"I'm no babysitter." I needed to make it clear that I wouldn't be actively spending time with Louis. "I have my own responsibilities and am new to the throne. I have obligations to my pack I have to see to."
It's fine. Mason reached over and squeezed my hand. I was being ridiculous earlier.
"Of course." The king lifted his hands in the air. "If you could let him stay here and allow him to meet some of the alphas with you, it might give him a better perspective on America and how things are run here. When your dad and I were young boys, his father allowed me to stay here for six months to learn your ways, and then he stayed with my family for six months. It's mainly why we worked so well together."
That was something I didn't know. "Well, if that's all it is, then sure. He's more than welcome to stay."
"Perfect." The king pulled out his cell phone and his fingers began typing something. "The healer will be here in two days. Now, let's enjoy the meal."
All of this was worth it to save Dehlia; however, I couldn't shake the feeling that the king still had something up his sleeve.
Chapter Three
It'd been two days since the dinner with King Adelmo, and the healer was to arrive at any time. I'd scheduled my private jet to leave two hours after his arrival.
I placed my bag in the foyer, right in front of the elevator.
You're more nervous than I am. Mason chuckled as he took the last few steps down the stairs. He was dressed in blue jeans and a long-sleeve shirt that molded to his muscular frame.
November was always cold in New York, but in South Carolina, it could go either way. I just want to get to your mom quickly. I heard what your dad said last night. She was struggling to breathe now.
Tommy appeared in the room behind me. "The healer is here."
It was so nice having him back in the house. He was as loyal as they came and even helped protect me from my uncle once he had realized who I was. In his defense, he had thought I was dead, so I couldn't hold anything against him.
"Okay, great." I picked up my phone and texted Ella.
"It's a good thing." Tommy arched an eyebrow and glanced Mason's way. "Because she's about to wear down a path on the floor."
"Ha. Ha," I said sarcastically. "I'm just ready to get moving."
"Hey, it'll be okay." Mason wrapped his arms around me and tugged me into his chest. "You've been worked up since we had dinner with the king."
"Now, I don't blame her for that." Tommy shook his head and took a step toward us. "Darren was ruthless when it came to them. It's going to take some time and effort for them to get past their previous opinions."
"Is that why he left his son here?" It'd been a strange request, but not one that I could turn down, given the fact that we needed their healer.
"Possibly." He shrugged his shoulders. "But you never know."
The elevator dinged, alerting us that it was about to open.
I pulled away and took Mason’s hand as we faced the entrance.
Within moments, the doors slid apart to reveal a man who was about the same height as Mason. I immediately noticed his pointy ears because his long, ash-blond hair was pulled into a man bun. His violet eyes met mine as he stepped into the house. His skin was pale and contrasted with the hunter green polo shirt he wore. His leather shoes scuffed the ground as he stepped into the foyer. "You must be Queen Elena." He bowed his head for a few moments and focused on Mason. "And you must be Mason, her fated mate."
"Hello." If he thought that just knowing who we were impressed me, he was going to quickly learn quite differently. "And you must be Teague."
"Why yes, I am." He smiled as he turned around and picked up his black luggage behind him.
"Oooh ... that's a nice view." Ella snorted as she made her way down the stairs with Louis right behind her. "If I knew views like that were going to happen, I'd have been here earlier."
Oh my God. At times like these, I wished I could mind-speak with her in human form. "That's the healer."
"So?" She bounded down the last bit of stairs and winked at Teague as he turned back around. "You didn't tell me he was fae. There’s something about a hot, dangerous, magical man."
"I'm sure she didn't know." Louis smirked as he nodded at the healer. "Dad doesn't make it common knowledge."
"It is kind of interesting that a fae would work for a wolf king." Mason's mask of indifference slipped right into place.
If I didn't know him well, I'd think he was unimpressed, but his jaw twitched ever so slightly, making his annoyance show.
I get it. It seemed everywhere we turned, someone had their secrets. And hell, truth be told, I had done the same thing to him. He’d had no clue I was even a wolf shifter, at least, not until I had the issue with my wolf after he and I really kissed for the first time. He had to take me to the witch that suppressed my wolf with her magic.
"He saved my life when I was a boy." Teague lifted his chin and straightened his shoulders. "Not that it's any of your concern."
He was right. As long as he saved Dehlia's life, I didn't care why he stayed with Adelmo. "All right, enough. We need to head to the airport."
"I'd just come from there." Teague arched an eyebrow, and his eyes landed on Louis. "Are you coming as well?"
"Yeah, I want to see this pack. They are especially important to these three." Louis glanced at Tommy. "Why don't you take his things to his room?"
Okay, now I was irritated. "First off, Tommy is a guard, not your personal help. Secondly, we'll be staying overnight. This is family after all." I took a deep breath before I spoke the last words. I had to keep my cool. "And thirdly, don't assume you'll be invited to everything. You may be a guest, but as I told your father, I'm no babysitter."
"Wow, this is awkward." Ella leaned over to her brother, pretending to whisper. “Do you think he might cry?”
"No, it wasn't until you did that." Mason rolled his eyes and sighed. "Sometimes, it's good to have a filter."
"If I had a filter and wasn't persistent, Elena wouldn't be here now." She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "So, you're welcome."
"Uh … You take your own luggage to your room?" Louis seemed more stuck on that then the scolding I gave him.
"It must be hard for you to lift something so heavy." Ella pouted toward him. "Maybe you should hit the gym. It might do you some good."
In all fairness, Louis was damn attractive. She had to be trying to push his buttons.
"I'm so flattered by your concern about my well-being." His gray eyes lingered on her body. "Maybe when we get back, we can take a dip in the pool together. You can tell me what parts you don't like."
Ella turned a shade of pink and stood there silent.
“What’s wrong?” Louis winked at her and took a step forward. “Afraid you might like what you see?”
Your sister has a thing for Louis. I hadn't noticed it before since I'd been meeting with some of the politicians to get caught up on what was going on in the shifter world.