“She wasn’t afraid of you,” I said, standing up as soon as they were gone.

“Not afraid enough,” Triton agreed.

I turned to face him, folding my arms over my breasts to hold my hair in place and ignoring the dampness between my thighs. His magic had royally screwed me over.

“Why aren’t they?”

“Most of the selkies aren’t warriors, but they wield poison the way most of us do blades and magic. They’re smaller than most beings in Alterrae, and they use it to their advantage when it comes to seducing and poisoning their prey.”

“Then why haven’t they attacked you yet? They obviously want to control the sea. And why haven’t they wanted power until now?”

“We still aren’t sure. We’ve sent spies, but none of them have found any real explanation. As far as attacking me for the throne, they know they can’t win that fight. If they could slaughter us, they would answer to the rest of Alterrae. While they hid during the war, the majority of us suffered and were massacred together to save our world. I am friends or at least allies with the leaders of every kingdom, even the one the selkies work with. If the selkies kill me, they will all promptly be slaughtered themselves.”

“Then what are we supposed to do about that?” I gestured toward the door the selkies had gone through. “They don’t seem like they’re planning on backing off.”

“They aren’t. If we can’t figure out why they’re acting out, they will eventually attack us to get what they want.”

“What if they do?” I asked.

“Then we’ll fight.”

Another small wave of electricity zapped the room, and I bit back a groan.

I needed to get away from him before I did something that made no sense at the moment. Like screwing him again.

“I need some air,” I said, and Triton nodded.

To my surprise, he didn’t protest as I slipped through the door, walking past Rayna and down the hallway.

I didn’t know where I was going… but I needed to be away from the king and his wild magic so I had time to process my thoughts.

seven

TRITON

I sat on the balcony’s railing, legs dangling off the ledge as I watched my mate. Aria was sitting on the beach, her palms on the sand and her hair blowing lightly in the wind.

Though I didn’t want to be as far from her as I was, she clearly needed some time to herself, and I could keep her safe from where I sat. Ultimately, I had taken her from her home. Space to think was the least I could give her.

“She was supposed to act like a timid human,” Rayna grumbled, stepping out onto the balcony beside me.