Dark Prince's Dilemma

by I. T. Lucas

  The emotional turmoil she’d been experiencing for the past week was not conducive to conception. She should woman up and buy a freaking pregnancy test kit, or ten of them, and find out one way or another instead of obsessing over it because she was afraid of disappointment.

  Her gut churning, Syssi’s appetite went out the window, and when the waiter came to take their order, she just pointed at the first salad on the list.

  “What happened?” Kian asked after the guy had left.

  She couldn’t tell him, not yet, and certainly not with Brundar and Anandur present.

  “You didn’t tell me much about Edna’s impression of Lokan, only that she’d said he was complicated.”

  Kian grimaced. “She said that he was evenly balanced between self-serving and actually wanting to help his people.”

  “That doesn't sound too bad. What did she say about his feelings for Carol?”

  “She is certain the mate bond is there, but it’s new and needs time to mature.”

  “You don’t seem convinced.”

  “I’m not. I wouldn’t put it past Lokan to possess the ability to deceive even Edna.”

  “Andrew thinks he is okay, and frankly, I think so too.”

  Kian’s brows dipped. “Then he has all of you fooled.”

  “And I think that you are prejudiced, and that no matter what proof you get, you are not going to trust him enough to send him to the island with Carol.”

  “You are right.”

  Stubborn man.

  “Do you see a way around it? Because Annani is not going to let it rest.”

  Across the table, Anandur nodded in agreement.

  “I’m going to brainstorm it with Turner. If anyone can come up with a plan to get Areana out it is him.”

  “He is not a magician, Kian.”

  He chuckled. “He’s as close as it comes. Besides, maybe he can think of a better test for Lokan. I will not risk Carol based on hunches and feelings. I need a fail-proof way to test him.”

  “You didn’t have one for Dalhu or Robert.”

  “I disagree. Both left the Brotherhood voluntarily.”

  “And still, you didn’t trust them for a long time.”

  Across the table, Brundar and Anandur’s heads were moving from side to side as if they were watching a tennis match.

  “Precisely.” Kian turned to her. “Are you willing to gamble with Carol’s life on a gut feeling? What would you do if the decision was yours?”

  Syssi swallowed. “I don’t know.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  26

  Losham

  In his backyard, overlooking the San Francisco Bay, Losham opened a cigar box and pulled out a Short Story. The small cigar was a perfect companion to the fine whiskey he was sipping, and as its name implied, it wasn’t going to last for hours like some of the larger ones did, but it was still an excellent cigar.

  He cut off the cap but didn’t light up.

  The call he was expecting should come at any moment, and he decided to wait to light it after it was done.

  His phone rang precisely at nine o'clock as scheduled.

  “Good evening, detective. What do you have for me?”

  “Still nothing, sir. No one went in or out of the penthouse apartment today.”

  “Very well. Keep watching and call me again tomorrow. If you see any activity, call me right away.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  It had been a week since Lokan had left his Washington residence, and he hadn’t returned yet.

  After their dinner meeting almost three weeks ago, Losham had contracted a human detective agency to keep an eye on his brother’s apartment.

  Nothing too elaborate, just around the clock watching of the coming and goings from the rooftop of a nearby building. Planting surveillance equipment would have been too risky, as would have been following Lokan around.

  All of Navuh’s sons were trained to look out for tails and bugs. Lokan would’ve caught either right away, and it wouldn’t have taken him long to figure out who was spying on him.

  What was he up to, though?

  Losham had hoped to discover a conspiracy. If any of their brothers or other immortals that the Brotherhood had planted in Washington were visiting Lokan, it would have suggested that he was cooking up something against their father. Delivering that information to Navuh could have restored their leader’s faith in Losham.

  But all he could report was that Lokan had been gone for a week, and there could have been legitimate reasons for that. He could have traveled to South America to meet up with crooked politicians and negotiate arms deals there, or to visit a senator in his or her state.

  The thing that bothered Losham, however, was that Lokan still hadn’t returned his call.

  Wishing to coax more information from his brother, Losham came up with an excuse for visiting Washington, and he had called Lokan to arrange another meeting. But Lokan had never called him back, which was odd.

  Their phones worked just as well in South America, or wherever Lokan was on the globe, and it was rude of his brother not to return his call.

  “Sir.” Rami stepped out through the living room sliding doors. “You’ve requested an update on our latest shipment.”

  “Oh, yes.” Losham lit up his cigar. “Please, take a seat.”

  Things were going well with the new trafficking system he’d established. They’d already had five successful deliveries, which was astounding given that the operation had started a mere month ago. In most cases, the warriors had to thrall their victims only once it became evident that the travel plans had changed.

  A promise of a romantic weekend in Europe turned out to be the perfect bait.

  “I talked with Herpon’s assistant, Borgan, and they are just as happy with the last two as they were with the previous three. Their indoctrination went smoothly, and the original three are already serving clients.”

  “Are they satisfied with their performance?”

  “Borgan voiced no complaints.”

  “Splendid.”

  “Indeed, sir. May I offer a suggestion, though?”

  “Naturally. What’s on your mind?”

  Rami was a sharp guy, and Losham liked having him around not only as an assistant and a sounding board for his ideas, but also for the occasional good suggestion.

  “All five girls were picked up from the same university. When their families discover that they didn’t return from their vacations, an investigation will inevitably start. If only one or two girls were missing, the police would have done nothing about it, but five disappearing around the same time and under similar circumstances is a different story.”

  “You are absolutely right. Make a list of all the colleges in the Bay Area. We will limit the abductions to one per institution and then move the operation to a different city. I was contemplating Washington.”

  “The Los Angeles area has several hundred, sir, and since it’s only a short flight away, we won’t have to move.” He glanced at the view. “I like it here.”

  So did Losham.

  The only reason he’d thought about Washington was that it provided an excellent excuse to spy on Lokan, but that was a secondary consideration. The capital wasn’t as populous as Los Angeles and its neighboring cities, and most likely had fewer higher learning institutions.

  The problem with Los Angeles, however, was the clan.

  Losham was certain that their headquarters were there, and that meant Guardians. If he were still tasked with hunting clan members, he would have considered moving his entire operation there. Surely he could find a nice house with a great view in Los Angeles as well.

  But that was no longer his concern, and snatching up girls on Guardian turf was asking for trouble.

  27

  Carol

  After dinner, Lokan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. “At this rate, I’m going to get fat. You are too good of a cook, and I haven’t exercised in days.”


  “I beg to differ. You’ve had plenty of exercise.” Carol cast him a suggestive look.

  That got a smile out of him. “If sex were enough, no immortal would have to bother.”

  She spread her arms. “That’s all the exercise I need. Speaking of which, do you want to go to bed?”

  Surprising her, Lokan shook his head. “I’m afraid Edna’s probe exhausted me, and then your fabulous jambalaya delivered the knockout. I need a little time to recuperate.”

  Talk about disappointing. She’d thought that her guy was invincible.

  “How about a cuddle, then?”

  “In bed?”

  “Or on the couch. To feel that everything is right with my world, all I need are your arms around me.”

  His eyes softened. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever told me.” He pushed to his feet and offered her a hand up. “Come here.” He pulled her to his chest.

  Clutching his shoulders, Carol lifted on her toes, feathered a chaste kiss on his lips, and then let go. “Let’s sit on the couch and watch a movie.”

  Lokan arched a brow. “That’s it? A tiny little kiss?”

  “You said that you needed time to recuperate.” She pulled on his hand and led him to the sofa. “If I kissed you like I wanted to, we would have ended up in bed.”

  With a light shove, she pushed him down and then sat in his lap. “Am I squashing you?”

  His arms wrapped around her. “You’re tiny.”

  “No, I’m not. I have a big butt, and I’m not exactly lightweight.”

  His hand reached under her and squeezed the aforementioned body part. “You have the most perfect ass I’ve ever seen. It’s not too big or too small, it’s just right.”

  He could be so charming when he wanted. But then he could also go cold in the blink of an eye and for no apparent reason.

  Even Edna couldn’t decipher him, and she could look into a person’s soul.

  Resting her head on his chest, Carol inhaled his special scent and felt her entire body go loose. It was better than smoking pot, and much more addictive. The question was whether it was healthier.

  She was bonded to an enigma, falling for him hard despite all the flashing red warning lights.

  If only the Fates could send her a sign that she was doing the right thing, or conversely give her a definitive warning so she could walk away while she still could.

  If she could beat her addictions to drugs and alcohol, she could beat this one as well.

  Maybe. She wasn’t sure about that at all. No drugs or alcohol had ever made her feel as good as Lokan did.

  He rubbed her back, his hand feeling warm and soothing. “What are you thinking about so hard?”

  She blurted out the first thing that popped into her mind. “How to get to the island, of course. That’s all I’ve been thinking about lately.”

  He chuckled. “You mean other than sex and food?”

  “Well, those are necessities.” She lifted her chin and cast him a coy smile. “And since I’m a pro at both, I don’t need to think very hard about either.”

  “That is true. So, what were you thinking about the island?”

  Crap. She had no new ideas. “I was wondering how we could use Gorchenco to get Areana and me out.”

  “I already explained why it’s not possible.”

  “Yeah, you did. I was trying to come up with creative ideas. By the way, did Kian ask you about the dirt you have on Gorchenco?”

  “Not yet. With everything that’s going on, it must have slipped his mind. If his mother is stressing him half as much as my father stresses me, then it’s perfectly understandable.”

  “Maybe you should remind him about it.”

  Lokan shook his head. “I need him to ask, so I can get something in return. If I just volunteer the information, I lose my one bargaining chip.”

  “What do you want to ask for?”

  “There are many things I want, but none that he would grant.”

  “You should figure it out before he asks.”

  “Maybe I should ask him for something for you? What would you like to have?”

  There were only two things Carol really wanted. One was security in the knowledge that Lokan was her true-love mate, but that wasn’t something Kian could give her. And the second one was Kian green-lighting her mission to go to the freaking island and find out who Navuh was hiding in his harem. Except, that wasn’t easily grantable either.

  She went with her third and much less important wish. “I would have liked us to have an apartment with a kitchen, so I would not have to leave every time I want to cook. And windows. Living underground is oppressive. But he is not going to give us that.”

  “I prefer it this way. As it is, I don’t know where I am, so I can’t tell anyone where to find your clan. That leaves a tiny chance of Kian changing his mind about letting me go with you to the island.”

  “I don’t think it’s on the table.”

  “I agree. We have to figure out how to do it with Gorchenco’s help.”

  Carol let out an exasperated breath. “Yeah. Maybe the freaking nuclear submarine can come in handy. Can a submarine be used to drill under water? Maybe we can dig out an escape tunnel straight from the harem.”

  28

  Lokan

  “I love the way your brain works.” Lokan wound a lock of Carol’s hair around his finger, then let it spring free.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “I know people think I’m just a ditsy blond, but I’m much smarter than I look.”

  He chuckled. “Anyone who thinks that is a moron. I suspected you were an evil mastermind from the first moment I saw you.” He pushed to his feet with her in his arms.

  She clung to his neck. “Why evil?”

  “Because you look like an angel, so of course you have to be evil.”

  She laughed. “That’s some warped logic.”

  He kicked the bedroom door closed and laid her on the bed. “Not at all. When my enemy sends a beautiful temptress into my cell, the most logical assumption is that she is up to no good.”

  “Well.” Carol scooted back on the bed. “It depends on what you define as no good.” She reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head.

  His eyes zeroing in on her lacy bra, he reached behind him and flicked the light switch off. Hopefully, Arwel would get the hint and give them privacy.

  “Following your logic, I should assume that you are pure goodness.”

  “Hardly.” Lokan unbuttoned his shirt only halfway and then pulled it over his head.

  Carol’s throaty chuckle and the sound of her bra clasp releasing sent an electrical bolt straight to his groin.

  “With those red glowing eyes you look like a demon, so you must be an angel on the inside.”

  Her leggings hit the floor.

  Unbuckling his belt, Lokan pulled down his pants together with his boxer shorts. “In my case, what you see is what you get.”

  As he leaped on the bed, covering her with his body, he found her as naked as he was.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “My beautiful demon prince.”

  “Close your eyes, my angel.” Dipping his head, he brushed soft kisses across her eyelids.

  Carol smiled. “I like that.”

  “The kisses?” He brushed his lips across her cheeks.

  “That too. I like it when you call me your angel.” She pouted. “I don’t like it when you call me evil.”

  He had to kiss those pouty lips, but first he had to set the record straight. “I was teasing. You are my sweet angel.”

  As a soft sigh left her mouth, he felt her melt under him and realized that he’d meant it. She was his angel, pure and good with just a splash of naughty and adventurous, the best thing that had ever happened to him.

  His suspicions of her had been the result of a lifetime of intrigue, subterfuge, and mistrust, but his gut had known all along that his mind was steering him astray.

  As he claimed her mou
th, her arms slipped around his shoulders and then his back, pulling him to her, her hands caressing, kneading.

  He groaned as she nipped his lip, his eyes rolling back in his head when she licked one fang and then the other.

  Reaching down, he parted her wet folds and stroked them with just his fingertips, teasing her until she moaned into his mouth.

  “You want more, my sweet angel?”

  “Yes.”

  He gathered her slickness and slid his fingertips up to the apex of her womanhood, stroking gently.

  She writhed under him, trying to get more friction, but he kept teasing her with just the pads of his fingers while kissing his way down her throat.

  After a few more moments of sweet torment, he took pity on her and thrust two fingers inside her, scraping her neck with his fangs at the same time but careful not to draw blood.

  Slipping a third finger into her wet heat, he continued kissing down the column of her neck, along her collarbone, until he found her straining nipple and took it in his mouth.

  As Carol arched beneath him, he nipped it with his blunt front teeth, then licked the small hurt away and suckled on the stiff peak.

  “Stop teasing me, Lokan,” she hissed. “I want you inside me.”

  His angel came with sharp teeth, but that was what he liked about her the most. Carol was the perfect combination of yielding and yet demanding, carnal and yet sweet, soft and yet possessing a core made from titanium.

  As he retracted his fingers from her sheath, they were slick with her juices, and he used that lubricant to coat his shaft as he aimed it at her entrance.

  Always mindful of how much smaller she was, he pushed just the tip inside her, then moved his fingers to her clitoris, stimulating the little nub as he pushed a little further and then a little more until he was seated all the way in.

  They both groaned.

  Carol’s small hands clutching his bottom, she spread her legs wider, getting him to go as deep as he could.

  Swiveling his hips, he pulled back a couple of inches, then pushed back in, fucking her with quick shallow thrusts that were meant to tease.