A King to Be Feared

by Brea Alepoú

  “Nothing to worry about,” Mazki said confidently.

  Adom’s rough hand caressed Mazki’s chin before forcing his face to turn back to Adom. He was met with stern eyes that turned his insides to liquid.

  Mazki sighed. “Seth will explain to everyone once he’s up here.”

  The door to the library opened, and Seth strode in and instantly went to Titos. Mazki watched them for a second.

  Mazki: Everyone to the library. Grab Kyo and Ginger as well.

  It only took a few minutes, but slowly everyone joined in. Ginger was the last to join them in the library. Titos had a beautiful blush coloring his cheeks.

  “Uh, so there is something about me that I haven’t told all of you,” Titos started.

  He went into an explanation about how his body went into slumber and how vulnerable he was in such a state.

  “Should we cancel?” Ginger asked.

  Titos shook his head. “I’m tired, but I have a good week before it fully hits. We might not be able to stay for the entire time, but we still should go.”

  Mazki met his fellow keepers’ gazes; they were all thinking the same thing. Titos’s safety was above all else.

  “Stop worrying, guys, and not to mention if something does go wrong and I fall into my slumber before we get to leave, I know I have all of you to protect me.”

  Mazki nodded in agreeance. Titos, in fact, had them all.

  Adom turned to Ginger. “Ginger, I think it’s best if we go a day sooner than everyone else.”

  Ginger nodded. “Consider it done.”

  Warm, fluffy pancakes with the perfect amount of syrup were one of the best things about being king. The amount of food and how well it was prepared had to be top five on Titos’s list. It probably seemed strange to others, but he’d been on the run most of his life. Eating had been reduced to frozen meals and takeout.

  Titos was still a huge fan of cereal, but nothing beat a hot, homemade breakfast. He cut himself a piece and groaned as the rich flavor coated his tongue and stroked along his taste buds. Titos’s eyes fell closed, and a small groan slipped from between his lips.

  Gin: Wow, is it normal to be jealous of pancakes?

  Mazki: Oh, for sure.

  Kail: Literally everything Titos eats.

  Titos’s face went aflame as his keepers went back and forth about the sounds he made while eating. Seth placed a warm hand on Titos’s thigh, making him squirm a bit on the man’s lap.

  Seth: I think the sounds you make while you eat are adorable.

  Adom: I have to second that.

  Alfrik: Especially when you’re tearing into a juicy steak.

  Titos groaned for a completely different reason. He opened his eyes and glared at his lava bear shifter. It was his turn to sit next to Titos. Alfrik grinned back in answer to the glare. Titos couldn’t fight it for long, the corners of his lips lifting up in a grin. He couldn’t possibly stay upset with any of his keepers, not when he could feel them so clearly through their bonds.

  His gaze swept over the table, where they sat as a unit. There was officially six, but it wasn’t just only his keepers that were at his table. No, Titos had gained so much more. He had Ginger, Liby, and now Kyo. From loneliness to being surrounded by smiling faces was surreal, but Titos never wanted it to disappear.

  Seth: We will go nowhere. We are yours for all eternity.

  The declaration wasn’t needed, and yet it eased something inside of Titos he hadn’t known was there. He lay back against Seth’s chest for a second and soaked in the man’s body heat.

  “Will we have custom suits made for this event?” Mazki asked.

  Ginger drank some coffee. “Yes, I already have Gavin on it.”

  Titos swallowed his food and sat up once more. Right, they needed to be ready for the event at Amongie house. He was still a little weary, but as his keepers and Ginger had pointed out, they needed allies. So far his enemies had been underestimating them greatly, but that was only going to last so long with Titos beating everything tossed at him so far.

  “Can we put in a request?” Gin asked.

  Ginger already had her phone out. “Sure thing, but if you’re asking for something more your style, I’ve already updated Gavin on it.”

  Gin was all smiles.

  “Actually, I was thinking we would go to someone else,” Titos offered.

  Ginger’s perfectly arched brows dipped. “Are you unhappy with Gavin’s work?”

  Titos shook his head. In fact, their day-to-day clothes were spot-on. Gavin seemed to have an understanding of everyone’s tastes, even with the man avoiding Titos like the plague.

  “No, it’s nothing like that. I just know that Adom said there was an edoli family that ran a boutique in town.”

  Ginger’s round face glowed as she grinned at him. “Oh yes, they have some beautiful selections, and the appearance amongst the people will be good.” She was already standing up from her seat. Her fitted pink pantsuit showed off all her curves and looked great on her. How in the world Ginger pulled off green hair and a pink suit was beyond Titos’s comprehension, but there was no denying she was doing just that.

  “I was hoping to talk you into doing more appearances amongst the people,” Ginger said.

  “You can finish eating first,” Titos said, worried he might have given her even more work to do.

  Ginger chuckled. “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll have it brought to the office. I will also have everything ready to go before the lot of you are done eating.” She turned on her heels and marched out of the kitchen, phone to ear, before Titos could protest.

  “We get to go shopping?” Mazki said. He seemed happiest about it.

  “I hope they have something I like. Then again, I could always alter it a little,” Gin said.

  Adom cleared his throat. “You two understand that this is more than a shopping trip?”

  Gin actually sat up straighter in his seat as he nodded, unlike Mazki, who had a dreamy look on his face.

  “It’s going to be fun to pick out clothes again. I mean, it’s awesome that Gavin brings us our stuff, but I miss the mundane things like picking out an outfit,” Mazki said.

  Adom sighed as he grabbed Mazki’s ear. Titos covered his mouth to hide his laughter. “Boy, we are not going there just for fun. Titos will be making his first public appearance.”

  Mazki whimpered and poked out his bottom lip, and Titos knew instantly that it was a ploy to get his way. He shook his head at his troublemaking phoenix.

  “Best behavior,” Adom stressed.

  Mazki rolled his marble-colored eyes. “Fine, I’ll be good. I know we have to make sure Titos is seen in a good light.”

  “Especially after you burned that one guy’s face half off,” Kail muttered.

  Titos groaned as Kyo and Gin both gawked at him.

  “You did what?” Kyo asked.

  Titos wasn’t sure where to start. He wanted Kyo and especially Gin to see him for who he was. And yeah, he’d done it, and not a part of him regretted the action. It was cruel, yes, but Titos couldn’t afford to look weak in front of everyone. Edoli just didn’t work that way.

  “He did what he needed to do. Instead of killing the man, he found a way around it,” Alfrik said. He shrugged his broad shoulders, pulling Titos’s attention. “Most rulers would have killed the edoli’s entire family just for stepping out of line.”

  An uncomfortable twist in Titos’s stomach made him feel queasy. Alfrik wasn’t wrong by any means, but Titos had never wanted to be like other rulers, not in the slightest. But the edoli way of living couldn’t be changed overnight. It was years in the making, and Titos being nice and allowing his people to do whatever and say anything to him would only be perceived as one way: weak.

  Kyo opened her mouth, but it was Gin who spoke. “You did what was necessary.”

  Gold eyes stared back at Titos, and he could feel the sincerity in Gin’s words. Although he hadn’t been there, he still held belief in Titos. Warmth spread t
hroughout Titos’s chest, and he wanted nothing more than to go to Gin and pull him in for a kiss.

  “Please, not at the table,” Kyo groaned. She tried to hide it, but there was a smile on her face as she elbowed her brother.

  Titos pushed down the heat that had started to swirl in the pit of his stomach. He needed to stay focused, and not to mention, he still had pancakes to get through.

  “Oh, before I forget,” Titos said, grabbing everyone’s attention. His gaze went to Kyo. Everyone at the table was going to attend the event with him; it was a no-brainer. “Kyo, will you be joining us?”

  With no hesitation, she nodded. “Yes, if that’s okay with you.”

  Titos smiled at her. “Of course.”

  As far as Titos was concerned, Kyo was a part of his newfound family just as much as her brother.

  Gin: Thank you.

  Titos glanced over to his newest keeper. His eyes were lined with charcoal, making the gold stand out even more. He wrapped the gold strand of their bond around his hand mentally and tugged it lightly. Gin’s eyes fluttered shut, and he fell slightly forward.

  Titos let it go before he got carried away and went back to eating. He ignored the eyes on him and the desire pouring through the bonds from all his keepers. It felt good to be wanted.

  ***

  True to her word, Ginger had everything set up by the time everyone finished breakfast. A limo was outside the doors of the main house, waiting for them to enter.

  Kail whistled. “Flashy.”

  Titos had to agree. He’d be fine showing up in the old beat-up truck they’d traveled in. But he also knew appearances were everything. Titos sighed.

  “No need for that. I know you don’t like all of this, but I didn’t just pick the limo out for show,” Ginger said.

  The driver opened the door and bowed to Titos.

  “This is also a good way for all your keepers to travel with you in the same car. That way there won’t be any arguments about who gets to ride with you,” Ginger said.

  Titos chuckled, but it was cut off by a yawn. Seth rubbed his lower back, making him lean more on the man. Titos felt a moment of tiredness, but he shook it off. He had shit to do. He could sleep later, preferably in his big bed surrounded by all his keepers.

  The limo drive over was a lot faster than Titos had anticipated, but they pulled to a stop at a small boutique in the middle of downtown. It had an old rustic feel to it outside, but upon entering, everything screamed lavish and exotic.

  “Your Highness, welcome,” the man said. His forehead glistened with sweat, and his smile looked too forced.

  Titos wasn’t sure how to proceed. He needed the man to take it down a notch. There was no need to be so nervous around him, but he also knew he couldn’t exactly say that either.

  Ginger stepped forward. “King Titos, this is Everett Vix. He and his family make some of the finest clothes. Gavin himself comes to them for most of your items.”

  Titos smiled at the man, who seemed to ease with Ginger’s praise.

  “Thank you. I look forward to whatever you have for us to pick from,” Titos said. He felt stiff, and he was sure a ruler who’d grown up in the lifestyle would have handled it ten times better.

  Adom: You are doing fine. Just breathe.

  Titos took in a deep breath.

  “Right this way. We have an array of items. I went ahead and picked out a few items. I do hope that’s okay,” Everett said.

  Titos gave him a warm smile. “Yes, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.”

  Everett’s shoulders relaxed a little more as he showed them to a seating area. Liby stood behind the sofa, hands behind her back. Her blue eyes scanned the shop diligently. Kyo was quick to move right next to her.

  Seth sat down first, and Titos sat down next to him. Adom sat on Titos’s left, with Mazki taking the seat next to Adom. Kail plopped down next to Seth. Gin squeezed in next to Kail, and Alfrik sat his hulking form next to Mazki. Titos grinned as everyone was sitting together. He could easily picture them having a movie night or watching some mundane television together.

  Everett cleared his throat. “Ginger has already informed me everyone here will be needing outfits.”

  “Yes, Ginger is included in that as she will be attending as well,” Titos said.

  Everett nodded, and he turned too quickly and nearly tripped over his own feet. Titos felt for the man—it was a new situation for them all. He quickly righted himself and cleared his throat. Titos made no comment about it and gave the man a reassuring smile.

  “Molly, please bring in the items,” Everett said.

  A woman with the same dark brown hair and blue eyes as Everett walked in. She pulled in three racks full of black tuxedos. They were clearly finally made, but they were all basic.

  “You don’t like them?” Everett asked.

  Titos schooled his face, instantly making it go blank. “No, they look great, and I can tell they are high quality.”

  Molly was the one to smile at the compliment, but Everett’s gaze was hard as he studied Titos. The man had the stern-father look down pact. Titos was sure Molly got away with nothing under such scrutiny.

  “Your Highness, thank you for the compliment, however, there is clearly a ‘but’ in your statement.”

  Adom: Be sure of yourself. He wants to give you his best, but he is also in the dark on this.

  Titos rolled his shoulders back, thankful for Adom’s steady guidance. “We were—my keepers and I would like to choose our clothes. We each have different tastes.”

  “Molly, take the tuxedos back and have your mother bring in the other garments,” Everett said. He turned back to them and bowed. “I apologize, Your Majesty.”

  Titos refrained from making any wild gestures with his hands. “No need. This was all last-minute—no need to put so much pressure on it.”

  Everett actually gave Titos a small smile. A woman joined them, along with Molly, and they both pulled three carts full of clothes. Instead of the basic black tuxedos, there was a variety of items.

  “If there is anything specific you have in mind, please tell either me or my daughter. We will be able to make the item upon request,” Everett said.

  Titos had kept his magic locked away since walking in, but he let it out and felt along all three of them. Everett was an edoli, and so was his daughter, but his wife on the other hand was human.

  “Your Highness, if you don’t mind, I will work with you personally,” Everett said.

  Titos’s head tilted to the side, and he looked over each of his keepers. “Actually, I prefer you working with Gin, Kyo, Mazki, and Adom.” Titos lifted his hand, halting any protest. “I may be the king, but I am the least picky out of all of us. If you don’t mind, Everett, I think your wife can work with me. I won’t have any special requests, unlike my keepers.”

  Everett looked unsure, and the woman’s eyes went big, but she bowed.

  “I am only a human. I don’t have any special magic like my husband and daughter,” she said.

  Titos stood and walked over to her slowly and smiled. Over the years, he’d gotten used to being around just humans; it felt normal to be with one once again. “That’s fine, I assure you. What’s your name?”

  She glanced at her husband before she answered Titos. “Linda.”

  Titos beamed at her and offered his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to leave the more difficult clients to your daughter and husband.”

  She returned his smile and took his hand. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

  Titos wanted to tell them she didn’t need to call him that but refrained from doing so. He glanced over to his keepers and nodded for them to do their own thing.

  It took no time at all for them to start looking through all the clothes. Titos sighed in relief as Everett and Molly both relaxed a bit more. Titos turned back to Linda as she showed him another option he could go with.

  “Everything looks great,” Titos said.


  Linda’s head tilted to the side as she smiled at him. “But it’s a bit flashy for your taste?”

  Titos sighed. “Yes.”

  Linda tapped her finger on her chin. “I’d give you less flashy options, but you’re going somewhere to make a statement, correct?”

  Titos nodded that he was. Linda placed the bright blue suit back on the rack. She disappeared for a second before coming back with an all-white three-piece tuxedo with accents of red.

  “It’s flashy but subtle at the same time,” Linda said.

  Titos took in the full suit. It was beautiful. “Okay, let’s try it on.”

  Linda handed the suit over. “I’ll come in once you’re ready and make some markings for any alterations we need. It will be ready in no time. My husband is the best.”

  “It’s good you believe in him so much. He is lucky to have you,” Titos said.

  She blushed, and he went to get changed. The suit nearly fit perfectly, and it looked amazing on him. He couldn’t wait to show his keepers. The only reason he didn’t rush out to show them was simply so he could surprise them the day of the event.

  Linda came in and went about marking where it needed to be taken in. “You know, I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you are different than I expected.”

  Titos glanced her way. He was used to being different; it seemed to be his personal motto at that point. “How so?” He made sure to smile so she wouldn’t think he was angry in any way with her.

  “You are treating me like I’m a person and not the scum of the world for diluting the edoli blood,” Linda confessed. She avoided his eyes, but Titos reached down and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “You seem to love your husband and daughter regardless that they are different from you. I have no problems with humans or humans and edoli pairing together as long as one isn’t taking advantage of the other.”

  She gave him white teeth, showing a grin. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Can’t tell you how nice that is to hear.”

  Titos made a mental note to talk to all the edoli and humans who were involved with edoli and knew of them in his territory. He wouldn’t shove the constant bigotry down their throats. He wanted his territory to be different, to be more open and safe.