Be My Queen (The Crown Duet Book 2)

on auto-pilot. Leaving the compound, then the bus journey, talking to Rachel, Kaleb’s surprise and Ambrose’s anger. All of it blurred together into one helluva day.
I was lingering on the staircase, slowly making my way down when a clattering sound erupted from down the hallway. The kitchen? I followed it and found Rachel seated at the breakfast bar with a mug in her hand and a plate in front of her. My stomach grumbled at the sight of food. A clang came from my right and I relaxed when I found the sound coming from the maid as she dried and put away the dishes.
“Good morning, dear. Would you like some coffee?”
I smiled in response and nodded, I rounded the island to where the maid was standing, already with a cup in one hand and a pot of coffee in the other. “Thanks,” I said as I took the offered cup.
“What would you like to eat? You must be starving. You hardly ate anything at dinner last night.”
“Cereal will be fine.” The maid showed me to a cupboard with a row of cereal boxes, then proceeded to get me a bowl and a spoon.
So far, it seemed like a normal morning. Except it fucking wasn’t, was it?
It was my first night here, my first morning in this house, my first time being in this kitchen. I didn’t expect a parade or anything but why was Rachel acting so damn normal. Like it was any other day, and not the day her daughter came home. I held in my disappointed sigh as I moved effortlessly around the kitchen.
I supposed it was my fault for building it up in my head. I thought that I had learnt a long time ago to keep your expectations for family as low as possible. If anyone was able to cut you deep it’s family, so stay low and keep a safe distance.
There was a thump outside and my ears perked at the sound. A harsh resounding banging started on the front door seconds later. That was him. It was irrational, but some part of me just knew. He was here and I’d bet everything I had that he was planning on dragging me back to Boston.
Well, that was quick. Apparently, I’d had cause for concern during my sleepless night.
Goosebumps rose along my skin at the thought of seeing him again. It had only been a day and I’d already missed him, like we’d been separated for months and not hours.
His presence was one that became addictive without you even being aware of it. Then suddenly I’ve turned around, he’s no longer there - I feel like I’m missing a leg. That phantom part of me has returned now, I know it. I can feel it as real as air, as true as my breath. He is here. He is here. He has come for me. I know it.
I tried my hardest to hide my reaction from Rachel. I was lucky that she wasn’t close enough to notice Nikolai’s effect on me because it was almost impossible to quell the excitement buzzing through my veins. Rachel was too occupied to notice me as she startled at the banging.
“What in the heck....?” Rachel jumped at the sound, looking up from her coffee. “Rosetta, who is that?”
Rosetta, I assumed, was the maid. We hadn’t been officially introduced - and I assumed we wouldn’t be - but I had seen her scurrying around. She seemed timid and I couldn’t imagine how she would last long working here. It was obvious that Rachel struck the fear of god into the poor woman.
There was a commotion in the foyer. My skin came alive, tingling at the sound of Nikolai’s voice. It had barely been twenty-four hours but it had felt like a lifetime.

“Anastasia.” Nikolai burst into the kitchen. A true man on a mission. His eyes were wild, his gruff voice almost feral. “Outside, now.”
This wasn’t a side of Nikolai that I was well acquainted with, but his demanding presence had me squeezing my thighs together. Maybe it was the unshaven look, maybe it was his unabashed attitude but somehow angry Nikolai was even hotter than my sweet Nik.
“Now,” he growled. Ugh. He was so fucking sexy. I had to resist breaking into a smile at the possessive order, at the gruffness in his voice. It was everything I had dreamed it would be.
Dropping my spoon to the counter, I jumped down from the barstool and went to follow him out. As soon as I’m in his radius his big paw reaches out to take hold of my hand, pulling me closer to him. Before we exited the kitchen, Rachel grabbed hold of my other arm in a vice-like grip.
“What is going on? Do I need to call your father?” Her voice dropped to a whisper at the end. Almost like she thought that would stop the man standing right next to me from hearing her.
“No. It’s fine,” I waved her off and threw her a tight-lipped smile. “I’ll handle it.”
As soon as we were past the front threshold I heard the door slam. From their seats in Nikolai’s truck, I see Drex and Zedd jump and run to us. Their arms wrapped around me tightly as their mouths worked triple time expressing their happiness and concern.
I was sure I also heard Zedd complain about Nikolai’s ‘bitchy ass mood’.
They let go of me and Nikolai stepped forward, pressing his front into my back. He cleared his throat before giving the guys a hard look, making them retreat back to the truck.
I frowned at Nikolai as I turned to face him. “Well, that was rude,” I admonished, gesturing to his brothers. The guys were only saying hello. He didn’t have to be a dick about it.
“Anastasia,” he sighed, bypassing any other response. His hands ran down my arms until they interlocked with my own. I took that second to catch a breath, to take a long hard look at