ZORA

It's like I flipped the wrong switch.

And I regretted it almost instantly.

Ryker's body went stiff, rigid like a concrete pole. I knew the question was sensitive and would still affect him even if she wasn't his real mate.

What I didn't know was how much it was going to affect him.

Perhaps it was such a stupid thing to bring her up in a rare good moment like this, but I was really curious, and I didn't know how close they were.

It ruined the atmosphere, I could feel it shift from pleasant and sweet to irritated and bitter. The warmth I felt in his arms dissipated...