Forbidden Honor (Dragon Royals #1)(96)

The guards eyed me watchfully but didn’t stop me. It was strange to have them standing underneath the trees on the grounds where I used to play so freely. One more piece of my childhood had been stripped away.

I went unheralded through the house; the servants seemed to look right through me. In my room, Alis had left a new gown. She wouldn’t have wanted me to wear the same thing twice anyway, so it didn’t matter Talisyn had ripped the first from my body. Just thinking about it made me fantasize about his hands stroking beneath my clothes, the way his eyes lit up as his hard body pressed to mine. The guys were suffering while we were apart, but I was certainly suffering too.

I stripped off my clothes and climbed into an absurdly hot bath. After I washed my hair, I soaked off what felt like the accumulated grime and blood of a week at the academy. Even though I washed every night before I tumbled, exhausted, into bed, it wasn’t the same as soaking my sore muscles.

The physician might heal my broken bones and open wounds each day. But nothing could take away the soreness of my muscles from the constant training that we did.

As I floated in the water, sudsy bubbles lapping around my breasts and my feet, I imagined Jaik and Talisyn twined around me. I could almost feel Jaik’s capable fingers teasing against my clit while Talisyn buried himself deep inside me.

As I fantasized about being sandwiched between their hard bodies, I let my hands slip over my breasts, tweaking my nipples. Then delving lower, my hands slid over my thighs, separated my folds and stroked between them. It wasn’t as satisfying as having Jaik do it for me. But I found the sensitive nub and teased it over and over again until my hips began to rise rhythmically out of the water, grinding against something that wasn’t there.

The soft murmur of water filled the air as my body fell into the water over and over again, my hips rolling as I pressed two wet fingers inside my throbbing center, trying to push myself over the edge, shuddering around my fingers. And all the while, I could see Jaik’s intense gaze smoldering at me. I couldn’t wait for the moment he finally broke and smiled. And I imagined Talisyn’s self-satisfied smirk between kisses.

Even after satisfying myself, when I sank into the water that felt too hot now, I was still throbbing and aching.

I wanted them.

They wanted me too, but they could probably find some other women to satisfy their desire. The thought filled me with a sudden surge of rage. But strangely enough, I hadn’t seen them yet with any of the noble girls who normally hung around. They’d been busy hunting hybrids, and I wasn’t sure I dared let myself hope there might be another reason. I wondered if Jaik would come tonight, or if he was keeping his bruised face out of sight.

The thought of Pend hurting Jaik made me long to reach inside his chest and rip out his heart. Now that I was a dragon, I was actually capable of quite a bit of violence. It didn’t have to just be a fantasy any longer. Of course Pend was also a dragon, old and powerful… so I’d have to bide my time.

I was getting dressed when Hanna knocked on my door, then came into my room. Her gown was the same shade as mine, but in a far more innocent cut. She didn’t look thrilled about it, though I guess she wouldn’t look very happy about anything today.

I hugged her tight. Then the two of us made our way downstairs, which was thronging with strangers. It was strange to see so many unfamiliar faces, to feel like we didn’t really belong in our own home.

Someday, this house was going to be Hanna’s. I didn’t care about possessing much of myself. But I wanted to make sure that she received her full inheritance. Everything that Father had always wanted her to have, I wanted her to have it just as badly. Alis would take it from her if she could.

Hanna and I sat in the front row, and I reached out and took her hand, waiting for the ceremony to begin the music. The music dragged on long after the wedding should have begun, the repetitious tinkling harp didn’t soothe my mutinous feelings one bit,

Then I heard a rustle of someone coming down the aisle.

I looked up in surprise to see Talisyn dressed to the nines. He stopped, towering over me, smiling and looking handsome as ever. He didn’t look as if he had a doubt in the world. Which was funny because I was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to be here.

“Mind if I sit here?”

“I don’t mind at all. But are you sure you’ll survive it?”

He looked a little worried despite himself. “I’m pretty sure Jaik needs me even more than he’ll want to murder me for seeing you.”

“Did you tell him you were seeing me?”

Hanna was eavesdropping on us with a complete lack of shame or repentance.

“Well, not exactly. I left my room after talking about how one of us should be there to support you. And he didn’t attempt to wallop me into oblivion. So I feel that was basically the same thing as approval.”

“I see. That seems like some real personal growth from our favorite possessive prick.”

He pulled a face. “What’s with all the guards?”

“Nice change of subject. I was wondering if you knew.”

He shook his head. “No, there aren’t any more guards at my house or even at Jaik’s castle.”

The music changed then. Talisyn offered both Hanna and me a hand up. She had a look on her face like a smacked bottom but she reluctantly took his hand. Talisyn winked at her, and some of the tension in her face softened.