Shade came back alone. I stood by the edge of the couch with my arms crossed over my chest. He didn't say anything. He just stepped inside and pulled off his jacket.
"You just going to pretend nothing happened?"
He paused but didn't answer.
I moved forward. "You signed that contract. You picked her."
He dropped the jacket on the counter and faced me. "I signed what they shoved in front of me."
"No one forced you to circle her face. No one made you put your ring on it."
He exhaled through his nose. "You think I wanted that?"
"You didn't stop it."
"I was eighteen."
"Old enough to know what signing your life away looks like."
He stepped closer. "Old enough to think I could protect everyone if I played along."
I snorted. "You really thought pretending to pick a mate from a council-a
