King Cave (Forever Evermore, #2)(98)

Silence extended again after their humor during my undignified experience.

Time sluggishly ticked away as I awaited my fate. No great outcome came to mind.

Finally, Cahal deigned to speak, and still in no hurry, he enquired casually, “You have nothing to say?”

I cleared my throat. Actually, I did. “This was all my fault.” Cahal’s gaze never wavered from mine, even if blank. I straightened my shoulders. “I originally seduced Ezra.” Pulling my hands out of my pockets, I extended them in supplication. “He’s more like an innocent party.”

That did get a reaction. Just not from who I wanted.

Elder Merrick made a gurgling noise.

Antonio sighed heavily.

Elder Jacobs’s jaw fell open.

And Cahal just blinked once — no change.

Again, I cleared my throat, ‘cause I had to keep trying. “Really.” I pointed at myself. “It was me who initiated it.” Kind of the truth. I was the one who had been caught ogling his lips and ass. “There’s no reason for you to be upset with your son.” I had no clue what his dad would do to him, but it sure as hell wouldn’t be all warm and fuzzy.

Ignoring the other three, who appeared to be choking, fainting, or possibly dead, Cahal lifted his chin from his fingers and folded his hands across his flat stomach. Reclining further on the chair, and also ignoring everything I had said, he stated bluntly, “You two lied to me.”

Gulping, I nodded once. “Yes.”

He stared, dark eyes fathomless. “You two share a bedroom?”

With my thoughts quickly assessing what had been said earlier, my lips pinched. “Yes.”

“He was the father of your twins?”

My nostrils flared. Oh, God. “Yes.”

His head cocked. “He said they were a boy and girl. How did he know this?”

Lie. “A guess,” I stated evenly, keeping my eyes firmly off Elder Merrick, knowing he would sense the fib. Bindi was a good doctor and I didn’t want to get her in trouble.

Cahal’s thumbs started ticking together, and I realized it was to the cadence of my heartbeat. “Other than the five of us in this room, who else knows about your relationship?”

Sweat began to bead on my forehead. “No one to worry about.”

His lips curled cruelly. “Who, Ms Ruckler?”

My lips stayed firmly shut, watching him warily. As soon as I saw the very beginnings of his eyes glowing, I quickly dropped my gaze. Anger and fear overtook my emotions. The f*cker had been about to mind trap me into telling him.

He chuckled quietly. “Maybe there is some intelligence in that brain of yours.” Still with the soft chuckling. “But I will have that answer.”

It was my only choice on how the situation was dealt. Asshole. “King Venclaire knows.” He could handle Ezra’s dad the best out of the few others who knew. I only felt slightly guilty handing over his name.

He hummed. “Interesting.” He paused. “How did he figure this out?”

My lips lifted on their own accord, glancing up at him. “He’s smarter than the rest.”

He watched me, eyes roaming over my features. “Is he the only one?”

“Yes.” I kept my heart rate steady, having to take a chance Elder Merrick wouldn’t blab.

I jolted when my new cell phone in my pocket began ringing. Not sure what to do during this inquisition, I only lifted it from my pocket, trying to figure out where the ignore button was, but Cahal stated, “Answer it.” Well, guess that made up my mind.

I flipped it open. “Hello?”

“You’re not back in our room yet,” Ezra growled over the line, apparently having better luck tracking down cell phone numbers than I’d had. “You said you were going to handle your issue yourself, but you’re not here doing it.” He sounded all kinds of put out. “Where the f*ck are you?”

My gaze lifted over Cahal’s shoulder, thanking God that King Kincaid had told me the phones were spelled so no Vamps could overhear what the caller was saying. Go Shifter paranoia. “I got held up.”

“If it’s not important,” Cahal’s lips were pinched slightly, probably because he couldn’t eavesdrop, “hang the f*cking phone up.”

But I knew instantly the spell didn’t go both ways when there was dead silence over the line, before Ezra asked quietly, “Where are you, sweetheart?”

“I have to go,” I stated evenly. I hung up without another word. My phone instantly rang again, but when I couldn’t find the damn button to ignore the call, I stuffed it in my pocket with it still ringing. Eyes steadfast on Cahal, I murmured, “Sorry.” The ringing stopped, only to start again instantly. “It’s new, I don’t know how to shut it—” I jerked, my voice silenced when the door slammed open behind me.

Everyone’s gaze, including my own, snapped in that direction.

Ezra stood in the doorway, nostrils flared, his green eyes instantly doing a sweep over my person before traveling over everyone in the room, his gaze honed and assessing as he snapped his cell phone shut next to his leg and placed it in his pocket in an efficient motion. My phone instantly stopped ringing, and I realized that was how he had found me — by the ringing. His hair was a wet mess all over his head, as if he had just gotten out of the shower. He was only wearing a pair of athletic shorts. And that was it for clothing. Even his feet were bare.