Free Possessed by Desire by Elisabeth Naughton

looking at. And that was when Claire realized there was another female in the room. A redhead with emerald-green eyes, wearing jeans and a fitted white T-shirt, looking almost as shell-shocked as Claire felt. Claire looked to Mira for clues to who the female was, but Mira was too busy checking Tariq for injuries and helping him up to pay any attention to her.
    “ She saved you ?” Ashur asked, the snarl in his voice reverberating through the room. “She’s Ghul.”
    Nasir’s jaw hardened. “She’s my mate. And she’ll be your queen soon, so watch your mouth.”
    Ashur’s gaze snapped back to Tariq standing on the other side of the room. “What does he mean by ‘queen’?”
    Tariq swiped at the blood on his lip. When Mira reached up to help him, he whispered, “I’m fine, hayaati .”
    Mira muttered something Claire couldn’t hear, but in the glare she shot Ashur’s way, it was clear she was as ticked with Ashur as Ashur had been with Claire earlier.
    Tariq looked back at his youngest brother. “I abdicated the throne to Nasir. I’ve chosen to stay here.”
    Ashur’s irate gaze cut to Mira. “With her? A human? You betrayed me and Nasir and our entire kingdom for her ?”
    Fire flashed in Mira’s eyes. “Now just a minute—”
    Tariq laid his hand over hers, cutting off her words, but his voice held no anger when he said, “Yes. With her. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
    Ashur looked from brother to brother. And from the hatred brewing in his eyes, Claire had the sinking suspicion what had started to feel like a truce was about to escalate into World War III. “A Ghul and a human? No wonder no one came looking for me. You were both too busy getting fucked by our enemies.”
    The female in the doorway to the kitchen drew in an audible gasp. Tariq’s jaw hardened.
    “I don’t care what you’ve been through,” Nasir growled. “You will not talk about Kavin that way.”
    Tension coated every inch of the room. In the silence that followed, Ashur’s inflamed gaze jumped from face to face, finally holding on Tariq’s bruises. And there was something in his eyes. A mixture of hurt and betrayal and hatred that Claire recognized. Recognized because she’d seen it in the mirror. Staring back at her those first few years after she’d been banished to the human world.
    “You don’t command me,” Ashur said in a low tone. “None of you do. Not anymore.”
    Black smoke swirled, and voices echoed. But before either brother could stop him, Ashur poofed right out of the room.
    Silence descended. And when the smoke cleared, Tariq looked her way, followed by Nasir, whose surprised expression told her he’d just realized she was there.
    “I’m sorry,” she whispered, not sure what else to say. “I didn’t know he was the djinni she’d send. I…” Her lungs cinched down tight and tears she’d never felt before burned her eyes. Tears over what she’d seen and done and was still planning to do.
    Tariq let go of Mira’s hand and stepped forward. “Claire?”
    Outside, a loud noise reverberated, followed by a string of curse words, some of which Claire guessed had to be Marid.
    “Sounds like he ran into the trashcans,” Tariq muttered.
    Claire’s pulse picked up speed, and she looked toward the door behind her. “Why is he out there? Why didn’t he just leave?”
    “He’s bound to the opal you wear,” Nasir said. When she looked his way, he was staring at the jewel around her neck.
    “He can’t get more than a hundred yards away from you.” Tariq added. “At least until his job is done.”
    Claire’s gaze jumped to Mira’s husband, and unease rolled through her belly.
    “How did you find the firebrand opal?” Mira asked, her brows dipping low. “I mean, I thought we agreed if one of us found the bottle, we’d alert the others. How did it get around your neck?”
    Mira’s voice jolted Claire back to the conversation at hand. “It’s…a long story.”
    Nasir sighed and