Chapter 19. Playful Banter

“Told you that I wasn’t lying! Look at her!” Rome said dramatically to Rebecca, his voice carrying like an echo across the room.

Amber looked at her mate and then at Rome and Rebecca. Darach had a worried look on his face, his jaw tight, his golden-blue eyes staring at Rebecca with an intensity that made the air feel heavy.

Amber sighed, shoulders dropping as irritation slid through her veins. Her friends—no, her family—were really a killjoy. If they hadn’t barged in, she was certain she could have squeezed out the answers clawing at the edges of her mind. But no, how could they ever let that happen?

The faint scent of pine and steel radiated from Darach, mingling with the lingering aroma of woodsmoke drifting in from the hearth. Amber could clearly see that, just like Lucia, Darach didn’t know a single damn thing about his kingdom and his people. They were all bloody clueless.

They had no idea—none at all—how much abuse the lycan mates were enduring under th