Page 24 of A Hunt So Wicked
“Is that so? What did you dream of?” My hand skimmed the dip of her waist, the smooth satin of her deep crimson gown made it very easy to feel the warmth of her skin.
“Of your hands on me, just like this.” She was now pressed firmly against my body. “I dreamt of being in your bed, doing whatever you desired…”
I chuckled and pushed aside a few wayward curls, exposing the length of her neck which she arched so beautifully for me. How could a man resist such smooth, unmarred skin? My nose brushed against her, and she whimpered. Fucking whimpered.
Bite her. Mark her. Bite her. Bite.
My eyes flew open, and I took a step away from Allison. What the hell was that? The voice within my head had been nothing but snarls and deep growls. My heart raced as I shook my head, as though the motion might cause the disturbing thoughts to fall out.
“My prince? Are you okay?”
Sweat beaded on my forehead and I felt entirely too warm. “Is it warmer in here all of a sudden?”
Her eyes rounded as she stammered. “W-what?”
Great, the woman was now panicking.
A hand gripped my arm, and I spun to see who the hell would grab me in such a way, only to find Taj there, grinning. “Torin! There you are, mate!” He glanced down at Alisha with a softened expression. “Miss Eliza, you’ll have to excuse my rude behavior. I need to steal my friend for a toast. Please, come find us in a bit.”
I frowned. Not an ‘A’ name after all. At least I was close.
“It’s not a problem, my lord. I will do that, thank you,” Eliza said, curtsying and then practically sprinting away.
Taj took a step back from me, his eyes observing me as if I were a puzzle that needed solving. “Torin, you are ready to burst.”
Well, that was an accurate observation. I wiped my forehead with my silk pocket square. “What gave me away? The endless sweating?”
We were joined by Mosi and Ciar, who came bearing glasses of liquor. Taj took his glass from Ciar, and Mose handed me mine.
Taj swirled the liquor within his glass momentarily before responding to my question. “I know how I feel right now. Each minute that passes, I feel like I’m losing more control… and yes, the sweating.”
All four of us laughed because, yeah, we looked like hell.
"I do believe you called me over here for a toast?" I asked Taj.
He laughed and shook his head, his locs swaying with the motion. "Indeed, indeed. Gents, I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge this momentous occasion." His tone turned serious, and we all straightened our shoulders, years of being trained on the importance of posture kicking in. "Tonight, we become men. The men we were always meant to be. We don't know what the outcome of The Hunt will be, nor how we will be changed after the merge with our animals, but I'd like to think that regardless, our bonds as royals will be strong enough that our friendships and relationships as allies will continue."
Nerves fluttered in my stomach. The ramifications of shifting, of becoming one with our beasts, were unknown. Some men remained unchanged after The Hunt... and some? Some seemed to become wholly different men. My father always said that The Hunt—the shift—revealed your true self. There's no fighting it. Taj was right to be considering those things.
He cleared his throat and raised his glass. "To friends and the realm. May our houses never fall or falter in the face of whatever comes our way!"
Mosi cheered, and I nodded, raising my own glass. "Here, here." The four of us clinked our glasses and sealed the deal with a hefty swallow.
"Do you think we'll be much different? After?" Ciar questioned, his golden eyes tracking each minuscule movement of everyone within his vision. A Faolan trait, one that would give his family name away without a single word. Their house had the best trackers in the realm, and they were often utilized in searches for criminals or missing people.
I shrugged. "There's no way to know... I'd like to think that the men we are by now are our true selves. I'm just glad that we're finally at this point and the endless questions of 'what if' will come to an end. We've literally waited our entire lives to know the answers we are soon to discover."
"And that, my friends, is cause for celebration!" Mosi boomed, clinking his glass against Ciar's once more and downing the rest of his drink. "Now, as much fun as this has been, I have an urgent need to get to know more of these beautiful women. Time is dwindling, don't miss out." With a wink, he spun on his heel and waded through the crowd, searching for a woman to dance with.
"You know? I do believe my brother has the right idea," Taj proclaimed as he also finished his drink. "Time to find a wife, boys."
My mind immediately drifted back to Evie. Where did she get to, anyway? I glanced over to where I’d last seen her, talking with my father. She was gone.
“I’m off to bribe the band to play something a bit more upbeat. This shite is criminal.” Ciar glanced at Taj and me. “And if anyone’s got a problem with me taking this tie off, tell them they can shove it up their arse, yeah?”
Taj roared with laughter as we watched our friend struggle with his tie. “Sure thing, I’ll tell your father exactly that.”
Having finally won the fight, Ciar balled it up, launched it in Taj’s face, then ran away, laughing maniacally.
