Page 83 of First Offense

“And then?” Auric asked, irritation an electric wire between us.

He wasn’t going to stop this nonsense until I gave him specific details.

Fine, then I’d tell him everything, and he’d realize this was all a giant waste of our time.

“And then I told my mother that I had no interest in meeting with suitors whom I’d already denied,” I said, allowing him to hear my own version of irritation.

His expression told me to continue.

“She declined my request, of course. So, in protest, I tore up the schedule my chaperone made for me.” Had that been the night my wings started to turn? I couldn’t remember. I’d been in such a state that I might not have noticed.

“I’m guessing she didn’t appreciate that,” Auric offered.

“No. She did not.” My lips pinched. “But I was justified. I’d already said I wasn’t interested.”

“Perhaps, but that doesn’t sound all that respectful.”

“Then you’ll really hate what I did next,” I replied.

That arrogant white brow inched upward again. “Which was?”

“My chaperone and mother arranged for a dinner with a handful of suitors wishing to try again. All of them were ones I’d denied before. So I slipped out of the window and hid until they left.”

Retelling the story now, I realized how bratty I sounded. But it’d been entirely unfair to me to have to play pretend for a bunch of males I had no interest in pursuing. It also wasn’t fair for them either. Why bother courting someone who wasn’t interested?

“You hid,” Auric repeated, sounding unimpressed.

I shrugged. “Sometimes it’s nice to be alone. Besides, it didn’t make any sense to see them again knowing we had no future.”

Auric studied me. “You’re still hiding something.”

My jaw clenched. “I’m not sure what you want me to say, Auric.”

“I want you to tell me why you hid. Perhaps you spent those hours with your secret lovers since your suitors weren’t cutting it for you? You did, after all, state you’re not innocent?”

I gasped. “Seriously? You’re going to throw that at me now?”

“You’re the one who mentioned it.”

“After you tried to say I may have Fallen for not being virtuous.” A ridiculous notion. Angels were sexual beings. I didn’t have to be a virgin on my wedding night. “If that were true, my wings would have turned black years ago.”

“Perhaps it was fucking non-suitors during your courtship period that did it,” he offered.

My eyes widened. “You’re unbelievable, Auric. You know me better than that.”

“If that were true, you’d still be a virgin.” He folded his arms. “Did you fuck non-suitors during your courtship period?”

If I clenched my jaw any harder, I’d bleed. “No,” I spat out. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

“It is if that’s how you Fell,” he replied.

I was going to kill him. I was going to take that dagger from his hilt and drive it through his cold heart.

“I’m not sixteen anymore,” I told him. “And I was permitted to have relationships. All of them were approved by my father, and I was very single when the suitors started to arrive.”

My father had made sure of my single status. Just as he’d encouraged me to date. Because, apparently, the majority of my suitors didn’t want a virgin. So it’d never been about me or my wants and needs so much as ensuring I met the satisfaction of my suitors.

“My father arranged my first boyfriend,” I added, unable to hold back my bitter note. “He sanctionedeverything.”