“Okay. I’ll try.” He gave Khalon a tentative smile. “Thanks.”

  “Good.”

  Khalon pulled him to his feet but didn’t move out of the way, so Riley ended up almost pressed against him, his hands still in Khalon’s. He was all chiseled features and hard muscle, his stubbly jaw giving Riley the urge to nip at it. Damn, he was gorgeous. Why hadn’t Riley noticed that before? Khalon had tiny nicks and barely visible scars on his neck, jaw, and over his left brow, but somehow they enhanced his beauty. He had a strong nose, full lips, and his pitch-black hair was tucked neatly behind his ears, though it fell over his brow on one side. He felt solid. Like he could weather any storm and never break. Whatever strange trance they seemed to have been in, they snapped out of it, each turning away from the other.

  Khalon cleared his throat. “Let’s get some food in you. Flora and Lasa have cooked a wonderful meal.” He motioned toward the kitchen, his hand coming to rest on Riley’s lower back as he ushered him in.

  His touch had a strange soothing effect on Riley, which was odd, considering up until recently, Khalon had a talent for putting him on edge.

  Entering the kitchen, Riley was met with the mouthwatering aroma of fresh bread, cooked meat, and several other dishes that were unfamiliar but smelled heavenly. He was also greeted by his hostesses, Flora and her mate, Lasa. Behind Flora, their daughter Tinia clung to her skirts. Riley kneeled down in front of her.

  “Hi. I’m Riley. Your dress is very pretty.”

  Tinia smiled shyly. She released Lasa’s skirts and edged closer to Riley, her eyes going to his hair. He remembered what Rayner said about no one in the kingdom having blond hair.

  “Do you like it?” he asked her, touching his head. She nodded, her gaze fixed on his head. “Would you like to feel it?”

  She looked up at her mothers, and Flora nodded. “If it’s all right with Riley.”

  Riley gave her a nod, and Tinia carefully drew closer to him. She reached out slowly, lightly brushing the side of his head with her small fingers. She gasped in delight.

  “It’s so soft, Mommy!”

  Riley chuckled. She petted his head, her little face filled with wonder. He’d never met anyone so awestruck by his hair. Normally, people didn’t give him a second glance. There’d never been anything extraordinary about him. He wasn’t particularly attractive or ripped, and his only talent was drawing and making a mean cup of coffee. He wasn’t an overachiever, and in some people’s opinions, not even an average achiever. The most use he’d gotten from his art degree came in the form of a few months of freelance, and up until recently, he could boast that his coffee shop had the best-looking sandwich board on their block.

  “All right, time for bed,” Lasa instructed. “Say good night.”

  Tinia threw her arms around Riley, and he smiled like a dope. He gave her a gentle squeeze in return, then released her, laughing when she launched herself into Khalon’s outstretched arms.

  “Can you tuck me in?” she asked, batting her long lashes, her dark eyes wide and hopeful. Riley doubted Khalon could say no to a face like that. He didn’t even try.

  “Of course.” He carried her out of the room, and Riley watched him ago, amazed.

  “It’s such an honor to have you both here,” Lasa said, coming to stand beside Riley. “I am relieved to find the rumors surrounding His Majesty to be true.”

  “Rumors?” Riley asked, following Lasa to the dinner table. He took a seat when prompted. “Thank you.”

  “That he is as compassionate and charming as he is fierce.”

  “And very handsome,” Flora added with a wink.

  Riley ignored her knowing smile and placed his napkin on his lap. Was his face red? He hoped not. “He’s a good king?”

  “Oh yes.” Lasa grinned brightly as she set a plate in front of Riley. “As was his father. The Soldati kingdom continues to thrive under his rule. His citizens are well cared for and happy. The king and his council are just. Many of us live simply, but we want for nothing. His Majesty sees to it.”

  “And then there’s the Soldati Summer Solstice Festival held every year on the castle grounds.” Flora finished placing dinner on the table, and Riley’s mouth watered. It all looked so good.

  “What’s the Soldati Summer Solstice Festival?” That was a mouthful, much like he was about to have with all this tasty food.

  “For an entire week, the castle grounds are open to the kingdom and filled with festivities and food, all provided by the king and his court. It’s the most anticipated event of the year. Oh, it’s glorious! The music, the dancing, and games. The king is in attendance with his council and court, dressed in their finery.” Lasa’s eyes lit up as she talked about it. “It’s like a fairy tale.”

  The festival was obviously a hit. Riley shouldn’t have judged Khalon so harshly. He was clearly revered by his people. From what he’d seen of Khalon’s interaction with Tinia, he also possessed a gentle side.

  “Thank you so much for everything. I really appreciate it. This looks delicious.” He helped himself to some fresh bread, salad, chicken, potatoes, and vegetables.

  “It’s an honor, Riley Murrough,” Flora replied sweetly. She took a seat at the table across from him, beside Lasa. The two exchanged glances, their cheeks somewhat flushed. Riley smiled at them.

  “What?”

  Lasa leaned in, her voice quiet. “Forgive our impertinence, but… are you and His Majesty, um…”

  Riley’s eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. “No, um, we’re not, uh… I’m just passing through.”

  “Oh,” Lasa sighed, she and Flora looking disappointed.

  “Why did you think we were?” Did he sound nervous? He hoped he didn’t. He shouldn’t. It was an innocent question. No big deal.

  “Well.” Flora busied herself serving Lasa dinner. “His concern, for one. He barely left the cottage while you slept. He seemed very worried.”

  Flora nodded. “Mostly it was the way he looked at you.”

  Riley paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. “What do you mean?”

  “While you slept he checked on you often. In the evenings he stayed by your bedside. I don’t think he slept very much.” Flora gave her mate a kiss on the cheek in thanks.

  Khalon had stayed by his side, watching over him? The thought made Riley want to smile, but he did his best not to give away how stupidly happy that made him. It shouldn’t, but it did. Maybe there was a reason for Khalon’s initial animosity toward Riley. Whatever that reason, things seemed to be changing, and Riley found himself feeling hopeful. For what, he wasn’t entirely sure, but he couldn’t ignore the fact he was drawn to Khalon.

  Flora turned her attention back to him. “Do you already have a mate?”

  Riley wondered how much Khalon had told them. From the sounds of it, not much. It was probably safer that way. Though he must have said something, considering the whole village sat under a magical ward to keep demons away.

  “No, I don’t.” Riley took a sip of the drink in front of him. It was a sweet fruity wine that tasted amazing.

  Lasa seemed confused. “Does he not appeal to you?”

  Riley almost choked on his wine. “Excuse me. Um, that’s not, I mean, of course he’s appealing. And not because he’s a king. He’s obviously a great guy too, and yeah, he’s gorgeous, like, wow. Those eyes? I mean, who wouldn’t find him appealing? He’s just a bit, a lot, out of my league.” Then there was the whole human in another realm thing, and—

  “You shouldn’t sell yourself so short, Riley.”

  Flora’s and Lasa’s eyes were wide as saucers, and Riley froze to the spot. Oh my God, he heard me! Of course, Khalon had heard him, because that was his life.

  Khalon took a seat beside him and chuckled. “Your face is attempting to out-red the tomatoes in your salad.”

  With a groan, Riley dropped his head into his hands. “I don’t suppose you know any magic that could make the earth swallow me up?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Khalon replied, sounding amused.

  Riley sat up and glared at him. “You know, you could have been a gentleman and pretended you hadn’t heard any of that.”

  “I could have,” Khalon agreed, then leaned close to grin wickedly at him. “But what would be the fun in that?”

  Flora and Lasa broke off into giggles, and Riley stabbed his salad and waved a tomato at them. “You two are not helping.”

  There was more giggling and chuckling before Khalon put him out of his misery and changed the subject, thanking Flora and Lasa for the meal as well as their hospitality. He told Riley he’d show him around the village after they ate, and as promised, after Riley’s belly was full, he followed Khalon outside. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but it wasn’t this.

  It was as if he’d stepped into an old European village. All the structures were made of light stone, their façades covered in ivy and batches of colorful flowers. There were flowers everywhere, actually. In pots along the walls, in gardens, patches of grass. Strings of the same glowing tiny white buds decorated the buildings, hung between lampposts, and wrapped around trees. Apparently, they grew rampant in the forests. The town was alight with the warm glow from the many wall sconces, and a cheerful melody floated up from a live band somewhere. The entire village seemed to be out, all chatting and smiling.

  “What’s going on?”

  “They have never had the king of the Soldati stay in their village,” Khalon replied softly. “I didn’t have the heart to quell their elation or put a stop to their festivities, seeing as how we’ll be here for a few days at least.”

  “What about the you-know-what?”

  Khalon pointed to the sky. “Any demon that touches the barrier of light will meet its end.” He smiled down at Riley. “All is well. Enjoy yourself.”

  “Would that work on us?” Riley asked, curious. It made sense to him that if Khalon and the others could protect the village, they could ward themselves.

  “What do you mean?” Khalon followed the path of Riley’s finger as he pointed up to the sky. Khalon let out a heavy sigh. “If only it were so. The ward remains solid, as the village is unmoving. Attempting to place a ward over a living creature requires exceptional concentration, and the ward would last mere seconds. The moment you moved, it would fall away.”

  Well, so much for that. Wasn’t the whole point of having magic the ability to do anything? He had no idea there were so many rules and restrictions.

  “There he is! Your Majesty!”

  Riley was stunned by the dozens of villagers who flocked to Khalon, all vying for his attention. They were all huge grins and awe, thanking him for being there, offering him anything he needed. They all wanted to talk to him, touch him, though they didn’t dare do the latter. They crowded him, got close to him, but not one of them touched him or grabbed him. As he moved forward, they moved with him, but gave him enough room so he wouldn’t bump into anyone. It was like watching a movie star strolling down the street, except people weren’t trying to maul him or rip his clothes off. Khalon was handsome, and from his smile and responses, it was clear he was used to this. He was polite and appeared genuinely interested in what they had to say.

  It was funny how the whole “king” thing didn’t register until now. Watching Khalon interact with the villagers was something else. He exuded nothing but confidence, giving off an air of royalty in the way he carried himself. His posture was nothing less than perfect, his broad shoulders squared back, and his attention focused intently on his citizens, as if whatever they were saying was the most important information he’d ever heard. He towered over the village of foxlings, even over the tallest foxling males. He was imposing with his great height and muscular build, yet his smile had everyone captivated, including Riley.

  Watching Khalon, an urge to be near him rose up in Riley, and he didn’t quite know what to do with it. Like the villagers, Riley wanted to reach out and touch Khalon. He remembered Khalon holding on to his hands, and Riley was startled by his yearning to have his hand in Khalon’s once again. His heart squeezed and Riley kept his distance. It was abundantly clear the priestess had made a huge mistake. Riley couldn’t be Khalon’s intended mate.

  With Khalon busy and the villagers distracted, Riley sneaked away. He wandered down the cobblestone street and found a stone archway covered in ivy. On the other side was an expansive circular garden enclosed by tall dense trees and shrubbery. Hundreds of flowers in all colors were in bloom along the edges and a circular stone fountain stood in the center. Inside the outer edges of the garden were three evenly spaced stone benches. It made a great little hideaway. Riley took off his shoes and socks and placed them next to him before he lay down on the crisp cut grass.

  “Wow,” he murmured to no one in particular. He laced his fingers behind his head and stared up at the night sky. It was gorgeous. Hard to believe what was out there in the dark, waiting for him. He tried not to think about that. Instead he gazed up at the stars. He’d never seen so many. In the distance he could faintly hear the music and lively chatter from the village square, but mostly he was surrounded by the sound of crickets and the forest. He was oddly at peace.

  Soon he’d be home, back to working at the Tiger Tails Café, fighting his way through traffic, noise, and going home to… what? He had his mom, whom he loved, of course, but she was always away with her girlfriends on some cruise or another. Sometimes he didn’t hear from her for weeks. He didn’t blame her or her mantra of getting her kicks while she could still get them.

  His college friends were getting married, some of them busy with kids and making new friends who had kids. Their schedules hardly ever matched up. Occasionally he went out with his work colleagues to a bar or club, where he’d sometimes hook up with a guy. He’d had a few boyfriends, none who stuck around very long, either because they lost interest or he did.

  A breeze swept through the trees, and Riley let out a heavy sigh. What did it say that he didn’t miss his life back home? Home. He liked his cramped little apartment well enough. That along with his job were temporary, or so he’d told himself since he graduated college. The truth was he had no idea what he was doing with his life. He closed his eyes. What he needed was a fresh new start.

  A new start where? Here? Don’t be stupid.

  Even if he wanted to stay, what the hell would he do? He wouldn’t be a prince for long. If he chose to stay, if Khalon let him stay in his kingdom, what then? He had no money, nowhere to stay, no magic. He supposed he could try to get a job in one of the villages. Maybe Flora and Lasa would let him stay with them for a while.

  Are you listening to yourself? Stay? Are you insane? You don’t belong here. His human practicalities had no place in a kingdom where everyone turned into a tiger, fox, or who knew what else.

  No. He couldn’t stay. It was a fanciful thought, a nice dream, but a fantasy nonetheless. He’d just enjoy the peaceful surroundings while he could. At least that’s what he’d been doing until he got kicked. Riley gave a start, bolting upright in time to see Khalon flailing non-too king-like before hitting the grass. It took a significant amount of self-control on Riley’s part not to laugh his face off. The perplexed look on Khalon’s face alone was priceless, and Riley couldn’t take it anymore. He burst into laughter. Khalon stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.

  “What the blasted hell are you doing on the ground?”

  Riley held his hands up and snickered. “Hey, I was just lying here, minding my own business, watching the stars when you came out of nowhere and kicked me.”

  Khalon opened his mouth to reply, then closed it before he spoke up. “Did I hurt you?”

  “I’m fine. What were you doing lurking around in the bushes, anyway?”

  “I wasn’t lurking,” Khalon replied with a huff. He sat up and brushed his sleeves off. “I was escaping.”

  Riley cocked his head. “Escaping?” It struck him then. The king of the Soldati was a little camera shy. “Oh, the villagers.”

  “Yes. They are kindhearted, generous, and enthusiastic, which is lovely.” Khalon winced. and Riley sensed a “but” coming on. He decided to give Khalon a break and help him out.

  “It gets kind of overwhelming, huh? I mean, you probably get it everywhere you go, and although you appreciate their love and attention, it can get a bit much.”

  “Exactly!” Khalon beamed brightly. He drew his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. He studied Riley curiously. “What are you doing here?”

  Riley shrugged. “I needed a little quiet and found this place.” He couldn’t help his smile as he gazed up at the wide starry sky. “It’s beautiful.” When he moved his gaze back to Khalon, he had his face turned up to the sky, he seemed content.

  “Yes, it is.”

  Khalon turned his attention back to Riley, and their eyes met. Wow, he was handsome. Whoever ended up being Khalon’s mate would be one lucky guy. Shit, Riley was staring. He cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to his feet. Why was he so damned awkward? No wonder Khalon couldn’t wait to get rid of him. Like he didn’t have enough to worry about without having Riley passing out, possibly getting mauled by demons, dying from some prophet’s power, or staring at him like some horny teenager with his first crush. Not that he had a crush on Khalon. He was just easy on the eyes. Keep telling yourself that.

  “I’d like to apologize for my behavior upon your arrival. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. I hope you’ll forgive me for being such a miserable bastard.”

  Riley shrugged. “I get it. You waited centuries for your mate, and when you finally get him, he’s… well, me.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you, Riley.”

  Riley was pleasantly surprised by Khalon’s sincerity. “You’re right. I guess what I mean is I’m not what you expected, what you were meant to get. You’re a king. I serve lattes. You’re powerful, wield magic, and turn into a tiger. I’m a human, and a pretty average one at that.”