"I couldn't hate you even when I wanted to." Tenebrys brushed the tears off her cheeks. "I also don't agree that there were no winners from the bargain."
"What do you mean?" she asked, sniffling.
"Think about it. Narcisse asked for power, and he gotyou," Tenebrys replied, taking her hands in his. "The fae never go for the most obvious deal. You got the power that Narcisse wanted, and that's why Plagues is so desperate to find you. He wants it back."
27
Tenebrys could see Delphi struggling with the revelations she was having. He had known that Narcisse was capable of anything, but the idea of him offering up his own wife for a fae lord's pleasure was a new low.
What had happened to Cassia after they fled? Delphi said she had died during childbirth, but Tenebrys had his doubts. Of the two of them, Cassia had known the most about practical medicine. She would have known how to deal with a difficult pregnancy and birthing.
"It's going to be dark soon. We should head back to the château," Delphi said, sounding hollow.
"Actually, there are a few more surprises I have for you." Tenebrys had spent some time that afternoon preparing it for her. Considering the day she had, he was glad he had thought of the springs. His mate needed them.
Delphi's smile was weak. "I don't think I can handle any more surprises, Ten."
"This is a good one. I promise." Tenebrys lifted her into his arms.
"I can walk, you know," she said, even as her arms went around his neck.
"You are sad. That means you get carried," he insisted.
Delphi's fingers twisted around the soft fur of his mane. "Is this another shifter mates thing? I haven't gotten that far into the book I found."
Tenebrys laughed. "You are reading a book about shifters? You can ask me anything. And no, carrying you isn't a mates thing. I just like carrying you."
"I thought a book might give me some insight into shifter faux pas that I might accidentally commit." Her lips twitched in the corners. "Andfind out if you have any interesting spots on your body that might send you wild in bed."
"I wasn't wild enough for you? I'll endeavor to work harder next time." Tenebrys liked the way she giggled at that, hiding her blushing cheeks. It amused him how red she could go talking about sex because she wasn't shy in the sheets.
"You might end up breaking my pelvis if you go any wilder," she admitted, making him laugh louder.
"Tails are generally something no one touches unless they're mates." Tenebrys ducked through the door to the gardens. "It's the equivalent of groping a shifter's dick in public, so be careful of that. Especially when you meet the others."
"Are tails sensitive like a dick?" Delphi asked, curiosity chasing some of the shadows from her eyes.
"Not quite as sensitive but close, especially at their base. If you pull on a shifter's tail, they will either attack you or think you want to fuck them."
"No touching anyone's tail except yours. Got it," Delphi said, with a nod. "Are the rest of your shifters all cats apart from Felix?"
"Not all, but most. Eiran is a stag, and Otso is a bear. Syn, Nahir, and Asher are cats, though. They will all want to meet yousoon because they are nosy bastards. They know to stay away because I'm volatile at the moment," Tenebrys admitted.
They walked down overgrown paths, the fading sun casting shadows around them. He knew Felix would be patrolling, but it didn't make Tenebrys any less paranoid about Delphi's safety.
"You don't seem volatile to me. If anything in the past few days, you have been uncharacteristically gentle and even tempered," Delphi commented.
Tenebrys hummed. "Only with you."
"Are the fae attacks setting you on edge?"
"Partly." Tenebrys hesitated to tell her more. He didn't want to pressure her about mating, but he also didn't want to lie to her. "Mating, ornotmating, makes shifters more territorial and aggressive than usual. The others are giving us space to work it out between us."
Delphi frowned. "Would you really attack them?"
"If they looked at you wrong or flirted with you? Yes. I know how unreasonable it sounds, but we aren't human, Delphi."
She went silent, her busy mind seeming to process that. He needed to change the subject. Get his own demanding mind and body off mating as much as possible.
