Valora and Adrik were due to arrive any moment now, further driving that knife into my heart. Because they were the reason Grigory tolerated me. Adrik had forced his best friend to save me that night as a gift for Valora, forever tying us all together in a big, ugly bow of fate.
My stomach soured at the thought.
Grigory had enough to worry about with his ascension and pending marriage. His lips curled down into a frown, his posture rigid.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
“No.” The honest answer surprised me. “No, I’m really not.”
I walked toward him, my hands seeking his chest before the action registered in my mind. Words seemed to fail me. What could I possibly say to help him? He presented a strong front before his people, his personality playful yet powerful, and beneath all that was a man trapped in a bargain he loathed.
We rarely spoke about it, but I sensed his frustration on the rare occasion his mental walls fell. Typically, at the end of a sparring session when exhaustion hit him. It only afforded me brief glimpses; however, they were enough.
He remained rigid as I circled his neck, hugging him in my own way.
It hurt that he didn’t return the gesture, but this wasn’t about me—it was about him.
It was about goodbye.
Because tonight would change everything.
Not because of his engagement, but because I had a plan. I’d attend for long enough to be noticed, then I’d disappear back to his quarters, find my charms, and leave him to his destiny while I pursued mine.
It didn’t matter what he thought because I knew in my gut that I was ready.
It’s time.
“Just a point of warning for tonight, Zay,” he said softly, his hands suddenly on my hips as he fisted my skirts. “The charms are not in my rooms.”
I gasped as he spun me around to place my back to his front, then he pulled up my skirts and knelt behind me. “What are you doing?” I demanded, trying to see his hands, but they were blocked by waves of green silk.
Then I felt his thumb against my inner thigh, followed by the kiss of leather and the hiss of a snap. I jolted at the sound, then frowned at the cool metal sensation sliding against my skin.
“For your protection,” he explained, securing the blade in the holster. “Use it on me, and you’ll regret it.”
I grunted. “Why would I use it on you?”
“Because I’ll beat your ass red if I find you lurking around my quarters later,” he replied, the heat of his body enveloping my back as he stood.
I had to shimmy my hips to make the fabric fall once more, which was precisely the wrong move since it brushed my ass against his growing erection. His palm landed on my lower belly before I could pull away, his arm tensing as he held me effortlessly against him.
“I mean it, Zay,” he said against my ear. “I will bend you over my knee and spank you like a child if you so much as set foot in my room tonight.”
It occurred to me then that he’d been playing in my head. That was the only way he could know about my plans. “So breaking into my rooms wasn’t enough; you have to break into my mind, too?” I demanded, spinning to face him, furious.
“Your intentions were written all over your face,” he countered. “Which is why I keep saying you’re not ready.”
“Fuck you, Grigory.”
“Such a naughty mouth,” he mused, his eyes dipping to my lips. “One of these times, I’m going to fuck it into submission.”
I gasped. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t act like you wouldn’t enjoy it,” he replied, his eyes darkening to black orbs with his words. “Lucifer knows how many times I’ve tasted you in our dreams, sweetheart. Maybe it’s time you taste me.” He arched a challenging brow just as a knock sounded at my door.
Grigory had just admitted to knowing about the dreams.
“Wait…”