“Being compared negatively to Linus would really make Chrysanthe cry,” Queen Leila said.
“Doubtful,” Rigel said. “Most everyone else respects your father.”
“I respect him too, but I could do without all the babies-sitting-in-flowers-photographs he keeps texting me to hint that he wants us to start popping out grandkids.” Queen Leila tapped her chin. “I should make him go greet the polar bear!”
“You are going to have to greet the polar bear,” Rigel said. “It’s unavoidable.”
“Psh, you underestimate me,” Leila said.
“Not at all,” Rigel said. “It’s merely that it’s outside the door.”
“What?” Queen Leila was back at the open window. “Something came up, so I—uhh—have to make an emergency departure.”
“My Sovereign,” Chase said in a warning tone as he started to skirt around his desk and approach the fae queen.
“Greyson, Pip, have a fast trip back home! Portal traveling can be trippy, but make sure you stop by the kitchens before you leave for lunch!” Queen Leila boosted herself onto the edge of the sill—which I was pretty sure turned two of Chase’s hair follicles instantly white.
“Can’t you be an adult about this?” Consort Rigel grumbled as he edged past Chase and slithered onto the sill after Leila.
“I have a thing about giant bears,” Queen Leila said. “Mainly that they could eat me.”
“That’s an unconvincing argument considering some of the animals you’ve played with in the past.” Consort Rigel held on to the edge of the building with one hand and scooped his wife up with the other.
“Playing doesn’t mean I let their teeth anywhere near my head.” Queen Leila threw her arms around Consort Rigel’s neck and clung to him.
She waved to us before Rigel stalked off, easily carrying her as he confidently strode down the thin stone sill, disappearing from the line of windows.
Just after they slipped out of sight, the door buckled, then popped open.
My heart pounded in my chest as a wall of white fur filled the doorway. An enormous polar bear pushed his head in—which was practically the size of my upper body.
It blinked shiny black eyes, and its large black nose twitched as it sniffed the air, but when it opened its mouth to huff/growl its disappointment I deeply understood Queen Leila’s desire to avoid the creature.
Its teeth were bigger than my fingers!
Chase bowed to the creature. “I apologize—she just left.”
The bear huffed again, sucked its head into the hallway, then ambled off.
I plopped down in the metal chair Greyson had previously abandoned. “Wow. It must be a constant shot of adrenaline to work here.”
“It is an interesting workplace,” Chase mildly said.
“I’m glad it has worked so well,” Greyson said.
Chase ducked his head. “Queen Leila is an honorable leader, and the Night Court has become another Pack to me, but it works only because I still retain my link with the Northern Lakes Pack.” He offered a slight smile—which was the biggest positive reaction you could ever hope to get from him—and ruffled my hair.
“Cut that out.” I gave up trying to restore order to my hair—the bun had given it a weird kink, but it was extra big and staticky now.
The door banged open again—I was starting to get the feeling that this was a normal occurrence for Chase—and in marched a handsome fae lord with a pair of sunglasses settled low on the bridge of his nose and his dark hair pulled back in a high ponytail.
“Greetings, puppies!” He smiled mischievously and flicked his sunglasses off with a flourish.
I’d met him once before, but between his dark hair and purple-ish-blue eyes that I’d only ever seen in Leila, as well as his good-humored grin, Lord Linus’s parental relationship to Queen Leila would have been obvious. （Though I’ll admit it had thrown me the first time I met him, given that he looked barely a decade older than his daughter. Fae aged more slowly than werewolves, so it wasn’t surprising, but as someone who hadn’t been around many fae it was still a little jarring.）
“My darling daughter sent me a text and said you needed my help, Chase? Which, might I say, is such a rare occasion I think we should take a selfie for posterity!” He winked at me, gave Greyson a little salute, and generally seemed like a charming idiot, but I could see the faint outline of a hidden dagger strapped to his back, tucked under his long-sleeved shirt, in a way that would have been unnoticeable to anyone who didn’t have to frequently hide weapons on their body.