Page 22 of Nanny for the Minotaur

"Please?" Mira tugs at my sleeve. "Kai wants to learn about herbs, and I want to see the ribbons."

I glance at my daughter's eager face, then to Kai hovering in the doorway. His serious expression softens when our eyes meet.

"Lyra said she'd teach me which plants help Mira breathe better," Kai adds quietly.

And just like that, my resistance crumbles. "We'll ask her when she wakes."

"I'm up." Lyra comes into view behind Kai, and fuck, seeing her is like being punched in the gut. She's so damn beautiful. "And I would love to go."

One look at that smile, at my kids begging faces, and I'm up, getting us all ready to leave. Because, for the first time, I realize that making them happy is all I want.

The market square buzzes with activity as we make our way through the stalls. Lyra's arm fits perfectly through mine, her copper hair catching the sunlight. She's so small beside me that I find myself shortening my stride to match hers.

Mira perches on my shoulders, her tiny hooves occasionally drumming against my chest in excitement. "Look Papa! The ribbon merchant has silver ones today!"

"Perfect match for your fur, little one," Lyra calls up, reaching to steady Mira when she leans too far forward.

Kai walks beside Lyra, pepper-bombing her with questions about every herb and root they pass. His black fur, so like mine, bristles with concentration as she explains each one's properties.

"This one helps with chest congestion," Lyra points to a purple-stemmed plant. "And these berries boost the blood."

I catch myself watching her more than the market - the way she seamlessly handles both children's questions, how naturally she moves beside me. The stares from other market-goers fade into background noise against the sound of my children's laughter and Lyra's gentle voice.

"Papa, down please," Mira pats my horns. "I want to look at the ribbons with Lyra."

A flash of movement catches my eye - Marcus Steelhorn and his cronies lounging by their stalls, their gazes fixed on Lyra with predatory interest. My jaw clenches. The silver rings on my horns catch the light as I shift, angling my body between them and her.

"Such a pretty little thing," Marcus drawls, loud enough to carry. "I'm surprised you still have the human pet, Blackhorn."

My fingers tighten around Mira's legs where she still sits on my shoulders. Her tiny hooves press against my chest, sensingmy tension. The market's cheerful buzz fades to a dull roar in my ears.

"Papa?" Kai's voice wavers, his black fur bristling as he picks up on the threat.

A warm touch on my forearm draws my attention down. Lyra's green eyes meet mine, flecks of gold catching the sunlight. Her fingers squeeze gently, grounding me.

"They're not worth it," she murmurs, lips curving into that knowing smile that makes my chest ache. "Besides, I believe someone promised to show me the best herb stall in the market?"

The tension bleeds from my shoulders despite myself. She's right - starting a fight in the middle of the market would only prove what the whispers say about me. That I'm nothing but a common merchant who married above his station, too rough for proper society.

Mira's excited squeal breaks through my dark thoughts. "Lyra, look! The ribbon merchant has ones with little flowers stitched on them!"

"Those would look lovely in your fur, dear heart." Lyra's voice carries nothing but warmth, as if Marcus and his sneers don't exist. Her hand stays on my arm, thumb tracing small circles that ease the last of the growl from my throat.

I force my grip on Mira to gentle, though I can't quite make myself step away from my protective stance over Lyra. Her quiet strength beside me speaks louder than any cutting remark from Marcus ever could.

The children's clothing stall beckons with its colorful display of tunics and small boots. Mira tugs Lyra toward a dress with silver embroidery while Kai lingers by the practical wear, his eyes fixed on a sturdy leather vest.

A group of young minotaurs loiters near the stall's edge - all from prominent families based on their horn rings and tailored clothes. My shoulders tense as their gazes lock onto my children.

"Look who it is," one of them sneers. "The commoner's brats."

Kai's ears flatten against his head. Mira shrinks behind Lyra's skirts.

"Heard your father's taking up with a human now." Another youth steps forward, his steel-gray fur marking him as Marcus's eldest. "Guess it makes him feel better about his water-thin blood."

My blood boils. One step and I'll-

But Kai moves first. My son draws himself up, shoulders back, chin lifted - a mirror of my own stance in the trading halls. His small horns catch the sunlight as he faces down the bullies.

---