Page 19 of Avaritia

“Shit,” I mumbled, tipping my head back against the lip of the tub and closing my eyes. I’d forgotten about that.

She was right, of course. The king would be pissed about this sudden development—he was adamant that the ex-Hunters who came here take their time in choosing a mate, if we chose one at all, and that we never felt pressured into a relationship by anyone.

Theon had taken a slightly different approach.

“Perhaps it would be best if we didn’t raise this with Damen tomorrow,” I hedged, immediately feeling guilty for lying. “I’ll just wear a high-necked top and we just… don’t have to talk about it. It’s not like he’s going to ask, right? I mean, it’s barely a lie.”

“I think that would be for the best,” Aderith replied, sounding equally as discomfited. “Why don’t I go fetch you some tea and food? You must be… hungry. After all that.”

Famished. It didn’t hurt when a Shade fed from me, but it did take a lot out of me.

“That would be amazing, thank you.”

Maybe Theon sucked at aftercare, but Aderith was absolutely crushing it. I could live with that.

“Good morning, handsome,” I cooed, scratching behind Fester’s ears as he yowled in my face. “First day as a mated lady. Shall I go introduce you properly to your new dad later? He’s very grumpy, and I think he’s probably going to be imprisoned for treason one day, but maybe we’ll still get to live in the nice, fancy house.”

I clambered out of the absurdly high bed, wincing at the lingering ache in my nether regions. Knotting was really a whole different ball game. Muscles that had never been stretched in their life were getting a serious workout.

I fed Fester before letting myself into the bathroom to get ready for the day, though I had no idea what I’d be doing, but by the time I finished my hair and makeup, I was ready for another lie down. Dressed in pale pink loungewear with a high neck that covered my bite, I climbed back onto the bed, flopping down on the pillows. Theon must have been really starving last night because I was absolutely tapped out.

I didn’t want to be all moon-eyed about it, but what was he doing right now? Was he thinking about me? I had to have crossed his mind at least once, surely. Then again, he’d been more than happy to vanish the moment his knot went down, and it apparently hadn’t bothered him that I’d slept in my own room.

Though, why would it? Theon wanted me for what I could do for him, not for me. Best to keep that idea firmly at the forefront of my mind at all times. At thirty-two, I was now pretty convinced that my prefrontal cortex hadn’t developed and never would, and I’d be doomed to make poorly planned decisions for the rest of my existence, but even I knew it would be a bad idea to catch feelings for the Duke of Lindow.

Fortunately, his piss-poor attitude made that a lot easier.

“Verity,” Aderith called tentatively, tapping gently on the door. “Prince Damen is here to see you.”

I groaned as I rolled out of bed, tugging the neck of my sweater higher. I quickly undid the high bun I’d pulled my hair into, letting my curls bounce free for added neck shielding.

Aderith led me downstairs, shooting me a warning look over her shoulder as I fussed with my neckline again, and I took the hint and pinned my arms at my side. Fortunately, Theon had opted to bite me right where my neck met my shoulder, which was one of the easier spots to hide, as far as throats went.

Shit, I probably should have mentioned to Theon that we shouldn’t say anything. I didn’t think he’d take it too well if Damen demanded I leave, and he was treasonous enough as it was.

Perhaps I didn’t have anything to worry about. Damen appeared relaxed as I came down the stairs, lounging against the wall like he belonged there, while Theon brooded silently in front of him with Wilder at his back.

The difference between the Theon who’d stumbled into the party and the Shade standing in the foyer was jarring. He seemed to have tripled in size overnight. His skin was smooth and glowing, and his eyes a more vibrant pink.

This Theon didn’t look like he needed to be fixed. He looked like he could crush me if the urge took him.

He was also really fucking hot. I hadn’t had a chance to appreciate that particular bonus of my new mate last night. My face heated as he stared at me, tracking my every movement.

“Hi!” I said brightly to Damen, bobbing a clumsy curtsy at the bottom of the stairs. I never remembered what the etiquette was, but no one had told me off yet. “How’s it going? Nice of you to stop by.”

I was talking too fast. Damen, Theon, and Wilder were all staring at me. At this rate, I was going to be the one to give the game away.

“How are you, Verity?” Damen asked carefully, narrowing his eyes when Theon took a wide step sideways, angling himself in front of me. “You’re looking much better, Theon.”

“Indeed. This arrangement suits me very well.”

I preened a little at the noncompliment.

“I don’t care about you,” Damen replied, back to his nonchalant self. “Verity, could I speak to you privately?”

“Absolutely not,” Theon growled. Oh man, my inner toxic queen was totally fist pumping at that show of possessiveness.

Damen sighed. “You’re going to be difficult about this, aren’t you? If you can’t show self-control, Verity can’t stay. We need to be certain that she’s safe.”

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