than just discussing rations.”
“What exactly are you implying?”
“Don’t play stupid with me. And just so you know, as soon as I get out of this chair, you’re going to regret it,” I say between clenched teeth. I struggle against my bonds, and all it does is cause them to tear into my skin, infuriating me all the more. “I’m saying that you’re having an affair with her, you big, dumb purple piece of shit. Now let me go.”
Jaxar folds his wings and crouches directly in front of me. When he moves to take my chin in hand, I try to bite him. However, he prevails and brings my gaze to his.
“I have not been with another female since the day I first saw you on Najarie,” he says softly.
I try to jerk from his hold but fail. “Don’t touch me.”
He cocks his head. “What brought you to this conclusion? You are an intelligent female, so there has to be a reason.” His face hardens, replacing the confusion. “You will tell me now.”
“Untie me and I will.”
I hold my breath as I wait for him to come to a decision, but eventually he nods. After releasing my chin, he works the leather tie until it falls away from my wrists. I crane my neck as if working out a kink and raise my hands to stretch. As soon as my fingers graze the cool metal woven in my hair, I grab onto it. With a quickness that would make Mr. Miyagi proud, I remove the hairpin from its sheath and press it to Jaxar’s shoulder.
“Timber, motherfucker,” I say with a smirk.
He stiffens before falling to the floor on his side. It’s amazing I didn’t stab myself considering how huge my stomach is, not to mention I’m more accident-prone now than I ever was.
I get to my feet and stretch for real before I shove Jaxar onto his back by nudging him with my foot. Then I stand over him, placing my legs on either side of his hips.
“This wasn’t part of my plan,” I say, staring down at him. “But I don’t regret it. I wasn’t here because I was out looking for you, and then I heard you talking to Grefina. It wasn’t hard to guess there is something going on between you two. I mean, the whore was bragging about satisfying you.”
My voice catches, and I take a breath to keep the tears at bay. Crying while you’re trying to establish dominance ruins the whole thing. So I clear my throat and try again.
“All the signs were there. You stayed out late every night claiming to work, and then when you did come home, you wouldn’t join me in bed. We used to discuss all tribal matters, but you didn’t tell me about the meeting yesterday, and you didn’t continue your conversation with Ahknar when I arrived. We were a team, but obviously you found someone else to help you lead.”
Jaxar’s gaze flickers to my fists by my sides and then back to my eyes. I catch the look of fear in his and glance down. The hairpin is still clenched tightly between my fingers, but my hands are shaking. I carefully put the pin back into its sheath, and immediately the worry disappears from his gaze. I’m too upset to thank him for watching out for me, but I do appreciate it. I could’ve easily poked myself, and then the two of us would be lying on the floor incapacitated. Not to mention I have no idea how that venom would affect the baby or how badly I could’ve injured myself during the fall.
“Look,” I say with a heavy sigh, “I get that you found someone else, but I have no idea what to do about it. I’m so hurt that I feel like I could cry for a week straight. On the other hand, I want to shove my weapon through your stupid heart, since it obviously doesn’t beat for me anymore. When I first heard you and Grefina together, I wanted to save our marriage, but now I’m not sure it’s salvageable…”
I slap a hand over my mouth as sobs arrive unbidden. They shake my entire body, making it tremble almost violently. Jaxar’s gaze is fearful once more, but I can hardly see it through my tears. They trail down my face in endless streams, gaining momentum the longer I cry. As if my heart is literally breaking, my breaths become shallow, making it hard for