Chapter 21
The next day, Dean crossed his arms stubbornly. “Why can’t I go?”
Naomi studiously looked everywhere but at him, Monroe smiled like a cat who caught a juicy mouse, and Fawn rubbed her temples. “Because you don’t like shopping.”
Damn Monroe for telling her. Didn’t he know Dean liked anything that had to do with his mate? Even shopping. “You’re letting Braddock go.” He’d promised not to keep Fawn chained to his side, but he hadn’t expected she’d want to leave him the very next day.
“Because Braddock isn’t hurt.” She shot a pointed glance at his side. “And you said if I went anywhere without you, it had to be with him.”
“I didn’t mean for you to leave me willingly,” he argued. “That was for emergencies.”
“Getting stabbed is an emergency situation,” Monroe added unhelpfully.
Dean flashed his teeth at his friend. “You’re right and stabbing someone is punishable however the crown sees fit.”
Fawn harrumphed. “Is the punishment that I must spend every waking moment with you?” What was so bad about wanting to be around someone every minute of the day and never leaving their side? Why did everyone keep acting like that was strange?
Her voice softened a touch, and she laid her hand on his arm. “As much as I’d love to spend all of my time with you?—”
“You can,” he reminded her. “You’re choosing not to.”
She wagged a finger at him. “Have you been studying the dictionary? You finally used that word correctly.”
Dean caught her finger and brought it to his lips. “I’ll stay out of your way.”
“You need to rest,” Fawn countered, one brow arched. “Healer’s orders.”
He tugged her closer, lowering his voice. “You’d leave me here defenseless with Cali? What if her hands wander?”
Fawn’s eyes slitted. “Then cut them off and find a new palace healer.”
He’d already requested a healer from town to tend his wound, though Fawn didn’t know it yet. A little irritated that jealousy didn’t work, he tried to think of another way to either make her stay or convince her to let him go.
“You need to stay here and rest, and she needs to get new dresses,” Cassandra chimed in. “You can watch through me while you lay in bed. You’ll be there without her knowing.”
Dean perked at his familiar’s suggestion. “You’re right,” he replied out loud.
Cassandra whipped her head around to look at him. “You agreed too quickly.”
“I’m glad you finally see reason.” Fawn went up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I promise to let Braddock and Cassandra murder anyone who looks at me for too long.”
They won’t need to. “You two protect her,” Dean said with all the concerned authority he could muster.
Braddock narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly. After another goodbye, Monroe, Fawn, and Naomi climbed into one carriage.
Violet petted a massive tigon and motioned to her guards. “You don’t have to go. I have Ares and Griff.” The tigon shook his head and waited for her to tuck herself inside the carriage. He stood sentry by the door like it was his job. Maybe it is.
Tigons were fae jungle cats with white fur, black stripes, and a lion-style mane of quill sheaths that sharpened when aggravated.
Dean. had forgotten to tell Fawn the Tropical Prince sent War, his tigon familiar, to accompany Violet on her trip, and when Fawn stepped into the courtyard earlier, she nearly shattered glass with her screams.
Braddock vaulted gracefully onto his tall mount—fae strength making it effortless—and maneuvered to the far side of Fawn’s carriage. Between a tigon on one side, and Braddock on the other, no one would be stupid enough to attack them.
To the crowd, Dean waved and walked inside.
Well, not everyone. The tigon and Cassandra tracked him as he strolled up to Ares and Griff. War and Cassandra could see through a royal’s glamour because they were royal familiars , but to everyone else around them, Dean was just air.
He approached the two men and said quietly, “I’m going to need one of your horses today.”
Griff nearly came out of his skin, and Ares startled slightly but chuckled, shaking his head. “You royals are all the same.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Griff muttered. “You could have told us while still visible.”
“One of you will need to stay here,” Dean continued, “and no one else knows I’m going.”
Both men groaned, stuck out their hands, and played a quick gesture game to determine a winner. Ares won and pumped his arm in the air. “Have fun explaining to Roman why you’re not on the trip.”
Griff shoved him. “Shut up. He can’t get pissed if the king orders me to stay.”
Ares smirked. “Sure.”
Griff looked in Dean’s general direction. “If you could write to our darling prince and let him know I’m being forced to leave Violet, I would appreciate it.”
Violet wasn’t the prince’s mate; she was his mate’s sister. Interesting . “You have my word,” Dean promised.
Griff grabbed a piece of leather from his pocket and tied back his hair. “Tell Violet I drank milk this morning if she asks where I am. She’ll understand.” The man gave a lazy salute and jogged back toward the palace, glamoured to appear like he took his horse with him.
Dean seized the reins and saddle horn, hauling himself into place. Royal fae strength made it simple, though his wound still throbbed with every motion.
Ares stared in his general direction. “Should you be riding in your condition?”
“No.” Dean wiped the sweat from his brow and prayed he didn’t rip his stitches.
Ares threw his head back and laughed. “Yeah, you royals are all the same.”
Watching Fawn smile and laugh with the others while shopping loosened something in Dean’s chest. The quiet bond told him she’d not had much of that since her parents died.
In the months leading up to their chance meeting he’d felt enough flickers from her to drive him to search for his mate, but nothing compared to how vivacious she was today.
Naomi stayed close to Fawn’s side, a bouncy little thing with reservations of her own. Both women had their round ears covered, and Dean wanted to pull their hair back and dare anyone to treat them differently. Fae didn’t see humans as lesser, just a weak liability in their eyes.
“Incoming,” Cassandra warned him right before Cali walked into the shop.
His blood boiled. She’d been at the table when Fawn invited the others to shop with her, and Dean didn’t doubt the woman showed up on purpose.
The others hadn’t noticed them yet, but Cali rectified that within seconds. “Shouldn’t you be tending to your mate?” she asked loudly. His mate whipped around, the smile dying on her lips. “Since you are the one who stabbed him.”
A few gasps and whispers from the other customers followed her proclamation, and Fawn’s cheeks burned red.
“It was an accident,” she said defensively.
Naomi appeared at Fawn’s side with an arm full of dresses. “I don’t remember you being invited. Leave.”
Cali turned to the modiste. “I’m here to pick up my dress for the ball,” she said politely. Shit, Dean forgot about the ball tomorrow night. He’d speak with the modiste about rushing Fawn and Naomi’s to be ready in time.
The shop owner smiled kindly, which pissed Dean off. “Yes, Miss Galla. I’ll be right back.”
Violet emerged from a dressing room and looked between the women. “Is everything alright?”
“I’m here to pick up my dress for the ball.” She kept her voice sweet. “But according to the future queen , I’m not welcome.”
Dean drifted silently closer, ready to drop his glamour and protect his mate, though he worried she’d be furious if he stole her chance to defend herself.
“Do not turn this around on me,” Fawn shot back. “You insulted me the moment you walked in.”
Cali laid a hand on her chest. “I only spoke the truth. You stabbed the king with witnesses present. I personally don’t take kindly to someone hurting a person I love.”
Fawn stiffened, and Dean bit back a curse. “What happens between my mate and I is none of your business.” Good girl. “I understand you’re upset he ended your engagement, but you need to take it up with the gods. They’re the ones who passed you over and chose me as his mate.”
Dean swore he’d have his feisty mate tonight. Watching her put this woman in her place made it impossible to keep his hands off her.
Violet’s eyes softened with sadness as she swallowed hard.
He felt for the girl. The gods fated Roman to her identical twin sister, but by sending his familiar to guard Violet, the prince’s heart clearly chose her over his mate.
It seemed Violet felt the same way, and as Dean knew, fate could be cruel.
He only hoped Violet understood the difference here and why Fawn had every right to defend herself.
“You will never love him the way I do,” Cali said, her voice low and raw. “I know him better than anyone else, and it’s only a matter of time before he realizes it.”
Pain laced every word, and he felt a twinge of guilt. Her hurt did not excuse her treatment of Fawn, but a part of Dean understood why she lashed out. He’d speak with Lilith again. There had to be another way to keep Fawn safe without Cali staying in the palace.
Fawn laughed humorlessly. “You don’t get it, do you? How you feel about him doesn’t matter. It’s how he feels that does. If he loved you, I would have never stayed, but he doesn’t.” She took a steely step forward. “And don’t ever presume to know how I feel about him.”
Dean only hoped he could wait until they were home to bury his cock inside her and show exactly how much her words meant. Her fire turned him on, and her insinuation that she might love him too gave him an unmatched high.
The shop owner reappeared with Cali’s package and looked around nervously. “Here, Miss Galla. Your father already paid.”
Cali accepted the package with a smile. “Thank you. I’ll see you next week for the rest of my order.”
She gave Fawn one last scathing look. “If he despises me and loves you so much, then why is he keeping me around?” Without waiting for an answer, she left, leaving Fawn to deal with the aftermath of curious stares and whispers.
Dean dropped his glamour, making the nearest customer scream.
He walked to Fawn’s side and addressed the others, “Cali Galla spewed lies and hate at my undeserving mate, and anyone who repeats her words as truth shall be punished severely.” He cupped the back of Fawn’s head and pulled her close. “You were magnificent, darling.”
“What are you doing here?” she mumbled into his chest and tipped her head back to look at him. “You’re supposed to be home resting.”
He chuckled. “I am resting.”
Monroe entered the shop holding two boxes and scanned the room, paling. “What happened?”
Naomi sounded ready to kill someone again. “Cali.”
Monroe shook his head. “That woman needs to deal with her heartbreak like everyone else by getting drunk or laid or something.” Fawn sputtered out a laugh, and Monroe looked at Dean. “Why are you here? You’re supposed to be giving her space.”
Dean scowled. “I did give her space. She didn’t know I was here.”
“We really need to get you a dictionary,” Fawn muttered, but he felt her affection down the bond—affection and something else.
“Did they get all of your measurements?” he asked, changing the subject.
Fawn nodded. “We were finishing up when your ex-fiancé walked in.”
He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. “I wish you’d stop calling her that.”
“And I wish I didn’t have to see her every day,” she retorted.
Damn it. He knew Cali’s barb about living in the palace would dig under Fawn’s skin. How would he explain himself?
He chose not to answer her for now. “Monroe, take the ladies to the next stop on your list. I’ll finish up here.”
Fawn’s eyes searched his, and he implored her to trust him, still he felt her hurt and confusion. “I’ll catch up with you at the next shop,” he promised.
After they left, Dean paid for everyone’s things and spoke with the modiste about a few alterations to Fawn’s things.