The Princess and Her Secret Mate

Chapter 2

“Thanks for the reminder,” I tell her and let my gaze fall back to the water as I move my feet making small waves in the pool.

One week later….

Being the daughter of the Alpha King often has its advantages. Skyler and I came up with a plan to make Lennox jealous. She doesn’t seem hopeful that it will work but since I told her this would be the last time and last thing I tried she was willing to help me. It’s been a week since mom died. The mate gathering is in two days time so now was as good a time as any to talk to my father.

“You want a new bodyguard, why?”

I tilted my head and my eyebrows knitted together. “Jim informed me he’s retiring and I should find another one. But if you’re not wanting to get some people for me to interview that’s fine with me,” I say standing to my feet.

“Wait, I’ll call Jim and confirm,” He dials something on his landline and places the phone to his ear. One thing about my dad? He never wants me without protection.

“He’s going to find out,”Lola my wolf tells me.

“No he won’t. Besides Jim did tell me he was retiring and I should start looking for someone to replace him,” I remind her.

“Whatever you say,” She replied.

“Okay, I’ll have some guys ready for you to interview tomorrow morning,” My dad says, as he glances down at his stacks of paperwork on his desk.

“Thank you,”

I placed my hand on the doorknob as he spoke again.

“Are you doing okay Red?”

I look back at him and half smile.

“No. But I’m learning everyday how to deal with it,” I said honestly and he nods “Me too. If you need anything let me know,”

“I will. I love you dad,” He smiles at me then he hasn’t smiled since mom died. “I love you to,”

Skyler and are currently swimming in the pool since it’s a hot day and neither one of us found our mates yet. We were hoping we’d find them before the mating Gala in a couple of days.

“I wonder how many he gets for you to interview?” I shrug my shoulders knowing dad at least ten because he will want to make sure to get the right one.

“Hopefully a few good looking one’s,” I replied.

“He’ll yes,”

I raised my brow and she pursed her lips, “You’re not the only one that likes to look at good looking guys,” She mutters. Of course I knew that but Sky never mentioned liking older guys. She always scolds me about her brother and the age gap.

“What happened to older guys who are too old and probably can’t get it up?”

“I was only talking about my brother because it’s gross,” She scrunched her nose.

Skyler’s parents weren’t so good to her she was in a bad living situation and when she could no longer do it she called Lennox who drove for three days to get her when she was nine years old so her brother is like her father.

“I get it. But he is so f*****g sexy,” I tell her and again she scrunches her nose.

“I hope Nathan Lewis is my mate,” Skyler says, leaning back on her float letting the sun tan her skin.

Nathan Lewis is the jock at school. Skyler’s had a crush on him forever now.

“To bad for you that were done with high school and you’ll probably never see him again,”

“True,” She sighs, “But he was still the hostess guy in that damn hellhole.

“Who knows if he is your mate then he can talk to his friends and get more people to come to dance competitions. After all this is the last show for us,” I reminded her and she pouted. The one thing we both love more than anything is our dancing.

“Being in adult sucks,”

“Maybe to you. But I kept telling myself when I’m eighteen he would notice me then but he hasn’t,”

“Uh, going on about Lennox again Red?”

“No more than you with Nathan Lewis,”

“Whatever,” She rolls her eyes and we lay there floating as the sun kisses our skin.

The next morning as I walked into my fathers office there were about six men lined up against the right wall. My father was standing in the middle of the room waiting for my arrival while Lennox was standing stiff as a board behind the desk .... keep as much distance from me as he could.

“Red, ask them anything you’d like. All of them passed the background check.” My dad informs me.

I stood in front of the first man then moved to the second and so on until I was standing in front of the last one. He’s not as old as the others, maybe in his early twenties, blonde hair, brown eyes and muscles as big as my fathers. He’s the one but I can’t just say that I have to ask a series of questions but I know Skyler will enjoy his view.

“I’m sure my father has asked you all of you are willing to give your life for mine?” They all nod.

“Does anyone here like dirty dancing?”

He raised his hand…yes.

“What would you do if we were out in public?” I asked the first one.

“Stay with you at all times Ms Whitlock,” That’s the wrong answer.

I moved to the second one and he said “make sure no one gets close,” which was also another wrong answer. When I finally got him the sixth one his reply was “Lay low and watch for potential threats,” that was the right answer.

I asked them about twenty questions and when I was done daddy told them all to wait outside.

“Which one do you want?” Lennox but I don’t say that I just pretend to be in thought about this.

“Number six. Not only did he answer the questions right but he is also good looking,” I told my dad and he chuckled as he shook his head.

“You’re just like your mother,”

“How so?” I asked.

“That’s what she used to say about her bodyguards. She’d say if I have to have a bodyguard I at least want to enjoy the view,”

“I’ll let Liam know,” Dad said, still chuckling, shaking his head.

“Number two had the best potential in my opinion,” Lennox told my dad and my eyes drift in his direction.

“I thought so too but it's Red’s decision,” Dad replied. Lennox’s fist clenched at his side as he told my father through clenched teeth. “Making the decision based on looks isn’t the smartest decision,”

My dad looks over at him then and frowns, “why do you care who protects my daughter?”

“I just don’t want Skyler gawking at him all the time. She needs to worry more about colleges than men,” Lennox told him.

Oh, this is about Sky not him being jealous like I thought.

“My wife made the rule to get to pick your bodyguard and I won’t change it now. Liam it is,” He said firmly and Lennox jaw tightened more than it was before he takes long strides towards door leaving the office altogether.