Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,150

want to dance with my husband?” I asked, lifting a brow. “Unless, of course, you never learned how to dance?”

“Did you?”

I smirked, moving to the beat the moment the song began. Following Knox’s lead, I easily matched his steps as he danced one of the older dances reserved for royalty. His hands brushed against mine, stepping back as I stepped forward and vice versa. Our bodies brushed against one another, here and there, as we moved to the heady notes of the flutes and pipes echoing through the valley. Knox smiled at the way I moved, sure-footed and fluid, with a gracefulness our teachers had beaten into us with their cane’s if we missed a single step.

At the end of the first dance, Knox grabbed me and pulled me against him. He lifted my hand, preparing for an ancient dance of the first people. I leaned back, letting him take in the curve of my breasts as his breath fanned against my skin. I moved forward, and he lifted me, turning us around, then set me down. I took a step back, and we bowed to one another, rising to place our hands out in front of us, our palms touching as our fingers pointed to the sky. We took a step close, and I could feel Knox’s breath on my neck as his fingers threaded through mine, pulling me closer still, never breaking eye contact. I allowed him to lift me, moving us around in a tight circle, and my body followed while driven by his lead. Once he completed the second circle, I cupped his cheek with my hand. Knox smiled, noting that my crown hadn’t moved, secured with the flowers and pins as I’d been taught to do as a child. Knox slowly lowered my feet to the ground before grabbing my hands and raising them over my head as the crowd watched in silence. We moved gracefully, skillfully, in the ancient rite of those who had come before us.

His hand slid down my back, running over my shifting spine as I’d decided to dub it, creating a wealth of pleasure that rushed through me. Knox leaned down, brushing his lips against mine as he purred.

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you, Aria?”

“Yes, but then you don’t really know anything about me, do you? You know I enjoy your cock, and I love my family. You know I love history and the written word. But other than that, you know nothing about the monster you married, King Karnavious,” I whispered, clasping my teeth against his lip, smiling before pulling away. “If you’ll excuse me, I am going to go get drunk without you. Enjoy your wedding and your guests, Knox.”

I left him watching my back as I walked away from him, heading toward the dancing couples. Lore danced with several women at once, while Killian danced with one of the camp followers who couldn’t dance to save her life. Greer stood beside the fire, laughing at someone who looked at him with doe eyes, gushing over the vampire as he dragged his finger down the male’s chest in silent invitation. Brander, on the other hand, stared at Soraya, who was surrounded by men, her eyes narrowing on Brander even though other men were vying for her attention.

I moved deeper into the throngs of people, stepping over couples who were unabashedly having sex out in the open. My senses spiked, and I turned, finding Knox watching me over the top of one of the many bonfires. Sucking my lip between my teeth, I moved further away from him as he followed. Every time I stopped, he would, too, stalking me like I was something he wanted, and he was a predator, hunting me down.

Lore moved into my line of sight, thrusting his hips while women around him laughed. The women began removing their shirts, and my eyebrows hiked to my hairline. Caught between shock and interest, I laughed while Lore shed his tunic, exposing sinewy muscles with a torso peppered in scars and ink that moved over his skin. Walking away from Lore before he was fully naked, I paused, my gaze lingering on Knox over the bonfire as he stared at me with a smile that crinkled his eyes. He lifted his glass of whiskey, and I smirked, drinking from mine and moving away from the dancing altogether before I saw something I didn’t need to see unfolding.

Knox followed me, causing butterflies to erupt within my belly.