Page 50 of Consort's Glory
He could feel Margot stiffen against him, but the tension was momentary. Margot loosened up immediately and offered the bad tempered were a small, closed-lipped smile. “See? He’s fine.”
Angelique didn’t appear convinced. Eyeing Theodore’s protective hold, she asked, “Everything okay, Healer Goode? That’s the sovereign who has his arm around you.”
Margot’s tone was dry when she answered, “Believe me, I am well aware.”
The were gave him another once-over, her expression flinty, before shaking her head and stepping aside to allow them entry. “Fine, elf, but I’m only doing this for her.”
He didn’t point out that he didn’t really need her permission to enter the building. He was Sovereign; this was his city. If Theodore wanted something, he was within his rights to take it, no questions asked.
But he was smart enough to know that pissing off the leader of the weres was a bad idea. They had control of a vast underground network of information and illegal goods, not to mention that they were a viciously loyal sort. After infection with the virus that permanently altered their physiologies, most weres found themselves cast out from their families, cut loose from their jobs, and worse. Weres could be volatile, especially in their first few years, and tended to be more of a handful than most families could handle without significant time and resources.
Coming together as a tight-knit group to pool resources and protect one another made them fiercely loyal to their kin, and Theodore was wise enough to know that pricking that sense of loyalty could bite him in the ass.
Besides, he thought, nodding to the were as he and Margot stepped into the darkened restaurant, picking a fight might upset Margot. I want her to see me as more than just the sovereign, and that means playing nice.
Not that it was too much of a struggle. When he wasn’t under the grating influence of the pull, Theodore was a cunning but generally good natured sort of elf. Given the choice, he would prefer to make friends rather than enemies.
Angelique gave his black-clad guards by the entrance the stink eye as she locked the door behind them, but otherwise didn’t comment. No doubt she already knew there were more than she could see, and a number of them posted at the back exit as well. Not that they were the biggest threat, of course.
That would always be Theodore himself.
She stepped around a small circular table and waved her hand over her shoulder, telling them to follow her as she picked her way around more tables and stacked chairs. “He’s in the basement.” Angelique let out a harsh breath before muttering, “Damn fool.”
Margot tried to move out from under his arm, but Theodore only let her slip away enough to slide his hand down her back and onto her hip. He could feel her small shiver, could smell that familiar thread, and was tantalized by possibilities they represented.
Theodore squeezed her hip and willed the pull to be patient. Her body knew him, wanted him, even if her brain hadn’t quite caught up with it yet. He would give Margot as much time to come to grips with their fate as he could. He had to.
Addressing the were, he said, “Tell me what you know.”
“His name is Roger.” Angelique led them through a swinging door and into a bustling kitchen. A blast of heat and fragrant steam washed over them. The smell of spices, rich tamarind and turmeric and the lush scent of fresh coconut, was almost overwhelming.
Somewhere a radio was playing tinny rock music over the sounds of frantic meal preparation and the chatter of the cooks, who cast sidelong glances at the strangers passing through their domain.
Angelique nodded curtly to the staff. They were all weres, their eyes mismatched, some covered in tattoos and thick scars, all of them bristling with the sort of wild energy that made them so very unpredictable.
Theodore tightened his hold on Margot’s hip, drawing her closer. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his ability to keep her safe — he was, without a doubt, the single deadliest predator in the room — but his hackles rose at the proximity of danger anyway.
They were passing by a series of massive stainless steel refrigerators when a cry of recognition went up, overly loud in the cramped space.
“Hey, Healer Goode!”
Theodore reacted instantly. Pulling her in tight against his chest, he swung around to bare his fangs at the young were who bounded toward them. Clad in a rubber apron and yellow gloves, he was a thin, sweaty youth with chestnut hair and big, down-turned eyes.
In his enthusiasm, the boy glanced at Theodore and identified him too late, his arms cartwheeling as he skidded to a halt on the rubber-matted floor. The were would have knocked into Margot if Theodore hadn’t lifted an arm to block the boy’s clumsy stop.
That protective core of burning flame in his gut burst into an inferno.
Theodore opened his mouth and snarled, the cords of his neck pulling taut as he prepared to lunge at the threat to his consort.
“Theodore, stop.” Margot’s voice was a cool whip across his senses, her ozone and earth smell cutting through the competing scents of the kitchen and her blockers to ground him. Her small hands settled on his arms, holding tight. “He’s not a threat. I know him. He was just excited to see me, okay?”
He reared back, lip still lifted to reveal his upper fangs, and brought his other arm around his consort in a tight, protective hold. His heart slammed against his ribs. Fear and adrenaline pumped through his veins.
“Watch it, were,” he bit out.
Angelique darted around them to grasp the straps of the shocked boy’s apron and haul him out of Theodore’s swiping range. “This is Frankie,” she growled, running a motherly hand over his messy hair. “He’s a new were and not great with his impulse control yet. He didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Of course he didn’t. He just wanted to say hello.” Margot squirmed against Theodore’s chest, but he couldn’t make his arms unlock from around her even if he wanted to. He didn’t care what Angelique saw, or what she thought when he cupped the back of Margot’s head and pressed her cheek against his thundering heart. It wasn’t to comfort her, but to calm him.
