Chapter 84

Ellery

Disgust filledthe duke's pale green eyes as they raked over me. I could feel how little he thought of me, but from the night he spent at our manor, I already knew he considered me lesser than him.

The duke's mouth quirked into a cruel smile before Ryker stepped into the doorway, braced his feet apart, and blocked his father's view of me. Free from the duke's repulse-filled gaze, a shiver ran down my spine as uneasiness crept in.

That man would not tolerate me in his son's bed.

"So you are home," the duke stated.

"Why are you here?" Ryker demanded.

"I haven't seen you in weeks, and I've been curious as to why; now, I know."

I caught a glimpse of his head as he tried to look at me over Ryker's shoulder, but Ryker shifted to keep me blocked.

"Who's the whore?" the duke inquired.

I kept my face impassive while inwardly wincing at the word.

"Watch what you say," Ryker snarled.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" the duke demanded in a tone that probably sent his servants scampering.

"I'm talking to you, and I didn't invite you into my apartment."

A tense silence followed; my heart beat faster, and I looked longingly at my discarded pants and shirt. I would give anything to have my clothes right now, but I was afraid that if I moved, I'd put myself into the duke's view again.

However, I felt completely vulnerable and wanted to leave. I shouldn't be here for this.

"We have things we must discuss," the duke stated.

"I'm busy right now."

I didn't hear the duke's response as Ryker stepped from the room and quietly closed the door behind him. Once it shut, I scrambled from the bed and gathered my clothes as from the other side of the door, their voices became an angry rumble.

Tugging my pants on, I buttoned them before pulling my shirt over my head. I shoved my bra and underwear into my pants pocket; I'd deal with them later.

What were you thinking coming here? You don't belong here!

But I was so lost in my fantasy of us and the small bubble we'd built around ourselves that I never stopped to think through the consequences of my actions. And now, they were beating me over the head with the reality of our situation.

The honeymoon phase had come to a screeching end; the bubble had exploded, and I had no idea what to do. I wanted to open a portal and run, but I couldn't leave Ryker behind after everything he'd revealed about his father, and I couldn't open a portal out of this place.

Almost everyone in Tempest, who could afford it, had an anti-portal charm on their homes. We had one that made it impossible for anyone who wasn't family to open a portal into our manor. The duke had the same for him and Ryker.

Until Ryker returned, I was trapped here.