Page 145 of Happily Ever Witch
“Here, my darling.” He put a palm down to assist her over the log.
She could have climbed up there on her own, even in her not-favorite boots. Still, it was cute of him to offer her help, so she let him grasp her hand. He was learning, for sure.
Trevelyan pulled her up, onto the top of the fallen tree. He helped her balance on it, five-feet above the ground. “So, do I get half of your nail polish company, now?” He asked from out of nowhere. “Because I have ideas for a dragon-green polish that will revolutionize fashion.”
“I’m not giving you half of my company. Why should I give you half of my company?”
“Married people share assets.” He lectured, as if he’d somehow become an expert on matrimony. “What’s yours is mine.” He hopped down to the ground on the other side of the log.
“We’re not married! And even if we were married, what’s mine is stillmine.” Villains weren’t naturals at sharing. “You already owe me a record store.”
“I promised to get you one today and I will.”
“Well, I’m not giving you half of that, either. What are you givingmeas a shared asset? Do you even own anything?”
“I own a lot of gold. Does that count?” He couldn’t sound more blasé. “I’m the second wealthiest person on Neverland Beach.”
Esmeralda looked down at him in shock.
“My sister’s knowledge of future inventions made me rich.” Trevelyan explained, seeing her surprise. “Well, stealing made me rich. Investing my ill-gotten gains with a time-traveler made meenormouslyrich. It’s a lovely system, where I get to cheat twice.”
She blinked.
He arched a brow. “I have magic powers and no conscience. Did you think I was poor?”
“No I just…” Neverland Beach was full of disgustingly well-off people. Like private-yachts-for-their-race-horses levels of well-off. It was their diamond-encrusted native habitat. It had never occurred to her that Trevelyan had that much money. “You’re really the second richest person on rich-person island?”
Trevelyan frowned, as if mentally tallying up his bank accounts. “Possibly, I’m only thethirdrichest citizen in Neverland, now. It depends on how much Clorinda’s made, while I was in my coma. Marion is number one, of course. My sister breathes and money rains down. But she’s inexplicablyfond of Clorinda, so that horrible woman’s investment portfolio always over-performs.”
Esmeralda sat on the edge of the huge log and pondered his words for a beat. “I figured if I ever dated a rich guy, he’d be more into boring suits and business meetings, and less into wholesale slaughter.”
“You’d be surprised at how well wholesale slaughter pays.” He held up his hands to help her down. “And we’re not ‘dating.’”
“No?”
“No. We’ve moved on to the next stage of our relationship.” He gripped her waist to lift her to the ground. “The True Love bond is confusing you, for the moment. Once you begin to…”
Esmeralda cut him off. “How is the True Love bond confusing me?”
“It’s still primary to you.” He carefully set her on her feet, steadying her on the snow. “It’s always been secondary to me.”
Her brows compressed. “Secondary?”
“If another woman was my True Love, I would leave her. It’s not even a question.” Trevelyan dismissed the most important bond in a person’s life like it was a lousy blind date. “Dragons value their mates above all andyouare my mate. I knew it the morning after we met, in the kitchen. You made pancakes, and threatened to fuck a guitar player, and I chose you over all other women. Idecided. After that,” he shrugged, “True Love or not, you belonged to me. No one else would ever do.”
She blinked.
“Nowyou,” Trevelyan continued, “value True Love over all else. The True Love bond is primary to you, so you follow it. But you didn’tchooseme. So, when I say I’m your mate, it doesn’t resonate with you, as it does with me.”
“I did choose you.”
“You’d pick a different mate, if you could.” He started to walk, again. “Someone smiley and kindhearted. Except youcan’t. The True Love bond wins out over all other considerations, for you.” He didn’t sound particularly sorry that she was stuck with him. “It’s a cultural issue. We have both bonds, but we’re prioritizing them differently…”
She caught hold of his arm. “I chose you, Trevelyan.” She repeated.
He stopped and frowned, like he didn’t believe her.
“They’re the same bond. Not two.” She held up two fingers. “One.” She crossed them to show the interconnection. “Your mateisyour True Love.”
