by Lila Jean
Pity, really. Given where they were, Killian would have liked to learn more about Damara and her descendants. The more he could learn now, the more he could make Tina feel at home when she chose him at the end of this contest.
A knot in his stomach reminded him of the “if” to his statement, rather than “when” but he didn’t like to think that way. He kept his attention focused on the end result he wanted. That was why he always won.
Well, he almost always won.
Tina let out a happy little sigh as the bubbling laughter faded. Her joy morphed into a quizzical expression, the edges of her mouth curving slightly in a curious smile.
Charmed by her beauty and attention, a reluctant grin spread across Killian’s face. “What?”
“You’re completely charming,” she said, her soft eyes never leaving his.
His smile broadened, and he grabbed the armrests of her seat to pull her closer to him. She giggled again and lifted her knees to her chest as the chair slid across the carpet, only stopping when her face was mere inches from his. Her gaze flickered to his lips, and she bit her own. He loved the soft dip her teeth left in her lip, the movement inviting him to taste. She was waiting for him to kiss her, and he would be happy to oblige.
As he leaned in, however, she lifted a finger to his mouth, her soft touch shooting sparks of desire through his jaw.
She studied his face. “Why did you stop the pranks?”
Killian shrugged. “I was supposed to. That wasn’t how a knight behaved, much less the boy who would one day rule a kingdom. I had to do the chivalrous thing, what was best for my people. I had to grow up.”
Her smile fell, replaced with a sad little tilt to her eyebrows. “Even grown-ups are allowed to have fun.”
His eyes darted down to the plunging neckline of her dress. “Oh, adults simply have different kinds of fun.”
Tina laughed and smacked his shoulder. “Come on, now. What are your interests? What hobbies do you have?”
“Sparring. Martial arts and weapons training. Political analysis. Diplomatic negotiations.”
Tina blew a raspberry at him. “That’s all work. All those are things that help you run an empire.”
“Yeah. And?”
She rolled her eyes. “And I want to know what your hobbies are outside of that. What else do you do? What do you do just for yourself and no one else?”
The question took him by surprise because he didn’t have an immediate answer. Ever since his teenage years, he had always done what honor demanded, what was best for his people, and ignored his own desires for the sake of the greater good. It was his duty. His responsibility. He was the future King of Aurous, and he had to act like it.
The sad tilt of her eyes became more pronounced. “Isn’t there anything?”
“I suppose you could say debating is a hobby of mine. I like being right.”
Tina chuckled, and Killian was simply grateful to see the sadness melt away from her face.
He continued. “It’s been years, but I used to enjoy going to the theater. The royal acting troupe is truly incredible, some of the best actors I have ever seen in my life. We’ll have to catch a show while you’re there.”
“I would love that. Anything else?”
“You,” he said simply.
Her smile fell. “Are you sure?
“Of course—”
“Wait, let me finish. I want you to pause and really question what you just said. Only repeat it if you truly mean it. If you want me, it can’t be out of responsibility or duty. You can’t want to win simply because your kingdom would benefit from my magic.”
He hesitated, her face still precious inches from his, and for the first time in a long while, he asked himself what he truly wanted. Duty, honor, and his father’s actions and desires didn’t matter. What would benefit his kingdom didn’t matter. What was expected of him didn’t matter.
Killian thought about life without her. He thought about losing the contest or simply withdrawing. Dread shot clear to his toes. The idea of losing her made his grip tighten on her hands. The deep sense of loss left him breathless.
Then he thought of life with her, about bringing her back to Aurous and setting his mother’s crown on her head. He thought of their endless late-night conversations, the puzzles and conundrums she would undoubtedly help him work through in their life together. A surge of peace shot through him. It was a sense of comfort, of the world being the way it should be.
“I want you,” he said softly.
She studied his face for a moment, and he didn’t know how she would respond. Then, finally, a slow smile spread across her lips. She crossed the gap between them and pressed her mouth against his, grabbing his collar to pull him closer. With his hands on her thighs, he lifted her until she straddled him on his chair. He held her securely against his body, and he didn’t ever want to let go again.
A long-dead sensation spiraled to life in his core: passion.
Ignoring propriety and chivalry, he bunched up the fabric of her skirt and slid his hands underneath, running his fingertips along the back of her legs until he held her ass once more. She gasped with delight. This time, not even the thin fabric of her panties separated him from her.
When he was around Tina, his own desires mattered. After a lifetime of being told that he had obligations to fulfill and duties to perform, Killian was finally free.
40
Zane
With a fire crackling in the marble fireplace as they laid on the floor of his suite, Zane stared at Tina over a chessboard and waited for her to make her move.
Tina wagged her finger at him, snapping him into the moment. “You’d better not let me win this game, Zane. I want to earn it.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Of course, he was going easy on her. On average, Zane could win a chess game in four moves. Tina put up one hell of a fight, and she had dragged it out to six. For the sake of enjoying his time with her, though, Zane had stretched the game out to twelve. He would still win, but at least this way it would be a bit more fun for her.
Besides, he loved the way her nose scrunched up when she focused on something.
Since their first kiss, Zane had been able to think of little else. She had a gift, one he didn’t think anyone could possess: she could shut off the over-thinking aspect of his brain and let him simply be in the moment with her.
It baffled him. Logically, he supposed it was something to do with her power. Perhaps Damara’s magic meant Tina could give her man what he wanted most. It just surprised Zane that what he wanted most would be peace and quiet.
Now that she lay in front of him, Zane wanted to kiss her. He wanted to reel her in a run his hands along her waist, to pull her underwear to her knees and slide into her. Zane shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts so he could simply focus on being with her. He didn’t usually have an overactive imagination, but she had that effect on him. Truth be told, he rather liked it.
Tina slid her queen across the board toward one of his knights. “Your move.”
Not bad. He pretended to peruse the board and think about his next move so as not to intimidate her. Zane had been playing chess for over a decade and moving his pieces too quickly might throw her off.
He took the time to sneak a glance at her. She leaned her head in one hand she studied the board, no doubt planning her next move. A very dim glow emanated from her skin, only bright enough to make her look even more radiant than usual. Her dark hair cascaded over one shoulder, exposing her slender neck on the other side.
Tina was so much calmer now than she was during week one, which could either be from sex or from her time in Olympus. Zane suppressed a jealous growl from his tiger at the prospect of her in bed with someone else, but he still hoped it wasn’t the cause.
As her power grew, she wouldn’t need his help to escape. The thought of her not needing him shattered Zane. He had grown fond of her, and he didn’t want to think about what it would be like to
not spend time with her. The problem was he didn’t know who was currently winning the contest, which was odd for him. He usually won games.
But this game was different. Tina was different.
Zane made his move, taking her bishop. “Your turn.”
“You’ve been quiet today.” She tilted her head. “Even for you.”
“I guess I have. Sorry.”
Tina shrugged. “Is everything okay?”
Zane gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s fine. Just a lot to think about.”
“What have you been up to since we got to Olympus?”
He thought back over the past few days. “I found several secret passages, but none of them led outside. A few of them are patrolled, so I figured it was best to not try my luck exploring those.”
Tina chuckled and shook her head. “So mischievous.”
Zane laughed. “I can help it.”
“How did you find the passages?”
This was the question he had been asked most often, one he usually sidestepped or avoided altogether. With her, he didn’t mind telling the truth. “Mainly through pilfered blueprints and books that I wasn’t supposed to read. Honestly, I’ll never understand why people think restricted sections in a library will keep anyone out.”
“The castle blueprints were in the library?”
“Okay, the library and the king’s office.” Zane grinned sheepishly. He had already removed the bugs and monitoring equipment from his room and set them up in a broom closet on the first floor so he could speak freely.
Tina burst out laughing. “You’re an outright criminal, aren’t you?”
“Maybe a little.”
She returned her attention to the board and, while thinking, absently reached for his hand. Her thin fingers brushed his wrist as she gently stroked his arm, the movement as natural and possessive as if she had done it a million times before.
Beneath her fingertips, Zane’s skin warmed. The touch sent jolts up his arm and into his chest. As it had when he kissed her back in Bali, his mind went blank. No checklists. No calculations. No running tally of risks and reward.
Deep within his soul, his tiger growled with satisfaction and contentment. If he were in his tiger form, his tail would’ve happily twitched back and forth.
Without pausing to think of the risks or ramifications, Zane reached for her face and pushed her onto her back, knocking over the board and all of its pieces in the process. His mouth pressed into hers, her lips warm, soft, and inviting. Straddling her, he cradled her head in his hands.
If she was disappointed, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she tugged his shirt out of his pants and ran her hand up his back. His skin prickled at the overwhelming sensation of her skin on his.
If he didn’t stop, he would take her right here. If he didn’t stop this now, he might push her too far.
With a pained growl, Zane pulled away from the kiss. His hands rested on either side of her head, her dark hair sprawled across the carpet as she stared up at him with those beautiful, wide eyes. She was testing him, waiting to see what he would do. He was so very tempted to nudge her legs apart.
Instead, he waited.
Zane laid down next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. It must’ve been difficult enough for her to deal with a life or death ultimatum hanging over her head. He still had ten weeks, and he wouldn’t push her to do anything she wasn’t ready to do.
As he held her, Tina ran her thumb over his wrist yet again. The same burning desire tore through him, but this time he simply enjoyed her company. Her touch gave him a sense of calmness and peace he’d never had before.
She was the only one who could give him this. Now that he had it, he couldn’t imagine going without.
41
Tina
Tina didn’t know how much time had passed, but she woke with Zane’s arm across her chest. Silver moonlight cast a serene glow through the otherwise dark bedroom. In his sleep, Zane nuzzled her shoulder, his ruffled brown hair even messier than usual.
She smiled, brushing a loose strand of hair out of his eyes. With a kiss on his nose, she slipped out of bed and stretched as she looked out over the beautiful city below the demigods’ palace.
Her body hummed with life and power. She could feel the magic right down to her bones, stronger than ever before. Pulses of light shot through the veins in her right arm, the white ink tattoo on her wrist glimmering without her even touching it. The only time she had ever felt this powerful was back in the throne room when she had first summoned Damara’s magic.
She had been practicing her dagger fighting and connecting to her powers every day, always careful to push herself to the limit, but she still had a ways to go. Tina shrugged. It was still progress. She studied her hands, pleased to see her powers were finally coming to her.
As for her men, she couldn’t understand why their abilities hadn’t begun to show. Her books had said their magic took a few weeks to appear, but by now, Draven and Zane should have at least had a flicker of new magic of their own. Sometimes it took a moment of stress for the powers to manifest, but she hoped that wouldn’t be the case. If they were attacked again, she wanted to make sure her men would have the power to defend themselves.
Before, when she couldn’t sleep, she obsessed over the pending choice in a contest that would change her life. Now, though, she realized it wouldn’t serve her to worry. She simply wanted to enjoy her princes. After all, she only had nine weeks left with them. Tina had to make it count.
The next morning, Tina lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as the sun rose on her day off. Her blissful week with her men in Olympus had already come to a close, and soon they would be heading to the next nearest kingdom, the dragonlands of Mersarth.
Tina grinned the thought of Draven showing her his home, of spending three days with him. Sex just oozed off of the Dragon shifter, and Tina knew she wouldn’t be able to resist him for much longer. Especially not if she spent three straight days with him.
In fact, she wouldn’t be able to resist any of her men much longer. Anthony, her quiet protector. Zane, her brilliant strategist. Killian, her noble knight. Hell, she already wanted another taste of Flynn, her endearing demigod. A twinge of disappointment blistered through her at the thought of having to choose one of the princes. She adored them all and enjoyed time with every one of them.
Each of her princes fed a different part of her soul, and she couldn’t imagine sending even one of them home. With every passing day, only one thing became clearer: she was falling in love with them all.
42
Anthony
On the final day in Olympus, Anthony leaned against the wall in the sparring arena while Draven and Killian dueled on the mat. With one leg propped against the drywall behind him, Anthony shook his head as Killian landed a powerful kick against Draven’s torso. The dragon didn’t so much as flinch.
Anthony groaned in disappointment. “Killian, your blows won’t matter if you hit him where he’s strongest.”
“But he’s a tank! Nothing hurts him!” Killian snapped, dodging a jab from the dragon prince.
Anthony studied Draven’s form. “Everyone has a weak spot. Next time he’s not paying attention, kick out his knee.”
“Whose side are you on, Anthony?” Draven chuckled and ducked his head to avoid another blow from Killian.
“Tina’s,” Anthony said with a smirk.
As the sparring match continued, Anthony kept a close watch on the princes’ forms and attack patterns, critiquing wherever improvement was needed. There wasn’t any point in hiding their abilities from each other anymore. He had seen them fight time and time again. More importantly, they had seen him fight when the dragons had attacked them.
With Tina’s safety on the line, the other princes had pulled their weight and defended her at the cost of blood and broken bones. Anthony could trust them to keep her safe.
Though they were indeed good fighters, each of them had room
for improvement. Anthony needed to know they would be able to protect Tina if they were attacked again when he wasn’t around. In short, they had no choice but to be the best, and that meant giving his opponents some pointers.
Flynn and Zane leaned against the wall next Anthony, watching the fight with as much careful attention as Anthony was.
On the mat, Killian put the full force of his enhanced strength into a punch that landed squarely in Draven’s abdomen. Instead of doubling over, as Killian had likely expected, Draven let out the briefest huff of air and took Killian to the ground.
Annoyed as all hell, Anthony ran a hand through his hair. “Killian, you’re killing me. Stop. Punching. His. Torso.”
“You come fight him, then!” Killian jumped to his feet, wiping sweat from his brow as his chest heaved.
With a sigh, Anthony jumped onto the mat and rolled his shoulders, silently accepting.
“Wait.” Draven’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “Are you serious?”
“You’ve never actually taken us up on it before,” Flynn said, a twinge of surprise in his voice.
“I don’t see a point in hiding my abilities anymore.” Anthony shrugged. “Besides, from what I’ve seen so far, I think Killian might learn best when a technique is demonstrated for him.”
“If you say so.” Flynn shrugged.
With a steadying breath, Anthony assumed his natural fighting stance. Killian hopped off the mat as Draven and Anthony circled each other.
As a rule, Anthony let his sparring opponents strike first. It lured them into a false sense of security and control that often played into his hands. After careful study, Anthony already knew what Draven would do: charge like a bull. The dragon did the same thing every time, almost without fail, and Anthony needed to point out this weakness to him.
