by Leslie Chase
Then his head snapped forward, forehead connecting with the bridge of Praetor's nose. A horrible crunch sounded, and the captain's grip faltered for a moment. Not long, but long enough for Mattias to twist free. Rather than pull away, though, he closed again. This time he trapped Praetor under him, an arm bar across the man's throat pinning him to the canvas. For a moment the two men were locked there, eye to eye, and Sophie wondered what they each saw in the other's face. Then, as Praetor's face darkened, Mattias grinned.
"Enough," he said, and there was no arguing with that voice. Even Captain Praetor stopped struggling. After a moment's pause, Mattias acknowledged that with a smile and a nod and stood up, releasing the man. This time, though, he kept a wary eye on his opponent as they separated, and didn't take his eyes of Praetor until the man was safely out of reach.
The tightness in Praetor's bruised face showed his anger, but he managed to put on a credible smile, one that would have fooled most people. Not Sophie, though. She knew him well enough to see through it to the rage underneath, and she kept quiet, hoping to avoid drawing attention to herself.
"Well fought, Your Highness," Praetor said as he jumped down from the ring. His tone was friendly but his eyes weren't. "I see you're no stranger to a real fight, either."
Mattias laughed, and Sophie saw that he was hiding his true feelings behind it. "Captain, I lived my life under threat of assassination. Of course I've learned to protect myself, and if I hadn't learned to handle a dirty fight I might as well not have learned to fight at all."
"That is a lesson well learned, Your Highness, and I will be sure to remember that you've learned it," Praetor said. "Please keep in mind that others have learned it also."
Grabbing his discarded top, he stalked towards the door. He shot Sophie a warning glance as he passed her, his back to Mattias, and his meaning was clear as day. He was watching her, and if she said anything about his plans, his next attack would not give Mattias even the illusion of a fair fight.
Mattias watched his defeated foe leave and frowned. There was more going on in that fight than he understood, that much was clear. For all of Praetor's forced good manners it was clear he didn't take his defeat lightly. I don't think he liked losing in front of Sophie, Mattias thought. But that's not all of it. He really didn't seem to think I'd be much of a challenge.
Guess I fooled him then.
It might have been a while since Mattias had been in a serious fight, but that didn't mean much. His entire life in America, he'd been aware that he might have to fight for his life at a moment's notice, and he'd prepared for that. By now, the exercise and practice were second nature, burned into his soul by hours of repetition. Anyone who thought that because he was rich he wouldn't be able to fight would get a terrible surprise.
Sophie looked up at him, her eyes wide and face flushed, and he grinned at her, putting Praetor out of his mind. She was a much more interesting sight anyway. Hopping out of the ring, Mattias grabbed a towel and a bottle of water, taking a long drink before turning back to her.
"I didn't expect to see you again so soon, Sophie," he said. "But I'm happy for the audience. I hope you enjoyed the show?"
Her flush deepened as he'd expected it would, and she tore her eyes from him with visible reluctance. "I, ah, you were very impressive," she admitted, "but that's not why I'm here."
"Then it's an unexpected bonus," Mattias said, throwing the empty water bottle away. "But if you actually want to talk about something, I should get changed."
The look on her face made him smile. It mixed relief and disappointment equally, and for a second he thought that she was going to tell him he didn't need to. Then she nodded reluctantly, her eyes averted as though she was afraid of what she'd do if she looked at his body again.
He felt disappointed too. Watching her enjoying the sight of him was a wonderful feeling, one that he would have liked to savor longer, but it would get in the way of sensible conversation. His body felt alive after the fight, and being close to Sophie was distracting at any time. Now, his blood already pumping, he had to fight for control of himself. It would be too easy to just sweep her up in a kiss and forget about his promise to her.
Fighting off that urge, he turned and went into the changing room. The cold water of the shower wasn't enough to push the thought of her body from his mind, but it helped. When he returned, she was sitting waiting for him, and again relief and disappointment mixed in her eyes as she saw him fully dressed. He smiled at her, and she returned it hesitantly.
"What is it we need to talk about so urgently that you tracked me down here?" he asked, sitting a little distance from her to give them both some space. He didn't want to crowd her, or to tempt himself too much either. His lion was fully awake, and urging him to take his mate.
That was distracting enough that he couldn't focus properly, but even so, it was clear that something was wrong. The pause before she answered was strained, and there was a shadow of some feeling on her face. He couldn't quite identify it — fear, perhaps, or shame? Whatever she was feeling, it was strong enough to keep her from speaking her mind. Mattias frowned. She must have something on her mind, or she wouldn't have come to see him like this. It was obviously something important, but what? And why wouldn't she talk about it?
Before she answered, she glanced up at the guards Captain Praetor had left behind. They were waiting by the doors of the gym, giving the two of them plenty of space, but it didn't seem to be enough to reassure her. Mattias looked up at them too, catching the eye of one and waving them outside. They didn't look happy with that, but they obeyed quickly enough — he had beaten their captain after all, and that was the deal.
It didn't look like that reassured Sophie much, whatever she was worried about, but he couldn't guess what else was bothering her. He just waited while she collected herself.
"I wanted to talk to you about..." her voice trailed off and she shook her head, coming to some kind of a decision. Mattias wished that she wasn't so good at hiding what she was thinking, but then he supposed if she didn't have some talent for that she wouldn't be a good secretary for a king.
"About the dates I'm to arrange for you," she finished unconvincingly. Good as she was at hiding her feelings, he was sure that wasn't how she'd intended to end the sentence.
"Fine," he said, sighing and accepting it. She'd have to come to trust him before she'd confide in him. That wasn't going to happen if he pressed her for her secrets too fast, he knew, so he'd go along with her for now. But eventually, he promised himself, he would get to the bottom of what else was troubling her. There was a flash of relief in her eyes when he didn't push the issue, and it hurt him to see her worrying so. "Where do we start?"
She brushed her hair out of her eyes and smiled, looking a little happier. Her fear was still there, but she had it under better control. "I've brought the folder of, um, candidates. I spent some time before your arrival sorting out who would be suitable, and I can arrange for you to meet any of them once you agree. Of course, there are political considerations about who you might meet first."
Mattias sighed at that. The last thing he wanted to do was meet other women when the one that his heart was set on was right there. Still, if Sophie was insisting on it then better to get it over with. The quicker he got through it, the quicker he could show her that they weren't for him. But having to struggle through the mess of who had precedence and who would be insulted by being left out... that was something he had no time for.
"I suppose we'd better get to it, then. Who's first?"
As it turned out, the folder Sophie had with her contained thorough reports on the women she'd selected. All the noble families of Leotania were represented, as well as several from further afield, and the web of connections between them was both intricate and confusing. Perhaps if he'd grown up amongst them it would have been easier for him to navigate, but he’d spent too much time away.
Groaning, he made the effort to focus on what they were doing. Understandin
g this was going to be a lot of work, and if he was going to do it, he was going to do it right.
9
"What about her?" Sophie asked, leafing through the sheets and pulling out a profile. The two of them had gone back to his office when it became clear that this wasn't going to be a quick discussion, and now they were poring over the documents she'd put together.
Mattias was focused but hadn't leaped at the chance to see any of the women on their first quick run through. On the one hand, that was bad — she'd been hoping that he'd pick someone straight away, that one of the photos would pull him in as much as he was drawn to her.
On the other hand, she couldn't deny that it made her feel better when that didn't happen. He looked through the file dutifully but without showing any real interest in any of the women, and she could still feel the way he was drawn towards her. The little looks he gave her showed his attraction, and each one made her melt, made her want to jump into his arms.
And each made her feel worse about not telling him of the threat Captain Praetor posed to his family's rule, but what could she do about that? Even once the guards had left they weren't safe. Praetor had the castle bugged, and God alone knew how many other ways he had of keeping an eye on the Prince. There was no way to tell Mattias about him without risking her family's safety.
Mattias looked at the page she'd pushed across his desk, frowning.
"Tell me about her," he said. Sophie welcomed the distraction from her thoughts.
"That is Countess Eliza Baden-How," she said, reciting from memory. "Recently inherited the title, along with the lands that go with it. She's from one of the oldest families in the kingdom and influential with the old guard, she's a lion shifter like you, and she's famously charming. I think she'd make a great match for you."
That she was beautiful was obvious from the photograph Sophie had attached to the file, and there was no need to mention it. Mattias picked up the paper, looked at it closely, and shook his head.
"Not her." Before Sophie could object, he shook his head firmly. "I'm sure she's lovely, but she's not right for me. If I married her, it would bring more land and power into the royal family, and that would just antagonize the rest of the nobility. We don't want to make waves, not now."
That was a reasonable objection, Sophie had to admit. With carefully-hidden relief she slipped Countess Eliza's file to the bottom of the stack and pulled out another.
"Lady Danielle Moritz? Also from an old family, but not in line to inherit any land. Well-liked by most of her peers, so she'll help shore up alliances with the nobility."
"And also famous for her shopping sprees across Europe." Mattias shook his head. "She is probably a nice girl, Sophie, but all she seems to want to do is shop and party, and that sounds dull. If I'm going to meet someone, it has to be someone I can have a conversation with."
He looked up at her with a smile, and she couldn't help smiling back, remembering their late-night conversations as children. It wasn't the same thing, of course, but they'd always been close, and the idea of spending long hours talking with him was so tempting.
Almost as tempting as the other things she wanted to do with him all night. Blushing again, she tore her eyes away from his and grabbed the next sheet from the file.
"Okay, in that case, Penelope Walters," she said, trying to keep her mind on her work and off Mattias's gorgeous body. "She's not from Leotania, so there wouldn't be any local entanglements for good or bad, but she's from a good family of English shifters, so she'd bring an international alliance."
"The Walters are tiger shifters, aren't they?" Mattias sounded dubious about that. "How would that work out?"
"Perfectly well," Sophie said, hoping she was right. "And she's not just some noble, she's worked as a troubleshooter for the British supernatural community. I'm sure she'll have plenty of interesting stories to talk about."
Mattias frowned, but this time he didn't dismiss the idea. Picking up Penelope's file, he looked at the picture. "I suppose that's at least something different," he said, sounding not entirely convinced.
"You have to pick someone," Sophie said, knowing she sounded frustrated. She just wanted this to be over. It was a lot harder than she'd expected, picking through the list with him, and every time she had to propose another woman, it felt like she was stabbing her own heart a little harder.
Mattias looked at her, eyes sad. For a moment he was still, and then he nodded decisively. "Fine, Sophie. I'll meet Penelope, and we'll see how I get on with her. When can you set that up for?"
Sophie winced. This is what you wanted, remember? Telling herself that didn't make it feel much better. But if she was going to do this, better to get it over with.
"Possibly as soon as this evening," she said. "Ms. Walters is in London, I believe, and it's only a short flight to Leotania from there. It might take a few days, though, depending on her schedule and whether I can arrange it at all."
And wouldn't that be the perfect end to a miserable process? If Ms. Walters said no, they'd have to start all over again. Sophie didn't want to think about that.
"Do it." Mattias sat back with a sigh, looking relieved to get that over with. There was a tension in him, something that made him look determined rather than happy, but at least he was going along with it. As Sophie took back Penelope's file, she glanced at the smiling photo of the woman and had to suppress a snarl.
I hope this works, she thought to herself. And I hope that, if it does, I can keep myself from hating her. It wouldn't be easy, she knew, despite how unfair that would be. At least, if things went to plan, she wouldn't have to know Penelope for long.
And there was another advantage, she thought as she left Mattias's office. Penelope Walters was a woman of action, and from outside Leotania. She might be a bigger challenge for Captain Praetor to control than he'd realize until it was too late.
That thought cheered her up a little as she went to set up the date between the man she loved and a stranger.
Mattias arrived for his date early and alone. Even after winning his fight with Captain Praetor, he'd had to argue with the men guarding him to stay behind. They hadn't wanted to let him go, but this was going to be an awkward enough time even if he wasn't being watched. He couldn't imagine what it would be like with a couple of guards chaperoning him.
He tried hard to keep a positive outlook about the date. Maybe Sophie was right, maybe this would be the one. He tried to tell himself that, and could barely keep a straight face.
Don't reject it out of hand, he told himself. Maybe she's right and this is how it works. I've never met Penelope before, perhaps she'll light my soul on fire as much as Sophie does. I owe it to her to keep an open mind.
It didn't seem likely to work, but who knew?
Massimo's was famous amongst the wealthy of Leotania. It was the best restaurant in the country, and even as a prince Mattias was surprised that they'd gotten a reservation so quickly. But that was more of Sophie's magic, of course — when she set herself to a task, she could manage almost anything. For example, convincing him to go on a date with another woman rather than pursuing her.
The maître d' met him at the door, ushering him to his table with carefully calibrated politeness. It was an impressive performance, Mattias had to admit — the man only called him 'Your Highness' once, and seeing his suppressed reaction, used 'sir' after that. A lot more attentive to details than most people were, it made things a lot more comfortable than he'd expected.
Settling himself at the table, he waited for Penelope to arrive. Time passed at a crawl, and he fought the urge to keep checking his watch until at last she appeared, guided to the table by the maître d'. Mattias stood to greet her and looked at her.
Penelope was tall and athletic, moving with an elegant grace. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her red dress showed off her figure perfectly. The Englishwoman was as attractive as her pictures had made her out to be, and the slight smile on her lips was delightful.
"No." Her voice was amused as she shook her head with a small, regretful smile.
"No," Mattias agreed, relief flooding through him. There was none of the attraction that pulled him towards Sophie, none of the certainty that they belonged together. Her athletic figure didn't have the curves he so loved on Sophie's body, she looked too tall to fit against him the way he longed to hold Sophie, and a million other things were wrong.
Penelope might be lovely, but she wasn't his, and that was that.
She sat, and he joined her at the table. For a second they sat in silence, and then she spoke.
"Well, at least that's simple," Penelope said with a laugh. "No wasted time."
"There is that," Mattias agreed, waving for the waiter to pour them wine. "I'm glad you're taking it well."
"Why wouldn't I? We can both tell that we're not fated, so there's no pressure on us to pretend. It's a shame, though. You're quite the catch. Aside from the whole kingdom business, just look at you!"
"If only everyone agreed," he said, laughing as a waiter filled their glasses.
"Oh? Who's the lucky girl, then, and why are you here if you've met her?" Penelope seemed genuinely curious, sipping her wine and leaning in to hear his answer. "After my brother met his mate, I couldn't imagine him trying to date anyone else."
"Would you believe it's Sophie, the secretary who set us up?" Mattias said. Penelope looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he laughed again, a little sadly. "She had everything planned out before I arrived: how she'd help me find my mate, then retire and get away from the royal family. It's not exactly easy for her to admit that it ought to be her."
"That it is her, I think you mean," Penelope said. Around them, waiters began to appear. Part of the mystique of Massimo's was that they had no menu. Massimo knew what you would like better than you did yourself, and according to legend he'd never served a meal that one of his clients hadn't loved.