Page 45 of Dragons' Bride
A roast was brought in and set in front of Ettienne, the venison so fresh that it seemed still warm from the kill. Hauck growled appreciatively. Drawing a razor sharp dagger, Ettienne carved into the meat. Cutting off a thick slice, he held it up appreciatively. Drops of blood and juice ran down the blade.
Kit flinched, her gaze darting away.
“Dragons don’t burn their meals the way humans do,” said Ettienne, serving the slice to her. More blood leaked from it onto the white porcelain. “I look forward to hearing your thoughts on our food.”
“I imagine it’s very… flavorful.” Picking up her knife, Kit cut a piece off and brought the bloody morsel toward her parted mouth. Her citrus and cinnamon scent was mixing with the fresh aroma of the meat, and the dragon inside Tavias bucked against his restraints. Stars, he wanted her. Now. On the table. He wanted to shove everything to the floor and feast on Kit instead.
Kit’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth, the piece of near raw meat suspended in the air. She looked nauseated.
Ettienne raised a brow.
“I… I find myself not hungry, my liege,” she said and returned the fork to her plate. “Please pass on my apologies to the chef.”
Tavias tensed. A dragon’s bride was not supposed to have opinions on their dining choices. More to the point, she’d face ordeals far more taxing than eating a bit of too-fresh venison she didn’t much care for.
Hauck plucked Kit’s meat with his fingers and popped it into his mouth. “Why is it that everything tastes better when it belongs to someone else?" he asked as he chewed, then licked his lips clean of blood.
Ettienne gave Tavias a sharp look, a silent reminder that, as pack leader, he was responsible for his brother.
Stop it,Tavias ordered Hauck with his mind, adding a small bite to the command.
“I wasn’t the one who started it.” Hauck pulled Kit’s whole plate toward him and then – as an afterthought – pulled Kit herself onto his lap. "Is anyone else planning on eating, or did the rest of you just gather here to torment the human?”
“Is this the behavior we can expect from your pack at the Equinox Trials, Tavias?” Ettienne asked.
“That’s right,” Hauck gulped down another goblet of wine and put it down with a clank, nearly toppling the cup over. Hewasdrunk, though Tavias had no notion how Hauck could manage it on the wine. “It’s all Tavias’s fault. If Cyril was still in charge, I’d no doubt be an obedient fluffy puppy.”
“I find myself hungry after all,” Kit offered quickly. “I’d be grateful, Prince Hauck, if you might assist me with another helping?”
“You are bad at cards,” Hauck said. “Bad liar.”
Quinton rocked his chair back on its hind legs and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Your combs are missing.” Hauck buried his nose in Kit’s hair.
She pulled away gently. “Not missing, my prince. Just put away for safekeeping.”
“Mmmm. No,” said Hauck. “They. Are. Missing. From you.”
Cyril took Hauck’s goblet and helped himself to a sip. “This isn’t wine.”
Tavias’s gut sank.
“Of course it isn’t,” said Hauck. “You know how much wine I’d need to get drunk? I had the kitchen bring me something different.” He took the goblet back and refilled it with a pitcher that stood by his elbow, visually identical to the others at the table. “You didn’t expect me to sit through this dinner sober, did you?”
“In fact, I did,” said Ettienne.
“So you aren’t as smart as you think, are you?” Hauck slurred slightly. “Combs. Where are my bride’s combs?”
Ice touched Ettienne’s eyes. “The combs will be in the hair of the pack’s bride apparent.”
Hauck put down his cup again and ruffled through Kit’s hair like a monkey looking for bugs. “No… No, they aren’t. I just checked again.”
“That is because Lady Kitterny will not be that bride.”
23. KIT
Silence shoots through the dining room, even Quinton growing stiller than usual. My hand tightens around Hauck’s forearm.
