Riley fumed, watching Khalon’s every move with his indignant hazel eyes. “Damned right I have questions. How about we start with what those things were and why they were trying to kill me?”

  “Those demons were trying to kill you to get to me.” Khalon clasped his hands behind his back and paced slowly. The sight of him alone was enough to boil Khalon’s blood. Madness. Absolute madness.

  “Why? We’ve never met before today. I don’t even know who the hell you are.”

  “I am Khalon, King of the Soldati, and I am your mate.” Saying the words pained him greatly.

  “Hey, if you want to be friends, that’s cool, but friends don’t kidnap each other or chain each other up. Okay, maybe some do, but why don’t we start small? Maybe grab a cup of coffee instead?”

  Khalon stopped pacing. “What?”

  “You said you were my mate. Are you British, a little Australian, maybe? I can’t make out the accent.”

  “I’m neither. Why would you assume as much?” Khalon waved a hand in dismissal. “Never mind.” It was quite possible the man was an idiot. “I meant mate as in lover. Partner. You are fated to rule and hunt at my side as my prince.”

  “Whoa.” Riley let out a laugh and held his shackled wrists up. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You chain up all your dates? On second thought, don’t answer that.”

  “The great priestess has made a mistake. A terrible, horrible mistake.” Khalon was certain of it. He was king of the Soldati. His destiny was to be united with a great prince, a warrior like himself, who possessed remarkable skill and a force of magic rivaled only by his own. Not some frail human with wispy hair. Khalon’s frown deepened. He stopped in front of Riley and crouched down, his head cocked as he studied him.

  “Finally we agree on something. So why don’t you let me go, and you can square things off with the… great priestess, is it? Square things off with her, and we’ll just pretend this never happened. I won’t press charges. I’ll go back to my ordinary life serving up scones and lattes, and you go back to… whatever it is you do, and we’re good. I’m good. You’re good.”

  “Be quiet.”

  Khalon reached out to take a lock of Riley’s hair between his fingers. It was golden like the sun—not entirely unpleasant, for a human—also soft and reached his brow. His lashes were somewhat long, and he had faint freckles strewn across his nose and cheeks. Flecks of amber shone in the green of his eyes. His lips were pink and full. Not an entirely displeasing exterior. Pretty, for a human male. He was rather small, but then most humans were, compared to Soldati.

  “What are you doing?” Riley sank back into the chair, squirming in the seat.

  Khalon ignored him. He took hold of Riley’s arm and pushed up his sleeve. Not as scrawny as he’d expected. Taking a handful of Riley’s shirt, he attempted to push it up, only to get his hand smacked away. Khalon narrowed his eyes.

  “I don’t give a shit who you are,” Riley ground out through his teeth. “Don’t touch me.”

  Khalon threw a hand out and wrapped it around Riley’s slender neck. “You are mine until otherwise released.” He brushed his thumb across soft skin, the stir it caused in Khalon’s stomach unsettling. If something wasn’t done and quickly, the connection between them might grow. Khalon couldn’t have that. The last thing he needed was to form some false sense of attachment to this creature.

  “Screw you! I’m not scared of you.”

  Khalon leaned in, his fangs growing as he grinned at the all but trembling prince. “Then why do you reek of fear?”

  Riley lifted his chin in defiance. “I reek of a guy who got chased by a bunch of demons down a piss-stained alley.”

  Khalon let out a snort of disgust and released the incorrigible human. Unbelievable. How could he be expected to mate with this… this impudent pixie? Riley was about as fierce as a newborn fawn, all wide-eyed and fluffy tailed. It was embarrassing, to say the least. Besides the insult, there was the profound threat the human posed to Khalon and his Soldati warriors. Khalon couldn’t risk his people on such a frail and fickle creature.

  Riley rubbed at his neck, his glower on Khalon. “You have some serious anger issues.”

  With a frustrated grunt, Khalon tugged on the golden rope near his wardrobe, ringing the bell to summon the servants. Toka was promptly at his door.

  “Get him out of my sight before I finish what those bastard demons started. Clean him up and feed him. I need time to think of my next course of action without him and his incessant babbling.”

  Riley gasped. “And you’re still single? How is this injustice possible?”

  What sounded like a giggle escaped Toka before he clamped a hand over his mouth. Was Khalon losing his touch? Now the servants were laughing at him!

  “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I meant no offense.” Toka’s big amber eyes grew glassy, and Khalon sighed. The last thing he needed was to make the foxling weep. Rayner would become irate with him, and Khalon had enough to deal with at the moment without one of his friend’s insufferable lectures.

  “Just go.”

  Riley pulled his arm from Toka’s reach. “Now hold on a second. I demand—”

  “Go!” Khalon roared, balling his hands at his sides in an attempt not to strangle Riley.

  “Going.” Riley turned and fled from the room with several servants in tow.

  Toka excused himself, and Khalon called out to him, “Keep an eye on him.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Toka bowed, then turned and left him alone to his thoughts, the room blissfully silent.

  How could one human cause so much discord? So much noise? With a sigh, he dropped down into the chair Riley had vacated, curling his lip with a snarl. Now his chair smelled of the human. Something flowery. Lavender? Sandalwood? What the hell did it matter? He’d just closed his eyes when he heard Rayner’s footsteps.

  “Can I not have a moment’s peace in my own chamber?” Khalon grumbled. “What do you want?” He opened his eyes and peered at his friend, who boldly took a seat on the footstool near Khalon without invitation.

  Rayner’s eyes filled with concern. “Do you truly believe the priestess has made a mistake?”

  Khalon leaned forward, his hands clasped between his knees. “You saw him. I was to be mated to a fierce warrior. Not that.” He sat back and ran a hand through his hair. “He’s frail. I have swords taller than him.”

  “Strength doesn’t lie with size alone.”

  Khalon narrowed his eyes, aware of Rayner’s amused expression. “Remind me why I haven’t yet imprisoned you for your insolence?”

  “Because the last time you imprisoned someone, humans were still defecating in holes inside those ridiculous little wooden sheds. Also, because you love me.”

  Khalon scoffed. “You overestimate my attachment to your miserable carcass.”

  “I love you too,” Rayner replied with a chuckle.

  “Are you saying I’ve grown soft?” Was it possible?

  “I’m saying perhaps you’ve grown into your own skin.” Rayner patted Khalon’s knee, his eyes still alight with amusement.

  Khalon wouldn’t dignify that with a response. He wasn’t going soft. “The answer to your previous question is yes, I believe the priestess made a mistake. How could it not be? A human? You know very well there’s more at risk here than my reputation.”

  Rayner nodded. “Then there’s only one thing to do. We take Riley Murrough to the great priestess. Request she remove the mark, along with his memories of us.”

  Khalon considered this. “It means a new mate will be revealed to me.”

  “Isn’t that your wish?” Rayner asked as he stood. His expression turned guarded, and for once, Khalon couldn’t decipher his thoughts.

  Did Rayner not wish him to get rid of Riley? As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it. Ridiculous. Rayner was a Soldati, the most powerful next to Khalon himself. He understood the desire to have a warrior as great as him at his side, to share his life, his heart, and his bed. Rayner might be taken with the foxling servant, but it was merely another passing fancy of his. The idea that a Soldati would take a servant as his mate was laughable, not to mention prohibited.

  Khalon stood. “Inform Adira and Ezra. We leave for the temple of the great priestess in the morning.”

  Rayner bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  With that, he turned and left the room. No jovial ribbing, no innuendos or playful insults. Did Rayner not agree with his decision? Riley was a human. He was neither strong enough nor honorable enough to be a Soldati, much less a Soldati prince. As soon as they reached the temple of the great priestess, everything would be set to rights.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “So, uh, you guys just sit around waiting to bathe people?”

  Riley felt a little self-conscious undressing in front of a bunch of strangers, but then again, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t done countless times in the locker room at the gym. Of course, the locker room hadn’t resembled a palatial Turkish bath. He had to admit, it was pretty impressive. The brown-and-gold tiles shaped into intricate designs and the mosaic tigers along the walls of the circular room were gorgeous. The glowing wall sconces gave the place a warm, cozy feel.

  “We have served the Soldati for centuries. It’s our honor,” one of the servants stated gently as he led a stark-naked Riley to the expansive bath. Riley entered the steaming water and sighed. It felt damned good, and he did kind of stink. He would’ve preferred to be alone in the bath, but that was looking less likely with every servant who joined him. He’d had a dream like this once after watching a few too many episodes of Spartacus. Of course, his dream had less to do with bathing and more with enjoying a different type of steam.

  One of the servants poured a nice-smelling substance on his hands before moving on to wash Riley’s hair. A second servant lathered up Riley’s right arm, another his left, while a third massaged Riley’s shoulders.

  “Do you… turn into things?” Riley asked a red-haired servant. He seemed to be the only one who talked, and when he spoke, the others jumped to it.

  “I’m a foxling, as are the rest of the servants. My animal form is a red fox. Foxlings vary in species.”

  Cute. He kind of looked like a fox with his heart-shaped face and bright amber eyes. His eyes were outlined in dark kohl, and his hands, wrists, and forearms were a dark smoky color that faded into his bronzed skin.

  “Is that makeup on your hands?” Riley asked.

  “No. That’s my skin,” he replied with a smile. “As I said. I’m a foxling.”

  “Right. Sorry. Still getting used to this whole not-human thing. What’s your name?”

  “Toka.”

  “Toka, where am I?”

  “You’re in the home of Khalon King, in the realm of the Soldati.”

  “And where exactly is that?”

  Toka’s eyes filled with mischief. “Upstate New York.”

  One of the servants moved his hand lower, and Riley gave a start. “Hey, whoa, I appreciate the assistance, but I can scrub my own nads, thanks.”

  The servants giggled, and Toka scolded them, though Riley noticed he wasn’t harsh or unkind. “You have a way with words, Riley Murrough.”

  “You can call me Riley.” He finished washing himself and allowed the servants to escort him out of the bath, where he promptly took the towels from them. “Thanks, guys, but really, I can dry myself.”

  As soon as he was done, he slipped his arms into the lush, ornate robe held out for him. He tied the sash and followed Toka through a different set of doors than he came in from, leading into a large bedroom decorated in rich hues of red and gold, from the elaborate rug to the canopy of the giant four-poster bed. Mouthwatering scents made his stomach rumble, and for a moment, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. A carved wood table had been set with more food than Riley could eat in a week.

  “Come. You must be hungry.”

  Riley didn’t need to be asked twice. Had he wanted to refuse just on principle, his stomach would betray him. The need to inhale some of this tasty-looking food overtook any concerns regarding his current outlandish predicament. He tried not to talk with his mouth full, but he wanted to eat and get some answers. Ooh, chicken!

  “If we’re in New York, how come I’ve never heard of this place? You’d think someone would have spotted it.” And probably tried to book a wedding. Khalon would make a mint. Not many castles in New York. The décor was pretty extravagant too. He knew a few people who would’ve happily given their firstborn to get married in a place like this.

  “In your world you must have come across magic.”

  Riley cocked his head. “Like, Vegas magic? Because I hate to break it to you…”

  Toka chuckled and poured Riley some fruit wine concoction. “No. Like monsters, changelings, mermaids, witches, things that go bump in the night.”

  “On TV. Lot of weird stuff on TV.” Actually, a lot of weird stuff in real life lately too.

  “Well, that weird stuff is real.”

  Riley swallowed a mouthful of tasty chicken. “You’re telling me ghosts, vampires, werewolves, it’s all real? You expect me to believe that?”

  “You were just saved from demons by a group of magic-wielding warriors who can change into tigers. Yet you can’t believe the rest exist?”

  “Touché.”

  The thought that every otherworldly creature he’d ever seen on TV might be real was… terrifying. The whole reason he’d never been scared as a kid—and admittedly as an adult—was because he knew none of it was real, and now…

  “Our world has always existed alongside yours, protected and hidden by magic wards. For centuries the growing discord in both our worlds has begun to weaken the wards, allowing those bound to our world to slip through into the human world. Demons are notorious for slipping through, but the Soldati have hunted them since before humans walked this earth.”

  “Speaking of Soldati, what’s the deal with King Crabby-Pants?”

  Toka took a nibble of what looked like a fancy sugar cookie. “He’s not as bad as he seems.”

  “You mean he’s only a self-absorbed prick some of the time?”

  Riley moved on to some of the other meats, all of which were cooked to perfection. Bowls of fruits, platters of cheeses, vegetables, and plenty of mouthwatering desserts filled the table. He plucked what looked like a lemon bar. One thing was for certain: the Soldati knew how to feast.

  “I’m sure your boss is a great guy and this is all just a big misunderstanding. So why don’t we expedite this process a little and you tell me how I can get back home.” He gave his most charming smile. “How about it?”

  Toka’s troubled expression gave Riley pause. “You’re safer here. The demons are searching for you. They won’t rest until you’re either dead or have been claimed.”

  “Claimed? Are we talking joint taxes, or…?” He had a feeling Toka wasn’t talking about taxes.

  “A union of body and soul.”

  “Union? You mean sex? I have to have sex with Mr. Personality so the demons don’t tear me apart? Wow, okay. I can do that. A few drinks and it’ll be like any other night at the club.” He reached for the wine bottle, only to have Toka gently lay a hand over his.

  “It’s more than sex.”

  “First it was just sex; now it’s more than sex? What’s he want, a commitment? It’s going to take more than one night chained up in his basement with him growling at me to win me over. Okay, and an amazing dinner, but I’m not that easy.” He popped a couple of grapes into his mouth. Khalon and his warriors had saved Riley’s life, and he was grateful, but it didn’t give the guy the right to have him locked away in his castle like some medieval princess, or prince, apparently. It wasn’t like he asked for any of this. He was an unwilling participant in this bizarre situation.

  “Khalon is a Soldati king and a great warrior descended from the fiercest Soldati warriors. Every Soldati king is destined to be mated with an equally powerful creature, one of the great priestess’s choosing. This mate will rule at his side as his lover and prince. The union makes the Soldati more powerful. It’s a position of honor and privilege. Khalon’s mate is meant to bring greatness to him and his kind.”

  “And instead he gets stuck with me. Yeah, I can see why the guy would be pissed.” No one had ever mistaken him for a warrior, much less a prince. Four years of art school, and what did it get him? A string of crummy jobs and a long list of clients who wanted him to either work for a pittance or give his art up for free. His mother was right. He should have been a pharmacist.

  Toka leaned over and took hold of Riley’s wrist. He pushed up the sleeve, revealing the tribal bands around Riley’s forearm. “This is Khalon’s mark. It was imprinted on your soul from birth by the great priestess, waiting to be revealed the day your king arrived to claim you. Today was the day you were to be claimed, which is why the demons found you and why you were able to see them. The all-seeing Eye led Khalon and his warriors to you.” He released Riley’s arm, and Riley couldn’t help but run his fingers over the black tribal patterns.

  “How did the demons know where to find me?”

  “Your life force. We each have a force of energy unique to us. When a new Soldati prince or princess is revealed, their life-force energy will emit a pulse so their mate can find them. Unfortunately, the Soldati king and his warriors aren’t the only ones who can sense or feel this pulse.”

  “Has the great priestess ever been wrong?”

  Toka shook his head, his delicate red hair swishing with his movement. The guy was adorable. “You’ve been chosen for a reason.”

  “I hate to break it to you, but I’m just a regular guy. Unless cooking the perfect poached egg becomes a superpower, I’ve got nothing.”

  Toka smiled sweetly. “We’ll see.”

  The room grew quiet, and Riley wasn’t feeling so hungry anymore. “There’s no way out of here, is there?” Even if there were, Riley believed Toka. If he went out on his own, chances were he’d run into more of those demons. It would be kind of tough to serve up cappuccinos with demons tearing at his mortal flesh, and he wasn’t talking about the morning coffee rush.