had hurt Zoey’s feelings, then he would need to be sterner with her. She might be Empress and his mother, but Zoey was his mate and he wouldn’t stand for her to be hurt.
“No. But I bumped into Fedora today. Do you know what she told me? That she hopes I don’t think she feels the same way your mother does about me and how it was probably a good idea that I left it to you to have a word with your mother.”
Dex ground his teeth together. He had hoped that Zoey would never find out what his mother had said.
“What the hell did she say about me, Dex?”
No way would he tell her that his mother had called her a rude commoner. “She does not approve of our bond. But that is because she does not know you well. My mother will come to like you, once she comes to know you.”
“What did you say to her, Dex?”
“I merely informed her that I did not appreciate her attitude toward my mate and that I would not tolerate any slights against you.”
“Great!” Zoey threw her arms into the air. “So now everyone thinks I need my mate to fight my battles.”
Dex frowned. “Females do not go into battle.”
“Oh, yes they do. Believe me, it’s much bloodier and more cutthroat than any battle you’ll ever fight in.”
“Zoey—”
“Oh Dex, you’re a man.”
“What does that mean?” he asked, bewildered.
“You don’t get it. I’m dealing with mean girls. You can’t help me. I just have to work out how to fight back without becoming one myself.”
“My mother is a mean girl?”
“Sort of. Dex, please don’t interfere again. I have to earn your mother’s respect on my own.”
Dex frowned. “I don’t want you upset.” He would always defend her.
“You can’t protect me from everything, Dex. I’m not going to shatter just because your mother says a few mean things to me.”
“I know.” He moved over to her, drawing her into his arms. “I feel very protective of you, though. I want to keep you safe from anything and anyone that might hurt you.”
She leaned against him, snuggling in close. This felt right. This was home.
“I know. But you have to trust me to handle this. I can’t earn her respect if you constantly interfere.”
It went against his protective instincts to stand back while others hurt her. But he could understand what she was saying. If he heard of any slight or insult, he could not stand by and allow it to happen.
Still, he needed to give her some space to work this out herself.
“I understand. I will let you work this out with my mother. Unless you get too upset. I can’t have that.” He hated to see her unhappy or in pain.
“Are you finished for the night?” she asked, glancing up at him hopefully.
“I am. I thought we might picnic under the stars.”
“Picnic? Did you read about that in one of those romance novels Thor got for you?”
“Perhaps,” he allowed. Those stories had been immensely beneficial in enabling him to understand how Zoey’s mind worked.
“That sounds wonderful.”
***
“Thank you for doing this, Dex.” Zoey lay back on the blanket, her head resting on his thigh, and stared up at the stars above. Dex had brought a small light with him, but the stars were so bright they didn’t need it.
“You are enjoying yourself?” he asked.
“Immensely.” She could actually breathe out here. In the palace, she felt oppressed, watched, and judged. But not here, with just Dex.
“Good. I will admit I had my reservations about eating food while sitting on the ground. It is an odd idea. I had to work hard to convince the cook to put this together. He thought my mind gone.”
She grinned up at him. “It’s romantic. Just the two of us. No one else around.”
“It is quiet. Since I have returned, I seem to be surrounded by others, all of them wanting something.”
He sounded almost miserable. How had she not seen that he wasn’t happy? Had she been so wrapped up in her own problems that she hadn’t seen he was having issues?
“Is
“No. But I bumped into Fedora today. Do you know what she told me? That she hopes I don’t think she feels the same way your mother does about me and how it was probably a good idea that I left it to you to have a word with your mother.”
Dex ground his teeth together. He had hoped that Zoey would never find out what his mother had said.
“What the hell did she say about me, Dex?”
No way would he tell her that his mother had called her a rude commoner. “She does not approve of our bond. But that is because she does not know you well. My mother will come to like you, once she comes to know you.”
“What did you say to her, Dex?”
“I merely informed her that I did not appreciate her attitude toward my mate and that I would not tolerate any slights against you.”
“Great!” Zoey threw her arms into the air. “So now everyone thinks I need my mate to fight my battles.”
Dex frowned. “Females do not go into battle.”
“Oh, yes they do. Believe me, it’s much bloodier and more cutthroat than any battle you’ll ever fight in.”
“Zoey—”
“Oh Dex, you’re a man.”
“What does that mean?” he asked, bewildered.
“You don’t get it. I’m dealing with mean girls. You can’t help me. I just have to work out how to fight back without becoming one myself.”
“My mother is a mean girl?”
“Sort of. Dex, please don’t interfere again. I have to earn your mother’s respect on my own.”
Dex frowned. “I don’t want you upset.” He would always defend her.
“You can’t protect me from everything, Dex. I’m not going to shatter just because your mother says a few mean things to me.”
“I know.” He moved over to her, drawing her into his arms. “I feel very protective of you, though. I want to keep you safe from anything and anyone that might hurt you.”
She leaned against him, snuggling in close. This felt right. This was home.
“I know. But you have to trust me to handle this. I can’t earn her respect if you constantly interfere.”
It went against his protective instincts to stand back while others hurt her. But he could understand what she was saying. If he heard of any slight or insult, he could not stand by and allow it to happen.
Still, he needed to give her some space to work this out herself.
“I understand. I will let you work this out with my mother. Unless you get too upset. I can’t have that.” He hated to see her unhappy or in pain.
“Are you finished for the night?” she asked, glancing up at him hopefully.
“I am. I thought we might picnic under the stars.”
“Picnic? Did you read about that in one of those romance novels Thor got for you?”
“Perhaps,” he allowed. Those stories had been immensely beneficial in enabling him to understand how Zoey’s mind worked.
“That sounds wonderful.”
***
“Thank you for doing this, Dex.” Zoey lay back on the blanket, her head resting on his thigh, and stared up at the stars above. Dex had brought a small light with him, but the stars were so bright they didn’t need it.
“You are enjoying yourself?” he asked.
“Immensely.” She could actually breathe out here. In the palace, she felt oppressed, watched, and judged. But not here, with just Dex.
“Good. I will admit I had my reservations about eating food while sitting on the ground. It is an odd idea. I had to work hard to convince the cook to put this together. He thought my mind gone.”
She grinned up at him. “It’s romantic. Just the two of us. No one else around.”
“It is quiet. Since I have returned, I seem to be surrounded by others, all of them wanting something.”
He sounded almost miserable. How had she not seen that he wasn’t happy? Had she been so wrapped up in her own problems that she hadn’t seen he was having issues?
“Is
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