Page 38 of Many Ruined Vows on a Forbidden Frolic

“More than four?

The embarrassment grows, and I stay silent.

Pikr groans. The strong muscles of his flank twitch, his eyelids fluttering. “Don’t be ashamed. The more times you use it, the easier you’ll take me. Remember, I am a virile centaur male. The lustier you are, lass, the better. Please, tell me, I beg you.”

“At least twelve times.” I push veggies around my bowl to avoid his gaze. “I lost count after that.”

“Good girl, Princess,” Pikr growls. “Your sweet cunt will be nice and soft for me.”

I preen under his praise, sitting straighter in the chair.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Loreleivnna

The rest of the meal passes with little talk, though we’re too shaken from Father’s unannounced visit to fool around. Afterward, I sneak back to the palace, eager to fuck myself with Pikr’s words echoing in my mind.

Even using the servant’s corridor, I don’t make it to my room before Ilrunysanna stops me.

“Ow!” I squeal. Her grip on my arm is relentless as she wordlessly drags me down the hall.

Stopping at the entrance to Feivryn’s suite, Ilrunysanna shoves me inside. Feivryn turns at the sound of the feybells, her bored expression brightening with intrigue when she spots us.

“Oh, you brought the tea straight from the leaf.” Feivryn sets her hairbrush down and crosses the room, flopping onto the bed belly-down, chin propped in her hands. “I like the way you work, sister.”

“What the plucked roses do you two want?” I huff.

Crossing my arms, I take one step inside and lean on the doorway, ready for a swift exit. My sisters are always hunting through the flowers and trees for gossip, especially of my nonexistent love life. After years of less than crumbs, they’d foam at the mouth if I told them about Pikr.

My chest flutters. I want to brag about him, but the situation is still so murky.

“Why did Father plow through the palace like an avalanche caused by a mountain giant’s temper-tantrum?” Ilrunysanna demands. Her tone is cutting, but her eyes, yellow and bright like Mother’s, glitter with glee.

“Did he?” My gut twists and I wince.

I’m beginning to realize that, in all of my fantasies, I never truly considered the aftermath of their reality. Hurting Father and destroying a centuries-old friendship was not my intention.

“Worse,” Feivryn chimes in with a snort. “He ripped up a rosebed on his rampage! The gardeners were mortified.”

“Oh.”

Ilrunysanna leans into my bubble, arms crossed, brows raised expectantly. “Oh? Is that all you have to say, little sister?”

“That rosebush was the worst of the rumormongers, according to the spiritvines. Or so Father’s told me.” Feivryn shrugs, then pins me with a shrewd gaze. “But what scandal were they thorning on about?”

“Please, Lorelei, tell us!” Feivryn whines. “We won’t judge.”

I clutch my sides. “Why do you think it’s my fault?”

Ilrunysanna snorts. “Oh, did we forget to mention? Every other word out of his mouth was the name of the centaur you’ve pined over for a century.”

“Oh yes,” Feivryn rolls onto her back and pretends to inspect her nails. “The very creature you’re now betrothed to. How blooming interesting.”

My face heats, and I know my cheeks are colored with embarrassment when my evil sisters cackle.

“You can’t seriously think us so ignorant?” Ilrunysanna takes my hand in both of hers, rubbing her thumbs over my knuckles. “We love you too much not to notice the way you’ve looked at him all your life.”

“Not all my life,” I grumble.