"You look happy," Wendell said as we walked back toward my rooms together, Thao on his left and Cosmo on my right. Wendell leaned over, kissing my temple and making me pause to lean into the touch. "I'm glad to see that."
"It all went better than expected," I said, nodding.
"And we learned that Bryony can use her magic outside of just her climax," Cosmo added. "You know…Aric might be able to help you learn more control."
I tucked my hands into my skirt, but Cosmo caught one up and raised it to his lips, grazing a kiss over the back of my knuckles.
"You haven't told him."
"He thinks I don't possess the Hunger," I said, nodding. "And he is…glad of it. He trusts me for that reason."
"You can be trusted with the Hunger, Bryony," Wendell said softly. "You've used it for weeks, and all for the betterment of the—"
"Of the palace, and the grounds. And yes, some of it I used for the people. We hope. I just…"
"His opinion shouldn't matter to you anyway. It's good to have a sorcerer, of course. But he's also a rogue. Couldn't we find someone to perform magic that won't insult you when it pleases them?" Thao rattled off.
A stone of discomfort lodged in my throat, and I looked down to the tile in the hallway to watch my steps, my cheeks flushing. Since when were our tiles edged with roses and doves?
Wendell shifted at my side, and Thao grunted and then hissed. "But if you respect him then…" Thao floundered then. "No, I can't lie. I think he's rude and obstinate, and if he had any sense at all, he'd be here with you."
I laughed, and the tension binding me up loosened as I smiled at Thao. "Thank you. I do respect him, and I respect that his priorities and his principals stand in the way of—"
We'd arrived at my suite, stepping inside past the stationed guard, and then stopping still at the picture before me.
"Mmm that's it, let me taste you."
Owen was sprawled out on the settee, his skin flushed and clothes rumpled, his body pressed hard to the back of the couch. His brow was furrowed, dewed with sweat, and I couldn't tell if he was trying to get away until his hand clenched on one of the cushions, trying to drag himself to the corner.
Between his spread thighs knelt my sister.
Owen whined as he stared at me, chest heaving and eyes glassy. "Bryony…"
Two steps in and I stopped again, my sister's hand reaching for the open fly of Owen's pants, where his cock was swollen and starting to rise toward her. Her other hand was gripping tight to his trembling thigh, holding him open for her.
"Camellia!"
Owen scooted away, gasping, and then stilled as Camellia's fingers tightened.
"Bryony. There you are. You left me a plaything," Camellia said, glancing over her shoulder at me. "He's so resistant, how do you manage him?"
"Get. Up," I growled, hands clenching. My chest burned and my thighs tensed, urging me to leap across the room and tear into my sister.
"No. Let me have him. You weren't paying any attention to him anyway," Camellia said with an absurd pout. "Look at that cock, Bry-Bry, it deserves a good riding."
"He is my Chosen," I hissed, shoulders rising. I wished I could transform into a tiger at that moment. I would've gladly clawed my sister's hand right off. I wanted to.
"You are such a—"
"Let him go!"
I didn't realize the Hunger had risen until I unleashed it with a wave of my arm as I tried to grab for Camellia. Instead, she was thrown backward and to the left, sliding across the carpet with an annoyed screech, her robes falling open over her chest. My arms were spread wide as if I could block the rest of my Chosen from her sight, and they moved with me toward Owen, who panted and swooned forward. Owen's face pressed into my skirts, his arms wrapping around my thighs, but it wasn't desire. He was shaking, and I made sure that I wasn't holding magic in my hands as I lowered them to his shoulders.
"Oh for goodness' sake, Bryony, it was only a little bit of sucking I wanted!" Camellia snarled, rising from the floor. "But well done, I suppose. I didn't really think you had the Hunger after all."
"Touching one of the Chosen is forbidden," I warned her, my hands holding Owen close as I refused to take my eyes off her in case she tried to use her magic again. She'd been forcing him. My Chosen. My Owen, who was too sweet to see what my sister was up to until it was too late.
"Pfffft, we are sisters," Camellia said as Cresswell and the guard from the door stepped into the room.
"Your Highness," Cresswell started, frowning as he glanced around the room.
"I want her out of my suite. Why did you admit her?" I snapped to the other man.
"If I can't have one you've claimed, at least let me have the dark guard. He is exotic isn't he?" Camellia purred up at Cresswell.
I couldn't breathe. My eyes darted down to Owen and then glanced in panic at my Chosen behind me, and finally to Cresswell, whose expression hardened in the face of my sister's hot gaze.
"Head of Royal Guard is exempt from the duty of the Chosen, Your Highness," Cresswell said, words low as he delivered a stiff bow to Camellia.
The panic ebbed and I sighed, my knees trembling and body aching. I wanted to fall to the couch cushions with Owen and wrap myself around him, but I refused to take lower ground than Camellia. There was a hollow ache gnawing my gut, the Hunger expressing its frustration with being used but not fed.
"Fine," Camellia sighed, hands on her narrow hips as she stared at the other guard for a long beat. "You'll do."
"Camellia, out!" I cried, ready to lunge for her until Owen leaned in and squeezed me.
"Yes, Your Highness," the guard breathed, with wide eyes on Camellia's breasts before shifting them nervously to Cresswell.
My Head Guard nodded once and then stepped aside out of the way of the door, arching a warning brow at the guard, who accepted Camellia's offered hand and used it to drag her from the room. My sister sent me a swift, bitter smile, and then Cresswell shut the door in her face.
Owen sighed and shuddered against me, and I crumpled at last, my giant loving man scooping me up and pulling me to his chest.
"I'm so sorry," he breathed in my ear. "You know I would never—"
"Owen, I know," I said, voice strangled, my shaking hands combing through his thick strands. "She had no right."
"I didn't realize—with you it's always been…"
I leaned back, taking Owen's face in my hands. He was pale now, brow still furrowed, but he lifted his chin to me eagerly, both of us breathing shakily into the kiss.
"I didn't want her," he said. "But I…"
"I know. I know, Owen." I pressed a long kiss to his temple. There was simply no question of Owen approaching Camellia in that way.
Cosmo sank down at our side, a hand on each of us, soothing at our backs, but Owen stiffened at the touch and Cosmo pulled his hand away as I shook my head at him.
"Cresswell, I don't want Princess Camellia anywhere near my or my Chosen's suites. I don't want her anywhere near them, period," I added in a hiss.