The Lion's Castle (The Lion Princes Book 1)

by Chase, Leslie

  Wow, he thought. Okay, that I wasn't expecting. The last of his anger faded out and he smiled. He couldn't help it. It was as though their souls had connected for an instant, as though he'd had a window into her mind. The connection was more powerful than anything he'd felt before, and struck him like a hammer between the eyes.

  I don't have time for this now! He broke eye contact with her, struggling to regain control of himself. Deep inside him, that impact stirred his lion awake, and it stretched, yawning and curious. It didn't like travel, not when it meant being cooped up in airplanes with crowds of people. He always tried to let it sleep when he was flying but the touch of this girl had woken it surely as the scent of prey would have.

  Or the scent of his mate.

  The lion purred inside Roman's mind as he helped the woman back to her feet. From the dazed look of her, he thought that she was experiencing something similar. And she was coping with it worse than he was. I suppose it must be worse for someone who isn't a shifter, Roman told himself. She wouldn't have any idea what was happening to her, or to them. It was powerful and strange enough for him, and he understood it.

  At least, he understood some of it. He'd heard the tales of how fate had someone in mind for everyone, but he never believed it. Even now that he was feeling this shock of attraction at meeting this woman, he didn't quite trust it. But he found that he couldn't doubt the feeling itself. He was drawn to the woman in a way that he'd never even imagined possible, and she couldn't hide the fact that she was drawn to him, too. It was almost as though he could feel her emotions, and he wondered if she could feel his across the same bond.

  It must be pretty intense if she can, he thought, trying to breathe and control himself. I've never felt like this towards anyone before! He ached to touch her again, but she looked nervous enough that he didn't want to spook her.

  Something about her didn't fit the legends about fated mates he'd been raised with, though. As well as the attraction, he felt a sense of danger and fear from her, strong enough to make it across the bond they now shared, powerful enough to make him worry. Is she in some kind of trouble? Looking back, he realized that she looked scared even before she collided with him.

  It doesn't matter, he decided, certainty settling over him. Whatever danger is stalking her, I can keep her safe from it. That's a much more interesting challenge than finding out who's going to inherit the throne.

  3

  Anna felt weak at the knees as he lifted her and put her back on her feet. She cursed herself for reacting this way, but the power of his presence was too much for her to cope with. She didn't know what to say, or what to do. Nothing could have prepared her for this.

  "There you go," he said. Even his voice was perfect, strong and masculine with an air of easy command. It made her shiver again, trying to clamp down on her body's response while she tried to find words. This time, she managed to answer.

  "Thank you, Mr.—" she cut off just in time to not use his name, cursing herself for her carelessness. Fortunately for her, he didn't seem to notice. In fact, he seemed almost as distracted as she was. He hid it a lot better, but she could somehow feel it anyway. Maybe I see it in his eyes, she thought. Or maybe I'm imagining it.

  "Alexander," he filled in. "Roman Alexander. And it's quite alright, really. We should both have paid more attention to where we were going, shouldn't we?"

  She nodded quickly, eager for this most awkward of conversations to be over. This is the enemy, she told herself. Remember what his family has done. What he is. A shifter, spawn of hell, like father says.

  The trouble was that he didn't look like hell-spawn. More like an angel, in fact, with his halo of blond hair framing that perfect face... she tried to snap out of it, taking a step away from him.

  "Ow!" Her ankle twinged as she put weight on it, and he was there at once, holding her by the elbow again, supporting her.

  "I'll call for a paramedic," Roman said, but she shook her head quickly.

  "No, no don't worry, I'll be fine, " she told him, hoping it was the truth. "There's no time anyway, we'd miss our flights."

  She was pleased that she remembered to make that flights, plural. Making it obvious she knew what flight he was catching would have been a big slip. He glanced at his watch, pulled a face, and nodded.

  "We can't have that," he said. "What flight are you on? I’ll make sure you make it."

  For a moment, she considered playing up the injury after all. He would have to rush to make his flight, she'd be left behind, and that would be that. But then she saw the look in his eyes. If she was hurt, she thought he'd stay and make sure she was alright even if it meant missing the flight. Maybe that would be for the best, she thought. It would keep him out of her father's plans for at least a day. She pushed down the traitorous thought and shook her head.

  "I'm on the 5pm flight to Leotania," she said.

  A smile dawned on his face, surprised and happy. It only made him look even better to Anna, and she had to look away to break the spell. Blushing, she tried not to notice how sexy he looked, and how much her body responded to him.

  "We're on the same flight, then," he said. "I was expecting to have to miss it, but if we're both heading in the same direction, then it must be fate. Come on, let me help you."

  Testing herself, Anna found that if she moved carefully it wasn't very sore. A few hours sitting down and she'd probably be right as rain, and the flight would give her the perfect opportunity to rest it. Hobbling towards the gate with his assistance, she had to smile at the care he took to support her. The last time she'd hurt her leg, her father had told her to walk it off - that a hunter has to be tough and work through the pain.

  It was almost amusing that their family's sworn enemy was taking better care of her than her father had. Almost. She had to work to keep in mind that this was an evil tyrant, though he didn't seem evil.

  Is it really right to judge him on the wars his ancestors started? The harm our people came to under their rule isn't his fault — I'm sure everyone has something to be ashamed of in their family tree. But whenever she'd tried to raise such questions with her father, he'd glare at her until she shut up about it. And Roman was, after all, coming home to rule the principality. He wasn't giving up his heritage and letting everyone live in peace.

  The thoughts were whirling around in her mind as he helped her through the gate and to the plane. Anna was working on autopilot, showing her boarding pass and passport as they were guided through, and only then realizing what that he'd seen then: her name. So much for a low profile, she cursed herself, knowing how angry her father was going to be about that if he found out. At least it didn't seem to mean anything to him — if her name, or her father's, were known to the authorities in Leotania, Roman clearly hadn't gotten the message.

  Once they were on the plane itself, though, a stewardess looked at her pass with a smile and tried to take over supporting her.

  "I'll take her from here, sir," she told Roman. "Her seat's in economy class."

  And of course the tyrant is flying first class, she thought with a touch of resentment. That made it a little easier to dislike him. But he didn't let go of her arm.

  "The flight is nearly empty," he observed. It was true, there were only a few other passengers aboard. It wasn't as though their home country was a popular destination for tourists. "I'll pay the difference and bump her up to first class too."

  The stewardess looked at him, unsure. But there was no mistaking the seriousness of his face, and after a second she was all smiles again. As well she might, that was quite a deal for the airline. Anna flushed, unsure what to say. She could insist on traveling economy as usual, of course, and part of her wanted nothing to do with his money. On the other hand, the whole point of her taking this flight was to keep an eye on Roman, and that would be so much easier if she were seated with him.

  Most importantly, she didn't want to be separated from him. Not just so that she could do her job; there was something about him,
about his touch, that made her want to stay close and get to know him. His hand on her arm, the deep amber of his eyes, the way he moved — it all made her heart beat faster. She wasn't quite ready for him to let go of her yet.

  "Thank you," she said, only then realizing that she'd made her decision. He smiled, and the sight of that made her tingle. Like the sun coming out, his smile lit up the space he was in.

  "Right this way then," the stewardess said, leading them to their seats.

  * * *

  Roman tried to think through what was happening, without much success. He and Anna settled into the comfortable first class seats and he was struck by the unlikelihood of meeting her.

  What are the odds I'd meet my mate on the way home? He had no way to answer that, only more questions. Fate doesn't really work that way, does it?

  The old tales about his family said that it always worked out, but that was back in the days where the family arranged marriages. No wonder they talked about fate guiding them, he thought. It gave a certain authority to the practice of making the decision for your sons and daughters if you could claim it was their destiny.

  But no one had arranged for him to meet Anna Hall on the flight home. And the way he felt wasn't some excuse to make an arrangement work, it was as real as anything he'd ever felt. His fingers ached now that he'd let go of her arm, missing the soft warmth of her skin. His heart beat quick and hard in his chest. His mouth was dry.

  Usually he enjoyed watching the takeoff, looking out of the window and seeing the ground drop away beneath him. It was one of the little pleasures of flying, but as the airplane leaped into the sky, Roman wasn't paying any attention. The woman beside him commanded all his focus.

  Anna was still pale and he could feel the fear on her. Is she afraid of flying? Roman didn't think that was it, but he tried to reassure her anyway. Taking her hand, he gave a comforting squeeze, and was rewarded by a little smile. It might not have helped her fear, but she seemed to appreciate it anyway.

  Once they were airborne and the plane leveled out, Roman let go of her hand and signaled for a stewardess. The woman appeared in seconds, bringing them champagne, and he laughed as he saw Anna's eyes go wide. She was clearly not used to such indulgences, and it was a delight to introduce her to them. He looked forward to showing her more once they were on the ground again.

  "Hardly anyone travels to Leotania these days. What brings you there?" he asked as he sipped the sparkling wine. She lifted her own glass almost suspiciously, brows wrinkling cutely as she looked at it. He frowned a little too — he'd meant that to be light conversation, not something to make her uncomfortable.

  "My father," she answered eventually. "It's sort of a family gathering in the old country. I've never actually been there before."

  "Ah, then you're in for a treat," he told her. "It's a lovely place for a holiday, as long as you enjoy the mountains. That's pretty much all we have."

  She smiled and finally took a drink. "So I've heard. My family talks about it all the time. How about you?"

  "A family gathering, too," he said, wondering whether to tell her that he was a son of the royal family. He didn't want to be overbearing, and it might seem like he was a bit desperate to show off for her. On the other hand, part of him did want to impress her. Now that he'd met her, Anna's approval mattered more to him than just about anything. Aside from that, it might not be a bad idea for her to know who he was. Even if he didn't put much stock in his family heritage, he knew a lot of people did.

  But it didn't seem like a good time or place, not if she didn't recognize him from his name. It was inevitable that she'd find out eventually, but just now he'd rather simply be Roman to her, not Prince Roman, potential heir to the throne.

  "Not a happy one, though," he continued. "My Grandfather passed away and my brothers and I need to come home and sort out the inheritance."

  "I'm sorry," she said, an emotion he couldn't place flitting across her face before she could control it. There was a brief pause before she carried on. "That must be terrible for you."

  "We weren't close," he said. "I only met him a few times, in fact. I wish I'd tried to know him better, while there was still time, but we never got on."

  That was an understatement, but Roman didn't want to get into any of the details. The shouting, the insistence that he and his brothers move back and embrace the old ways, that was all gone with Grandfather to his grave. And now that, finally, they were taking part in the old rituals of their family, he wasn't sure whether the old man would have been proud or disappointed in them all.

  It is our responsibility, he told himself. We can't just let it slide because we didn't like him.

  He felt Anna's hand take his, and started back to reality, realizing that he had been lost in thought. Looking down at her small hand gripping his, he saw a faint tremble, and a glance at her face told him that she was as surprised as he was.

  "Family can be tricky," she said, meeting his gaze steadily. The emotions he saw behind her eyes were confused, in turmoil, but her tone was warm and comforting. He might not be able to understand what she was feeling, but she was trying to help him despite the confusion she felt. That meant a lot to him. "All you can do is your best, and if he didn't see that, then there wasn't anything that you could do about it."

  "You're right," he said, squeezing her hand and smiling sadly. "In any case, it's too late to do anything about it now. Look forward, not back, that's the way to go."

  She nodded and smiled, the sight of it lifting his spirits and washing away his sadness. Smiling back at her, he changed the subject. "Enough of that, I don't want to drag the mood any lower than it already is. Let's eat something, the first class menu is usually pretty good."

  "Really?" Anna's eyes lit up. "I usually travel economy, and the food back there... well, if you're lucky it can rise to the heady heights of 'okay' sometimes."

  Roman laughed. "Oh, I'm sure we can do better than that!"

  4

  The flight was a dizzying experience for Anna. Here she was, traveling alongside a man she'd been raised to think of as one of the enemies of her country, a man she'd been taught to hate all her life — and she couldn't keep her eyes off him!

  It wasn't just how he looked, though he was by far the best looking man she'd ever met in the flesh. The photos she'd seen of him hadn't done him justice — even as gorgeous as he had looked in them — being close to him was something else. He towered over her, filling the space beside her, but it wasn't as intimidating as that made it sound. In fact, it was somehow reassuring, as though she could rely on him to keep her safe.

  A twinge from her ankle reminded her that he had already done that.

  Stop it, she told herself, taking another drink of her champagne. Of course he's charming, that's how they came to rule the country, isn't it? They'd never have held onto it for this long if they couldn't turn on the charm when they want to. And look at how he's looking at me — he wants me, so he's being charming.

  The thought that he wanted her was something Anna couldn't help enjoying, much as she wished she didn't. The intensity of his gaze made her shiver, and it was an effort not to return it. She couldn't help imagining what he'd look like without that suit on, and the picture that conjured in her mind made her melt.

  At least she didn't have anything vital to focus on until the plane arrived at their destination. Her job was done till then: before she'd put her phone into airplane mode, she'd messaged her father that she was on the flight with Roman. There wasn't time for more detail, and she was just as glad. She could only imagine the anger in her father's eyes if he knew she was sitting next to the enemy in first class.

  Flying first class should have been a great experience, it was so much more comfortable than she was used to. At least it was a great way to rest her ankle. She had leg room there, unlike her usual seat in economy, and it let her stretch out. Aside from that, the luxury hardly registered, she was so flustered by the man sitting next to her. He was to
o distracting, and she thought that she would be just as comfortable if they were going over Niagara Falls in neighboring barrels.

  "What is it you do, exactly?" She had to say something, she thought, and that seemed a normal enough question. Of course, she knew the real answer — her father had told her how the princes lived off the wealth stolen from their homeland — but she wanted to hear it from him. Anything to make him seem less perfect, to make it easier to hate him like she was supposed to.

  "Nothing that interesting, I'm afraid," he said with a shrug. "I run an infrastructure construction firm these days."

  She blinked. That hadn't been in the script. Though I guess I shouldn't have expected him to lead with 'my parents robbed a country to give me an easy life' — of course he's got a better story than that.

  "How do you get into that line? Inherit some money?" She pushed the issue a little, testing how he'd respond. He frowned a little, looking unsettled by the conversation, but he still answered.

  "Yes," Roman answered, hiding unhappiness as he spoke. He hid it well, controlling his face and voice, but somehow Anna was sure her question had hit a nerve. "My parents... they were killed when I was just a kid. They left my brothers and I a good start in life, that's true, but we had to make our own way from there."

  He shook his head and looked away, a darkness falling across his handsome features. Without thinking about it Anna put her hand on his, trying to comfort him as he got control of his emotions.

  "I'd trade all that money for more time with my parents in an instant," he said after a long pause. His self-control failed, and his voice was tight with sorrow and anger. He took a visible effort to relax before turning to look at her again. "That's not a deal anyone can offer, though, so I just have to make do. I try and make sure no one else suffers like that in their childhood, though. That's what took me into my current line of work."