I didn’t feel anything. I couldn’t. Because if I did, I’d lose it completely. Was I hurt? Shocked? Indignant? I couldn’t tell. Ever since being a draken, I’d had to beat the males off me. They were all desperate to mate—to have a female accept them and start a family.

Thad had said no.

I knew he wanted me—I’d felt it in the demon stronghold and even now the tang of his arousal hung think in the air.

“You are rejecting a mating bond?” Kieran asked, half in shock, half in wonder. Benedict’s wings drooped. He blinked as he got himself under control.

I whined, and he immediately turned to me, scooped me up in his arms like a child and nuzzled my neck. I threw my arms around him and sniffed.

I wouldn’t cry.

“He is a fool to reject you,” Benedict soothed, “though I am not upset about it.”

I snorted, unable to help myself. Wait, was that it? Rejection?

No draken had rejected me since coming here. And yet this untrained man who hadn’t even known he was a draken had done so. Gone out of his way to do so.

It stung.

“Let’s get you back to the treehouse,” Benedict suggested, his voice a caress against my ear. Kieran and Ronan stood between Thad and us, just watching. Waiting.

I needed to apologize to Thad. I’d grown so accustomed to every unmated draken losing their mind around me that I hadn’t paused to consider asking him. I’d just assumed I knew how he felt. I had to make it right.

I tried to wiggle out of Benedict’s grasp, but his arms held me tight.

“Come on, we’re going.” Benedict declared, his wings fluttering as he prepared to take off.

I shot a last desperate look at Thad, hoping I could convey how sorry I was. But he wasn’t looking at me. He was staring at something far away, a look of wonder and curiosity on his face.

“Who is that?” he asked, pointing down to rocks below.

There was a flash of white and then Xana took to the sky in an obvious panic.