Alex had sent her and Nadia out to spend time together and bond. Everyone had enjoyed a nice dinner the night before after Prince had invited them to stay as his guests. Plenty of food, wine, and security, so the girls felt okay about leaving their father late that afternoon to complete some errands.
Prince and Alex had gone down to the basement where Vlad was lying paralyzed in the dirt, Reno’s blade still lodged deep in his shoulder. Reno was the kind of man who didn’t ask questions, and he seemed content knowing that Prince wasn’t going to turn him over to the higher authority. All he wanted was his stunner back since they were hard for a non-Mage to come by.
Prince had placed one of the cuffs around Vlad’s wrist and clicked it shut, then pulled the stunner from his chest, waiting to see if the cuffs really worked.
And they did. Vlad foolishly attempted to blast Prince with his power, but nothing happened.
So they led Vlad deep into the woods and—much to their surprise—he chose not to plead for his life but to curse their ancestors instead. Prince clenched his teeth together when Vlad made threats about what he was going to do to Kat’s lifeless body—threats that no lover wanted to hear. And especially ones that no father was meant to hear. Alex struck him across the face with the tip of one of his arrows, leaving a bright streak of blood.
“Run.”
An hour into the hunt, they shot him with a third arrow. They took their time, allowing him to flee and tire himself out. After each hit, they sat down and Alex smoked a hand-rolled cigarette, giving Vlad enough time to pull out the arrow and attempt to bandage the wound with scraps of his own clothing.
They continued down a short hill, following behind Vlad, who was moving slower than before.
The paper crackled when Alex took another puff. “Two shots do not make you a more expert marksman. You have made more attempts than I have. I will hit him when it counts.”
“And I will strike himwhereit counts.”
Alex laughed and patted out his cigarette. “Aha. Now I know why your hits were below the belt.”
“And yours, Alex?”
The laugh died in his throat as they kept walking, the forest rustling below their feet. “I want my arrow to pierce his black heart.”
“So then why did you shoot him in the back the last time?” Prince startled a squirrel when he ducked below a crooked branch.
Alex rubbed his short beard. “You can’t remove the arrows very easily when you cannot reach them. I want Vladamir to suffer—to feel the twist of the arrow with every step, the same way he has twisted pain into my life. That coward threatened to kill my daughters, and no one who harms my children will live to tell about it.”
In a swift motion, Alex took his position. He nocked the arrow and straightened his bow arm, drawing back the bowstring and quickly releasing it. The arrow sliced through the air with a sharp sound.
“This is a nice bow,” he said admiringly. “I have always been partial to the crossbow, but these are good quality. Handmade?”
Prince swelled with pride as crafting recurve bows had been a hobby he’d enjoyed for many years. The younger Shifters were convinced that modern weaponry was better, but they didn’t know the feel of holding a handcrafted bow that had been customized.
“Yes. I made these for my personal enjoyment, but I can make one for you if you wish.”
Alex adjusted his armguard and stopped, his voice falling to a low volume. “I would very much like that.” He rubbed his black-and-grey beard, staring ahead. “Vlad hasn’t moved. It would be a shame if it was over so soon.”
Prince turned his attention to the body slumped over in the ditch below. “There’s something I wish to speak with you about.” He shifted his stance, a cold sweat touching his forehead.
Alex turned to face him. “And what is that, old friend?”
Prince scratched the corner of his eye. Someone as old as him shouldn’t have been so apprehensive about what he was about to say, and he knew his body language spoke volumes. “I’ve formed an attachment to your daughter.”
A twig snapped beneath Alex’s foot when he stepped forward. His chest moved as he silently hiccupped, and then he took a moment to light up a cigarette and pull in a few drags. “Nadia is a woman I could easily see by your side.”
It took everything for Prince not to laugh. No disrespect to Nadia, but it came to his attention that Alex hadn’t been perceptive about the way Prince and Kat had been looking at each other at the dinner table the night before.
“You should quit smoking,” Prince said. “Kat’s allergic.”
Alex nodded while taking a last inhale. He patted out the end again and tucked it in his pocket. “Yes, strange thing. She’s been that way since she was a little child. I remember once standing outside in a blizzard to have a cigarette because she made me. Didn’t cry or complain while I smoked inside, but that little girl pushed me right out the front door and into the snow. Then she threw my pipe and matches onto the ground and slammed the door.”
The thought danced in Prince’s mind and he chuckled warmly. “That’s what I love best about her.”
Alex’s eyes flashed up. “Kat? It’sKatyou want? No… No, that cannot be. Katarina is my princess.”
Prince lowered his eyes respectfully and bowed. “And I would like her to be mine.”
