"And he spoke with such passion about her," a third said. Around her, the others laughed, and I saw her turn her smirking face towards my Dain. "I haven't even seen her touch him. It's as if she can't bear the thought of it."

Oh, fuck no, they were not going to get away with that. I was done. D-O-N-E done. Dain wasn't even ten feet away from them. He could hear every word, and they were precisely the things that would hurt him the most. I didn't even need to see his face to read how deep those taunts were biting. The way he held his wing-arms tightly tucked and the tension in his body told me everything I needed to know.

I sauntered towards them, murder in my eyes, and plucked the wine out of Lady Ruyaris's hand, taking a swig before returning it to her. As she stared at me in shock, I walked past her, and wrapped my arm around his waist.

Dain froze for a second, stopping what he was saying mid-sentence, then all but melted against me. "Leah," he said, looking down at me. "I thought—"

"Darling," I replied, then grabbed him by the neck and dragged his face to mine.

The fucking asshole courtiers were watching, so I made it count. I kissed Dain thoroughly, sliding my tongue into his mouth when he opened it for me, tasting wine and the dark heat of him. He answered me, one clawed hand burying itself into my updo as his other arm dragged me flush to his body. Dain started growing hard as we kissed, his hips pressed against mine and his heartbeat thudding against my chest. It was incredible, heat and desire winding through me, tempered only by my anger. I should have kissed him months ago.

When I was pretty sure my point had been hammered home, I let Dain go, looking up at him with determination and an angry little smile. "I might leave the revel early tonight, your highness," I crooned to him. "I tire of the gossip."

"As you like," he replied, in a tone that suggested he had no idea how to respond.

I looked at him for one more moment and turned away, sweeping my eyes across the speechless courtiers before stalking out of the revel and back into the night.

37. Too Thorough

Chapter 37

Too Thorough