Page 50 of Desire

Struggling not to let panic consume me, I stopped Edmund from coming closer. He glanced at my raised hand and then my face.

“I cannot accept your feelings, Edmund. Please understand. There is much at risk. Now is not the time for quarrels but to work together to achieve the results we all desire.”

He studied me for several heartbeats.

“You’re afraid,” he said. “Why?”

My gaze darted to Garron, who stood by the fire, then Eadric. Behind me, Darian tugged at my skirt.

“Do you need a snuggle, Princess? I’ll help ease your fears.”

“Stop it.”

I glanced back to tug my skirt free and step away from Darian, only to bump into Edmund. His arms wrapped around me.

“Release me,” I said.

“No. Tell me why you are upset.”

Maddening, provoking oxen, the lot of them.

“Because you cannot love me, Edmund!”

“Why not?”

“Because I have no wish to bear witness to you beating your brothers. Please, Edmund. There must be peace. I am not here to find a match but to find help for my sister. I cannot accept your feelings.”

“She thinks you’ll cuff me for this,” Daemon said, pulling me from Edmund’s arms and spinning me about. I opened my mouth to scold him, and he kissed me. I grabbed his hair and pulled hard.

Helaughedas he released me.

“Don’t you see, Princess?” Darian asked. “It’s not Edmund we fear when we steal a kiss.”

Confused, I pivoted and faced Edmund. He frowned at me.

“You gave me a sound thrashing for much less yesterday,” he said. “I demand you treat us equally. If a stolen kiss is a mere hair tug?—“

Eadric grabbed me, spun me around, and kissed me like Daemon had. I pushed at his shoulders. He pulled back and grinned down at me.

“I knew I was your favorite,” he said. “Not a hair tugged.”

“Idiot,” I breathed, hoping he wouldn’t incite the others’ anger.

Someone grabbed me again.

My temper flared, as did the amulets of every man in the clearing.

“I am not a toy to be fought over. Unhand me or suffer.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Edmund’s thumbssmoothed over my sleeves as he met my gaze.

“Release you? I would rather take another blow to my head than see you walk away from us. And we do not see you as a toy, Kellen. We only meant to prove to you that I will not react with jealousy when you are with my brothers, no matter what they do.”

“I told you…we won’t fight over you,” Eadric said.

“We’ll save our fighting for the trackers,” Garron said.

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