Broken by the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar #4) - Zoey Draven Page 0,68

on Gabe and me—before I looked away. Kiran had certainly never thought I was beautiful. I remembered his disgust at my bared body well enough.

Enjoy this night, I reminded myself.

Gabe was still blushing as though he was waiting for my reaction and I gave him a smile, my teeth flashing.

The vain creature in me wondered if I was considered beautiful among humans. The vain creature in me hoped that I was because I had been so strange for so long.

“Kakkira vor,” I said. “Thank you.”

His grin was wider than mine and he reached for the platter of food, bringing it in front of me. “Here. Eat.”

I nodded and nudged the platter towards Hinna as well as we started to dig in. I wasn’t all that hungry—the exchange with Kiran earlier had soured my appetite for most of the day—but as I began to eat, my hunger suddenly made itself known.

I was content to listen to the conversation around us as we ate our fill. A few darukkars, friends of Addie’s mate, were sitting at the table as well and the mixture of Dakkari and the universal tongue was interesting, though confusing. Addie knew a little Dakkari but most of the humans didn’t, including Gabe.

But it was fun to listen to new voices and try to pick apart the threads of conversation as I ate and drank. If I didn’t understand something—Jeremiah and Gabe were discussing something about the soil and my confusion must’ve shown on my face—Gabe would lean over and try to fill me in. I discovered that Jeremiah and Gabe assisted with the crops for the horde. They were sowing the frost crops but the soil in the south lands was more compact than they were used to.

“Frost crops don’t really take in the south lands,” I told him. “Maybe if we were more north. Those in my saruk don’t even bother with planting until the ground thaws again. We eat a lot of dried meat in the cold season.”

Gabe took another sip of his brew and I was fascinated by the red flush that had been steadily creeping up his neck since we’d arrived. I was almost concerned about it until Addie poked fun at him.

“Maybe you can help us with the plantings once the ground thaws,” Gabe teased softly, giving me a small smile that didn’t reveal his teeth.

I blinked. I felt the brew warming my belly. I was beginning to feel…light. Happier.

“If I’m here that long,” I said, flashing him a smile and not entirely sure why.

“Maybe you’ll find a reason to stay,” he remarked, raising one of his brows, looking at me, his gaze flickering back and forth between my eyes.

He was pleasing to look at, I realized. Perhaps not as pleasing as some other males I’d seen—one in particular—but I liked looking at his features. And Hinna seemed to as well, considering how many times she’d glanced over at him throughout the evening.

A smile was on my lips, a retort poised on the tip of my tongue, and then I saw movement behind Gabe, near the dais.

And then my smile died, if only for a brief moment. My belly soured in memory as I saw the first of the brave females begin to approach Kiran’s empty table.

It was the female who’d made the comment about my mother’s pendant the day I arrived at the horde. Her inky, silky black hair swayed past her hips as she climbed the stairs to the dais. She wore a hide skirt, exposing the lengths of her golden legs, and a backless top with golden beads woven into the material.

A goblet was resting in her hands and I watched with a sickening feeling as she set it on Kiran’s table. The crowd had started to hush. I remembered those giddy nerves, the night I’d presented my goblet to Kiran when I was young. That rush of excitement and confidence…only to crumble to ash when his rejection was obvious.

I almost cringed, thinking about how foolish and hopeful and naive I’d been. But it was my past, I reminded myself. I had nothing to be ashamed of. It had been okay to be hopeful and excited. I’d snapped out of it eventually, hadn’t I?

Maybe I haven’t, I thought, feeling bile rise in my throat when I saw the female’s hand drop to Kiran’s forearm as she spoke with him.

I turned forward again, staring down at my almost empty goblet. As if hearing my thoughts, a bikku came around with a