Page 12 of House of Royals

Rath is cold and quiet and distant. But I see it in his eyes. He doesn’t really know me at all, but he cares about me. And I feel the emotion being reciprocated in me.

“Ian, you’re welcome to stay in any of the rooms on the main level until morning,” Rath says over his shoulder as he leads me from the room and toward the stairs.

“Are you serious?” Ian Ward yells from behind us. “You’re going to cut off the momentum, just like that?”

“Just like that,” Rath says as we step onto the second floor.

I don’t know what to expect from the rest of the night, probably a long study of the ceiling in my room, but I’m curious as hell and scared to death to see what morning brings.

“RISE AND SHINE, PRINCESS.”

My eyes fly open to a face just inches from mine. My instincts wake before my brain and my fist flies to clip the edge of a jaw. A crushing hand wraps around my fist, though, and holds it stationary.

“Nice reflexes,” Ian Ward says as he lets go of my hand and takes half a step away from my bed. “Maybe you have half a chance of surviving the week.”

“What are you doing in my room?” I hiss, swinging my legs out of the bed and taking an aggressive step toward him. It’s when his eyes drop down that I remember that I only pulled on one of Henry’s t-shirts before collapsing into bed after a shower last night.

Too late for modesty. Ian’s seen me in all my glory.

“Rath was going to let you sleep all day, but we’ve got stuff to talk about. Training to start,” Ian says as his eyes linger on my exposed legs for just a moment longer. When his eyes come back to mine, I notice how beautiful they are for the first time. They’re hazel, but bright and dark at the same time. And bear no shame in staring.

“Training,” I repeat. “What are you, some kind of sensei?”

“I won’t object to it if you want to call me that,” he says with a lopsided little smile.

“In your dreams,” I say with a raised eyebrow. He’s staring at me and I’m staring at him, thinking how unbelievable he is considering he wanted to kill me last night. I take a step around him and head for the massive closet. The housekeeper hung my clothes up next to Henry’s. She had asked if I wanted them put away, and I told her no. I didn’t have a reason for leaving them, but I didn’t want them to disappear, too, just like Henry did.

I pull on a pair of sweat shorts, feeling Ian’s eyes on me the entire time.

“How old are you?” Ian asks as I turn back to face him and lean in the doorway.

“I turned twenty-two on New Year’s Day.”

“So everyone parties the same day you do,” Ian says, crossing his arms over his chest with a small smile again.

I shrug. “And how old are you, master vampire slayer?”

“Twenty-four,” he answers.

Someone knocks on the already open door, and we both turn to see the cook. “Breakfast is ready, if you’re hungry.” She doesn’t meet either of our eyes when she says it.

“Great, I’m starved and the day’s already half gone.” Ian walks out the door without a second glance.

The stairs creak just slightly as we both descend them. For the past ten days I’ve been here, I’ve insisted on eating my meals in the informal dining room adjacent to the kitchen. But helpers walk in and out of the formal dining room.

“Pretty swanky place you inherited,” Ian says as we both slip in behind them. Rath is already seated at the table, a cup of coffee and a newspaper before him.

“What, you don’t live in a mansion, too?” I ask Ian sarcastically as I slide into a chair, one leg bent up. My manners are shocking here in the South.

Ian gives an awkward chuckle and his eyes drop away as he sits, as well. “Not exactly.”

And for some reason I feel embarrassed for my response. There’s something about Ian that brings out a sharp edge I didn’t know I had to me.

“I hope you got some rest,” Rath says as he folds his paper and sets it on the table. He looks up at me as he takes a sip of his coffee.

“Eventually, yeah,” I say as I reach for a scoop of fresh fruit and a biscuit. “Pretty sure I had some crazy dreams last night, though.” All of last night felt completely insane.

“Understandable,” Rath says with a little nod of his head.

---