"Favorite color?" I pressed, my finger moving from one brother to the next, demanding a response.

Malachi was present, though his reluctance was palpable. I couldn't bring myself to care. It was only after Caspian's direct order that he agreed to participate in this Q&A session I had initiated. As my mate, I couldn't exclude him, and, though I'd rather not admit it, he likely held the most insightful answers.

His antagonism, his aloofness, his perpetual conflict with me—it needed to cease. I ...