Page 19 of What the Hex
I can’t believe he actually announced it.
You really should care more about your appearance.
“King?”
Blinking, he looked up to see Emrys watching with obvious concern.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He pulled his shoulders back and pasted on a smile he didn’t really feel. “I’m good. I was just thinking.”
“So…anything else?”
His insides twisted, and blood roared in his ears, but he never let his smile slip. “Just an unsweetened green tea.”
Chapter six
As the fan meet wound to a close, Storm felt on top of the world.
After the initial interest in his new mate, the conversation had gradually and organically shifted to the upcoming series. Once that topic had been exhausted, he and Damien had fielded a series of questions about their likes, dislikes, future plans, and all things Otherling.
All in all, it had gone better than he’d expected. Still, he knew this gathering of fans was only a small sampling. He hadn’t had a chance to check his social media accounts, but he was well aware that not everyone would be happy about the announcement.
He just hoped King hadn’t seen any of the nasty comments.
Glancing over his shoulder to the edge of the dais, his brow furrowed, and his lips pressed together in a straight line. King stood next to Arlo, but he wore a blank expression with glossy eyes that didn’t seem to be focused on anything in particular. He didn’t appear worried or upset exactly. He just looked…blank, like he had completely checked out from what was going on around him.
“King!”
His head snapped up at Storm’s summons, his expression cleared, and a sweet smile stretched his lips. Twisting around, he grabbed something off the table behind him before hurrying up the steps and across the stage.
“Matcha latte with oat milk,” he said as he presented the drink with both hands. “If you prefer coffee, I can go get it, but I didn’t think you’d want that much caffeine this late.”
“This is perfect.” Taking the drink in one hand, he hooked his index finger into the breast pocket of his mate’s jacket and pulled him down for a quick kiss. “Thank you.”
The row of girls waiting to have their picture taken with him squealed and giggled as King blushed an adorable shade of red. Part of Storm felt bad for embarrassing him. That honestly hadn’t been his intention. In fact, he hadn’t really thought about it at all.
Still, there was another part of him that thought his mate looked stunning with his soft smile and pink cheeks.
“Um, can we get a picture with both of you?” One of the young ladies from the group stepped forward and waved her phone. “Please?”
Storm rose from his seat at the small folding table and reached out for King’s hand. “It’s up to you.”
King considered him for a moment, then took his hand and moved to stand beside him. “Sure. I don’t mind.”
This created another bout of giggles as the four girls rushed to huddle close for their photo.
A few members of the hotel staff had been co-opted to help out with the event. Mostly cleaning, refilling water pitchers, and the like. Some, however, had been assigned to the stage to maintain some kind of order and keep things moving smoothly.
The poor female positioned in front of his table suddenly found her hands full of four different cell phones with strict instructions of how to take photos with each. To her credit, she never showed an ounce of annoyance or displeasure. In fact, she looked eager to be of service.
Still, Storm refused to let his fans mistreat anyone in front of him, even unintentionally.
“Thank you,” he told the female when she had finished with the last picture. “I really appreciate all your help.”
“Yes,” King added. “Thank you, Nita. You’re doing a great job.”
Her dark ponytail bobbed as she clasped her hands together in front of her and rocked up on her toes. “Oh, I’m happy to do it. If you need anything else, just let me know.”