Sometimes, she wondered if there was something wrong with her. Perhaps she’d been introduced to the ways of the world too young or perhaps she was just broken. She didn’t react to alpha scents like other omegas did, and her sex drive was virtually nonexistent outside of her heats. It felt like she needed something more to really let herself go and find that thread of desire. And deep connections were few and far between in Hollywood. Maybe for her, such connections didn’t exist.
As Sasha chattered on about their itinerary, Destiny snorted in disgust at the memory of the pictures online of the prince’s drunken escapades. He was exactly the type of alpha she’d met a thousand times in the entertainment business—the type she’d been fending off for years. She was only in Avondale for a day, and she planned to spend it carefully avoiding the spoiled, privileged prince and his pack.
What was that saying about best laid plans?
They landed in Avondale in the wee hours of the morning and were met by a royal assistant even bubblier than Sasha. The two betas chatted merrily throughout the drive from the airport and the walk to their accommodations in the castle. The beautiful building was quiet at the early hour, and they met few people aside from security guards. Her entourage were given lovely rooms next to each other, which Damon checked carefully before having Destiny’s luggage brought in. Mina, the royal assistant, apologized that the family was asleep, but assured Destiny they were looking forward to meeting her over tea the next afternoon.
“The queen thought you might like to sleep in after your journey, but all you have to do is ring the bell when you’re ready for breakfast,” Mina explained, showing Destiny an antique looking chain near the bed. “Of course, if you wake up and want to explore the castle, I’d be happy to give you a tour. Just be camera ready if you leave your room. The press should arrive in the morning—all vetted and approved by your team, of course. If you need anything at all, you have my cell number or you can ring the bell.”
“I’ll have everything ready for you when you wake up. I can’t wait to meet the royal family!” Sasha hugged Destiny before heading off with Mina, undoubtedly prepared to go over every detail of the day’s itinerary.
Destiny was relieved when the door closed behind the betas, and she was finally alone. She had a nice, long shower in a bathroom full of vintage luxury, before settling into the ornate bed. She was tired, but not exactly sleepy, so she was surprised when she jerked awake less than an hour later, pulled from sleep by a rattling sound. She sat up in bed, looking for the source.
The sound came again, and Destiny realized it was the doorknob, which someone was trying to turn. She’d locked it, of course, but her uninvited guest wasn’t deterred. They only jiggled the knob harder.
Destiny crossed to the door, taser in hand. When she reached it, she could hear someone muttering angrily. It was a male voice, and not one she recognized. Finger on the stun gun’s trigger, she opened the door a crack.
And came face-to-face with the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.
Prince Alexander Stepanov was much more attractive than the pictures she’d found online, which was completely unfair because those pictures had been absurdly hot. But they didn’t capture the intensity of his crystalline blue eyes, or the way his chin-length blond hair fell over them in an artfully tousled way. With his long hair and chiseled jaw, he was a quintessential pretty boy, but the scruff of stubble on his cheeks and the way he took up space gave him a bad boy edge. He filled the doorframe like some kind of Slavic god, towering over Destiny with his broad shoulders and the muscular chest she could glimpse through his half-buttoned shirt.
“Oh, hello,” he said brightly, smiling a lopsided smile that completely disarmed her. “Have the boys gotten me an early Christmas gift? My goodness. It’s my lucky night. They must’ve spent a fortune on you.”
Before Destiny could fully process his words, he’d stumbled past her into the room. She caught a waft of an appealing scent—nutmeg and cedar and sage—before an undertone she recognized all too well soured it. Liquor. Lots of liquor.
“You’re obviously drunk and lost, Prince Alexander,” Destiny said, once her brain caught up to the situation. “I can ring the bell and have someone come and help you find your room.”
The prince turned to her, his crooked smile unchanged. “Sweetheart, I’ve lived here my entire life and I’ve beenmuchdrunker than this. I know exactly where I am.” He paused and looked around, his grin finally fading. “But this doesn’t look like my room at all. What have you done to it?”
Destiny sighed, irritation rising. “Look, I’m very tired and you’re very drunk, so if you could just wander on down the hall–”
“You are very attractive, and I would love to see the rest of you,” Prince Alexander interrupted. His eyes traveled the length of Destiny’s body, making her acutely aware how thin her t-shirt and pajama shorts were. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. Slowly, the prince returned his slightly unfocused gaze to her face. “But you seem kind of bitchy, if I’m being honest. If you’re going to talk this much, I think I’d like a refund.”
Destiny might’ve tased him if several things hadn’t happened at that moment. First, Damon appeared in the doorway, assessed the situation quickly, and started toward the prince, likely to bodily escort him from the room. He was thwarted, however, by another alpha—who Destiny quickly registered as the also absurdly attractive Hunter Li, the prince’s head of security—launching himself in front of Prince Alexander with impressive speed. Three alphas, feeling threatened, in a confined space. Bad combination. Destiny braced herself for bloodshed.
Then Prince Alexander vomited all over the antique Persian rug.
It took another half an hour for Hunter to get someone in to remove the soiled rug, talk security with Damon, mumble an apology to Destiny, and drag the drunken prince back to his own room. By the time everyone was gone and the room was quiet, the sky was glowing with the first hints of sunrise. Destiny would get just a few hours of sleep before having to be “on” for the royal family.Ifshe managed to sleep at all, which she felt far too irritated to do. This day was off to a truly terrible start.
Destiny climbed back into the huge bed certain of one thing: Prince Alexander was worse than the online critics claimed. Hewas exactly the kind of spoiled, privileged prick she’d expected him to be. She couldn’t wait to finish this stupid gig, get the hell out of Avondale, and never see Prince Alexander Stepanov again.
Chapter two
Alexander
Xander woke to the unwelcome brightness of the midmorning sun. He cracked open one eyelid to see the blurry shape of his packmate, best friend, and chief advisor, Greyson Valentine, opening every damn curtain in his bedroom. The sunlight glinted off the blanket of snow outside, making it ten times brighter. Xander growled, but stopped abruptly when a stab of pain in his head made him wince. He groaned and massaged his temples. What the hell did he drink last night?
Silently, Grey set a bottle of water next to a bottle of aspirin on the nightstand. Xander struggled into a sitting position, the world tilting sickeningly as he did so. He took the painkillers, downing half the water in a few gulps. His mouth felt sticky and gross, and the water threatened to come back up for a few moments before settling uncomfortably in his gut. Grey watched him, saying nothing.
Xander sighed. His packmate was obviously pissed, which meant he must’ve fucked up pretty badly this time. If Grey was this angry, then Hunter would be livid. And if his dads caught wind of trouble…
“What did I do?” he asked. His voice was raw and hoarse.
Grey gave him a disapproving look that rivaled the ones Xander’s parents had perfected over the years since he’d come of age. He stood straight and stiff, exuding a classic elegance Xander could never quite pull off. Not that he tried. Quite the opposite, actually. Xander tried his best to be as inelegant as possible at every opportunity.
“What did you do?” Grey repeated the question with a hollow laugh. “In one night, you completely tanked my efforts to rehabilitate your image. You said you were going to start taking your responsibilities more seriously, Alexander.”
Xander groaned. “You sound just like my dads. I was just blowing off a little steam. I haven’t been out in a month!”
