Chapter 17: COVERS WITH RAT

FLORENCE POV

It was strange, to say the least, but I had frankly never pegged Rose to be kind and caring. Granted, the soup was delicious. Mouth-watering delicious. A few steps from rivaling my mom's cooking. My mom would be very dissatisfied to hear such a thing, but she would understand.

I would need to meet this Harold of a person, I thought, chuckling softly as I scooped up the last contents of the bowl into my mouth. I leaned back into the chair and simply stared at the ceiling of the room, wondering how and frankly why I was the object of such recent issues.

First, it was Rose. And while Rose was manageable, what was good would be said about the other things. Leo, for instance.

I felt out of place and unfounded. Why had he come? I wanted to ask. Oh well, I thought to myself as I pulled myself to my feet and headed straight into the bathroom, where I took a quick shower, towel-dried my hair, and began contemplating whether or not to go to his home office. He had technically been avoiding me this whole time, but he certainly didn’t need to show up at my school.

Needless to say, his presence had caused quite a stir in the Academy. I knew for one that Annabelle would not give me breathing room regarding what had happened. She would definitely sit on the case, sit on my neck, sit on my back, and any other known place simply to get some form of rumors from me. Or worst-case scenario, by the time I got back to the school, perhaps the Academy would be abuzz with various kinds of speculation.

I could imagine it: the stares, the looks of worry, the whispers behind my back.

Those were things I was used to—curses courtesy of none other than my cousins. Speaking of her, it would seem I would have to ask someone about the strange word that she was going to be attending the Academy.

Once I was done putting together a reasonable outfit, I pulled my slightly damp hair into a side-swept ponytail and headed out the door, trying to figure out the direction to my husband's office.

It was strange, I thought. My husband. None other than Leo. Wolf king in his own right.

Where was his office? I turned to a nearby maid and found myself asking rather shyly.

“Oh, I will show you,” she said with a kind smile.

My initial disposition was to believe that everyone here was just as rude as fairy tales often suggested. Very fortunately—and unfortunately for me, this time—I was wrong.

She said nothing more before leading me to a large pair of double doors. She gave me a small, characteristic smile.

“Good luck,” she said.

Exactly why would I need good luck? I asked myself just as I was about to open the door.

Strangely enough, the door, by some magical power, opened itself, revealing a scruffy-looking Leo with redness under his eyes, his hair swept in all directions, no less by virtue of running his fingers through it multiple times, and the few millimeters of stubble on his tanned cheeks and the top part of his neck.

His black shirt had opened several buttons downward, revealing a chest just as bronzed as his face and arms, and slightly speckled with dark hair.

At that moment, my breath simply decided to catch in my throat. Every bit of knowledge of English had all but run from me, leaving me a scary, idiotic mess.

“Mysterious,” he said, taking me by the hand and leading me into his office, where he shut the door behind him and then pulled me toward his desk.

“Tell me,” he said, “what have you taken?”

It was a strange hello, I thought.

“What have I taken? In what sense, exactly?” I asked shyly in an almost inaudible voice.

“What have you eaten that was not from here? Did you dine in the cafeteria of the Academy? Why?”

“Why?” I echoed, frowning slightly.

“Because,” he began, “by virtue of being who I am, you would be safe? You are the mate to the King—me,” he said. “Many will try to harm you. Many would try and succeed using as many underhanded means as possible. I have enemies. Many enemies. I have friends, but the enemies far outnumber the friends by several hundred—even within this pack, within my own territory, there are those who do not wish me well.”

For a brief moment, he was silent, breathing heavily with his eyes focused mostly on my lips.

In response, my breath came out in short pants as his scent flooded into my nose.

"I have it under good authority," he said in his low voice. "That even amongst my own council, there are many who would rather see an offspring born of you dead than rise to any occasion. Your life—no, not just your life," he continued, his hands slowly descending before landing on my belly.

The warmth of his hand nearly sent my mind into shock. He was being so tender; it was strange.

"Your future," he said. "My future. Believe it or not," he added, his voice softening, "you’re the only one I actually wish to have a child with. Not Rose, not anyone else—just you."

At that moment, a strange sound erupted from my nose and mouth simultaneously—a hiccup combined with a sharp intake of breath.

He stood to his feet from where he had been crouched, just a few inches away from my belly. "Are you sick?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "But what now? If I am in danger, what can you do? Will I have to stop going to the Academy?"

"No. I'll just have to assign you a guard. Someone I trust. Someone I trust with my life," he said firmly. "The only place you will be allowed to go by yourself within the Academy is the restroom. Everywhere else, you must be with my guard. Your friends will be vetted before they’re allowed near you, and anyone who wishes to approach you will be properly monitored. I will not let what happened before happen again."

He then tapped his chin thoughtfully while his eyes roamed over my form.

"You're mine," he said. "I do not think I quite like the way you dress. You’re not a child. I need to take you out soon."

"Take me where?" I asked, my voice small and hesitant.

"Believe it or not," he said, stepping back and leaving me feeling strangely cold in the absence of his warmth, "there are many places you are yet to go and many people you are yet to meet. One thing I am quite well aware of regarding societies like this is that everything is heavily reliant on who you know and how you manage your contacts. You don’t know anyone," he said.

Although his tone wasn’t condescending, I still felt the slight jab. Perhaps he didn’t mean it that way, I told myself.

"Next week," he said, suddenly stopping. "You have dinner. My council will meet you."

"Is Rose coming?" I asked hesitantly.

"No. She’s already met my council. There’s no need for her to meet them again. Or is there a reason why you want her to come?"

I shook my head.

"You don’t consider her your friend, do you?"

My mouth hung open as the words failed to form. Did I need to let him know what precisely I thought of Rose?

"Don’t," he said sharply. "She’s not your friend. Believe me, heed that warning.”