“Insisted,” Khalon acquiesced, “that Rayner marry Prince Merlo.”

  “But you didn’t love him?” Riley offered.

  Love? The question perplexed Rayner for a moment. Then he remembered Riley had lived among humans who chose their mates. Not everyone was so lucky. Rayner fortunately had some say in who he wed, due to his rank. He frowned deeply. “Worse than that. If I agreed to the marriage, Merlo would have power within the Soldati realm through me, which would mean Pavoni would have power over the Soldati because Merlo is his puppet. Merlo has never had a singular thought of his own in his life. Pavoni isn’t interested in uniting our kingdoms. He wants power. I wasn’t about to give the bastard control over me or the Soldati.” Thankfully, Khalon had agreed with Rayner on all accounts.

  “What happened?” Riley asked, eyes wide. “I’m guessing he didn’t take the rejection well.”

  Khalon sat back with a sigh. “Pavoni is known for getting his way, always. So no, he did not take it well. Especially when someone below his station tells him he would rather, um—” Khalon winced. “—get sucked off by a demon and have his cock rot off than marry Prince Merlo.”

  Toka coughed into his hand, clearly an attempt to keep from laughing. Riley had no such luck, and he was soon in tears from laughing so hard. Khalon was trying desperately to keep his frown in place, but Riley’s laughter was obviously making it difficult, and Khalon’s lips twitched up in the corners.

  “Oh my God, Rayner, you said that?” Riley wiped a tear from his eye. “The dude must have been so pissed off.”

  “That would be an understatement,” Khalon informed him. “As you can imagine, Pavoni has held a great deal of contempt for Rayner since that day.”

  “The feeling is mutual,” Rayner muttered.

  “I don’t suppose we can just say no, huh?” Riley asked hopefully.

  Khalon shook his head. “Doing so would only provoke Pavoni, and I’m afraid we cannot afford to lose our alliance with the Orso. The demons are growing in number, and with every passing day, the wards deteriorate more and more, allowing an increased number of demons to slip into the human world. The Soldati are struggling as it is.” Khalon ran a hand through his hair, releasing a heavy sigh. “The Orso have been at war with many kingdoms. If we were to become one of those kingdoms, it would leave both our world and the human world exposed. We almost lost the human world once to demons. I won’t allow that to happen again.”

  “When was this?” Riley asked, concern filling his kind eyes.

  “Humans refer to it as the Black Death.”

  Riley held up a hand. “Wait. You’re telling me the Black Death was actually demons?”

  Khalon nodded somberly. “Since the beginning, the Soldati have been tasked with keeping the human world safe, but a terrible war between realms forced us away from our duty. General Segreti served Pavoni’s father at the time, and now he serves Pavoni. He’s a good man, and a dear friend. He and his formidable army helped ensure our victory, but by the time the war ended, millions of human lives were lost.” Khalon met Rayner’s gaze, heartache in his amber eyes. “If Pavoni were to declare war, Segreti would have no choice but to obey his king and lead his army against us. Every Soldati warrior currently residing in the human world, every warrior on patrol, every squad on the hunt would be summoned home. I fear the human world would not survive the devastation.”

  “Great,” Riley muttered, biting into another cookie. “Guess that means Pavoni’s coming to visit. How long does he plan on staying?”

  “As long as he bloody feels like it,” Rayner grumbled, taking a sip of his tea. With any luck, he’d be sent to the human world after a hoard of demons, giving him a perfect excuse to bugger off. It was an awful thing to wish for, but damned if he didn’t hate Pavoni that much. The man was vile.

  “All we can do is hope he has a pleasant time and goes home quickly and without incident,” Khalon said, handing a letter to Ezra. Most likely his reply of why yes, do come to our kingdom to grope our servants, make a nuisance of yourself, and be a pain in our asses. Or more likely a simple we look forward to your visit. Rayner would happily shave his tiger stripes off if it meant avoiding a visit from Pavoni.

  Ezra hurried off, and Khalon turned to Toka.

  “Please inform Arrigo of the impending visit so he can begin preparations with the other servants. Pavoni will be expecting a banquet in his honor, so let’s arrange it for the evening of his arrival. Inform Nestore I’d like to see the menu before he and his staff begin preparations. Have Luka begin bedchamber arrangements. He’s to give Pavoni the larger of the rooms. Leave the tea and cookies. Have someone come back for them later.”

  Toka bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  Khalon excused him, and Toka was off to pass on Khalon’s message, informing the head servants of the household of their new duties. Rayner would most likely see Toka darting from one end of the castle to the other until everyone was apprised of the situation, and then Toka would return to Riley’s side. The castle was going to be a flurry of activity, with servants dashing around in preparation for their guests.

  Khalon turned his attention to Adira. “Inform Captain Airaldi. Pavoni will undoubtedly wish to spar with several of his warriors.”

  Adira nodded. She placed her teacup on the tray and then left the room. Rayner arched an eyebrow when Khalon turned in his direction.

  “You… Just try not to infuriate the man.”

  Rayner scoffed. “How exactly am I to pull off such a feat? The mere sight of me infuriates him.”

  “Well, try. Just… try.” Khalon’s expression was pained, and Rayner let out a sigh. He certainly didn’t want to be the source of any trouble for Khalon. His friend had enough to deal with these days without Rayner adding to his worries.

  “Very well. I will do my best not to poke the bear.”

  “I would appreciate that,” Khalon grumbled before looking pensive. “What if you were to be called away? Perhaps an impromptu visit to the human world? One that happens to keep you away for the length of Pavoni’s visit.”

  “That sounds delightful, Khalon. With one exception.”

  “Oh?”

  Rayner cast a glance at Riley, then turned his attention back to Khalon. “I don’t trust Pavoni or anyone accompanying him. As tempting as it may be, I would not dare leave you, or my prince, when you might need me most.”

  Khalon straightened. He knew exactly what Rayner was referring to. Pavoni and everyone in his entourage would have to be closely observed. Khalon would find himself busy with Pavoni, Adira with Pavoni’s men, and Ezra with Princess Verity and Prince Merlo, leaving Riley in the trust of their Soldati warriors. As much as Khalon trusted his warriors, and as capable as they were, there was no one Khalon trusted more with Riley’s life than Rayner.

  “You’re right. I need you at my side.” Khalon stood and stretched before leaning over to kiss the top of Riley’s head. “You must meet with Uburto regarding your ceremonial wardrobe for the evening of the banquet.”

  Riley wrinkled his nose. “He’s going to drown me in layers again, isn’t he?”

  Rayner held back a laugh at Riley’s pout. His princely ceremonial garb was a far cry from the T-shirts and jeans Riley had been accustomed to wearing when he first arrived in the Soldati realm. Come to think of it, any princely garb he wore was a far cry from his previous human wardrobe. During events that required him to wear more than his trousers and a simple jerkin over a shirt, Riley had a habit of discreetly shedding pieces of his clothing as the evening went on, much to Rayner’s amusement and Khalon’s befuddlement.

  Khalon hadn’t quite known what to do the first time it happened. One moment Riley was dressed in various layers, including a regal cape, and the next he was in his trousers and a thin royal tunic over his shirt. Rayner was quite certain the man hadn’t even worn a belt. The most fascinating part was that after the initial shock wore off, no one cared. They were all so charmed by Riley that his lack of royal attire became no consequence, simply another quirk of the dashing Soldati prince.

  “I know,” Khalon said through a chuckle. “It’s not as if you’ll be wearing it for long.” He gave Riley a pointed look, but the sternness was gone the instant Riley’s cheeks went pink. Khalon realized what Riley had taken his words to mean and coughed into his hand. “What I mean is, um, you tend to remove your clothes, um…”

  “Not helping,” Riley muttered.

  “Right. I’m going to go… do the things.” Khalon pointed to the door.

  “Yeah, you go do the things,” Riley said, his lips pressed together as Khalon rounded his desk. Khalon narrowed his eyes at Rayner as he walked by.

  “Oh, be quiet.”

  Rayner suppressed a grin and held his hands up in front of him. “I didn’t say anything.” Grumbling to himself, Khalon left the office, and Rayner fell back against the chair with a laugh. “The man is absolutely hopeless around you.”

  Riley let out what sounded like a dreamy sigh. “Yeah, he’s something all right.”

  “You two are adorable.”

  Riley gave a sniff. “Now I know why he’s always telling you to be quiet.”

  “A very noble attempt on his part,” Rayner teased. He stood and walked over to Khalon’s desk. He sat on the edge of it, his voice lowered. “My Prince, I have a favor to ask.”

  “Sure. Everything okay?”

  “Would you keep Toka with you at all times while Pavoni is here? Do not let him out of your sight, and please, under no circumstances, allow Pavoni to be alone with him.”

  Riley narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like the sound of this guy.”

  “He doesn’t hold the same respect for servants we do. He has little regard for their lives, using them for his pleasure, then tossing them out into the cold when he’s had his fun. Those who survive, that is. He has been known to force himself upon his servants. If Toka catches his eye, I fear what the bastard might do, and if he gets the slightest inclination of my affections for Toka, it will be worse.”

  “Okay, I really don’t like this guy. I wish Khalon could just tell him to fuck off.”

  Rayner smiled warmly at his prince. If only. Rayner understood the politics in a way Riley had yet to comprehend. Riley was doing his best, considering he had centuries upon centuries of otherworldly traditions and laws to learn from a magical race he hadn’t even known existed a year ago. “If the risk of war wasn’t so great, I’m certain Khalon would have gladly done so. Sadly, that is not the case. Discord between our kingdoms would not be wise. Khalon understands this all too well. The Soldati are known for our hospitality, even in the face of louts such as Pavoni, and so, we will treat him as any other noble guest. Pavoni is also quite short-tempered.”

  “I’ll keep Toka with me, I promise. If the guy lays a hand on him, I’ll have his balls,” Riley growled.

  “Thank you.” Rayner had no doubt Riley would do just that. Leaving Riley to his royal duties, Rayner went off in search of Toka. It was imperative he speak with Toka about Pavoni. As Rayner walked through the corridor, smiling and greeting the servants and his fellow Soldati, it struck him then that he didn’t merely wish to warn Toka about Pavoni; he wanted to hold Toka in his arms. Goddess above, what was happening to him? When had he turned into the pining suitor? And yet, he quickly discovered he didn’t care. Not one bit.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Now where could his sweet little fox be?

  Rayner so enjoyed a good hunt, and knowing a stolen kiss would be his prize once he found his quarry had him doubling his efforts. Finding Toka in the forest was far easier. He could distinguish Toka’s scent among the trees, but in a castle occupied by hundreds of foxling servants, the task became far more daunting. He searched the kitchen, making sure to pilfer one of Nestore’s mouthwatering hors d’oeuvres. The meat-and-cheese-filled puff pastries were simply too delicious to pass up, and well worth the towel whip to his bottom when he was caught red-handed.

  “Out of my kitchen, you scoundrel!” Nestore huffed, waving his towel in warning. “You’re as bad as His Majesty.”

  Rayner laughed. Clearly Khalon had already been by to snag a morsel or two. “Have you seen Toka?” Nestore was a bat-eared foxling with impressive black-tipped ears, whose expression ranged from “unimpressed” to “I have coasters with more charm than you.”

  Nestore waved a hand in dismissal. “Last I checked, he was off to find Luka. Go cause mischief elsewhere.”

  “It would be my pleasure.” Rayner swiped another pastry before dashing out of the kitchen to the sound of Nestore’s curses. At least he could look forward to the salivating banquet Nestore would fix. The foxling had a gift when it came to food. He used nothing but the best, freshest ingredients, and his chefs were the most talented in the realm.

  Now, where could his foxling be? If Toka had sought out Luka, it would mean he was somewhere in the guest wing of the castle. The north wing was vast, with two dozen bedchambers, several bathrooms, a communal bath, half a dozen sitting rooms, two libraries, and a kitchen and pantry. Guards were stationed on the floor, despite there being no guests present. The bedchambers tended to fill up during the festivals or when Khalon’s parents came to visit with their servants, and now the rooms would be occupied by Pavoni and his court.

  At the end of the hall, Rayner saw Luka bid farewell to Toka before exiting through one of the many doors leading down to the servants’ wing. Rayner slipped into the shadows of an alcove that once held a stone tiger statue that had met its demise during a particularly energetic bout of roughhousing between two of Khalon’s cousins on their last visit. Rayner lay in wait, smiling as Toka’s scent grew nearer. He doubted the guards would pay him any mind, but he could hardly pounce on his quarry and deliver the kisses that were sure to follow in front of his king’s Soldati.

  Toka approached, and Rayner reached out to snatch his wrist and tug him into the shadows. He clapped a hand over Toka’s mouth to stifle his gasp, then turned to whisper at him.

  “Discretion, my little fox.”

  “Heavens, Rayner!” Toka hissed through his teeth. He was adorable. “You frightened the life out of me.”

  Rayner chuckled at Toka’s flushed cheeks and adorable pout. “Forgive me. I didn’t want anyone to see me.”

  Toka searched his gaze, his expression turning concerned. “Are you all right?”

  “I need to speak with you about Pavoni.” He placed Toka’s fingers to his lips for a kiss. “You must be cautious around him. Promise me.”

  Toka cocked his head, his amber eyes wide. “You’re truly worried.”

  “Terrified,” Rayner admitted, realizing it was the truth. When had he fallen into those molten pools of gold? When had Toka come to mean so much to him? They didn’t spend much time in each other’s company. Not nearly as much as Rayner would have liked. The moments they shared were often impromptu and in the shadows. Now Rayner wished he could whisk Toka away from here. “You don’t know Pavoni like I do. He is a spiteful, nefarious creature. If he has the slightest inclination of my feelings for you, there’s no telling what he will do.”

  Toka’s shy smile almost undid Rayner. When Toka spoke, his voice was soft. “And what are your feelings for me?”

  Rayner lifted Toka’s chin to capture his lips. Hunger flared through Rayner, and he brought Toka up hard against him, one hand at the small of Toka’s back holding him in place, the other cupping the back of Toka’s neck. The taste of him was all-consuming, the heat of his mouth warm and sweet. His scent was heady, as was common with foxlings, but it was a fragrance that was all Toka’s own—a mixture of juniper berries, apple blossoms, and something sugary. His little foxling was like no other.

  Toka pressed himself as far into Rayner as he could, releasing barely audible moans as his tongue tangled with Rayner’s. He clutched Rayner’s arms as he eagerly returned every kiss, every nip and suck. Toka moved his hands to Rayner’s shoulders and hopped up. Rayner caught him, securing Toka’s legs around his waist, a low growl rising from his throat as Toka moved his lips to Rayner’s neck, licking, sucking, and nipping at his skin, his fingers slipping into Rayner’s hair and grabbing fistfuls of it. Rayner groaned. He was so damned hard right now.

  “Toka,” Rayner gasped, his back hitting the wall behind him. “We shouldn’t… Not here.”

  Toka pulled back, cupping Rayner’s face before kissing him soundly. Rayner’s breath hitched, and he stood panting after Toka hopped down. When had his little fox become so bold? It thrilled Rayner, and he could barely contain his smile as Toka checked the corridor, then grabbed Rayner’s hand. He took off with Rayner in tow, and Rayner laughed softly as they ran down the castle corridor. He ignored the amused looks of the servants as they sped by and headed downstairs. His foxling was clever, even in the midst of their lustful haze. Rayner’s presence in the servants’ quarters would not be questioned, and although the servants were notorious gossips, they only gossiped among themselves and were very protective of their own. They would never do anything to hurt Toka.

  A couple of foxlings stood chatting outside Toka’s room, and their eyes went wide when they saw Rayner. He put his finger to his lips in request of secrecy and winked at them as Toka opened his chamber door. They blushed and giggled, whispering among themselves. Rayner had no time to comment before Toka grabbed hold of his collar and tugged him into the room. Well now, what was this?

  The door closed behind them, and Rayner found himself pushed against it with Toka’s lips all over him. Rayner was quite enjoying Toka’s newfound forwardness.

  “I feel as though I’m going mad, as if my body is trying to burn through my skin. I can’t get enough of your taste, the feel of your hands on me… Rayner,” Toka pleaded, “I need to feel you inside me.”

  Even as Toka reached for Rayner’s belt, Rayner couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure?”

  “I have never desired anything more,” Toka replied, breathless.

  Rayner nodded, his sentiments matching Toka’s. He swiftly joined Toka in undressing, his heart beating wildly as Toka removed his own belt and tossed it on the floor. He pulled his tunic over his head, followed by his shirt. Rayner stilled at the sight of Toka’s flawless bronze skin. When Toka stood naked before him, Rayner fought the urge to drop to his knees in worship.