Chapter 31

The green-eyed man arrived shortly after Rikash released her from the bed and she realised that he was Nadyr, Rikash s second who would be staying with her during Rikash s absence. Her heart raced. She had fantasized about this man, she thought, for so long, knowing nothing about him. Now she would find out if he was a monster like Rikash. Her skin prickled beneath the drying come that Rikash had applied with more than his usual thoroughness, seeking to scent mark her, she suspected, to make clear to his second his ownership, and keep his scent lingering on her skin for the entirety of his absence. The two men had a lengthy and detailed conversation about her care, and then Rikash looked at her for a long moment, frowning, as if not entirely sure how to say goodbye. He finally drew her into the bedroom and kissed her lingeringly out of sight of the other man, his fingers tangling in her hair. "Obey Nadyr," he instructed sternly. "Do not fear." "I