Verum

eight.

eight. 

evelyn

Alexander stopped outside my room, draping the damp towel over his shoulder before pushing the door open. "I will see you tomorrow. We'll be training at sun down in our wolves, more self defense skills."

"No running?" I asked hopefully.

He snickered, shaking his head. "Not really. Besides, I know you'll be sore tomorrow."

I nodded in agreement, glancing into my new bedroom without moving into it. I felt like there was more to be said before just leaving him. But what was there to say, exactly? Thank you? Goodnight? Part of me really wanted to kiss his cheek but was that appropriate?

Alexander chuckled again, cupping my face and lowering his head to mine. "I've got it, don't worry." His lips gently brushed against mine and I felt my hair stand on end. In a good way, of course. "Goodnight, my love."

"Night, Alexander," I whispered back, kissing his cheek.

His eyes warmed at my touch before he released me, giving me a gentle push on my lower back towards my bed. "If you suspect my brother is around, alert myself or your guard immediately."

I saluted him playfully. "Yes, sir."

With a final laugh and shake of his head, he shut my door behind me and walked away. I sighed heavily, trying to calm my beating heart.

Before I could even begin to comprehend the complex relationship I had with the King, I needed to get changed into clean pajamas.

I threw on some soft, almost silky, purple sleep bottoms and a long sleeved, black t-shirt. My hair was still a mess from Alexander having dried it with the towel, so I carefully combed out all of the knots and kinks before setting it in a loose braid so that my hair stayed out of my face while I slept.

Just as I climbed under the covers and turned off the bedside lamp I had been using, I heard several taps coming from the other side of the room. Hurriedly, the lamp was turned back on and my blankets covered myself up to my chin, as if they would protect me from whatever was causing the phantom noise. There was a few seconds of silence before it continued, this time a little louder. But it was coming from the window, which currently had curtains draped over it. Grabbing the folded throw blanket sitting on a corner of my bed, I threw it around my shoulders and crept to the window, suddenly wishing I had some sort of weapon.

I peeked through one side of the curtains and nearly had a heart attack. At my exact eye level, two glowing silver eyes gazed back at me.

"Hello, sweet pea," Anthony greeted amusedly. "Won't you please let me in?"

The curtain fell from my fingers, shielding him from me. I shouldn't have moved from the bed. Now he knows I'm here and will know if I try to speak to the guard. There's no doubt he could break through the window and attack me before I even get to my door. "I just want to talk, Evelyn. I promise, my intentions are all good."

"I can't," I said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"Why not? My brother said something, didn't he?" He asked, voice turning dark and threatening.

Stupidly, I brushed the curtain away from the window again, hooking it on the metal piece stuck to the wall next to the window so I could look him in the eye. "Did he say I'd hurt you, sweet one?"

"No! Not at all, the opposite, actually. H-he said you wouldn't, but that it wasn't best to trust you... yet."

I glanced down at the lock on the window, suddenly remembering that I might not have slipped it into place when I closed the doors to it earlier. Anthony followed my gaze and then a smirk grew on his lips as he reached forward to press the handle, the window panel popping open easily.