Becoming His Queen

Chapter Four

The weekend went by in a blur, leaving me grumpy and groggy early Monday morning. I glared woefully at my reflection in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. I was not looking forward to hearing questions and whispers about my mark. I wished folks would mind their business, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen at all. I spat out my toothpaste into the sink before taking off my glasses and switching to my contacts. I blinked a few times as everything came back into focus.

Let’s get the day over.

I walked back into my room and heard my phone vibrating on my dresser. I was curious to know who would be calling this early in the morning. I saw that it was my boss calling and I quickly answered.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Ah, Layla, good. I’m glad I caught you,” said Dr. Tarik on the other end.

“What’s going on?”

“I won’t be able to come in today. I have some plumbing issues going on at home. Can you call the patients for today and reschedule them? You know you can keep the doors locked and the lights off like last time.”

“Oh, sure.”

“Thank you, Layla.”

I quickly hung up and silently cheered. I loved days like this when I didn’t have to worry about much and could do whatever I wanted at work. I quickly sent off a text message to my co-worker that worked at the front desk about what was going on and she sent back a smile emoji.

Sweet! No one was going to harass me today.

I finished getting dressed and headed out the door, coughing as I slid into the hot interior of my car. As I started it up, I noticed that there was a piece of paper sticking out from underneath my wipers. I let the A/C run with the windows down as I climbed back out and grabbed the paper. I unfolded it and read it, well tried to read it. Whatever was written on there was another language that I wasn’t familiar with. I shook my head and folded it up, slipping it into the pocket of my scrub top.

I climbed back into my car and shifted it into gear, pulling away from the curb and down the street to make a U-turn at the end of the small cul-de-sac. I lived small, retiree neighborhood that I was able to get in after I was finally able to get my hands on my great-grandmother's house after so many years. I somehow lucked out being able to purchase it. I had to do some remodeling on the house to make it homier after the person who had bought it out from under my parents when my great-grandmother passed.

I got rid of the horrendous pale peach paint job that they did on the front of the house to make it fit in with the rest of the houses on the street and returned it back to dark blue origins with black window sidings. The towering Christmas tree that once graced the front lawn of the house was gone along with the bountiful rose bush underneath the den window. It was going to take me some time to return the outer parts of the house back to its former glory of what I remembered from my childhood.

The inside of the house, I didn’t mind the updated renovations with a dishwasher, newer heating and cooling system, and a more modern looking bathroom than poor looking bath that I grew up with. No longer were the walls on the inside pink and pale blue like they once were and were replaced with cool beige paint that made everything bright.

Glancing at the house as I sped past it left me with a warmth in my chest with the thought that the was mine. I focused back on the road and continued for the next twenty minutes to my place of employment. As I was pulling into the office I worked at, I could see a small line forming in front of the door. I rolled my eyes as I passed by the people and pulled into the back parking lot. I glanced at the time on my dashboard and saw that it was only eight-thirty in the morning.

The office didn’t open until nine. I groaned inwardly, wondering what was wrong with people that they want to show up thirty minutes before the office opens and stand out in the humid Virginia summer air, knowing fully well the door won’t be unlocked until nine and they see the hours posted on the door.

As I was gathering my stuff and was about to open the door, a movement out the corner of my eye caught my attention. I watched as someone walked from the front of the building and towards my car. I cursed under my breath as I hurriedly slipped out of my car and made my way to the back door.

“Hey, can you open the door?” the person said, coming up behind me.

My key was in my hand, but I made no movement to put it into the slot. I didn’t want this person to follow in behind me.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, turning around and looking at them. “We don’t open for another thirty minutes and unfortunately for today the doctor will not be in and all appointments will have to be rescheduled due him having an emergency.”

I smiled at them sweetly, even though in my head I was groaning at how sweet and polite I had to act.

“Are you kidding me? Why didn’t he let people know sooner?”

“Well, like any emergency, it happens suddenly. If you give me a few minutes to get inside and situated, I can get your rescheduled to the next earliest appointment that we have available.”

“Fine.”

They rolled their eyes before stomping off to the front to let the rest of them know. I sighed, quickly sliding my key into the door and turning it. This was an everyday occurrence where patients would show up an hour or thirty minutes before the office opened, demanding to be let in as soon as someone showed up. I understand that I should let people in severe weather, but if you’re going to show up thirty minutes to an hour earlier before somewhere opens and willingly stand outside, you can’t get mad at me for telling you “No, I can’t let you in until we open.” It was even worse on days that the doctor could come in due to issues at home or last-minute changes.

“Good God,” a voice said behind me.

I glanced back and saw our receptionist slip inside and slam the door behind her. I smiled at her as she locked the door back and mumbled under her breath.

“Morning,” I said.

“Morning,” she said. “What is wrong with people?”

“Who knows? Ready for the day? We have a lot of patients to call.”

“No.”

“That’s the spirit.”

The two of us spent the next thirty minutes making sure that everything was ready to go for the day before turning the light on up front and unlocking the door. I took a deep breath before plastering a fake customer service smile on my face as patients began to pour in through the door.

This is going to be fun, I thought.

*********

After finishing up with the rest of the patients that were on the schedule for the day and rescheduling them for the next coming two weeks, I stretched out at my desk and sighed. I had a stack of files waiting for me to scan in off the side and a Netflix show playing on my screen. I had my door cracked open to listen out for when the office manager walked in.

I didn’t need him to walk in and hear me watching Netflix on the computer to go back and tattle on me. He was annoying man that couldn’t seem to understand boundaries, even when you tell him. I had a few close calls when I came close to cussing him out after I caught him listening in on a conversation I was having with a patient over the phone from his room across the hall and around the corner and reporting back what I said to the doctor. I had to reign myself in

The door slowly opened and Tiana, the office receptionist, poked her head through. I paused my show and looked over at her.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I meant to ask you earlier about your forehead,” she said. “Is that a new tattoo or is it...”

She trailed off and I sighed. I'm glad she was to be cautious about her asking and I respected her for it.

“It’s my mark,” I said. “No clue who my mate it, but this is my mark.”

“Oh, cool. Any guesses of who or what they could be?”

“Not really. To be honest, I’m scared and excited to know who they are.”

“Do you think that they’re immortal?”

“Who knows? I just have to wait and see.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m kind of jealous of you. You’ve been marked and been through the Claiming at least twice and got nothing,” she said sadly.

I felt a pang of guilt. Here I was feeling a little bit of resentment about having a mark on my forehead and she didn’t have anything.

“I mean, yours is probably still out there. They could be in a Deep Sleep hence why you haven’t received your mark yet.”

“True.”

Deep Sleep was when immortals would place themselves in an animated sleep to rejuvenate their bodies and magic. Some could sleep for a few months to years or sleep for centuries without knowing that the world outside was changing. It wasn’t a rare thing that one’s mate could be in a Deep Sleep, but it does happen sometimes.

I jumped when my phone went off in my pocket, ending our entire conversation. I smiled awkwardly as I answered the phone. She nodded as she backed her head out and closed the door.

“Hello?” I said, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

“Hello, is this Miss Trenton?” a haughty voice said.

“May I ask where you are calling from?”

I was wary as to who was calling. By the sound of their voice, they acted like they didn’t want to speak to me. I narrowed my eyes, trying to think of who they were.

If this was a collection call, I'm hanging up. I don’t have time for them to tell me what I owe to who.

“My apologies. My name is Ashyls. I work for King Vairys. I am speaking to Miss Layla Trenton, correct?”

King Vairys? Why does that name sound familiar?

“This is she. How can I help you?”

“Perfect. The nature of my call is because His Majesty, King Vairys, would like to invite you out for dinner to discuss your pending mating.”

My mind blanked for a second after hearing that. I blinked a few times before coming back to my senses.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I heard you correctly. Did you just say pending mating?”

“Yes,” the person sighed, “it would seem like you and His Majesty are mates.”

They sounded as if they were getting annoyed with having to repeat themselves and that they were still on the phone with me.

“I’m sorry, but how is it possible this person knows anything about me. I just got my mark not too long ago.”

“His Majesty has his ways to get information quickly. Now, can I let His Majesty know that you will be joining him tonight?”

“Um, sure.”

“Excellent. I will let him know straight away and will get back to you on the location and time.”

Before I could say anything more, the call ended, and I was left sitting there dumbfounded. I stared down at my phone, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

What the f**k? Who the hell is King Vairys? And why does his name sound familiar?

I minimized Netflix and did a quick search of the name. My jaw dropped from what popped up on the screen. There were several articles that popped up with his name attached to them, but it wasn’t the articles that had my jaw dropping. At the top of the search, were several photos of him from different events. There was one in particular that drew my eye and I immediately clicked on it to get a better look.

The picture was a full shot of him, taken as he stepped out of the hotel he was coming from. He had smooth charcoal skin that shone in the sunlight as long, silver-grey hair flowed loose down his back and shoulders. He had horns that looked as if they were made from obsidian as they stood proudly on either side of his head with little stubs dotting his hairline. He had an immaculate trimmed beard and mustache that was the same color as his hair. Crimson eyes stared back at me as a playful smile danced on his lips. He was wearing a deep red button up with a black vest over top of it.

He was like the living embodiment of dark desires and sinful seduction. If this man, this demon, was supposed to be my mate, then I would happily accept him. I could just imagine the feel of his hands on my skin as he pulled me close as he whispered all the things he would do to me in the cover of darkness. A delicious shiver shook my whole body as I stared at the picture. I shook my head to clear my head. There was no way that this person was my mate and there was no point in entertaining the thought.

As I was about to click the red x, something on his head caught my attention. I zoomed in on the picture and stared at the same markings as mine, but in reverse colors.