Yeah, he would make an amazing king. Way better than Cedric. If only Sawyer had been born first.
“It’s not one of the knights,” I responded, although being with Callum was an interesting thought. He was a cinnamon roll I wouldn’t mind snuggling to death. “You haven’t met him. But… you’ve heard of him.”
Worry briefly cinched in my chest. Worry for Lake rather than for myself. If the wrong person knew of him, he’d be put in danger. But I trusted Sawyer.
Kuya stepped closer to me and sniffed. His rainbow eyes then widened a fraction. “Kuya smells that Evan-thieving wolf. Must Kuya bite him again?”
A laugh bubbled from me. “Please don’t bite him.”
Before I’d left the cottage, Lake had pulled me into the hallway outside the kitchen and kissed me, his lips trailing from my mouth and down my neck where he’d lightly nipped at my skin. Placing his scent on me, no doubt, given Kuya’s reaction.
“Wolf? The one from the forest?” Sawyer asked. When I nodded, still too nervous to say anything, he placed a hand on my shoulder and patted it once. “Your secret is safe with me. After all, you know one of mine as well.” His gaze flickered to Kuya, who had dropped back to the grass, smiling at the ladybug crawling on his finger.
“I wish it didn’t have to be a secret,” I said. “For me or for you.”
He offered me a thin smile. “As do I. How grand life would be if wishes were so easily granted.”
“If you could wish for anything, what would it be?” I asked.
Sawyer considered the question. “Equality for my people.Allof them. It pains my heart to see demi-humans mistreated simply for existing. They deserve the same quality of life and opportunities as everyone else.”
“You wouldn’t wish for your own happiness?”
He watched Kuya continue to play with the ladybug. “A world where he’s safe and cared for, where he can walk through the kingdom without facing the contempt of small-minded fools, is all I want, Evan.”
The thump of boots and the clank of armor came from the path behind us. I turned to see a group of armed guards. Three of them appeared to be knights. I recognized Sir Anton amongst them, a knight of the Royal Order with dark skin and amber eyes. I had briefly met him months ago while having lunch with Sawyer in the garden.
A man then stepped from the center of the cluster of knights. He stood at maybe six feet, with a stocky frame and short blond hair. A thin beard covered his jaw and he walked with a slight limp on his left side.
“Father,” Sawyer said in surprise.
Well, he certainly wasn’t the only one surprised. Father? As in the freakingking? Not for the first time, I was then smacked with the panic that came from meeting royalty. Should I bow? Fall to my knees in front of him, keeping my gaze on the ground?
Kuya leapt up from the grass and grabbed the branch he’d been swinging from earlier, easing himself up into the tree. To hide?
I feel ya, bestie.I wanted to hide right then too.
Sir Noah, who had been quietly following us from a short distance, bowed his head.
“Sawyer,” the king said in a smooth cadence. I’d expected him to sound gruffer, matching his sturdy build. As he stopped in front of us, I noticed light scars on his neck, peeking above his collar. One disappeared into his hairline. From his time in battle, no doubt. “Enjoying the warm day, are you?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Sawyer bowed his head to him.
Following his lead, I mirrored the action. I wasn’t foolish enough to say anything unless spoken to directly. Prince Buttwad, or Prince Cedric as everyone else knew him as, had taught me that little lesson not so long ago. Commoners like myself had no business speaking to someone of royal blood.
“Ah,” the king said. “This must be the man who owns the café. Evan, I presume?”
I lifted my head. “Yes, Your Majesty.” I wondered if Sawyer had used that title on purpose so I wouldn’t blather like an idiot trying to decide how to address him. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
The king’s face paled as our eyes met. “You…” His jaw loosened, and his lips parted. The furrow of his brow caused deep grooves in his forehead. “How are you…”
When he stepped toward me, every muscle in my body tensed, and my heartbeat came to a screeching halt. My lungs stopped working too. The army of tiny Evans that kept my body running must’ve all chose that moment to take a coffee break.
“Father? What’s wrong?” Sawyer’s confusion was evident in his voice.
Another emotion we shared because I was confused too. And slightly mortified by the intensity of the king’s gaze on me. Did I have something on my face? Jam from the fruit tart? Crumbs? A deadly venomous spider?
King Eidolon reached me and lifted a hand to my face, his stunned expression morphing into something almost agonizing. He brushed his fingertips along my jaw before withdrawing his hand and regaining his composure. “Forgive me. You just remind me of someone.”
