"What?!" Violet blurted out, her eyes widening as it sank in what she had just said. "No, I'm not—" She tried to fix it, fumbling instead. "I mean—no—it's not that, I mean, it's not like I'm part of your family and when you put it—"
Violet stopped. She was babbling, and judging by the looks she was getting, she was only making it worse. Her face heated with embarrassment and she wished the ground would open up and swallow her at this point.
Elijah's lips curved into a sly smile. He was enjoying this. "Of course you're not part of the family," he said, tilting his glass in her direction. "But then, Micah now wears a rune. And you, Violet, are mate-bonded to not just one, but two of my heirs." His eyes glinted. "I'd say that makes you family, in a certain way. Wouldn't you agree?"
Every word was a trap.
