Page 53 of Happily Ever Witch
“No, it would not be fun! I have to find the damn thing before someone sees it.”
“Why? Are you afraid the hogs are voyeurs?”
“I just don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea.” She fumbled with her boots.
“Wrong idea?” Trevelyan sank onto the edge of the table, lounging there like it was a golden throne. “The citizens are all pigs, darling. They don’thaveideas, thanks to you.” He arched a brow. “And, if theydid, I think their theories about what happened in here would probably be right. Really not much of a mystery as to what I just did to you.”
“That’s not the point!”
“It’s the only point. Honestly, everyoneshouldunderstand that you’re mine. I’d take you right in front of them, if you’d allow it.” He waved a dismissive hand. “Let them all know that I’m the only one who can…”
She cut him off. “I don’twanteveryone to know! Is that so hard to understand?”
Sudden comprehension lit his features. “Oh…” His head tilted, his eyes growing sharp. “You’re worried aboutMarrok.”
“Not just Marrok specifically. My family in general.” No one was going to approve of her sleeping with the dragon. Not until she got him tamed, anyway. Esmeralda could already envision the screaming and death threats on both sides of the wedding aisle. “I just think it would be smart if they didn’t see videotaped evidence of…”
“They arenotyour family.” He interrupted, his voice ice cold.
“Theyaremy family.” She tugged on her shirt. “And they hate you. With really compelling reasons.”
“You think I give a shit about their feelings?”
“Icare about their feelings!”
Trevelyan was seething, now. “You give all your loyalty tothem.” He surged to his feet and swung an arm in the general direction of the Four Kingdoms. “To others. Never to me.”
“Everyone who’s mad at you isrightto be mad at you, because you’ve hurt them!”
“The wolf is going to lose. Deep down, even you must suspect it. I have more magic, and more focus, and more fucking hate in me than he does.I’mgoing to win this war.”
“You might.” Esmeralda had boundless faith in the dragon’s abilities. You couldn’t be within half a mile of the man and not feel his colossal energy, even when it was still healing. It was entirely possible that he would destroy the Four Kingdoms, in the end. “But it doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters!” Trevelyan met her eyes, as if willing her to understand. “I’m going to burn the Enchanted Forest to the ground, Esmeralda. Itwillhappen. You’re on the wrong side of this fight.”
“No, I’m not.” Her voice was calm. “Even if you win… you’ll still be wrong.”
His expression darkened. “Fine. Stand with my enemies, if it makes you feel righteous. It makes no difference to my victory, just to your own virtuous little fate. I’m not rescuing you from your own stupidity.”
“You’ll never rescue me from anything, Trev. You said so yourself. Not unless it’s super easy. Or you’re super bored. Or you feel like killing someone. Or you want something from me in return. When it really matters, you arenotgoing to save me. You’ll let me fall.”
His eyes snapped to hers, watching her silently.
“It’s alright.” She wasn’t angry about his nature, just realistic. “I’m not asking you to catch me. I told you, I can rescue myself.”
Growing up in an orphanage had taught Esmeralda not to expect too much from others. No matter what the True Love bond was trying to convince her, this man was not built for picture-perfect happily-ever-afters. That wasn’t something she could teach him.
She sighed. “I just need you to see that the loyalty I feel for the Tuesday share circle… It comes from trust. You think they’re two different things, but they’re not. Loyalty comes from believing in someone. I can rescue myself, but --if I couldn’t-- my family would rescue me. Ibelievein them. Do you see?”
He didn’t say a word.
Esmeralda tried delivering the lesson, again. “Marrok and Letty and Avenant and Benji and Dru are looking for me, right now.” She believed that with her whole heart. “Sooneror later, they’ll find me. That’s why I will always support them. Because I trust them to support me back.” She paused. “Also, you’re completely wrong about --like--everything, so there’s that, too. But, the point is, when they arrive, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention anything…privatehappening between us.”
The fact that the dragon was her True Love was going to go over like a spider in whey. The news would be a lot better coming from Esmeralda than from Trevelyan. He wasn’t great at holding conversations.
Trevelyan smiled, but it was all menacing teeth. “Well, I don’t plan on talking to them, darling. I plan on killing them. So, I’m sure that it will be easy enough to keep our True Love match a dirty little secret, until after they’re all dead in the ground. Whatever makes you happy.”
She made a face. “This isn’t about your ego. This is about me wanting to keep graphic details of our sex life private. Especially from the guy I consider my brother. Just because you feel like bragging to Marrok about…”
