Page 59 of The Demon Court

Lust looked them over to make sure they were fine. Though it shouldn’t surprise him that they were, he felt a flicker of discomfort. Greed wasn’t always gentle with his bedmates, but these women looked like they had yet to be touched.

What other plan did Greed have?

Frowning, he sat down on his own throne. “I do not mind if you find yourself entertainment. We are not that late, either.”

“You’re very late. We’ve all been here for hours.”

Selene stood beside him, and he sensed her discomfort. She apparently waited for a chair of her own, but no one would bring her one. And though he could have ordered them to, Lust saw her fingers shake for a brief moment before she curled them together. Still nervous, then. Still uncomfortable.

He reached for her, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and tugging her into his lap. Her eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t let her go. She was forced to perch on his knee, as far away from him as she could get, all prim and proper and so damned uncomfortable.

Greed snorted into his drink. “I don’t think she likes you, brother.”

He trailed a finger down her spine, watching the bare skin pebble up at his touch. “Oh, she likes me well enough. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

Selene stiffened, but kept her mouth shut. She watched the people around them with cold eyes, and he wondered what was going on in her head. Did she see what he saw? Did she see a room full of people finally released to do what they wanted, or did she see depravity and foolishness?

He leaned back on his throne and enjoyed the view for a while. The next hour passed quickly. They drank, they ate. Greed told him more about his kingdom and how the drought had taken his people low. They were suffering more than he cared to admit, but that was partially a reason why he was here. If Lust could spare the water, he and his people would carry the barrels back. Of course he would, and he had no issues sharing what his kingdom had.

All their conversation was quiet beneath the revelry that grew louder with every drink that passed between hands. Soon there was nothing other than the moans of those enjoying physical touches and the answering groans. Even Greed had started petting the two women at his feet, his fingers caressing their necks, delving down into the shadows between their breasts before stretching up again.

Through it all, Selene remained ramrod straight on his knee. His leg had started to go numb from the hard bones pressing into his muscles. He’d thought she would at least loosen up a bit, but it appeared she only got more and more tense as the night went on.

When there was a lull in his conversation with Greed, he leaned forward. Lust slid his hands down each of her thighs and cupped her knees in his palms, so his arms bracketed her against his chest.

“Is it not up to your standards?”

“This?” she asked, nodding her head toward the writhing bodies. “No, it is not.”

“They enjoy themselves.”

“They could do so in private. Nothing says they have to stay in this room. There are plenty of beds.”

He pressed his lips to the long line of her shoulder, her velvety skin nearly making him groan. “They are allowed to enjoy themselves in public here. And if they want to, why waste the time finding a room?”

“This is not my world, Lust.”

“You judge them.”

“Judgment is not necessary to be uncomfortable. I can recognize they are enjoying themselves at the same time, I know I would never do what they are doing.” Another shiver went through her, but he knew it wasn’t because of his lips. It wasn’t revulsion, either. It was... fear.

His spine stiffened. “Why are you afraid?”

Those dark eyes turned toward him, an endless swirl of emotion, like the night sky on a clear evening. “I don’t want to be here, Lust. You made me come here. You made me watch all this and I endure it because I am expected to. I am here. I am seated before all your people in the most nightmarish room that I’ve ever been in. Your brother and you can talk politics while those two women and I try to pretend we haven’t heard it all, like little dolls for you to play with. What more do you want from me? You’ve taken my dignity tonight, and I fear there is nothing else for me to give.”

But that wasn’t... That wasn’t his intent. He hadn’t wanted to take her dignity or anything else, for that matter. They’d sat on a throne together! His people weren’t even looking at her.

A flash of anger seared his throat before he felt another shiver shake through her, though he’d never have noticed if he wasn’t touching all of her.

Fear had never been his intent. Though he did not understand it, and her fear felt like an insult, he also knew when to admit he was wrong.

He leaned back, trailing his knuckles down her pale back before nodding at his brother. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“Ah, is that the way of it, then?”

Lust didn’t reply. Instead, he stood with Selene, ignoring the pins and needles in the leg she’d sat on for an hour now. He placed his hand on her lower back, ignored the way she tried to flinch away from him, and drew her around the throne.

“Where are we going now?” she asked.

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