Page 126 of Consort of the Dragon King

She gathered him in a tight hug, her anger disappearing. “My dearest Auslin, I missed you so much. Even though I had hoped you had gotten fed up with Yaro and decided to never come back, I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing you again.”

Auslin smiled as he hugged her back with a squeeze. “I would never leave without saying goodbye to you, Tiah. I’m so sorry I worried you.”

When Tiah pulled back, she wiped tears from her eyes. “You’re always too nice to my foolish husband! This is why he acts like the dog he is.”

“Oh, so you get to hug Auslin all you want, and I don’t?” Yaro playfully complained. “I see how it is.”

Tiah slapped her mate on the backside of his head. “Yes, I do, because unlikesomepeople, I’m not trying to molest him!”

Yaro merely laughed in response and got a hard punch in the arm for it.

Kitsuki watched the entire exchange with wide eyes. He didn’t expect the fearsome woman to threaten him next. “And you, sir, better take good care of your mate and treat him like the treasure he is, or Iwillkick your ass all the way from here to the Beyond Realm. Understood?”

“Do you have any idea who you’re attempting to threaten?” Yaro asked in amusement.

“I don’t care who you are.” Tiah gave a dismissive sniff. “Promise me you’ll treat Auslin with all the love and respect he deserves, or else I’ll inflict a special level of torture on you. Are we clear?”

Rather than upsetting Kitsuki, her protectiveness of Auslin fascinated him. “Crystal.”

“If you think I’m bluffing, ask my foolish husband how capable I am of dishing out pain when I’m disobeyed.”

The comment made Yaro laugh. “I doubt he’s going to derive the same sexual satisfaction from your abuse that I do.”

“That’s because he’s a gentleman and not a deviant like you,” Tiah scolded her husband.

“I hope you know that you’re threatening the king of Valzerna,” Yaro gleefully told his wife. “He could throw you in a dungeon if he wanted.”

Rather than showing any shame or remorse, Tiah boldly stood her ground. “You may have an army, but they are nothing compared to my wrath. Remember that if you ever think of making Auslin sad.”

Her bravado and dedication to Auslin’s happiness impressed Kitsuki. “You have nothing to fear. I exist to love Auslin.”

She nodded in satisfaction. “Good.” She turned on her husband again. “See,that’show you’re supposed to love your mate! You’re too busy being a lecherous creep to say anything that romantic to me!”

“Maybe you should be nicer to me, and then I’d embarrass us both by saying that kind of thing to you,” Yaro goaded.

“I put up with more of your bullshit than any person should have to deal with,” Tiah complained. “Try showing some gratitude sometime instead of always flirting with the first hot piece of ass that walks by you.”

Yaro laughed. “If I said something that romantic to you, you’d hit me for it.”

“Yeah, because you’d be saying it insincerely and would deserve to get thumped for it,” Tiah defended herself.

Her husband got down on one knee with a dramatic flair. “I will love you to the ends of the realm and back again for all of eternity, my beautiful love.”

Tiah rolled her eyes before she shoved Yaro on his ass. “You are so full of shit. The only person you love is yourself.”

“And Auslin,” Yaro impishly added with a wink at the man in question, who looked thoroughly entertained by their interactions.

“Who do you think you are?” Tiah scolded her husband. “Auslin has always been too good for the likes of you, and you know it.”

“That’ll never stop me from trying,” Yaro said with a laugh as he stood up and dusted off his breeches.

She snorted. “That’s because you’re the biggest fool in Talwyn.”

“Of course I am. I fell in love with you, didn’t I?” When Tiah protested, Yaro silenced her with a kiss. “But I’myourfool, so you’re stuck with me. The joke’s on you.”

“That’syour idea of being romantic?” Tiah shoved her husband hard, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her secret happiness. “I don’t know why I put up with your nonsense.”

“Because you love me,” Yaro taunted. He got hit for it, which made him laugh in delight.

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