“She won’t be alone. She’ll be with her mate, as will you,” he replied, squeezing his arm tighter around her middle.
Clover tried to pinch his leg. “I swear to the gods, if you don’t take me back, I’ll make you regret it.”
Amos sighed heavily, as ifshewere the problem. He reached into his pocket for something. “See you in a bit, Viper Queen.” A cloth covered her mouth, and everything went black.
Amos sat against the headboard of his bed in the Dragon Village estate, waiting for his wife to wake. Clover would be mad, but he refused to go any longer without her. He knew from Callum that Rennick had been crowned at midnight last night so that he could leave as soon as possible to retrieve Amelia. The new Mountain King wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
Amos wanted time alone with his mate before they traveled to the Mountain Kingdom to meet Amelia and Rennick. It had been too long since he’d had more than a couple of stolen nights with her. Once they returned, they’d be bogged down with responsibilities.
Clover made an incoherent noise and moved against him. He smiled to himself, hoping he’d have a fight on his hands when she woke up.
She tried to roll away, but he held her close until her eyes fluttered open.
“Happy Birthday, wife,” he purred.
The air stilled as her brain caught up, then she bolted upright and turned on him. His eyes dropped to her bare breasts, the sheet pooled at her waist. Following his eyes, she squawked with outrage and yanked the sheet to her chest.
“Where the fuck are my clothes, Amos?” She took in her surroundings. “And where are we?”
“We’re at our estate in Dragon Village, and I didn’t think you’d want to sleep in a dirty dress.”
He tried to kiss her, but she palmed his face. “You drugged me.”
“It’s a sleeping tonic,” he corrected her. “It’s not like I hit you over the head. I just helped you rest.”
Before she could reply, the door connecting his and Jennifer’s bedrooms opened. Clover went unnaturally still when she spotted the redhead entering his room without a care in the world.
He should have warned Clover Jennifer’s room connected to theirs, especially since he’d forgotten to lock the door. He also should have told Jennifer that his mate was, in fact, alive and here.
Jennifer took in the scene and narrowed her eyes at him. “You promised not to bring your whores into our house.”
Shit.He hadn’t told Jennifer their lie was done, either, and she was playing the part of scorned mate a little too well.
Clover turned slowly to Amos. Her hands fisted in the sheet, and the fire in her eyes could have burned down an entire village. Unable to help himself, he winked. He didn’t know why he thought it was a good idea to tease her now, but he had to admit, jealous Clover was becoming his favorite.
His mate scrambled out of bed, taking the sheet with her and uncovering Amos’ naked body in the process. Unfortunately, her anger made him hard, and Jennifer gawked at his dick. “Oh my gods.”
Clover stalked over to Jennifer and grabbed her by the throat. “Stop looking at my fucking mate or I’ll scoop your eyeballs out with a spoon.”
Jennifer looked like a doe caught in a predator’s trap. In a way, she was, because if Amos didn’t step in, Clover might kill her.
“I’m his mate,” Jennifer stammered with zero self-preservation.
“You’re hisfakemate,” Clover snarled. “I’m his actual mate, and your time here is done.”
Jennifer paused, and her eyes flicked to Amos. “Is that true?”
Amos grabbed a pillow and held it in front of his hips. Fae weren’t shy about nudity, but he didn’t want Clover to do something she’d regret, like make good on her promise of removing Jennifer’s eyes. Assuming she’d regret it. She might not.
“Yes. Jennifer, this is Clover,” he said, standing from the bed, pillow still in place. “Clover, this is Jennifer.”
Jennifer’s eyes flared. “You said your mate died!”
Clover, still holding Jennifer’s throat, twisted to look at him. “You killed me?”
He threw his hands up, forgetting about the pillow. “Why are you saying that like I actually killed you?”
“Cover your dick,” his wife snapped. Amos replaced the pillow, not liking the look in her eye, like she might try to cut it off. “Why did you tell her I was dead?”
