PROLOGUE
It had been a week since Prince visited the Weston pack and offered a ride home to their enchanting guest, Nadia Kozlov. Since then, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, and not just because of her golden locks and regal demeanor. During introductions, he’d been startled to discover that Nadia was the daughter of an old friend he hadn’t set eyes on in over two hundred years—a ghost from his past who still haunted him in quiet moments.
His life had been a long one, even in the Shifter world. Prince was not only one of the most influential alpha Packmasters in Austin, Texas, but also of royal blood. Pureblood, to be exact. That meant his lifespan was much longer than the average wolf, and he had many more lifetimes to live. Prince played with the gold chain on a green banker’s lamp, lost in the memories of another life.
Centuries ago, Prince had left Italy and returned to his homeland of Russia, not realizing the Shifters in the region were on the brink of war. Those were different times when powerful immortals kept Shifters as slaves. Russia was a free zone where all Breeds were equal, but as more and more Shifters settled and claimed land, resentment grew.
He’d forged a friendship with a powerful Packmaster named Alexei Kozlov, whom Prince called Alex. Both alphas were descended from royalty—powerful Shifters with the purest bloodline. But they soon realized they had much more than heritage in common and spent many nights by a warm fire, toasting to longevity and discussing the political changes underfoot. Like Prince, Alex was also a single alpha with no children.
Prince recalled a conversation they’d had.
“It’s only a matter of time before we lose our stronghold,” Alex had said one evening, poking at the dying embers of the fire, which had been burning for hours. “We can either flee or organize a resistance, but we must make a decision. The peace treaty won’t hold for long in our territory.”
Prince had turned his attention toward the window, watching his reflection in the glass. “I caught two of my men in treasonous acts, selling information to a powerful Mage. I don’t know who I can trust anymore.”
Alex nodded, stroking his long mustache. “That is why we choose to fight those who would oppress us, or else our packmates will be easily swayed by a few rubles.”
“My pack is strong, but we are few. We cannot take on a large pack, let alone an army of Vampires.”
Alex had turned to face him, firelight casting his dark shadow on the floor. “It’s not the Vampires you have to worry about, my friend. It’s the Mage who wants your head on his mantel.”
After their discussion, Prince had briefly considered returning to Italy, but there wasn’t much land left for Shifters, and he couldn’t be certain they still had their freedom. The world had always been mad, but it was as if they were losing the last sanctuaries where a Shifter could live free. While some animals such as bears could go undetected and live as rogues, Prince was a wolf, and packs attracted attention.
Barbarism was seeping into the minds of intellectuals—ancients who recognized an opportunity to acquire wealth by stealing it. When the war began, the Shifters fought valiantly against their Mage adversaries, but most were outnumbered. Shifters who weren’t killed were driven out.
Vladimir Romanov, a Mage who served under a powerful general, had organized a brutal attack against Prince’s men. Vlad had always been envious of Prince’s growing power in the region and had threatened him numerous times. Prince vividly remembered the cold press of mud against his knees as he was forced to watch while his pack was chained and carted off to be sold. Alphas were usually executed, so Prince wasn’t loaded onto the cart with his packmates. Packmasters were considered a baneful influence, and aside from that, an alpha would never submit to slavery. However, Vlad’s intentions for him were far more sinister.
Amid the chaos following Prince’s capture, a large horse appeared, wet snow tangled in his black mane. Alex slid off the saddle, mud splashing beneath his feet. Guards rushed him when he held up his hands in surrender.
“I was not surprised to hear the news,” he growled at Vlad. “Who is next on your list?Mypack?”
Vlad pulled his ushanka tighter so the dark fur covered his red ears. “Did you honestly think the treaty we signed would last? That was just to keep you from rebelling until we were ready to put the animals in their cages.”
Alex had always been held in high regard in that region because he’d built solid relationships with other Breeds. In a move Prince would never have seen coming, Alex offered his own freedom in exchange for Prince’s release. Not only that, but he relinquished his entire fortune on the condition Vlad would not enslave his own pack, but show mercy and allow them to flee the country.
Prince stood up to object and was struck in the head with a blunt object. When he awoke, he was lying in the back of a horse-drawn cart, well outside territory lines. Banished while his pack met a horrific fate, Prince was given a warning by the driver, who stated that if Vlad so much as heard about him crossing the border, he would take Alex’s head. Prince was profoundly affected by his friend’s selfless act, forever remaining in his debt.
Prince had scattered his wealth in many places—something he’d kept secret from even Alex. Prince’s father had taught him valuable lessons, and one of them was that you can trust a man with your life more than you can your money. It was time to collect his fortune and start over.
He’d been reluctant to leave Europe for the new world since Europe had always been home, but war had taken its toll, and the outlook was bleak. Winter was bitterly cold in Russia, and the warmer climates of distant continents and the hope of peace called to him. Once he’d made the decision to journey to America, it had taken him months to gather his fortune from hidden locations. Currency often changed in value, but gold never went out of style. America had more land, and while Shifters were still held in slavery in many populated territories, there were rumors of undiscovered land that stretched beyond the imagination where Shifters lived free. Starting over wasn’t easy, but he’d worked hard to acclimate to a new culture, build alliances, and lose his accent.
Prince shifted in his chair, looking around his lavish surroundings and thinking back to those tumultuous times. He never heard from Alex again and had assumed him dead… until a few days ago when he’d run into Nadia Kozlov.
A knock sounded at the door—one he was expecting.
CHAPTER1
“Sire, your visitor’s in the sitting room,” Stover informed him in a thick Scottish accent. Russell was Prince’s second-in-command—and on the receiving end of countless jokes because of his name. Every Christmas, the men honored him with a box of assorted Russell Stover chocolates. Russell would conjure a smile and graciously accept the gift, although Prince could tell the novelty had worn off decades ago. But a man who complains only puts a bigger target on his back, so he wisely left it alone. Besides, a man could hardly object to a few taunts when it earned him confectioneries in return.
Prince rose from his chair and crossed the room, the soles of his shoes tapping heavily against the marble floor. He’d been waiting upstairs in a quiet study all afternoon, unable to read or put his thoughts to rest after sending one of his men for Nadia. Their brief encounter had ended abruptly when she’d received a business call that continued for the rest of the car ride. So to remedy their abbreviated meeting, Prince had invited her over for drinks, hoping to finally get answers about what had become of his friend Alex.
“This isquitea mansion,” Nadia remarked from the first floor below, speaking with a lovely Russian accent. Every sound was amplified because of the large space.
Prince descended the stairs with a casual swagger, averting his wayward gaze from her beautiful legs. Her white business skirt suited her in a way that left a man thinking about anything but business.
“I’m pleased you could come on such short notice, Miss Kozlov.”
When she bowed, her silky blond hair slipped forward. It was past her shoulders and as straight as could be. “I cannot help but notice how you enjoy saying my name.”
