Chapter 78: Here, Now

David was pacing in front of the fireplace, jacket and tie off, just in his shirt and trousers when I walked in and whirled when he heard the door, rushing to me and instructing the guards to leave us alone immediately.

"What is it, what's wrong?" he hushed, reaching for me.

But I stepped back and he froze. "Is it true you've been bringing other women here?"

His brows pinched. "Here? No, of course not, this is my private—"

"Have you had other women in the Select—any women for that matter—in your quarters. Alone. Without…. Even without Defenders?"

When it took him a beat to answer, my heart sank right to my toes. My breath caught when he looked at me sadly. "Yes, Zara. Yes, I have. But you have to understand, it was nothing like this—not like us. They were… meetings. Not—"