“Oh no. Now you have most definitely given me reason to suspect you are up to something.”
I ignore him and get dressed the old-fashioned way, by actually looking through the closet and choosing something at random. He isn’t going to let it drop, so I make a choice. I land on the only other thing I can think of that I want to hide from him. I didn’t want to do this but it’s the lesser of two evils. I hope.
“It’s to do with Xane,” I say, my back still towards him.
“What about him?” he snaps.
“We did a ritual. It may have linked us together,” I say quickly, turning around to gauge his reaction.
Well, ‘fury’ doesn’t quite cover it and I flinch.
“You had better be joking, Aefre. I am not putting up with another bond that you feel you have to nurture.”
“It’s not a bond. And I won’t be nurturing anything,” I say huffily.
He sighs. “Why did you feel the need to hide this from me? And why only now do you feel guilty about it?”
“Because I knew you would be pissed and look at it in the way that you did. I don’t feel guilty about doing it, just that I knew I had to tell you, but I didn’t want to,” I say, sidling up to him and taking his hand in a placatory gesture.
“I am pissed,” he says. “I don’t want to share you with anyone else, Aefre. Especially him.”
“You aren’t going to have to share me with him. Why especially him?”
“I have my reasons,” he says mysteriously. “And no, I am not going to tell them to you,” he adds as he sees me about to ask. “You don’t ever have to hide anything from me, my sweet. Secrets come out and I would have been more pissed if I had found out later.” He pulls me to him, and I want to die. I cannot let the other secret come out. Somehow, I am going to have to get Sebastian to keep his trap shut.
“Just do me a favor?” CK says. “Don’t get involved with him.”
“I won’t. I told you that I won’t.”
He nods briefly. “Make sure that you don’t. I won’t share you with anyone else and I will make certain of that.”
I gulp and nod.
“Good, now get ready. Everybody will be waiting.”
He turns around and leaves me to get dressed, fearful of the secret that I am still holding onto.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX
We head downstairs to the private dining room where everyone is, as expected, waiting.
“Liv.” Lincoln comes over to me and gives me a sly kiss. “You look wonderful.”
“Thank you,” I say.
In the end, I chose a black dress similar to the pink one that CK dressed me up in. I kept my hair down in loose curls as I know that’s the way CK likes it. I am all about pleasing him now, keeping him happy and not suspicious. I avoid Sebastian in favor of Devon, who grins at me and comes to give me a hug.
“I am so glad you are coming home.”
“I can’t be away from you. It’s ridiculous to even try. I will look forward to my Fridays,” he says, excited. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jess glaring at me like she wants to stake me. I don’t ask why she is still here. I said I’d stay out of it.
I nod to Scott and then I have to turn to Sebastian. He leans over and kisses me lightly on the cheek. “You do look lovely. I prefer you in white though,” he murmurs in my ear.
“Sebastian,” I warn him, and he chuckles.
“Don’t panic,” he whispers. “I won’t tell, as long as we do it again.”
I glare at him but don’t have a chance to respond as CK sidles over and says, “What, pray tell, are you two muttering about?”