Page 15 of Wanted

I responded, “I can see that.”

“So, if you’re a princess, who’s your king?” I could see he was trained in light conversation. He emitted this charm that Maia Callie and Fylox didn’t have naturally.

“I don’t have one,” I told him, attempting to keep as straight of a face as possible. From all the sweating I’d done in the car, I probably stank. I needed a shower. I needed a pill or a joint, something to stop the fuzzy feeling that had been dominating my body. If there was a surgery somewhere in the world that could remove that king Alex was talking about from my memories, I’d gladly get under the knife. I’d give my all for that, a moment of peace in my mind.

“Then you’re a queen. Seems appropriate. You’ve got the looks for it,” he observed.Sweetie, you’ll never be queen. I’m sorry. I know you’re the eldest, but your brothers… They’d have to die for you to receive the spot that you deserve. Don’t be sad. Mommy’s here. You don’t have to be the queen to do good.

Alex’s sea-green eyes taking in every single detail of my body. “It explains why MC was so smitten by you. She called me up right after she left Fylox’s place. What brings you to our shores?”

“A failed wedding,” I explained. “And a dipshit of a father.”

“Daddy issues. I’ve got just the treatment for that ache.” He did something with his lips that had me gawking for a moment, but then I snapped out of it. There was magic in his smile. That was a fact.

“I bet you do.” I asked, “Why is everyone around him so cheerful, and he’s grungier than Nirvana on steroids?”

“Not my story to tell. But he’s an integral part of our lives. We love him, and we want what’s best for him. That includes cheering him up when he’s in his bad days.”

“He’s in his bad days?” I inquired.

Alex shook his head. “Nah, this is his standard phase. You’ll get used to it.”

KAMILA

It soothed my soul that there wasn’t a surface that required further cleaning in this new… home. Everything was kept neat and tidy. Just the way I enjoyed it. The tiny house had two bedrooms, a storage slash office with an inflatable mattress in it, and one bathroom for the entire household. I had a small en suite bathroom to myself. I had never lived in a home with men before. Therefore, I had my doubts.

How would this work?

I was the Princess of Katantia.Bitch, we’re tired of hearing about your title. It means nothing out there.

Which meant I’d been kept isolated from men all of my life. It had started with my mother. Her urge to protect me from the male gaze followed me throughout my childhood. When I began having moods, and I wanted to feel needed by another body, I’d lashed out at my mom for keeping me locked up in the palace. Not that I was spectacular at flirting with the other sex when I partied with Colt without my parents’ permission.

When Colt left Katantia and my mother was murdered, I partied more, but I never touched another person. Nobody dared to come close to me either.

Retrospectively? That worked for me. At the time, I felt like I was missing out.

But I wasn’t.

I should’ve been careful what I wished for.

“You look like you’re about to battle Nietzsche,” Alex commented, joining me on the sofa. He’d slept here last night while Fylox and I took the bedrooms. The sofa was the only thing that fit his huge body. He was a guest here, and I could feel it, but the sofa was plush and comfortable. He didn’t show any signs of back pain.

“Who’s Nietzsche?” I asked. The name sounded familiar, but I hadn’t studied in a while. Make that half of my life.

“A German philosopher who claimed God was dead amongst other things,” Alex explained. He stretched his neck, and I heard painful cracks of bones. I twitched, and he smiled at me in response. He’d gone out for a jog in the woods nearby while Fylox babysat me. Now, Fylox was out getting it on, and I was here, stuck on the sofa and incapable of finding something of value to do. “What’s really on your mind?”

“I’m thinking back to the time I was a virgin,” I told him. “Those were good days.”

“Really? What makes you say so?” His question was honest, and it freaked me out. Why was he talking to me like he didn’t want to fuck me?

“It’s just a feeling,” I replied, smiling awkwardly.

“You can’t start a conversation and then chicken out,” he said, crossing his arms behind his head. He looked even bigger this way, stretched out all over the sofa. He could crush me if he wanted to, but he didn’t. “There’s no media around. You can drop the PR act.”

If you weren’t my daughter, I’d have you killed. Stupid cunt.

“You know about that?” I shifted on the sofa, pulling my thighs close to my chest. It’d been days since my lastexercise, and it was getting to me. My body didn’t have any soreness to complain about or lack of energy. I was in the present, but the past haunted me.

You’re the most intelligent girl I know, sweetie. Your daddy’s just fooling around. Trust me.