Page 182 of Happily Ever Witch
“Most of those disasters wereyourfault! The scorpions…”
“Those werenotmy fault! You always blame me for the scorpions.”
“You wrapped them up in a box and handed them to my husband!”
“You have no sense of humor. That’syourissue, not mine.”
Marion was getting exasperated. “Forget it! Esmeralda has enough problems with you for a groom. I won’t add to them. If she won’t do white, how about blush?”
“What the hell color is that?”
“Pink, you oblivious moron.”
“No! Find something green.”
“I want to wear red.” Esmeralda complained. “I’ve decided it’s my signature shade, as empress.”
He sighed and relented, because he really was the soul of compromise in his marriage. “Find somethingred.” He told his sister.
Marion made an aggravated sound. “I liked you better in the coma, Trev.”
“You’re supposed to be Best Man. Figure this out!” He slammed the door shut and glanced back at Esmeralda. “Okay, I reasoned with her.” He said calmly.
“You know, for two people who aren’t genetically related, you and Marion are very much alike.” Esmeralda pointed out, like she was trying not to laugh.
“Don’t be ridiculous. She’s violent, unreasonable, and always thinks she’s right.” He crossed over to kiss his mate’s forehead. “…But, I’m taller.”
Esmeralda gave up and laughed. Trevelyan felt like he’d won a prize, the same way he always did when he made her smile.
He had cast every protective, loving spell he could think of on her, using her Good magic to power them. Esmeralda thought it was vastly amusing to watch him muddle through such light enchantments, but he didn’t mind her teasing. Trevelyan wanted her safe and happy and connected to him. If he could get away with it, he’d have his arms wrapped around her twenty-four hours a day.
“If we get through this ceremony without bodies on the floor, it will be a miracle.” She told him, still chuckling. “You know that, right?”
Trevelyan shrugged. A wedding with all their assorted friends and relations was bound to be a little unruly. It was only to be expected. “As long as it’s just the wolf who’s slain, I’ll be fine with a little bloodshed.”
Esmeralda made a face. “You said you’d get along with Marrok.”
“I said I’dtry.” And he was. Sort of.
Since Trevelyan heroically rescued the wolf from Snow White, plucked him from the sands of the Diamond Kingdom, and reunited him with his True Love, Marrok was forced to beless hostile towards him. He seemed to grudgingly accept that he was stuck with Trevelyan, so he was trying to make the best of it.
Marrok still watched him with wary eyes, waiting for some nefarious plot to spring, though. The blatant mistrust inspired Trevelyan to be… friendly.Sickeninglyfriendly. The more nauseatingly, over-the-top friendly he was the more suspicious Marrok became. It had gotten to the point where the wolf sniffed his food at dinner, like he was convinced Trevelyan might secretly poison him. Trevelyan had responded to his paranoia with a pleasant smile and an offer of seconds.
Marrok now ate nothing but prepackaged Gala-chips, whenever Trevelyan was around.
Who would have guessed friendship could be so much fun?
Meanwhile, Trevelyanwasmaking actual inroads with his new sister-in-law. Scarlett had cornered him the morning after she’d been reunited with her husband. Arms crossed over her chest, blue eyes watchful, she’d stood directly in front of him.
Waiting.
The two of them had been alone in the kitchen, which had somehow made the whole conversation easier. Trevelyan liked the kitchen. It was the room he felt most comfortable, because it was the room he most associated with Esmeralda. She spent a lot of time there, baking minions and making nail polish. It was where he’d realized she was his mate. The room gave him support and he’d needed it.
He’d dug deep for a way to apologize to Scarlett and wound up going for something totally out of character: Telling the unvarnished truth. “You should never have been broughtinto my feud with Marrok. I targeted you, because I knew you were what he valued most. I knew he could never live without you.”
One red brow had arched, still waiting.
Trevelyan had cleared his throat. “Having my own True Love makes me see how very screwed up my plan was. Because I could not live without Ez. Having her makes everything I did seem very, very… wrong.”
