CLARABEL

Talia stepped into the room and seemed to freeze at the spot, her eyes widening as she took in the scene of a shirtless and bloodied Malakai, looking like he’d escaped a war zone; and me, standing far too close to his bed, my hair a tangled mess and my breathing shallow.

Her gaze continued to dart between us, and I knew her mind was clearly spinning a tale that had nothing to do with whips and everything to do with what she thought happened behind closed doors. From a flicker of shock, her expression darkened into a cloud of suspicion.

I moved before she could say a word,...