When Sasha opened the door, her hand still on the knob. She froze.
Derek stood right there on the threshold, tall and imposing, his expression cold and detached. His eyes locked onto hers with that quiet intensity he was known for.
Her heart lurched violently. Without thinking, she severed the mind-link with Ruby, cutting her off completely.
Then, she bowed quickly, trying to keep her voice steady. "Your Grace. Ruby isn't here."
Derek's eyes didn't move from her. "I'm not here for Ruby," he said in a deceptively calm voice.
Sasha felt his pheromones even through his apparent calm, the low, controlled pressure of a King keeping himself deliberately restrained, which was somehow more unsettling than if he had simply let them out. She stepped aside quickly and gestured for him to enter.
He walked past her into the foyer, and she slipped out behind him, pulling the front door closed with barely a sound, and did not look back.
