“Skylar, you know them. Don’t pretend like they don’t have a very large and unnecessary protective streak when it comes to you. They will come in the middle of the night, Sam will hold me down while your brother and Oliver break my hands and arms for touching you and Dakota will break my jaw and knock my teeth out for talking to you and Cameron will probably dig my eyes out with a rusty spoon for even looking at you. ~
“Oh, stop! First that was graphic, you have spent far too much time thinking about how they could torture you and second, you said it was an unnecessary protective streak. If they really have something to say about it they can come to me first. Although everyone here has the right to make fun of you for the rest of your life for hiding behind me and being a pansy. Now, put on your big boy panties and let’s get this over with.” I roll my eyes and grab his elbow while the rest of the adults are laughing behind us”
So, dramatic.” I whisper to him.
“You do not understand, I’m not kidding when I say they are even more crazy about you now that you’re gone. Something changed.” He looks at me wide eyed.
“Well, I guess that puts a damper on my plans for us to get caught making out then, that would really get you in trouble wouldn’t it?’ I laugh.
“Not, funny Midge, not funny at all.”
Like earlier we make our way into the elevator before the King and Queen and head down with a set of warriors. This time though, there is no one waiting for us at the bottom.
“Where is everyone?” I ask looking around hoping no one jumps out at us.
“They are all waiting in the ballroom, Miss Skylar.” Barty answers for me”
The Royal Family make their entrance together for the ball.
“Ah, I see.”
We are just waiting the three minutes it will take the elevator to bring everyone else down and Xander leans in to whisper in my ear”
You are gorgeous tonight, devastatingly gorgeous. If you thought you had a target before, you have no idea what’s coming for you. No one will be able to compare.” I could feel my cheeks heat at his compliment and my heart is racing for so many reasons. “We shouldn’t be separated for any reason tonight, but if I am not with you, stay close to my mother. You have a guard assigned to you as well.”
I looked at him and I’m sure my face let him know how I felt about that. He took a deep breath and sighed before continuing”
You are the easy one to pick off from something like this. Before you argue, it’s not about you not being able to fight, it’s about anyone wanting to hurt us, the King, the Queen, me.
They will do it by trying to harm you and it won’t be just one or two people. You clearly mean something to our family, it doesn’t matter the reason, someone will try to separate you from us tonight just to see if it’s possible, I can guarantee it. I don’t want you to be alarmed, just on guard, same as my mother always is in these situations. As much as the men in that room think they are the superior ones, it’s our females that hold all the power.
The power to remain in control, the power to heal and be kind and the power to bring a man to his knees if she is harmed. That is how important you are.”
“Okay, so no pressure then.” I half joke.
“It’s one of the reasons my father chose you. We have other females in the family that could be here, other warriors that could do the job, but for their own reasons, they don’t fit the way you do. You not only fill the role of protector, you are also filling the role of my other half, and that is all the public needs to know about our situation. We want those rumors to happen, we want the power hungry Alphas and Elders to step back and you have made them do that, just by being here and being you.”
