“Look, I think you should stick it out as long as you can,” Reece said. “I want this behind us, but if you feel you’re in danger, come home. We’ll figure out another way to handle this.”
“No, no, that’s fine,” Devlin said. “I’ll stay around for a few days at least. If nothing else, it will give us a picture into how covens operate. I doubt a shifter has gotten this close to a vampire without a fight in years.”
“You’re probably right. Just stay safe. Learning about their operation isn’t as important as your life. If you have any problems, call.”
“Yeah, okay,” Devlin said. He made his goodbyes and hung up the phone, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. He did have a problem, a big one that stood about five foot ten and looked drop dead gorgeous. He just couldn’t tell Reece that.
His former alpha would probably laugh him out of the room if he learned that Devlin was intrigued by a vampire, and a vampire prince at that. Devlin just couldn’t stop thinking about the guy. Boy, he was in so much trouble.
Devlin glanced up when the study door swung open and the prince walked back in. “Is everything all right?” the prince asked in his smooth, seductive voice. It sent chills down Devlin’s back and made his cock ache.
“Yes,” Devlin replied, trying to avoid the prince’s direct gaze. “Reece says to stick around. He wanted me to impress upon you the fact that he does not want any hostilities between your coven and our pack.”
“Excellent.”
Yeah, right, excellent.
“You’ll join me for dinner, of course.” It wasn’t a question.
Devlin tried to figure out why he wasn’t bothered by the prince’s demand. Unless his alpha gave the orders Devlin usually told them to go to hell. With Zacarius, he could think of nothing he’d like better.
“I’ll have Alfred see you to your room,” Zacarius stated. “Dinner should be in about two hours if you want to freshen up.”
“Thank you,” Devlin replied. “That would be greatly appreciated. It was a long drive here.”
“You’ve never actually said where you’re from or which pack you belong to.”
“That will take a little bit of a story.” Devlin chuckled.
Zacarius flashed his white teeth as he smiled. “Please, tell me. I’m intrigued.” Zacarius’s eyes roamed down Devlin’s body. It felt so intense it could have been a caress. “I’m finding that many things about you intrigue me, Devlin Morgan.”
Yeah, okay. Damn!
Devlin’s heart pounded a little faster.
“We used to be the Shasta Pack,” Devlin began, trying to ignore the prince’s suggestive words. It wouldn’t be in his best interests to let the prince know how intrigued he felt.
“Used to be?” the prince asked, one dark eyebrow arched.
“Most of our pack was decimated by the plot with your sister and others in our pack, as I mentioned before. There aren’t many of us left. The alpha of Wolf Creek Pack invited us to join with his pack as we were already tied to them by family.”
“Daniel Nash?” Zacarius whistled low. “Now, I am impressed.”
“You know Daniel Nash?”
“Not personally, no,” the prince said, shaking his head, “but I’ve certainly heard of him. I don’t know many covens that haven’t. Daniel Nash is a formidable opponent.”
Devlin chuckled. “You want to see formidable, you should meet his wife, Mary Ann. She scares the crap out of me.”
Chapter 2
Zacarius smoothed his ruffled purple shirt down his chest then picked off a few pieces of lint on his shoulder. He wanted to look his absolute best for his dinner date. The handsome shifter might not know it was a date, but that’s exactly what Zacarius planned.
The whole werewolf versus vampire thing didn’t bother Zacarius. The way Devlin’s tight jeans stretched across his ass, an ass Zacarius very much wanted a piece of, bothered him a whole lot more.
So, a private candle light dinner for two in Zacarius’s quarters, a good bottle of wine to relax the tension, a roaring fire, and Zacarius hoped to get to know his guest better, a whole lot better.
“Your highness, if I may speak?”
“Certainly, Alfred,” Zacarius replied, still looking at his reflection in the mirror.
“Are you sure this is such a good idea?” Alfred asked. “Werewolves are dangerous. They have no restraint. He’s bound to lose control and shift, attacking you or…or worse.”
Zacarius chuckled. “Devlin is no threat to me, Alfred, but I do appreciate your concern.”
“How can you be sure, your highness?” Alfred whined. “He’s a shifter!”
Zacarius heard the horror in Alfred’s voice. He imagined Alfred believed exactly as he spoke. Alfred was too young to remember a time when vampires and werewolves coexisted together. He only knew the time of strife between the two species.
Alfred didn’t understand that the war started so long ago that most people didn’t even remember why it began. Zacarius was one of the lucky ones. He was old enough to remember.
“It will be fine, Alfred.”
“Are you sure, your highness?” Alfred asked.
“I promise. Devlin means me no harm.” Zacarius said.
“I still don’t like it, sir.”
Zacarius chuckled. “I’m sure you don’t, Alfred.”
“Please, your highness, please just promise me you’ll be careful?” Alfred asked. “I don’t trust this man.”
“Alfred, you don’t trust anyone.”
Alfred gave Zacarius one of his rare smiles. “That is true, sir.”
“Go make sure my dinner is ready, Alfred, before I forget why I hired you and feed you to the werewolf.”
“As you wish, your highness.”
Zacarius shook his head in amusement as Alfred hurried from the room. Despite what he said, Zacarius would never get rid of Alfred. He kept Zacarius’s life simple and running smoothly. He didn’t know what he’d do without him.
Zacarius walked out of his bedroom into the sitting area of his private apartment. He glanced around to insure everything met his satisfaction. Alfred grumbled the entire time he did as Zacarius ordered, but apparently he did it well.
A small intimate table for two sat by the windows overlooking the garden below. A bottle of wine chilled in an ice bucket next to the table. A roaring fire burned in the fireplace. The low lights gave the room a sensuous feel. Alfred had outdone himself.
Now, time to get his guest. Zacarius walked over to the door connecting his suite to the one next door. Originally planned for the princess’s rooms, they often used as a guest room for his special visitors.
He knocked twice then opened the door. He saw no sign of Devlin. For a brief moment, Zacarius felt his heart thunder in his chest as he considered the possibility that Devlin might have fled, until he heard the shower.
Curiosity may have killed the cat but it inspired the vampire. Zacarius walked to the bathroom and eased the door open. Steam filled the room. Lust filled Zacarius’s body.
Devlin stood under the shower spray, his head thrown back, the corded muscles on his neck strained tight. Zacarius muffled his groan by biting into the heel of his hand. Devlin’s hand was wrapped around his cock as he stroked himself.
Zacarius hardened so fast he got dizzy from loss of blood to his brain. It all pooled in his pants. Devlin’s body looked like a work of art, and Zacarius wanted to study him from the top of his head to the bottoms of his perfectly formed feet.
Devlin reminded Zacarius of a Greek statue, all hard muscles and lean lines. The trail of hair going down his abdomen from the dark brown hair across his chest lent a hint to the true nature of the beast.
The muffled grunt from the shower mirrored Zacarius’s. Devlin’s body stiffened then ropes of pearly seed spurted from his cock. Zacarius would have given his entire kingdom to taste that creamy liquid. He licked his lips, just imaging how sweet and tangy the man must taste.
When Devlin finally dropped his hand from his spent cock, his body heaving, Zacarius quickly backed out of the room and closed the door as quietly as he could. He leaned his head against the cool wood, his breathing rapid as he tried to calm his ravenous lust.
He wanted Devlin Morgan, and he didn’t care if the man was a werewolf or not. He just needed to figure out how to make it happen. As interested as Zacarius knew Devlin was, he wasn’t sure the shifter could cross the invisible boundary between them. He’d have to dangle the right incentive in front of the man. Himself.
Zacarius took a hold of himself and tucked his emotions beneath a neutral façade. Taking a deep cleansing breath, he knocked on the bathroom door. “Devlin? Dinner is ready to be served. Please join me in the other room as soon as you’re done.”
It took all of Zacarius’s control to turn and walk away knowing Devlin stood naked on the other side of the door. He wanted nothing more than to open the door and let Devlin know how much he desired him.
He hated beating around the bush. While he would enjoy the hunt during his seduction of Devlin, Zacarius would rather just take the guy to his bed and fuck him into the headboard. He knew the sexy shifter would be a tasty morsel.
Zacarius moved back into his side of the royal suite and settled in one of the chairs by the fireplace. The season had moved just enough into winter to put a slight chill in the air, making the fire practical. Zacarius would never admit it, but it also made the room romantic.
He drank his second glass of wine by the time Devlin entered the room. Zacarius crossed one leg over the other to hide the instant arousal he felt at the sight. It would be a painful delight seducing Devlin.
“Devlin, so nice of you to join me.”
Devlin smirked. “I was under the impression I didn’t have much of a choice.”
Zacarius chuckled. “There is always a choice, darling.”
Devlin sputtered. “Darling?”
Zacarius grinned. He let Devlin see his eyes rake over the fine body displayed in tight jeans and a white dress shirt before him. “Would you prefer gorgeous? Stud?” One eyebrow arched as Zacarius smirked. “Mine?”
“You do know that I’m a shifter, right?” Devlin asked, one brown eyebrow raised.
“I’m quite aware of that, darling,” Zacarius replied. “I’m just not sure what that has to do with our present situation. I still plan on having you in my bed before the night is through. Your being a shifter has nothing to do with what I want from you.”
Devlin stared at him, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. Zacarius knew he shocked him. There didn’t seem to be much point in denying his attraction. As prince, he usually got what he wanted, and he wanted Devlin.
Devlin suddenly reached across the space between them and grabbed Zacarius’s wine glass, tossing the remaining contents of the glass down in one swallow. Zacarius almost complained. That was a very good, very old merlot, but the stunned look on Devlin’s face might be worth any price.
“You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” Devlin finally asked. His voice sounded strained. His body looked tense. His eyes wouldn’t meet Zacarius’s. The hard swell behind the Devlin’s zipper pretty much said it all.
“What would be the point, darling?” Zacarius asked. He liked the flush of Devlin’s skin as the blood rushed to his face. “I want you. I believe you want me. Should we ignore that and pretend the attraction isn’t there?”
“Yes!” Devlin exclaimed.
“Very well,” Zacarius said. He pointed to the door connecting the two rooms. “The door is right over there. There is a lock on both sides. If I am mistaken in my assumption, then please feel free to use it. I won’t hold it against you.”
Devlin stared at him for so long that Zacarius wondered if the intense attraction between them would matter or not. Maybe the whole shifter and vampire thing was a bigger issue than he thought.
Zacarius wondered if he made a mistake. Suddenly, Devlin stood and walked over to look out the window. His posture still seemed stiff, but Zacarius didn’t get any vibes of disgust from him.
He wasn’t sure if Devlin knew that vampire princes could read people. Everyone gave off vibes of one sort or another. Werewolves could sniff the subtle changes in someone’s scent. Vampires could feel vibes.
Well, the general population of vampires couldn’t read people. That seemed to be reserved for vampire princes, one of the signs of a vampire prince.
“If I have offended you, Devlin,” Zacarius stated, “I do apologize.”
Devlin glanced over his shoulder, his brow drawn together as if in confusion. “No, I’m not offended. I just don’t see the merits of becoming involved. You’re a vampire prince. I’m a shifter. Not a good combination.”
“Now, that may be true, but in centuries past, vampires and werewolves lived side by side, even mating between the two species. While that has not occurred in many years, it has happened before.”
Devlin snorted. “Yeah, like five hundred years ago.”
“I was a child when the Great War occurred,” Zacarius said. “I remember watching werewolves walk down the street in our community as an accepted member of our coven.”
“Just how old are you?”
“I sincerely hope you like older men because I was born in 1496. I am five hundred and thirteen years old.”
Devlin gaped. “Damn, you look good for someone that old.”
“Thank you.” Zacarius chuckled.
“I think.”
“You were alive when the Great War started?” Devlin asked as he turned around to stare at Zacarius. “What was it like? Why did it start? I’ve always known about the animosity between our two people, but I’ve never understood why.”
Zacarius walked over to the bar to pour some more wine. He held up the bottle. “Would you like some wine? This might be a long conversation.”
Devlin shook his head. “No, I’m good, thanks.”
Zacarius placed the cork back in the bottle of wine and walked over to stand next to Devlin. He glanced out the window, not quite sure how to explain the biggest mistake he felt one of their kind could have ever made.
“I was still a child when the war started, so I saw it from a child’s prospective. It all seemed rather idiotic to me.”
“How so?” Devlin asked. When Zacarius glanced up at him, Devlin seemed truly interested.