Page 78 of A Hunt So Wicked
I halted our steps. "Hey. This is serious, Van. We've had decades of peace, but who knows what the future holds. We all need to be smart. Think of the future."
"I don't believe I've ever seen you be serious about anything, Tor." I stared at him sternly, holding my ground, and he threw up his hands. "Okay, okay. I got it. It's serious."
"Good lad. Let's get down there. I want to see the future women of our royal houses."
"Dear Goddess, me too. Ever since that shift, I've been out of my mind with the urge to fuck someone."
I chuckled. "You're not alone, brother. I haven't been so out of my mind with lust since I was sixteen."
"Well, don't embarrass yourself by making a mess in your pants during the ceremony," he teased.
"Goddess, could you imagine? Father would behead me right in the middle of the dance floor."
Van tossed me a dirty look. "Don't joke about that."
My siblings knew the wrath our father could deliver, but I did everything I could to make sure they never had to endure it. I had taken more lashings for them than they could ever imagine, and I would never tell them.
"It's going to be a great evening," I said, changing the subject back to lighter things.
We were silent for a few moments, and I glanced at my brother, finding him frowning.
"What are you thinking about?"
He cleared his throat. "All of those things that we did..."
"We were not in control."
"No, I know that. It doesn't change the fact that I can't seem to stop replaying them in my mind. I've never killed someone before, Tor. I always thought it would be an enemy if I had to do that. Life or death kind of thing."
I put my hand on his shoulder. "It was life or death. If we didn't do what we did, we wouldn't be able to shift ever again. Our children wouldn't get the gift passed on to them."
"I just don't understand why someone would curse us like this."
"I know, brother. But mark my words; we will break that damned curse."
He nodded, and my promise seemed to breathe a little life back into him as he stood straighter than before.
"Let's go find us some brides, yeah?" I grinned.
We entered the hall on the upper level, and I whistled low. "Damn, they went all out."
The ball had been extravagant, but this was another level of royal. Oil lamps burned everywhere, suspended from the ceiling at different lengths, while the chains that held them blended into the darkness, making it look as though they were floating above the room. Four massive banners had been rolled out against the back wall, displaying each family crest. Red, green, orange, and gray, all of the colors of our kingdoms—the crests were always on display, but this was the first time that I actually felt something stir within my chest as I looked into the eyes of the dragon. Pride. I felt proud to be a Volos, and tonight, I was going to make the first move in creating my legacy. A raised platform carpeted with a white sheet stood below the covered banners, while a mix of wildflowers was strewn across the floor, along with smaller burning lamps.
As we descended the stairs, I spotted Ciar and Taj chatting at the bar next to a small booth that a guard was monitoring. I spotted Desmond Faolan walking out of the booth and handing a rolled up paper to the guard. I guess he’d already made his mind up about who he wanted to choose. Alden and Mosi were standing near the raised stage, deep in discussion. I scanned the room in search of Dair, but I didn't spot him. We still had about ten minutes until the appointed meeting time, but he was one of those people who thought if you weren't ten minutes early, you were late.
"I'm going to go talk to Alden," Van said. "I'll see ya in a bit."
I nodded and continued looking around for my best friend. It was important that I talked to him before I went in to list my selections. I needed to know where his mind was. Irritation nagged at me. Where the hell was he? He brushed me off earlier, and now he wasn't here.
"Join us for a drink?" Taj called out to me, waving me over.
There was nothing else for me to do right then, not until Dair decided to make his entrance. I'd need all of us on the same page regarding breaking the curse, so I joined Taj and Ciar.
"Gentlemen," I greeted and accepted Ciar's offered glass of dark liquid. "Cheers to marriage."
"Here, here," Ciar said loudly, and we all clinked our glasses together.
Taj placed his now empty glass on the bar and gestured for another. "When do you think they'll bring the women in?"
