The Wolf Prince (12 page)

Again she eyed Chad. Though he’d used a spell to dull his looks, he was still tall, bright and handsome. And the secretive side to his nature appealed to her more than anything else. Bright men were...boring. Transparent, uncomplicated and, well,
Bright
.

She finally understood why her mother had taken a lover among the Shadows. She’d do exactly the same, if given a chance. Meanwhile, she’d work with what she had at hand. Chad. To think she hadn’t believed he’d be much of a challenge.

The glint in his bright purple eyes told her he was aware of what she was doing. He played his own little game, using his own set of rules.

Even better. She wanted to rub her hands together with glee. Nothing got her blood boiling like a rousing game of cunning. Of course, among the Brights, it never was any sort of contest. She always won.

Willow glanced at her, flashing an uncertain smile. Tatiana smiled back, letting her sister know not to consider herself the winner here.

Of course, what could she do? She’d need to get rid of her younger sister and coax Chad into her bed chamber. Once she’d succeeded in seducing him, she could make sure his older brother found out, thus effectively ending that engagement and setting herself up for a new one with Chad.

Who, she was willing to bet, would be much easier to manage than that overconfident bag of wind, Eric. Even if Chad wasn’t as beautiful, there was much to be said for the benefit of having a willing adoring slave.

Tatiana hadn’t a doubt she would win. She always did.

Meanwhile, her foolish, gullible sister still crouched in front of her.

“Speak to me,” Willow pleaded, her brown eyes full of concern. “Please, Tati. Are you all right?”

Tati
. A nickname from their childhood. Tatiana almost softened and took pity on her younger sister. But just as she was about to sit up, open her eyes all the way and assure Willow she was, in fact, fine, Chad spoke.

“Maybe we should give her some space,” he drawled, cynicism coloring his voice. “You never know what delirious people might do.”

Delirious?
She wasn’t...silently seething, she realized Chad knew this and was baiting her. Fine. All part of the game.

Spine stiff, she forced herself to lie still a moment longer. Only by using a major force of will was she able to keep a secretive smile from curving her lips. She loved a good challenge.

“Move.” Using the same bored tone, Chad nudged Willow aside. He bent down, causing Tatiana to flutter her eyelashes oh-so-delicately as she heaved a dramatic sigh, sending her awesome breasts quivering. Of course he noticed them—how could he not?

“Up and at ’em,” Chad said, hauling her up brusquely. She sagged against him, as though her legs wouldn’t support her, taking pleasure in pressing her ample breasts into his hard chest.

She felt the hitch in his breath, the immediate hardening at the front of his body. He might think he didn’t like her, but his arousal said otherwise. Proving what she already knew. There wasn’t a man alive who could resist her.

Satisfied, Tatiana stretched and slowly opened her eyes. She let her gaze travel slowly down his body, coming to rest of the swell of his arousal. Impressive.

“Glad to see me?” she murmured.

Bracing herself as she half expected him to drop her, she was relieved and gratified when he did the exact opposite, snuggling her close as though he couldn’t help himself.

Right in front of Willow. Fantastic.

She sagged even heavier against Chad, taking pains to make sure her woman parts pressed against his rock-solid body.

Good lights! His obvious arousal was getting her going, as well. She let a tiny moan escape her lips.

At the sound, Chad’s eyes narrowed to slits, but his erection continued to swell against her unabated. If they’d been alone, she knew she could have pulled him into one of the empty rooms for a round of hot and heavy sex.

Except...completely unaware, Willow watched with wide eyes. She looked from Chad to Tatiana, her expression troubled. Concern was written all over her rather drab features and even her dusky skin had gone pale.

“Where’s your human friend?” Tatiana drawled, hoping her sister would get the hint and leave her and Chad alone.

“He’s resting before the evening meal,” Willow answered. Apparently she had no intention of going anywhere. Too bad.

Smiling, Tatiana snuggled closer, privately thrilled when Chad’s already aroused body grew even larger. If she hadn’t needed to play this complicated game, she’d drag him into the first available room and let him use that magnificent tool.

All she needed to do was get rid of Willow.

Chapter 12

F
or his part, Chad hadn’t decided whether or not to let Tatiana seduce him. Right now, though she’d done an excellent job arousing him, he wasn’t all that interested. For one thing, she was not even remotely a challenge and, for another, having sex with her could really mess things up if Willow found out. And Willow was definitely a challenge.

So, even though his libido was ready, willing and eager, he tamped down hard on his arousal. Ever conscious of Willow’s watchful gaze, he knew exactly how to play it. Cool, calm and collected.

First, he shifted her weight so Tatiana rested on his hip rather than his front. Secondly, he staggered slightly, as though he no longer had the strength to support her weight.

“Willow,” he entreated, managing to look both repulsed and in desperate need of assistance. “Will you please help me with your sister? I’m afraid I might drop her.”

After a moment of stunned shock, Willow sprang to action. She reached out and pried one of Tatiana’s arms from her death grip around his neck. “Here, Tati, lean on me.”

“Lean on you?” Tatiana sputtered. She pushed away and sprang up perfectly straight on her own two feet, her violet gaze shooting sparks at both of them.

From the look on Willow’s face, her sister’s dramatic recovery hadn’t been entirely unexpected. In fact, Tatiana was rather predictable. Chad yawned discreetly, making sure Tatiana saw.

Willow, meanwhile, was still focused on her older sister. “You’re better now?” she asked, her voice an intriguing combination of concern and disgust.

“Leave me alone,” Tatiana snarled, whirling away from her. “I’m fine. Thanks for your concern.”

Amused, Chad stepped back. Already his very visible arousal had begun to go down.

Tatiana’s smirk made him realize she had definitely noticed. Her magical power rolled off her in waves, carefully banked, but enough to let him know it was there. If the two of them were to join, they’d be unstoppable. Not only could they rule the Brights, but the entire realm.

He nodded at Tatiana in acknowledgment.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Willow pressed, treating her older sister as though she expected her to keel over at any moment. Either that, or haul off and slap her. Though he had to say, Willow looked as though she could defend herself just fine.

“Yes.” Tatiana waved her away. “I’m great. Fabulous. Fantastic.”

If she noticed her self-descriptive adjective came off as conceited, she didn’t show it.

“Good,” Chad said. “I’m glad to hear it. Now if you’ll excuse us...” He held out his arm to Willow, who immediately took it. “We’re on our way to have lunch.”

“Oh, I’ll go with you,” Tatiana immediately trilled.

“I don’t think so.” Looking down his nose at her, Chad frowned. “Your sister and I would like some time alone together. We need to get to know each other so we can decide whether or not to follow you and Eric’s example and become engaged.”

He didn’t miss Willow’s relieved smile or Tatiana’s heightened color.

“But—” Tatiana began, narrow eyed with anger.

“No buts,” he said, rather cheerfully. “Why don’t you go find your own fiancé and spend some time with him? I’m sure Eric would love to get to know you.”

Delivering that final dig almost set her off. He saw it from the tightening of her lush mouth and the flash of rage that crossed her face. She even took a step toward them, fists clenched. To do...what? But at the last moment, she reined herself in and managed to smile back, the calculating look on her face promising retribution.

Good. He looked forward to that.

“Tatiana?” Willow began, sounding uncertain. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Even more interesting, Chad thought, watching her. He’d bet three bricks of gold that Willow knew exactly what was going on with her sister. Like the rest of them, she was playing her own little game.

Of the two sisters, he had a feeling she was the most like him.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Tatiana snapped. Then, apparently realizing the crushed look on Willow’s expressive face didn’t reflect well on her people skills, Tatiana reached out and awkwardly patted Willow’s shoulder.

“Sorry. I’m a bit shook up, that’s all. I’m all right, really.”

Willow looked doubtful. “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. Now run on off and have your lunch. Have fun then, you two!” Tatiana said, the gaiety in her voice ringing utterly false with the malice shimmering in her violet eyes.

Chad flashed an equally fake smile. “We will. Say hello to my brother for me, will you?”

“Of course.” Grumbling something else under her breath, Tatiana moved away.

“Well done,” Willow said quietly. “You are aware of what she was angling for, aren’t you?”

“Of course,” he answered smoothly. “She is very competitive with you for men’s attention, is she not?”

Willow swallowed hard. When she spoke, he noticed that she didn’t answer the question. “Most men would have taken the time to enjoy my sister’s ample charms.”

Giving her a tender smile, he put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Most men haven’t already found the woman they want.”

Then, as she blushed delicately, he went in for the coup de grace. He kissed her lightly on the side of her cheek. A gentleman’s kiss, but one that promised much, much more.

“Chad,” she turned to face him. “I’m not sure I—”

“Ahem.” Behind them, someone cleared a masculine throat.

Willow stiffened, moving away from Chad so quickly he wondered if he’d caught fire or something. Then, as he saw who had intruded, he had to force himself to relax. He’d worked his glamour to ensure the human wouldn’t recognize him. He’d also taken pains to dress differently than he had earlier.

This was the best he could work out without wearing a mask, which would be way too obvious. The moment of truth had come. Would the human recognize him? If so, he prepared himself to deal with the consequences.

“Ruben!” Willow said, her blush deepening as she stepped away from Chad. “You haven’t met Prince Chad. Chad, this is Prince Ruben of Teslinko.”

Now or never. Turning slowly, Chad kept his expression casually friendly. He held out his hand, all the while holding his breath while he waited to see if a glint of recognition would show in the other man’s face.

To his immense relief, he saw only pleasant politeness and curiosity as they shook.

“Pleased to meet you,” Ruben drawled, glancing from Willow to Chad and back again.

“Yes, indeed,” Chad drawled right back. Victory? Or was, as Chad suspected, Ruben actually toying with him?

But he saw nothing in the human’s rugged face to indicate recognition. And what would be the point of pretending? None, none at all. No, he suspected Ruben would be the sort to have him immediately arrested and brought before the king and queen.

“Where were you two going?” Ruben asked, studying Willow’s flushed face before looking at Chad.

“We were just about to head down for lunch,” Willow said, still sounding breathless. And glad, Chad noted. Definitely glad. “Come with us.”

Ruben considered.

Chad waited for the other man to decline. Surely even one as obtuse as he could tell Chad and Willow wanted to be alone.

Instead, Ruben nodded. “Great. I’m starving. Lead the way.”

The happy smile that blossomed on Willow’s face infuriated Chad. He moved closer to her, placing a proprietary arm across her shoulders.

“Maybe I should have let Tatiana come with us,” he put in, reminding her not-so-subtly that he’d earlier declined her sister’s blatant invitation because he had wanted to spend time alone with her.

At his comment, her blush deepened, though she made no move to tell Ruben not to come. Interesting. Glancing from Ruben to Willow, he filed the information away for later. He couldn’t help but wonder how he might use this to his advantage. But he would, somehow.

“I’m sorry,” Willow finally stammered, low enough that he knew she didn’t want Ruben to hear. “I didn’t think... That is...”

Apparently oblivious to the undercurrents, Ruben kept pace with them, looking straight ahead. Chad guessed the other man was lost in his own thoughts. Briefly, he wondered what those might be.

“Any luck on finding your murderer?” Chad asked, keeping his tone mildly curious.

Ruben’s head came up and his amber eyes narrowed. “Not yet. But we’re still waiting for the king and queen to give us permission to go out among their subjects.”

“We’re? Us?” Chad looked at Willow, who suddenly became very interested in her feet. “Are you helping him with this?”

“No.” Her answer came too quickly, which meant she was lying. “Of course not.”

At the same time, Ruben shook his head. “I asked her to help me, but she’s refused.” Also lying. Hmm.

“I’ll be happy to help,” Chad offered. What a perfect solution. That way, he’d be right there on top of the investigation and would know if anything happened to point to him.

“You?” Ruben frowned. “I thought you were a visitor here, just like me.”

“Not exactly. My kingdom is about one hundred miles east of here.”

“But you’re not from SouthWard,” Willow pointed out, annoyingly.

“No, but I am a Bright,” Chad shot back. “And EastWard is an equally possible destination for this madman.”

Ruben studied him, his look assessing. “You know what? If I don’t find the killer here in SouthWard and I have to go to your kingdom, I’ll take you up on that.”

“Done,” Chad said promptly, well aware that no matter how hard Ruben searched, he’d never find the one he sought among the SouthWard men. Actually, since Chad planned to ingratiate himself into the investigation, if Ruben even so much as displayed the smallest suspicion, he’d be a dead man.

As they entered the banquet hall, Chad made certain to stick close to Willow’s side. It annoyed and amused him that Ruben did the same.

Many of the nobility had already arrived and made their way down the banquet line. Willow stood on her toes, trying to see over the crush of people.

“It looks like some sort of fish today,” she said, smiling. “Though we don’t eat meat, we make an exception for creatures of the sea.”

Preoccupied again, Ruben nodded, then raised his head to meet Chad’s intent stare.

“What?” he asked, sounding mildly curious rather than irritated.

Chad decided to test him further. “Nothing. It’s just that you look awfully familiar. I don’t know why or how that could be, since I’ve never traveled across the veil, but something about your face...”

Letting the words trail off, he waited to see how Ruben responded.

“Really?” Ruben turned away and sounded completely disinterested. “You don’t look familiar to me at all.”

Though he had no reason to doubt him, Chad suspected the other man was not telling the truth.

* * *

The truth of the matter was, Ruben didn’t like Chad. At all. Something about the other prince made his wolf’s hackles rise. He couldn’t imagine why Willow would want to marry a man like that, but then again, what did he know about what women wanted in their men?

Though if he knew his sisters, they’d agree with his assessment of the blond prince.

And when Chad had mentioned seeing him before, he’d been lying. For whatever reason. Though now that he mentioned it, Ruben wondered if the other man’s face
did
seem familiar. Despite the fact that he didn’t have the same aristocratic features, was it possible he actually was the man Ruben and his father had seen following Willow?

The instant he thought this, he knew it made no sense. If Chad had used magic to alter his appearance, Willow would have commented on it, wouldn’t she?

When they reached the stack of plates, Ruben grabbed one and eyed the food trays. His family rarely served meals buffet style, preferring instead a more formal service and a sit-down sort of elegance. To each his own.

As he studied each food, Willow kept up a running commentary about where it had come from and how it was prepared. From what he’d seen of her, she must have really been nervous to chatter so much. His admittedly limited experience around her had revealed her to be a quieter, introspective sort.

Nervous about what? He glanced at her, noticing the way her gaze occasionally darted to Chad. The man her parents wished her to marry?

While they were finishing up their lunch, which was eaten in blessed silence, they were summoned to the throne room. The page that had come to fetch them glanced at Willow anxiously and swallowed.

“Best hurry,” she whispered, loud enough for Ruben to hear. “Your mother is in one of those moods.”

Willow blanched. Again, Ruben found himself wanting to comfort her.

On her other side, Chad raised a brow. “What’s this about?”

Though Ruben felt a sudden urge to tell the other man to mind his own business, he answered cordially, “I’m sure they’ve reached a decision as to what they want to do with me,” he said. He couldn’t help but wonder what it was about the other man that made him feel so competitive. Willow? That would be extremely foolish.

Willow sighed and placed her napkin on top of her plate. “Did they ask for me only, or Ruben, also?”

“Both of you.” Waiting, the page dropped her eyes.

“That’s what I thought.” She stood, motioning to Ruben, who rose also. Chad, he noted, remained seated.

As they followed the page, Willow leaned close. “I’m worried about this. Whatever you do, don’t ask if I can go with you.”

Surprised, he cocked a brow. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t want them to forbid me. I’m going anyway and I’d rather not have to openly defy them.”

“Makes sense,” he said, even though to him, it did not. But then he thought of his sister Alisa. She’d done whatever she wanted, consequences be damned, and had nearly gotten killed in the process.

He couldn’t take the risk of that happening to Willow. “You know, I’ve been rethinking the idea of your accompanying me,” he said. “Maybe I should take Chad instead.”

That got her attention. She stopped, crossing her arms and glaring at him. “You can’t be that obtuse. Chad is the last person you’d want to trust to have your back.”