Page 101 of Consort's Glory
“Nervous?”
Theodore wiped his palms on his thighs, remembered too late that he was wearing gloves, and aborted the movement in such a way that left him patting his legs like a buffoon. “No,” he growled.
“Uh-huh.” Viktor crossed his arms. His white dress shirt stretched across broad, sun-tanned shoulders. The shifter was as dressed up as Theodore had ever seen him, wearing a shirt with buttons and dark jeans, his sandy blond hair scraped back with either claws or a comb.
Honestly, what Cammie ever saw in him, I’ll never understand.
Sure, Viktor was handsome in a carefree sort of way, but compared to the meticulous grooming and style of an elf or orc? He was positively unkempt.
And I’m fixating on this because… Theodore rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darting to the small door behind the altar. The Priestess and Margot had disappeared through there some time ago. The itch to be near her, to feel her smooth skin under his fingers and breathe her in, grew harder to ignore with every long minute that dragged by.
“You know how many men would kill to be in your place right now?” Viktor asked, a sly, coyote’s grin stretching across his mouth. “About half my pack was mooning after our little healer. And the weres—”
“Do you want me to kill you?” he snapped, turning on his former friend with a snarl.
Viktor didn’t even tense. He shrugged, his smile unabated. “Just reminding you that you’re damn lucky to have snagged the witch you did. In case you were getting cold feet, I mean.”
Theodore shared a look with his brother, who arched his eyebrows as if to say, I don’t know. “Cold feet? What are you talking about?”
“I mean, if you’re getting second thoughts about marrying Margot.” Viktor’s smile never faded, but something cold and predator-bright entered his gaze. Theodore wasn’t surprised to see it, only that it took so long to come out.
“Careful,” Theodore warned. “It’s a dangerous thing to question an elf’s devotion to their consort.”
“Just checking.” Viktor’s sharp smile remained fixed in place. “Someone has to look out for her, you know.”
“Of course. Me.” His family would look out for her too, of course, but Margot was his responsibility in the same way he was now hers. They were a single unit, a family. What hurt her, hurt him.
“You really want to marry her, then? The human way?” The shifter cocked his head to one side, assessing the tense set of Theodore’s jaw as he ground his fangs together. “Because if you’re just doing this to make her your mistress anyway, I’m going to beat the shit out of you.”
Both Kaz and Theodore froze, their outrage a mutual thing. Theodore narrowed his eyes at the shifter, hissing from between clenched teeth, “Are you doubting my reasons for—”
Viktor put up his hands. “Listen, I just have to ask these things, okay? She asked me to be here because you’re in a rush and her family couldn’t be invited. Her family would be grilling you right now if they were.”
That, Theodore allowed, was true. He shuddered to think what he would be going through if Sophie and Alric Goode emerged from another m-gate, dressed and ready for a ceremony he only had a vague understanding of.
“Fine,” he sighed, “I’ll allow it because you’re my consort’s friend.”
“Yours too, idiot.” Viktor reached out to playfully punch Theodore’s shoulder. “Always will be.”
Theodore looked away. “Yeah, I guess.” He traced the backs of his fangs with the tip of his tongue before adding, “Thank you. For coming, I mean.”
Viktor shrugged. “Of course. We’re family. Doesn’t matter that you and I are both assholes who can’t communicate to save our lives.”
Kaz snorted, his massive shoulders settling into a smooth line. “The new family motto.”
Theodore paced away from the two men with a grunt. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked up and down the long aisle, the massive dome of stained glass arching high over his head and the marble statue of Glory, her arms upraised, at his back.
It wasn’t as beautiful as his family’s temple, but it was passable, he supposed. A fine enough place to get married to the woman his entire universe revolved around. If only she’d come out.
Theodore turned on his heel to march back down the aisle. His eyes were laser focused on the door behind Glory’s altar. What’s taking so long?
Was Petra trying to convince Margot this wasn’t a good idea? Had something happened to her while she was out of his sight? Anxiety gnawed at him.
Theodore, are you okay? Margot’s voice was a cool breeze in his mind, the touch of her mind to his a bone-deep comfort.
He closed his eyes for just a moment, savoring it. Yes, he answered, just anxious to see you. Is everything alright in there?
Yes, we’re just putting the finishing touches on the sigil. I want it to be perfect.
