Chapter 88

SPENCER

As I drove, I glanced over at Isabella, her eyes wide with fear, her hands clenching the seatbelt. Her beauty struck me again, just as it had in the bookstore when I first saw her reading to those children. The way she captivated them, the way her voice flowed like a soft breeze through the forest of her imagination—it had been a moment of pure serenity. A queen in every sense, even if she didn’t know it yet.

But now, her fear troubled me. She didn’t understand what I was doing, why I had to take her away from that wretched woman who dared to raise her voice at her, who had the audacity to show aggression toward the queen. I should have dealt with her, should have ripped out her throat for the insult. But no, I needed to get Isabella to safety first. That was all that mattered.

I could feel her anxiety growing, the way she fidgeted, her breath quickening. She didn’t trust me, and why should she? To her, I was just some strange man who had plucked her off the street and taken her away. She wanted to reach out to her mates, to those three brothers who had failed to protect her. How could they let her wander off alone, knowing the dangers that lurked around every corner?

"They’ll be looking for me," she said, her voice trembling, breaking the silence. "They’ll be worried."

I kept my eyes on the road, forcing calm into my voice. "I’m taking you somewhere safe, where no one can harm you. You have to trust me, Isabella."

"Trust you?" she repeated, her tone tinged with disbelief. "I don’t even know you. Why would I trust you?"

Her words stung, but I understood. "My name is Spencer Donovan," I said, keeping my tone steady. "And I am here to protect you. That’s all you need to know."

"But I need to let them know I’m okay," she insisted, her voice rising with the urgency of her plea. "They’ll be worried sick."

I didn’t respond immediately. My mind was racing, trying to calculate the risks. The three brothers—her mates—were they truly fit to protect her? Could they be trusted, or were they part of the danger?

I could feel the weight of her gaze on me, the confusion and fear swirling in her eyes. She didn’t know who I was, didn’t understand why I had taken her, and that uncertainty gnawed at her. I had to make her see, had to make her understand. But how could I explain it all when I was still grappling with it myself?

“They’re the rightful kings,” I murmured, almost to myself, as I kept my eyes on the road ahead.

“What?” she asked, her voice still tight with fear.

I hesitated, my mind torn between what I knew and what I feared. The Black brothers—Asher, Jax, Knox—they were supposed to be her protectors, the rightful rulers of our kind. But if that were true, how could they have failed to protect their queen?

“My name is Spencer Donovan,” I began again, my voice quieter, more introspective. “I’m… I’ve lived most of my life on my own. No pack, no family. Just work, odd jobs here and there. I never thought much of it until… until recently.”

I could feel her eyes on me, watching, waiting for something that made sense.

“When the Black brothers marked you, when you became pregnant,” I continued, “something in me changed. It was like a switch had been flipped, like something deep inside me woke up. My primal instinct as a royal guard, it… it activated. Suddenly, all I could think about was protecting you and your child.”

“Royal guard?” she repeated, her tone softening as curiosity mingled with her fear.

“Yes. It’s in my blood, in my lineage,” I explained, glancing at her for a brief moment before returning my focus to the road. “My ancestors served the monarchy, protecting the royal family. I never felt the pull until you… until now.”

I hesitated, unsure how much more to reveal. But the confusion in her eyes, the way she was trying to piece it all together, made me continue.

“I know it sounds insane, but it’s like I was born for this—for protecting you. And when I saw you in that bookstore, reading to those children, I knew… I knew you were my queen. I knew that protecting you was my purpose.”

Isabella stared at me, the fear in her eyes slowly giving way to something else—understanding, maybe even belief.

“Then why are you so confused about Asher and his brothers?” she asked, her voice soft, almost gentle.

“Because they’re supposed to be the rightful kings,” I admitted, my hands gripping the steering wheel tighter. “But they let you walk out alone. They let you be exposed to danger. I don’t know if I can trust them to protect you the way you need to be protected.”

She was silent for a long moment, and when I finally risked a glance at her, I saw something in her eyes that took me by surprise. She wasn’t scared anymore—not of me, at least. She was thinking, processing everything I had said.

“You really believe this, don’t you?” she asked, her voice quiet, but there was a note of certainty in it.

“I do,” I replied, nodding slowly. “I was confused, I still am in some ways. But I know one thing for sure—I’m here to protect you, Isabella, no matter what.”

She took a deep breath, her eyes meeting mine with a newfound resolve. “Then take me home, Spencer. Take me back to Asher, Jax, and Knox. They’re my mates, and if you’re here to protect me, then you’ll need to protect all of us.”

Her words hit me with the force of a command, and in that moment, I knew—I would do whatever it took to keep her safe, even if it meant working alongside the very kings I had questioned. I nodded, the decision made.

“Alright,” I said, turning the car around. “I’ll take you home.”