Malric's Pov

The door closed behind us with a heavy thud.

Celia's hand was trembling in mine, and before I could even steady her, she wrenched it free, glaring up at me with eyes that looked ready to burn the room down.

"You're hurting me, Malric," she hissed. "You're hurting me."

I blinked down at her, realizing I was still gripping her wrist too tightly. I let go immediately, stepping back, trying to rein in the chaos in my chest. "Celia.."

"What's the meaning of that?" she cut in, her voice rising, trembling. "You called her your mate. In front of everyone. You addressed her as your mate, Malric. If...