Page 44 of Maiming
I’m seconds away from defeating his waning silence.
“If you tell her about the Fire Festival Orgy Festivities now then she’ll never be able to wait until eight o’clock, my friend.” Sinister pushes past us, slipping out into the night air.
My mouth pops open without sound. Kain follows after Sinister. Rime grabs Chaos’ hand and drags him away from me. We could have a fivesome. A delicious,long, amazing fivesome. I stand staring with a thousand sensual images assaulting my mind.
Until I look out at the four men smirking up at me.
“That was a lie wasn’t it?” I ask, making their smiles turn wolfish.
“Of course, it was a lie. Who the hell would want to see Lord Carlin in orgy? Get out here, Arrie.” Sinister lifts his hand to me like a true gentleman. A promise shines in his eyes.
Dressed in all black slacks and button-downs, these four men look like sweet serenades and sinful sex. Perfect clothes. Perfect hair. All the pretty perfect words.
And it’s all for me.
* * *
Hundreds of shifters, women, the entire village is out tonight. As the food starts to dwindle, the music becoming slower, the darkness starting to settle in, people begin to make their way back inside. They’re smart. It’s a smart thing to do.
But goddess does it piss Brylee off.
“Ungrateful is what they are. How dare they dishonor her memory without taking a candle before leaving so damn early.” She huffs, her tight pink gown squeezing harder against her breasts with every angry breath she takes. She stands away from the dinner tables at the center of the path where a few couples are dancing and trying to enjoy themselves.
They’re not. Not any more anyway.
“Stop giving her attention. You’re just feeding the beast.” Kain pulls me down, draping me across his lap and the slit in my dress rises higher. My legs cross to keep some modesty.
The few people still eating at the table look over at the two of us. When Kain’s big hand slides up the length of my thigh, following up the line of that fabric that’s so carefully covering me, the watching men look away from us. His thumb stops at the apex of my thigh and it makes my already unsteady breath falter even more.
The wine glass presses to my lips and I force myself to drink instead of shifting in his lap.
“It’s almost eight o’clock,” he whispers against my ear.
“What happens at eight, Kain?” My fingers slide against the soft cotton of his dark shirt. It makes his skin look paler. His green eyes brighter in the fire light.
He shakes his head slowly at me.
“Come dance with me?” Instead of waiting at my side, Chaos kneels down, sitting on the heels of his boots as he perches himself at eye level with my hips. Strong hands clasp against said hips, digging in just enough to cause me to shift in Kain’s lap, and I don’t even remember what he asked me, but I nod just from the feel of his hands against my body.
Both of them are smiling smugly.
I roll my eyes but then he’s pulling me to my feet.
A single stringed instrument plays softly from somewhere in the crowd. The smell of smoke fills the air from the food that was cooked for hours throughout the day just to be devoured in only moments. Enormous flames lick high into the night sky from the back of the festival. Little torch lights halo the festival in golden colors along the edge of event. And of course, those damn fuchsia candles dot the dozens of tables. Flickering flames surround us from all sides. Center pieces of bundled twigs, sweeping leaves and a few white flowers give it an elegant touch among the firelight.
It’s all so pretty. But nothing’s as intriguing as the intense look in Chaos’ eyes. He really does seem nervous. Is he scared of something happening tonight? An attack? Is he worried?
My fingers lock behind his neck and I pull him flush against my body as his hands settle over my hips. He leads me in casual steps despite how hard his heart pounds against my chest. He never looks away from me. I want to say something to ease the troubled look in his gaze. A hundred witty things circle my mind, but I can’t think of a thing to say that feels right.
My thigh brushes his and something hard from within his pocket scrapes against my skin.
“Is that a healing crystal in your pocket or are you just happy to see me.” With a half-smile and a wink, I wait for the nervousness in him to ease away.
He stops. His eyes widen. His lips part. No words come out.
Damn. Tough crowd tonight.
“Are you okay?” My fingers skim along his dark beard.
