Page 46 of The Wedding Hunt Ylara

Dinner was served now that the guests of honour had arrived. Vallu tried to sit next to her, but protocol meant that Ylara was sitting away from everyone at the table. Riithan frowned and spoke to the housekeeper. She scowled and flapped her hand toward Ylara. Ylara raised a hand to Riithan, telling him to drop it.

He stood up and came around the table, picked her up, and carried her back to his chair, settling her on his lap.

Ylara looked at him. “This isn’t appropriate.”

“Tough. I am hungry, and you haven’t been eating well, and you are recovering.”

One of the generals looked at her in confusion. “Recovering?”

Vallu sighed. “She had Riithan’s mark removed after he rejected her.”

The alphas at the table perked up.

Etgar grimaced. “It left her vulnerable to his venom, so she began to degrade rapidly. I called in a favour and got a shadow walker to bring her to her sister. Khytten worked on her for a few days to keep her alive, but it was inevitable that she would not recover.”

Riithan took over. “I was already looking for her, having realized I was an idiot. I was determined to get her back. First, I had to get past her family, and then, I saw her in the final stages of exposure to my toxin. She had about an hour when I left her. I went downstairs to talk with Salat and Khytten. My mother headed up the stairs, and then, she screamed.”

“It was horrible. She was hemorrhaging everywhere.” The queen shuddered.

Vallu looked at Ylara, and Ylara shrugged.

Himera said. “She also had a hand on her belly, and she was singing a lullaby.”

Ylara blushed brightly. That was a personal mention too far.

Riithan held her. “So, I stung her and marked her again, in an unmistakable mark. And stung her again to get her heart restarted.”

She mumbled. “It has been a rough few days.”

He tilted up her chin, turned her head, and kissed her. “It will get better.”

“I really doubt it.”

He laughed and kissed her again. The food was set out, and they waited until the king started. He took a piece of bread, tore it up, and put it in his mouth.

Vallu grinned. “Ylara taught me to do this.”

Etgar tore his bread in half and handed half to her. Everyone watched her as Vallu tore a wedge, popped it open with her fingers, and used it to pinch some of the stew nearest her. She brought it to her mouth, and it went in neatly.

Ylara grinned, and Riithan grabbed a round of bread. He handed her half, and she tore a piece, took some of the curried chicken, and offered it to Riithan. He opened his mouth, and she fed him. The rest of the alphas groaned.

Riithan’s eyes gleamed. “Thank you, princess.”

She flinched. “It’s the only one you get. I am hungry.”

She prepped her bread and then started eating. When Riithan realized how fast she could go, he started to race.

She laughed, and they were neat, graceful, and fast. Himera chided Riithan, but the other alphas got in on it until everyone was laughing and sitting back with full bellies and empty plates.

Helen Daycross had been the surprise competitor. She had eaten for speed along with everyone else.

The servers took the dinner plates up and put dessert plates down.

The desserts were huge, elaborate, and ready for serving.

There was a heavy thunk, and Riithan’s tail speared her one of the cream puffs.

He popped it down on her plate, and she giggled. She looked up and laughed. “Now you have whipped cream on your stinger.”

---