“It seems our little mouse is not theMountainPrince’s mate,” Rainer said. He motioned to Amos. “She’s his.”
Marcus turned toward Amos, staring hard. “Amos Stratton,” the man said and released a string of curses.
Amos narrowed his eyes at Rainer. “Why would the Mountain Prince be her mate?”
Rainer looked smug, and Amos considered attacking him. “Because she’s been feeling someone else’s emotions in her chest for the last few days, and she shares a birthday with Prince Rennick.”
The Mountain Prince and I have the same birthday?Amos filed that information away for later.
“Your birthday isn’t for another couple of weeks,” Rainer pointed out, “but something tells me that’s not true.”
Amos glanced at the others, unsure how to explain without telling them about Amelia.
“I can feel his worry and indecision,” Clover said quietly. “When Sasha landed, he was scared.”
“Not of Sasha,” Amos assured them. “I was afraid that her being here meant my father knew where I was.”
“I don’t think I’ve heard you speak this many sentences in a row, little mouse,” Rainer told Clover, earning a glare from her in return.
What does he mean? She’s barely spoken.
Amos’ patience thinned. “Ruth, could you and I speak alone?”
“Absolutely not,” Marcus snapped.
Rainer crossed his arms, watching Amos carefully. “You don’t trust men.”
Of course he didn’t trust men. They thought women were objects. Ruth’s protectiveness of Clover told Amos she would do anything necessary to protect her.
“Let him speak with her,” Rainer said finally. Marcus objected, but Rainer cut him off. “He couldn’t hurt Ruth if he tried.” The boy smirked and motioned for Marcus and Clover to follow him inside. “You, too, little mouse.”
She opened her mouth, but he shook his head. “Come.”
Amos shot daggers at Rainer’s back until he disappeared inside the house. He turned back to Ruth. “Why do you let a teenager boss everyone around?”
She glanced toward the house. “There’s a lot you don’t know, but we trust Rainer explicitly. What’s a thirteen-year-old boy doing traveling across the kingdom without his father’s knowledge?”
Amos took off his hat and beat it against his thigh to remove the dust before replacing it. “For reasons I don’t trust you enough to disclose. Your friend was right. My real birthday is hidden from my father, and I needed to find Clover to make sure she’s safe.”
Ruth shifted on her feet and gestured from herself to the house. “We keep her safe.”
He shook his head. “My father travels here for sacrifices. If she’s anywhere he is, she’s not safe.”
The woman stiffened. “We protect our own.”
“And I protect mine,” Amos shot back. “You know how my father views women, but I know how much worse he is behind closed doors.”
“And what? You think you can protect her from your father on your own? What is your plan?”
Amos blew out a long breath. “The Human Queen agreed to hide her in the Human Kingdom until I can kill my father.”
Ruth’s mouth fell open. “Are you insane?”
“It’s the best way to keep anyone from finding out about her. The queen can hide you, too.” He scratched his head. “I don’t trust the other two to know where she is.”
Ruth’s face softened. “You can trust the men in our family. If you don’t take my word for it, take Sasha’s.”
Sasha chuffed, a plume of smoke coming out of her nose in some sort of challenge. He wanted to trust the dragon, but afamiliarand their bonded were supposed to be perfect matches. How could something perfect for his father have any good in it?
