by Leslie Chase
"And it will give me a chance to look at the countryside, too," Roman said. "It's been too long, and I want to see what's changed."
"That sounds great," Mattias said. "A shame we won't be able to spend much time together then. When are you heading off?"
"We're leaving in the morning, which is one reason I wanted to catch up with you as soon as you arrived," Roman said. "We'll only be gone for a little while, but I wanted you to meet Anna before we went."
"And it's a pleasure to meet you, Anna. I'd have been pissed if my brother whisked you away without introducing us." Mattias stood and stretched. "In that case, though, let's find something to eat. It's been a long time since lunch on the plane, and I'm looking forward to catching up properly."
My problems can wait until tomorrow, he told himself. Time to get to know my family again.
5
Sophie rose early the next morning. Even if it wasn't strictly needed, she wanted to make sure that everything was ready for Prince Roman's trip. He wasn't taking security, which both simplified things and worried her, but he had the reasonable argument that he wasn't a target anymore. He wasn't going to be king. And if he insisted that he'd be alright, it wasn't her responsibility to argue with him.
Captain Praetor could have the fun of that if he wanted to.
Dawn had barely broken when she finished her checklist. Everything was ready. The car Prince Roman selected was fueled up and all the luggage they might need was packed. The couple wouldn't be leaving for hours yet, but Sophie believed in making sure everything was ready to go early. If there had been any problems, she'd have plenty of time to get them sorted out before anyone else even knew they'd come up.
Of course, since the staff knew their jobs, there were no problems to sort out. That left her time to savor a cup of coffee up on the battlements of the castle, enjoying the calm time before anyone made more demands of her. It was her favorite time of day, the quiet moments in the early morning where she could look down over the mountains and watch the morning mist fade away under the sun. It was calm, quiet, and relaxing. A perfect way to get ready for the rest of the day.
As she turned away from the view, movement caught her eye. Down in one of the courtyards, someone was running. Sophie frowned and walked closer, wondering who was up and busy this early. There were servants at their posts, of course, and some of Praetor's guards, but this wasn't one of them.
Down below, the man ran at a punishing pace, and as he rounded a corner, Sophie recognized Prince Mattias. I should go, she told herself. I've got plenty more work I could get out of the way before the day really gets started. But she didn't turn away.
Leaning against the ancient stonework of the castle, she watched him exercise. It would have been hard for her to tear her eyes away even if she'd wanted to, but despite herself she didn't try. Seeing him move as a delight, a treat she wouldn't deny herself.
It doesn't matter, not really. I'm going to leave soon, and he'll find his mate, and that will be that. For some reason that she couldn't identify, that was a painful thought. She frowned and forced it aside, burying the pain in a tight ball in her stomach. She could put it aside to deal with when she had time. Right now, she was too busy making sure everything would work out.
Sophie was used to putting her personal wishes second to her duty to the kingdom. Painful as it could be, it was what had made her a good Chief Secretary. It was also a reason she was looking forward to getting away from the castle when she was done.
Or at least, she had been looking forward to it. Watching Mattias run, his strong limbs pumping in the cold morning air, she couldn't enjoy the thought of leaving. Not when it would mean turning her back on him.
She shook her head and made the effort to tear herself away. It wasn't helping anything to moon over him, and she did have other work she could be doing.
Captain Praetor waited for her outside her office, a nasty smirk on his face, and she sighed. That was the last of her good mood ruined for the morning.
"I see you're enjoying the show our prince puts on," he sneered, leaning against the door with his arms folded. "If I were a petty man, I'd be jealous."
"You don't have any claim on me to be jealous over," Sophie said, glaring at him. "For the last time, Karl, I'm not interested. Now get out of my way and let me work."
"You know you'll change your mind," he said, making her wait a second before stepping away from the door. "All I need is one night with you, and you'll never want to look at anyone else."
She shuddered at the thought as she pushed past him. For the thousandth time, she wished that there was someone she could complain to about him. But he was the head of the closest thing to a police force in the castle, and the only person who'd outrank him was the King. No help there until after the succession was dealt with, and at that point she'd be leaving anyway.
It's a pity he waited until the King died to make his move on me, she thought. The late King wouldn't have put up with this kind of behavior.
"Karl," she said with a cold patience. "I've been clear. You're not welcome here, so leave me alone unless you have some business with the Chief Secretary to the King."
Following her inside, Captain Praetor kept his grin despite her manner. Nothing I say seems to discourage him, Sophie thought with a hint of despair. This is something I really won't miss when I leave.
"Alright, Sophie, if it's business you want, I have the threat assessments you asked for." He put a folder down on her desk and leaned over it towards her. "Here are the details, but the summary is simple. Prince Mattias should be perfectly safe at any of the venues you picked out for him."
Which you didn't need to bring over yourself. Sophie almost said that aloud, but the warning light in Praetor's eyes stopped her. Before, he'd been annoying, but since their meeting with Mattias the day before, he'd started to feel dangerous.
There's no sense antagonizing him, not now. Once there's a new king on the throne, I'll bring this up. Karl Praetor shouldn't be in a position like this, and whoever takes my job after I leave shouldn't have to put up with him.
Until then, she would just have to grit her teeth and bear it. "Thank you, Captain."
"Anything for you, Sophie," Praetor said, leering and leaning just a touch too close. Sophie resisted the urge to flinch and he laughed.
Whatever he might have said next was interrupted by the phone on her desk ringing. Sophie grabbed for it like a lifeline, and Praetor straightened up with a peeved, disappointed look on his face.
"Good morning, Sophie," Mattias said over the phone. Sophie breathed a sigh of relief. Complicated as her feelings about talking to the Prince were, it was a welcome escape from the conversation with Captain Praetor.
"What can I do for you, Your Highness?"
"We need to talk," he said. Just his voice was enough to make her feel giddy, and she felt better for hearing it. "As soon as possible, I think. And call me Mattias, remember?"
"I'll be up at once, Prince Mattias," she replied, grateful for the excuse to escape her office and Praetor's presence. And, if she was honest with herself, the chance to speak to Mattias again.
She hung up the handset and stood, looking at Praetor. "Thank you for the threat assessments, Captain. I'll speak to you soon."
The Captain didn't like being dismissed like that, and it showed on his face. Flushed and angry he started to snarl something and then bit it back, turning on his heel and stalking out of the room. Sophie took a deep breath, counting to ten before she relaxed again. That man is getting more and more erratic, she thought. I hope that dealing with him can wait for the new king.
Mattias put down the phone, a little surprised at how eager Sophie had sounded to meet up. He'd expected to arrange to meet sometime that morning, but before he could say anything about that, she'd put down the phone and was on her way to see him. Better than waiting, he thought as he looked at the handset. The sooner we talk the better. We can sort out whatever's bothering her and get on with our lives tog
ether.
He had no doubt that he could fix whatever problem she had.
Stretching, Mattias smiled to himself. He felt a lot better after a good night's sleep and a morning run. Long flights were always uncomfortable, even more so because it was hard to exercise on them. Mattias always felt uncomfortable if he couldn't get in his exercise.
It was even better when he'd spotted Sophie watching. Mattias decided not to embarrass her by calling attention to it, but he'd felt her eyes on him and it was a nice feeling to be appreciated by her. Looking good wasn't the main reason he worked out, of course, but it was a nice side effect.
Sophie arrived within minutes, knocking on the door to his rooms and then letting herself in. Mattias stood to greet her, and the sight of her stunned him all over again. The pale morning light shining through the windows caught her beauty perfectly, and his heart raced at the flush on her cheeks. It was a struggle not to bare his teeth like a predator ready to pounce as she stepped inside.
"Good morning, Prince Mattias," she said with a respectful nod of her head. "I hope you slept well?"
He nodded, though it wasn't entirely true. He'd gotten to sleep quickly despite the time difference. One minor advantage of being a lion shifter was having a cat's ability to sleep at a moment's notice. But there had been dreams all night, dreams that he couldn't remember now that he was awake.
"Come in and sit down," he told her, gesturing to the chairs by the window. He'd have preferred to sit beside her, of course, but he wanted the conversation to run smoothly and without distraction. If they were next to each other, he doubted either one of them would be able to focus on much besides the feel of the others' touch.
"And please, call me Matt," he added as they took their seats. "We're in private here, and there's no need for formality."
She nodded, looking a little uncomfortable at his request. Mattias kept the frown off his face, but couldn't keep his own discomfort from showing for a little. Before he could address that, though, Sophie spoke.
"As you wish, Matt," she said, still sounding too formal for his liking. But it was a start. "I've brought over the files for you to look over. I think it would be best to start looking for your mate as soon as possible, to speed the succession along."
Mattias's jaw tightened and he could feel his frustration showing. Sophie looked even more uncomfortable, holding up the folder she carried as though it would keep him away. Like a crucifix for a vampire.
Is that how she thinks of me? A predator hunting her? Making a deliberate effort to move slowly, he reached out and took the folder from her hand. She trembled slightly, almost unnoticeably, as their hands nearly touched. As soon as he had the folder, she withdrew, sitting back in her chair.
Despite her actions, he didn't think that she was afraid of him. The look in her eyes, the flush on her cheeks, they all told him that she was as attracted to him as he was to her. She was frightened of something, that was clear, and perhaps that was why she fought her feelings towards him.
"Sophie, you know better than this," Mattias said, looking her in the eye. He tossed the folder, unopened, onto a nearby table. "I'm not interested in any of those women. Not since I met you at the airport yesterday."
With a sharp intake of breath, Sophie looked away. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, and Mattias noticed that her knuckles were white as though she were resisting the urge to fidget.
"I am sure that you have done an excellent job of finding eligible women for me, Sophie," Mattias continued. "You've never been one to do things by halves. But you've already succeeded in finding me the mate fate has sent for me. And I think you know that, too. We're made for each other, we're right for each other, and that's all there is to it."
Smiling, he reached out to her. She hesitated, looking at his extended hand, and then, hesitantly, she reached out to take it in her own.
The contact was like a bolt of lightning shooting through his nerves, and he couldn't hold back a gasp. Sophie's eyes widened, her careful control shattering as they touched, and Mattias watched the sensation rock her. His senses were awake, even more sensitive than normal, and he could almost feel her body respond to him.
Bending over her hand, he kissed it softly, and caught the barely audible moan that brought from Sophie.
"Matt," she whispered, for the first time sounding personal rather than professional. "Oh God, Matt."
Then she snatched her hand back from him and jumped to her feet, pulling away. Mattias stood too, starting to follow, but she stepped around behind the chair she'd been sitting on. He stopped and stepped back. If she feels that she needs a barrier between us, rushing after her isn't going to help put her at ease, he told himself. His lion disagreed, wanting to chase, to pounce, to find out whatever was bothering her and tear it apart. Trying to ignore that urge, he forced himself to sound calm.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Sophie shook her head. "I can't do this, Matt! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I just can't!"
"It's what fate set for us. You know that, you can feel it as well as I can," Mattias said, hearing the lion-growl in his voice and cursing it. But Sophie still didn't seem afraid of him. Instead, she seemed afraid of her own reaction to him.
"I don't know that," she said, throwing up her hands. "We can't know that's what we're feeling. And it can't be, because I can't be with you!"
6
Sophie felt her control slipping as she spoke, and gripped the back of the chair she stood behind. Its solidity grounded her, held her in place, and she managed to take a deep breath and calm a little.
Across from her, Prince Mattias stared at her as though she'd grown a second head. It was almost funny. Was he really so used to women saying yes to him? Though that wouldn't be too much of a surprise, she realized. He was handsome, rugged, and just looking at him made her want to tear his clothes off. Why wouldn't he expect every woman he approached to throw herself at him?
Not me, she promised herself. No matter how tempting it is, I made a promise and I'll stick to it.
"Look, Matt," she said, trying to keep her voice reasonable, to keep the desire for him buried under her duty. It was hard, harder than anything she'd ever done, but she had a lot of practice hiding her emotions. "You have a duty to your country to find a mate. I've sorted out a number of possible women, and I'm sure you'll like them. Any one of them would be a good match for the King of Leotania."
"Not as good a match as you are for me," he said in that low growling voice that made her soul shiver and her body melt. "We belong together. I don't belong with any of those others, no matter who they are."
If only it were that simple! "Don't think that you'd be the first prince to choose someone you didn't love at first," she told him. "There are plenty of others who chose an, an expedient match and then made it work."
She forced herself to let go of the chair, walking over to the table he'd thrown the folder onto. Stepping within arm's reach of Mattias made her breath catch again. Not that she was worried he'd do something. It was her she worried about. It would be so easy to reach out and touch him, to feel his skin under her fingertips.
Closing her eyes, Sophie ruthlessly pushed down those thoughts. It took a moment to get herself back under control.
"Anyone here would bring you contacts, alliances, favors," she said, tapping the folder. "It would be good for the country."
Standing, Mattias stepped over to the table as well. He was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.
"I'm sure they are excellent choices," he said. "That simply doesn't matter. I choose you over them all."
"You haven't even looked at them!"
"Why would I need to? There isn't a woman in the world who can compare to you, Sophie. I knew that as soon as I saw you. I think I might have known that since we were children, I just didn't know what I was feeling then. You are the one person I want to share my life with."
Sophie started to open the folder, and Mattias put his han
d over hers, holding it shut. The touch of his skin on hers sent a shiver through her, desire burning in her blood.
"I know you feel it too," he whispered in her ear. His voice fanned the flames of her need for him and she couldn't keep herself from nodding. It was all she could do not to turn to face him, but she knew that if she did that she'd be lost. If she looked at him from this distance, she knew that she would kiss him. And if they kissed, then she didn't think that even her self-control could keep things from going further.
She wanted that so badly, but knew that she couldn't do it.
"Mattias, I can't," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I promised my parents. It's too dangerous."
Reluctantly, she pulled her hand out from under his and stepped around the table. Having a barrier between them made things easier, at least a little bit. She could dare look up at him now, anyway. Mattias's face was stern, but not angry — she'd worried that this might piss him off, so that was one thing that was going better than expected.
"What did you promise them, and why?" he asked, leaning on the table, eyes narrow. He was trying to think his way around the problem, as though there was a solution she hadn't seen yet.
"They were scared for me, Matt! You weren't here after the assassination of your parents. It was chaos, and no one knew what was going to happen next." Sophie met his eyes, trying to read him. It wasn't easy, not beyond the frustration they were both feeling. "You and your brothers were smuggled out of the country, but I was still here. And I'd nearly been killed too, remember?"
The flash of pain in his eyes told her that yes, he did remember that night. How could she think he might forget? The three princes and Sophie had managed to escape the attack which killed his parents, but only barely. She remembered every second of that terrible time in her nightmares, and the princes must have it burned into their memories just the same.
