“To punish you.”

Suddenly, the room felt smaller, the air thicker, and Aurelia's defiance began to falter.

"What do you mean?" she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady, but it trembled despite her best efforts. Of course, she knew what she meant, but at the same time, she didn’t.

She hoped it wasn't what she was thinking, and yet the prospect of it made her insides warm, causing her to press her thighs together in reflex.

Luke arched a brow at her, his eyes glinting with ...