Page 11 of Unwilling Queen (Kingdoms #1)

Chapter

Eleven

Lennox

I don’t bother to turn around, but I know the minute the female crosses over the threshold and into my space. I’m not sure if it’s the magic that floats benignly around her marriage cuffs or if there is something else to this woman, but my own magic is going crazy despite my charm to conceal it. I’m almost certain she’s human, but I’m not sure I made the right choice by inviting her in. What if she’s also concealing her nature like I am, but my magic isn’t telling me that she’s dangerous so I have to trust it for now? I rub a hand over my chest where I can feel it. It’s usually quiet and sullen, annoyed that I choose to hide my true nature, but today it almost seems excited.

I place Stormy down on the top of his cat tree, and he circles a couple of times before settling down without taking his eyes off the girl.

“What’s your name? Do you want to get out of those clothes? I can give you a towel and something dry to wear,” I ask, turning around. Her dress is completely plastered to her figure, and my mouth waters at the sight of all her delicious curves. I need to get laid. It’s been too long if I’m getting turned on by a poor female who looks like a drowned wolf. Instead, I focus on her stunning face. I can sense that she’s upset about something, and there are visible signs she’s been crying. Her pretty lavender eyes are red, and her plump bottom lip is cracked where she’s been biting it. The girl is fucking gorgeous, and I feel my creature stir for the first time in ages, trying to see through my eyes, but with my charm on, he can’t. I feel his annoyance at me, and he gives a halfhearted kick but settles down when it doesn’t get him anywhere. He knows if he wants to be let out occasionally, he can’t fight me. My stomach rolls with guilt at suppressing him, but it’s the best for both of us.

“I’m Colbie, and yeah, that would be great. I’m freezing,” she replies, hugging her arms around her body as she looks around my living area. I know she’s probably not too impressed. I live a fairly simple life. My cottage consists of one main living and kitchen area, my bedroom, a bathroom, and the spare bedroom where I have my workspace. I have a couple of old, overstuffed sofas that Stormy and I use to watch TV or read and a bookcase full of all sorts of interesting books. I hope she doesn’t look too closely, otherwise she’s going to guess I’m not human. Most of them are texts I’ve gathered from all four kingdoms, but there are a few fiction books in there as well. I’m an eclectic reader, reading anything from crime fiction to romance, but my love of knowledge beats out everything else. When I was growing up before my animal emerged, I had dreams of working in the archives in the shifter capital. That all went up in flames when my animal emerged at seventeen. My heart broke when I also received a bond group mark, but there was no way I was going to search for it and make myself vulnerable to rejection when they discovered what I was. The ridicule I received from my peers in the village was bad enough. Instead, I slunk off and hid here in the human zone where no one suspects that I am anything but mundane.

I shake off my thoughts as I head into my bedroom and grab her a shirt and spare set of sweatpants. They’ll be way too big on her, but there’s a drawstring, so they should stay up. I don’t have anything to offer her for underwear unless she wants a pair of mine. I groan. The thought of her in my clothes, let alone my underwear, is a little too enticing, and I adjust myself as my cock twitches in interest. She’s going to think I’m some kind of deviant if I go out there like this. I can’t hide anything in my sweatpants. It’s hard enough with the size of my dick without it becoming erect. I wasn’t expecting company when I got dressed this morning. I conjure up thoughts of being teased by the village teenagers, and my hard-on quickly deflates. Scrubbing my hand through my hair, I return to the living area, holding the dry things out to Colbie.

I find her exactly where I left her. Stormy is still staring at her suspiciously, but she just looks exhausted. “Here you go,” I say, holding out the towel.

“I didn’t move because I didn’t want to drip all over your place,” she explains, taking the towel and scrubbing it over her body to remove some of the dripping water.

“Pfft, it’s nothing that doesn’t clean up easily. My bedroom and bathroom are through there.” I point to where I just came from. “You’re welcome to use the shower if you want to warm up. How about I light a fire and make us coffee? That should help too,” I suggest, moving away from her so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed. The fire is already set, so I just have to throw a match on it. I crouch down in front of it, and I hear her walk in the direction of my bedroom. As she passes behind me, I get a whiff of her scent, which is what originally brought me outside. I didn’t hear her over the sound of the storm, but the wind blew her scent inside, telling me she was there. She smells like cupcakes and frosting, and it makes me crave cake.

I hear her close the door to the bedroom as I strike a match on the side of the box. The flame bursts to life, and I throw it in the fireplace. It hits the starter blocks and catches them on fire. I watch as the flames spread across the blocks, a pretty red and blue, and feel the heat radiating off them as they set the wood alight. It doesn’t take long, and the fire crackles gently, warming up the room. I hadn’t noticed how cold it had gotten, my shifter biology making me naturally warm.

I stand up and turn, my gaze drifting to my closed bedroom door. My fascination with the little human outweighs my natural inclination to avoid anybody. Normally if someone had turned up on my deck, trying to escape the weather, I would have been an asshole and chased them off, but there’s something about the gorgeous woman that intrigues me. She smells and feels like magic, which can’t be true because she’s definitely human. I’m assuming the magic is coming from the fae cuffs she’s wearing, but she’s like a puzzle I want to solve, and I can’t help but be curious. I feel this strange need to get to know her, and I haven’t felt that in a long time.

Sighing, I head into my small kitchen and turn my coffee machine on before checking the cupboard for something to eat. I don’t have a lot, and I really need to do some shopping, but I’ve been putting it off. I do find a packet of chocolate chip cookies, though, so I pull them out. I hear the bedroom door open as I shove a pod into the machine and put a cup under it, pressing the button.

I turn around and inhale quickly at the sight of her in my clothes. My creature starts rolling inside my chest, and I rub over that spot, trying to ease the ache. Fuck, I never thought seeing someone in my clothes would cause such a reaction, especially a human somebody.

I always thought if I mated, it would be with a shifter, but when my animal emerged, and I was ridiculed, I quickly let go of that idea. I haven’t really dated since I moved to the human zone, preferring to keep to myself. A relationship with a human was never going to work, because I would always be hiding something, unless I got the guts to tell them the truth. Children wouldn’t be a possibility either, so I remain single.

This gorgeous creature is really making me reconsider how I feel. She smiles at me and holds up her wet clothes. “Do you have a dryer or somewhere I can hang these?” she asks, and I hurry over and take them out of her hands.

“My dryer is in the mud room out back. I’ll just go put them in for you. It won’t take long to get them dry, and I can bring you home if you want.”

“That would be great, thank you,” she replies, and I hurry to do just that. When I return, she’s taken over making the coffee and is sitting on the sofa in front of the fire, with two cups on the table in front of her and a plate of cookies. She’s nibbling on one, lost in thought as she stares into the flames. Her legs are tucked up under her, and she looks cozy and right sitting on my sofa.

I take a seat next to her and grab my cup. “I would have finished making these, thank you.”

She turns away from the fire and smiles at me, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s not a big deal. It’s the least I can do for you since you’re giving me shelter. The weather was fine when I left my grandparents’ place. I really wasn’t expecting the storm.”

“You live with your grandparents?” I ask, jumping at the chance to learn more about this girl who suddenly appeared in my life like a breath of fresh air.

She shakes her head. “No, I’m just visiting. I needed a break, and they always welcome me with open arms,” she says, the smile on her face telling me how much she loves her grandparents. I feel a pang of longing for my own parents, but I shake it off. Although they don’t understand my reasons for hiding, they still support my choices, but I do miss them.

“Do you live farther in the city?” I ask, trying to hold my grimace in, but I don’t think I succeed when she starts to laugh.

“Not a fan?” she asks, blowing on her hot coffee before taking a sip.

“It’s too noisy and smelly, and there are too many cars and not enough trees,” I grumble, not getting upset at her amusement.

“Yeah, you aren’t wrong, but no, I live in the neutral zone.”

I freeze in the process of taking a sip of my own coffee. “Really?” I’m kind of surprised. Maybe that’s why she smells of magic, because she comes into contact with shifters regularly.

“Yeah, I grew up there. My mother has a business, and now I do as well.”

“Oh, what do you do?” I’m intrigued. I’ve avoided the neutral zone too. Being around shifters and not being willing to shift is painful, which is why I live in the human zone.

“I own a bakery café,” she replies, taking a bite of one of the cookies.

“Now I feel a little embarrassed for offering you store-bought cookies.” I grimace and look at the sad plate of offerings.

She giggles and shakes her head. “Don’t be. Sometimes it’s nice not eating something I had to bake. These aren’t too bad for store-bought ones. You got the good ones, nice and chunky and full of chocolate,” she assures me.

“And what do you do for fun?” I ask, picking up one of the cookies and looking at it closely, not even realizing there are different kinds. I take a bite and nod—she’s right, they are good.

Her nose wrinkles adorably, and she shrugs. “Not much right now. I’ve been so focused on making my business successful, I stopped doing the things I used to love.”

“Like what?” I press.

Her gaze drifts to a framed photo of me surfing above the fireplace. It’s one of the reasons I bought this place, because I can step out the door and the water and waves are right there. Surfing feels like flying, and I love it.

“I used to love sewing, or anything crafty really. My mom’s a dress designer, and she taught me to sew. I would make my dolls fancy dresses to wear, and when I used to visit my grandparents, I loved swimming. I always wanted to learn to surf, but I had no one to teach me—oh, and I’d love to learn to dive, but I’m scared of sharks.”

I chuckle and lean back in my chair. “Sharks are probably more afraid of you than you are of them. I can teach you to surf if you want.” My mouth snaps shut. I can’t believe what just came out of my mouth. I haven’t spent any real time with another person in a long time. My IT job allows me to work from home, and apart from trips to the grocery store, I’m a real loner by choice.

I almost take the offer back, but the way her eyes light up and she sits up straight has me clamping my lips shut. “You would?”

“Sure, we can start as soon as the storm clears if you want. Hopefully by the day after tomorrow.”

Her face falls, and she slumps back again. “I’ll probably have to go home on Wednesday. I have to get back to my bakery.” She sounds so disappointed.

“Why can’t you come out here once a week on your days off?”

She slumps even further and groans, tears welling in her eyes again. “I don’t think there are going to be many of those to come.”

I frown, not sure what she means, but her sadness from before returns.

“I should probably get going,” she says and goes to stand up, but I feel a wave of panic and put my hand out. I don’t want her to leave just yet.

“Do you want to stay and hang out with me? We could order some food and maybe watch a movie or play a game.” I wave at the game console that’s plugged into my TV. “I’m really enjoying your company,” I mumble shyly, not wanting to look at her and see any pity in her eyes. Maybe I have starved myself of company for too long.

“Yeah, I’d like that. Let me just text my grandparents and tell them I’ll be out for a little longer so they won’t worry if I’m not there when they get home.” She stands up and heads over to where she dropped her tote. She rummages in it and pulls out her phone, and her fingers fly across the screen.

My anxiety turns into excitement, and I jump up to find my tablet from my office space, bringing up the food delivery app. “What do you feel like eating?” I ask as I return to the living area. She’s back on the sofa, curled up in front of the fire again, and I can’t believe how right she looks.

“I don’t care, something hot though,” she replies.

“Spicy or just a hot meal?” I ask, and she shrugs. “Either. I don’t mind, I’m not all that fussy.”

I scroll through the options, stopping on one of my favorites. “What about Italian? We can order a couple of dishes and share.” You can’t go wrong with pasta, right?

Her eyes light up, and my heart thumps harder as she beams at me. “How did you know that carbs are the way to my heart? Surprise me, but can we get cheesy garlic bread? It’s my favorite.” I quickly put in an order and place my tablet on the side. I’ll have to keep an eye on the delivery because they often get lost on the way to my house, though most of the regular drivers have been here before. I really don’t cook for myself—why bother when there is an app right at your fingertips?

“Alright, done. Now movie or games?” I ask, turning on the television, excited to spend more time with Colbie.

“Hmm. What do you have?” she asks me, and I chuckle, waving my hand at the large amount of game cases.

“Most of them,” I admit, and I see her brows furrow.

“Do you have Shifter Quest?” Again, my heart jumps for an entirely different reason, and my enthusiasm is replaced with worry. Does she know what I am?

“Ah, yeah?” I reply, and she blushes prettily.

“My staff was raving about it the other day, and I had never heard of it. I kind of want to know what the big deal is.”

I almost huff out a huge sigh of relief but keep it in. “Sure, I’ll load it, and we can get started while waiting on the food.” I turn my back to her and grab the right game.

“Oh good, my friends were telling me about the different shifters you can play, and I desperately want to be the pegasus.”

I drop the remote in my hand, and it clatters onto the floor, missing one of the rugs I have on the hardwood.

“Are you okay?” Colbie jumps up and hurries over, bending down to pick up the remote before handing it to me.

“Ah, yeah, sorry. It slipped out of my hand.” I take it back from her before clearing the surprise from my face and turning to look at her.

“Why do you want to be a pegasus? Wouldn’t one of the more apex shifters be better?”

She shakes her head. “They are so majestic and beautiful. Who cares if they can’t breathe fire or have sharp teeth or claws? I bet they make up for it in other ways. Wouldn’t it be awesome if there really were pegasus and unicorn shifters? I bet they would have other special kinds of powers.” She sighs wistfully before shaking her head. “Sorry. That was silly.”

“Huh, no, that isn’t silly. So you don’t know much about shifters and the different types?” I turn back to the machine and load the game, and I hear her return to her seat.

“Does any human? They are super secretive. I know there are wolves and tigers, I’ve seen them in the neutral zone, but that’s pretty much it, though I was told the other day that there is no such thing as a penguin shifter.”

I chuckle with amusement at the wonder in her voice before grabbing the second controller and returning to the sofa. “No, there isn’t. Could you imagine it? I bet they would be as useless as pegasus and unicorn shifters,” I mutter, and she elbows me, growling playfully.

“Hey, don’t put down my soul creature.” Sure enough, when we get to the character selection page, she scrolls through and finds the pegasus and unicorn. She has trouble deciding.

“The unicorn is so pretty with all those different color options, but I want wings like the pegasus,” she grumbles and finally selects the winged horse in the end. “If only they came in different colors.”

And just like that, I fall instantly in love with the little human, but it’s followed by such heartbreaking regret because nothing will ever be able to happen between us.