“Oh no!” She looked pitifully down at the necklace in her hands. Her face was the picture of distraught when she turned to him and said, “It caught on my finger and broke.”
More like she broke it on purpose.Oh, fuck,he thought when her intention clicked.
Before he could stop her, she said to Amelia, “The necklace was a gift from Ren for my eighteenth birthday.” Ora smiled fondly. “He said it made him think of me.”
He heard a few murmurs from the room and hated that so many bore witness to the scene, but his options were limited to hauling Amelia away, killing Ora, or forcefully removing the latter. “It was a thank you for your help,” he amended through gritted teeth.
Ora ignored him and lifted the necklace—a silver chain holding a heart with an arrow through it. “Isn’t it pretty?”
She’d picked the damned thing out herself, but he’d been astupid boy, not realizing it could be construed another way. He realized it now. He corrected her again, with a warning in his tone. “You picked it out.”
Amelia’s hand touched the base of her throat where her trout necklace usually lay, and Rennick could feel her anger building. He readied himself for her to flee or turn her hard eyes on him, but she did neither. Instead, a sigh escaped her, and her eyes filled with false pity.
“Silverisa cheap metal.” She turned to Rennick and shook her head. “She deserved better than a weak silver chain for all the help she gave you in picking out my gifts.” She pushed her hair over her shoulder, exposing his bite mark to everyone, and Rennick covered his mouth to hide his smile.
The whispers around the room grew as Amelia stared at Ora with a silent challenge. A feeling of sly satisfaction flowed from Amelia to him as she walked closer, with Charlie at her side. If the lynx decided to rip Ora’s throat out, Rennick would let him.
His mate touched his arm over his still healing scab. A claim. Even if no one else knew, they did. “Shame on you,” she chided him, biting back a coy smile.
Rennick leaned down and kissed the top of her head, not caring if everyone saw. He would marry her in secret as soon as possible to ensure her safety.
He’d wanted her to adjust to the fae world first, but he couldn’t wait any longer. A guard he trusted would be assigned to her when he wasn’t around to prevent anyone from trying to touch her.
“I’m sorry, love,” he said loudly. “I didn’t give it much thought.”
The chair he’d pulled out for Amelia moved beneath his hand, startling him. Breaking his attention on Amelia, he turned to find Ora beaming up at him from the chair.
“Sit,” she said, nodding toward his chair and looking at therest of those on the podium. “Everyone eat up before the food gets cold.”
She addressed the others like a queen, and he’d not stand for it. People around the room exchanged nervous glances, but did as she said, which pissed Rennick off more.How did I not notice her antics until now?
“That’s Amelia’s seat,” he said coolly, deciding not to kill her in front of everyone. He’d do that out of sight of prying eyes.
Ora leaned forward and looked around him at Amelia. “I’ve always sat here. You don’t mind, do you?”
Another challenge. Everyone knew the queen sat on the king’s right. It’s true she’d always sat there, but he thought it was so she could talk with him and Finn during meals.
His mate bared her teeth in a dangerous smile but kept her voice pleasant. “Not at all.”
His face darkened, ready to rip Ora out of the chair, but Amelia subtly squeezed his arm.
He raised a brow at her.What are you planning, little mate?
She gestured for him to sit down. With growing curiosity over her intentions, he obeyed. Amelia stopped him from scooting his chair under the table and lowered herself onto his lap, giving Ora her back with her legs pointed at Finn.
A few people in the room laughed, including Finn, who tried to cover it with a cough.
Rennick banded an arm around Amelia’s middle and tugged her snugly against him to brush a kiss against her cheek.
Completely ignoring the daggers Ora threw her way, Amelia smiled at the older maid, who placed a plate in front of her. “Thank you, Birdie.”
Birdie smirked, and the two traded a knowing look. “You’re welcome, dear.” She shot Ora a look of loathing and walked off.
Amelia filled Rennick’s plate, not bothering to ask what he liked, but he knew it was a power move. Even if he hated whatshe’d served, which he didn’t, he would eat with a smile on his face.
Ora looked ready to spit nails and diverted her attention to Finn. “What happened to your hair?”
A few murmurs from the crowd didn’t escape Rennick’s attention, nor did the perturbed looks from a few of the bald fae.
