To Claim A Crown Book Two: The Winter Harbinger (Complete)

Chapter Five: Arrival

Axel pushes the door open and a bell chimes as he does. It's warm inside the pizzeria. There is a heater on just to the left of the doorway. All the chairs are expertly placed on top of the tables facing down. Soraya is standing behind the till counting through a stack of bills.

Her blonde hair is clipped up out of her face. There's soft jazz playing and she is swaying slightly to the tune. She looks tired and at this time of day after a long shift she's no good at hiding it. Soraya looks up at Axel as he slips his leather coat off his broad shoulders.

"Uncle Axe you're getting snow everywhere that's just going to melt and puddle! Why are you covered in snow like that? Were you walking? How long have you been walking?"

Axel walks to where Soraya is posed with her hands on her hips and a glare. Axel pulls Soraya into a hug and he kisses the top of her head. Soraya shrugs off the hug and hands Axel the notes from the register.

"Ah, it looks like we had a good day today. Did you man the fort okay?"

"Of course I did. I always do. Dale handled the pizza like a champ. We had such a huge order today. Some help would have gone a long way. Seems quite a big family has moved into that abandoned house off of Scott's Avenue. Dale delivered. I was hoping I could have done it but we were too busy."

Axel settles down at the bar and Soraya walks round it and pours him a beer. She sets the glass down in front of him and Axel inhales a large gulp. He nods at Soraya. Her soft hazel eyes matched her father's. A trait that ran through her family for generations.

"Yes I heard we have some new additions to the neighborhood. Did Dale mention anything specific?"

"No, he says they seem nice. And that it looks like they're moving in brand new stuff."

Axel nods again but he's looking past Soraya, off into his own thoughts. A look Soraya is all too familiar with. She hops onto the bar stool beside him and takes a sip of the beer. Just as she's sure Axel hasn't noticed she reaches for the glass again. Axel's eyes land on her with a weary look. Soraya grins.

"What?" She probes "you've been doing that lately. Being here but not being here. I don't like it when you get all closed off."

"My apologies little lady. I've just had a lot on my mind."

"Well, are you going to tell me? We're supposed to be a team. We're supposed to be honest with each other."

Axel pats Soraya's knee with a chuckle. "Remember when I told you that soon things would be changing? That time is now. Things are going to change now. In fact they've already changed."

Soraya stiffens. Her uncle had been forewarning her for as long as she could remember. And now that time is here. The time when everything changes. Soraya swallows.

"They're here?"

Axel nods once. Firmly. "They're here. The Hybrid King and his queen. His right hand and the balancing witch. They're here. I was trying to do some recon today, see what I can uncover but everything is incredibly under wraps."

Soraya reaches again for Axel's beer glass and he lets her. She swallows down a bitter gulp then rubs at her temples.

"What do we do now?" Soraya asks.

Axel sighs heavily. "We wait. We know nothing of this new king of kings. We don't know how he'll want to do things. We wait."

Soraya groans. "I hate waiting."

Authors Note:
This book is a Wattpad exclusive if you're reading this anywhere else then my work was published without my authorisation.