Page 31 of Cruel Devotion

“The Hollow.”

“It’s… breathtaking,” I whispered.

“I’m glad you’re happy with it. It’s yours,” Ryder murmured.

I shake my head, but I’m at a loss for words. So when he grabs my arm, I let him pull me away. It’s a blur of stone and color until we’re sitting in the dining hall, which was an experience in of itself. I should be starving, but all I can do is look around. A long, obsidian dining table stretched to the other side. Towering stone columns stretched toward a vaulted ceiling. The chairs were customized to fit monstrous guests. Even the one I sat in, dwarfed me.

I felt like Belle from The Beast, but with two. I expected the castle to look like the dungeon. Dark, dreary, and wet. Now that I knew that wasn’t the case, I was shocked, and happy.

In front of us were three plates. Ryder’s and Darius’ held a stack of raw meat. Darius bowed his head and sniffed his. Huffing at it while Ryder stabbed a slab and lifted it to his mouth. The meat tore in half.

“Darius likes his meals still kicking,” Ryder said as he chewed.

Yeah, I heard.

The aroma of cooked steak hit my nose, boiled potatoes, and a mix of greens. I even had a set of utensils.

“Have human guests often?” I asked as I picked up my knife and fork. Ryder stopped and turned to look at me.

“Are you jealous again?” he mumbled through a mouthful of food. Darius leaned forward and looked at me.

“Need to be fucked?” He panted.

“No, I need to eat. Bad wolf daddy, bad,” I said, lifting my finger to point at him.

“I think you are,” Ryder laughed. Taking my first bite, I moaned at the buttery taste on my tongue.

“This is so good. Apparently, we slept the whole day away, so I’m hungry,” I huffed.

Just then, heels clacked as someone walked into the hall. Red hair flowed down her back and green eyes looked disappointed that I was still alive. She wore a long-sleeve, form-fitting deep green midi dress, with a high slit on one side.

“My King, my Prince,” she greeted, bowing low. I rolled my eyes and stabbed my steak before cutting it vigorously.

“You forgot your Queen,” Ryder corrected. My hand froze mid-air as she straightened. Her lip curled as she smiled. It looked wrong and I loved that she was uncomfortable. She didn’t want to say it.

“My… Queen,” she said as her chin dipped.

“I didn’t expect to see you until the meeting. What is it?” Ryder asked. He grabbed a small steak and threw it in the air. When he caught it in his mouth, I could hear his jaws snapping as he ate. She walked toward the table, stopping beside Ryder. Folding her arms in front of her chest, her body language said she was on the defense.

“We’ve heard back from them, and they agreed to meet,” Char reported sweetly.

“That was… fast. Escort them up here, and let the staff know. Did you convey my requirement?” Ryder asked in a hushed tone.

“Yes,” Char clipped.

“Perfect. If there’s nothing else, you can leave.” Ryder turned his back on her, and turned to me. And this small action assured me and made me feel happier than it had any right doing.

“About that, they’ve already arrived.”

Ours

A brown wolf stepped forward, offering the muzzle to Char. Darius growled but Ryder held up his hand.

“Hate it,” Darius grunted.

“You bit off the last representative’s head.”

“Not true, it was their secretary.”

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