“Yes. He has a way about him.”

  “Has he always been a servant in this castle?”

  Rayner nodded, his gaze off to the side but at nothing in particular. “He’s one of many born on the castle grounds. His mother served Khalon’s mother.”

  “Wait, Khalon had a mother?”

  Rayner stared at him before letting out a bark of laughter. Riley wasn’t sure what he found so funny.

  “Of course he had a mother. Do you believe he was simply spawned from nothing?”

  “He was spawned from something, all right,” Riley muttered, receiving another guffaw from Rayner. “What happened to his parents?”

  Rayner wiped a tear from his eye. He sobered up. “They are at peace.”

  “Oh, sorry to hear that. How did they die?”

  Rayner shook his head. “They’re not dead, Riley. I said they’re at peace. They live in a foreign realm. Once the crown was passed on to Khalon and he became king, his parents moved on to a more peaceful realm. I believe humans call it ‘retirement.’”

  Riley turned to face Rayner, his expression showing he was less than impressed. “Are you being serious right now?”

  Mischief twinkled in Rayner’s eyes. “I am. Not every hero has a tragic story. Khalon led a very happy childhood filled with love, and both his parents are alive and well, leading long, happy lives.” He shrugged. “Soldati are immortal, but they hardly wish to spend eternity fighting demons. When the time comes to pass on the mantle, it’s done, and the former reigning monarch makes way for the new. The entire court follows their former king and queen to a new realm to lead out their immortal lives in peace. They visit twice a year.”

  A thought occurred to Riley. “What about in instances like this, when a king is mated with a prince. Who is the mantle passed down to?”

  Rayner looked amused. “There are several ways for us to have children, Riley. Adoption, surrogate, or the royal couple may ask the great priestess to choose a worthy heir.”

  “Oh. Neat. If Khalon is so well-adjusted, why’s he so grumpy all the time?”

  Rayner’s smile faded. “Khalon is a good king, but more importantly, he’s like a brother to me. I assure you his happiness matters greatly to me, and after centuries of waiting for—”

  Tura came out from the back, and Rayner promptly stopped talking. Riley wondered what Rayner had been about to say. It obviously had something to do with this whole mistaken mate thing.

  Tura didn’t waste any time, moving about in a flurry as he helped Riley get undressed. Rayner stepped outside, something about propriety or whatever, which was why—according to Tura—Riley had been appointed male servants. It was strange how the Soldati were so modern thinking in some instances, yet very traditional in others. Either way, it looked like the servants were the only ones who got to see anyone naked.

  It was amazing how quickly Riley was growing accustomed to undressing in front of strangers. Lots of layers, laces, buckles, pulling, tying, and adjusting was involved. The boots were heavy and would take getting used to, especially since they came up to his calf over his black pants, but when he spotted himself in the mirror, he couldn’t help his dopey grin.

  Tura dressed him in a deep-green leather tunic thing with short sleeves and a thick black leather belt around his waist. Underneath he wore a black shirt with long flouncy sleeves he could smuggle a whole chicken in. He noticed the Soldati were partial to leather. They had a sort of modern-day Robin-Hood-in-bondage look going on. Overall, he could’ve easily been mistaken for an actor in some period-piece movie. He had to admit, the clothes made him feel kind of… important, almost regal. He looked good too. It accentuated his slim waist and broadened his shoulders a little. The pants were a little snug, but with the boots, it almost looked like he worked out. He turned in front of the mirror, peering over his shoulder at himself.

  “Holy crap, my ass looks fantastic in this!”

  Tura let out a snicker then quickly straightened. “I’m pleased you like your garments, sir.”

  He approached with a comb in his hand and proceeded to neaten Riley’s hair, parting it on one side and smoothing it out, making him seem a little clean-cut, but it fit with the wardrobe. When he was done, Tura opened the door so Rayner could come back in. He froze when he saw Riley.

  “Oh.”

  Riley glanced down at himself with a frown. “Oh? Is that a good oh or a ‘you look like a dork’ oh?”

  Rayner smiled widely. “You appear every bit the prince.” He bowed and Tura gasped. Rayner straightened, giving Tura a wink and placing his finger to his lips.

  “What?” Riley asked, lost by the unspoken conversation Rayner and Tura seemed to be having.

  “Come along. It’s time to meet the others.” Rayner ushered Riley toward the door, but not before Riley called out over his shoulder.

  “Thank you for the clothes, Tura. They’re awesome!”

  Tura beamed at him. He gave them a nod as Riley was escorted out the door. It was weird what a little wardrobe change could do. In his T-shirt and jeans, he’d received curious looks. Now dressed in his new outfit, one dude ran into the wall because he was staring at Riley and not paying attention to where he was going. When it happened a second time, Riley became concerned.

  “Do I have something on my face?” Riley whispered as they headed down a long stone corridor decorated in rich gold and black. “Why’s everyone staring at me?”

  Rayner seemed to find the whole thing amusing.

  “Do I have something in my teeth?” He tongued his teeth but couldn’t feel anything poking out anywhere. “Seriously, man, help me out here.”

  They reached what Riley assumed was the front gate. Khalon stood with his back to them, speaking to Adira and Ezra. Several Soldati and servants stood around, all of whom murmured and whispered to each other. Why was everyone staring at him? Was it because he was a human? Did he look like an ass?

  Riley tugged at Rayner’s sleeve. “You gotta put me out of my misery. What’s going on?”

  “You are a vision, Riley Murrough. They want to know who, and what, you are.”

  “They’ve never seen a human?” That didn’t make sense. The Soldati protected humans from demons. Surely they’d seen thousands, maybe millions, of humans in their lifetime. Why was Riley different?

  “Your golden hair marks you as rare.”

  “There are no blonds in your kingdom?”

  “No.”

  Now that Rayner mentioned it, Riley looked around. No one had blond hair. The closest was a light brown on one of the foxlings. Weird.

  “But they’ve seen blond humans.”

  Rayner nodded. “They have. However, they sense Khalon’s mark on you but know you are not Soldati. They don’t know what you are other than a rare flower that has yet to bloom.”

  Riley wasn’t sure what to make of that.

  “What the hell is going on?” Khalon grumbled. He turned, doing a double take when he saw Riley. It would have made Riley laugh were he not suddenly the center of attention.

  He didn’t know what to do with himself, so he stood there, back straight, chin lifted high. Well, if he was going to be gawked at, he might as well do his part, especially since Khalon’s eyes had gone wide and his mouth dropped open as he swept his gaze over Riley. Way to be subtle. Riley tried telling himself he didn’t care whether Khalon was pleased with him or not, but he was failing pretty spectacularly.

  Riley felt good about himself. The guy obviously liked what he saw. Who’s a whelp now?

  Rayner elbowed Khalon’s side and cleared his throat, a grin tugging at his lips. “You’re gaping, Your Majesty.”

  Khalon snapped out of it and turned to glare at Rayner. “Be quiet.” He spun on his heels and stormed out, Adira and Ezra exchanging glances before following him. Riley stepped up to Rayner and held back a smile.

  “Do you think that means he approves?” He was pretty sure he knew the answer.

  Rayner threw his head back and laughed, then gave Riley a hearty clap on the back.

  This was going to be interesting.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Riley was surprised by the large crowd gathered outside the gates. He was even more surprised to find the crowd was there to wish Khalon and his warriors well on their trip. Everyone from Soldati to servant stood to one side. They appeared genuinely concerned for Khalon, and Riley was stunned to see the affection in Khalon’s eyes. The way everyone met his gaze or bowed their head when he touched their shoulder, assuring them he would return, spoke volumes of how they felt about him. It was clear they loved him. They certainly respected him. Obviously Khalon had a whole other side Riley had yet to see. Why was Khalon so intent on keeping Riley at a distance?

  While Khalon accepted the words of encouragement from his people, Riley took the opportunity to get a good look at the castle. Holy hell! It was huge! Which he supposed castles tended to be, but he’d never been inside a four-bedroom house, much less a castle. It was like one of those Scottish castles in the movies, but with plumbing.

  Ivy covered the gray stone façade, while expansive and lush gardens surrounded the castle on all sides. Beyond the gardens were thick forests, and above them, the bluest sky he’d ever seen. Riley was horrified to discover they’d not only be going into the forests, but they’d be making the journey on foot, with Ezra and Adira in their tiger forms. As a New Yorker, he walked a lot, but he’d never marched through wildlife. He’d never been one of those kids who wanted to go camping. Sleeping on rocks and getting eaten alive by mosquitos or whatever furry beasts lived in the woods had never appealed to him.

  Riley had no idea what direction they were heading in or how long it would take to get there. Thankfully, Rayner informed him they’d stop at villages along the way for provisions, and the forest would provide food—whatever that meant.

  As they strode along, Riley figured he might as well make the best of the situation. At least the woods were scenic and not some creepy dark fairy-tale woods. The bright sunlight filtered in through the lush trees on either side of the dirt path they followed. It was a sunny day with plenty of breeze. Thank God. He wouldn’t have been able to trek through the heat in this much leather. When was the last time he’d traipsed through so much nature? Did Central Park count as a hike through the wild?

  Rayner and Khalon kept a steady pace ahead, neither speaking, but they didn’t seem to mind the silence. In fact, Rayner seemed content, and Khalon… Well, at least he wasn’t scowling. He appeared almost pensive. After what seemed like an eternity to Riley, he stopped to rest on a fallen log.

  “You guys don’t have cars, or horses? Carriages? Something that moves you can sit down on?”

  “We have no need for vehicles or horses,” Khalon muttered, sitting next to him.

  “How do you get around?” Riley’s question was met with a chuff from Adira, who sat close by, her tail thumping against the grass. “Right, the whole tiger thing. Question: where do your clothes go when you change?”

  Khalon folded his arms over his broad chest, looking even more imposing and larger than life, if that was possible. He was dressed all in black, from his black leather tunic to his pants, boots, and shirt, including wide black leather cuffs on his wrists over his sleeves. “Our clothes are like a second skin. When we shift, it simply becomes one with our bodies. Clothes are an invention of man. Unfortunately, even our world has conformed to your nonsense, and we’ve been forced to adapt. Entering your world unclothed yields… undesired results.” Khalon motioned that it was time to get going.

  Hey, a whole five minutes. Fantastic. Reluctantly Riley got to his feet and headed off again. “If it’s a second skin, do you feel pain when you get your sleeve caught on something or your boot steps on a rock?”

  “No.”

  Cool. So because Riley couldn’t shift into anything more than a couch potato, they were all forced to walk. Way to make friends.

  Something had been bugging Riley since last night. “Is it really necessary to wipe my memories? I mean, don’t you think humans have a right to know about what’s out there?”

  Khalon came to an abrupt halt and spun on his heels. Uh-oh. He’d angered Mr. Personality. Again. How unsurprising.

  “A right?” Khalon loomed over him, which wasn’t difficult, considering he was about a foot taller than Riley. “You humans are so arrogant. You believe your mere existence entitles you to whatever you fancy. That you’re the center of the universe. For centuries my warriors and I have risked our lives to keep you safe, and yet year after year you find new ways to destroy yourselves. There is no greater threat to the human race than itself.”

  Wow. Okay. Not a fan of humans, clearly. Before Riley could say another word, Khalon stormed off. Did the guy ever stick around to have a conversation? Or was it Riley? Did he smell? He subtly gave his armpit a sniff. Nope. He smelled like flowery soap and nature. Maybe he’d soak in all the greenery, seeing as how Khalon clearly couldn’t wait to get rid of him. Would it be so terrible if they got to know each other?

  Around them the birds chirped, and Riley smiled when he saw some squirrels playing. Soon other furry little creatures joined in. A group of rabbits appeared, heading swiftly in the same direction. Did rabbits travel in packs?

  “Um…” Riley caught up to Rayner. “Quick question.”

  Khalon let out a heavy sigh. “Your questions are never quick. And here I thought I might have a moment’s peace.”

  “Your charm continues to astound me,” Riley drawled before turning his attention back to Rayner. “Are the animals in this forest always in such a hurry?”

  Rayner stopped. He sniffed the air and narrowed his eyes, peering around at the forest. He turned and gave Adira a nod. She leaped into action, darting off the path and into the woods while Ezra took off in a different direction. That didn’t bode well.

  “What’s going on?” Riley asked, a chill spreading through him. He didn’t like this. Something was wrong. A distant roar filled the air, and Rayner’s eyes widened. He grabbed Riley’s arm.

  “Run!”

  Darkness swallowed the sun, or so it seemed. A thick fog rolled into the woods all around them, and Khalon pulled Riley between him and Rayner as they sped down the trail. The fog became so thick Riley couldn’t see what lay two feet ahead of him. He trusted Rayner and Khalon not to run him into a tree.

  A horrifying shriek sounded, then multiplied into several more, followed by two familiar roars. Riley’s heart was ready to beat out of him. He didn’t need to be told what was behind them. The tattoos on his arm burned, but he ignored it, too horrified by the noises coming from within the fog. He could barely see a thing, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was scared shitless. Whatever number of demons had shown up in the alley last night was nothing compared to what was after him now.

  Riley did his best to keep up with the warriors on either side of him. He really needed to lay off the cake. If he lived, he’d have to remember to thank Tura for the boots, because his sneakers—and feet—wouldn’t have survived the jagged rocks and harsh terrain of the woods. An icy wind whipped in his face, and his lungs ached from his heavy breathing, but he continued to push himself, his boots kicking up dirt and pebbles as he raced down the path.

  “There’s a village not far from here,” Khalon informed him. “Straight ahead. Whatever you do, don’t look back and don’t stop.”

  Despite what Khalon might think, Riley wasn’t an idiot. He had no intention of stopping until he either ran out of ground or collapsed from exhaustion. Amazing how the threat of being devoured by demons unlocked a level of athleticism Riley never knew he had.

  The noise intensified, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something was close. He could feel it. Like it clawed at his soul. His chest got tight, and it suddenly became harder to breathe. What the hell? Had he run out of steam already? He wasn’t that out of shape. His lungs burned, and he felt dizzy. No, this was something else. His vision flickered, and when a strange pulse erupted from his chest, he got scared and cried out.

  “Khalon!”

  Riley didn’t know why he called Khalon’s name, but when the world around him spun off its axis, his vision growing dark and his legs giving out from under him, he was relieved and grateful Khalon was there to catch him.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Khalon felt the flicker in Riley’s soul like a knife to the chest. He’d spun on instinct, seconds before Riley called out his name and in time to catch Riley. Lifting him easily, Khalon hoisted Riley over his shoulder and took off again. Adira and Ezra reappeared alongside him. Word of Riley’s presence in the Soldati realm had spread quicker than anticipated, and the demons were out in full force. He needed to get Riley to safety. They were almost there. He could see the village up ahead. As they neared, Rayner shouted at the villagers to get indoors.

  Khalon ran through the expansive stone archway marking the entrance and spotted Rayner up ahead, waving him over to an open doorway. Khalon swiftly entered the cottage and was greeted by a family of kit foxlings. The taller of the adult females showed him to a bedroom with a bed tucked inside an alcove.

  “Lay him here, Your Majesty. We’ll watch over him,” she stated, her big brown eyes gentle. “I am Flora, and this is my mate, Lasa, and our daughter, Tinia.”

  Khalon gave the three female kit foxlings a nod. Riley would be in good hands. He laid Riley on the bed, startled by his sudden reluctance to leave him. His instincts pulled at him, demanding he protect what was his. He shook himself out of the ridiculous sentiment. Riley was not his, nor would he be. The priestess would set all to rights. For now, he had to protect Riley, and in turn, his kingdom. He hurried for the door, ordering the kit foxlings to close it behind him.

  Outside, the wind whipped fiercely, the shrieks of approaching demons intensifying as they drew near in a cloud of putrid fog.

  “Take positions!” Khalon shifted instantly into his tiger form, and the four of them situated themselves around the small village, the others following his lead when he roared.