Page 115 of The Demon Crown

“You told me you wanted this taken care of. I told Ivo last night to summon the hunt. We leave the castle today and then we will cover the entire kingdom with my scouts. Soon, we will find the Horde. And even if they move, once I have their scent they cannot get far.” He tapped his nose as though that explained everything.

In truth, he expected to spend most of his week in his battle form like the animal he was. Tracking was part of the fun, after all. He liked to chase his prey for days on end until they were too weak to run from him. Then they understood the true meaning of fear.

A little growl escaped before he drew her in for one more heart melting kiss. He pressed all his worries and fears into her lips, hoping that she understood him. That she wouldn’t betray him. That she stayed right where she was supposed to be because, for gods sake, he was going to lose his mind if she didn’t.

And when he withdrew to put his pants on, she seemed to stay. Varya watched him with a wary gaze, apparently seeing right through his hope that she wouldn’t see why he was so nervous.

She stayed in the room, though, and that had to count for something.

Greed had to tear himself away from her because all he wanted was to stay right here. He wanted to crawl back into that bed with her and spend the next few days lost to the world and all its responsibilities.

Being with her made him feel whole.

Ivo stood outside the door, leaning against the wall with his eyes focused on the wall before him. The poor bastard had to listen to them for hours on end, and his ears were probably still ringing.

Greed almost felt embarrassed about that. Rubbing the back of his hot neck, he asked, “Are they all ready?”

“Have been for a few hours now.”

“It’s still early enough to start.”

Ivo pointedly stared up at the sky before looking back at Greed, his lips twitching. “It’s almost noon.”

“And that is the perfect time to start a journey!” It wasn’t, and he knew it just as well as the rest of them. Greed shook his head and stalked forward, knowing that Ivo would come with him. “Gluttony is ready?”

“Your brother has complained for hours that we dragged him out of bed, only to wait for you.”

“Good.”

“And he also complained that none of the beds here are anywhere near as comfortable than his own, that your nuckelavee are terribly trained, and that if your bride was going to keep you in bed all day, could you at least provide the men and women waiting for you a distraction.” Ivo’s eyes darkened with the last bit. “I threatened to take him aside for my own kind of entertainment, but he said he wasn’t interested in men like me. I think he missed the point.”

As they started down the stairwell that led to the courtyard, Greed snorted. “I think he got the point, Ivo. He was trying to get underneath your skin.”

“Well he did.” Ivo’s hands flexed. “He’s been looking at my beauty a little too long, if you ask me. Said he’s got a thing for redheads and I don’t like it.”

Greed looked at his friend, realizing in that moment that Ivo had gotten even more human in the past few months. Ever since meeting Varya, really. His dearest friend, the man who was probably more of a son to him than any other person, had done what Greed did not think was possible.

A spirit, fully grown in a mortal form, battling his natural instincts, stood before him changed. Not just a spirit anymore, but a real life mortal who had thoughts and feelings and desires. It was more than Greed had ever hoped to see.

He wrapped an arm around Ivo’s neck, forcing the other man to bend as he dragged him toward the others. “I’m proud of you, Loyalty. You’ve come a long way since those first days when you could barely walk.”

“You gave me a massive body,” Ivo grumbled.

“And one you’ve put to good use.” They paused before the others, and Greed released him. He eyed the other man, taking in all the bulk that stood before him until he nodded. “Take care of our women, Ivo. Make sure nothing takes them from us.”

“I will.”

And it wasn’t loyalty that made him say that. It was true love for the woman he had fallen madly into that pit for, and respect for the woman that Greed likely loved just as much.

Nodding, he swung up onto the back of his nuckelavee and looked at the crowd of men and women before him. They were all decked out for a hunt. Their faces painted with broad, black strokes that would keep the sun out of their eyes. Their mounts twitched beneath them, just as prepared for a long, hard ride as his own people. These were the men and women he would give his life for, time and time again.

Lifting his arm over his head, Greed waited until silence fell through the crowd of a hundred. “We ride for the Horde. They have attacked me, bested me, and then they attacked my brother. But worse, they attacked and harmed my woman! I will not keep her hidden away in this castle for the rest of her long life. I will deliver her their heads on a platter and feast upon their hearts with all of you!”

The roar that erupted from the crowd shook the very sands beneath him. He felt the hunger for the hunt roll through them all, and knew that he’d gotten larger, that his claws came out of his hands and his eyes must flash gold in the sunlight. They would see a beast before them and they would ride at his side.

They did not fear him. The Horde, however, should.

Gluttony nudged his beast beside Greed and watched the crowd of hungry warriors before them. “You’ve amassed quite an army, brother.”

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