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CORVAN
Iopen the frosted glass door and lead Finley into the great hall, watching her intently as she steps across the threshold. The golden glow of the gas lamps reflects off her dark hair, catching highlights of red and gold.
She’s put her hair up. She looks effortlessly elegant. Several strands escape from her updo, gracing her face. The elegant column of her neck taunts me; I want to wrap my hand around it, to run my fingers up and down… to put my lips on her just above the part where her pulse flutters delicately.
She’s wearing the earrings I gave her. Pear cut and brilliantly faceted with hundreds of planes and angles to catch the light, the deep red color perfectly suits her sun-burnished complexion and her dark, intelligent eyes.
They’re fire-grade rubies from the mountain heart of Pervasha, close to the Vikurian border. They are exceptional—finding a pair so perfectly identical and brilliantly hued is next to impossible. There probably isn’t another pair like this in all of the empire.
It pleases me immensely to see her wearingmyjewels.
The warmth of the hall surrounds us as I gently close the door behind her.
“Allow me to take your coat,” I say quietly, having the sudden urge to act like the perfect gentleman.
She glances over her shoulder, eyes gleaming, a ghost of a smile on her lips and a hint of a blush suffusing her cheeks. “Thank you, Corvan.”
“My pleasure.” She makes me want to behave like a gentleman, which I certainly amnot. Standing behind her, I place my hands on her shoulders and gently remove her coat, draping it over my arm. It’s made from the luxurious fur of asnowebeest;a rare monster I killed when we were coming down the mountain.
Newly turned and desperate at the time, I drank its blood too, and tasted its raw, savage power.
For the first time, I catch sight of Finley in her chosen attire.
I take a deep breath, digging my fingers into the soft pelt as I inhale a tendril of her intoxicating scent.
To put it simply, she’s everything I could have hoped for, and more.
I can’t believe my luck.
She’s foregone a gown in favor of a smartly tailored deep blue pantsuit. The trousers accentuate her taut little ass. The jacket nips in at her waist, making me want to put my hand on that delicate little curve.
My gaze drops to her legs, where long burgundy leather boots encase her toned calves.
The sight of them nearly sends me to my knees. Arousal hits me hard, and it takes all of my self-control to keep a straight face.
The fight ring has been set up on the other side of the hall. The contenders are warming up; bare-chested, wearing loose trousers designed for freedom of movement.
They’re my soldiers—with the hardened physiques of warriors and the scars to match. Their bodies might be strong, but many of them hide fractured minds.
This kind of thing—it helps.
My attention snaps back toward Finley. Beneath her thin veneer of calm, she’s skittish. I can hear it in the rapid patter of her heart. I can see it in the tense lines of her body.
Father, did you really not know how perfect I would find her?
Silently, I curse him. Because before I left him in Lukiria, when he was urging me to stay by his side, I threatened to kill him if he ever tried to meddle in my affairs.
He saw the power I suddenly had at my disposal, and he wanted to use me.
“Corvan, these new powers of yours aren’t a curse, they’re agift.”
He might have arranged this marriage, but I will viciously and savagely fight to protect Finley from the toxicity of the Rahavan Court.
My father and my brother included.
And hopefully, with time, she will learn to trust me.
I glance around the room, observing my men as they filter in. A decent crowd is starting to gather—both soldiers and servants alike. Kaithar stands at the edge of the ring, wearing the black officiating suit of a military games referee. He’s watching the entrants like a hawk, his expression severe, his powerful arms folded.
