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The heat in my face spread down my neck. From the moment Laurent slipped from our bed, images of the two of them together had paraded through my mind. What was wrong with me that I couldn’t stop thinking about it? That I didn’t really want to stop thinking about it? The knowledge of their coupling pressed against me from all sides—and the pressure was worse now that they bracketed me.

And for some reason, knowing that Varick wanted me even as he resented my presence made the fire in my veins burn hotter. Every time his gaze landed on me, it left me breathless and flooded with a mix of pleasure and confusion.

“You’ve barely eaten,” Laurent said, his eyes lifting from my plate to my face. My flaming face. Even in the dim candlelight, I was certain he could see it. Which meant Varick could see it.

Which meant they both knew exactly what I was thinking.

“I wasn’t that hungry, my lord.”

He sipped his blood-wine, his gaze holding mine over the rim.

Varick shifted his big body in his chair. “I never congratulated you on your wedding, my queen.” He lifted his own goblet. “To the Queen of Nor Doru, long may she reign.”

Laurent echoed the toast. A little smile played around his mouth. The silver post winked in his ear.

“I heard the ceremony went smoothly,” Varick said. “No mishaps.”

“No, General,” I said, my voice sounding like I hadn’t used it in months. “No mishaps.”

“Thank the gods,” Laurent murmured. He traced a fingertip around the rim of his goblet.

I squeezed my thighs together under the table. I wasn’t hungry, but I regretted not eating. With nothing in my stomach, the two cups of blood-wine I’d consumed had my head spinning. I looked away from Laurent’s finger as it made another lazy trip around the goblet’s rim.

“Given is unaccustomed to our blood rites,” he said, pulling my gaze right back to him. His eyes glinted. “But she adapted beautifully.”

My breath hitched. The heat slid to my breasts, which felt heavy and swollen. I glanced at Varick, who watched me even though Laurent was speaking.

“I worried about her,” he said, his tone casual, as if he discussed the weather. “I debated explaining the bonding rite beforehand. But I decided against it.” He looked at Varick. “I didn’t want her to feel anxious about being bedded in front of all those priests.”

Varick’s gaze stayed on me, and now a predatory light gleamed in his eyes. My heart pounded. Vampires are mortal the same as men. The old Sithistran saying felt lightweight and flimsy now. Caught between two pairs of glowing eyes, I couldn’t help but feel like prey.

But it didn’t stop an ache from throbbing between my thighs. On the contrary, it made everything throb harder. Nerves fluttered in my stomach. I couldn’t blame it on the wine. Not anymore.

“It turns out,” Laurent said, “our princess likes being watched.” He dipped a finger in his goblet and touched a drop of blood-wine to his tongue. “You enjoyed their eyes on you, didn’t you, sweetheart?”

My mouth opened, but only a faint, breathy sound emerged.

He gave me a look of mock disappointment. “I asked you a question, my lady. And as I told you when we met, you can’t lie to me. I’ll always know.”

The flutters in my stomach climbed into my throat, so I had to swallow before I could answer. “Yes,” I said hoarsely. “I liked it.”

“You liked being watched.” His finger stilled on the goblet’s rim. “You liked being stripped and spread open, your pink, wet pussy on display for all to see. You liked your lord thrusting between your thighs. Making you come. I’m told they heard your cries in the main part of the Sanctum. But that’s all right. Because you liked it, didn’t you, princess.”

I squeezed my thighs more tightly together. “Yes, my lord.”

He made a satisfied sound, as if he’d just made an interesting discovery. He slid his gaze from me to Varick. “So there you have it, General. A ceremony with no mishaps.”

“I’m pleased to hear it, Your Grace.”

I looked between them, the ache in my sex bordering on pain. I knew what came next. I just wasn’t sure how it was going to unfold. So I trembled on an edge of uncertainty with heat building under my skin and anticipation sparkling in my veins.

As if by unspoken agreement, both men rose. Varick was nearest to me, and he moved behind my chair and pulled it back. Then Laurent was there, drawing me up with his hand on my elbow. He caught my chin and kissed me, his tongue stroking deep. When I was breathless, he broke away. He put a hand on my hip, turned his head, and kissed Varick.

Suddenly, all the scenarios I’d imagined were right in front of me. And I wanted to look everywhere at once. Varick leaned into Laurent, his arm brushing mine as he went. He put a hand on the back of Laurent’s neck and deepened their kiss. Their jaws worked together, both so masculine but so different. Laurent’s dark stubble never completely disappeared, not even when his servants took a straight razor to his cheeks. Varick’s golden whiskers were a compelling contrast. When he changed the angle of the kiss, his day beard scraped Laurent’s with an audible rasp.

I knew I was gawking. I bit my lip so the moan lodged in my throat wouldn’t break free. Because I didn’t want anything to interrupt this. Varick was a giant, and he loomed over Laurent. Curiously, though, Laurent didn’t appear small or weak. Maybe it was because I knew what he was capable of. I’d tasted the power that snaked through his veins.

Their kiss was more aggressive than any Laurent had given me. It was a sort of battle, with nips and grunts and tantalizing flashes of tongue that had me digging my teeth deeper into my lip.