Page 8 of King

The way she dressed, especially out of work, the way she carried that stuffed toy in her office, the way she shopped like a kid left unsupervised with a credit card. It all clicked into place.

King had been around enough Littles at the clubhouse to recognize the signs. Some were more open about their lifestyle, some more subtle. But Ella? She was completely unaware of the energy she gave off, and that made her even more adorable.

He smirked to himself, shaking his head before pushing off the grill and making his way over to her.

As he approached, he noticed she had a bowl in her hands, clutching it carefully and scanning the crowd. When her gaze landed on him, her lips parted slightly, cheeks coloring the faintest shade of pink.

“Hey, you made it,” King said, stopping in front of her.

Ella smiled, her fingers tightening around the plastic wrap on the bowl. “Yeah. Figured I’d at least make an appearance. If I’m going to be in town for a while, I should probably get to know some of the people.”

He didn’t like the sound of her saying ‘for a while’. Was she not planning to stay in Shadowridge? That would suck. He’d just started getting to know her and he already wanted to learn so much more about sweet little Ella.

He glanced down at the bowl. “What’s that?”

Her blush deepened, and she hesitated before peeling back the lid, revealing a chaotic mix of brightly colored sweets—gummy bears, M&Ms, licorice pieces, candy-coated chocolates, sour worms, and even tiny marshmallows.

King blinked several times, his stomach turning over at the thought of taking a bite of what was in that bowl. “…What am I looking at?”

Ella chewed her lip, suddenly looking unsure. “Acandy salad.”

He arched a brow, unsure he’d actually heard her correctly. “A what?”

She huffed a laugh, shaking her head. “Like a fruit salad. But, you know… with candyinstead of fruit.”

King let out a deep, rumbling chuckle, rubbing a hand over his jaw as he glanced back at the ridiculous concoction. “Jesus, dollface. I don’t know whether to be impressed or concerned about your blood sugar levels.”

Ella giggled, nudging him lightly with her elbow. “It’s fun! You mix all your favorite candies together and boom. Instant sugar heaven.”

King shook his head, smirking. “You really don’t eat real food, do you?”

She gasped, mock-offended. “Excuse me, thisisreal food.”

He chuckled again, reaching out and plucking a single gummy bear from the bowl. He popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before nodding. “All right. Not bad. But don’t think this counts as a meal.”

Ella giggled, pleased. “It’s aside dish. If I were bringing the main meal, I would have brought something much healthier. Like a Jell-O salad.”

King exhaled, looking down at her with a grin.She was trouble.Soft and sweet, the kind of trouble he hadn’t known he wanted until now.

With a playful shake of his head, he hooked a thumb toward the grill. “Come on, let’s get some real food before you go into a sugar coma.”

Ella grinned, hugging her candy salad as she followed him toward the rest of the party.

And for the first time in a long time, King felt like maybe something in his world had shifted. Maybe it was his turn to find his one.

And he didn’t mind it one bit.

FIVE

ELLA

Ella stayed close to King as he led her through the compound, introducing her to one Guardian after another. The men were as intimidating up close as they were from a distance. Broad, tattooed, rough around the edges. But despite their slightly terrifying exteriors, every single one of them greeted her warmly, some with smiles, others with nods of approval.

“This is Kade,” King said, gesturing to a man with sharp eyes and shoulder length hair. His arms were heavily inked, and his cut had the wordEnforcerstitched into the leather.

Kade grinned at her. “Welcome to the madhouse, sweetheart.”

Before she could reply, a woman, dressed head to toe in all black, appeared at his side, slipping her hand into his.

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