He pulled me after him, smiling politely and nodding to people as if there wasn’t a problem. We ended up in Inez’s tower on the first floor as it had the crazy ass soundproofing and no one could hear us.
And we weren’t alone.
“What happened?” James asked Tyson and Maggie.
“Some of the visiting nobles cornered me and tried to touch me,” Maggie rasped. “They said we’re the party favors and—”
“Inez wouldn’t allow that,” Tyson cut in, hugging her gently.
“Wouldn’t she?” I argued. “How do we know that? I mean, really? What if she ignores a bit of slap and tickle like she does when people tear her down? I know you’re totally into her, James, and you’ve never been gaga over someone before, but do we actually know that? Would she really start shit when it could risk the others or—”
“I will forgive your doubting my fiancée as I can feel the panic and terror coming from you,” Kristof said from behind us. “You are both Inez’s closest friends. She would never allow you to be hurt. You know this, Trisha.”
“Trish, you’re letting the past cloud now,” James said gently. “Inez isn’t our CO in the Navy, or even Dad being sexist that men steal kisses, and shifters are comfortable with touching like they weren’t assaulting you. Inez has been through it too, remember?”
I closed my eyes, feeling about two inches tall. Yeah, she’d been through it, and worse maybe with those nobles putting their blood on her. I let out a slow breath and nodded. “She wouldn’t let them touch us.”
“No, she would not,” Kristof promised. “Trisha, Maggie, I ask you find Lara and Hope and get them out of the party. James and Tyson, come with me. I want to know which nobles and make clear to them, and their princesses, the rules of our coven. Inez would never allow this and she would never forgive me if I did not handle it swiftly.”
He was right. She would tear into him if he simply ignored it. How could I have doubted her?
Right, past traumas and all that fear. That would do it for sure.
We separated, and luckily Hope was running around checking on everything and giving new instructions for all the extra guests. Lara, on the other hand, was being cornered and seconds from breaking out the claws.
“Lara, sorry to interrupt, but Princess Nora asked to speak with us about some preparations,” Hope said smoothly, giving the nobles a fake smile. “And it’s never wise to keep Nora O’Cleirgh waiting.”
They nodded and gave Lara room to make a break for us. She shot me a relieved look as she’d had a lot of the same in the Navy as I did. Hope was just too sweet, and I think even assholes knew how bad it was to push someone so nice. Maggie was sort of everyone’s little sister, so touching her would bring a lot of wrath from a lot of places, and no one was that stupid.
“I have no idea how to handle all the problems the extras bring,” Hope whispered as we reached Inez’s tower.
Simon came darting in a moment later, checking the doors were closed behind him. “Okay, so Inez is in the kitchen with Nick getting caught up and making the calls she can. Why are people treating us like we’re a buffet?”
“Apparently, knights are perks of covens for guests,” I grumbled.
His eyes flashed shock. “Damn, okay, so that—like blood or sex?”
“I got the feeling both,” Maggie sighed.
“Fuck me dead,” he whispered.
“Of course we all picked that up from Jaxon,” I chuckled, rubbing my tired neck. “Okay, so if we pull the shifters from the party, we need more fill-ins.” I let out a slow breath. “I’m going back out there to find someone who can rush to change out. Stay here.”
“We’re safer in a group,” Lara argued.
“No, because Inez calling for one of us isn’t something the rest of us can get held back from.” I went for the door, not waiting for them to argue. I slipped out and glanced around, locking eyes with Moon after a moment. I gestured for him to follow and ducked back inside, relieved it was that easy.
He slid through the door and saw who else was there, his eyes filling with understanding. “Really? That’s so, so bold to dare touch a princess’s knights.”
A few of us snorted but I answered. “It was made clear we’re a perk of visiting, and everyone is expected to turn a blind eye to it.”
He shook his head. “Spoken like assholes who do not have shifters at their court. That is the rumor everyone spreads, but it is a grave offense to touch a knight. Others might have made friends with nobles, or those guests, but that’s not unlike any other party or alliances. It was their choice, and a princess would remember such goodwill for the coven, but never demand or expect it.”
“We can debate history and semantics later, but there were reasons clans stopped ever tying themselves to covens; or, some like mine never did it before,” I cut in. “We have problems now. There are too many people, and we have to get others to take over for the shifters before someone gets raped.”
“Get Jacob,” Lara suggested. “Matilda would offer her people raiding here as help, and he’s not Cerdic’s dad, so he’s like a plus, plus one.”
“I will,” Moon agreed, and then was gone.
It must have worked because more and more shifters that had been working the
