“This way.” Prince took her arm and led her toward the parlor at the other end of the rotunda.
Her eyes soaked in the magnificence of his mansion—the marble floors, exquisite paintings, golden light that showered down from the skylight above, and silence. Not all Packmasters could claim to have a quiet house, but it was a luxury Prince appreciated. When not performing their jobs, his pack preferred to either congregate in one of the social rooms or let their wolves roam the property. The only ones allowed to make noise within the main rooms were the children, but even they were quiet and respectful when he passed through the room.
As soon as they entered the parlor, Nadia whirled around dramatically and put her hands on her hips. “Do you really know my father, or was this a ploy to get me alone?”
Prince closed the door. “Does he still live?”
She shrugged indifferently. “Last I heard.”
“When is the last time you spoke?”
Her finely shaped brows arched as she turned on her heel and poured herself a glass of white wine at the long table against the wall.
Prince watched with mild curiosity as she crossed the gold marble floor and stepped onto the oversized white rug in the center of the room. He often used this room to impress his guests by flaunting his wealth. She glanced up at the crystal chandelier that hung from the high ceiling. It wasn’t the only source of light, as track lighting ran along the outer edges. Nadia chose to sit in one of the chairs instead of the gold couch, which he had hoped she would do. He preferred sitting beside female companions when conversing.
Nadia sipped her wine, leaving a red lipstick stain on the rim of the glass. She set it down on a table and then looked about the room. “I must say that pack life treats you well. It always benefits the Packmaster more than his packmates.”
He strode across the area rug and sat on the edge of the sofa, Nadia to his right. “And where do you think my pack lives? They enjoy the same accommodations I do. The same food, the same land, the same roof above.”
“But not to the degree you do.”
He laced his fingers together. “Is that what keeps you from joining a pack, Miss Kozlov?”
She looked at him unabashedly, her pale brown eyes sparkling beneath the light. “Precisely. I have no desire to share what is mine.”
He pursed his lips, admiring a woman who spoke the truth. It was a quality he’d always been attracted to, even over looks or the purity of a woman’s blood. “Perhaps you do not aspire to a high enough position.”
“Is that an invitation?” Her red lips turned up in a smile. “I’m a gregarious woman who enjoys going out at night. Most alphas wouldn’t find me an ideal mate because I prefer having a good time over staying home and bonding with a pack. I’m afraid my social habits wouldn’t change if I chose to mate.”
“Why would you desire the company of strangers when there are plenty of Shifters within a pack to keep you company?”
This time she really did laugh, though she did it with closed lips so that it was more of a snicker. “What makes you think I’d find those of my caliber within the house? I don’t seek the company of justanyone. I enjoy intellectual conversation, dancing, dining, and spending time in the VIP lounges of all the trendy clubs.”
“In search of what?”
She crossed her legs, and when they brushed together, her skin made a soft hiss, sending a shiver up his spine. Her legs were undeniably long and feminine with just the right amount of curve at the hip. He couldn’t tell if her eyelashes were false, but they were thick and black. They fanned over brown eyes that shifted with the light—sometimes taking on a stormy color. Nadia was lovely—exquisite features, like a fairy. It was hard to believe someone like Alex could have produced such a creature.
“You make plenty of assumptions,” she replied, turning the gold watch on her wrist and giving it a cursory glance. “So tell me, why did you invite me here? Are you assessing me for personal reasons, or did you want information on my father?”
He widened his legs and leaned back, taking a moment to ponder her question. Nadia wanted him to choose, and he had to tread carefully since both topics were of equal priority.
“I consider myself fortunate to share the company of a beautiful woman who is also the daughter of an old friend.”
“Well played.” She set her glass down after another sip and angled her body in his direction. “I’ve never had a close relationship with my father.”
Intrigued, Prince leaned forward. “By choice or circumstance?”
Nadia twirled an emerald ring on her finger. “My father had priorities and was always a busy man. I’m not yet fifty, if that gives you a timeline.” Shifters aged slowly, and Nadia looked like a delicate flower in her midtwenties. “Life was different then, as you must know. So much has changed for Shifters in just the past twenty years. But back then, his focus was on his pack.”
A smile touched his lips. “So he’s rebuilt?”
Her brows drew together. “Rebuilt what? My father was a rogue until my mother came along. Then he decided to settle down and become a Packmaster.”
It seemed Alex had kept secrets from his daughter. “And your mother?”
She sighed dramatically, and her gaze drifted up to the opulent crystal chandelier. “My mother…” Nadia’s eyes glittered for a moment. “My mother was underwhelmed by the monotony of pack life and left her family to mate a powerful alpha.”
Prince’s lip curled in when she didn’t use the termPackmaster. “A rogue? She chose arogueover your father?”
