Prince fished the ruby ring from his pocket and it caught a flicker of sunlight. “What should we do with this?”
“Toss it into the river. Nadia would love an artifact such as that, and it would fetch a handsome price. But old magic like that should sink to the bottom where it belongs. Those trinkets weren’t created to protect but to destroy. Someone will suffer because of that ring, so get rid of it.”
“I’ll have my men dispose of the body. Do you want me to finish him off?”
Alex pulled out his hunting knife and inspected each side. A Mage didn’t die easily, and there was no guarantee Vlad wouldn’t draw healing energy from the sunlight and rejuvenate, so the custom was to remove the head from the body.
Alex squatted next to Vlad’s lifeless body and looked up at Prince. “This is personal. He took my freedom more than once and tried to take my sanity. Then he took my child. Now I will take his head.”
Prince dropped the ring back in his pocket and turned away. “And if Kat calls, where do you want me to tell her you are?”
A low chuckle rose from behind. “If my Kat calls, you tell her I’m taking the head of my enemy. If Nadia asks, tell her… tell her I’m fishing.”
CHAPTER16
“You’re an exceptional snuggler, Charming,” Kat said. “Anyone ever tell you that?”
She melted when Prince shifted his body behind her to press himself even closer. She loved the way they fit together, the way his hands memorized every curve, the way he smelled, the feel of his strong heart beating against her back and picking up tempo whenever she did something as simple as stroking his hand.
His breath heated her ear, his words playful. “This is the most unusual date I’ve been on.”
She stuck her right toe into her left sock and pulled it off. “Casual is always the way to go. Pizza, fresh brownies, andDie Hardmovies wrapped up with aThree’s Companymarathon? You’ve been missing out.”
“I have to admit, I’m intrigued by Chrissy Snow.”
Kat peered over her shoulder. “Maybe it’s because of her big tits.”
She shivered when he covered her mouth and scolded her with his mismatched eyes. “I think it’s how she always gets the wrong idea. It reminds me of someone.”
She licked the palm of his hand until he pulled it away. “Oh, really? Who? Because I don’t remember ever—”
“On the rooftop with your sister. I still believe you would have crashed onto our table, regardless if Vlad was there or not.”
She turned on her back, her knees bent. Kat wasn’t sure where her father would end up moving and whether or not she would follow, but she knew she had to make a career choice soon, and that fork in the road was a lot more frightening close up. “So… where are we going with this? I’ve been staying with Nadia for a week and dividing my time between you and my father.”
Prince traced his finger over one of her eyebrows. “Has he decided if he wants to settle here and start a pack or move elsewhere?”
“He’s been out of the loop for a while. You can imagine how hard it’ll be for him to get a good second-in-command to help build a pack. That takes time, and he sure doesn’t want someone’s leftovers. He won’t go rogue either, but it’s a lot to figure out for a man who’s starting over again. He’s been living in basements for the past twenty years, so maybe he deserves a short vacation before immersing himself in pack politics.”
“I spoke to your father about us.”
Kat’s throat instantly dried up and her heart skipped a beat. She suddenly had visions of her father hunting Prince in the woods.
He stroked her cheek and then rested his hand beside her, twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers. “He balked about it for a few seconds, but Alex is a fair man. He won’t deny you something if it’s what you desire.”
“So what does this mean? You’re a dapper guy, but you’re not making any big moves, and I have to get back to my job.”
“I’m courting you, Kat. That means you’re the only woman in my sights, and I have intentions for this to end with a mating ceremony. We’ve been casual for the past week because of how fast things were moving, and I wanted to slow down and let you focus on your family. But now that we’ve watched a sitcom together, this needs to move to the next level.”
Hearing those words from his lips was like a clap of thunder. What they had was more than attraction, unbelievable sex, or wishful thinking; his claim was a declaration of intent. Wolves mated for life, and Prince was openly inviting her into his pack to live their lives together.
Earlier that week, he’d formally introduced her to his wolf—a handsome black-and-grey animal with mismatched eyes. The moment he shifted, one of his packmates reactively pulled Kat away, and Prince’s wolf lunged at him. Prince had protected her in both human and wolf form, and she knew he was a man she could trust completely. But Kat wasn’t raised to be easy prey for any man, and she wanted the courtship to be long so she could be certain she wasn’t just caught up in the moment.
“Do you love me?” she asked. Wondered. Hoped. Feared. Never had a single word roused so many emotions.
His lips brushed against hers and she straightened her legs, a flame of desire heating her body. “If I’ve not said the words aloud in the right way, then let it be known, Katarina Kozlov, that you have ensnared my heart. I’ve never given those words to a woman. My love is steadfast, and I vow to never smother the proud alpha that you are. You’ll help me lead my pack, and I’ll pluck the moon from the heavens if it pleases you.”
Kat’s heart warmed, and as much as she wanted to tease him for waxing poetic, she couldn’t. That was who Prince was, and that was exactly what she admired about him. Even the fact that he was snuggled behind her in a tie gave her goose bumps because it just meant more of him to undress.
