“You want me to be honest with you?” Vigholf snapped. “You want me to tell you why I have my hungry face as you call it? Because of you. Because I’m hungry for you. If there’s anything I want to eat—it’s you.” Rhona stepped back, hands on hips, and accused, “You cannibalistic bastard!””

“Gwenvael looked down at his body. Horrified, he sat up. “What is this? What’s happened to me?”“Calm down. It’ll heal quick enough, I’m sure.”“Heal? I’m hideous!”“You’re alive.”“Hideously alive!” He covered her face with his hands. “Don’t look at me! Look away!”“Stop it!” She pulled at his hands. “Have you lost your mind?”Gwenvael dropped back to the bed, turned his face toward the wall. “You know what this means, don’t you?”“Gwenvael—”“I’ll have to live alone, at the top of a castle somewhere. I’ll hide from the daylight and only come out at night.”“Please stop this.”“I’ll be alone but not for long because you’ll all want me more. You’ll lust for the beautiful warrior I once was and pity the hideous creature I’ve become. Most importantly, you’ll want to soothe my pain.” He looked at her again. “Don’t you want to soothe my pain? Right now? Without that dress on?”“No. I do not.”Dagmar tried to stand, and Gwenvael caught her hand, pulling her back down. “You can’t leave me. I’m tortured and brooding. You need to show me how much you adore me so I can learn to love myself again.”“You’ve never stopped loving yourself.”“Because I’m amazing.”

“I’ve grown ridiculously fond of you, and I’m not sure I can ever forgive you for that.” -Rhona”

“He stopped before opening the door and faced her. "You'll leave the window open for me and you'll be naked. When I come back, I'll take what I want from you, as many times as I want to." He grinned; it was pure and raw and astonishingly beautiful. "Understand me Lady Dagmar?" She shook her head. "No. You'll have to explain it to me.""I will. Even if I have to tie you to bed and explain it to you again and again and again." He looked over one more time. "And don't play with yourself after I'm gone. Don't want you wearing my pussy out before I've had a chance to use it." With his hand on the door, Gwenvael rewarded her with the warmest smile she'd seen from anyone. "Besides, you look so beautiful when you come, I don't want to miss a second of it.”

“I’ll go talk to them,” Annwyl said. But she cracked her knuckles. “Right now.”Izzy cut in front of Annwyl, forced a smile. “Why don’t I talk to them? Daddy listens to me.”“You want my sword?”Izzy blinked. Hard. “No. I don’t think that’s necessary. To talk to my father and uncles that I adore.”“You want me warhammer then?”

“Dagmar tried to stand, and Gwenvael caught her hand, pulling her back down. "You can't leave me. I'm tortured and brooding. You need to show me how much you adore me so I can learn to love myself again.""You've never stopped loving yourself.""Because I'm amazing.”

“Talaith leaned forward, studied her youngest daughter. “You think you’re evil?”“Pure evil,” Izzy clarified, which got her a rather vicious glare from Rhi. An expression Dagmar had never thought the young,perpetually smiling or sobbing girl was capable of.“Why would you think you’re evil?”“It’s a feeling I have.”“No. Someone told her.”Rhi glowered at her sister. “I never said that.”“You didn’t have to,” Izzy shot back. “I know you.”“Well, who told her that?” Talaith demanded.And, as one, they all turned and looked at Gwenvael.He blinked, sat up straight. “I would never say such a thing to my dear sweet niece!”“You said it to me,” Talwyn snapped.“That’s because you’re not my dear sweet niece. You’re the rude little cow who threw a knife at my head.”“I wasn’t aiming for you. I was aiming for Mum.”“She’s right,” Annwyl admitted. “I just ducked behind you.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”