A man by the bridge?
I looked towards Chris, who was already on her feet. “Did the man tell you who he is?” She demanded, her voice guarded. Gone was the teasing smile on her face. She looked ready to defend me should things come to that. I felt proud of my best friend. Though it was surreal seeing a woman who only cared about her looks and fashion, acting like an Amazonian.
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought my best friend got replaced when I wasn’t looking. This just wasn’t how Chris was when we worked at the firm.
“He said he’s Devon Leo, a mixed breed,” the guard responded, with his head bowed.
“A mixed breed?” Awed, I got up from the sofa. “Where did you say he was again?”
“He’s waiting by the bridge. We asked him to stay here.”
“I see.” Nodding, I sat back on the sofa. “Let him in.”
“What?!” Chris whirled around to face me, her brows raised so high they would have reached her hairline. “What the fuck did you just say? How can you let someone in when your mates aren’t around?”
“Why can’t I?” I folded my arms. “I have you with me, don’t I? There’s nothing to fear. If he wanted to harm me, he wouldn’t have come in through the gates.”
“More like he wouldn’t have succeeded,” grumbling under her breath, she sat back on the sofa. “I’m against this, Bella. You don’t know who he is.”
“We will, soon.”
“He’s a hybrid,” she pointed out, looking at me like I had lost it, and she had to put some sense into me. “You can’t just let someone like that into your home. Have you forgotten the unrest? Who knows if he’s part of those that doesn’t want you on the throne?”
“Impossible.” Crossing my legs, I asked the guard to bring the man in. He bowed and left to do what I asked, leaving me with a fuming Chris. Chrys was still engrossed in the colour book.
“He’s a hybrid, Chris. You seem to have forgotten something important.”
“What?” She frowned, still not buying whatever I had to say. She looked like she was moments from throwing me over her shoulder and marching into the room, to keep me locked in until she had sorted everything out.
“Did you think he would have sought me out if he didn’t know he would be safe?” I lifted an eyebrow at that, wondering why she was still slow. “He came because he’s a hybrid.”
“I don’t understand.” She shook her head, giving me an empty stare.
“Hybrids aren’t accepted in the kingdom. It seems you have forgotten that.”
“Oh.” Nodding, she sat up. “So, you are saying he came because you are a werewolf mated to Lycans?”
“Exactly.”
“He came here, either to seek asylum or to inquire about something. We just need to bring him in to know what he has in mind.”
“But what if -”
“There are no what ifs.” Lifting Chrys on the Sofa, I placed her on my thighs, giving the colour book back to her as I ran my fingers through her hair.
“So you are meeting someone, like this?” Chris gave me a once-over, starting from my head to my toes. “You don’t look like a queen. You know, right?”
“Do I look like I care?” I continued to run my fingers through my beautiful darling’s hair. “For now, I’m just plain Bella. My mates have only proposed to me. We haven’t tied the knots yet, don’t forget.”
“It seems you are the only one who forgot.” She gave my stomach a stare. “Don’t you think you did everything backwards?”
“Whatever.”
A few minutes later, we got a knock on the door. The guard must have knocked with something large, as we heard the sound from where we sat.
Chris sat up straighter, while I acted like I was engrossed with the colour book Chrys was viewing.
“He’s here my queen. I will take my leave now,” the guard who came to report to me said before he left. Chris must have waved him off since he didn’t want me to dismiss him. I still kept my gaze on the colour book without lifting my gaze, waiting for the man who just stepped in to speak. It took him close to a minute to do so.
“My queen,” a strange voice said, causing me to snap my gaze towards him. His voice was peculiar. I couldn’t pinpoint it. His tone was rich and dark, like a forgotten melody. It was smooth, with an undertone of hidden depths. Though it didn’t sound masculine, there was this subtle blend of darkness and silk.
Aside from his voice, the man standing before me was beautiful. You heard that right. There was a softness in his face.
Silver eyes bore into mine, seeming like they were looking into the depths of my soul. I had to tear my gaze away from him when it felt like I was getting hypnotized.
Chris shuffled next to me without saying a word. A glance was all it took to see how enamoured she was. I couldn’t blame herthe man was a masterpiece, his beauty so captivating that I questioned my perception. Beautiful wasn’t a word I typically used to describe men, but he redefined the term.
His fiery red hair framed a face softened by gentle curves, a contrast to the sharp jawline that hinted at his masculine strength. The fitted tunic that hugged his body accentuated his lean physique showcasing the fluid lines of his muscles.
“My queen, I’m Devon Leo, a witch and vampire hybrid. Your humble servant is here to pay my respects to you,” he said in that strange voice of his as he knelt, bowing to me.
“A witch?” My eyes took him in, marvelling when his red hair changed to black. “How the hell did you do that?!” I gasped, watching as it changed back to red.
He looked up, smiling. Once more, his beauty took my breath away. The man has fucking dimples.
“You can do the same, your majesty. I can sense it in you.”
“What?!”
“You have witch powers, although it’s suppressed.”