While the girls were out in the gardens, Theodore and Liam had more urgent matters to discuss.
“The nobles have already heard of your mating with a human,” Liam told him earnestly, avoiding his eyes. “They are not pleased as you can guess.”
“Well, forgive me if I didn’t feel the urge to ask for their permission,” Theodore iced out sarcastically.
Liam shook his head negatively. “For such a shrewd businessman, you can be such a hot-head brother.”
“Is that worry I hear in your voice?” Theodore taunted, a sardonic smirk stretching his lips.
“You’re my brother, and the closest I ever had to a paternal figure. Forgive me if I worry about you,” Liam let out on a sigh.
“Don’t be dramatic,” Theodore tried to wave it off.
“Forewarned is forearmed. You should know that better than anyone, Theos,” his brother told him. “I am merely stating the facts here. Troublesome as they might be, I know you can handle the nobles easily. But your mate seems to be of the innocent kind. Will she really fit into the cunning crowd?”
“She’s a strong woman,” Theodore stated flatly, even though he himself was worried for Emily as well.
“Still, you shouldn’t take any chances,” he told him seriously.
“Agreed,” Theodore nodded. “We’ll have to take turns keeping her company.”
“That’s a good idea,” Liam smiled.
“Stop creeping me out with your smile,” Theodore chided him. “I won’t entrust you with my mate if you decide to be a womanizer. You know that, right?”
Liam rolled his eyes at him. And then he made a vow, “I promise to protect her with my life, brother. Come hell or high water, she won’t be harmed on my watch.”
“Are you saying she’ll come to harm under my watch?” Theodore’s smirk was almost dangerous at that.
Liam shook his head negatively with vehemence, “Don’t put words in my mouth. I never said that. And I would never dare say that. I quite value my life.”
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
“Are you okay, dorogaya?” Theodore wondered out loud upon seeing the frown on Emily’s face when she entered their bed chambers.
“Is it true?” She asked point blank, glaring at the bed he was laying on – or maybe at him.
“Is what true?” He retorted. How did she expect him to understand what she was asking about while being so cryptic?
“Did you have many women spend the night in here?” She asked, her eyes still narrowed and stubbornly looking away from him.
“They never spent the night,” he tried to soothe her. “It’s all in the past though.”
She was abnormally jealous and angry for a woman who knew of his ways before getting involved with him.
“The past, huh?” She asked, her eyes spitting fire at him, and turning crimson for a moment there before the red bled away from her eyes.
“Absolutely,” he responded, not knowing where this outburst was coming from – from her beast trying to make a claim or from her own jealousy.
“So, it’s like let bygones be bygones… plain and simple, huh?” She drawled, her lips quirking into a smirk that he wasn’t used to seeing.
Somehow, seeing her so furious made him harden.
Heavens have mercy, not now, he pleaded, eyes up to the ceiling, begging whatever deity was out there listening.
“And you have the nerve to roll your eyes at me?” She demanded to know, sounding even more furious if that was possible.
“I didn’t,” he wanted to explain but he didn’t want to admit the truth.
“Really now? So I’m blind now?”
“Dorogaya, did I do something wrong? I can fix it, whatever it is,” he told her, desperately trying to appease her.
“You did many things wrong, or many women right, it depends on how you see it,” she scoffed, and her eyes flashed crimson for a moment there.
“Who told you that?” He then asked, ready to have whoever spilled the beans roasted for breakfast.
“Your mother was kind enough to join Serena and me in the gardens,” she told him with all the sarcasm imaginable. “And she was almost jubilant to find out that I was a clueless virgin when I met you – well, before you defiled me, that is.”
“I didn’t defile you…”
“I’m still speaking,” she iced out. “And she was more than happy to have a heart-to-heart with me about your dear mistresses!”
Oh god, just how sexy was she when angry!
He tried to rearrange his slacks discreetly but failed.
“Am I turning you on, you sick dragon?” She growled out at him. “Are you even listening to me right now?”
He pursed his lips in dismay.
“Yeah,” he said, “My mother did me the pleasure of telling you of my supposed conquests. Yadda yadda yadda.”
“Supposed conquests?” She echoed after him angrily. “There’s nothing to suppose, you fucked those women.”
“But only ever made love to you, dorogaya,” he countered, not missing a beat.
“Smooth,” she clapped her hands three times. “Not!”
“Okay, what should I do?” He asked on a tired sigh.
“How about we start with burning the bed and the sheets?” She demanded, her eyebrow raised defiantly.
“Fine by me,” he told her simply as he rose off the bed. “Alec,” he then called in a louder voice while his mate watched his every move like a hawk.
The servant who had always catered to his needs knocked on the bedchamber’s door and then got inside.
“I want you to throw out the bed and the sheets and have them burned,” he announced.
He could see confusion on the servant’s face but he did as he was told nonetheless.
“Also, kindly find us a new bed, pronto,” he instructed.
When the servant left, dragging the bed with one hand and holding the sheets in the other, Theodore focused his attention back on his still half-fuming mate.
“Satisfied now?”
“Kind of,” she admitted with a small smile.
“Can I hug you?” He then asked.
“Why are you asking?” She giggled.
“Better be safe than sorry,” he chuckled along before embracing her in a tight hold.
He then leaned forward and was about to kiss her when she decided to tease him, “You asked whether you could hug me. You never said anything about a kiss.”
“You’re my mate, dorogaya,” he stated hotly as his length poked her belly. She finally responded in kind at that, and started getting aroused herself. “Mine to love and make love to. Mine to tease and have fun with. You’re simply mine.”
“And you’re mine,” she declared boldly, but he could almost see the doubt and the insecurities in her eyes.
“I am,” he assured her.
And then, he swept her off her feet, and made a beeline to the bathroom.
Since there was no bed to speak of, he had to make do with what was available. Besides, it was rumored that bath tub sex was good.