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“You’re the one who brought it up,” Taskier said, cutting my father off. He was the only person who had the gall to do such a thing. “And I’m sure Adrya knows what goes on between men and women or any other mixtures of the sexes behind closed doors, and especially at brothels.”
My father wrinkled his long nose before setting his knife down and pulling apart the fruit. “You have no class, Taskier,” he muttered. “My daughter should not be privy to this from her own uncle’s mouth.”
“You worry about what I’ve exposed her to when Matthyw hangs around?” Taskier asked. He leaned forward, stretching out his torso in order to grab a sausage link with his fork. “I’m not the most debauched King, I must remind you.”
“Matthyw isn’t blood,” my father pointed out. “You can’t expect him to handle things the same way when his linage is unknown.”
“Lone wolves?” Taskier asked, rolling his eyes as he sat back down. “And yet, you still took him in and raised him as one of us.”
“Regardless, he’s not present as frequently as when she was a cub,” Father said. “He cares for his sister. He would never expose her tothat.”
Taskier didn’t immediately respond. Instead, his eyes lingered on my necklace before meeting my gaze. What he saw, I didn’t know, but it was certainlysomething.
“Hmm,” Taskier finally said before taking a bite out of the sausage. “I’m well-aware my dear nephew is loyal to our family and would never dream of bringing shame and scandal to our family name —“
“I never said —“
“Are we discussing me?”
The familiar low lilt caused every hair on my body to stand fully erect. If I had been drinking or eating, I definitely would have choked on something. The last person I expected at breakfast was Matthyw himself. He wore a blood red caravan and black pants that fit him like a shadow. His lips were curved into a patented smirk, dark blue eyes sparkling with both mischief and knowing.
I should stop staring, but I couldn’t. There was something alluring about him, something that completely magnetized me to him despite my best efforts at drawing away.
“Ah,” Taskier said, lifting his goblet in Matthyw’s direction. “Good to see you.”
“Yes,” my father said, arranging each piece of fruit on his plate just so. “How was it?”
“Done.” His eyes hadn’t met mine since he entered the family’s dining hall. He pulled out the chair next to mine and I stiffened as he dropped into it, somehow making a clumsy action look graceful. “I hope I’ll be able to settle here before I’m sent out again.” He began to pile the plate with food. Every time he reached out, his arm would graze mine, and heat radiated from his person to overwhelm my own.
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t even eat.
“Yes,” Taskier said, leaning back in his chair. “Let’s hope. You sure you wouldn’t grow terribly bored? Students would be everywhere, and the only action you’d see is on the training court. Sounds like your idea of fun.”
“What can I say?” Matthyw asked, grinding pepper onto his eggs. “I’ve missed home.”
It was only then that he met my gaze. I should be embarrassed at being caught staring at him, but I couldn’t be bothered to care. His lips lifted even more as his eyes dropped to my neck. He recognized the necklace and something akin to satisfied approval caused them to glint in a way that caused tiny little sparks to light up my pelvis like fireflies in a black forest.
I clenched my teeth. I didn’t want his approval.
“How long will you be staying this time?” my father asked as Matthyw began to pepper his scrambled eggs.
“I suppose that depends on the master,” Matthyw said without looking at him.
“Hmm.” Taskier brought the juice to his lips. “Tell me, Matthyw. Did you hear about the Marriage Law? It’s almost certain to pass.”
Matthyw wrinkled his nose. “It is of no consequence to me,” he said drolly. “I didn’t get to choose the bitch I was forced to marry. Why should I care if others are subjected to the same fate I was?”
“You know why you needed to marry Reese,” my father said before he popped a piece of grapefruit in his mouth. After chewing it and swallowing, he resumed. “We needed the alliance with the Stone pack, and they weren’t interested in Taskier.”
“I can’t help but wonder why.” Matthyw took a long sip of juice.
Taskier rolled his eyes and popped a grape in his mouth.
“Despite his reputation at The Tulip, the gentler ladies don’t understand the importance of being properly and thoroughly fucked,” Matthyw continued.
My father dropped his utensils onto his plate the same way I did. “Enough,” he snarled. “All this you say in front of my daughter.”
