Talbot’s brows drew together. “What is it? Has Azure made a move?”

  “No, no, your uncle’s still hiding like the coward he is as far, as I know.” Nico’s voice held a grin. “This news is of a more … personal nature. I’m on my way to you now, bringing someone special.”

  Confusion filled Talbot. “Special? What are you talking about?”

  “Your mate, Tal,” Nico said gently. “I found your destined mate. She was in the Kingdom of Silk, of all places to be captured to. Her name’s Rose. She bears your identical tattoo. At this very moment, we are on the Chaos jet, and I’m bringing her to you now.”

  Talbot nearly dropped the phone in shock. His mate? Here? Now, a scant two days before his coronation as king? His head spun trying to process it.

  Nico’s gravelly laugh sounded through the phone. “Take a breath, Tal. I know it’s a lot.” His voice softened. “But Visata is handing you a gift. The snakes will rejoice to see you take the throne with your queen by your side. You’ll be able to fully shift, making you a much more formidable foe for Azure.”

  Talbot slowly sat on the edge of his bed, knees weak. A mate. He’d never dreamed his beloved would be found in time. But if the tattoo matched, then it was clear. Visata had blessed him.

  Dragging a hand through his hair, Talbot asked shakily, “Does she know of me? That she comes to be queen?” The thought of such pressure on one unprepared…

  “Don’t you worry. I’ve explained everything. She’s nervous, of course, but she also seems curious and excited. You just focus on getting the coronation ready. Leave the rest to me for now.”

  Talbot wasn’t sure if he should be comforted by Nico’s reassurance or not. Nico was a tad unconventional when it came to … well, anything, really. Talbot took a bracing breath. “Very well. I’m not staying at the mansion. There’s too much smoke damage. I’m at the house on 2nd Street. We shall be ready. Travel safely, and please pass my warm regards to … my mate, I guess.” Just saying the word sent a jolt through him.

  “Will do. See you soon, Your Majesty,” Nico said warmly before hanging up.

  Talbot slowly lowered the phone, almost afraid to trust the sudden joy blooming within him. A mate, on the eve of his reign. With this portent, how could he doubt Visata supported him? But there was still a chance Visata might support the mating but not the throne. It was a real possibility that he could be overruled by the Creator.

  An hour passed as Talbot paced the length of his lavish chambers, too anxious to sit still as he awaited Nico’s arrival with his newly discovered mate. Though desperately eager to meet her, trepidation also filled him.

  There was still so much uncertainty, and Rose’s life would be irrevocably changed the moment she set foot in his kingdom. Talbot prayed he would prove worthy of the faith she placed in him as her destined mate and king.

  Tap. Tap. Talbot whirled toward the door. “Enter,” he called, his pulse kicking up.

  Nico slipped inside, grinning like a fool at Talbot’s obvious nerves. “Relax. Your girl’s getting settled in the adjoining chambers. I wanted to check in first.”

  Talbot blew out a shaky breath. “You should have let me know when you arrived. I would have been at the door to greet her. Does she seem well?”

  The shaman clasped his shoulder reassuringly. “She’s a tough little thing. Don’t worry. Once the shock wore off, she was eager to meet her mate.” His smile turned sly. “Couldn’t stop asking questions about you the entire flight.”

  Heat rose in Talbot’s face at the thought of Rose’s curiosity about him. “What did you tell her?”

  “Only the good stuff. How you forget to put your dirty clothes in the hamper, that you leave the toilet seat up, and that you chew like a cow when you eat.” Nico gave him a gentle shake. “She didn’t seem bothered by any of it. She knows you’re one of the good ones, Tal. Trust me on that.”

  Talbot managed a small smile at Nico’s teasing. “I pray she is not disappointed when she meets me in person. And I hope she does know that I am nothing like my great-uncle.”

  “Not possible for her to be disappointed,” Nico scoffed. “That girl’s gonna take one look at you and be done for.”

  His smile faded. “The Council will approve? Even with the coronation so near?”

  Nico nodded. “Rose bears Venom’s mark—your mark. None can refute her place at your side.”

  Talbot straightened his shoulders. “I’ll kill them if they try.”

  Nico looked pleased. “Okay, that got intense really fast, and spoken like a king. Now”—Nico bounced his eyebrows up and down—“ready to meet her?”

  Drawing a bracing breath, Talbot inclined his head. He could face a new mate with the same courage expected of him as a ruler. This was his destiny.

  With an encouraging pat to his back, Nico left to collect Rose. Alone again, Talbot tried to calm his racing heart. Anxious as he was, beneath it lay a profound wonder that fate had brought him a beloved on the very eve of his rule. A good omen.

  At the soft creak of the door opening, Talbot turned slowly, his heart in his throat. His breath caught at the shy vision peering uncertainly into his chambers.

  She was a petite thing, almost waif-like. But there was a core of quiet strength in the set of her slender shoulders and seafoam eyes that met his directly. Her cascade of white-gold hair gleamed in the low light, giving her an ethereal glow, like moonlight made flesh.

  As he continued taking her measure in silence, the young woman lifted her chin almost defiantly, as if giving him permission to size her up but refusing to cower. In this delicate vessel, a queen’s spirit was already awakened. Talbot’s nerves settled. Not frail, but resilient. A worthy queen for Venom’s king.

  Remembering himself, Talbot stepped forward and gave a respectful bow. “Rose, I am honored.” He extended a hand in greeting.

  After only a heartbeat’s hesitation, her cool, smooth fingers—snakelike, just like his own—slid into his grasp.

  She took a small fortifying breath that lifted her graceful shoulders, then she met his gaze directly, removing any doubt he might have had with only two words. “My King.”

  Chapter Seven

  Chirping Like A Nervous Hen.

  “I’ve lived for five years amongst beings able to shift into spiders, scorpions, and other giant crawly bugs. It’s going to take more than a snake to make me run.” ~Rose

  Steeling herself, Rose released his hand and took a step back, the distance giving her the ability to look around the opulent rooms that spoke of nobility and power. Polished black marble floors gleamed underfoot, the walls draped with vivid tapestries depicting epic battles and triumphant figures she assumed must be past rulers. Sconces held flickering candles which cast everything in a warm, intimate glow.

  Her gaze was drawn to a massive four-poster bed on a raised dais, hung with emerald silks and plush pillows. The intricately carved wood frame was stunningly beautiful. She quickly averted her eyes, cheeks flushing. A wedding bed, where a husband and wife did married stuff. Okay, she needed to move on. No more focusing on the bed.

  Instead, Rose focused on an antique desk stacked high with books and papers and tried to calm her racing heart. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a warm breeze suddenly whispered across the nape of her neck. Whirling around, she realized one wall opened onto a balcony overlooking a sprawling, unfamiliar city nestled in a lush jungle.

  Rose drifted toward the balcony, the foreign sights and sounds temporarily distracting her from the handsome Talbot. An entire teeming city awaited beyond these walls. Her new home, if she followed through with what she had said she would do. Could she ever truly belong here? New Orleans was completely different from the northern California town where she grew up.

  The scuff of a foot behind her made Rose start and turn swiftly. Her breath left her in a rush. While gawking at his home, she’d completely forgotten that Talbot was standing there. He watched her with an intense, but unreadable, gaze.

  He was tall, with sharp, aristocratic features any mortal model would envy. Short, golden blond hair covered his head and contrasted with his tan complexion. Lean muscle was evident in the black fitted shirt he wore with loose-fitting gray slacks. But it was his eyes that gave Rose pause. They were beautiful and piercing green. Yet it wasn’t the beauty or the color that made them striking. It was the evidence of an ancient wisdom in eyes placed in so youthful a face. They seemed like eyes that had seen kingdoms rise and fall. Would she ever understand such a man?

  “Sorry,” she said quickly. “Your home is much different from the mansion I lived in when I was with the Kingdom of Silk. Even with the dark fixtures, there’s more light in here than the entire KOS home. If you can really call it a home. It never felt like it. And now I’m chirping like a nervous hen.” Rose pressed her lips tightly together and rocked back on her heels. She bit her lip, cursing her nervous rambling. But to her relief, Talbot merely smiled gently and stepped closer.

  “No need for apologies. I imagine this is all quite overwhelming.” His penetrating eyes softened with understanding. “I wish we had more time before the ceremony for you to adjust. But know that you may ask anything of me, and I will grant your request if it is within my power.”

  Rose took a small breath. “Thank you.” She gathered her courage. “Would you mind showing me around your home? I think I’d feel less intimidated if I could, at least, find my way around. I’d like to become familiar with my new surroundings.”

  Talbot nodded. “Of course. Please, allow me to show you the mansion.” He offered his arm in a gentleman-like fashion.

  Rose shyly tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. His arm was solid and warm beneath her light grasp. Strange to think this cultured man could become a snake at will, as Nico claimed, because of her.

  As they walked slowly through opulent hallways and rooms, Talbot kept up a running commentary, telling her of the home’s long history. Rose listened with interest, getting a glimpse into his world.

  “Mind you, this isn’t the actual nest in which the king and queen lived. The KOV headquarters was badly damaged in a fire recently. So we moved out while it’s being renovated.” He paused and shook his head after a moment. “We lost many treasured relics. The original mansion was centuries old and contained items brought from Damaria.”

  Rose hesitated, then ventured softly, “I heard about some of what happened with the Dire Wolf and your uncle.” She glanced up at Talbot. “I’m sorry. Are you close to him?”

  Pain flickered in Talbot’s eyes before he masked it. “I appreciate your kindness,” he said quietly. “Unfortunately, my uncle doesn’t deserve it. He isn’t a good male. He nearly destroyed the Kingdom of Venom. Once I am king, and our union blessed by Visata, we will restore our kingdom. It will again be a place of goodness, with members who have integrity. I won’t have other kingdoms believing the worst of us.”

  His voice rang with conviction, and Rose believed him. Despite having been raised with a tyrant as a king, Talbot had maintained his own integrity. With him as their leader, surely no darkness could prevail for long.

  Eventually, they looped back around to his bedroom. Talbot turned to her. “It’s getting late, and I know you must be tired from your travels. We can speak more tomorrow, if you wish.” He studied her intently.

  Rose hesitated. The longer she was with him, the more fascinated she grew. It didn’t hurt in the least that he was beyond handsome … whatever that was. She just knew that she really liked looking at him. She wanted to continue to listen to his warm, rich voice. Not to mention, the thought of being alone in unfamiliar rooms unsettled her.

  “Can we just sit for a while? There’s more I’d like to know about you.” She peeked up at him almost shyly.

  Talbot’s expression softened. “Of course. It would be my honor.”

  He showed her to an elegant, but cozy, sitting room just off the bedchambers. A mix of nervousness and anticipation bloomed in Rose’s chest at the intimacy of the setting. But she tamped it down. One step at a time.

  “What would you like to know? You may ask me anything.” He sat down beside her on the plush couch.

  Rose chewed on her bottom lip as she sifted through the dozens of questions that erupted in her head. “Do you always talk so formally?” That’s the question you go with? Yes, it was because the other question that popped right into her head was, “How many babies do you want, and have you heard practice makes perfect?” She inwardly groaned. Being with the Kingdom of Silk had warped her mind. Or at least that’s the excuse she was going with.

  “I’m much older than I look.” Talbot’s full lips turned slightly upward. “When I’m around some of my younger nest mates, I fall into their much more hip way of talking. But sometimes I revert to my past.” He tilted his head a little as he looked at her. “Does it bother you?”

  Rose quickly shook her head. “Not at all. It’s just, you look my age, and yet you sound like you’re from the sixteenth century.”

  “Not quite that old.” He laughed, and his green eyes practically glowed with mirth. He was handsome when he wasn’t smiling. When he smiled, he was breathtaking.

  “How old are you? I realize that’s not a polite thing to ask a lady, but considering we are mates, I’d like to know.”

  “I’m twenty-four. I’ll be twenty-five in a month.” Rose knew she looked closer to nineteen than to twenty-five.

  “You also appear younger than you are,” Talbot said, as if reading her thoughts.

  She held up her hands as she felt her skin burn with the heat of a blush. “I’m not jailbait.”

  “Believe me, I am thankful for that. I wouldn’t want you to think I was some creep attracted to young females. Truth be told, I’ve not been in any serious relationships.”

  Rose’s eyes widened. He’d basically admitted he was centuries old. And in all that time he’d dated no one seriously or even married? “How?” she blurted before she could censor her tongue. “I mean, I’ve never dated anyone, and that’s weird for a human. How can you have been alive all this time and not been in a relationship?” Did it sound like she was complaining? Because Rose was most definitely not. She found herself relieved. Granted, “no serious relationships” didn’t necessarily mean “no bed partners.”

  “Why are you upset?” Talbot’s forehead was drawn down into a deep V.

  “Why do you think I’m upset?” Did she look upset? Was she really that bad at masking her emotions?

  “I can feel it,” Talbot said gently. “Not strongly, but it’s definitely there. Like waves rolling off of you and onto me.”

  “Is that normal?”

  Talbot nodded. “It’s a mate thing. You will be able to feel my emotions as well. The bond will only grow stronger the more we are together and as our relationship progresses. I should probably warn you that Damarian males of any species are very protective and territorial about their mates.”

  Rose was still focused on the fact that he could feel her emotions. Did that mean he felt it when she was realizing her attraction for him? Please shoot me now.

  A cool hand on hers drew her from her inner thoughts. Talbot’s larger hand wrapped around hers where it sat in her lap. “Please don’t feel embarrassed. If you focus on me, you’ll feel what I’m feeling. Give it a try.” He scooted closer to her until their bodies touched from shoulder to hip. She shivered, noticing that his body wasn’t warm. He’s a snake, Goober. Cold-blooded.

  Rose’s cheeks burned. Great, he could totally feel how flustered she was right now through their weird, new supernatural bond. She shouldn’t have checked him out so obviously when they were talking. But she couldn’t help admiring the lean lines of his shoulders and the way he moved so gracefully, like the serpent he could become. He was sensual and masculine at the same time.

  “Sorry about that,” she mumbled, embarrassed that he apparently sensed her not-so-innocent thoughts. “Didn’t mean to objectify you or anything.” She begged the universe for a hole to open up and swallow her. No such luck.

  Talbot’s voice was gentle when he replied. “No need to apologize. It’s only natural to be curious about your future partner.”

  Yet, Rose felt there was definitely more than just “natural curiosity” awakened in her. Being near Talbot stirred up feelings way more intense than she knew how to handle.

  “Focus.” He quietly encouraged her to try sensing his emotions through their connection. Rose hesitantly concentrated on that new presence she could barely feel in the back of her mind. Her eyes widened in shock.

  Raw, unmistakable desire flowed from Talbot’s side of the bond. Not a mild crush, or so-called curiosity. This was an intense, bone-deep yearning echoing her own.

  Rose’s gaze flew to his, stunned. Talbot held her eyes steadily, his striking green ones burning with need.

  “It goes both ways, Rose,” he whispered. “I feel it, too. And when I touch you, it’s even stronger. I will be honest and tell you that’s not something that’s totally typical of my kind. Visata saw fit to give me the gift to see into the minds of someone if I’m touching them. I mean, I can’t read a person’s mind,” he corrected quickly. “I just get vague feelings or images. My uncle’s mind has been full of darkness for some time now.”

  “And my mind?” Rose’s voice quivered as she spoke. “What do you see in my mind?”

  He shifted even closer on the couch until her bare arm rubbed against his. Rose trembled, her pulse kicking into overdrive. She should definitely move away, keep things PG until they were officially mated and had known one another longer than it took for a hot dog to be cooked in the microwave. But some reckless impulse made her stay put.

  Talbot trailed his fingers down her wrist, raising goose bumps. “I won’t cross lines, but I can’t hide what you make me feel.” His eyes seared into hers. “Touching you ignites me. I know it’s the same for you because your mind is clouded in red, the color of desire.”

  Rose gasped as his fingertips glided along her skin. Her emotions were in chaos, her sensible side warring with a yearning for him. She needed to stop this, but, oh, she desperately didn’t want him to stop. Everywhere they touched felt electric. She looked down and saw that he was tracing the snake tattoo, and the skin shimmered like iridescent scales. “Holy snapple babies,” she breathed out. Rose wasn’t cold anymore, and neither was his touch. She was hot. Everywhere.