Chapter 30 · His Signed Betrayal

My hands were still shaking.

The king's presence had left my body five minutes ago but I could still feel him under my skin. Like he'd rearranged something inside me and forgot to put it back. I was sitting on the floor of Dorian's study, my back against the bookshelf, and my pulse was doing something arrhythmic and wrong.

Dorian crouched in front of me. His face was careful. Too careful.

"Iris."

I didn't look at him.

"I can get you out," he said.

That made me look up. "Out of what? The contract? The palace? Your bloodline?"

He flinched. Good.

"Out of the clause," he said quietly. "The one my grandfather just told you about."

I laughed. It came out sharp and bitter and I didn't try to fix it. "You mean the one where I'm not actually your wife, I'm your broodmare with a five-year return policy?"

"It's not—"

"Don't." I pushed myself up. My legs felt like water but I wasn't going to have this conversation from the floor. "Don't you dare tell me it's not like that. He was in my head, Dorian. I felt what he thinks of me. Acceptable vessel. Temporary solution. Human incubator."