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I swallowed loudly and looked at my wife’s peaceful sleeping face. “I’m not worthy of her if I can’t be confident in controlling myself. He didn’t touch her and she’s fine. We all say things in anger. I won’t hurt the one Tyson loves when Inez adores him.”
Moon winced, and I realized that was probably what was said.
I nodded and stared Chris down. “She has never made a move on Tyson. They give chaste kisses as the way of shifters, and touching is normal. They have their naked naps as a group because nudity doesn’t bother them but stopped in respect for your relationship. He’s held her crying at night like he would a little sister, nothing more.”
“I know.” Chris swallowed loudly and bobbed his head. “I know. I trust them both. It’s not even about that but the fact—she had to give her permission for us to be together. That’s not a concept that’s normal to us and still irks me. She has to allow us to be together. And she came here drunkenly, tearing into me and calling me…” He sighed.
Fine, I would probably have lashed out.
“Has anyone explained to you the reason a princess has to give permission for her knight?” Petre hedged.
Chris sighed again. “The heart doesn’t always make the best decisions and it’s to keep them from picking someone who could hurt the coven. I get it. It makes sense. The logic, but it’s hard to know the one I love answers to someone else on matters like that. That’s valid to feel as well.”
“Did Tyson tell you that?” I asked, sighing when Chris nodded. “He’s not wrong, but that’s not the real answer.”
“The real answer is that it protects the knight,” Petre said firmly, all the vamps there nodding when Chris glanced at him like it was bullshit. “You’ve seen the bond between Tyson and Inez. She trusts him implicitly. We all do. He gave a lifelong vow that can’t be broken.”
“He has one of the best rooms in the castle with total freedom in the coven,” Moon continued. “He has more power than I do as a noble of the coven but not one of Inez’s. He can order teams to change assignments and more. It’s an extremely important and powerful position, especially given all we have.”
“And that makes him vulnerable to outside forces wanting that power or to do the coven harm,” I added, nodding when Chris looked at me. “All the princesses who came for our wedding wanted to have a child or sibling get involved with Inez’s knights. They wanted to be the one whispering in the ear of someone who has the ear of Inez.
“You know that’s how politics all go. And Tyson has little brothers. Normally, a knight is the head of a clan like Thomas Gagnon who you met.” I waited until he nodded. “Don’t think of it on Tyson but think of Thomas. He has a mate. Children. Grandchildren. How many people could be threatened or meddled with?
“If he was the final call about taking a lover on top of his mate and pressure could be put on him, how flawed would that be? A powerful noble with the support of maybe a powerful princess could put so much pressure on poor Thomas. The rules would be different because he was already sworn to Inez. So the vow includes a failsafe to keep the Gagnons safe.”
“I’ll think on that. Really, I will,” Chris said. “I even understood it before. I’m hurt too and—none of this is easy and life isn’t fucking calm.” He gestured around the settlement as if I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I still nodded. “It was a shit move for her to come here drunk and I was a shit back. Still, I’m sorry.”
I nodded again. “What did you say?”
“That clearly she understood him and knew him better than I ever did, so she should just revoke her permission for us to be together and take him as a lover since I mistreat him in her eyes. It seemed to be what she wanted when she would drunkenly fight for him and make an ass of herself.” He shrugged as if knowing he wasn’t getting the wording correct but that was the gist.
I actually shot Moon an annoyed look. “You thought I would hurt him over that? Even my temper isn’t so bad.”
He sighed. “It can be when it comes to Inez. You wanted his death when you arrived and she was passed out.”
“She’s been through too much and—any man would see red if someone hit their wife. I thought she decked him and maybe he was drunk and decked her back. That’s different than words. Words he admits he was being petty about. I’ve said worse.” I waved it off.
I might have said more, but Sisay showed up carrying a few boxes.
He glanced around and snorted when he saw Inez passed out in Moon’s arms. “I hope she decked you.” Then he went over by Chris and set the boxes down. “That’s your stuff from Ty’s room. He asked me to bring it to you and be done with it. Hope you choke on your need to be the manliest man around because you lost the best love you could ever have had.”
Damn. As Inez would say… Dayuuumn.
“Also, since you don’t have the balls to officially end it and are just leaving things up in the air with him hoping you come back, he is,” Sisay added with a smirk before glancing at me. “And he said to let Inez know that her knight is single again and doesn’t have a partner to extend the list of perks Chris gets including meals from the castle being brought here for him.”
“I ate it sometimes since he hurt Tyson,” Moon admitted.
And so did Petre.
It was really, really hard not to laugh. Chris’s face was priceless as he found out that the delivery guys were eating his food in protest for him still getting perks while hurting Tyson.
“He’s really dumping me,” Chris whispered, staring at the boxes.
“No, you don’t get to make Ty the bad guy of this,” Sisay snapped. “He was crying and drinking again over you bailing on him. His heart is shattered. It’s been weeks. Weeks and weeks since it happened but weeks since you bailed here. You don’t get to be the victim because he made it official when you left.”
I moved closer and put my hand on Sisay’s shoulder to guide him back. “Tyson reminds you of your younger brother, doesn’t he?” I nodded when Sisay flinched.
“You’re right. He does. I’m taking this too personally, but the lion is still a friend and nice to everyone.”
