Ignoring them, Amos stepped between Sasha and the others. “Sasha.” He hated the desperation in his voice, but he needed to know if his father already knew. “Does my father know I’m here?”
The dragon shook her head, and Amos put his hands on his knees, breathing deeply.
He’d never been more scared in his life. “Did you follow me?” he asked, straightening to look at the dragon. She nodded. “If he tries to see through you… he can’t know about her.Please.”
Sasha looked from Amos to the trio standing behind him. “Sasha won’t let the king see us,” the boy said matter-of-factly.
Amos whipped around. “How would you know? What if she doesn’t realize he’s there fast enough?” Sasha chuffed, and hepeered at her over her shoulder. “No offense, but I won’t chance it.”
The boy crossed his arms with a smirk Amos wanted to knock off his stupid face. Amos sized him up. The guy had beige skin tanned from the sun, dark brown hair poking out from under his hat, and disturbingly light blue eyes. He was taller and broader than Amos, but as a royal, Amos should have been able to best him in a fight.
“Because Sasha wouldn’t do that,” the boy clipped, “and a bonded can’t see or hear through theirfamiliarunless thefamiliarwants them to.”
“How would you know any of that?” Amos scowled. Even he didn’t know iffamiliarscould cut off their surroundings, short of closing their eyes.
“First, tell me why you’re here,prince.”
Clover moved to the side to peek around Ruth’s shoulder, and Amos’ gaze caught hers. “I can’t say it in front of Sasha.” Sasha stomped her foot, clearly miffed, but Amos couldn’t look away from his mate.
“Sasha, can we trust him?” the guy asked.
Sasha nodded and nudged Amos’ side, throwing him off balance.
“He’s young,” Ruth protested. “People change as they age.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Amos shot back, trying to think. He hadn’t planned on revealing anything until he’d seen everyone who lived with Clover and assessed them. “And shouldn’t I be asking Sasha ifIcan trustyou? How do you even know her?”
Sasha nodded again and walked forward to nudge the boy.Traitor.
Amos sighed, knowing he was cornered. All he could do was trust Sasha’s word. Meeting Clover’s gaze again, he motioned to her. “Clover is my mate.”
Clover gasped, Ruth went into a defensive stance, and the guy muttered, “I should have seen that coming.”
Ruth whistled, the sound making Amos flinch. The sound of a door slamming open came from the large two-story house behind him, and he whirled around to see a bald, stocky man in his early 40’s with ruddy beige skin barreling toward them. “What’s wrong?”
“Marcus, take Clover inside,” the boy told the man.
Marcus didn’t look surprised to see Sasha, but he eyed Amos with suspicion. “Rainer, who is this?”
“Take Clover inside and then join us,” the boy—who Amos assumed was Rainer—instructed. Who was he to be ordering around adults? Amos studied him, looking for a clue. He wore clothes and a hat similar to Amos, a common style in the Desert Kingdom, but he had no obvious traces of being anyone of importance.
“I deserve to stay,” Clover protested, her angelic voice hitting Amos square in the chest. He could only stare at her, and she laid a palm over her chest, glancing at him with drawn brows. She stepped away from Ruth, exposing herself fully. “If you’re going to talk about me, I should get to stay.”
Everyone gawked at Clover, and Amos moved fast, pushing her behind him before one of the men could react. “If you try to hurt her, I’ll gut you,” he warned.
Ruth tried to lunge at him, but Rainer grabbed her around the waist. “I would never hurt my sister,” the woman spat. “You’rethe stranger here.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about.” He glared at Rainer and Marcus. “She is my mate, and she can speak her mind whenever she wants.”
Ruth relaxed and shared a knowing look with Rainer.
“She’s yourwhat?” Marcus demanded.
Clover tried to move out from behind Amos, but he blocked her. “Stay back. I won’t let them hurt you.”
She huffed and punched him in the kidney, making him double over. “They won’t hurt me, and I can protect myself.” Amos gingerly rubbed his back and grinned down at her. Her nose scrunched. “Do you like being hit?”
Rainer burst out laughing and Marcus huffed. “Someone explain what’s going on.”
