Guard the Crown: The Royal Alphas

by H Q Kingsley

  ‘Someone’ wasn’t quite the word. More like an Adonis walked out of my bathroom. The man was like one of the warrior gods made flesh, stepping out of my ensuite wearing absolutely nothing at all.

  He was all brown skin and chiseled muscles, and if he wasn’t a god, then maybe he was one of their creations, hand-sculpted and placed in my room to torment me with his fine cheekbones, ripped arms and chest, and absolutely massive cock.

  Oh, sweet gods, his cock.

  My eyes were drawn to it like magnets, and he wasn’t even hard, but it was sitting there, swinging between his legs when he moved, with promises that it only got bigger.

  I felt like I couldn’t breathe as I looked at him, and I was almost certain that I was drooling on myself. But honestly, how was I supposed to react when a buck-naked vision of perfection came strolling out of my bathroom like he owned the place?

  Even his smell was enticing, something earthy and woodsy that I couldn’t place, but it filled the room and my head all the same, making it impossible to focus on anything else. I was frozen there, staring, until he cleared his throat and spoke.

  “I hope you don’t mind me using your shower,” he said. “I think I was still a little drunk. Cold water always helps.”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out except for a stunned little squeak that made me sound like the mouse my brothers always accused me of being.

  My brothers would know how to react when a gorgeous naked man was standing in front of them. They would know exactly what to say and do. But not me. I just sat on the bed drooling and squeaky like the moron virgin I was.

  “D-do you want a towel or something,” I finally managed to get out, and it only sounded a little squeaky and ridiculous, so that was progress, I guess.

  “Nah, I’m good,” the man replied, stretching a little while he stood there.

  “Okay…” I gave myself a mental slap and tried to pull myself together. I had no memory of getting home the night before, and there was a strange man in my room. Surely those two things had to be connected, and I needed to focus in case I was in danger. Just because this guy was gorgeous didn’t mean he wasn’t a threat.

  “W-who are you?” I asked. “W-what are you doing in my room?” My voice cracked over every word, but at least I’d gotten it out. That was a good enough start.

  “Omar,” he responded. “I’m your new bodyguard, I guess. Security, if we’re being fancy about it, which I guess you probably are.” He glanced around my room and then stepped closer to the bed, holding out his hand to shake mine.

  Just the sight of him moving closer had me jumping away, scrambling to the other side of the bed where there wasn’t a naked man coming toward me. I didn’t know how to handle something like that. It had never happened before. Honestly, I’d never seen a naked man before, not really, or at least not one that wasn’t related to me. And I’d lived most of my life assuming I never would, so seeing Omar standing there, so confidently and effortlessly perfect and exposed, had me shaken.

  “I need Teddy,” I blurted, my hands coming to pat almost frantically at the sheets and pillows, but he still wasn’t there. I leaned over to look on the floor and under the bed, but he was nowhere to be found.

  That pit of dread just got worse in my stomach.

  Omar was just standing there—still naked—watching me like I was some kind of head case.

  “I had him at the party,” I said, heart racing. “Where did he go?”

  “How much of the party do you remember?” Omar asked me, folding his arms and accenting the veins that ran down them as his muscles flexed.

  I glanced up at him, frowning. “I...not a lot.”

  “You were attacked,” he said matter of factly like he was saying something as simple as a weather report. “Some assholes drugged you with something.”

  It hit me. That was a really good explanation for why I couldn’t remember anything. Someone had drugged me. Gods. Fuck.

  Everything was happening too fast, and I didn’t know how to process that. I wanted my bear, needed it, to have something to hold onto before I worked my way through the thoughts in my head. I felt so completely lost without it.

  “I have to go back there. To the banquet hall.”

  “For what?”

  “My bear!” I nearly shouted, agitated. “I have to go back for it. I need it.”

  I was up and out of the bed in record time, throwing shoes on and heading for the door. Omar was hot on my heels, and I turned to look at him over my shoulder, frowning. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m your security,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to go where you go.”

  I sighed. “Fine. But put some clothes on first. You can’t go out like that.” It would mean waiting longer, but at least I’d be able to look at him without immediately turning red and forgetting how to talk.

  5

  Omar

  The prince was a curious thing.

  He was definitely a prince, judging from the expensive, luxury car we were riding in the back of that he’d demanded and been granted easily enough. There was even a driver, dressed like something out of a cartoon in all black with a little hat on, who had barely glanced at me before bowing to Zyke, all ‘Yes, Your Highness this’ and ‘Yes, Your Highness that’. But aside from having a nice ass bedroom and ensuite and a fleet of cars and drivers to choose from, he didn’t seem very princely.

  He was small and squirrelly, nothing like what I’d come to recognize royals as. Nothing like his father or brothers from what I could tell. Where they were dark and tall and broad, Zyke was shorter, just a few inches over five feet I was willing to bet, and he had the thin frame of someone who didn’t spend a lot of time doing manual labor or training. His skin was a lighter brown than his brothers, and where their hair was long and loose, his was curly and short. And he didn’t ooze their confidence.

  Rehan had spent the better part of an hour showing me around the palace, while simultaneously propositioning me and being absolutely baffled when I turned him down. Prince Zyke wasn’t like that. Whenever I looked directly at him and he caught me, he seemed ready to shrink away and tried to hide in the corner.

  Sitting in the back of the car, he was biting his nails and looking out the window, anxiety and agitation in every one of his movements. I could practically feel the waves of it rolling off of him.

  He looked like he would jump at every shadow or harsh word. It made me want to be gentle with him.

  So yeah, nothing like any of the other princes I’d had the dubious pleasure of knowing.

  It might make the job easier if he was someone I could stand and not some spoiled brat who didn’t care about anything or anyone else.

  At the same time, though, we were on our way to go get his bear, which from what I could make heads or tails of, meant he had a pet bear. Which was one-hundred-percent some of the most lavish, royal bullshit if I’d ever heard it.

  Who the fuck had a pet bear? And if they did, who brought it out in public just to show off? What kind of shit was that?

  I guess he couldn’t be blamed for leaving it behind, considering he’d been drugged and all, but damn.

  We got to the banquet hall quickly enough, and Zyke was out of the car in an instant, moving quickly to throw open the doors and step inside, looking around. I had to hustle to follow him, keeping my eyes and ears open for anyone lying in wait to finish what they’d started the night before.

  But the hall was quiet and empty, just tables and chairs and folded tablecloths waiting to be put away.

  When I found Zyke again, he was reaching under a table and coming up with...a stuffed bear. A teddy bear.

  I blinked for a moment because, if possible, that was even weirder than him having a pet bear. Even weirder, the bear was dressed up, as if the prince had actually coordinated the bear’s outfit for the party.

  I arched a brow as I watched the prince.

  He stood there, holding onto the bear, squeezing it tightly
with his eyes closed like it was a lifeline, and there was something cute and almost delicate about it that softened the disbelief and almost made me smile.

  When he opened his eyes, I was still watching, and he blushed a bit, glancing away and then back to me. “I know it’s weird,” he said, and there was a weariness to his tone that made me think he was used to having to defend himself. “It’s just…”

  I waved a hand, cutting him off. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Everyone’s got their comforts. Hell, better a bear than a bottle. Believe me, I’d know.”

  Zyke pursed his lips, his head tilted to one side in the most adorable fucking way that I had to catch myself not to reach out and pull him toward me.

  “You said you were drunk earlier,” he said. “And you were in my shower.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed with a nod. “That happened.”

  He frowned and rolled his eyes. I had to stop myself from smiling. It was the first glimpse of sass I’d seen in him and it was somehow equally as entrancing.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Why was I drunk or why was I in your shower?” Yeah, I was being a little cagey, but some of it was a long damned story.

  “Both,” Zyke insisted. “And how did you become my bodyguard all of the sudden? I’m missing a lot of time.”

  I sighed because he did deserve an explanation for some of that. “The drinking...I’m from Belaria.”

  Zyke lifted an eyebrow. “Mourning the old king?”

  “Fuck no. He can rot in hell as far as I’m concerned.” I sighed as I slipped into one of the chairs still out. “Not that it’s any of your business,” I started but softened my tone when he winced. “I got my heart broken, I guess,” I confessed. “Which sounds fucking stupid, but that’s what happened. The guy I was in love with fell for someone else, and I couldn’t stick around to watch, so I left. Drinking helps me forget how much it hurts. Sometimes.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, and he actually sounded like he meant it.

  “It happens. Anyway, I was out trying to forget, and I just happened to stumble into your party and see what they were trying to do to you. I couldn’t just stand there and let it happen. Your father seemed to think that qualified me to look after you.” I didn’t mention the part about how he’d gone on about Zyke being a weakling because that didn’t seem relevant.

  “Oh. Well. Thank you, then,” he replied, giving me a shy smile that made my heart beat a little faster. “Not everyone would have intervened when they didn’t have to, so I appreciate it.”

  I lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Wasn’t a big deal.”

  “It is to me. You saved me. You’re very…” He looked me up and down and then shook his head. “I don’t know. I can’t imagine anyone breaking your heart. You seem...kind of perfect.”

  As soon as he said it, his cheeks flushed a deep red, and I could tell he hadn’t really thought that comment through.

  “I-I mean…” His face burned such a deep red that I thought he might pass out. “Not perfect like...I mean, you are perfect but like…”

  He was so damned cute that I had to smile. I’d told myself I wouldn’t, that I would work this job and just be unhappy about it, but it seemed a little impossible now. The prince was...light. There was no other way to describe it. I’d been in darkness so long, and there he was, glowing beat red and being utterly fucking captivating.

  “You’ve got your bear,” I said, interrupting his fumbling. “So, are we good to go now?”

  He nodded, holding it tighter. “Yes. We can go.”

  6

  Zyke

  Another week, another meeting with my brothers and I seated around the long table in the war room while my father sat at the head, holding court. Another day where I was ignored, basically just there to take up space and serve as the butt of their jokes while I would rather have been anywhere else.

  I had no idea what my family was talking about because my mind was on Omar, as it had been for the last few days.

  He’d saved my life. Granted, I couldn’t remember it for shit, but still, it had happened. It was hard not to think about that. It was even harder not to see his naked image in my mind every time I closed my eyes. Every book I’d read lately, I pictured him as the hero. I pictured him as the love interest. I was a little obsessed with him.

  He didn’t talk much, mostly just followed me around and kept an eye on things, but there was something about having him close by that just sent tingles through my body. I could always smell him when he was nearby, and that scent cut through everything else, clean and earthy, always catching my attention immediately.

  I’d almost believed Omar was my mate. If I believed in things like that, but I didn’t.

  Things like fate and destiny weren’t real, and even if they were, Omar was so far out of my league, we were playing different games. He was massive and gorgeous. A soldier in every form of the word. And I...I was me. Scrawny and disappointing. Nobody like him could ever be mated to someone like me.

  And if fate wasn’t real, guys like Omar were not interested in guys like me.

  No guys were interested in me, really. Why would they be when I had five brothers who were all the epitome of masculinity and strength, built like warriors and gods, while I was just weak and strange?

  All I had going for me was being royal, but I was even a disappointment when it came to that. Nobody respected me, not like they did with the rest of my family. When they went out, people tripped over themselves to accommodate them, but not me. Most people didn’t even see me unless they were judging me.

  But not Omar. He looked at me and he saw me. He didn’t make me feel like a freak. He didn’t sigh with disappointment when I talked like everyone else did. He actually seemed like he was listening. Mostly he was just there, watching over me, and honestly, I really liked that.

  He made me feel safe, which was the whole point of having a bodyguard, but there was something different about it. Something personal.

  Omar was always right there, a few steps behind me, or right across the hall at night in his own room, close enough that if I wanted, I could just walk over there.

  But even though thinking about him kept me up half the night sometimes, I knew it was ridiculous to hope for anything. I could never have him. And even if I could, I wouldn’t know what to do with him if I got him.

  So it was better to not even entertain those kinds of thoughts. And I tried so very hard not to, and yet, sometimes, I let my imagination run wild with what-ifs.

  “There's six of us,” Rehan insisted, banging on the table, snapping me out of my daze. As usual, I wasn't even necessary for the meeting that was going on, so I faded in and out of listening as they prattled on about their own prowess and how nothing like what happened in Belaria could ever happen to us.

  “I'd like to see a group of rebels storm in here and try to take over. We'd have them all dead before they could get through the entrance hall,” Rehan finished.

  “Well, there's five of us,” Avi said, glancing at me, and they all laughed. "But still more than enough."

  “When Zyke goes to hide with his precious widdle teddy, we can keep him safe.”

  “And then maybe in gratitude, he'll grow a spine!” Mykel said, and they all laughed again.

  Ellis cleared his throat a moment later, though, and it caught everyone's attention. “I heard from some of the scouts, though, that there's been unrest in our kingdom lately.”

  I glanced at my father quickly, and his thick brows knitted together over a frown. “What do you mean, unrest?” he demanded.

  Ellis shrugged, and he looked like he was regretting bringing it up because our father was absolutely the kind of person who believed in taking things out on the messenger. "Some protesting... and a few soldiers were killed last week."

  “Our soldiers?” Ezra asked.

  “Yeah, our soldiers. In a town in the west of the kingdom. One of the smaller ones. They went to tell the people that we're uppi
ng business taxes, and it did not go well.”

  I shook my head. It was obvious what was happening, but of course, none of them could see it.

  What happened in Belaria was a farce and a disgrace to my father and brothers, but to the people, it was a sign of hope. Proof that things could be changed if they tried hard enough and were willing to give it all they had.

  Belaria didn't fall by accident. It didn't even really fall at all. It was seized. It was taken over by a rebel group that grew until it was the size of a small army. And then the king was killed by his own son's hand.

  That started a fire in the people. Proved that they didn't have to stand for the way things were, and if the people of Belaria had been willing to do it, and had succeeded at it, I was sure the people of Eastola, who lived in similar conditions, were taking notes and wouldn't hesitate to try the same thing.

  Yes, there were more members of our royal family, more princes to go through until they got to the king, but Eastola was also a bigger kingdom, and if the people decided to revolt, it would be a bloody mess.

  “We should make an example of them,” Mykel was saying. “Burn them to the ground as a warning to the rest of these little nothing towns and villages not to fuck with us.”

  Of course that was the solution he came up with, and around the table, all of my other brothers were nodding, showing their approval.

  Without meaning to, I sighed out loud.

  The table fell silent, and I wanted to kick myself for reacting at all. It was always better when I just tried to fade into the background.

  “Something to add, Zyke?” my father said, glaring at me.

  My brothers chuckled, and I knew I should keep my mouth shut, but something compelled me to speak up.

  “I'm just...this isn't the way to keep the people from rising up against you,” I said. “Against us. What happened in Belaria proves that the people are hungry for change and not afraid to get violent to make it happen. The more you take from them, the less they'll have to lose, and when they finally revolt, it will be a mess. If you were just willing to listen to some of the things they were saying, then maybe all the violence and destruction could be avoided.”