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Once I’m back on my bale, I let her toast the berry for all of five seconds before I get bored and flick my fingers. The pink mallowberry bursts into a ball of conjured flames.

“Oops,” she giggles, tossing her stick into the fire.

“Oh dear,” I sigh to the group. “Now my sweet assistant must choose from one of two dares.” Standing up again, I loom over her. “One, take off all your clothes or two, stand on the campfire for ten seconds.”

I hear Eden panic while the rest of the group laughs excitedly. “B-but she’ll burn herself⁠—”

“I choose the first one,” Ploppy cuts her off, not lifting her gaze from me. Pushing her sleeves off her shoulders, she slides the flimsy dress down her curvy figure. Of course she’s not wearing any undergarments, but for some reason I’ve never felt less turned on.

“Next.” I drag the girl back to the bale and force her down beside me. She tries to nuzzle against my arm, but I push her away until I notice Eden watching us both.

Without realising what I’m doing, I pull Pippa closer and kiss her deeply. She doesn’t taste anywhere near as sweet as my brother’s mate, but she’ll do for now at least.

When I finally come up for air, Lux has a mallowberry on a toasting stick for Eden and is encouraging her to hold it above the flames.

I drop Penny suddenly enough that she falls backwards off the hay bale.

“Good luck, my love,” Lux says before returning to his seat beside me. Flexing my palms, I toss him a smirk. Sorry, princess.

Her mallowberry bursts into flames.

“Hey!” she shouts. “You did that on purpose.” Laughter dances around me as I hold up my palms.

“Mallowberries are hard to toast! Sorry you’re no good at it.”

Lux rises from his bale with a smug grin. “Now I get to give you two dares and you have to pick one.” His gaze turns hungry. “One, admit that you still love me.” A few of the ladies around the fire sigh dreamily, but Eden just rolls her eyes. “Or two,” he murmurs, “strip for me.”

Eden gasps. “Y-you can’t just make me do that!” Around her, the party cheers and whistles. Seeing one of the famous Twelve completely naked would be a sight, even for a whore.

She won’t do it, though. Even if I can see she’s thinking about it. Her fists clench and unclench while she blushes furiously.

But after a few breaths, she pushes the thin straps of her dress off her shoulders. “Damn. You,” she growls at Lux, who says nothing as her dress drops to her waist.

My brow shoots up. She’s wearing a black corset under her dress, but nobody stops her as she rips the front laces open.

“Lux,” I hiss, unable to take my eyes off her. He wouldn’t let her… The corset slides painfully slow down towards her hips. He wouldn’t⁠—

When her dress hits the ground, I forget how to breathe.

Firelight dances around her soft curves, lighting up the swell of her breasts and her hips. I’ve seen her naked before, yes, but this time feels so different.

When I had her in my bedchamber, I wanted to keep her there. But now, seeing her like this, my body aches with the urge to kiss every inch of her light skin. I want to run my hands down her neck, brush my fingers over her rosy nipples before sliding them between her thighs.

“Fuck,” I hear Lux groan, and I know he’s feeling the same as I am. We’d take her together, by the fire. Press her against the grass. He’d grab her hips and take her pussy while I hold her throat and fuck her deep in her⁠—

“I see why King Sol was so desperate to keep them all locked away,” Father sneers.

Snarling, I bolt up from my hay bale. But then whatever spell Eden had cast over me lifts as pain slashes in my chest.

I fall back to the bale.

“Are you alright?” Ploppy rubs my side.

I jerk away from her touch. “Don’t touch me.”

After catching my breath, I glance up to see Father watching me with a confused expression. His gaze darts from me to Lux, then Eden, who’s now back in Lux’s lap, covered with his cloak.

“Don’t fucking look at her,” I growl at Father before I can stop myself. “I mean… Damn it. Who’s next?” I grab Ploppy and pull her into my lap.