Page 4 of Royally Flocked

The last he’d heard, the asshole had retired to Mexico…with his mate.

Since then, it had been a parade of new Guardians coming and going from the castle. Katja had never been on time for anything. Rogan had been more interested in flirting with the female staff than he had been in performing his duties.

Both were now happily mated.

Like Thorne and Sita, Tiana had met her mate while performing her duties as a Guardian. The same for her successor, Zane.

After them, there had been Corbin. He had lasted approximately three minutes. Worse, when he had left, he had taken another Guardian with him. While Orrin had never gotten the chance to know Corbin, Eirik had been with him for more than a decade.

Still, he supposed all he could do was wish them well in their new relationship.

The latest disappointment also hadn’t lasted long. Yin had been jovial, charming, and charismatic. It had quickly become apparent, however, that he wasn’t even a Guardian.

When questioned, he had confessed to being an agent in the Ministry Department of Defense. Specifically, the division that oversaw the protection of the royal families. When word had reached the department that a certain elf prince had gone and lost another Guardian, Yin had been sent to find out what the hell was going on.

Apparently, Orrin had become something of a hero—or a villain, depending on who was asked—in the MDD. Rumors had been circulating that only a few minutes in his presence was enough to ensure an Otherling would meet their fated partner. So, Yin had eagerly accepted the job, all in the name of finding true love.

Hell, Orrin couldn’t even be mad at him.

He did have to wonder, however, if he had somehow been cursed to unwittingly play cupid to those around him. As absurd as it sounded, he hadn’t just been losing Guardians like some people lost socks. His mother’s personal courtier, two members of the cooking staff, half a dozen random attendants, and the freaking gardener had also found their happy endings and left the castle.

All within the last year.

Not everyone wanted to be mated, though. That went double for many Guardians whose entire lives revolved around the oath they’d taken. In fact, according to Yin, there was a long list of Otherlings who had flat-out refused to work for him because of the stories floating around the Ministry.

That probably should have bothered him more than it did. He still had four Guardians, however, all of whom he had known for years. He liked them. Trusted them. They worked well together, and frankly, he saw no reason to expand their ranks.

As the sole heir to the entire elven court, safety had been drilled into him from an early age. He understood why he needed protection, but he had always thought that a six-man Guard was overkill.

Cleary, MOA thought otherwise because they wouldn’t give him a moment of peace, not even while he was on vacation.

Rarely did he have the pleasure of staying at Blackhaven Manor outside of official business. More importantly, he had never attended even one of the festivals held by the hotel. Private parties, weddings, and invite-only dinners, sure. While beautiful and extravagant, it wasn’t the same.

Or so he’d been told.

For three months, he had worked his ass off so that he could clear two whole weeks from his schedule in order to enjoy the Winter Extravaganza without interruption. So, naturally, on his first night in Colorado, he had been informed that his new Guardian would be meeting him at the hotel.

Brilliant.

Flanked by his Guard, he stood in the moonlight at the bottom of the stone steps in front of the gothic castle. A fresh blanket of snow covered the ground, making the night appear brighter than it should have been, while small flurries continued to fall from the sky.

His fur-lined sapphire robes protected him from the biting wind, and the oversized hood kept his ears warm. The rest of his face, however, was a different story, and he sniffed as the cold burned his nose and lips.

Sure, he could have waited within the warmth of the hotel for his new Guardian, but he preferred an open space away from curious onlookers. Especially if the initial meeting went poorly. Considering his track record, it wasn’t a baseless concern, either.

“I don’t understand why I can’t go with you.”

Orrin sighed as he pressed his cell phone more firmly to his ear and turned to block the wind. “Ili, we talked about this. It’s not appropriate.”

“I’m not a child anymore.”

Close enough. At only twenty-three, Iliana Nightstar was practically a baby among the fae. “I promise you can accompany me another time.”

When she was older. Much older.

Throughout her short life, she had always been somewhat sheltered. Everyone went to great lengths to shield her from the harsher realities of the world, and Orrin never spoke about her outside of certain circles.

Not because he was embarrassed or resentful. Quite the opposite, really. He loved her deeply, and he hoped to keep her safe from the pressures and scrutiny he faced for as long as possible. As such, that meant not many people even knew he had a sister.