Chapter 428: Sniffing Out the Traitor

ELRETH

Gar's upper lip curled back. "Maybe not to you, El. But she's my mate. And I will interfere with anyone who tries to touch her when she doesn't deserve it."

"You are not the judge of when she deserves to be handled!"

A tiny noise broke in the throats of Aaryn and her father. Gar grinned.

Elreth snapped her head to glare at them, standing to the other side of the room.

"What?"

Their father cleared his throat. "I just… when your mother was held… I reacted similarly."

Aaryn held her eyes and signed. 'I would die before I'd let males touch you with threat in their eyes.'

The words were a spear to her heart—and made it sing. Frustration surged—she was sick of stifling her instincts to lead just for the sake of alpha male bullshit! The guards weren't going to hurt Rika unless she proved to be a traitor!

But the look on Aaryn's face, and the empathy in her father's expression when he looked at Gar…