7. Leila

SEVEN

LEILA

" T his is ridiculous," Leila mumbled as she shoved her clothes angrily into a bag. She peeked back over her shoulder at the irritatingly sexy king loitering in the hallway.

He had insisted on waiting for her while she packed, almost laughing as Leila had stomped down the hall to her living quarters.

She was so angry at not having a say. And why did this shifter king have to be her savior? And why, oh why, did he have to be so damn hot?

Sure, when they had met, she had felt a very strong attraction to him. One that made her question if she would be able to concentrate enough to ever get them back to the present.

It didn't help that she had already seen him naked. Even now, she couldn't help but remember what lay underneath his clothing?—

Rehn glanced over and caught her eyes on him.

Leila remembered why she was packing and her anger was back.

She glared before flipping her hair to turn and continue packing. She was starting to hate how the madder she got, the more he smiled.

But then he had decided to force her to leave what she knew and stay in his castle with him. Now, it was only pissed-off feelings she had for him.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" he asked, amusement dancing in his tone.

"No," Leila snapped back. "Why would I want a stranger packing my things anyway? You don't know what I need."

"Clearly, neither do you."

She spun around, instantly defensive.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Rehn shrugged his broad shoulders, laughter playing in his eyes. "You wanting to stay here, that's all." He turned around to examine the empty halls.

Leila felt like he wasn't telling her something. But then, maybe he just had that look from being a cocky king.

She groaned in annoyance as she shoved the last of her clothes in. Leila reached for a stack of books. Her hand hovered over the tattered spell books.

Do I bring one or all of them? Or none at all. I mean, I won't be teaching… but I could make sure I am up to speed on what's going on.

The decision made her realize how upset she really was. Not because her life was in danger, but because she would have to leave the academy. Her students. And for how long?

Her eyes traveled to her other books that sat beside her nightstand.

How was she going to practice her new ability if Xanthus wasn't able to help her?

"How long do you think I'll have to stay with you?" she asked. It was hard to not give away the distress she was beginning to feel.

"It depends" came Rehn's reply. "We have to figure out who was helping Drystan. And with him dead, that may take a little longer."

Her irritation was back.

"That's your doing. If he was still alive, I may not have to go with you at all," she called into the hall.

"Not true."

Leila jumped at his words that now came directly beside her. She hadn't heard him enter the room.

She tried to quickly compose herself as she snatched all three books off the table.

"And why's that?"

"We'd have to hold him for questioning. He wouldn't talk right away. And then, you'd have to stay with us. Still."

"Doesn't it ever get tiring?" Leila asked. She was trying to ignore the way that Rehn seemed to be watching her.

"What's that?"

"Getting everything you want." Leila continued to shove more books into another bag as she waited for an answer.

When she didn't receive one, she turned to Rehn.

He was still watching her, his hazel eyes locked on her body.

She knew she should be upset by it, but she wasn't. In fact, it turned her on the way he was looking over her. As if he needed her to breathe…

Rehn broke the spell with his answer.

"Not everything."

The sadness in his answer made her want to implore further. Before she could, he cleared his throat and leaned against her doorframe. His demeanor back to casual.

"Besides, if I were you, I wouldn't get so distraught over where you'll be living. You're not going to want to leave once you arrive."

His cocky tone triggered Leila's frustration with him.

"For your information, Sire, I actually like the academy. It's my home."

"It's your job."

"It's not just my job!" she snapped.

Rehn raised an eyebrow at her as he crossed his arms.

Leila let out a sigh. She zipped up her book bag and turned to Rehn.

"I love my job. Do you know I have never taken a vacation? Because I feel it's unnecessary. There's nothing I want to get away from. Not the students, the studies, anything. My whole life is here. And this… this disruption in my normal day-to-day is not something I was prepared for."

"Are you always prepared?" Rehn asked smugly.

"No," she cracked back. "I just like handling things myself. I know I'm capable and now everyone's treating me like a child."

"No one is treating you as such. You're just being stubborn."

"I am not! I just don't like being told what to do. Or disruption," Leila retorted.

A small chuckle came from Rehn. "You may find that you enjoy my realm."

Leila rolled her eyes again.

Rehn chuckled. "I'm serious. It may even help you with your powers."

"How so?" She turned to him, arms crossed over her chest.

"Well, for one, we have an endless forest. Trees and mountains as far as you can see. Streams and wildlife. Tranquility."

"Pff, we have that here."

Rehn nodded slowly. "In a sense, yes. But you have everything to yourself there. You have the space and don't have to worry about ruining the academy or injuring a student. You can be free to practice your new ability."

Leila thought about the open spaces as she practiced what she and Xanthus had been doing. But without books or her mentor, how would she be able to progress or even learn about what had occurred earlier that day?

"I can't practice my studies."

"Why not? Just because your professor isn't there to babysit?"

Leila looked at him exasperated. "Because not all the luggage I own could fit the books I would need from our library to research what this time-jumping power can do. To me or anyone else. And for your information, Professor Xanthus is a great mentor and has worked with me for almost a year. He's the only reason I was able to do what I did."

"You traveled back in time without him there to guide you. And brought us back," he retorted.

"That's not the point! That was a one-time thing and I have no idea how it happened. I need to research. I need answers that only Xanthus or my books can give me."

Rehn didn't react to her childish outburst.

"There are other books," he said.

She huffed as she looked around for anything else that she might need.

"Yeah, but not the ones we have here."

"True, but these books hold what sorcerers know, not what shifters know."

Leila paused as she rolled over his statement in her mind.

"You have books on time travel?"

He shrugged his massive shoulders. "We may. Our library is quite extensive. As well as our knowledge. Shifters are an old species and we take our loyalties and history seriously. I'm sure you'd find mention of it in more than one book we would have."

Rehn had made an intriguing point. It would be a great opportunity to learn about the shifter world in general, but having access to their own knowledge was exciting. Though, she didn't want to reveal that to Rehn. He was acting smug enough as it was.

"You can't tell me that it wouldn't be nice to get a new perspective on this? As well as solitude and space to practice and explore your powers."

She said nothing, just kept her back to him looking over her packed bags.

"I don't want this to be a bad experience for you. I… we all just want you safe and this is the best way. It's not a punishment. I hope you don't see it as such and take advantage of what we have to offer." Rehn's tone had gone almost apologetic.

Leila felt her heart soften as she considered what he had said.

She turned, her hostile demeanor set aside. For now.

"I guess that wouldn't be so bad. Not like I couldn't use a new outlook on things."

He was trying. She could at least do the same.

She gave him a soft smile to attempt a peace treaty.

His grin back at her almost made her knees weak. If she wasn't mad at him, she was twitter-pated.

Leila was so used to being in control that the whiplash of emotions was exhausting as well as infuriating.

Why did he affect her so? She was a grown-ass woman; she knew better than to be influenced like this.

She grabbed her bags. "Besides," she added, "it's only until we figure out who was working with Drystan and then everything will be back to normal." Knowing there was an end in sight to the chaos was comforting.

Rehn's face shifted from satisfied to conflicted. He took Leila's bags from her, his face still furrowed.

"Let's go then, shall we?"

Leila was unsure of the sudden change in the king but didn't let it affect her too much. Rehn seemed to have a complexity about him that she figured was better to not understand. Besides, she was busy letting excitement take over where irritation had been moments before.

An open place to practice time traveling. Unknown resources and books to explore.

Maybe staying at a castle in the wilderness was just what she needed.

Her eyes flicked to the handsome king strutting in front of her, his tight ass sculpted, even through his clothes.

If she couldn't get any work done, at least she'd enjoy the view.