by Lola Gabriel
She wondered if Owen would come back to the store again. The idea of it was keeping her from relaxing against the chaise entirely, her foot twitching nervously with the thought. If he did, how would she handle it?
That posed an interesting question. Theo was apt to rat her out if the prince returned, and Kennedy certainly didn’t want a replay of what had happened tonight. After all, she wasn’t sure she could listen to another round of grief from her father.
He’s not coming back, a logical voice told her. You have nothing to worry about. He probably forgot who you were the minute he walked out of the store.
The thought filled Kennedy with melancholy. She hoped that her infatuation wasn’t one-sided, but she was mature enough to accept it if it was. After all, girls only got princes in fairy tales and forbidden princes in Greek tragedies.
And this would undoubtedly end in tragedy.
Still, Kennedy didn’t force the image of Owen away from her mind when his face inevitably surfaced behind her closed eyes. She relished the lines of his chin, memorized to perfection, as if she’d had a photograph to look at. She wondered if his lips tasted as plump as they appeared.
A small sigh escaped her mouth, and slowly, all the stress of the day melted away in the shadow of Owen’s image.
If nothing else, she had a few fleeting moments to recall for the rest of her immortality.
Maybe one day, I can tell my children how I met a prince, she thought fantastically, but another lower whisper chanted something else, something taboo and illicit, something that the daughter of an Alpha should never think.
Maybe one day, your children will be princes. Dragon princes.
4
Colin noticed the change in Owen almost as soon as he arrived at the palace the following morning. Perhaps it was the unshaven face or the crumbled clothes he wore on his usually well-primped body. Maybe it was the bags under his eyes, which screamed to the lack of sleep he’d gotten. Whatever the reason, Colin started talking almost instantly.
“Are you still upset about Amelia yesterday? She means well, Owen. She just wants you to be happy, but after you left, we had a long conversation about what happened, and she swore that she—”
Owen held up a hand to stop him, laughing slightly.
“I was never upset about Amelia,” he assured his friend. “I know she means well, and frankly, I’m touched that she cares enough to keep on me about it. Gods know no one else bothers with me the way she does. Why are you even bringing that up?”
Colin paused and stared at him pensively. “You just look… haggard, I guess. I thought you were upset, but I stand corrected.”
“Haggard, huh? Thanks for that.”
“I’m just saying you look a little rough. Where did you go after you left our place last night?”
“To the Trenches.”
“What?”
Owen shrugged. “I took a detour.”
“Ah. You went on a bender, didn’t you? That’s why you look like shit.”
“You know me so well,” Owen replied sarcastically. “I woke up in a gutter this morning.” He didn’t want to admit that he had consumed more than he had intended, but that was really not the cause of his appearance. Colin frowned.
“I don’t get it. What’s wrong with you?” Unexpectedly, Owen grew tense.
“Nothing. Can we please get to work? I have to get to the Sunside at some point today, and I’d like to get this meeting underway.”
How could he explain to his friend that he’d spent the night awake, contemplating the revelation that he might be lonely? It was farfetched to him. He couldn’t imagine what Colin would do with such information.
Yeah, Colin, I was thinking about what Amelia was saying about love, and I think I might want some of that.
No, some things were better left unsaid. Moreover, he had a strong suspicion that it wasn’t Amelia who had gotten in his head at all, but rather the sultry blonde jeweler who was only blocks away yet under the same roof. It was intensely distracting.
“Owen?”
He realized he’d spaced out again. “Sorry, what?”
“Do you want the east coast numbers?”
Owen nodded and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. As the minutes ticked by, though, he knew that he was not heading to the Sunside that day. He only had one task on his mind, and that was seeing Kennedy again.
The abrasive salesman was the only one in the store when Owen returned to it. The meeting with Colin had taken an hour, but to the dragon, it had felt like an eternity.
“Your Highness!” the man called, groveling as he moved. It was embarrassing to see a being so young acting like a peasant.
“Mr. Parker will suffice.”
“Mr. Parker, of course, of course! What can I help you with today? Did you need a new charm for your bracelet? Or would you like to look at our newest arrivals? Perhaps something with emeralds or—”
“I’m looking for the woman who was here the other day, Kennedy. Is she working today?”
It was impossible to miss the anger and hurt that crossed the salesman’s face, and for a minute, Owen wondered if he’d asked something different. The man looks like I ran over his dog.
“She’s not here.” The statement was void of emotion, but Owen sensed there was a great deal brewing beneath the surface of the vendor’s blank exterior.
“When will she ba—?” He had barely finished his question when the man answered.
“Don’t know.” Owen neither believed him nor appreciated the obvious brush off.
What’s your problem, buddy? Theo, his brass nametag read.
“Theo, why do I get the impression you’re not being completely honest with me?” Owen asked conversationally. “Do you really not know when she’ll be back, or are you lying?”
Theo was a vampire, and therefore already quite pale, but his skin almost appeared to shift to translucency when Owen posed the question.
“I—I—she went to get some lunch.”
Owen smiled. At least he was getting closer to the truth. “Well, was that so hard? I can wait.”
Theo gaped at him, and Owen got the impression he wanted to say something but was debating the best way to go about it.
“Spit it out, Theo,” Owen sighed. He didn’t particularly feel like being gawked at while he browsed and waited for Kennedy.
“That’s not a good idea, Your—Mr. Parker,” he blurted out. Owen blinked twice.
“Not a good idea?” he echoed.
“Not at all,” Theo replied, nodding gratefully, as if Owen had conceded his point.
“Theo, you know I own this palace, right? That you work in this store and that I am your landlord?” Actually, Owen thought, Keppler technically owns the palace, but he doesn’t need to know the semantics.
“Of course I know that, Mr. Parker,” Theo babbled, but as he spoke, his eyes darted nervously toward the front doors. “But you don’t understand who Kennedy is.”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Owen told him pleasantly, although his temper was beginning to flare. Who the hell does this guy think he is? If I want to park my ass here all day long, he can’t stop me.
“Mr. Parker, Kennedy is the daughter of Cameron Solstice.”
The name was vaguely familiar to Owen, but the comings and goings of the Hollows were never fresh on his mind. For all Owen knew, he’d met the man a hundred times before. Names didn’t stick in his mind, not like numbers did.
“I can’t wait to meet him,” he said. “Oh, right, he’s the owner of this store, is that what you mean?” He suddenly remembered that last detail. Maybe that was where he had recognized the name.
“Yes, he is…”
The door opened, and Kennedy sailed in, a rush of words escaping her lips as she moved.
“They didn’t have almond milk, so I—” She abruptly stopped speaking when she saw Owen, her eyes widening in shock. “Oh.”
Owen’s brow creased. It wasn’t exactly the welcome
he’d been hoping for, but he reasoned that he’d taken her by surprise.
“Hi,” he offered, moving forward to help her with the tray and bags she carried. “How are you?”
“Good, I’m good,” she replied quickly, but she stepped out of his way and set the purchases down on the table. “Was there something wrong with the bracelet?”
Owen noticed the way she glanced nervously at Theo, and a strange undercurrent seemed to pulsate through the store, one that Owen didn’t understand.
“Actually, that’s why I came. It was a huge hit. I just wanted to say thank you,” he said slowly, watching as she scurried to secure herself behind the counter, like she expected him to pounce on her. She’s not acting the same as she was the other day at all. Did I misread the signals?
Owen tried to observe the scene impartially, like he had just walked in from the palace entrance himself. Kennedy refused to meet his eyes and busied herself with the lunch order while Theo hovered nearby, casting them both reproving looks.
“You didn’t need to stop by for that,” Kennedy rushed on. “Just doing my job.” She looked up and flashed him a tight smile, but Owen could read worry in her eyes.
Is she warning me about something? Although it certainly felt that way, he couldn’t be sure. He wanted to ask her out to dinner that night, but now his timing was off. Whatever was bothering her would not be alleviated by an impromptu dinner invitation. Especially not with Theo lounging around like a mediator.
“Well, I better get to the Sunside before the end of the business day,” Owen said, and he noted a look of relief on Kennedy’s face.
“Thank you for stopping by.” The wistfulness in her tone was obvious, painful. Owen cast a final look at Theo, wondering what it was that the salesman had been trying to warn him about. It was too late to ask him.
Whatever it is, I’ll get to the bottom of it, Owen thought. “I hope to see you very soon,” he told Kennedy meaningfully. She stared at him plaintively, and he knew then that she was happy to see him.
“Have a good day!” Theo called forcefully. The meaning was unmistakable—Get out of the store.
Owen obliged, the wheels in his head turning. Kennedy Solstice. What’s your deal?
All concerns about added drama in his life dispelled, Owen hurried back toward the residential area of the palace.
He had some research to do.
When Owen found Wilder, his brother seemed to be half-asleep, his long legs draped over a velvet settee as he lounged before the roaring fireplace in the library. A book lay folded on his chest, and his breathing was deep and even.
“Wake up,” Owen ordered, stalking toward him. “It’s a work day, you know.”
Wilder grunted. “I just flew home from Japan. Solo. Cut me some slack.”
“Never.” Owen plopped on the settee beside his brother and shoved Wilder’s legs down. Begrudgingly, Wilder rose to face him.
“This better be important.”
“Meh, you’ve bothered me for less,” Owen answered cheerfully. “Tell me about Solstice Jewellers.”
Wilder blinked, presumably to clear the cow webs from his tired mind before staring back at his brother blankly. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
“What can you tell me about that family? They’re Lycans, yes? Have they been in the palace long?”
Wilder yawned, “A couple centuries.”
“And?”
“What’s the interest? Cameron do something wrong?”
“I’m more interested in his daughter.”
Suddenly, Owen had his brother’s full attention. A wide, bemused grin appeared on his face.
“Oh, best of luck with that,” he chuckled. “Although I don’t blame you—Kennedy is a looker, all right.”
Owen clenched his jaw. Brother or not, he didn’t like the idea of anyone checking out Kennedy. He fleetingly thought of the man who had been bothering her the day he had bought the bracelet. “Why would I need luck with that?”
“Her father is the Alpha in these parts. He owns a chain of stores down here and on the Sunside. Really rich, really powerful.”
“And really protective of his daughter?” Owen guessed. That didn’t seem like the worst obstacle in the world.
Wilder guffawed. “You aren’t much for politics, huh?”
Owen didn’t compute. “What politics?”
“He’s a Lycan Alpha. That’s his only daughter. Yes, he’s protective, but if you were a Lycan prince, he wouldn’t care. There is no way that any Alpha is going to let you within ten feet of his daughter, Owen. You’re going to need to find another conquest.”
Owen bristled at the word “conquest.” As if Kennedy is someone to be broken to my whims.
He doubted anyone could break that girl. She had far too much spirit.
“Is this because of an ages’ old feud that the rest of the Hollows has all but forgotten?” Owen demanded dubiously. “We hang out with Lycans every damned day. We’ve all dated at least one. You can’t be serious.”
“Old world vendetta,” Wilder agreed. “Stupid as it is, it still is. Unless Kennedy goes against her pack, which I find incredibly difficult to believe—she’s always struck me as a good girl who loves her father—you are shit out of luck, bro. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”
Owen couldn’t believe it could be that ridiculous, but he knew Wilder was telling the truth. Even though his brother might be an ass, he never lied… at least not when it was important.
Maybe Wilder just thinks that’s still a thing, Owen thought confidently. In the back of his mind, though, was Kennedy giving him a worried, indecipherable look and Theo trying to warn him before she came back.
Unless there was something else that Owen didn’t know, it seemed like the most plausible explanation was staring him in the face.
But that wasn’t going to stop him. If Kennedy was willing to see it through, so was he.
5
Kennedy walked on eggshells for the rest of her shift. Theo made no mention of the dragon prince’s appearance, but she could tell he wanted to bring it up. She had already snapped at him when she arrived for her shift, furious that he had ratted her out to her father and caused problems.
“I didn’t say anything about the way you were shamelessly flirting with him,” Theo had said, and Kennedy had suppressed the urge to throttle him with her bare hands. She knew that Owen appearing again was not going to bode well for her, and she was already planning a speech in her mind for when she met with her father at home that night.
Locking up the store, she turned and headed out through the north exit, to where her brand-new Maverline convertible was parked. It was one of the last cars in the lot, since Kennedy had procrastinated leaving the store. She was in no rush to deal with the aftermath of Owen’s visit.
She had been deliriously happy to see him, but she couldn’t show it, not when Theo had been scowling at them so intently. Although she didn’t see him, Kennedy was sure her co-worker had snuck off to call her father at his earliest convenience.
All day, Kennedy had been waiting for a phone call or a visit from Cameron, but when nothing came, it made her feel worse.
He’s making me sweat on this, she thought miserably. He wants me to freak out.
Kennedy tried to reassure herself that there was no reason to panic. After all, she had done nothing wrong, no matter what her conscience said. Owen was a patron at the store. Nothing more. He couldn’t be anything more.
She approached the sleek, moon-silver car and unlocked the door with the fob. The double chirp echoed through the caves of the underworld. As she reached for the door, a hand reached up and touched her shoulder.
Kennedy shrieked and spun, ready to shift, but she exhaled in a whoosh when she saw who stood behind her.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Owen said, grinning wickedly. His handsome face was illuminated by the fluorescent lights of the parking lot, yet somehow, even in that haze, he looked amazing.
Her pu
lse still racing, Kennedy laughed shakily.
“It’s okay. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings,” she replied, leaning up against the driver’s side door. As if he felt her willing him closer, Owen stepped toward her, the heat of his body matching hers even without touching. He casually leaned a hand over the frame of the dazzling ride, partially blocking her in, but Kennedy had no desire to move. If anything, she wanted to wriggle in closer, though she dared not.
“So…” Owen drawled, a slight lilt to his voice. “I understand I can’t exactly ask you out for dinner.”
Kennedy’s smile faltered, and she lowered her eyes.
“Not really,” she mumbled. “Not if you don’t want to start a war.”
Owen chuckled, and Kennedy realized how foolish it sounded. The dragons had already started and won a war—and they would do it again if need be.
“I have no intention of starting a war, Kennedy. I’m in insurance. The payout would be astronomical.”
Kennedy lifted her head to stare at him, wondering if he was joking. A glint in his eyes, however, told her that he had indeed considered the economical standpoint of war.
“I didn’t mean to be standoffish with you today,” she told him earnestly. “But it looks like my father has spies everywhere.”
“Theo,” Owen guessed. “He was trying to warn me that waiting for you was not a good idea.”
Kennedy blinked at the confession. She couldn’t imagine Theo having the gall to do anything like that. He was far too much of a brown-noser to intervene. His way was more to tell on people than to warn them.
Maybe Dad put him up to getting more involved, she thought, but she dismissed the idea immediately. She didn’t want to talk about Theo, or her dad, or about anything except for what was happening between her and Owen at that moment. The heat, the sparks, they were exactly as they had been in the store, and Kennedy didn’t want to waste a minute of it. After all, it might be the last time.
“What if I go to your father—?” Owen started to say, but Kennedy silenced him with her lips. She pressed her mouth to his, and although he gasped at the boldness of the move, he instantly fell into form, pushing her back against the driver’s side of the car. His hands fell onto her skirted hips, and he pressed his full weight against her while their mouths explored each other’s.