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Before Cass could look in my direction, I quickly responded. “What would be going on? We’re just here, about to have some coffee.”
He wondered for a moment before continuing. “It just looks like I interrupted something.”
“No,” I assured him, scolding myself that I had forgotten he was my best friend, and you could rarely hide something from your best friend.
But the truth was, I was slowly starting to feel awkward in his company. I couldn’t share secretive things with him any longer, and he was starting to notice. I was sure of it. He just hadn’t mentioned it yet. And now, of course, he was right. He could sense that something had happened, because he could see it in my eyes.
“Did you tell the servants to bring the coffee?” he wondered.
“Not yet,” Cass interfered. “I’ll go do that right away.”
I gave her a silent frown, which was supposed to mean that she didn’t need to go. But she ignored me, and quickly closed the door to the library, leaving us alone.
“Lil?” he asked again, walking over to me. I expected him to take me by the hand, but he didn’t. A part of me was grateful for that.
“Yes?”
“There seems to be something on your mind,” he told me.
“No,” I shook my head with a dismissive shrug. “I just didn’t sleep very well.”
“You didn’t go out again, did you?” He sounded like Father.
“No,” I repeated. I didn’t feel that I needed to explain myself to him. Yet, on the other hand, he was going to be my husband. Just not in the very exact sense of the word. “I didn’t,” I add, confident that he wouldn’t find out.
“You have to be careful, Lil,” he urged in a concerned manner. “I’ve heard that someone spotted vampires on our territory last night.”
The thought didn’t worry me at all. I was with Adrian. He would have kept me safe.
Luke eyed me somehow weirdly, but he didn’t say anything. Or maybe, he wanted to, but changed his mind at the last minute. The truth was, I didn’t want to discuss anything with him, least of all this. I needed some time on my own, some peace and quiet, but lately, it seemed that Luke was constantly here at the castle. He had been helping Father with some paperwork regarding one of his businesses, and that provided him with a constant excuse to be here.
At first, I was alright with that. His presence did not affect me in a way I didn’t like. But now, it was starting to become too much. I felt like I couldn’t have a moment to myself, and as a solitary introvert, it was something I craved.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “Father hired that bodyguard and he’s been following me everywhere.”
He frowned, and I expected him to say something negative, but before he could do that, the door opened and Cass entered with one of the servants, carrying a silver tray with three dainty cups of steaming hot coffee.
Chapter Eight
Adrian
“There was something you wanted to talk to me about?” the king asked, seated at his regal, mahogany desk, as I entered his study and closed the door behind me.
This was the room where he hired me. Although, I knew I would get the job. I hadn’t been working for the FBI in a while. Somehow, being constantly on the border between the two species, humans and vampires, had gotten to be exhausting. I needed a break.
That break meant becoming a recluse somewhere high up in the mountains and forgetting about the rest of the world. It was easy to pick up provisions once a week at a nearby village, populated by humans. They didn’t ask too many questions, and that was what made that exchange almost pleasant. Then, I got a call from my old boss at the FBI. He explained the situation.
The king, Theodore Cuaran of Shirkuh, had a daughter who needed a bodyguard. I remembered my first reaction being a resounding no. I had no intention of returning only to be some royal brat’s babysitter. But my boss said it would be a personal favor to him. I owed him one. I knew the time would come for him to collect that favor, but at the same time, I had no idea that he would use it like this.
So, I found myself in this study for the first time, wondering if there was a chance of me somehow blowing this, and then just shrugging before my boss, saying I was here, but it just wasn’t a good match. But I knew better than that. I owed him a favor, and if this was my way of repaying it, so be it.
The king’s study was adorned with rich, mahogany bookshelves, lined meticulously with leather-bound tomes andscrolls, reflecting the vast knowledge and wisdom that these pages contained within. That first night, a soft lamplight cast a warm glow, illuminating the room.
The king’s elongated desk stood as the centerpiece of the study, covered in neatly arranged papers and documents. Intricate carvings adorned its edges, showcasing the artistry and craftsmanship of the kingdom’s finest woodcutters. Behind the desk, an exquisite painting of a regal scene hung on the wall, a reminder of the king’s role as the leader of the realm.
“Yes, there is, Your Highness,” I addressed him respectfully.
In turn, he placed aside the document he held in his hands up until a moment ago. Now, his attention was focused solely on me.
