The Queen's Line (Inheritance of Hunger #1) - Kathryn Moon Page 0,108

in this way. Not since the night I'd chosen him as he sat anxiously at the banquet table with the others. He'd always been beautiful, but beauty didn't really make my pulse pound.

Thao did though, lately when we were sparring, dancing, arguing. I enjoyed arguing with him as much as I did with Aric, their opinions opposite but equally willing to clash with mine. I was grateful for his confidence when mine faltered. I craved the depth of connection he shared with Wendell.

"Forget that I—"

I cut him off, rising to my toes and pulling him down to meet me for a rough and sudden kiss. There was none of Wendell's tentative gentleness. As soon as Thao met me in the kiss, he was greedy for more, clutching me close and sweeping his tongue in to taste me with my gasp. My Hunger was equally eager, and I groaned as Thao's hips pressed into mine, wanting to rub myself against him in full view of everyone around us.

Speaking of, the crowd was laughing and cheering.

"That's our princess! It's about time the north was blessed with the queen's Hunger!" someone shouted.

Thao was only encouraged, tongue thrusting against mine, his hand untangling from my fingers to hold the back of my head for his kiss. The magic of the Hunger purred at his insistence, and Thao's own rumble shook and teased against my chest. I was clinging to him, barely restraining myself, when he finally pulled away, scooping me up from the ground with a giant roar of approval from the crowd.

I laughed and pressed my face to his throat, nipping at his pulse.

"There is something you need to see first, Bryony," Thao whispered. "And then Wendell and I will take our place in your Chosen at last."

"I chose you from the start," I said, lifting my face to catch his eye briefly as he strode quickly through the parting crowd. "I'm just slower when it comes to the claiming. You both want—?"

"Yes. Yes," he rasped, eyes growing dark. "We want you."

Two guards were loitering in the tent near the neglected table of food, and they scurried quickly out the back, their cheeks puffed with pilfered food as we appeared. Thao put me on my feet, his hands around my waist, but he stepped back as I moved to steal another kiss, his face smooth and serious.

"There's something we've been keeping from you. We felt it was important at first, and then when we realized it wasn't, the moment never appeared and—"

The front of the tent opened again and the rest of my Chosen—minus Aric, always minus him—entered.

"About time the three of you sorted this—" Cosmo started, smiling.

"Wen," Thao said, catching his lover's eye and making Wendell's smile melt away. "It's time, I think. I'm sorry, you should've been the one to say."

"No. You're right," Wendell said softly, nodding.

We were standing in the open doorway. Cresswell and Daniel were both missing, and Lady Prudence was napping on one of the low couches at the other end of the room, a pair of guards watching over us from the field entrance. In spite of Thao's reassurance and Wendell's calm, they were both obviously tense and nervous, and I didn't think the audience helped.

"Let's go speak in…in relative private," I offered, tugging gently on Thao's arm toward the conjoined tent meant to act as a bedroom.

"We'll be out here," Cosmo said, kissing my cheek as I passed and nodded at him and Owen.

Wendell moved ahead of us, his head hanging low and his shoulders hunched as he moved for the hanging curtains.

Lady Pru had been in charge of organizing the room for me, and she'd made it a warm and romantic space for myself and my Chosen, fresh flowers arranged in every corner and a large mattress nestled on the carpeted floor, a canopy of gauze hanging from the peak of the tent. Heavy curtains separated the two spaces, enough to mute sound but not to block it out entirely.

"Whatever it is, you needn't worry," I said as the barrier swung shut behind us.

Thao and Wendell exchanged a loaded look between them, worry and hope mixing together as well as that beautiful support they seemed to share between them with just a glance.

"It's overdue is all," Wendell said. "I hope you'll forgive me for not trusting you with this sooner."

I tried to keep my expression calm for his sake, but I itched with curiosity. Luckily, I didn't have long to wait, Thao pulled me back