Page 44 of Protected By the Elf Prince

“I am not.” But I knew I really was.

She giggled. “You are.”

I pointed at her cubicle. “Don’t you have work to do?”

Still grinning, she wandered away. I should have just told her I was. I didn’t have to tell her who. Not yet. This was all still new… and yet it felt longer than it had actually been.

The smile lingering on my face faded slightly when I noticed someone watching me from across the office.

My boss.

The warmth in my chest cooled instantly as soon as I noticed his cold, hard expression.

He stood in his doorway, just staring, and wasn’t even trying to hide it.

My gut churned.

What the hell?

Then his expression changed. Like he’d been shocked by something, and he grinned then waved before disappearing back into his office.

Unease crawled through me.

That was freaky as shit. Worse than learning about the real world.

Something was definitely up with him.

Unless he’s having a bad day?

But after what I’d seen with those files and how quickly he told me to forget what I’d found, I honestly believed there was something wrong.

But what? And how was I going to prove it?

Maybe Dashiel would have some advice, or he’d know someone who could hack my boss’s computer to find some type of proof, because the way he’d been staring at me didn’t sit well at all.

After that, the day dragged, and I’d caught Martin looking my way several times.

Each time, the feeling in my gut grew worse.

When five o’clock rolled around and people began packing up around me, I quickly did the same as relief started settling into my shoulders.

I could finally go home, away from the weirdness, and hopefully see Dashiel.

My pulse raced at the thought.

I’d just finished shutting down my computer when a voice spoke behind me. “Landon.”

Jolting, I looked up. Martin stood close. He was smiling, but it was his forced, freaky one that made every instinct I possessed sharpen.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah?”

“Can I have a quick word before you leave?”

The office around us was already emptying and people were heading for elevators.

Unease twisted inside me. I wanted to deny his request, but I really couldn’t. He was my boss. And maybe I was just overreacting about everything since my eyes had been opened to so much more in the world.

“Sure,” I said carefully.