HOUSE OF HAYDAR 2 - THE WARRIOR OF HAYDAR - completed

Chapter One

Bella's baby was on its way.

Nine months to the date of Bella and Assad's wedding. An heir was being born. Excited beyond words Zoe Brown charged through the hospital, Philip, her fiancé following behind. There was no holding her back. No one dared questioned her presence. They all knew who she was. The Queen's best friend. It was also near midnight, so typically Bella.

Charging through doors into a private waiting room belonging to the Haydar family, her blue eyes widened at the sight of the tall robed head-dressed man waiting outside the delivery suite, his back to her. Zoe clicked her tongue in disgust. He should be in there with Bella, not out here waiting to see his newly born child, unless the baby was already here.

She flew across to clasp his arm. "Well, what is it? How is Bella?" she asked, blinking back sudden tears. She was actually trembling. Dreading, she would miss it all, since they had just flown in from England on a private plane, after a twenty-two hour flight from Australia.

His keffiyeh head turned to look down at her flushed face with dark, deadly eyes that narrowed at the sight of her hand on his arm. Blushing, she dropped her hand, and took a step back. The dark, brooding man was not Assad, however, instead his younger brother Kahlil. Mind you only by five minutes. Twins, however, not identical like Bella and Annabelle. She blinked, was it really only just over a year ago since Assad had arrived in Australia to find Lady Annabelle thinking it was Bella in hiding. No-one had known there had been two of them.

"Sorry, your Highness, I thought you were Assad," she apologised, tucking black, wild curls behind her ear, blue eyes wary. He always made her feel nervous.

"So I gather," he noted dryly. "Do you really think he would not be in there with his wife?" he asked just as dryly. "Or do you think all we Arabs look alike?" Now, he was just being rude, and that wasn't called for as far as she could see.

"Since you all wear the same clothes, you can't blame a girl," she pointed out annoyed. "Do you really think I would touch you otherwise, and I have apologised, have I not?"

"You need to learn your place, Miss Zoe," he stated coldly.

"Yeah, right, got it," she gave him two thumbs up, and swung around to join her fiancé, who had entered in a much more leisurely pace, not seeing Khalil's dark, and deadly glare.

Philip shook his perfect styled dark hair head, immaculately dressed as always in his pin-striped tailored suit. "Zoe you can't do that here, it's an insult."

"Good," she snarled, crossing her arms. He always made her feel mad with his dark, brooding looks, and the way he treated her, like some annoying fly to be flicked away.

Sighing, Kahlil turned away from the impossible woman, not even sure he would call her a woman, more like an impertinent child. Also glad she wasn't his problem. Assad could deal with her. She had no idea how to act, always overstepping the boundaries, and bounced. Bounced everywhere.

It was hard enough; he had a fiery redhead in his family. At least she had enough class, and adored his brother. As for his brother, he worshipped the ground she walked on. No-one dared say a word against his brother, too scare of the Lioness protecting her Lion. He can only hope the child entering this world didn't have her temper.

Hopefully, also would put a damper on their over need for each other. He couldn't go anywhere without bumping into them, usually lips locked. Most unsuitable behaviour, especially in the open. They did have their own rooms. Although never in public, he would give them that.

The door opened again, though didn't look around. It only used to be his brother and him. Now there was an invasion of westerners. It was time he went home, to the summer palace. Then again, it had been a long labour, over thirty hours, and still going. He had a feeling he will be staying.