Page 7 of Three Scorched Kingdoms

“I’m Ned.”

“And I’m Fred.” Kitty nudges Fred so hard he almost falls over. “And this is Kitty,” he adds hastily.

“And Bingo,” Ned pipes up. “He’s our hellhound. But he only eats bad guys, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Just stop talking,” Blossom mutters.

“A hellhound?” The queen’s eyes widen, and she looks to Aries. “They are only myths.”

Bingo growls at that, and the queen goes pale.

“This one is very much real,” Aries says.

“And harmless,” I add with a pointed look at the beast.

He shuts up.

The queen takes a steadying breath, and her composure instantly returns. “I’ll go speak to the staff about feeding the guests and return in a moment.” She glances at Blossom and Mag and adds, “I look forward to getting to know you all.”

Then she walks away. No,walksisn’t the word for it. Glides. Waltzes. She probably has more grace in her pinky than I have in my entire body.

Ugh.

I’m nothing like her or even Esma, the horrid woman Leo would have married if we hadn’t crashed the wedding. I hope Aries doesn’t regret?—

He eyes me, giving me a sexy crooked grin that sends a jolt straight through me. He’s mine, and I am his. We don’t have to be married for that to be true.

He’s my fated mate. Already claimed, in fact, so there’s no going back.

“We like her,” Ted declares when the queen is gone.

“She said we’re going to have a feast,” Ned adds excitedly.

“We’re going to eat like kings,” Fred declares.

Zed rubs his hands together. “Do you think she has any candy?”

I chuckle. Somehow, I doubt this world has the treats they’re used to, but I don’t tell them that.

“Just please be on your best behavior,” I warn them.

Leo turns to me. “Paige, I mean it, I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am that you are here. You truly saved me from a fate worse than death.”

Aries snorts. “You are freed up to find your own fated mate now.”

“Eventually.” Leo winks. “But for now, I can go back to being a second-born prince and, more importantly, fiancé-free.” He brightens as he turns to Blossom.

Uh oh. I recognize that look.

“And you are? Besides gorgeous, that is,” Leo says.

“I’m Blossom,” she says, smirking.

“Blossom. Beautiful name. Unicorn shifter, right?”

“How did you know?” she asks, immediately suspicious.

“Dragon senses,” Leo tells her confidently. “You certainly are one of a kind.”

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