Page 34 of Emperor of Wrath

Still. Fuck me. She looks stunning.

I can feel my blood burning a little hotter, and I’m fully aware of my dick swelling and thickening in my suit pants as I drink her in.

As if sensing my eyes on her, Annika turns toward me. Our gazes lock across the room, and I tilt my head as I give her a soft nod of my chin…

And then Annika lifts her hand and flips me off before walking away in another direction.

“God, this wedding is going to be incredible,” Mal laughs next to me. “Not even joking—someone needs to pat that woman down for weapons before the string quartet launches into Pachelbel’s Canon in D minor.”

I shoot him a dirty glare. “Do me a favor?”

“Yeah?”

“Go bother someone else.”

He chuckles. “I’ll go look for Tak. I haven’t seen him in a hot minute, which at events like this usually means he’s getting into trouble.”

He’s not wrong. I haven’t seen our younger brother for a solid half an hour either, which history would suggest that means he’s either A, engaged in an aggressive drinking contest with the staff, B, fighting someone somewhere, or C, is balls-deep in someone else’s wife.

“Yeah, that’s…” I frown. “Probably a good idea.”

“Good luck with…” Mal turns to nod his chin to where Annika is disappearing into the crowd. “Well…everything.” He snorts, shaking his head as he wanders off to go find our brother.

I’m taking a much-needed sip of my drink when I catch a glimpse of Hana making her way toward me. Thank God. I was steeling myself for small talk with a bunch of Sota’s elderly Yakuza buddies, wanting to congratulate me or trying to curry favor for that day I take over the whole empire.

My sister looks her usual elegant and gorgeously put-together self in a shimmering silvery gown that ties at the back of the neck and cuts at a sharp angle from hip to opposite ankle. There’s the tiniest little hint of lavender to the silver, which has a way of highlighting her dramatic dyed blonde hair, which is pulled into an elaborate up-do.

I swear to God, in another reality, Hana is the no-bullshit CEO of a major innovative tech company in the 23rd century.

“I hope no one’s told you how beautiful you look tonight.”

She shoots me a pissed look. “Excuse me?”

“I’d hate to break anyone’s face at my own engagement party.”

Hana rolls her eyes. “You need to work on your bizarre compliment delivery before you get married. It’s…off-putting.”

I grin, shrugging.

“For your information, maybe someone has told me I look great tonight.”

“Who?” I frown.

“Yeah, let me just go ahead and tell you so that you, Mal, and Tak can go into crazy overly protective brother mode and kill somebody. Not happening.” She shoots me a look. “Did you notice who else is looking pretty amazing tonight?”

My jaw sets. “I think you need to elaborate on who you mean.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.” She smirks. “She cleans up pretty nice, gotta say.”

“It’s…not a terrible dress.”

Hana snorts. “Gee, thanks. I picked it out for her.”

I frown. “You two went dress shopping?”

“Yes. And?”

“Hana…” I scowl and shake my head. “She’s not your friend.”

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