Chapter 4

• I walked out and checked the balcony area. Like everything else it was huge. My parent’s whole house could probably fit on the balcony. Okay, maybe not the entire thing, but it was still a large area. I looked over the railing, the view was amazing. I was on the balcony of the palace. I laughed quietly. When I’d joined the guards, I’d hoped for an assignment in the underground chambers, where all the important positions would be. Now, here I was working at the palace. As far as jobs went, this was my dream job.
• If I could shake this nagging feeling in my gut, everything would be perfect. I kept telling myself it was just excitement and my new position, but I didn’t convince myself. It wasn’t a morbid feeling, but I was tense. The tension that signals from this point forward, everything was going to change.
• Before I changed my mind and went home, I turned to look back into Rena’s room, boxes were piled everywhere. I wondered if I should move them all to one side, so Rena would have more space. I gnawed on my lip, not wanting to overstep. Not only was I guarding the kings’ niece, but she was pregnant. I’d learned the hard way that pregnant women were often moody. Hopefully I didn’t do anything to upset her. I stood there with my hands on my hips, trying not to blame myself for the millionth time. She’d gotten pregnant while trapped on the island, when I’d been there.
• “Are you the guard?”
• I jolted and looked to see Prince Emil standing in the doorway. “Yes.” I bowed my head respectfully, “Kinsley Hinton, Prince Emil.” I looked back up at him. I was told by some of the guards that he’d been born on the other side, to a human mother with Alterealm blood. He didn’t look human—whatever that looked like. His eyes were almost the same as our warden’s, only bluer whereas Prince Arius’ were grey. They were pretty eyes, but something in them told me he hadn’t had an easy life. I supposed that set him apart from his brothers. He was still looking at me. I cleared my throat. “I was waiting for Rena to get here.”
• He nodded slowly, his short black hair falling across his brow as he did. “She’ll be here shortly.” With his hands on his hips he continued to assess me. “How old are you?”
• I was a bit taken back by his question. “Forty, sir.”
• He made an odd sound, “don’t call me sir—or prince.” He scowled at me, “How long have you been a guard?”
• I wanted to say long enough, but then remembered he was one of the royal family—regardless of where he was born. “I started training when I was twenty-five.” I inhaled a sharp breath, “a-a bit older than most but I had to learn to control my,” his gaze stayed locked on my eyes, “ability.” I nodded. “I was in the guard program in the North for ten years before I transferred to the royal guard. I’ve been a full-time guard for five years now.” Normally I’d be offended by the questions, but it was his daughter I was to watch over.
• Emil’s expression didn’t change, it was one of complete distain. “Full disclosure, I didn’t want you to be my daughter’s personal guard,” he frowned, “not because you’re a woman.” He added quickly. “I worry that seeing you will be a constant reminder of her time on the island.”
• I sucked in a breath through my nose. “I was worried about that too, but she chose me, not any of the others that were candidates.”
• With an abrupt nod, he crossed his arms over his chest. “I know.” The scrutiny on his face as he looked at me was nerve wrecking. “What type of feeder are you?”
• I couldn’t hide the shocked expression, “essence.” I said slowly, not even sure where he could be going with this line of questioning.
• “Rena is as well.” He said in a hard tone.
• “I’m aware.” I glanced at the door, hoping anyone would walk in. Anyone that would mean I wasn’t in here alone with him.
• “She has to feed more often.” He stated.
• “Sir—” I stepped closer, “Emil,” I waited to see if he objected to me using his name. “I was born in Alterealm, my entire family before me, I understand how,” I motioned in the air, “things work.”
• His eyes darkened. I couldn’t interpret the look he was giving me. Had I offended him by stating the obvious? His expression changed and was even less pleasant than before.
• There was no reason to look at me that way. I inhaled deeply to calm myself before I spoke. Thoughts of reaching out and punching him in the face flew into my mind. Concealing my shock at the thought wasn’t easy. I stood straighter and held his stare. The next insane thing to cross my mind was a desire to stretch up and kiss him. I turned away and motioned to the boxes, “I think we should move these to the wall, so your daughter has more room.” I didn’t care if he was listening. “We wouldn’t want her to trip or try to lift them by herself.” He grunted then went to pick up one of the boxes.
• I held my breath, trying to force my heart to slow down before I blew an artery. My aunt had been right. Why now? How could this happen? Fate was a ridiculous prankster that just shoved things in your direction then laughed her butt off watching for your reaction. I’d found my true mate and he was a prince. A prince. Right, because royalty had no problems with commoners or guards for mates. I laughed quietly, then shook my head when Emil glanced at me. “Sorry, I just had and obscure thought.” I moved to the boxes furthest from him and picked one up.
• How was this possible? To find my mate at only forty. Most were closer to a hundred before they came across theirs.  I’d never craved a mate, like most did. I was a guard, it was dangerous.   Many guards didn’t take the chance of binding in case something happened.   I thought of my friend’s mother—how hollow she was now without her mate.  
• Shifting another box, I tried to ignore the man working in the same room with me.  I could smell him. What was I, some sort of animal? It was like I couldn’t not glance at him every few seconds either. What was I going to do? My charge was his daughter, there was no way I could avoid him forever.
• “Are you all right?” 
• I turned to see him watching me. “I’m—I’m fine.”
• “You’ve sighed about thirty times in five minutes.” His eyes were assessing me slowly, searching.
• I hadn’t even noticed I was doing that.  “Just going over all the protocol and the layout of the palace in my mind while we move this.”  I lied, but there was no way I’d confess any of the thoughts in my head.
• “The women have made a map for the phone of the underground chambers, if you need it.” He scowled. “I don’t want Rena going there, but if you must.”
• I nodded.  “It will be good to have.”  
• He nodded. “I’ll tell them to get it to you.”
• We stood there in an awkward silence, just looking at each other.  Did he feel it too, I had to wonder. Was it obvious to him or would the human part not realize? 
• Taking a deep breath, he gave me an abrupt nod.  “I’m going to go find out what’s taking Rena so long.” 
• I bobbed my head with a little too much enthusiasm.  “I’ll finish this.” I motioned to the boxes; then saw he’d already left. I blew out a breath, dropping my shoulders until they slumped. This is not what I signed up for. I took another deep breath and held it. It whooshed out all at once.  This was going to be impossible to ignore.  I bit my lip.  What was I going to do? What could I do? My only course of action was to avoid him as much as inhumanly possible.