Page 121 of Happily Ever Witch
That drew Trevelyan up short. He was still adjusting to the idea of a True Love, but he did know about mates. He’d watched his parents interacting for years. He vividly recalled their frequent screaming matches. They’d had some truly epic fights, filled with broken objects and vows of revenge. They’d both been powerful, arrogant, and prone to drama. Three houses had been incinerated. There’d been a graveyard full of possible romantic rivals out back. Holidays had sometimes become hostage situations.
But if something wastrulyimportant to his father, his mother would roll her eyes and acquiesce. And his father would do the same when his mother was the one being stubborn. When it really mattered, they’d always given in to make their relationship work.
Trevelyan’s parents were the foundation of his self. He’d loved them. Modeled himself after their examples. And one of the most important things they’d taught him was that dragons never, ever compromised.
…Except with their mates
Because nothing was more important than your mate. Not pride or revenge or anger or hurt.Nothing.
Trystan Airbourne absently ran a hand over his husband’s golden hair, waiting for Trevelyan to figure things out. Galahad sent the huge gryphon another shining smile. And there was a spark in his eye.
It caught Trevelyan’s attention and gave him something to focus on, aside from his runaway mate, the memories of his parents, and all the aggravating shit the gryphon was saying.He’d never seen those strange sparks appear in a man’s eyes before. Probably because he hadn’t looked for them. Women were always more interesting.
This would have been another clue, if he still gave a damn about his science experiment. Except, he didn’t. The only eyes that interested him were crimson, and filled with wicked virtue, and headed for the Kingdom of Clubs.
Trystan Airbourne’s head tilted, watching Trevelyan watch his husband. “Do not.” It was a warning.
Oh for fuck’s sake. “Relax. I prefer women.”
“Many men swear they prefer chocolate. …But they would happily try vanilla.”
Galahad sighed, as if he was used to his husband starting random fights over him. He probably was. Like dragons, gryphons chose a mate without a lot of superfluous bullshit. And, like dragons, once they chose that mate, they were territorial lunatics.
Still, even knowing gryphons were unhinged, Trevelyan couldn’t believe he was being accused of hitting on a knight. Hehatedknights! He’d sooner sleep with a bear trap. “I have a True Love. One I’ve promised to be monogamous to.”
“A dragon’s promises mean little. Especially, when the dragon is you.”
Trevelyan’s jaw ticked. “I keep the promises I make to my mate. A thousand percent.”
“You have claimed the witch as a mate?” Trystan Airbourne’s tone changed. Possibly the two species really were closer than gryphons and dragons liked to admit, because heunderstood the significance of that word. “If you have a mate, why do you look at mine?”
“I’mnotlooking at yours. I was looking at his eyes.”
“Which are attached to him.”
Trevelyan rubbed his forehead, not giving a damn about any of this. Why was he even speaking to these assholes? (Maybe because he needed someone to listen to him and convince him to do what he already knew he was going to do.) “Sometimes, mostly in Good women, I see a spark.” He muttered. “It’s rare and I don’t understand why it’s there, but Galahad has it. Life and purity and ideas. Some sort of strange, unguarded magic glowing.”
“My knight isalwaysguarded. By me.” It was a statement of fact. “That is what warriors do. We guard our lights. Regardless of how annoying our True Loves are, with their persistent need to help evil-doers and idiots, we aid them in their pointless quests.”
“I don’t want to help her save Marrok!”
“And I do not want to be talking to you. Yet here we both stand.”
“You can leave anytime you feel like it.”
“As can you. Yet, neither of us is rushing for the exit and we both know why.”
Trevelyan stayed quiet, his fist clenching and unclenching at his side.
Trystan Airborne didn’t seem surprised. “There are some things you can’t unknow. Once you’ve beheld them, there is no going back.” Dark eyes x-rayed everything inside of Trevelyan,like he was seeingallof him, now. “Once you have found your mate, the world is different, yes? You can fight it, but the knowledge will not change. It changesyou.”
“Why shouldIbe the one to change? Letherchange.”
“What would you change about your witch?” The words were calm and knowing. “What would make her more special to you?”
Nothing could make her more special.
Trevelyan adored everything about Esmeralda, from her virtuous smile, to her bitchy remarks, to her amazing green magic. He didn’t want to change her. He just wanted…her. Heneededher and she needed to need him back. Nothing else would do.
