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“Is it necessary?” I asked timidly. “Aren’t I just as protected in the quad? It’s still part of the castle, after all. There are still Royal Guards everywhere.”
“It’s safer up here,” he intoned. “I want you to stay here. You’ll stay here.”
I blinked again, realizing what he was asking—what he was telling me. Not asking.
“You don’t trust me,” I mumbled.
“Just stay put for now,” he growled. “I’ll be back later.”
“You mean… I’m not to go to the greenhouse?” I squeaked.
The corners of the king’s jaw twitched, and he straightened his shoulders. “I want you to stay here until I tell you otherwise,” he informed me, his face remaining stoic. “I have to check on my sister and get back down there. We’ll work out the details later.”
Protests sprang to my lips but died there. This wasn’t the time to argue with him.
“Of course, Alpha.”
His grimace deepened. “You…” He hesitated, as if he was thinking about his next words. “You can call me Zen when we’re alone.”
My face burned, and breathlessness stole my vocabulary for a moment, but the king—Zen—didn’t wait for me to respond, anyway. He marched back toward the door and stopped.
“At least the ball was a success in one way,” he offered dryly.
I gawked at him, wondering how he could ever think that. He smirked at my expression.
“Someone recognized you. We know you’re not a ghost now.” He disappeared through the door, closing it tightly in his wake, but his last words didn’t leave me with any sense of comfort whatsoever.
Wouldn’t I be better off as a ghost? At least that way, no one would be trying to kill me.
Chapter7
Mirielle
Iremained in the ginormous suite as the king—Zen—asked me. The room truly was a wonder, I soon learned, even though it felt strange exploring the space that I now knew belonged to his mother. It was odd that he would bring me there if he didn’t trust me, but I didn’t know the situation with his mother, either.
The massive bed was merely the beginning, the piece of furniture barely causing a blip in the space. Everywhere I feasted my eyes, a gorgeous piece of artwork caught my attention, drawing me in. His mother had had exquisite taste.
Had? Was she dead?
She must be if I was staying in her rooms. A queen or queen consort’s bedroom…
Maybe she was just gone? Had she run off? Was there some sordid story behind it all? Did I dare ask? And if so, who? Lacroix? Endora? Zen himself?
I realized I didn’t know the first thing about Zen’s family. There was only that half-neurotic sister who had been clearly affected by the trauma unfolding around us. I didn’t know why I hadn’t been shaking and crying, too.
Zen himself was a bit of a mystery to me, and I knew he was the Alpha King of Silverhold, but beyond that, I didn’t know much else.
Only that I was already thinking of the king as “Zen.”
He asked me to,I reminded myself, controlling the blush growing on my face. I wasn’t doing anything illicit or illegal. He was the one who put me here.
Why, then, did I feel so guilty?
Although I didn’t look outside the heavy double doors, I fully suspected that there were armed guards stationed in the corridor for my protection.
Formyprotection.
But who was I?
