Dark Prince's Dilemma

by I. T. Lucas

  One hell of a couple they made. A match made in heaven.

  Two jaded, mistrustful people, carrying too much baggage on their backs.

  The question that bothered her, though, was what Lokan could possibly imagine she had done to make him feel the powerful bond snap into place, tying them to each other like a thick rubber band.

  Pheromones? Those could induce lust but not that special feeling of belonging together. No chemical could do that, natural or manufactured. It was a meeting of the souls.

  If anyone had a reason to be suspicious, it was her. Lokan’s known special abilities were in the metaphysical realm, influencing the mind, so he was more likely to induce artificial feelings.

  When the table was clear and all the dishes had been collected into the carrier, Carol called Arwel. “I need to take stuff upstairs. Can you open up for me?”

  “I’ll be there in a moment.”

  Taking her hand, Lokan pulled her into his arms. “Don’t take too long.” He dipped his head and nuzzled her neck, kissing the spot he’d bitten earlier. “I’m ready for another round.”

  She rolled her eyes but smiled. “You’re insatiable, but so am I. So it’s all good.”

  As the door started opening, he took her lips in a quick kiss. “Your Fates are savvy matchmakers. We are a perfect fit.”

  She pushed on his chest and reached for the carrier. “I told you so.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  Outside, Arwel was waiting with a rolling cart. “How is that?”

  “Great.” She put the carrier on top. “Now I can go for fancy presentations. What do you say, can I start using real plates and utensils?”

  “Not a good idea.”

  She waved a dismissive hand. “Like beer and wine bottles cannot be turned into weapons, and yet you allow those. Come on, Arwel. Be sensible.”

  “I’ll think about it. By the way, Kian is on his way with Edna. They should be here in about half an hour.”

  Carol grimaced. “Do I have to stay away again?”

  “Let me check with Kian. I’ll let you know.” He put her phone next to the carrier.

  That was probably going to be a yes, and she should tell Lokan that she wasn’t coming back right away. “Can you open the door for me? I need to tell Lokan that I might stay away longer than I planned on.”

  “Why?” Arwel started pushing the cart toward the elevators. “Kian might agree for you to be there. And besides, my instructions were not to warn Lokan ahead of time. Kian doesn't want him to shore up his defenses in preparation for her visit.”

  That made sense.

  “I’m going to prepare a few snacks and bring them down to you. If I’m not allowed in, you can take them inside once Edna gets here.”

  Arwel chuckled. “As a way to improve the mood?” He rolled the cart inside the elevator.

  “You got it.” Carol followed in. “Little treats can have a big effect on mood, and a good mood is more conducive to cooperation, which in turn puts people in a friendlier disposition toward each other.”

  “You are truly devious, Carol.”

  “Thank you.”

  24

  Lokan

  When the door opened, Lokan was expecting Carol, but instead, Kian’s bodyguards walked in, followed by Kian and a woman in a man’s suit.

  There was nothing remarkable about her. In fact, she was quite plain for an immortal female, except for the eyes. Pale blue and wise, they captured his gaze and didn’t let go. He couldn’t look away even if he wanted to.

  Talk about misleading appearances. The woman was powerful.

  “Good afternoon, Lokan. Let me introduce our judge, Edna. Edna, this is Lokan.”

  She smiled, but it was a sad excuse for one, and offered him her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Lokan.”

  He took her hand gently, mindful of her long, fragile-looking fingers. “I hope not all of it was bad.”

  Her smile got a little brighter. “Not all of it.”

  “Am I going on trial?” He let go of her hand but was still staring into her eyes like a deer caught in headlights.

  “In a way. I’m here to examine your intentions and motives.”

  He chuckled. “Good luck with that. At this point in my life I’m not sure what they are.”

  “Understandable. Maybe I can help you with that. Let’s sit on the couch.”

  As he joined her on the sofa, the door started opening again, and a moment later Carol entered with a rolling cart.

  Relief washed over him. If he were to stand trial, he wanted her to be there. Someone who was on his side.

  Or so he hoped.

  “Hello, everyone. I hope I’m not interrupting. I brought hors d’oeuvres and coffee.”

  “Wonderful,” Edna said. “I could use a cup of coffee and a bite to eat.” She turned to Lokan. “If you’re hungry, I suggest that you snack too. This can be a very draining experience.”

  “Thank you, but I just had lunch.”

  What he wanted was a tall glass filled to the brim with good whiskey, not coffee.

  After Carol made the rounds, distributing coffees and small paper plates with appetizers, Edna helped herself to a little of each and then turned to him.

  “I’m going to enter your mind, but I’m not going to read your thoughts. That’s not what I do. I assess feelings and intentions. Resisting will make it more difficult for you and will make the process take longer. I suggest that you relax and cooperate to the best of your ability.”

  “I might be immune.”

  She nodded. “I’m aware of that. Give me your hands, Lokan.”

  There was no way out of this. If he refused, it would be like an admission of guilt, but if he complied, Edna might see more than he wanted her to see. His past was far from clean.

  Reluctantly, he offered her his hands.

  “Relax. I know that you are an old warrior and that your past is tainted with blood. That’s not what I’m after.”

  Easier said than done, but he tried, taking in a deep breath and loosening his shoulders. “I’m ready.”

  As Edna looked into his eyes, the room and everyone in it receded into shadows, and all that remained were those two blue glowing pools of light. One moment they were on the outside looking in, and the next they were inside his soul, looking around, probing, touching.

  It was the most unnerving experience he’d ever been subjected to, and it seemed to be going on and on with no end in sight.

  When Edna finally let go of his hands and looked away, Lokan slumped against the couch’s cushions and closed his eyes. “What the hell was that?”

  “We call it the alien probe,” Kian said. “What do you think, Edna?”

  She lifted the cup of coffee that must have gone cold and drank until there was nothing left. “Carol, could you please refill my cup?”

  “Sure.” Carol rushed forward with the carafe and refilled both their cups.

  After taking a few sips, Edna patted Lokan’s knee. “You are a complicated fellow. Good and bad wage war inside you, but I think good is winning.”

  Carol let out a relieved sigh. “I could have told you that.”

  “Yes.” Edna smiled at Carol. “The power of a good woman’s faith should never be underestimated.”

  That was a cryptic remark. What had she meant by that?

  “Meaning?” Kian asked.

  Good. Lokan was glad that he wasn’t the only one who didn’t get it.

  “The bond is there. I had no trouble finding it. It’s still a fledgling, but it’s the real deal.” She lifted her cup and took several more sips.

  “I still don’t understand,” Kian said.

  Neither did Lokan.

  Edna sighed. “When someone you care about has faith in you and thinks that you can do better, it reinforces your own faith in your ability to do so. Furthermore, you are more inclined to rise to the occasion because you don’t want to disappoint that person. Lokan’s intentions are almost equally balanced betwee
n wanting to do good for others and self-serving. But I believe that with Carol’s encouragement, the scales can tip in the right direction.”

  That was news to Lokan.

  In his opinion, self-serving and doing good for others were not mutually exclusive. By helping the island’s population, he would be helping himself. Win-win, which was the best scenario.

  “What I want to know is, can we trust him?” Kian asked.

  Edna took a moment to contemplate his question. “I can’t answer that. Perhaps when the bond between Lokan and Carol grows stronger, his loyalty and devotion to her will supersede all others. She is his mate, I can vouch for that, but they need more time for the bond to solidify and extract its full power. It needs to reach the point where nothing will matter to him more than her.”

  Lokan couldn’t fathom a life that revolved around a woman. Carol was amazing, the best there was, and an immortal, which he hadn’t dreamt of ever having the privilege of joining with, but Lokan’s loyalty was and always would be first and foremost to himself.

  Could it be that this was an elaborate setup to convince him the bond was real?

  First they had staged Ella and Julian’s visit, with the two of them gazing adoringly into each other's eyes. Then the judge showed up and did her probe. He’d felt it, so he couldn’t deny what she had done, but her revelations could have been bogus.

  Edna had the face and eyes that could convince Eskimos that it was sunny enough to wear swimming trunks and take a dip in the ocean, and for a moment there she’d managed to eliminate the last of his doubts, but he wasn’t there yet.

  As all eyes turned to him, Lokan deflected their attention by planting a smile on his face and turning around to glance at Amanda’s portrait. “Now I’m really curious about the Brother who mated this gorgeous lady. I would like to meet him.”

  “Why?” Kian narrowed his eyes at him.

  “From what Edna said, I understand that the bond between fated mates is so powerful that it overrides all other loyalties. Am I right?”

  Kian nodded. “I don’t know what I would do if I had to choose between my wife's welfare and that of the clan. Fortunately for me, there is no conflict. By keeping the clan safe, I’m safeguarding her as well.”

  “But that wasn’t the case for Dalhu, was it?”

  “I don’t think he cared about the Brotherhood all that much.” Kian put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “Dalhu admitted to being entirely self-serving. When he met Amanda, he had no problem switching sides. He didn’t do it for the love of the clan, he did it for her and for himself.”

  “But to do that, he had to overcome Navuh’s compulsion.”

  “I asked him about that. He said that the longer he stayed away from the island, the easier it became for him to shake it off. Meeting Amanda was probably just the last push he needed.”

  “That could be true. But I have another hypothesis, and that’s why I would like to talk to him. What if the bond between fated mates is powerful enough to overcome compulsion?”

  Carol shook her head. “It didn’t work for Ella. As long as she was under your compulsion, she couldn’t feel the full power of her bond with Julian.”

  “Yes, but that was because my compulsion was very specifically aimed to prevent her from having a relationship with another man. Navuh’s compulsion is general loyalty and devotion to him and the cause.”

  Pushing to his feet, Kian walked over to the fridge and pulled out a couple of beers. “Anyone want a cold drink?” He popped the lids and handed one to Lokan.

  When Carol and Edna shook their heads, he took a sip from his and returned to his seat. “That’s an interesting hypothesis. I would love to test it.” He pinned Lokan with a hard stare. “Is that why you came up with it? A prelude to asking me to allow you to accompany Carol to the island?”

  Lokan chuckled. He and Kian had a lot in common, including a suspicious nature.

  “It didn’t even cross my mind. The implications are far more significant than my particular predicament. If the bond between immortal true-love mates is powerful enough to override Navuh’s compulsion, that might be another reason behind his policy of segregating the dormant females from the immortal warriors and not allowing them to transition. It’s another way for my father to control his people and ensure their loyalty.”

  Edna nodded. “And he would know about the bond because he was there when the gods were still around. Although from what I understand, it wasn’t common back then. Very few were lucky enough to find their true-love mates.”

  “The Fates have been very kind to us,” Carol said. “For millennia we were alone, with no prospect of finding lifelong partners, let alone true-love mates. I wonder what has changed.”

  For several long moments, no one talked, each mulling over Carol’s statement.

  “Perhaps it was just the right time,” Edna said. “Or maybe the Fates have some grand new plan.” She looked at Lokan. “Maybe you and Carol are it. The machinations that have brought you two together were like a complicated chess game, with many moves preceding your meeting.”

  Lokan arched a brow. “For what purpose?”

  Edna smiled her sad little smile. “Peace. Maybe you were meant to unify our people.”

  Out of respect for the judge, Lokan stifled a chuckle. “Then it is good that we are immortal because I don’t see that happening for many more centuries to come.”

  25

  Syssi

  As Syssi and Kian left the Perfect Match board meeting, she let out a long breath. “That was stressful.”

  “You did well in there.” Kian wrapped his arm around her waist.

  Brundar and Anandur had been left to wait in the lobby, which they hadn’t been too happy about, but Kian had been adamant about them staying out.

  Anandur cast Kian a reproachful glance and then smiled at Syssi. “How did it go?”

  “Okay, I guess.”

  “That’s it?” The Guardian arched a brow. “From what I could hear you were leading the meeting.” He opened the door for her.

  Syssi’s cheeks heated up and she was grateful for the evening air cooling them down. “I felt like a fish out of water. I thought that my minor in business was going to come in useful, but instead I got carried away designing futuristic cities.”

  They walked up to the Lexus, which was parked in the first row of the office building’s parking lot.

  “Your input was much appreciated. They loved your ideas.” Kian offered her a hand up into the back seat.

  She scooted in, making room for him. “I thought they were just humoring their largest stockholder.”

  He wrapped his arm around her. “I’ll make you a deal.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You and your deals.”

  “Do you want to hear it or not?”

  “I’m listening.”

  “When they are done designing the new sci-fi adventure, we will test run it together. I bet that you will find that many of your suggestions were incorporated in its design. You have one hell of an imagination.”

  “Thank you.”

  All she had done was provide several rudimentary sketches of how she envisioned cities would look five hundred years from now. She had no clue how the Perfect Match team was going to translate those sketches into something that felt real in a virtual experience.

  Still, it had been exciting to go back to her creative roots. Syssi had forgotten how much she loved architecture, especially when her imagination could run wild with designs that weren’t limited by current building material constraints and didn’t have to conform to building codes.

  If Amanda didn’t need her help in the lab, Syssi would seriously consider switching over to the design department of Perfect Match.

  “Do you want to stop for a late dinner somewhere?”

  “I would love to.”

  “Where?” Anandur looked at them through the rearview mirror.

  “The Cheese Place.” She looked at Kian. “If it’s okay with
you.”

  “Whatever pleases you, my love.”

  At the restaurant, the four of them squeezed into a corner booth, which was as private as it got in the place.

  “Bottom line. It seems like you had fun in there,” Anandur said. “And you were so worried.”

  “I have to admit that I enjoyed myself tremendously. A lot of creativity goes into designing those fantasies. The way it works, they have a pool of environments to choose from, and they use them in the various adventures people request. I just helped with the initial design of a futuristic city.”

  “Well, you are an architect.” Anandur waved a hand.

  “Not certified because I didn’t intern.”

  Kian took her hand. “It doesn’t matter. It’s obvious that this is what you enjoy doing the most. Your eyes shone when you were drawing those sketches, and you sounded so excited when you explained your ideas. This is what you should be doing. You are wasting your time in the lab.”

  “I love working with Amanda, and what we do is important. Even if we don’t find new Dormants, we are making progress toward legitimizing paranormal talents. It’s about time that the scientific community accepted the paranormal as normal phenomena that are just rare and at the moment inexplicable. I’m sure future research will discover some kind of brain waves that make them possible.”

  “I’m not saying that it is not important, but Amanda can manage without you. She might not like losing you, but she can find a replacement.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “I couldn’t help thinking that with your foresight, the things you were drawing were not imaginary but a glimpse into the future.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Right. I’m the new Jules Verne. Maybe he also saw the future.”

  Her so-called gift was annoying. Instead of showing her cities of the future, couldn’t it tell her whether she was pregnant or not?