“Redvyr,” whispered Jessamine, “I don’t—”
She flinched when I turned my glare to her and shook my head, before turning back to Velga.
“You will not eat tomorrow, either. You will not have one meal until you have apologized to Jessamine.”
“I’m sorry,” she muttered in Jessamine’s direction, keeping her eyes on the ground, her voice shaky.
“Not now,” I snapped, silencing her. “Only after you’ve had a night to contemplate your actions. Now, go.”
Velga ran from the cave crying. I didn’t fucking care. I turned to face the room, waiting for any other protests. There were none, though there may have been a few disagreeing looks. That, I could handle. But there was no question that Velga was out of line and should be punished.
Movement to my right drew my attention to Jessamine marching back over to the cooking table and whispering some words to Shearah, before heading for the exit. By the time I had marched the length of the cave to catch her, she was gone through the flap. Once through, I caught her quickly enough, grabbing her by the forearm.
She spun back toward me, fury painting her expression. “You were tooharsh, Redvyr.”
“No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t harsh enough.”
She tsked. “If you think that is the way to get your clan to welcome me, you are wrong.”
“I want my clan to obey our oaths and decrees. It is known that you are here with the council’s approval.”
“And after that, they may hold another council meeting and kick me out.”
“Over my dead body.”
She rolled her eyes. “Redvyr, you can’t get everything by force.”
“Sure I can. I am the beast lord of Vanglosa, the head of this clan.”
She closed her eyes, her lips thinning in a disagreeable way. “By punishing Velga, you have only made her hate me more.”
“Why? It is her fault that she was punished. She tried to humiliate you in front of the clan.”
“She may not see it that way. And you’re drawing even more attention to…” she sighed heavily, looking away.
“To what?”
“Tous.” She pointed back and forth between us.
“I don’t care.”
“Redvyr, you’ve put my feelings over those of a clanswoman. Many will see that as a betrayal. They won’t like me more for it.”
“They don’t have to like it. They simply have to accept it.”
She spun and marched away, turning right between two tents and heading toward our own, muttering,ridiculousandidiotand some other word I couldn’t hear. I followed quickly at her heels.
“Jessamine. You must understand that I cannot allow any of the clan to disrespect you. If it goes without punishment, others may try.”
“And now they all hate me because Velga was punished too greatly for her offense,” she yelled over her shoulder.
“It was not too great. You do not know our ways.”
She growled her frustration, sparking my arousal. “I know that when a woman is humiliated, it can grow into anger and then hatred. Velga has many more allies in the clan that she can turn against me.”
I wrapped my arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides, drawing her to a stop. She struggled in frustration, but I held her tighter.
“Listen to me.” I had my mouth at her ear, her sea-flower fragrance seducing my senses. “If you are to be my mate, they must respect you as they do me.”
