried to make her.

But I knew it was too much. I knew it would push her to the edge, the same way finding out about our mating bond had. I’d only just managed to draw her back from that.