Captivating The Bear
Captivating The Bear
Jane Godman
Beauty…and Her Beast?Desperate to escape an arranged marriage, Lidiya Rihanoff sets off to find the only man who can help her. Ged Taverner wants the world to think he’s just the manager of a rock band, but Lidi knows the truth: he’s a king in exile—and a shape-shifter, just like her. She’s not ready for the overwhelming desire she feels for him. And he’s not expecting to find his destined mate…
Beauty...and Her Beast?
Desperate to escape an arranged marriage, Lidiya Rihanoff sets off to find the only man who can help her. Ged Taverner wants the world to think he’s just the manager of a rock band, but Lidi knows the truth: he’s a king in exile—and a shape-shifter, just like her. She’s not ready for the overwhelming desire she feels for him. And he’s not expecting to find his destined mate...
JANE GODMAN writes in a variety of romance genres, including paranormal, gothic and romantic suspense. Jane lives in England and loves to travel to European cities that are steeped in history and romance—Venice, Dubrovnik and Vienna are among her favorites. Jane is married to a lovely man and is mum to two grown-up children.
Books by Jane Godman (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
Otherworld Protector
Otherworld Renegade
Otherworld Challenger
Immortal Billionaire
The Unforgettable Wolf
One Night with the Valkyrie
Awakening the Shifter
Enticing the Dragon
Legacy of Darkness
Echoes in the Darkness
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Captivating the Bear
Jane Godman
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08212-9
CAPTIVATING THE BEAR
© 2018 Amanda Anders
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
This book is dedicated to my grandchildren.
They bring so much joy to my life just by being in it.
Contents
Cover (#u33f826e6-28a5-53ab-a978-dc3513d8cbd8)
Back Cover Text (#ueffc2db4-b082-5738-97b2-d19b62fd091e)
About the Author (#u2eaa426a-442b-5c30-92f3-c105cc2b51a3)
Booklist (#u57d3d5f7-3f0a-5afe-a654-54a7cae98fd8)
Title Page (#u8f2dbd30-9a4e-5452-99bc-69cfb4494ac3)
Copyright (#u0393e281-cb28-5a34-9ea8-467497a69220)
Dedication (#u6135daa0-b846-5034-8c8e-1097df67db32)
Chapter 1 (#u1b6141c7-dc5f-51c8-a635-b5567c401b22)
Chapter 2 (#ud3d8009e-e712-5016-962b-d73a09089815)
Chapter 3 (#u85fa1bd7-f966-5444-b8d1-0d3086901293)
Chapter 4 (#u833ed95a-fa72-529b-91b9-ca51f665c3d9)
Chapter 5 (#ua3841056-7a53-5189-ae95-d44d0229cc0f)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 1 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
Lidiya Rihanoff was doing her best to be objective about the situation, which wasn’t easy when she was caught up in the center of a screaming, sobbing crowd.
She had spent the last hour slowly working her way through the hysterical throng until she found herself a place up against the crash barriers. It had proved surprisingly difficult. Lidi had trained with warriors. She knew how to deal with combat situations. This was different. Faced with an adoring group of rock fans who did not want to relinquish the opportunity to get up close to their idols, she was at a loss. Her usual street-fighting tactics wouldn’t do. Eye gouging and throat punching would have brought her to the attention of the police officers who were standing at regular intervals along the route. In the end, she resorted to strategically using her elbows. When that didn’t work, she dealt out a few surreptitious ankle kicks.
Now she was pressed right up against the barrier, with a clear view of the movie theater and its red-carpeted steps. From the mounting fervor, and the way the security guards were pacing back and forth along the street, she guessed the stars were about to arrive at any minute.
It was winter, but the temperatures in the South of France were like a summer day in her home country of Callistoya. Sweat beaded her forehead and trickled down her spine as she was jostled and pushed. Even so, she couldn’t remove her sweatshirt. Beneath it, her long-sleeved T-shirt was torn, the shredded material revealing the injuries to her arm. She couldn’t risk drawing attention to herself.
“Here they come!” The woman next to her spoke English, a language in which Lidi was fluent. Her screech was accompanied by a curious gesture. Putting her fingers on either side of her head, she made them into devil horns. A quick glance around revealed a number of other people doing the same thing. She laughed at Lidi’s bemused expression. “Sign of the Beast.”
Two stretch limousines drew up to one side of the theater. On the opposite side of the street, hundreds of photographers were already in position with their cameras poised.
A man bounded out of the first vehicle before it had stopped, and the flashbulbs went wild in time with the crescendo around Lidi.
“Who is he?” She had to mouth the words to the helpful stranger.
“Khan. Lead singer.” She got up close and yelled her response directly into Lidi’s ear. “The woman with him is his wife, Sarange.”
Lidi watched as the group of glamorous figures exited the cars and posed on the red carpet. Her new friend bellowed out an excited commentary. Next came Torque, the rhythm guitarist, with his blonde wife, Hollie. The dark-haired, muscle-bound man with the brooding expression was the drummer, Diablo. Then there was the lead guitarist, Dev, and the bass player, Finglas.
Lidi paid only scant attention. Her interest in the members of the internationally famous rock band Beast began and ended with their ability to lead her to the man she was seeking. Was he here? She scanned the group on the red carpet. He had to be here.
As if the intensity of her thoughts had somehow communicated themselves across the distance between the crash barriers and to the building on the other side of the road, a man strode down the steps. He was talking on his cell phone, clearly engrossed in his conversation.
Lidi’s breath caught in her throat. Just from his height and the width of his shoulders she knew it was him.
She gestured to the woman next to her, not trusting her voice.
“Ged Taverner.” A little shiver ran through Lidi as she heard the name. “He’s Beast’s manager.”
Ged Taverner. That was what he called himself now, but Lidi knew his true identity. The tall, imposing figure she was looking at was Gerald Tavisha, the rightful king of Callistoya.
She had heard so much about this man that his nearness almost took her breath away. Until his exile he had embodied everything the warrior-heroes of the magical shifter state of Callistoya held dear. Chivalry, honor and a deep, abiding love of their country.
Lidi would never understand why he had stayed away instead of raising an army and fighting the man who had stolen his throne. But all that mattered now was that she had found him.
As she gazed across the distance between them, a new sensation swept over her. Stinging and cloying at the same time, like a hit of hot sugar surging through her bloodstream. It was the craziest feeling, a wild urgency that made her want to vault over the barrier and throw herself into Ged Taverner’s arms.
She looked around her at the longing faces. Mass hysteria. That must be what she was experiencing. Despite her noble upbringing, she had put her dignity aside and been infected by the mood around her. But she wasn’t here to be part of this. She was a Rihanoff of Aras. She could rise above it.
It didn’t matter what she told herself. The feeling persisted, growing stronger, becoming a wild, yearning ache throughout her body, but centering very specifically in the throbbing pulse between her legs. Everything around her came sharply into focus, every sense heightening until she was quivering with tension.
What exactly is happening to me?
Her concentration became centered on Ged and it appeared she was not the only one suffering. Frowning, he looked up from his call, the cell phone held slightly away from his ear as he scanned the crowd. Excitement powered through Lidi as a new realization hit her.
It’s him. He is the reason I’m feeling this way.
Across the yards that separated them, she knew he could feel the same longing that was driving her demented. An invisible cord between them was being tightened, drawing them closer together. Heat burned up the air between them. The urge to go to him and wrap her body around his was becoming a storm in her blood.
Because of the distance, she couldn’t see the finer detail of his looks, but her impression was of strength and muscle, of ruggedly carved aristocratic features, a square, stubborn chin, wavy, butterscotch-brown hair, and eyes that faced the world with the same bravery and determination as her own. It was the look that had embodied Callistoya. Once. Before the unthinkable had happened.
Just as she thought she couldn’t take any more, the group on the red carpet began to move. With a final wave to the fans, they made their way inside the theater. Ged remained on the steps for a moment or two after they’d gone, a look of confusion on his face.
Finally, with a reluctant shrug, he turned away and the spell was broken. Lidi shuddered as her body tried to deal with the return to normality. She almost laughed out loud. Normality? For her, there would never be such a thing again.
She had come here to find the only man who could save her father and her country. It had not been part of her schemes to also find her mate. But the decree of the fates was absolute. For every shifter there was a match. One true life partner. The rush of feeling she’d experienced when she gazed at Ged could mean only one thing. The fates had decided he was the one for her.
Stifling a groan, she tried to get her errant emotions under control. Arousal? Attraction? Gazing longingly at the handsome bear-shifter king? Being struck dumb by my fated mate? I don’t have time for this right now.
Lidi had a plan and she was determined to stick to it. Resolutely, she turned to her helpful new acquaintance.
“Do you know where the band are staying?”
* * *
Ged Taverner tried to concentrate on what the man standing next to him was saying.
“Small venues are a nightmare.” Rick, Beast’s head of security, gazed moodily out at the crowd of fans. “Give me an arena or a sports stadium anytime.”
Ged managed a suitable reply, saying something about the importance of this theater in Cannes as the most suitable place in which to screen the premiere of the band’s documentary. The whole time, his mind was preoccupied.
What the hell had just happened?
One minute he had been walking down the steps, talking on his cell with a French national newspaper about an interview, the next...he shook his head. It had been like a bolt of lightning, hitting him full-on as he walked out into the sunlight. He had no idea where it had come from, or what had caused it. When he had raised his head, seeking the source of the enchantment that held him helpless, he had known with absolute certainty that it was coming from somewhere in the throng of fans across the street.
As his eyes scanned the crowd, he had been in the grip of the most powerful emotion he had ever experienced. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake free of it.
Who are you?
Ged was a shifter. His bear senses had kicked in, taking over from his human perception. Although it wasn’t his dominant sense, his sight was good. Even so, trying to pick out one person among the mass had been impossible. But scent...that was a different matter. He could pick up a smell twenty miles away. The delicious aroma from the other side of the street had made his nostrils flare. It reminded him of clean, warm fur. Of winter sunshine, fresh, clear water and deep, dark pine forests.
How could he have been so sure the origin of that new fire in his blood was female? The answer was simple. Not only was his reaction to her knee-weakening and breathtaking, it was also zipper straining. His tailored pants had started to feel snug and he had dug his hands into his pockets, cursing the fate that had decided to put him in this predicament while he was wearing a tuxedo. Scratch that. He had cursed the fate that had decided to put him in this situation. Period.
Because he knew what had happened. Of course. Shifters were creatures of tradition. Their lives were ruled by legend and magic. Ged, along with every other werebear, had been brought up to respect the ancient traditions that ruled his life.
There is one mate for each of us, and we will know our mate instantly.
He had heard other shifters talk about that moment of recognition. He’d even seen it happen recently for two of his friends. That moment of seeing their mate for the first time and knowing there was no going back. They described it as being like a drug, an injection of pure, undiluted passion direct into the bloodstream, delivering a perfect high. An instant, uncontrollable addiction.
Ged understood all of that. But there was no way it could happen for him. A king in exile? Even if he had any sort of order in his life, he was a bear. Other shifters could do the mates-for-life thing. Callistoya werebears were notorious for the control they had over their emotions. Even if he was prepared to accept the concept of instant, lifelong passion, it wasn’t happening with someone he hadn’t even looked in the eye.
That was what he tried to tell himself, but his body was giving him other messages. When the time came to go into the theater, it took all of his considerable strength to turn away. Every nerve ending was crying out to cross the street and find her. Every fiber of his being was alight with the need to grab her, claim her and never let her go.
Need her. Now.
The strength of that feeling hadn’t faded once he was inside the building. The burn wasn’t as fierce, but it was still there. He still hadn’t seen her face, but she had started a fire in his blood and it was raging out of control.
He sat in the elegant theater, surrounded by celebrities, and watched the images on the screen. At least, he assumed that was what he did. He had no memory afterward of watching the documentary that had consumed so much of his life over the last twelve months.
At the after-party, he accepted the congratulations and praise, laughing off any suggestions about the awards that were likely to come flooding his way. He knew the movie, a snapshot of six months on the road with Beast, was good. The strength of the story was in the editing. The truth would never be told. The world would never be ready to learn that one of the most famous bands on the planet was really a group of shifters.
As he drank too much champagne and discovered that, as usual, there weren’t enough dainty canapés to fill his large frame, part of Ged’s mind was disengaged from the elegant occasion.
Who was she? It couldn’t be coincidence that she was here in Cannes at the same time as him...
A strong grip on his shoulder shook him out of his musings. “I’ve got to hand it to you.” Khan, the band’s lead singer, gestured around the room, encompassing the group of designer-clad guests. “You sure know how to throw a dull party.”
Ged laughed. “Tonight is about money and influence, not about getting wasted and behaving outrageously. Make sure Torque knows that before he sets fire to the drapes, will you?”
“I guess that means swinging from the chandeliers is forbidden?” Khan was a weretiger. Intuition wasn’t his strong point, but the two men had been friends for a long time. His eyes scanned Ged’s face for a moment. “Everything okay with you?”
How the hell was he supposed to answer that question? If he told Khan the truth, his exuberant friend was likely to insist they set off right now on a quest to find the mystery woman. Because he was blissfully happy in his own marriage, Khan would seek the same thing for Ged.
Ged didn’t want to be forced to make excuses or lie. He knew his friends sometimes speculated about his true identity. He was the man who had rescued them all from danger or captivity, the person who had brought this unique group together. They owed him an allegiance that went beyond loyalty, but he had never disclosed the details of his background to them. How could he? Sharing the details of his past would be on the same level of madness as trying to find himself a mate.
“I’m fine.” He tilted his empty champagne glass toward Khan. “Do you think there’s any chance we might find some brandy in this place?”
* * *
To Lidi’s surprise, the crowd began to disperse as soon as the band was inside the theater. She turned to her companion, whose name was Allie. “Shouldn’t we wait for them to come out again?”
Allie gave her a pitying look. “Rookie mistake. They’ve played nice and given the paparazzi what they wanted. It’s possible they’ll come out this way and sign a few autographs, but it’s more likely they’ll leave by a rear door and go straight to the after-party.”
Lidi experienced a moment of panic. She couldn’t have come this far only to fail now. Clearly she needed to stick with Allie, who was suitably dressed for the weather with an embroidered scarf wrapped around her neck and long boots encasing her legs. The other woman seemed to know what she was doing and was willing to share her information.
“What do we do now?”
“The party is being held at the Palais Hôtel, where the band are staying—”
Lidi brightened up. This was more like it. “How do we get inside?”
“We don’t.” Don’t? Clearly Allie didn’t know who she was talking to. Telling Lidi what she couldn’t do was an instant challenge. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, some of these women will try it, but it’s a waste of time. Security will have them out of there so fast their feet won’t hit the ground. That’s if the hotel management don’t call the police and let them spend a night in the cells for trespassing.”
Lidi allowed herself to be led along the street with the rest of the crowd. She took a moment to appreciate Allie’s unusual looks. Lidi came from a land where most people had the classic brown hair and golden eyes of the Callistoyan werebear, a close relative of the Siberian brown bear. With her silver-blond hair, pale skin and light gray eyes, Allie was striking.
“So what are we doing exactly? Trying to get another glimpse of them?” Lidi hadn’t risked life and limb and traveled all this way just to look at Gerald Tavisha.
Allie gave her a sidelong glance. “What else were you hoping for? Did you think one of the guys was going to look your way and fall instantly in love?”
There didn’t seem to be an answer to that. Because although it wasn’t what she had expected to happen, the insta-love that Allie was joking about was exactly what had happened. However, maybe now she had been removed from the center of the furnace, love was too strong. She couldn’t seriously have fallen in love with a man she hadn’t even spoken to. Desire was probably a more apt description for what she was feeling. Good, old-fashioned lust.
The initial wild exhilaration had subsided. Thank heaven. There was no way she could have endured that level of panting eagerness for long. Even so, her whole body was quivering. It was like the aftermath of her most strenuous workout, with an additional heat zinging through her bloodstream. Every impulse was urging her to return to that theater and find her mate.
Lidi knew what arousal felt like. She was an adult shifter with a full range of both human and bear emotions. Although human and shifter time worked differently, thirteen years ago, her country had been thrown into unimaginable turmoil and she had sworn to devote her life to fighting to restore its equilibrium. Unusually for a bear shifter, Lidi’s human emotions were dominant. It was an inconvenience she had sworn to overcome. She was a warrior with no time to waste on feelings.
That was what made her reaction to Ged so difficult to understand. He was the man she had come to find. She needed him. As she accompanied Allie along the seafront promenade, Lidi bit back a laugh. Oh, yes. She needed him; that had become glaringly obvious. She only had to think about the instant connection between them to experience a thigh-clenching response.
She had to overcome these troublesome cravings and focus on the true reason she was here. Lidi always battled to maintain command over her feelings as well as her muscles. All those years of directing her energy into maintaining a mind and body that were at peak fitness had to be put to good use now. For some reason, her reaction to the man at the theater had been extreme. Maybe it was the stories she had heard about his bravery. Possibly it was the fact that he was the true ruler of her beleaguered nation. A legendary hero and a man of mystery.
Lidi had spent years training her body. It was hard, strong and fast, and it served her well. As for her emotions...well, she was having to work a little harder than usual to get them under control. It was an obstacle she hadn’t anticipated, but she had never backed down from a fight. She wasn’t about to start now.
They reached the Palais Hôtel, a dazzling white structure that faced the glittering waters of the Mediterranean. The imposing building consisted of a central block with two attached wings forming a U shape. Pretty wrought iron balconies were decorated with blue-and-white-striped parasols and lipstick-red geraniums.
As they were ushered behind yet more barriers, Lidi surveyed the hotel thoughtfully.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Allie sighed. “One night in a top-floor suite costs more than I earn in a year.”
“Is that where the band will stay?” Lidi shielded her eyes against the sun with one hand, viewing the rooms directly beneath the terracotta roof tiles.
“They always have the best rooms, and in this hotel, that means the fifth floor.” Allie regarded her warily. “Don’t even think about trying to get in there.” There it was again. That word. Don’t. “The place is wall-to-wall celebrities this weekend. You won’t get a foot inside the gardens before you’re noticed. And while Beast’s security team are okay, you don’t want to take your chances with some of the others. Vicious thugs all of them.”
Allie’s words might almost have been issued as a dare to Lidi, who was focused on the edifice across the promenade and in particular on those balconies.
Many people believed that bears couldn’t climb. Some people had died while clinging to that hope. Lidi, growing up in the shadow of the Callistoya mountains, had spent her childhood scrambling up the steep slopes alongside the mountain goats. The hotel was busy, of course, and scaling a building always carried an element of risk. But those wrought iron railings were almost too good to be true. If they were replicated at the rear of the hotel, and if she waited until the early hours of the morning...
Allie was still outlining the reasons why attempting to get into the hotel would be a bad idea. Tearing her gaze away from the building, Lidi cut across Allie’s explanations with a final, very important, question.
“Will the band’s manager also have a room on the top floor?”
Chapter 2 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
Ged couldn’t sleep. The gamble he’d taken on the documentary had paid off. If the initial reviews were anything to go by, it looked set to be a huge success. He’d made the most of the party, renewing old contacts and developing new acquaintances.
His hotel suite was comfortable, with every luxury at his fingertips, but it was 3:30 a.m. and slumber still eluded him. Even his online contacts had fallen silent. It was that strange, predawn time when it would be easy to believe he was the only person in the world left awake.
The familiar restlessness surged through him, the need to do something stronger than ever. He glared at his electronic tablet, searching through his contacts. When he drew a blank, he tossed it aside in annoyance. Nothing? He wanted action and his usual sources weren’t helping.
Stretching full-length on the bed, he willed his body into something that resembled a relaxed pose. Even if there had been a task for him, he was in no frame of mind to undertake it. Coiled tight as a spring, he needed to get his head straight before he went charging off on a rescue mission.
Ever since he had been driven out of his homeland by his enemies, the urge to help others had been Ged’s driving force. There were many ways he could have done that. Working with children, donating a percentage of his earnings, volunteering in a deprived country...the list went on.
He didn’t have to risk his life rescuing other shifters who were in danger, but that was what he had chosen to do. He knew what an analyst would say about his motives. Danger, excitement, risk...all of those were factors. But there was more to it. Ged had grown up knowing from an early age he was the heir to the throne of Callistoya.
Monarchy and immortality were strange partners. The werebears of Callistoya had eternal life, but they were not invincible. Like other shifters, they could be killed by silver, fire beheading and some illnesses. Since their magical kingdom had always been peaceful, Ged had expected his father’s reign to last forever. Then everything had changed. Ged had barely reached shifter maturity when his father had been murdered and he and his brother, Andrei, had been forced out of their homeland.
Driven into exile, his rightful place on the throne snatched from him, his reputation ruined, he had attempted to return and fight back. That was when he had discovered that his enemies had used magic, as well as villainy, against him. Though prepared to fight evil, he had been unable to combat the sorcery that barred him from entering Callistoya.
Although his old life had been snatched away, Ged had been raised to serve and protect. His duty to others came first. Even though he no longer had a country over which to reign, those feelings of service and honor hadn’t gone away. They had simply found a new direction.
Raised voices distracted him from his thoughts. Standards must be slipping if the tiniest sound was allowed to penetrate the luxurious corridors of the fifth floor of the Palais Hôtel. When the commotion continued, he paid closer attention, his finely tuned hearing distinguishing individual sounds. A woman’s cry of protest was followed by a scuffle and a grunt of pain.
Frowning, Ged got to his feet. Pulling sweatpants over his boxer briefs, he went through to the sitting room and opened the door to the corridor. The sight that met his eyes was unexpected.
One of Beast’s security guards was lying on the elegant rug, clutching his groin and groaning. At his side, a uniformed member of the hotel’s staff was slumped against the wall with both hands clasped over his nose. Blood was seeping through his fingers.
In the center of the corridor, Rick, Ged’s friend and trusted security manager, was grappling with a tall, slender woman. From where Ged was standing, it looked a lot like the woman was winning.
As if to confirm that judgment, Rick’s opponent chose that moment to break free of his grasp. Instead of escaping while she had the chance, she neatly spun around and delivered a back kick direct into Rick’s chest. Across a distance of several feet, Ged heard the air leave his friend’s lungs in a rush as he dropped to his knees.
Torn between admiration for the neatness of the move and concern for his friend, he stepped forward. “What the hell is going on here, Rick?”
Rick managed to gesture toward the woman and wheeze out a few words. “Climbed...the damn balconies.”
Over the years, there had been some daring attempts to get close to the band. Fans had hidden inside delivery trucks, tried to stow away on board the tour bus, even disguised themselves as journalists or caterers. But risking life and limb to scale a building followed by an assault on security staff? It was a unique approach.
Ged’s intention, as he stepped forward, was to take over where Rick had left off. Whoever this woman was, she was a formidable fighter. Even so, she wouldn’t stand a chance against him. As she swung around, it hit him. It was the same rush of arousal he had felt earlier, concentrated now because she was so close. The overload of pure sensation made him feel slightly dizzy.
Twin realizations, both equally potent. She was a bear shifter. And she was his mate.
Dark brown eyes, flecked with gold, regarded him for a moment or two; then she smiled. The expression had the same effect on him as the kick to the chest had on Rick. It drove the breath from his lungs. Unlike Rick, Ged managed to remain on his feet.
“I needed to see you.”
He gazed down at her, unable to speak. This couldn’t be happening. The fates couldn’t be this unfair. It was bad enough that his mate appeared to have come storming into his life in search of him—and he would have to turn her down—but why did she have to be so damn gorgeous?
He became aware that Rick, who was getting to his feet with difficulty, was talking.
“Shall I call the police?”
The woman took a step closer to Ged, placing one hand flat on his naked chest. “Please. I have to speak with you.”
He half expected to look down and see her palm print burning its way into his flesh. That was how her touch felt against his skin. She branded him in that instant, and it was the most perfect thrill he had ever felt. Oddly, it brought his senses back into clarity.
Yes, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen...but she was in trouble. Although that was apparent from the plea in those incredible eyes, there were other, more tangible clues. She wore flat, leather ankle boots that had taken such a beating they were almost useless. Her jeans were faded and stained and the long-sleeved T-shirt she wore over them had a tear that left one sleeve hanging half-off. The exposed flesh of her arm was a mass of scratches and cuts, some of them deep enough to appear serious. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but the sheen was long gone, as though it hadn’t been properly washed for some time.
In their human form, both male and female bear shifters were generally above average size. This woman was tall, her head reaching almost to Ged’s shoulder, and her build was similar to that of an Olympic swimmer, long and lean with endless legs, broad shoulders and slim hips. But she was too skinny for her frame. It was the false thinness that follows illness or extreme dieting. The pallor of her skin and dark shadows under her eyes seemed to confirm Ged’s assumption that she hadn’t been eating properly just lately.
Yet she kicked the hell out of three guys? All because she wanted to see me? Even a bear shifter had limits, and she looked like she had been pushed to the end of hers, yet she had found that inner strength. This had to be a story worth hearing.
“No police.” There was a good chance he would regret that decision later, but she was a shifter and she was in trouble. Helping in these situations was what he did. Ignoring the look of reproach in Rick’s eyes, he held the door of his suite open for the woman to step inside. “Do whatever it takes to cover this up...” They were familiar words to Beast’s security manager. “I’ll speak to you later.”
When he entered his suite, his unexpected guest had discovered the hospitality tray. Having already devoured half a pack of cookies, she was gulping mineral water so fast it was running down her chin.
Ged closed the door, leaning against it as he watched her. “I think you’d better tell me what this is about.”
She nodded, leaving a grimy mark as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. “I am Lady Lidiya Rihanoff. My father is the Count of Aras...and I have come to take you back to Callistoya.”
* * *
Lidi sat on the floor as she ate. Ged had ordered several items from the room service menu and was slouched in a chair watching as she worked her way through them. Ordinarily, the sight of his naked upper body might have proved a distraction, but she was too hungry to care. Or perhaps she was growing accustomed to being in a near-permanent state of arousal.
“When did you last eat?”
She gave it some thought. “Two days ago. I think.”
“You think?” Until now, she had been under the impression that all bear shifters had the same brown eyes. But Ged’s were different. Darker and more intense, set under heavy lids, with a gleam that made her want to check how her hair looked. Since she already knew the answer, she didn’t bother. Her hair, like the rest of her, looked awful.
She paused with a donut halfway to her mouth. “I didn’t have time to think about food.”
“Clearly.” He nodded at the remains of her repast. “What happened to your arm?”
Lidi glanced at her torn T-shirt, wincing slightly as the memory of breaking a window and scrabbling through it came back to her. “This?” She managed a shrug. “It’s nothing.”
It wasn’t true. It actually hurt like hell, but he didn’t need to know that.
Ged leaned forward, his clasped hands between his knees. “Let’s get one thing straight, shall we? You broke in here and beat up two of my employees and a hotel security guard. I could have handed you over to the police, but I didn’t. Start lying, or keeping information from me, and I may change my mind.” He kept his gaze on hers, letting the message sink in. “Let’s start again. What happened to your arm?”
“I hurt it when I escaped from the dungeons beneath the grand palace.” Lidi tried out a defiant head toss. It didn’t quite have the flourish she intended. Up close, Ged was too imposing, too attractive...too everything. She attempted to regain her composure, not an easy thing to do when she was sitting at his feet, tired, dirty, and aching all over. “You must remember that place. It used to be your home.”
If there was a flicker in the depths of his eyes, it was momentary. “Why were you in the dungeons?”
“Can’t we talk while we travel?” When Ged shook his head, she huffed out a sigh. “Your stepbrother, Vasily the Usurper, imprisoned me and my father when I refused to marry him.”
A frown pulled his brows together. “It may be a long time since I’ve been in Callistoya, but last thing I heard, Vasily had claimed the throne. Shouldn’t you be calling him King Vasily?”
Lidi tilted her chin stubbornly. “I will never swear allegiance to that man.”
He studied her thoughtfully. “Since your words imply loyalty to my side of the family, perhaps you can give me news of my uncle?”
Could he really have cut himself off so completely from his homeland? Callistoya was a magical place situated in the heart of the vast expanse known to humans as Siberia. Visible and accessible only to shifters, it did not exist on any mortal map. Even so, Lidi had heard how close Ged had once been to the uncle who had remained in Callistoya as leader of the resistance.
“Eduard Tavisha is working hard to rally those loyal to you.” She watched his face. “It’s a difficult job in your absence.”
He was silent for long moments, his expression closed. She got the feeling he was gazing back into the past before he roused himself. “What about Vasily? How is the new king’s reign going?”
“Badly. Vasily is struggling to maintain power. There is opposition from factions loyal to you. Vasily thought he could reinforce his position if he married me. Aras is a territory in the northern part of the kingdom.”
Ged nodded. “I know of it.”
“My father has great influence over the northern nobles, most of whom are loyal to you. Vasily reasoned that a Petrov-Rihanoff marriage would strengthen his claim to the throne.” Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. “And I am a wealthy woman in my own right.”
“There seems to have been a lot going on since I left Callistoya. Maybe I should have done more to keep up with the news from home.”
“Yes.” When he started to laugh, she looked up at him in confusion. “I don’t understand why that’s funny.”
“It isn’t. It’s tragic.” He stared down at her, his gaze taking in her disheveled appearance. “How long have you been traveling?”
The swift change of subject threw her off balance and she had to think about it. “Two, maybe three, weeks.”
There was a brief silence as he registered that information. “I’ve never heard of anyone escaping from the palace dungeons before.”
“No, nor have I.” She shuddered at the memory of it. “Once I passed through the Callistoya border, I walked for miles within the mortal realm. The first town I reached was in the human land known as Russia.” She bit her lip, uncomfortable with the next part of her story. “When I was there, I stole food and I managed to hot-wire a car. A few times, I was able to fill the vehicle up with gas and drive off without paying. Once I reached Austria, security was much tighter and I had to abandon the car.”
All Callistoya bear shifters were good at hiding their feelings—mainly because they learned from an early age that emotions were a disruption to their lifestyle—but Ged took enigmatic to a whole new level. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. “What did you do then?”
She laughed. “I did a lot of walking. Sneaked onto trains without paying when I could. Hitched a few rides.”
“What?” His exclamation startled her and she took a moment to process what had prompted it. The realization that he was being protective caused a flare of warmth to start deep inside and spread through her body.
“I’m a bear shifter, remember? I was never in any danger from humans.”
The way he sank back in his seat was an acknowledgment of the truth of her statement.
“How did you know where to find me?” he asked. “I don’t advertise that I’m the former king of Callistoya.”
“I overheard Vasily talking about you. He has spies in this world who discovered your whereabouts.” She had intended to deliver the bad news in stages, but, under Ged’s direct gaze there didn’t seem to be any hiding place from the truth. “He still sees you as a danger, and if he suspected you were going to return to Callistoya, he would have you assassinated.”
Ged had a very expressive mouth, she noticed. It was particularly evident now, as his lips curled in contempt. “Would he now? Vasily must have grown himself a spine since the last time we met.”
“All I know is he has my father locked up.” She got to her feet. “Can we go now?”
“Lidiya—”
“It’s Lidi. No one ever calls me Lidiya.” Why was she worrying about what name he was using when her father was depending on her?
“Lidi.” He ran a hand through his thick brown hair. “If you know why I left Callistoya, you must also know why I can’t go back.”
“No.” The word was almost a sob. “We can work with the resistance, get the people we need. Together with your uncle and my father’s friends, we can fight Vasily.”
He got to his feet and she felt the impact of his nearness all over again. He was too potent. His height, his presence, his masculinity...they all had the effect of driving everything out of her mind except the need to be in his arms. Determinedly, she clung to the image of her father languishing in a prison cell.
“There is more to it—”
“I know that thirteen years ago, Vasily told everyone you left Alyona Ivanov to die at the hands of the same men who murdered your father.” The words burst from her lips before she could stop them, and Ged flinched as she said the name of his murdered fiancée. “I don’t believe the story that you abandoned her...or that you killed her, then murdered the others to cover it up.”
“I can’t go back.” If Ged cared that his stepbrother had spread a rumor that he was a spineless coward, or worse, it didn’t show. There was no inflection in the words, only finality.
Lidi had come prepared to beg, to plead, to offer her family’s wealth, her own fortune and allegiance. Anything. Nowhere in her schemes had she allowed for this scenario. One in which she faced a man who differed so completely from her expectations. She had believed the romantic folk stories about Gerald Tavisha. There were rumors about an exiled king who devoted his life to the rescue of endangered shifters. When she looked into Ged’s eyes and saw the blank look in their dark depths, she was forced to question the truth behind those legends.
Her whole body slumped in defeat. She had pinned every hope on finding Ged and persuading him to help. Now she faced a return to Callistoya and the prospect of discovering another way. Giving in to Vasily’s plans wasn’t an option, but her choices were limited to her own ingenuity.
Squaring her shoulders and stiffening her spine was hard, but she managed it. Turning away from Ged? That proved more difficult. How had she reached this point so fast? Dependence on another person wasn’t on her agenda. It never would be.
To her annoyance, she felt tears sting the back of her eyelids and burn her throat. Back home, she was known for her stubborn chin tilts. This one didn’t quite work.
“I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”
* * *
Ged muttered a curse as he crossed the room. Lidi already had her fingertips on the door handle when he reached her. Placing his hands on the wooden panels either side of her shoulders, he leaned in close.
“Don’t go.” What was happening to him? He didn’t do empathy or tenderness. He certainly didn’t change his mind. Yet, the second he had turned Lidi down, he was regretting the harshness of his response.
She turned around, the action placing her in the circle of his arms. Not quite touching, but temptingly close.
“I have no reason to stay.”
“We both know that’s not true.” Getting up close to her had been a mistake. The attraction between them couldn’t be forgotten, no matter how much they might wish to fight it. Lifting a hand, he cupped her chin, rubbing his thumb along her jawline.
“Don’t.” Lidi turned her head away. “For the last three weeks, I’ve only been able to wash in rivers and streams. I can’t imagine what I must smell like.”
“You smell incredible.” That was part of the problem. Lidi’s scent was driving him crazy. She smelled of the forest. Of fresh air, new rainfall and pine needles with a hint of the wild honeysuckle that reminded him of home. He rested his forehead against hers briefly, fighting the temptation to do more. “God knows, I don’t want to change anything about you, but why don’t you take a bath? Then I’ll deal with those injuries to your arm and you can get some sleep. Even if I can’t come back to Callistoya with you, I can help in other ways.” He smiled. “I can book you on a flight to Siberia faster than you can steal a car.”
She regarded him thoughtfully and he could see she was weighing her options. After a moment or two, she relaxed and nodded. “A bath would be heaven.”
Ged showed her to the bathroom. Once he could hear water running, he took out his cell phone and called Rick.
“Any problems?”
“Other than the fact that you’ve got a crazy woman in your room?” Even though they were friends, Rick rarely crossed the employer-employee boundary when he was working. Now Ged could sense the anger and frustration in his voice. “Yeah, everything is très bien, as they say around here.”
“The two guys who were with you, are they okay?”
Rick snorted. “Well, Marty’s gonna be talking like an overexcited schoolgirl for a day or two, but the hotel guy’s nose isn’t broken. I managed to persuade him it was all a misunderstanding. When I say persuade, I mean I gave him a barrel full of cash to forget it.”
“Thanks.” Rick always came through for him and for the rest of the band. Although Ged had never shared the truth with the other man, Rick must know there was something unusual about Beast. Even if he hadn’t guessed they were all shifters, he had seen enough over the years to figure they were different. He had covered up werewolf attacks and dragon flights, as well as a few less dramatic supernatural events. “Can you get me a first aid kit?”
“Are you hurt?” He could hear the concern in Rick’s voice.
“It’s not for me. And bring some women’s clothes to my room.”
“What sort of women’s clothes?”
“How the hell do I know? The sort women wear.” Ged drew a breath, reminding himself it wasn’t Rick’s fault his whole world had been turned upside down a few hours ago. “Go to the boutique in the lobby. Make up some story about your niece losing her suitcase. Tell them she’s tall and slim. They’ll do the rest.”
He ended the call and went to stand at the window, looking out at the view of the Mediterranean. When he’d arrived in Cannes, his head had been full of business deals and upcoming concerts. His usual distractions. Now he was barely seeing the beautiful promenade, the dark waters and the first light of dawn streaking the sky. Instead, his mind was focused on a grander view, one that encompassed dramatic mountains and sweeping forests.
From the moment he’d been forced to leave Callistoya, he’d made a conscious effort to put it from his mind. But he would never be able to erase it from his heart.
That old expression bear with a sore paw? That had described Ged for a long time. He had been angry about everything. Furious that the places he visited weren’t the same as his home. Judgmental of the people he met because they were different to the Callistoya nationals, annoyed that he had to explain his wants and needs, when in the past everyone around him understood them. Gradually, he understood what his rage was about. He didn’t hate new people and places. He just missed his old life.
Ged had no idea what had happened to him on that awful night when almost his entire family, as well as his fiancée, and most of his father’s council were murdered. He believed he had been either drugged or subjected to a powerful magic spell. He vaguely recalled standing at the entrance to the palace with Alyona at his side as they greeted the guests for their engagement meal. His next memory was of waking at the bottom of a deep ravine here in the human realm.
That was just the start of the nightmare. A frantic dash to his homeland had ensued, but his attempt to cross the invisible border into the magical land known only to shifters had proved futile. Somehow, the man who was the rightful monarch had, from that day forward, been locked out of his own kingdom.
Tortured by frustration and guilt, he had finally been forced to accept defeat and refocus his energy on a new life.
He hadn’t wanted this new start, but it had been forced upon him. Telling himself he had to come to terms with that, he had channeled his royal training into new experiences. He could either make the best of what had happened, or spend the rest of his long, immortal life ricocheting around the human world in a fugue of self-pity.
That was when the idea for his alter ego had been born. As a child, Ged’s favorite literary character had been Baroness Orczy’s Scarlet Pimpernel. The story of the society fop who led a double life as a daring rescuer during the Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution had gripped his imagination. The palace corridors would ring with sounds of mock sword fights as Ged and his younger brother, Andrei, acted out heroic combat scenes.
Rock band manager by day, shifter rescuer by night. Ged had become his own version of his childhood hero. But the ache in his heart had never gone away. And Lidi’s presence had brought the homesickness and the memories back. Stronger, sharper and more painful than ever.
I’m a bear. We don’t do feelings. He bit back a laugh. Yeah, keep telling yourself that whenever the homesickness hits.
He looked up as the bathroom door opened and Lidi emerged. Wrapped in a fluffy white bathrobe, she had dried her hair and it hung in soft waves almost to her waist. His heartbeat stuttered at the sight of her, a new realization hitting him.
It didn’t matter what he told himself about old loyalties and past promises. He had become engaged to Alyona for the sake of his country, their union born out of politics. not love. He had convinced himself back then that he could have been content with a marriage of convenience. Right now, it was as if the fates were laughing in his face.
The moment Lidi had walked—or stormed—into his life, everything had changed. His feelings for her went way beyond anything physical. The fates had decided she was his mate. Whether he liked it or not, that meant he was responsible for her.
What he had to do now was find a way to make his past and present work together in a way that didn’t bring the future crashing down around them.
Chapter 3 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
Lidi viewed the first aid kit with suspicion. “I can’t take this robe off. I’m not wearing anything underneath it.”
Ged groaned. “Comments like that aren’t helping me concentrate on the practicalities.”
She knew exactly what he meant. They were sitting inches apart on the bed and his nearness was so tempting it was sinful. Inexperience didn’t count. Her imagination was going into overdrive, heat surging through her in waves that were pleasurable, tormenting and wildly inconvenient.
Since Ged seemed determined to deal with her injuries, she reluctantly slid the robe off her left shoulder and down to the elbow on that side, clutching it tightly in place across her breasts with her other hand.
She already knew the cuts on her arm were bad. When she had broken the tiny bathroom window of her prison and forced her way through, she had been aware of the jagged shards tearing into her flesh. Because she had needed to slither down a steep wall and get away from the palace as fast as she could, it had been some time before she was able to take a look at her wounds. All she knew was, as she ran, she could feel hot, wet blood soaking her sleeve. When she finally stopped, everything had swum out of focus and she lay panting on her side until the world righted itself.
“How did you keep going with injuries like these?” Ged’s hand on her elbow was gentle as he bent closer to examine the damage to her flesh.
“I had to.” That was what she had told herself at the time, forcing herself on, one pain-filled step at a time. “Once I had managed to get out of that cell, it would have been crazy to let anything stop me.” She managed a smile. “I was even wearing the clothes I’d been captured in. You don’t think I’d have chosen to make that journey in ankle boots and without a warm coat, do you?”
His face was inches from hers as he raised his eyes to look at her. “This should have been stitched when you did it, and you’re lucky these wounds didn’t become infected.”
“I bathed my arm in fresh water whenever I got the chance. And I’m a shifter. You know as well as I do that we heal fast.”
“Are you always this stubborn?”
Lidi started to laugh. “Let me see...my father once asked my mother if an evil spirit tricked them and substituted a mule shifter for their bear baby. Does that answer your question?”
He smiled. “After three weeks, it’s too late for stitches. All I can do is apply a balm and put a dressing on your arm.”
Lidi watched as he scooped lotion out of a tub. When his fingertips touched her arm, she flinched and Ged raised questioning brows.
“Am I hurting you?”
“A little.” It was true, but her reaction had been more about the impact of his touch. Or rather, the intention behind the contact. He wanted to heal and comfort her.
Their DNA was half-human and half-bear. While bears were solitary creatures, shifters mated for life. Until they met their mate, they were free to live by human rules. But Lidi was a Callistoya noble, constrained by centuries of formality and duty. Their land had not moved in step with the mortal realm.
Her mother, in particular, had been determined that her daughter should observe the traditions of the ancient name into which she had married. From the day Lidi was born, Olga, Countess of Aras, had sworn her only child would marry well. She would train her daughter to rise above her instincts and marry for convenience instead of love. Even if she found her fated mate, Lidi, as the daughter of an aristocrat, would not be allowed to spend her life with him. Her parents would choose her partner. With that in mind, Olga had raised her in the ways of the bear.
There had been one problem with that plan. From a very early age, it was obvious that Lidi was unlike other bear shifters. Words like unusual and flighty were always attached to her. Her father scratched his head over her while her mother described her as overemotional, possibly the worst character trait she could conceive of. No matter how hard they tried to confine her spirit and mold her to their expectations, Lidi didn’t change. Among her werebear counterparts, she was quicksilver to their lead. Ruled by her powerful human emotions and intuition, she refused to conform, preferring a life of rebellion to one of compliance.
During her early years, Lidi’s mother had played the part of a bear in the wild. Demonstrating affection, protection and devotion, she had remained close to her daughter only until Lidi reached an age when Olga judged she could survive on her own. After that, mirroring the actions of a bear mother in the wild, she had tenaciously cast her aside. It was a tactic that worked effectively for most werebears.
But Lidi wasn’t like most werebears. She could still remember the shock and distress she had endured. The mother who had protected and cared for her one day was coldly turning her back the next. Her half-human heart had shattered, her two-year-old cries echoing through the stately corridors as her governess dragged her away. Even now, she awoke sometimes to find her pillow damp with tears and her hand outstretched as though reaching for her mother’s skirts.
Ged’s fingers smoothing the herbal-scented balm over her damaged flesh was the first positive touch she had encountered since her mother’s last embrace. It was almost too much to endure.
He used gentle, circular strokes to apply the balm, the action stinging slightly while also warming and soothing. Everything faded away except Ged and the point where his fingers caressed her. With a sigh, she gave in to temptation and rested her forehead against the smooth, hard muscle of his shoulder. Just this once, she would let someone else take over. She would allow herself these few minutes of bliss, of surrendering to the feeling of every care and hurt being smoothed away. By the time he finished, she was almost asleep.
Ged carefully placed adhesive dressings over the cuts. “They should stay in place without bandages.” He held out a couple of painkillers. “Now take these and get some sleep.”
“I have to get home—”
His fingers on her lips silenced her. “When you travel on a plane and the crew give you the safety information, they tell you to fit your own oxygen mask before helping others.”
She frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never been on an airplane. This is the first time I’ve left the kingdom of Callistoya.” Her voice was muffled by his hand.
Ged laughed. “I should have remembered we come from the land that time forgot. I was trying to find an analogy to explain how you should take care of yourself before trying to look out for your father. Sleep will refresh you.”
The bed was tempting, and what Ged was saying did make sense. Exhaustion hit her all at once, leaving her feeling as though she’d run into a brick wall. “Okay. I suppose a few hours won’t make much difference.” If she was less tired she might actually be able to think of a way out of her predicament.
Within minutes, she was nestled between crisp sheets and plump pillows. Although her troubles tried to intrude, her body relaxed and she began to drift into slumber. She was conscious of the tiny sounds Ged made as he moved around the room, but the knowledge that he was close by added to her sense of well-being.
For now, she would let him take care of her. There would be enough time tomorrow to continue the fight.
* * *
“We have a problem.”
Although it was tempting to tell his security manager to deal with whatever it was and leave him alone, Ged knew it must be important. Rick wouldn’t bother him unless it was serious.
He glanced over at the bed where Lidi was still sleeping soundly. Ged had remained awake, checking his emails and fine-tuning arrangements for forthcoming appearances. He had also checked on flights to Siberia, planning the best way to get Lidi close enough to her own magical land without enduring another epic journey.
There was a major problem to be overcome before he could send her on her way. International travel required a passport. As far as the mortal world was concerned, Lidi didn’t exist.
The whole time, his mind had been preoccupied with more than the logistics. How could he let her go back, knowing the danger she faced? No one knew better than he did what Vasily was capable of. Yet, having glimpsed that determined gleam in her eye, he had a feeling stopping her would not be an easy task. If only it was as simple as she believed. If he could just take her hand and walk at her side across that invisible border. Even without the spell that had been cast to stop him, the barriers were insurmountable.
“I need you to come and check something out.” For the first time ever, Ged could hear a note of fear as Rick spoke.
Although his intuition was telling him that tremor in his security manager’s voice should have him heading for the door, his newfound responsibility to Lidi made him pause. “What is it?”
“A group of men have stormed the foyer. Hotel security have managed to lock down the lower floor, but they don’t know how long they’ll be able to hold them.” Rick sounded slightly incredulous. “The manager thinks it could be a terrorist attack.”
Ged muttered a curse. “Wake the others. Tell them to come to my room. See if you can get me real time pictures of what’s happening downstairs.”
“I’m on it.” Now he had been given a focus, the hesitation was gone and Rick was all action.
Ged ended the call and glanced in Lidi’s direction again. Although he didn’t like the chances that this was a coincidence, there was a possibility the attack could have nothing to do with her presence here. The hotel was full of celebrities. The terrorists—if that’s what they were—could be taking advantage of the shock factor of a strike against some of the world’s most famous names.
Even as his mind went through that reasoned argument, his gut was telling him another story. His protective instincts were on high alert. Some additional sense had been triggered when he met Lidi. His mate was in danger. There was no need to wait for confirmation. He could feel it. And, for a man who didn’t do feelings, that was a powerful motivator.
He headed through to the sitting room, closing the bedroom door behind him. Rick arrived a minute or two later. “The manager has sent some images to my cell phone.” He handed it over to Ged.
The black-and-white footage showed four men entering the hotel lobby. Even though the pictures were grainy, Ged could tell these men were big. Tall and broad-shouldered, they moved with a steadfast confidence he would recognize anywhere. They were bear shifters. There was a good chance that when they shifted they would resemble Siberian brown bears. Just like him, Lidi and the entire population of Callistoya.
“What makes the hotel staff think it’s a terrorist attack? I don’t see any weapons.”
On the screen, the men began to smash up the reception area, systematically tearing apart the elegant decor with their bare hands. When the hotel security staff approached them, they were flung aside like rag dolls.
“When the manager called me to warn me what was happening, a terrorist attack was his suggestion. That was because robbery didn’t seem to be the motive,” Rick explained. “The guy was a wreck. I don’t think he knew what was happening. The hotel security system allows the manager to isolate each floor. Right now, these guys are contained on the first floor. The elevators have been shut down and they can’t gain access to any of the other floors,” Rick said. “The problem is that the guests are going to start waking up about now. Once that happens, word will filter through to the outside world.”
“The guests are trapped on their own floors.” Ged pointed out.
“For now. These guys are still on the rampage in the foyer. It looks like they are trying to gain access to the elevators or the stairs, so that makes it appear that the guests are the target. The manager is locked in his office with those security staff who managed to get away.”
“Have the police been called?”
“They’re outside the hotel and the manager is communicating with them. They’re holding back from storming the building because some of the security staff who were injured when these guys stormed in are still trapped in the lobby with them. It’s a hostage situation that has the potential to go badly wrong.”
They were interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the band. The lead guitarist, Torque was accompanied by his wife, Hollie.
“Sarange volunteered to stay with the kids,” Khan explained. He and his wife never traveled anywhere without their two children. The friendship group had recently expanded further to include Torque and Hollie’s twin baby boys.
“What’s up?” Torque asked.
Ged measured the situation. If he said too much in front of Rick, he risked giving away his own shifter identity and that of his friends. It came down to how much he trusted this man. He shrugged.
“There is a group of bear shifters smashing up the lobby.” Just as he’d anticipated, Rick didn’t blink.
“Friends of yours?” Khan asked.
Ged shook his head. “There is also a female bear-shifter aristocrat asleep in my bedroom—” he held up his hand to prevent any comments “—we don’t have time for jokes. I suspect she’s the reason they’re here.”
“Do they want to harm her, Ged?” Hollie’s calm question got straight to the point.
“She’s escaped from captivity. I’m guessing they want to return her.”
Diablo flexed his muscles. “Then let’s take them out.”
“It’s not that easy. There are a lot of people around and there are security cameras everywhere. The police are outside and I figure the press will be onto it soon, if they aren’t already.”
Ged was trying to formulate a plan as he spoke. The worst nightmare of any shifter living in the human world was the loss of anonymity. Mortals enjoyed books, movies, comics, and games about werewolves and other supernatural entities. Let them get the tiniest hint that such beings existed alongside them and all hell would break loose. The peace shifters had enjoyed for centuries would be shattered. Old enmities would resurface, hunting season on shifters would probably be declared, there was a possibility experimentation might be sanctioned... Shifter Zoo? It didn’t bear thinking about.
“The police are here. Maybe we should let them take care of it?” Rick suggested.
Ged shook his head. “Those guys down there won’t hesitate to shift if they’re cornered. The place they come from is...unusual.” How could he explain his homeland to his friends? Callistoya had always been ruled over by bear shifters. For that reason, the tiny kingdom remained hidden from human sight. “They belong in a land where shifting isn’t hidden or private. They won’t understand the need to steer clear of publicity. No, we have to corner them somewhere away from cameras and other people.”
“I’ll get a plan of the hotel,” Rick said.
“Lidi climbed the balconies,” Ged pointed out. “Is there any chance the intruders could try the same tactic?”
“I don’t think so. They’re locked into the foyer right now and can’t break out. Plus, their focus seems to be on the interior of the hotel.” Rick turned back as he reached the door. “When you come down to the lobby, don’t take the main staircase. There’s a smaller one that the staff use. You’ll have the element of surprise if you come that way.”
Ged nodded. “Get the manager to tell the guests to stay in their rooms. I don’t care what message he gives them. Faulty electrical wiring, poisonous gas in the air, a problem with the early-morning croissants...leave it up to his imagination. Just make sure they stay where they are.”
When Rick had gone, Ged became aware of his other friends regarding him with curiosity. In all the years they’d known each other, he’d never revealed anything about his past, or shown any interest in a woman. He guessed the questions would come later. Would he answer them? Now was not the time to make that decision.
“Our first job is to override the hotel’s security system. I want to shut down every camera in this place. Then we need to back these intruders into a corner of our choosing while making sure they can’t gain access to the upper floors. If we can do that and also make sure none of the guests know anything about it, I’ll buy you all a meal in the best restaurant in Cannes.”
“Will the bear-shifter aristocrat be your date?” Khan was the only person who had the audacity to ask such a question.
“Don’t push your luck, tiger boy,” Ged growled. There was a hierarchy in the shifter world, but in this group it didn’t matter about tigers, dragons or wolves. Ged was in charge. Always.
Khan held up a hand in a peacemaking gesture and Torque stepped into the silence that followed. “Hollie and I will check out the security system.” He took his wife’s hand. “Nothing like a little dragon breath to fry the electronics.”
Ged watched them go. “Dev and Finglas, I want you to check out the elevators. They aren’t working right now because they are locked down, but once Torque and Hollie screw up the system they may start up again.”
Dev, the snow leopard shifter who was the band’s lead guitarist, nodded. “We’ll disable them.” He and Finglas, the werewolf bass guitarist, went out of the room.
Ged turned to Khan and Diablo. “A bear, a tiger and a panther. The three of us against four bears. How do we feel about those odds, guys?”
The sound of the bedroom door closing made him look up. Lidi was dressed in the clothes Rick had delivered earlier. Jeans and a gray sweater fitted her slender figure perfectly. Her long dark hair was tied back and, although she was still pale, she looked refreshed.
“The odds just improved.” The determined look in her eyes was stronger than ever. “Because now we’re four against four.”
* * *
Ged took Lidi to one side, speaking quietly so only she could hear. “You’re injured.”
“I was injured when I climbed the outside of this building and fought three men.” Did he seriously think he was going to shut her out of this, whatever this was? She had to remind herself that he didn’t know her very well. If he did, he’d know all about her tenacity. “I heard what you were saying. Four bear shifters? They are here to either take me back to Callistoya or to assassinate you. Maybe both.”
“You think Vasily sent them?”
She nodded, her lip curling at the thought of the man who had masterminded a massacre so he could usurp the throne of Callistoya. Vasily was everything Ged was not. Vain, ambitious and cowardly, he preyed on the worst characteristics of his followers. Every bear shifter Lidi knew took pride in his or her strength, courage, intelligence and loyalty. Vasily deliberately undermined those values. He targeted groups within the kingdom who were vulnerable and preyed on their insecurities.
Even so, Vasily had been surprised when he had seized power at the strength of feeling against him. Callistoya had been weakened by the death of its beloved king together with most of his council, but it was a land of tradition and Vasily had no direct claim to the crown. His mother had married King Ivan, Ged’s father, after his first wife died. Since the king’s first marriage had produced two sons—Ged and Andrei—they were the rightful heirs to the throne.
Callistoya had been a peaceful nation when Ged’s father was alive, with only minor skirmishes in the outlying regions and uprisings when the crops failed or the taxes were raised. Ged’s father had been a strong king who knew how to deal with those problems, but Vasily was good at stirring up trouble. He had incited the rebel forces in the east of the country. They claimed that an area of land belonged to them, not to the Crown, and demanded freedom from taxation. Vasiliy supported them, keeping the feud going until they refused to back down despite King Ivan’s offer of a peacekeeping council. Then, having argued with his stepfather over money and titles, Vasily joined the rebels, his presence strengthening their cause and providing him with a ready-made army.
The night King Ivan died would be remembered in Callistoyan history as a night of betrayal and bloodshed. Lidi was unsure of all the details, but she knew it was the occasion of Ged’s engagement to Duchess Alyona Ivanov. Negotiations between the king and Vasily had been ongoing, and Vasily had agreed to suspend hostilities and attend the celebration. As a sign of his commitment to peace, he had pledged to accompany his mother, the queen, to the party.
He and a group of his men had been welcomed into the palace and an evening of feasting and entertainment had ensued. During the night, the king and most of his entourage had been slaughtered in their beds.
At some point before the murders, Ged and his brother, Andrei, had disappeared. The following day, Vasily had announced to a stunned nation that he was taking over the throne. The murderers were never brought to justice, although suspicion naturally fell on Vasily.
When Vasily was crowned, many of Callistoya’s subjects were outraged. They had been convinced that Ged, their true king, was still alive. Vasily had used the death of Alyona against him. On the night of the massacre, Alyona had been found dead in Ged’s bed. She had been strangled before a silver knife was plunged into her heart. If Ged was such a hero, Vasily asked, why had he deserted his betrothed in her hour of need? Or was the truth more sinister? Was Ged the person responsible for her death? Had he killed the others to cover up for his guilt? If he was innocent, why hadn’t he come back to Callistoya to clear his name? The whispering campaign had filtered throughout the kingdom until a seed of doubt had been planted against the man whose name, until then, had stood for honor and decency.
Ged’s uncle, Eduard Tavisha, now the leader of the resistance, had done his best to end any speculation about Vasily’s claim to the throne. The matter was simple. Ged was the king. Next in the line of succession was his younger brother, Andrei. After him, there was a cousin. No matter how much noise Vasily the Usurper made, he was no relation to the Tavisha family. He had no right to the crown.
Vasily had greeted Eduard’s proclamation with rage. Ged had confirmed his unsuitability to be king by fleeing like a dog with his tail between his legs, he declared. Only Vasily’s own strength of character had saved the day when he stepped in and took over. Since most people knew he had been behind the massacre, his protestations, far from fooling anyone, only made the situation worse. Seeking a way to strengthen his position, his gaze had turned to an alliance with the noble house of Rihanoff.
Looking back, Lidi supposed she could have dealt with Vasily’s proposal more diplomatically. He was known for his vindictive nature and her point-blank refusal had provoked an angry response. Determined to get her to change her mind, Vasily had tried persuasion, moved on to threats, and ended by throwing Lidi and her father, the Count of Aras, into prison.
“I know he sent them,” she said in reply to Ged’s question. Vasily was cruel as well as vengeful. He would have her followed to the ends of the earth rather than allow her to escape him.
“If his men have been trailing you, why have they waited until now to attempt to capture you? It would have been easier to do it when you were alone and on the road.”
“Who knows? Maybe they wanted to find out where I was going. Once they knew I was with you, it would have changed everything.” She squared her shoulders, feeling the pull as she moved her injured arm. “There is only one way to find out.”
He was staring at her in that disconcerting way he had. As though he was looking through her, seeing something in her that captivated him. It was the look every woman should want from a man. If she wanted a man...
“Are your friends really big-cat shifters?” She attempted to deflect his attention by glancing at the two men who were still standing near the door.
“Ah, hell. I’d forgotten we weren’t alone.” He ran a hand through his hair. “How do you do that, Lidi? How do you make me lose sight of everything except you?”
“It’s not deliberate.” Without thinking, she reached up a hand and brushed back the lock of hair that had flopped onto his forehead. “And it’s mutual.”
Touching him only confirmed what she already knew. Heat pulsed through her at the brief connection, and she saw Ged’s eyes widen. There was no escaping this attraction between them. Unwanted and inconvenient, it was burning them both up.
He caught hold of her hand, his strong fingers wrapping around hers. The delicious tingling sensations continued, but his touch grounded her. For the first time since her mother had walked away, she felt safe and protected with another person.
“We have to go.” The regret in his eyes matched her own. Taking a breath, he turned to his friends. “Khan, Diablo...this is Lidi. She’s coming with us.”
She could see the interest in their eyes as they looked at her, particularly when their eyes dropped to take in their clasped hands.
Khan smiled at her. “Nice to meet you, Lidi. Now can we please go and kick some bear butt?”
Diablo clapped a hand to his forehead with a groan. “One day, Khan will think before he speaks. Sadly, I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon.”
Khan was protesting in an undertone as they headed toward the door. “What did I say?”
“First impressions count. You just sounded like you were excited about kicking naked asses.”
Khan gave a snort of laughter. As Ged opened the door, his mood changed, becoming instantly serious. They made their way along the corridor in silence. Although her own body was on high alert, Lidi was also aware of the coiled strength of her companions. They were a team, communicating in gestures and eye movements. She had engaged in coaching sessions with the Aras guards, and her training had been rigorous and demanding. Even so, she sensed something in this group went beyond her experiences. She had always felt there was an element missing from her instruction, a higher level that remained stubbornly out of her reach. Now she was witnessing it, and it had nothing to do with experience or skill. It was about trust. These men knew they could count on each other, no matter what.
They avoided the main staircase, heading instead for a door marked Réservé au personnel. Ged took the lead as they went down the stairs. Lidi was behind him with Khan next and Diablo at the rear. When they reached the second floor, a man was waiting for them. Although Lidi tensed for action, she recognized him. He was the guy who had tried to stop her from getting to Ged when she climbed into the hotel. She recalled that just after she had broken free of his grasp and kicked him, Ged had called him Rick.
Rick’s eyes flickered briefly to her face and he rubbed his chest reminiscently, but he gave no other sign that he knew her.
“Did you get a plan of the first floor?” Ged spoke in a low voice.
“Yeah. There is a storage room behind the kitchens. It has no windows, so no one can see in, and Torque has shut down the security cameras. If you can get these guys in there, you will be out of sight of the rest of the hotel. There is also an exit that leads to a delivery area, so I can bring a vehicle to the door and...uh, dispose of any evidence.”
Ged placed a hand on his shoulder. “Good work. I need you to direct us to this room and then get the hell out of the way. This will be messy.”
Lidi understood what he meant. His friend was a human and he didn’t want him caught up in the middle of a shifter fight. She knew her world was unique. Callistoya was inhabited by bear shifters, and diversity had barely touched their magical realm. It was only since her escape that she had encountered humans. Of course, since she was half-human herself, their ways, although occasionally unusual, weren’t completely strange to her. The biggest difference was when it came to combat. Then, of course, a human didn’t stand a chance against a shifter.
Rick accompanied them down the remaining stairs. As they drew closer to the lobby, they could hear noises. It sounded like the intruders were trying everything they could to gain access to the upper floors.
“They haven’t figured out yet that the system has been overridden,” Diablo murmured. “The locks have been disabled, and they could just walk through.”
“What are they saying?” Khan asked. “It sounds like they’re speaking Russian.”
Lidi turned to look at Ged, the only other person who could understand what the men were saying. She saw his face tighten with anger as he listened to the furious comments of Vasily’s men.
“Close,” Ged said. “It’s the language of Callistoya, their homeland. They’re know Lidi is here and they’re trying to find a way to get to her.” He gestured to the door. “Let’s go.”
They stepped into the foyer together and Lidi took a moment to view the damage. It looked like a hurricane had blown through the building. Furniture had been overturned and ripped apart as though a child had thrown a tantrum and destroyed its dollhouse. Ruined light fixtures dangled from the vaulted ceiling, and the doors on one of the elevators were hanging half-off. As they moved stealthily toward them, two of the intruders were using a table as a battering ram, attempting to pound their way into a room that Lidi guessed must be the manager’s office.
Close to the entrance, two figures lay on the floor, their uniforms soaked with blood. Lidi couldn’t see any signs of life from either of them. Nearby, a woman was curled in a fetal position with her hands over her head.
Ged moved forward, drawing the attention of the intruders. All four of them turned their way. One man lunged toward Lidi, his hand reaching for her arm, but Ged stepped between them.
“Touch her and you die.” There was no doubt about it. Ged meant what he said.
The other man’s lips drew back in a snarl. “She is the reason we are here. She is an escaped criminal and our orders are to return her to justice.”
“On whose authority?”
“I am Pyotr. I act on behalf of King Vasily of Callistoya.”
Ged drew himself up to his full, impressive height. “You have been misinformed, my friend. There is only one king of Callistoya...and you’re looking at him.”
Chapter 4 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
There is only one king of Callistoya and you’re looking at him.
As he spoke the words, Ged’s well-laid schemes came crashing down around him. As he faced Pyotr and Vasily’s other thugs, he knew the truth. He couldn’t stay away. The crown of Callistoya belonged to him, and no matter what he had to do, he would return and find a way to wrest it from Vasily so he could wear it with pride.
He had a moment or two for that thought to register before Pyotr shifted. Lightning fast, Ged gave a signal to his companions. There were a lot of myths around shifting, many of them originating in the books and movies of human culture. It wasn’t a long, protracted and painful process. Shifting was as natural as breathing. It was about reaching deep inside and finding the inner animal, then relaxing into those memories and muscles. For Ged, it was a split second in which he closed his eyes as a human and opened them as a huge Callistoyan bear. Shrugging aside the remnants of the clothing he hadn’t had time to remove, he rose onto his hind legs.
In the wild, bears avoided fighting. Armed with tremendous strength, large claws and teeth like knives, they were wise enough to know they could inflict severe injuries on each other.
To avoid physical conflict, bears used vocalization and posturing to demonstrate their dominance and intimidate an opponent. This allowed them to establish a hierarchy within which they could interact without violence. A bear’s place in the social structure was based on its size, strength, age and disposition.
As the two groups faced each other, it was apparent Ged had the advantage. He was the alpha, towering over the others, his superiority obvious. They should have bowed before him. But this wasn’t a forest and they weren’t fighting over a mate, or a kill. They were shifters, not wild bears. They retained an element of their human senses even in their bear form, and Vasily’s men were here on a mission—one that didn’t allow them to back down.
Even Lidi, who should have been subordinate to each of the males present, had an agenda that suppressed her bear instincts. Instead of signaling her subservience, her stance was combative. Standing tall, with her head held high and her golden eyes alert, she was the most beautiful sight Ged had ever seen.
Although there was nothing he’d rather do more than spend time admiring Lidi, either in human or bear form, there were more urgent matters to take care of right now. If his opponents were surprised to be faced with a tiger and a panther as well as two bears, they didn’t show it. As they charged forward, it was clear they were used to fighting as a unit.
Bring it on.
The lobby was filled with the sounds of claws scrabbling on marble, deep bear grunts and harsher cat cries as solid, muscular bodies connected. Ged squared up to Pyotr. His aim, as always in a bear fight, was to bring his adversary down. Once a bear was on the ground, it was easily defeated. Using his superior height to his advantage, he lunged, striking out with his huge claws. The blow caught Pyotr behind his ear, slicing through thick fur and connecting with flesh.
Pyotr staggered back but retaliated with a smack to the side of Ged’s head that made his ears ring. It shouldn’t have happened. Pyotr was an inferior opponent, but Ged’s attention was divided between his own struggle and what was going on with Lidi. His protective instincts were overriding his self-preservation, placing him in unnecessary danger.
What had he been thinking of? Allowing her to get involved in this brawl was madness. Even though she clearly knew how to handle herself in a fight, she was much smaller and lighter than the other shifters. As he dug his claws into the flesh of Pyotr’s shoulder, drawing him closer in preparation for a bite, Ged risked another glance in Lidi’s direction.
He saw at once that there was nothing to worry about. Her speed and agility were astounding, making everyone around her—even Khan and Diablo—appear slow and lumbering in comparison. Relying on tactics that were unusual for a bear, she dodged the swipes of her much larger foe, ducking under his huge paw and emerging behind him to deliver her own hits. It was working. Ged could see blood staining the other bear’s fur and heard his growls of frustration.
Conscious that at any minute the manager’s door could open, the guests could defy the instruction to stay in their rooms or the police might decide to act, Ged knew they had to move the action away from the public space. He pulled Pyotr to him and sank his teeth into the other bear’s shoulder. The temptation to rip into him and finish it there and then was overwhelming, but bear entrails in the lobby? Try explaining that to a forensics team.
Instead, he hauled Pyotr in the direction of the kitchens, trusting his companions to accompany him. From the noise level just behind him, he guessed they had followed his lead.
Once they were inside the storage room, Pyotr sensed what was happening and knew he only had one chance. Lowering his head, he charged at Ged’s midsection with his teeth bared. It was a brave move, but Ged had seen it before. Pyotr was expecting him to drop to all fours to protect his belly, at which point the other bear would tip him over. Instead, Ged waited until the last moment, just before Pyotr’s lethal teeth connected with his flesh. Then he gripped the other shifter and, using his monumental strength, flipped him onto his back.
Surprise registered in the depths of Pyotr’s eyes as Ged placed both paws on his chest. The final move was swift and brutal. With his thorax crushed, Pyotr was dead within seconds, leaving Ged free to help his friends. Although, as he drew himself up to his full height once more, it looked like his companions were doing just fine on their own.
Khan, the deadliest weretiger of them all, had one of the bear shifters cornered. Ged recognized his friend’s stance. From the way Khan’s huge fangs were bared and he was poised to crouch, he was going in for the kill. In another corner of the room, Diablo was shaking another of the intruders around like a rag doll.
That left Lidi. She was still facing up to her massive challenger with a dexterity and bravery that astounded him. With jaws snapping and claws slashing, they were engaged in a classic bear fight, but, as Ged watched, the large male raised a paw and slammed Lidi against the wall. With a snort of rage, Ged made a move to intervene.
Before he could get there, Lidi was springing back from the tiled surface. As the male swung at her, she ducked low and came up at his side, dealing him a blow in the kidneys that made him howl. When he reached for her, she slipped behind him. In a move that made Ged’s lips twitch into an appreciative smile, she hurled herself onto the other bear’s back, clinging on as she clamped her jaws onto the tender flesh between his neck and shoulder.
Maybe Lidi didn’t need his help after all. She hung on with her claws and teeth as her adversary tried everything to dislodge her. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was effective. Blood sprayed onto the walls until, eventually, Lidi’s victim dropped to the floor. When she released her grip, he twitched a few times, then became completely still.
Khan and Diablo had both won their fights. They moved into place, standing one on each side of Ged as he shifted back. A swift glance around the small storage room was enough to confirm that he had no need of their protection. All four intruders lay lifeless on the tiles. The two werecats followed Ged’s lead and shifted into human form.
“Bears.” Khan shook his head as he viewed the bodies. “Stubborn as hell. They never know when it’s in their interests to surrender.”
Lidi hadn’t shifted, and with a flash of insight, Ged recognized the reason. In her homeland of Callistoya, there was no shame in making the transition from bear to human. Being naked in front of others was an accepted part of a shifter’s life. But this wasn’t her homeland, and she didn’t know him and his friends. Keeping her head low, she moved restlessly from foot to foot, the classic sign of a bear in distress.
Slightly bemused that he was already so in tune with her emotions, Ged cast a quick look around. The storage room looked like a scene from a horror movie and they needed to move fast. These bear shifters were dead in the true sense of the word, but only silver could truly destroy their souls. The final kindness to a defeated enemy was to finish them in the manner of a true warrior. That meant decapitating them with a silver sword, the handle of which had been specially adapted so that the person who wielded it could do so without being poisoned. No one said being a shifter was easy.
Then, of course, would come the task of getting rid of the bear bodies and cleaning up. Modesty should be a long way down the list of priorities. But this was Lidi and she needed his help.
“Find something so we can cover ourselves.” He jerked his head in the direction of the kitchen.
Khan blinked at him. “Are you crazy?”
“Do it.” Ged wasn’t in the mood for a debate.
Shrugging, Khan went through to the kitchen. When he returned, he had several white aprons over one arm and a scowl on his face. “If a picture of me wearing one of these ends up on the internet—”
“Quit griping and put it on.” Diablo was already tying one of the garments around his waist. “If Ged wants us to do it, it’s done.”
Ged gave him a grateful look before placing an apron close to Lidi. “Now turn your backs.”
“You’ve got to be...” Khan caught a glimpse of Ged’s expression and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Okay. Okay.” Obediently, he turned to face the wall opposite Lidi. “What is this?” His whisper to Diablo was just audible. “We’re all shifters. Nudity is part of the deal.”
“Stop being such a tiger. Just for once,” Diablo growled back.
Ged could hear Lidi moving around behind them.
“I’m decent.” Her voice was gruff, and when he turned, her cheeks were bright pink. The apron she was wearing was too big and she’d wrapped it tight around her, tying it so it covered her whole body, back and front. Hanging her head, she scuffed the floor with one bare foot. “Sorry.”
Following on from her strength and courage, her embarrassment revealed a fragility that surprised him. It made him want to go to her, to reassure her, to hold her. No. He had to put those thoughts out of his head. Even if they didn’t have blood and gore to clean up, bear-shifter bodies to dispose of, and a hell of a cover story to come up with, there was no room in his life for a mate. Particularly one as sweet and vulnerable as Lidi.
“Let’s get moving.” Determinedly, he turned away from her. “We’ve got work to do.”
* * *
Ged had told Vasily’s men that he was the King of Callistoya. Did that mean he was prepared to fight for his rights? Lidi didn’t dare ask the question. Having come all this way and already faced a crushing disappointment, she wasn’t prepared to go there all over again. And there were more immediate problems demanding her attention. Although she had wrapped the oversize apron as tightly around her as she could, it kept coming undone and showed an alarming tendency to flap open at the back. Clutching the two sides together, she followed Ged up the stairs.
This new modesty confused her. Until now, she had never had a problem with nakedness. Back home in Callistoya, she thought nothing of slipping out of her clothes to shift. Life would have been very difficult for werebears if everyone had tried to cover themselves before and after shifting.
Back in that storage room, she had developed a sudden awareness of her body. It had prevented her from shifting from bear to human. All she knew for sure was that it was more to do with Ged than his friends. It was about how he saw her. It was foolish, but she felt shy around him. And she didn’t want his eyes on her body then. Not surrounded by carnage.
Curiously, it didn’t work both ways. Since his own apron didn’t come close to covering his rear, as they climbed the stairs she was treated to the delicious sight of long, muscular legs and round, firm buttocks. She was used to naked masculinity, but this was the first time she had seen a male body that appealed to her so strongly. It was rapidly becoming her favorite view.
“Khan and Diablo will deliver the mercy blows to the bodies, then Rick will clean up.” Ged turned to look at her as he spoke, and, aware that she had been caught staring, Lidi felt the telltale blush stain her cheeks. She tilted her chin. If he didn’t want her to look he should have done a better job of covering up. The smile in his eyes told her he was well aware of the reason for her mortification.
When they reached Ged’s room, Lidi grabbed some of the new clothes Rick had provided and headed for the shower. Although she needed to wash the signs of battle from her body, she also wanted a break from Ged’s disquieting presence. Being close to him was like staring into the sun. Everything else faded in comparison with his brilliance. But she needed to step away from the glare and view her situation realistically once more.
The fight with Vasily’s men hadn’t changed anything. Her long and tiring journey had been a waste of time. She still had to find a way to free her father from captivity while avoiding marriage with Vasily. It seemed like an impossible task, but Lidi had never been one to shy away from a challenge. As she stepped under the jets of warm water, her mind was forming and reviewing a series of plans.
Annoyingly, her thoughts kept encountering the same barrier. Ged. No matter how much she told herself she had to walk away from him, her emotions weren’t ready for that message. Deep down inside her, something fundamental had changed in the instant she saw him on the steps of the movie theater.
He’s my mate.
She groaned aloud, clenching a fist against the tiled wall. Why did this have to happen now? And why did it have to be him? Even if he wasn’t the king without a crown, he was the most unsuitable man she could have chosen. Everyone in Callistoya knew about the royal marriage pact. A Tavisha must marry the daughter of one of the five founding families. It was an ancient, unshakable agreement. And Lidi did not come from one of those families, so...whoa! Why was she even thinking about Ged and marriage in the same breath?
Straightening her spine, she let the scented gel do its work. There had been other occasions throughout Callistoyan history when this had happened. When an inconvenient attraction had occurred. It could be overcome. It was difficult, but not impossible. Nobles married for convenience, not love. Ged himself had been engaged to another woman. Clearly, since Lidi was his mate, he hadn’t really been in love with Alyona.
Lidi had always been strong, able to meet any confrontation head-on. Being the bear shifter who didn’t conform had always been hard. She’d grown used to the difficult task of wrestling with her unruly emotions. All it needed was focus...and in this case, some distance.
The thought instantly triggered a feeling of regret so powerful it was almost a physical pain. It was as if giant hands were pulling at her, tearing her in two. Common sense and duty were telling her to get away. These new, unfamiliar passions were prompting her to stay.
Placing her hands flat against the cubicle wall, she bowed her head as the water rinsed the last of the shampoo from her hair. She didn’t have time to work out this inner conflict. While she was here in this luxury hotel, her father was at Vasily’s mercy.
She snorted. Mercy? Vasily didn’t know the meaning of the word. After stepping from the shower, she dried herself and dressed quickly in jeans, sweatshirt and boots. Thoughts of her father’s plight gave her actions a new determination.
When she emerged from the bathroom, there was no sign of Ged in either the sitting room or bedroom. Although she had intended to tell him she was leaving, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief. This way was probably better. This way she didn’t have to put her own emotional strength to the test.
Feeling a lot like a thief sneaking out into the night, she opened the door. Immediately, a security guard, who wore the same black uniform as Rick, with the Beast logo on the breast pocket, sprang to attention.
“Ged asked me to take you to Khan’s room.” He gestured along the corridor. “The band are all there.”
Lidi weighed her options. Refuse to go and cause a scene? Go with him and waste more time? She didn’t like either option. “I know my way.”
“Uh...okay.” He scratched his head. “But Ged said—”
“I really don’t need an escort.” She used her best aristocratic voice, the one that had gotten her out of so many tricky situations in the past. It was an almost-perfect impression of her mother...and no one had argued with Olga Rihanoff.
The guy actually blushed. “Then I guess...”
Lidi moved in the direction he had indicated without waiting for him to finish. The only problem now was that he was watching her and she had no idea where she was going. Luckily there was a turn in the hallway, and she followed it. Once she was out of the security guard’s sight, she took a moment to lean against the wall, breathing deeply. A few feet away she could see the door marked Réservé au personnel that led to the staff staircase.
It was time to go.
Chapter 5 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
“You’re leaving us?” It was Finglas who finally broke the silence.
Ged looked around the hotel room at the faces of his friends. He had known this wouldn’t be easy, but the depth of the shock and hurt on their faces stunned him. It also caused an answering tug of pain deep in his own chest. For ten years, this group of people had been his family. Now he was facing the prospect of severing his ties with them. For a long time he had believed that nothing could match the misery of leaving Callistoya. Turned out he was wrong. It also turned out he wasn’t that great at the whole “not doing emotions” thing.
Powering through the tightening in his throat, he forced himself to continue. “Guys, this is something I have to do.”
“Why?” Sarange had tears in her eyes as she placed a hand on his arm. “Explain it to us, Ged, so we know how to help you.”
Ged glanced at the clock, judging Lidi would be finishing up in the shower and joining them soon. Khan and Diablo had followed him up to Khan’s suite after they finished their grisly duty in the storage room, leaving Rick to dispose of the bodies of the intruders. Although Ged knew Lidi would be keen to get going straightaway, Sarange was right. She was one of his best friends, and he owed her, and the others, an explanation. Could he finally tell them his story? It felt like the time had come at last.
“I am the rightful king of a land called Callistoya.” There. He’d said those words out loud at long last. And the rush of pride that came with them was all the confirmation he needed. Going back and fighting for his throne was the right thing to do. Getting past the obstacles was going to be a different matter. “It’s a unique place. Imagine a medieval enclave high in the mountains in the center of a Siberian wasteland. A land that time forgot. Except it doesn’t exist on any human map. It won’t show up on a satellite image. It’s only visible and accessible to shifters.”
Torque frowned. “I’m struggling with the concept of a monarchy. We’re shifters. That means we’re immortal.”
“Like you, I’m immortal and so were my ancestors,” Ged said. “But we’re not invincible. We can be killed by silver, fire or beheading. There are even some illnesses to which we don’t have immunity, and that can be fatal. The Callistoya of my childhood was an enchanting place. In recent times, it has become a troubled land, plagued by constant battles. My father reigned for many centuries before he was murdered. I believe my stepbrother, Vasily, was his killer. I was in the palace on the night of my father’s death, but I remember nothing of what happened. I woke up two days later, here in the mortal realm. I had been badly beaten and I believe a spell had also been cast on me.”
Diablo shook his head. “I can’t believe we never knew about this side of your life.”
“I kept it well hidden. For good reasons.” The memories crowded in on him, and Ged looked at the clock again. What was keeping Lidi? “Other people were killed as well as my father, including my fiancée. She was found strangled and stabbed. In my bed.”
“But you didn’t do it,” Hollie spoke without hesitation.
Ged smiled gratefully at her. “No, I didn’t do it. But ever since then, Vasily has used her death as part of a campaign against me.” He closed his eyes briefly, picturing Alyona’s face the last time he had seen her. She had been laughing, making plans for their wedding, teasing him about keeping her dress secret until their big day...no. Even after all this time, it was too raw, too painful. He couldn’t talk about that part of it. “I should have gone back immediately, raised an army, fought Vasily, sought justice for my father and for Alyona...but the grief and pain were too great. When I did make the attempt a few weeks later, I couldn’t physically cross the border. There was some sort of magical barrier in place. Now after meeting Lidi and hearing what has been happening there, I know I have a duty to go back and put things right. I have to find a way across that barrier.” He felt the tension in every part of his body. “I have to defeat Vasily.”
“So this isn’t forever?” The hopeful expression on Khan’s face caused the constriction in Ged’s chest to tighten further. These people were all his friends, but the bond between him and Khan...well, that had always been special.
“I can’t say how long I will be gone. It could be for some time.” He had to do this, no matter how much it hurt. “And I can’t promise it won’t be permanent.”
“I can see how important this is to you, and I don’t want to sound selfish, but what about Beast?” Torque asked.
And there it was. The all-important question. Ged had a duty to his country, but he also had a responsibility to the entity he had created. Because of him, Beast was one of the most popular rock bands on the planet. He had brought this group of incredibly talented people together. It was his vision and hard work that had taken them to the top and kept them there. Now he was telling them he was walking away. Could he do that? And if he did, what would it mean for Beast and for them as individuals?
He had an answer, but he hadn’t discussed it with anyone. Not even the person it affected most. And he didn’t have time for lengthy conversations...
“There is someone who has been at my right hand over the last year, someone who can take my place.”
Ged looked directly at Hollie as he spoke. Her introduction into their friendship group had been unconventional. An undercover FBI agent who had been investigating a series of arson attacks, she had fallen in love with Torque, a dragon shifter. Hollie’s commitment to the man she loved had been absolute, and she had taken his bite to become a dragon shifter herself. Now they had their twin dragon babies to complete their family. While theirs was hardly a classic love story, it was definitely one that proved the theory of opposites attracting.
During her time with the band, Hollie had become Ged’s unofficial assistant, to the point where he often wondered what he used to do without her. She was a fast learner, picking up every part of the job and anticipating his needs, often before he even knew them himself. He knew she enjoyed the work, but was she ready for this? And could she fit it into her new dragon-mom lifestyle?
The question was reflected back at him as Hollie returned his gaze. She was silent for long moments before she responded. “Do you think I can do it?”
“I know you can.”
Her laugh was shaky. “I don’t suppose I’ll be able to call or email you if there’s a problem?”
Ged shook his head. “Technology hasn’t reached Callistoya.” The clock was drawing his attention again. Lidi was taking a hell of a long time. He laughed. “Think letters written in longhand and delivered by a messenger on horseback.”
Hollie looked around the assembled group. “What do you say? There are two more concerts before Christmas. Will you give me a tryout as your Ged substitute until then?”
Torque slid his arm around her waist. “We’ll support you all the way. And I can take on more of the baby chores over the next few weeks.”
There were nods and murmurs of agreement. Khan came forward to give Hollie a high five and Dev wrapped her in a hug. Ged exhaled long and slow. That was part one over with. The next part was even harder. “Good. Because I have a plan that involves your help. I need you to be at the royal palace in Callistoya on Christmas Eve.”
Sarange raised her brows. “Is this a royal invitation?”
“Believe me, it is not going to be that grand. Or that easy.” He nodded in the direction of the children. Karina, Khan and Sarange’s toddler daughter, was playing with her toys on the rug while the babies slept in cribs nearby. “And those of you with kids should probably excuse yourselves from this one. Outsiders are not welcome in my homeland. The battle will be a bloody one.”
Sarange’s expression conveyed her werewolf stubbornness. “Your people have never encountered us.” She swept a hand around the room. “Two wolves, a tiger, a snow leopard, a panther and two dragons. You wanted an army? You’ve got one right here in this room. We don’t need to excuse ourselves. Our children are in no danger of being left without their parents...because Beast doesn’t fight to lose.”
Khan placed a hand on Ged’s shoulder. “She’s right. You’ve always been there for us.”
Torque nodded. “It’s our turn to repay you.”
“Thank you.” Ged managed to get the words out despite the choking sensation in his throat. He had a long journey ahead of him. He didn’t want to start it by breaking down in tears. “Now I really do need to find out what’s keeping Lidi.”
After a group hug that tested his emotions—the ones he’d sworn he didn’t have—to their limit, he left Khan’s suite and made his way along the corridor toward his own room. A feeling of disquiet assailed him when he saw there was no security guard outside the door. His instructions had been simple. The guy was to escort Lidi to Khan’s room. Surely nothing could have gone wrong with such a simple plan?
He almost laughed out loud. Rule one of shifter living: if something can go wrong, it will.
When he entered his own room, it was empty. The feeling of unease became a squirming worm of certainty gnawing at his gut. Something had gone wrong with his plan.
Luckily when he called Rick, the other man answered his call immediately. “Everything is under control. There is no trace of the intruders. The police are downstairs. They’re bemused, but—”
Ged cut across him. “Find the guy who was guarding my room half an hour ago.”
“Dave?” Rick sounded surprised. “He’s right here.”
“Ask him why he left his post without permission.” The impulse to smash something was becoming overwhelming. He could hear the murmur of voices as Rick relayed his message to the other guy.
“Boss?” Rick’s bewilderment was even more evident. “Dave says he stayed outside your room until Lidi came out. He offered to take her to Khan’s room, but she said she knew where it was. She refused to let him escort her.”
Ged muttered a curse as he swiped the screen to end the call. What the hell were you thinking of, Lidi?
But he already knew the answer. She had gone because he had told her he couldn’t help her. Now she was out there all alone, with no money, no transport and no one to turn to next time Vasily’s men caught up with her.
It was like déjà vu. In another time and place, he had failed the woman he was responsible for. Alyona had died and now Lidi was facing the same fate. Because I didn’t protect her.
Feelings of hopelessness and unworthiness crowded in on him, crushing his chest until he couldn’t breathe. He was immobilized by fear, his usual decisiveness deserting him. Gradually, he forced his limbs into action.
Do something.
He was the guy who rescued shifters from danger. Since Alyona’s death and his exile from Callistoya, it had been his way of giving something back. His personal mission. For Alyona and for his missing brother, Andrei. During the years of his exile, Ged had built up a worldwide network of contacts, shifter and human.
Focused now, he moved with increased purpose. If anyone could find Lidi, he could. All he had to do was get to her in time.
* * *
The prospect of retracing her steps across thousands of miles made Lidi’s heart sink, but she had no choice. At least she was able to slip out of the hotel without anyone noticing her. Although the lobby was swarming with police officers, they were too busy concentrating on the ruined furnishings and the traumatized employees to pay attention to anything else. The scene was chaotic and, even though Lidi couldn’t understand exactly what was being said, there was clearly some confusion around exactly what had taken place.
Once she stepped outside, she could barely move for the hordes of people. The elegant promenade had become a battleground as reporters and photographers vied for the best story and camera shot. Keeping her head down, Lidi pushed her way through, emerging close to the beach. Feeling slightly disoriented, she followed a route that led her away from the town toward the harbor. Anything to get past the crowds.
Cannes harbor was huge, with a range of vessels moored within its confining walls. Lidi guessed some of the larger, gleaming yachts must belong to the celebrities who were staying in the same hotel as Beast. With their helicopters and satellite systems, they resembled floating palaces. Nearby, the tiny, colorful fishing craft were dwarfed by them. She followed the line of the water’s edge before sitting on the harbor wall, planning her next move.
After a while, one boat drew her attention away from her thoughts. Long, low and colorful with loud pop music blaring from its decks, it didn’t fit in with either the billionaires’ yachts or the working vessels. Intrigued, Lidi got to her feet and moved closer so she could read the painted sign on its side. Although it was rough and ready, it had been translated into several languages, including English.
Party Boat! Cruise with Us from Cannes to Genoa.
The Mediterranean climate was mild, but the middle of winter seemed a strange time to offer cruise parties. Then again, what did she know about such things? If there was a cruise happening, it interested her for one important reason. The Italian port of Genoa was a long way from home, but if she could get there, she would be heading in the right direction.
Lidi studied the boat, considering her options for how to get on board and remain hidden for the duration of the journey. As she did, a man sprang down from the deck. Landing neatly on the quayside next to her, he gestured to the vessel with a grin.
“N’est-elle pas belle?”
Although she didn’t speak French, Lidi understood enough to know that he was inviting her to admire the boat.
“Beautiful,” she agreed, speaking English. It wasn’t necessarily the first word that occurred to her as she looked at the garish craft, but politeness prevented her from telling the truth.
“Ah, you are English? American?” He switched languages easily.
“Russian.” It was the language that was closest to her mother tongue and it was easier than trying to explain where she actually came from.
Since she was trying to figure out a way to stow away on the boat, she didn’t really want to get into a conversation. But it seemed the man had other ideas. It was impossible to judge his age. With skin that was tanned almost mahogany and dreadlocks tied back in a ponytail, he was dressed in jeans and a sweater that were both faded almost to the point of extinction.
“Ah. So, you say ‘preevyet.’ Yes?”
“Preevyet.” Lidi returned the greeting with a smile. Despite the urgency of her predicament, it was impossible not to like him. And by talking to him, she might be able to find out more about his journey. “Are you going to Genoa today?”
“Tonight. This is not usually the season, but it’s a private party.”
Having spoken to him, she felt bad about her plans to trick her way on board. Not bad enough to abandon the scheme, of course. Getting to Genoa would take a big chunk out of her journey. She decided on a risky strategy.
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Jane Godman
Beauty…and Her Beast?Desperate to escape an arranged marriage, Lidiya Rihanoff sets off to find the only man who can help her. Ged Taverner wants the world to think he’s just the manager of a rock band, but Lidi knows the truth: he’s a king in exile—and a shape-shifter, just like her. She’s not ready for the overwhelming desire she feels for him. And he’s not expecting to find his destined mate…
Beauty...and Her Beast?
Desperate to escape an arranged marriage, Lidiya Rihanoff sets off to find the only man who can help her. Ged Taverner wants the world to think he’s just the manager of a rock band, but Lidi knows the truth: he’s a king in exile—and a shape-shifter, just like her. She’s not ready for the overwhelming desire she feels for him. And he’s not expecting to find his destined mate...
JANE GODMAN writes in a variety of romance genres, including paranormal, gothic and romantic suspense. Jane lives in England and loves to travel to European cities that are steeped in history and romance—Venice, Dubrovnik and Vienna are among her favorites. Jane is married to a lovely man and is mum to two grown-up children.
Books by Jane Godman (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
Otherworld Protector
Otherworld Renegade
Otherworld Challenger
Immortal Billionaire
The Unforgettable Wolf
One Night with the Valkyrie
Awakening the Shifter
Enticing the Dragon
Legacy of Darkness
Echoes in the Darkness
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Captivating the Bear
Jane Godman
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08212-9
CAPTIVATING THE BEAR
© 2018 Amanda Anders
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
This book is dedicated to my grandchildren.
They bring so much joy to my life just by being in it.
Contents
Cover (#u33f826e6-28a5-53ab-a978-dc3513d8cbd8)
Back Cover Text (#ueffc2db4-b082-5738-97b2-d19b62fd091e)
About the Author (#u2eaa426a-442b-5c30-92f3-c105cc2b51a3)
Booklist (#u57d3d5f7-3f0a-5afe-a654-54a7cae98fd8)
Title Page (#u8f2dbd30-9a4e-5452-99bc-69cfb4494ac3)
Copyright (#u0393e281-cb28-5a34-9ea8-467497a69220)
Dedication (#u6135daa0-b846-5034-8c8e-1097df67db32)
Chapter 1 (#u1b6141c7-dc5f-51c8-a635-b5567c401b22)
Chapter 2 (#ud3d8009e-e712-5016-962b-d73a09089815)
Chapter 3 (#u85fa1bd7-f966-5444-b8d1-0d3086901293)
Chapter 4 (#u833ed95a-fa72-529b-91b9-ca51f665c3d9)
Chapter 5 (#ua3841056-7a53-5189-ae95-d44d0229cc0f)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 1 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
Lidiya Rihanoff was doing her best to be objective about the situation, which wasn’t easy when she was caught up in the center of a screaming, sobbing crowd.
She had spent the last hour slowly working her way through the hysterical throng until she found herself a place up against the crash barriers. It had proved surprisingly difficult. Lidi had trained with warriors. She knew how to deal with combat situations. This was different. Faced with an adoring group of rock fans who did not want to relinquish the opportunity to get up close to their idols, she was at a loss. Her usual street-fighting tactics wouldn’t do. Eye gouging and throat punching would have brought her to the attention of the police officers who were standing at regular intervals along the route. In the end, she resorted to strategically using her elbows. When that didn’t work, she dealt out a few surreptitious ankle kicks.
Now she was pressed right up against the barrier, with a clear view of the movie theater and its red-carpeted steps. From the mounting fervor, and the way the security guards were pacing back and forth along the street, she guessed the stars were about to arrive at any minute.
It was winter, but the temperatures in the South of France were like a summer day in her home country of Callistoya. Sweat beaded her forehead and trickled down her spine as she was jostled and pushed. Even so, she couldn’t remove her sweatshirt. Beneath it, her long-sleeved T-shirt was torn, the shredded material revealing the injuries to her arm. She couldn’t risk drawing attention to herself.
“Here they come!” The woman next to her spoke English, a language in which Lidi was fluent. Her screech was accompanied by a curious gesture. Putting her fingers on either side of her head, she made them into devil horns. A quick glance around revealed a number of other people doing the same thing. She laughed at Lidi’s bemused expression. “Sign of the Beast.”
Two stretch limousines drew up to one side of the theater. On the opposite side of the street, hundreds of photographers were already in position with their cameras poised.
A man bounded out of the first vehicle before it had stopped, and the flashbulbs went wild in time with the crescendo around Lidi.
“Who is he?” She had to mouth the words to the helpful stranger.
“Khan. Lead singer.” She got up close and yelled her response directly into Lidi’s ear. “The woman with him is his wife, Sarange.”
Lidi watched as the group of glamorous figures exited the cars and posed on the red carpet. Her new friend bellowed out an excited commentary. Next came Torque, the rhythm guitarist, with his blonde wife, Hollie. The dark-haired, muscle-bound man with the brooding expression was the drummer, Diablo. Then there was the lead guitarist, Dev, and the bass player, Finglas.
Lidi paid only scant attention. Her interest in the members of the internationally famous rock band Beast began and ended with their ability to lead her to the man she was seeking. Was he here? She scanned the group on the red carpet. He had to be here.
As if the intensity of her thoughts had somehow communicated themselves across the distance between the crash barriers and to the building on the other side of the road, a man strode down the steps. He was talking on his cell phone, clearly engrossed in his conversation.
Lidi’s breath caught in her throat. Just from his height and the width of his shoulders she knew it was him.
She gestured to the woman next to her, not trusting her voice.
“Ged Taverner.” A little shiver ran through Lidi as she heard the name. “He’s Beast’s manager.”
Ged Taverner. That was what he called himself now, but Lidi knew his true identity. The tall, imposing figure she was looking at was Gerald Tavisha, the rightful king of Callistoya.
She had heard so much about this man that his nearness almost took her breath away. Until his exile he had embodied everything the warrior-heroes of the magical shifter state of Callistoya held dear. Chivalry, honor and a deep, abiding love of their country.
Lidi would never understand why he had stayed away instead of raising an army and fighting the man who had stolen his throne. But all that mattered now was that she had found him.
As she gazed across the distance between them, a new sensation swept over her. Stinging and cloying at the same time, like a hit of hot sugar surging through her bloodstream. It was the craziest feeling, a wild urgency that made her want to vault over the barrier and throw herself into Ged Taverner’s arms.
She looked around her at the longing faces. Mass hysteria. That must be what she was experiencing. Despite her noble upbringing, she had put her dignity aside and been infected by the mood around her. But she wasn’t here to be part of this. She was a Rihanoff of Aras. She could rise above it.
It didn’t matter what she told herself. The feeling persisted, growing stronger, becoming a wild, yearning ache throughout her body, but centering very specifically in the throbbing pulse between her legs. Everything around her came sharply into focus, every sense heightening until she was quivering with tension.
What exactly is happening to me?
Her concentration became centered on Ged and it appeared she was not the only one suffering. Frowning, he looked up from his call, the cell phone held slightly away from his ear as he scanned the crowd. Excitement powered through Lidi as a new realization hit her.
It’s him. He is the reason I’m feeling this way.
Across the yards that separated them, she knew he could feel the same longing that was driving her demented. An invisible cord between them was being tightened, drawing them closer together. Heat burned up the air between them. The urge to go to him and wrap her body around his was becoming a storm in her blood.
Because of the distance, she couldn’t see the finer detail of his looks, but her impression was of strength and muscle, of ruggedly carved aristocratic features, a square, stubborn chin, wavy, butterscotch-brown hair, and eyes that faced the world with the same bravery and determination as her own. It was the look that had embodied Callistoya. Once. Before the unthinkable had happened.
Just as she thought she couldn’t take any more, the group on the red carpet began to move. With a final wave to the fans, they made their way inside the theater. Ged remained on the steps for a moment or two after they’d gone, a look of confusion on his face.
Finally, with a reluctant shrug, he turned away and the spell was broken. Lidi shuddered as her body tried to deal with the return to normality. She almost laughed out loud. Normality? For her, there would never be such a thing again.
She had come here to find the only man who could save her father and her country. It had not been part of her schemes to also find her mate. But the decree of the fates was absolute. For every shifter there was a match. One true life partner. The rush of feeling she’d experienced when she gazed at Ged could mean only one thing. The fates had decided he was the one for her.
Stifling a groan, she tried to get her errant emotions under control. Arousal? Attraction? Gazing longingly at the handsome bear-shifter king? Being struck dumb by my fated mate? I don’t have time for this right now.
Lidi had a plan and she was determined to stick to it. Resolutely, she turned to her helpful new acquaintance.
“Do you know where the band are staying?”
* * *
Ged Taverner tried to concentrate on what the man standing next to him was saying.
“Small venues are a nightmare.” Rick, Beast’s head of security, gazed moodily out at the crowd of fans. “Give me an arena or a sports stadium anytime.”
Ged managed a suitable reply, saying something about the importance of this theater in Cannes as the most suitable place in which to screen the premiere of the band’s documentary. The whole time, his mind was preoccupied.
What the hell had just happened?
One minute he had been walking down the steps, talking on his cell with a French national newspaper about an interview, the next...he shook his head. It had been like a bolt of lightning, hitting him full-on as he walked out into the sunlight. He had no idea where it had come from, or what had caused it. When he had raised his head, seeking the source of the enchantment that held him helpless, he had known with absolute certainty that it was coming from somewhere in the throng of fans across the street.
As his eyes scanned the crowd, he had been in the grip of the most powerful emotion he had ever experienced. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake free of it.
Who are you?
Ged was a shifter. His bear senses had kicked in, taking over from his human perception. Although it wasn’t his dominant sense, his sight was good. Even so, trying to pick out one person among the mass had been impossible. But scent...that was a different matter. He could pick up a smell twenty miles away. The delicious aroma from the other side of the street had made his nostrils flare. It reminded him of clean, warm fur. Of winter sunshine, fresh, clear water and deep, dark pine forests.
How could he have been so sure the origin of that new fire in his blood was female? The answer was simple. Not only was his reaction to her knee-weakening and breathtaking, it was also zipper straining. His tailored pants had started to feel snug and he had dug his hands into his pockets, cursing the fate that had decided to put him in this predicament while he was wearing a tuxedo. Scratch that. He had cursed the fate that had decided to put him in this situation. Period.
Because he knew what had happened. Of course. Shifters were creatures of tradition. Their lives were ruled by legend and magic. Ged, along with every other werebear, had been brought up to respect the ancient traditions that ruled his life.
There is one mate for each of us, and we will know our mate instantly.
He had heard other shifters talk about that moment of recognition. He’d even seen it happen recently for two of his friends. That moment of seeing their mate for the first time and knowing there was no going back. They described it as being like a drug, an injection of pure, undiluted passion direct into the bloodstream, delivering a perfect high. An instant, uncontrollable addiction.
Ged understood all of that. But there was no way it could happen for him. A king in exile? Even if he had any sort of order in his life, he was a bear. Other shifters could do the mates-for-life thing. Callistoya werebears were notorious for the control they had over their emotions. Even if he was prepared to accept the concept of instant, lifelong passion, it wasn’t happening with someone he hadn’t even looked in the eye.
That was what he tried to tell himself, but his body was giving him other messages. When the time came to go into the theater, it took all of his considerable strength to turn away. Every nerve ending was crying out to cross the street and find her. Every fiber of his being was alight with the need to grab her, claim her and never let her go.
Need her. Now.
The strength of that feeling hadn’t faded once he was inside the building. The burn wasn’t as fierce, but it was still there. He still hadn’t seen her face, but she had started a fire in his blood and it was raging out of control.
He sat in the elegant theater, surrounded by celebrities, and watched the images on the screen. At least, he assumed that was what he did. He had no memory afterward of watching the documentary that had consumed so much of his life over the last twelve months.
At the after-party, he accepted the congratulations and praise, laughing off any suggestions about the awards that were likely to come flooding his way. He knew the movie, a snapshot of six months on the road with Beast, was good. The strength of the story was in the editing. The truth would never be told. The world would never be ready to learn that one of the most famous bands on the planet was really a group of shifters.
As he drank too much champagne and discovered that, as usual, there weren’t enough dainty canapés to fill his large frame, part of Ged’s mind was disengaged from the elegant occasion.
Who was she? It couldn’t be coincidence that she was here in Cannes at the same time as him...
A strong grip on his shoulder shook him out of his musings. “I’ve got to hand it to you.” Khan, the band’s lead singer, gestured around the room, encompassing the group of designer-clad guests. “You sure know how to throw a dull party.”
Ged laughed. “Tonight is about money and influence, not about getting wasted and behaving outrageously. Make sure Torque knows that before he sets fire to the drapes, will you?”
“I guess that means swinging from the chandeliers is forbidden?” Khan was a weretiger. Intuition wasn’t his strong point, but the two men had been friends for a long time. His eyes scanned Ged’s face for a moment. “Everything okay with you?”
How the hell was he supposed to answer that question? If he told Khan the truth, his exuberant friend was likely to insist they set off right now on a quest to find the mystery woman. Because he was blissfully happy in his own marriage, Khan would seek the same thing for Ged.
Ged didn’t want to be forced to make excuses or lie. He knew his friends sometimes speculated about his true identity. He was the man who had rescued them all from danger or captivity, the person who had brought this unique group together. They owed him an allegiance that went beyond loyalty, but he had never disclosed the details of his background to them. How could he? Sharing the details of his past would be on the same level of madness as trying to find himself a mate.
“I’m fine.” He tilted his empty champagne glass toward Khan. “Do you think there’s any chance we might find some brandy in this place?”
* * *
To Lidi’s surprise, the crowd began to disperse as soon as the band was inside the theater. She turned to her companion, whose name was Allie. “Shouldn’t we wait for them to come out again?”
Allie gave her a pitying look. “Rookie mistake. They’ve played nice and given the paparazzi what they wanted. It’s possible they’ll come out this way and sign a few autographs, but it’s more likely they’ll leave by a rear door and go straight to the after-party.”
Lidi experienced a moment of panic. She couldn’t have come this far only to fail now. Clearly she needed to stick with Allie, who was suitably dressed for the weather with an embroidered scarf wrapped around her neck and long boots encasing her legs. The other woman seemed to know what she was doing and was willing to share her information.
“What do we do now?”
“The party is being held at the Palais Hôtel, where the band are staying—”
Lidi brightened up. This was more like it. “How do we get inside?”
“We don’t.” Don’t? Clearly Allie didn’t know who she was talking to. Telling Lidi what she couldn’t do was an instant challenge. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, some of these women will try it, but it’s a waste of time. Security will have them out of there so fast their feet won’t hit the ground. That’s if the hotel management don’t call the police and let them spend a night in the cells for trespassing.”
Lidi allowed herself to be led along the street with the rest of the crowd. She took a moment to appreciate Allie’s unusual looks. Lidi came from a land where most people had the classic brown hair and golden eyes of the Callistoyan werebear, a close relative of the Siberian brown bear. With her silver-blond hair, pale skin and light gray eyes, Allie was striking.
“So what are we doing exactly? Trying to get another glimpse of them?” Lidi hadn’t risked life and limb and traveled all this way just to look at Gerald Tavisha.
Allie gave her a sidelong glance. “What else were you hoping for? Did you think one of the guys was going to look your way and fall instantly in love?”
There didn’t seem to be an answer to that. Because although it wasn’t what she had expected to happen, the insta-love that Allie was joking about was exactly what had happened. However, maybe now she had been removed from the center of the furnace, love was too strong. She couldn’t seriously have fallen in love with a man she hadn’t even spoken to. Desire was probably a more apt description for what she was feeling. Good, old-fashioned lust.
The initial wild exhilaration had subsided. Thank heaven. There was no way she could have endured that level of panting eagerness for long. Even so, her whole body was quivering. It was like the aftermath of her most strenuous workout, with an additional heat zinging through her bloodstream. Every impulse was urging her to return to that theater and find her mate.
Lidi knew what arousal felt like. She was an adult shifter with a full range of both human and bear emotions. Although human and shifter time worked differently, thirteen years ago, her country had been thrown into unimaginable turmoil and she had sworn to devote her life to fighting to restore its equilibrium. Unusually for a bear shifter, Lidi’s human emotions were dominant. It was an inconvenience she had sworn to overcome. She was a warrior with no time to waste on feelings.
That was what made her reaction to Ged so difficult to understand. He was the man she had come to find. She needed him. As she accompanied Allie along the seafront promenade, Lidi bit back a laugh. Oh, yes. She needed him; that had become glaringly obvious. She only had to think about the instant connection between them to experience a thigh-clenching response.
She had to overcome these troublesome cravings and focus on the true reason she was here. Lidi always battled to maintain command over her feelings as well as her muscles. All those years of directing her energy into maintaining a mind and body that were at peak fitness had to be put to good use now. For some reason, her reaction to the man at the theater had been extreme. Maybe it was the stories she had heard about his bravery. Possibly it was the fact that he was the true ruler of her beleaguered nation. A legendary hero and a man of mystery.
Lidi had spent years training her body. It was hard, strong and fast, and it served her well. As for her emotions...well, she was having to work a little harder than usual to get them under control. It was an obstacle she hadn’t anticipated, but she had never backed down from a fight. She wasn’t about to start now.
They reached the Palais Hôtel, a dazzling white structure that faced the glittering waters of the Mediterranean. The imposing building consisted of a central block with two attached wings forming a U shape. Pretty wrought iron balconies were decorated with blue-and-white-striped parasols and lipstick-red geraniums.
As they were ushered behind yet more barriers, Lidi surveyed the hotel thoughtfully.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Allie sighed. “One night in a top-floor suite costs more than I earn in a year.”
“Is that where the band will stay?” Lidi shielded her eyes against the sun with one hand, viewing the rooms directly beneath the terracotta roof tiles.
“They always have the best rooms, and in this hotel, that means the fifth floor.” Allie regarded her warily. “Don’t even think about trying to get in there.” There it was again. That word. Don’t. “The place is wall-to-wall celebrities this weekend. You won’t get a foot inside the gardens before you’re noticed. And while Beast’s security team are okay, you don’t want to take your chances with some of the others. Vicious thugs all of them.”
Allie’s words might almost have been issued as a dare to Lidi, who was focused on the edifice across the promenade and in particular on those balconies.
Many people believed that bears couldn’t climb. Some people had died while clinging to that hope. Lidi, growing up in the shadow of the Callistoya mountains, had spent her childhood scrambling up the steep slopes alongside the mountain goats. The hotel was busy, of course, and scaling a building always carried an element of risk. But those wrought iron railings were almost too good to be true. If they were replicated at the rear of the hotel, and if she waited until the early hours of the morning...
Allie was still outlining the reasons why attempting to get into the hotel would be a bad idea. Tearing her gaze away from the building, Lidi cut across Allie’s explanations with a final, very important, question.
“Will the band’s manager also have a room on the top floor?”
Chapter 2 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
Ged couldn’t sleep. The gamble he’d taken on the documentary had paid off. If the initial reviews were anything to go by, it looked set to be a huge success. He’d made the most of the party, renewing old contacts and developing new acquaintances.
His hotel suite was comfortable, with every luxury at his fingertips, but it was 3:30 a.m. and slumber still eluded him. Even his online contacts had fallen silent. It was that strange, predawn time when it would be easy to believe he was the only person in the world left awake.
The familiar restlessness surged through him, the need to do something stronger than ever. He glared at his electronic tablet, searching through his contacts. When he drew a blank, he tossed it aside in annoyance. Nothing? He wanted action and his usual sources weren’t helping.
Stretching full-length on the bed, he willed his body into something that resembled a relaxed pose. Even if there had been a task for him, he was in no frame of mind to undertake it. Coiled tight as a spring, he needed to get his head straight before he went charging off on a rescue mission.
Ever since he had been driven out of his homeland by his enemies, the urge to help others had been Ged’s driving force. There were many ways he could have done that. Working with children, donating a percentage of his earnings, volunteering in a deprived country...the list went on.
He didn’t have to risk his life rescuing other shifters who were in danger, but that was what he had chosen to do. He knew what an analyst would say about his motives. Danger, excitement, risk...all of those were factors. But there was more to it. Ged had grown up knowing from an early age he was the heir to the throne of Callistoya.
Monarchy and immortality were strange partners. The werebears of Callistoya had eternal life, but they were not invincible. Like other shifters, they could be killed by silver, fire beheading and some illnesses. Since their magical kingdom had always been peaceful, Ged had expected his father’s reign to last forever. Then everything had changed. Ged had barely reached shifter maturity when his father had been murdered and he and his brother, Andrei, had been forced out of their homeland.
Driven into exile, his rightful place on the throne snatched from him, his reputation ruined, he had attempted to return and fight back. That was when he had discovered that his enemies had used magic, as well as villainy, against him. Though prepared to fight evil, he had been unable to combat the sorcery that barred him from entering Callistoya.
Although his old life had been snatched away, Ged had been raised to serve and protect. His duty to others came first. Even though he no longer had a country over which to reign, those feelings of service and honor hadn’t gone away. They had simply found a new direction.
Raised voices distracted him from his thoughts. Standards must be slipping if the tiniest sound was allowed to penetrate the luxurious corridors of the fifth floor of the Palais Hôtel. When the commotion continued, he paid closer attention, his finely tuned hearing distinguishing individual sounds. A woman’s cry of protest was followed by a scuffle and a grunt of pain.
Frowning, Ged got to his feet. Pulling sweatpants over his boxer briefs, he went through to the sitting room and opened the door to the corridor. The sight that met his eyes was unexpected.
One of Beast’s security guards was lying on the elegant rug, clutching his groin and groaning. At his side, a uniformed member of the hotel’s staff was slumped against the wall with both hands clasped over his nose. Blood was seeping through his fingers.
In the center of the corridor, Rick, Ged’s friend and trusted security manager, was grappling with a tall, slender woman. From where Ged was standing, it looked a lot like the woman was winning.
As if to confirm that judgment, Rick’s opponent chose that moment to break free of his grasp. Instead of escaping while she had the chance, she neatly spun around and delivered a back kick direct into Rick’s chest. Across a distance of several feet, Ged heard the air leave his friend’s lungs in a rush as he dropped to his knees.
Torn between admiration for the neatness of the move and concern for his friend, he stepped forward. “What the hell is going on here, Rick?”
Rick managed to gesture toward the woman and wheeze out a few words. “Climbed...the damn balconies.”
Over the years, there had been some daring attempts to get close to the band. Fans had hidden inside delivery trucks, tried to stow away on board the tour bus, even disguised themselves as journalists or caterers. But risking life and limb to scale a building followed by an assault on security staff? It was a unique approach.
Ged’s intention, as he stepped forward, was to take over where Rick had left off. Whoever this woman was, she was a formidable fighter. Even so, she wouldn’t stand a chance against him. As she swung around, it hit him. It was the same rush of arousal he had felt earlier, concentrated now because she was so close. The overload of pure sensation made him feel slightly dizzy.
Twin realizations, both equally potent. She was a bear shifter. And she was his mate.
Dark brown eyes, flecked with gold, regarded him for a moment or two; then she smiled. The expression had the same effect on him as the kick to the chest had on Rick. It drove the breath from his lungs. Unlike Rick, Ged managed to remain on his feet.
“I needed to see you.”
He gazed down at her, unable to speak. This couldn’t be happening. The fates couldn’t be this unfair. It was bad enough that his mate appeared to have come storming into his life in search of him—and he would have to turn her down—but why did she have to be so damn gorgeous?
He became aware that Rick, who was getting to his feet with difficulty, was talking.
“Shall I call the police?”
The woman took a step closer to Ged, placing one hand flat on his naked chest. “Please. I have to speak with you.”
He half expected to look down and see her palm print burning its way into his flesh. That was how her touch felt against his skin. She branded him in that instant, and it was the most perfect thrill he had ever felt. Oddly, it brought his senses back into clarity.
Yes, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen...but she was in trouble. Although that was apparent from the plea in those incredible eyes, there were other, more tangible clues. She wore flat, leather ankle boots that had taken such a beating they were almost useless. Her jeans were faded and stained and the long-sleeved T-shirt she wore over them had a tear that left one sleeve hanging half-off. The exposed flesh of her arm was a mass of scratches and cuts, some of them deep enough to appear serious. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but the sheen was long gone, as though it hadn’t been properly washed for some time.
In their human form, both male and female bear shifters were generally above average size. This woman was tall, her head reaching almost to Ged’s shoulder, and her build was similar to that of an Olympic swimmer, long and lean with endless legs, broad shoulders and slim hips. But she was too skinny for her frame. It was the false thinness that follows illness or extreme dieting. The pallor of her skin and dark shadows under her eyes seemed to confirm Ged’s assumption that she hadn’t been eating properly just lately.
Yet she kicked the hell out of three guys? All because she wanted to see me? Even a bear shifter had limits, and she looked like she had been pushed to the end of hers, yet she had found that inner strength. This had to be a story worth hearing.
“No police.” There was a good chance he would regret that decision later, but she was a shifter and she was in trouble. Helping in these situations was what he did. Ignoring the look of reproach in Rick’s eyes, he held the door of his suite open for the woman to step inside. “Do whatever it takes to cover this up...” They were familiar words to Beast’s security manager. “I’ll speak to you later.”
When he entered his suite, his unexpected guest had discovered the hospitality tray. Having already devoured half a pack of cookies, she was gulping mineral water so fast it was running down her chin.
Ged closed the door, leaning against it as he watched her. “I think you’d better tell me what this is about.”
She nodded, leaving a grimy mark as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. “I am Lady Lidiya Rihanoff. My father is the Count of Aras...and I have come to take you back to Callistoya.”
* * *
Lidi sat on the floor as she ate. Ged had ordered several items from the room service menu and was slouched in a chair watching as she worked her way through them. Ordinarily, the sight of his naked upper body might have proved a distraction, but she was too hungry to care. Or perhaps she was growing accustomed to being in a near-permanent state of arousal.
“When did you last eat?”
She gave it some thought. “Two days ago. I think.”
“You think?” Until now, she had been under the impression that all bear shifters had the same brown eyes. But Ged’s were different. Darker and more intense, set under heavy lids, with a gleam that made her want to check how her hair looked. Since she already knew the answer, she didn’t bother. Her hair, like the rest of her, looked awful.
She paused with a donut halfway to her mouth. “I didn’t have time to think about food.”
“Clearly.” He nodded at the remains of her repast. “What happened to your arm?”
Lidi glanced at her torn T-shirt, wincing slightly as the memory of breaking a window and scrabbling through it came back to her. “This?” She managed a shrug. “It’s nothing.”
It wasn’t true. It actually hurt like hell, but he didn’t need to know that.
Ged leaned forward, his clasped hands between his knees. “Let’s get one thing straight, shall we? You broke in here and beat up two of my employees and a hotel security guard. I could have handed you over to the police, but I didn’t. Start lying, or keeping information from me, and I may change my mind.” He kept his gaze on hers, letting the message sink in. “Let’s start again. What happened to your arm?”
“I hurt it when I escaped from the dungeons beneath the grand palace.” Lidi tried out a defiant head toss. It didn’t quite have the flourish she intended. Up close, Ged was too imposing, too attractive...too everything. She attempted to regain her composure, not an easy thing to do when she was sitting at his feet, tired, dirty, and aching all over. “You must remember that place. It used to be your home.”
If there was a flicker in the depths of his eyes, it was momentary. “Why were you in the dungeons?”
“Can’t we talk while we travel?” When Ged shook his head, she huffed out a sigh. “Your stepbrother, Vasily the Usurper, imprisoned me and my father when I refused to marry him.”
A frown pulled his brows together. “It may be a long time since I’ve been in Callistoya, but last thing I heard, Vasily had claimed the throne. Shouldn’t you be calling him King Vasily?”
Lidi tilted her chin stubbornly. “I will never swear allegiance to that man.”
He studied her thoughtfully. “Since your words imply loyalty to my side of the family, perhaps you can give me news of my uncle?”
Could he really have cut himself off so completely from his homeland? Callistoya was a magical place situated in the heart of the vast expanse known to humans as Siberia. Visible and accessible only to shifters, it did not exist on any mortal map. Even so, Lidi had heard how close Ged had once been to the uncle who had remained in Callistoya as leader of the resistance.
“Eduard Tavisha is working hard to rally those loyal to you.” She watched his face. “It’s a difficult job in your absence.”
He was silent for long moments, his expression closed. She got the feeling he was gazing back into the past before he roused himself. “What about Vasily? How is the new king’s reign going?”
“Badly. Vasily is struggling to maintain power. There is opposition from factions loyal to you. Vasily thought he could reinforce his position if he married me. Aras is a territory in the northern part of the kingdom.”
Ged nodded. “I know of it.”
“My father has great influence over the northern nobles, most of whom are loyal to you. Vasily reasoned that a Petrov-Rihanoff marriage would strengthen his claim to the throne.” Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. “And I am a wealthy woman in my own right.”
“There seems to have been a lot going on since I left Callistoya. Maybe I should have done more to keep up with the news from home.”
“Yes.” When he started to laugh, she looked up at him in confusion. “I don’t understand why that’s funny.”
“It isn’t. It’s tragic.” He stared down at her, his gaze taking in her disheveled appearance. “How long have you been traveling?”
The swift change of subject threw her off balance and she had to think about it. “Two, maybe three, weeks.”
There was a brief silence as he registered that information. “I’ve never heard of anyone escaping from the palace dungeons before.”
“No, nor have I.” She shuddered at the memory of it. “Once I passed through the Callistoya border, I walked for miles within the mortal realm. The first town I reached was in the human land known as Russia.” She bit her lip, uncomfortable with the next part of her story. “When I was there, I stole food and I managed to hot-wire a car. A few times, I was able to fill the vehicle up with gas and drive off without paying. Once I reached Austria, security was much tighter and I had to abandon the car.”
All Callistoya bear shifters were good at hiding their feelings—mainly because they learned from an early age that emotions were a disruption to their lifestyle—but Ged took enigmatic to a whole new level. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. “What did you do then?”
She laughed. “I did a lot of walking. Sneaked onto trains without paying when I could. Hitched a few rides.”
“What?” His exclamation startled her and she took a moment to process what had prompted it. The realization that he was being protective caused a flare of warmth to start deep inside and spread through her body.
“I’m a bear shifter, remember? I was never in any danger from humans.”
The way he sank back in his seat was an acknowledgment of the truth of her statement.
“How did you know where to find me?” he asked. “I don’t advertise that I’m the former king of Callistoya.”
“I overheard Vasily talking about you. He has spies in this world who discovered your whereabouts.” She had intended to deliver the bad news in stages, but, under Ged’s direct gaze there didn’t seem to be any hiding place from the truth. “He still sees you as a danger, and if he suspected you were going to return to Callistoya, he would have you assassinated.”
Ged had a very expressive mouth, she noticed. It was particularly evident now, as his lips curled in contempt. “Would he now? Vasily must have grown himself a spine since the last time we met.”
“All I know is he has my father locked up.” She got to her feet. “Can we go now?”
“Lidiya—”
“It’s Lidi. No one ever calls me Lidiya.” Why was she worrying about what name he was using when her father was depending on her?
“Lidi.” He ran a hand through his thick brown hair. “If you know why I left Callistoya, you must also know why I can’t go back.”
“No.” The word was almost a sob. “We can work with the resistance, get the people we need. Together with your uncle and my father’s friends, we can fight Vasily.”
He got to his feet and she felt the impact of his nearness all over again. He was too potent. His height, his presence, his masculinity...they all had the effect of driving everything out of her mind except the need to be in his arms. Determinedly, she clung to the image of her father languishing in a prison cell.
“There is more to it—”
“I know that thirteen years ago, Vasily told everyone you left Alyona Ivanov to die at the hands of the same men who murdered your father.” The words burst from her lips before she could stop them, and Ged flinched as she said the name of his murdered fiancée. “I don’t believe the story that you abandoned her...or that you killed her, then murdered the others to cover it up.”
“I can’t go back.” If Ged cared that his stepbrother had spread a rumor that he was a spineless coward, or worse, it didn’t show. There was no inflection in the words, only finality.
Lidi had come prepared to beg, to plead, to offer her family’s wealth, her own fortune and allegiance. Anything. Nowhere in her schemes had she allowed for this scenario. One in which she faced a man who differed so completely from her expectations. She had believed the romantic folk stories about Gerald Tavisha. There were rumors about an exiled king who devoted his life to the rescue of endangered shifters. When she looked into Ged’s eyes and saw the blank look in their dark depths, she was forced to question the truth behind those legends.
Her whole body slumped in defeat. She had pinned every hope on finding Ged and persuading him to help. Now she faced a return to Callistoya and the prospect of discovering another way. Giving in to Vasily’s plans wasn’t an option, but her choices were limited to her own ingenuity.
Squaring her shoulders and stiffening her spine was hard, but she managed it. Turning away from Ged? That proved more difficult. How had she reached this point so fast? Dependence on another person wasn’t on her agenda. It never would be.
To her annoyance, she felt tears sting the back of her eyelids and burn her throat. Back home, she was known for her stubborn chin tilts. This one didn’t quite work.
“I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”
* * *
Ged muttered a curse as he crossed the room. Lidi already had her fingertips on the door handle when he reached her. Placing his hands on the wooden panels either side of her shoulders, he leaned in close.
“Don’t go.” What was happening to him? He didn’t do empathy or tenderness. He certainly didn’t change his mind. Yet, the second he had turned Lidi down, he was regretting the harshness of his response.
She turned around, the action placing her in the circle of his arms. Not quite touching, but temptingly close.
“I have no reason to stay.”
“We both know that’s not true.” Getting up close to her had been a mistake. The attraction between them couldn’t be forgotten, no matter how much they might wish to fight it. Lifting a hand, he cupped her chin, rubbing his thumb along her jawline.
“Don’t.” Lidi turned her head away. “For the last three weeks, I’ve only been able to wash in rivers and streams. I can’t imagine what I must smell like.”
“You smell incredible.” That was part of the problem. Lidi’s scent was driving him crazy. She smelled of the forest. Of fresh air, new rainfall and pine needles with a hint of the wild honeysuckle that reminded him of home. He rested his forehead against hers briefly, fighting the temptation to do more. “God knows, I don’t want to change anything about you, but why don’t you take a bath? Then I’ll deal with those injuries to your arm and you can get some sleep. Even if I can’t come back to Callistoya with you, I can help in other ways.” He smiled. “I can book you on a flight to Siberia faster than you can steal a car.”
She regarded him thoughtfully and he could see she was weighing her options. After a moment or two, she relaxed and nodded. “A bath would be heaven.”
Ged showed her to the bathroom. Once he could hear water running, he took out his cell phone and called Rick.
“Any problems?”
“Other than the fact that you’ve got a crazy woman in your room?” Even though they were friends, Rick rarely crossed the employer-employee boundary when he was working. Now Ged could sense the anger and frustration in his voice. “Yeah, everything is très bien, as they say around here.”
“The two guys who were with you, are they okay?”
Rick snorted. “Well, Marty’s gonna be talking like an overexcited schoolgirl for a day or two, but the hotel guy’s nose isn’t broken. I managed to persuade him it was all a misunderstanding. When I say persuade, I mean I gave him a barrel full of cash to forget it.”
“Thanks.” Rick always came through for him and for the rest of the band. Although Ged had never shared the truth with the other man, Rick must know there was something unusual about Beast. Even if he hadn’t guessed they were all shifters, he had seen enough over the years to figure they were different. He had covered up werewolf attacks and dragon flights, as well as a few less dramatic supernatural events. “Can you get me a first aid kit?”
“Are you hurt?” He could hear the concern in Rick’s voice.
“It’s not for me. And bring some women’s clothes to my room.”
“What sort of women’s clothes?”
“How the hell do I know? The sort women wear.” Ged drew a breath, reminding himself it wasn’t Rick’s fault his whole world had been turned upside down a few hours ago. “Go to the boutique in the lobby. Make up some story about your niece losing her suitcase. Tell them she’s tall and slim. They’ll do the rest.”
He ended the call and went to stand at the window, looking out at the view of the Mediterranean. When he’d arrived in Cannes, his head had been full of business deals and upcoming concerts. His usual distractions. Now he was barely seeing the beautiful promenade, the dark waters and the first light of dawn streaking the sky. Instead, his mind was focused on a grander view, one that encompassed dramatic mountains and sweeping forests.
From the moment he’d been forced to leave Callistoya, he’d made a conscious effort to put it from his mind. But he would never be able to erase it from his heart.
That old expression bear with a sore paw? That had described Ged for a long time. He had been angry about everything. Furious that the places he visited weren’t the same as his home. Judgmental of the people he met because they were different to the Callistoya nationals, annoyed that he had to explain his wants and needs, when in the past everyone around him understood them. Gradually, he understood what his rage was about. He didn’t hate new people and places. He just missed his old life.
Ged had no idea what had happened to him on that awful night when almost his entire family, as well as his fiancée, and most of his father’s council were murdered. He believed he had been either drugged or subjected to a powerful magic spell. He vaguely recalled standing at the entrance to the palace with Alyona at his side as they greeted the guests for their engagement meal. His next memory was of waking at the bottom of a deep ravine here in the human realm.
That was just the start of the nightmare. A frantic dash to his homeland had ensued, but his attempt to cross the invisible border into the magical land known only to shifters had proved futile. Somehow, the man who was the rightful monarch had, from that day forward, been locked out of his own kingdom.
Tortured by frustration and guilt, he had finally been forced to accept defeat and refocus his energy on a new life.
He hadn’t wanted this new start, but it had been forced upon him. Telling himself he had to come to terms with that, he had channeled his royal training into new experiences. He could either make the best of what had happened, or spend the rest of his long, immortal life ricocheting around the human world in a fugue of self-pity.
That was when the idea for his alter ego had been born. As a child, Ged’s favorite literary character had been Baroness Orczy’s Scarlet Pimpernel. The story of the society fop who led a double life as a daring rescuer during the Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution had gripped his imagination. The palace corridors would ring with sounds of mock sword fights as Ged and his younger brother, Andrei, acted out heroic combat scenes.
Rock band manager by day, shifter rescuer by night. Ged had become his own version of his childhood hero. But the ache in his heart had never gone away. And Lidi’s presence had brought the homesickness and the memories back. Stronger, sharper and more painful than ever.
I’m a bear. We don’t do feelings. He bit back a laugh. Yeah, keep telling yourself that whenever the homesickness hits.
He looked up as the bathroom door opened and Lidi emerged. Wrapped in a fluffy white bathrobe, she had dried her hair and it hung in soft waves almost to her waist. His heartbeat stuttered at the sight of her, a new realization hitting him.
It didn’t matter what he told himself about old loyalties and past promises. He had become engaged to Alyona for the sake of his country, their union born out of politics. not love. He had convinced himself back then that he could have been content with a marriage of convenience. Right now, it was as if the fates were laughing in his face.
The moment Lidi had walked—or stormed—into his life, everything had changed. His feelings for her went way beyond anything physical. The fates had decided she was his mate. Whether he liked it or not, that meant he was responsible for her.
What he had to do now was find a way to make his past and present work together in a way that didn’t bring the future crashing down around them.
Chapter 3 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
Lidi viewed the first aid kit with suspicion. “I can’t take this robe off. I’m not wearing anything underneath it.”
Ged groaned. “Comments like that aren’t helping me concentrate on the practicalities.”
She knew exactly what he meant. They were sitting inches apart on the bed and his nearness was so tempting it was sinful. Inexperience didn’t count. Her imagination was going into overdrive, heat surging through her in waves that were pleasurable, tormenting and wildly inconvenient.
Since Ged seemed determined to deal with her injuries, she reluctantly slid the robe off her left shoulder and down to the elbow on that side, clutching it tightly in place across her breasts with her other hand.
She already knew the cuts on her arm were bad. When she had broken the tiny bathroom window of her prison and forced her way through, she had been aware of the jagged shards tearing into her flesh. Because she had needed to slither down a steep wall and get away from the palace as fast as she could, it had been some time before she was able to take a look at her wounds. All she knew was, as she ran, she could feel hot, wet blood soaking her sleeve. When she finally stopped, everything had swum out of focus and she lay panting on her side until the world righted itself.
“How did you keep going with injuries like these?” Ged’s hand on her elbow was gentle as he bent closer to examine the damage to her flesh.
“I had to.” That was what she had told herself at the time, forcing herself on, one pain-filled step at a time. “Once I had managed to get out of that cell, it would have been crazy to let anything stop me.” She managed a smile. “I was even wearing the clothes I’d been captured in. You don’t think I’d have chosen to make that journey in ankle boots and without a warm coat, do you?”
His face was inches from hers as he raised his eyes to look at her. “This should have been stitched when you did it, and you’re lucky these wounds didn’t become infected.”
“I bathed my arm in fresh water whenever I got the chance. And I’m a shifter. You know as well as I do that we heal fast.”
“Are you always this stubborn?”
Lidi started to laugh. “Let me see...my father once asked my mother if an evil spirit tricked them and substituted a mule shifter for their bear baby. Does that answer your question?”
He smiled. “After three weeks, it’s too late for stitches. All I can do is apply a balm and put a dressing on your arm.”
Lidi watched as he scooped lotion out of a tub. When his fingertips touched her arm, she flinched and Ged raised questioning brows.
“Am I hurting you?”
“A little.” It was true, but her reaction had been more about the impact of his touch. Or rather, the intention behind the contact. He wanted to heal and comfort her.
Their DNA was half-human and half-bear. While bears were solitary creatures, shifters mated for life. Until they met their mate, they were free to live by human rules. But Lidi was a Callistoya noble, constrained by centuries of formality and duty. Their land had not moved in step with the mortal realm.
Her mother, in particular, had been determined that her daughter should observe the traditions of the ancient name into which she had married. From the day Lidi was born, Olga, Countess of Aras, had sworn her only child would marry well. She would train her daughter to rise above her instincts and marry for convenience instead of love. Even if she found her fated mate, Lidi, as the daughter of an aristocrat, would not be allowed to spend her life with him. Her parents would choose her partner. With that in mind, Olga had raised her in the ways of the bear.
There had been one problem with that plan. From a very early age, it was obvious that Lidi was unlike other bear shifters. Words like unusual and flighty were always attached to her. Her father scratched his head over her while her mother described her as overemotional, possibly the worst character trait she could conceive of. No matter how hard they tried to confine her spirit and mold her to their expectations, Lidi didn’t change. Among her werebear counterparts, she was quicksilver to their lead. Ruled by her powerful human emotions and intuition, she refused to conform, preferring a life of rebellion to one of compliance.
During her early years, Lidi’s mother had played the part of a bear in the wild. Demonstrating affection, protection and devotion, she had remained close to her daughter only until Lidi reached an age when Olga judged she could survive on her own. After that, mirroring the actions of a bear mother in the wild, she had tenaciously cast her aside. It was a tactic that worked effectively for most werebears.
But Lidi wasn’t like most werebears. She could still remember the shock and distress she had endured. The mother who had protected and cared for her one day was coldly turning her back the next. Her half-human heart had shattered, her two-year-old cries echoing through the stately corridors as her governess dragged her away. Even now, she awoke sometimes to find her pillow damp with tears and her hand outstretched as though reaching for her mother’s skirts.
Ged’s fingers smoothing the herbal-scented balm over her damaged flesh was the first positive touch she had encountered since her mother’s last embrace. It was almost too much to endure.
He used gentle, circular strokes to apply the balm, the action stinging slightly while also warming and soothing. Everything faded away except Ged and the point where his fingers caressed her. With a sigh, she gave in to temptation and rested her forehead against the smooth, hard muscle of his shoulder. Just this once, she would let someone else take over. She would allow herself these few minutes of bliss, of surrendering to the feeling of every care and hurt being smoothed away. By the time he finished, she was almost asleep.
Ged carefully placed adhesive dressings over the cuts. “They should stay in place without bandages.” He held out a couple of painkillers. “Now take these and get some sleep.”
“I have to get home—”
His fingers on her lips silenced her. “When you travel on a plane and the crew give you the safety information, they tell you to fit your own oxygen mask before helping others.”
She frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never been on an airplane. This is the first time I’ve left the kingdom of Callistoya.” Her voice was muffled by his hand.
Ged laughed. “I should have remembered we come from the land that time forgot. I was trying to find an analogy to explain how you should take care of yourself before trying to look out for your father. Sleep will refresh you.”
The bed was tempting, and what Ged was saying did make sense. Exhaustion hit her all at once, leaving her feeling as though she’d run into a brick wall. “Okay. I suppose a few hours won’t make much difference.” If she was less tired she might actually be able to think of a way out of her predicament.
Within minutes, she was nestled between crisp sheets and plump pillows. Although her troubles tried to intrude, her body relaxed and she began to drift into slumber. She was conscious of the tiny sounds Ged made as he moved around the room, but the knowledge that he was close by added to her sense of well-being.
For now, she would let him take care of her. There would be enough time tomorrow to continue the fight.
* * *
“We have a problem.”
Although it was tempting to tell his security manager to deal with whatever it was and leave him alone, Ged knew it must be important. Rick wouldn’t bother him unless it was serious.
He glanced over at the bed where Lidi was still sleeping soundly. Ged had remained awake, checking his emails and fine-tuning arrangements for forthcoming appearances. He had also checked on flights to Siberia, planning the best way to get Lidi close enough to her own magical land without enduring another epic journey.
There was a major problem to be overcome before he could send her on her way. International travel required a passport. As far as the mortal world was concerned, Lidi didn’t exist.
The whole time, his mind had been preoccupied with more than the logistics. How could he let her go back, knowing the danger she faced? No one knew better than he did what Vasily was capable of. Yet, having glimpsed that determined gleam in her eye, he had a feeling stopping her would not be an easy task. If only it was as simple as she believed. If he could just take her hand and walk at her side across that invisible border. Even without the spell that had been cast to stop him, the barriers were insurmountable.
“I need you to come and check something out.” For the first time ever, Ged could hear a note of fear as Rick spoke.
Although his intuition was telling him that tremor in his security manager’s voice should have him heading for the door, his newfound responsibility to Lidi made him pause. “What is it?”
“A group of men have stormed the foyer. Hotel security have managed to lock down the lower floor, but they don’t know how long they’ll be able to hold them.” Rick sounded slightly incredulous. “The manager thinks it could be a terrorist attack.”
Ged muttered a curse. “Wake the others. Tell them to come to my room. See if you can get me real time pictures of what’s happening downstairs.”
“I’m on it.” Now he had been given a focus, the hesitation was gone and Rick was all action.
Ged ended the call and glanced in Lidi’s direction again. Although he didn’t like the chances that this was a coincidence, there was a possibility the attack could have nothing to do with her presence here. The hotel was full of celebrities. The terrorists—if that’s what they were—could be taking advantage of the shock factor of a strike against some of the world’s most famous names.
Even as his mind went through that reasoned argument, his gut was telling him another story. His protective instincts were on high alert. Some additional sense had been triggered when he met Lidi. His mate was in danger. There was no need to wait for confirmation. He could feel it. And, for a man who didn’t do feelings, that was a powerful motivator.
He headed through to the sitting room, closing the bedroom door behind him. Rick arrived a minute or two later. “The manager has sent some images to my cell phone.” He handed it over to Ged.
The black-and-white footage showed four men entering the hotel lobby. Even though the pictures were grainy, Ged could tell these men were big. Tall and broad-shouldered, they moved with a steadfast confidence he would recognize anywhere. They were bear shifters. There was a good chance that when they shifted they would resemble Siberian brown bears. Just like him, Lidi and the entire population of Callistoya.
“What makes the hotel staff think it’s a terrorist attack? I don’t see any weapons.”
On the screen, the men began to smash up the reception area, systematically tearing apart the elegant decor with their bare hands. When the hotel security staff approached them, they were flung aside like rag dolls.
“When the manager called me to warn me what was happening, a terrorist attack was his suggestion. That was because robbery didn’t seem to be the motive,” Rick explained. “The guy was a wreck. I don’t think he knew what was happening. The hotel security system allows the manager to isolate each floor. Right now, these guys are contained on the first floor. The elevators have been shut down and they can’t gain access to any of the other floors,” Rick said. “The problem is that the guests are going to start waking up about now. Once that happens, word will filter through to the outside world.”
“The guests are trapped on their own floors.” Ged pointed out.
“For now. These guys are still on the rampage in the foyer. It looks like they are trying to gain access to the elevators or the stairs, so that makes it appear that the guests are the target. The manager is locked in his office with those security staff who managed to get away.”
“Have the police been called?”
“They’re outside the hotel and the manager is communicating with them. They’re holding back from storming the building because some of the security staff who were injured when these guys stormed in are still trapped in the lobby with them. It’s a hostage situation that has the potential to go badly wrong.”
They were interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the band. The lead guitarist, Torque was accompanied by his wife, Hollie.
“Sarange volunteered to stay with the kids,” Khan explained. He and his wife never traveled anywhere without their two children. The friendship group had recently expanded further to include Torque and Hollie’s twin baby boys.
“What’s up?” Torque asked.
Ged measured the situation. If he said too much in front of Rick, he risked giving away his own shifter identity and that of his friends. It came down to how much he trusted this man. He shrugged.
“There is a group of bear shifters smashing up the lobby.” Just as he’d anticipated, Rick didn’t blink.
“Friends of yours?” Khan asked.
Ged shook his head. “There is also a female bear-shifter aristocrat asleep in my bedroom—” he held up his hand to prevent any comments “—we don’t have time for jokes. I suspect she’s the reason they’re here.”
“Do they want to harm her, Ged?” Hollie’s calm question got straight to the point.
“She’s escaped from captivity. I’m guessing they want to return her.”
Diablo flexed his muscles. “Then let’s take them out.”
“It’s not that easy. There are a lot of people around and there are security cameras everywhere. The police are outside and I figure the press will be onto it soon, if they aren’t already.”
Ged was trying to formulate a plan as he spoke. The worst nightmare of any shifter living in the human world was the loss of anonymity. Mortals enjoyed books, movies, comics, and games about werewolves and other supernatural entities. Let them get the tiniest hint that such beings existed alongside them and all hell would break loose. The peace shifters had enjoyed for centuries would be shattered. Old enmities would resurface, hunting season on shifters would probably be declared, there was a possibility experimentation might be sanctioned... Shifter Zoo? It didn’t bear thinking about.
“The police are here. Maybe we should let them take care of it?” Rick suggested.
Ged shook his head. “Those guys down there won’t hesitate to shift if they’re cornered. The place they come from is...unusual.” How could he explain his homeland to his friends? Callistoya had always been ruled over by bear shifters. For that reason, the tiny kingdom remained hidden from human sight. “They belong in a land where shifting isn’t hidden or private. They won’t understand the need to steer clear of publicity. No, we have to corner them somewhere away from cameras and other people.”
“I’ll get a plan of the hotel,” Rick said.
“Lidi climbed the balconies,” Ged pointed out. “Is there any chance the intruders could try the same tactic?”
“I don’t think so. They’re locked into the foyer right now and can’t break out. Plus, their focus seems to be on the interior of the hotel.” Rick turned back as he reached the door. “When you come down to the lobby, don’t take the main staircase. There’s a smaller one that the staff use. You’ll have the element of surprise if you come that way.”
Ged nodded. “Get the manager to tell the guests to stay in their rooms. I don’t care what message he gives them. Faulty electrical wiring, poisonous gas in the air, a problem with the early-morning croissants...leave it up to his imagination. Just make sure they stay where they are.”
When Rick had gone, Ged became aware of his other friends regarding him with curiosity. In all the years they’d known each other, he’d never revealed anything about his past, or shown any interest in a woman. He guessed the questions would come later. Would he answer them? Now was not the time to make that decision.
“Our first job is to override the hotel’s security system. I want to shut down every camera in this place. Then we need to back these intruders into a corner of our choosing while making sure they can’t gain access to the upper floors. If we can do that and also make sure none of the guests know anything about it, I’ll buy you all a meal in the best restaurant in Cannes.”
“Will the bear-shifter aristocrat be your date?” Khan was the only person who had the audacity to ask such a question.
“Don’t push your luck, tiger boy,” Ged growled. There was a hierarchy in the shifter world, but in this group it didn’t matter about tigers, dragons or wolves. Ged was in charge. Always.
Khan held up a hand in a peacemaking gesture and Torque stepped into the silence that followed. “Hollie and I will check out the security system.” He took his wife’s hand. “Nothing like a little dragon breath to fry the electronics.”
Ged watched them go. “Dev and Finglas, I want you to check out the elevators. They aren’t working right now because they are locked down, but once Torque and Hollie screw up the system they may start up again.”
Dev, the snow leopard shifter who was the band’s lead guitarist, nodded. “We’ll disable them.” He and Finglas, the werewolf bass guitarist, went out of the room.
Ged turned to Khan and Diablo. “A bear, a tiger and a panther. The three of us against four bears. How do we feel about those odds, guys?”
The sound of the bedroom door closing made him look up. Lidi was dressed in the clothes Rick had delivered earlier. Jeans and a gray sweater fitted her slender figure perfectly. Her long dark hair was tied back and, although she was still pale, she looked refreshed.
“The odds just improved.” The determined look in her eyes was stronger than ever. “Because now we’re four against four.”
* * *
Ged took Lidi to one side, speaking quietly so only she could hear. “You’re injured.”
“I was injured when I climbed the outside of this building and fought three men.” Did he seriously think he was going to shut her out of this, whatever this was? She had to remind herself that he didn’t know her very well. If he did, he’d know all about her tenacity. “I heard what you were saying. Four bear shifters? They are here to either take me back to Callistoya or to assassinate you. Maybe both.”
“You think Vasily sent them?”
She nodded, her lip curling at the thought of the man who had masterminded a massacre so he could usurp the throne of Callistoya. Vasily was everything Ged was not. Vain, ambitious and cowardly, he preyed on the worst characteristics of his followers. Every bear shifter Lidi knew took pride in his or her strength, courage, intelligence and loyalty. Vasily deliberately undermined those values. He targeted groups within the kingdom who were vulnerable and preyed on their insecurities.
Even so, Vasily had been surprised when he had seized power at the strength of feeling against him. Callistoya had been weakened by the death of its beloved king together with most of his council, but it was a land of tradition and Vasily had no direct claim to the crown. His mother had married King Ivan, Ged’s father, after his first wife died. Since the king’s first marriage had produced two sons—Ged and Andrei—they were the rightful heirs to the throne.
Callistoya had been a peaceful nation when Ged’s father was alive, with only minor skirmishes in the outlying regions and uprisings when the crops failed or the taxes were raised. Ged’s father had been a strong king who knew how to deal with those problems, but Vasily was good at stirring up trouble. He had incited the rebel forces in the east of the country. They claimed that an area of land belonged to them, not to the Crown, and demanded freedom from taxation. Vasiliy supported them, keeping the feud going until they refused to back down despite King Ivan’s offer of a peacekeeping council. Then, having argued with his stepfather over money and titles, Vasily joined the rebels, his presence strengthening their cause and providing him with a ready-made army.
The night King Ivan died would be remembered in Callistoyan history as a night of betrayal and bloodshed. Lidi was unsure of all the details, but she knew it was the occasion of Ged’s engagement to Duchess Alyona Ivanov. Negotiations between the king and Vasily had been ongoing, and Vasily had agreed to suspend hostilities and attend the celebration. As a sign of his commitment to peace, he had pledged to accompany his mother, the queen, to the party.
He and a group of his men had been welcomed into the palace and an evening of feasting and entertainment had ensued. During the night, the king and most of his entourage had been slaughtered in their beds.
At some point before the murders, Ged and his brother, Andrei, had disappeared. The following day, Vasily had announced to a stunned nation that he was taking over the throne. The murderers were never brought to justice, although suspicion naturally fell on Vasily.
When Vasily was crowned, many of Callistoya’s subjects were outraged. They had been convinced that Ged, their true king, was still alive. Vasily had used the death of Alyona against him. On the night of the massacre, Alyona had been found dead in Ged’s bed. She had been strangled before a silver knife was plunged into her heart. If Ged was such a hero, Vasily asked, why had he deserted his betrothed in her hour of need? Or was the truth more sinister? Was Ged the person responsible for her death? Had he killed the others to cover up for his guilt? If he was innocent, why hadn’t he come back to Callistoya to clear his name? The whispering campaign had filtered throughout the kingdom until a seed of doubt had been planted against the man whose name, until then, had stood for honor and decency.
Ged’s uncle, Eduard Tavisha, now the leader of the resistance, had done his best to end any speculation about Vasily’s claim to the throne. The matter was simple. Ged was the king. Next in the line of succession was his younger brother, Andrei. After him, there was a cousin. No matter how much noise Vasily the Usurper made, he was no relation to the Tavisha family. He had no right to the crown.
Vasily had greeted Eduard’s proclamation with rage. Ged had confirmed his unsuitability to be king by fleeing like a dog with his tail between his legs, he declared. Only Vasily’s own strength of character had saved the day when he stepped in and took over. Since most people knew he had been behind the massacre, his protestations, far from fooling anyone, only made the situation worse. Seeking a way to strengthen his position, his gaze had turned to an alliance with the noble house of Rihanoff.
Looking back, Lidi supposed she could have dealt with Vasily’s proposal more diplomatically. He was known for his vindictive nature and her point-blank refusal had provoked an angry response. Determined to get her to change her mind, Vasily had tried persuasion, moved on to threats, and ended by throwing Lidi and her father, the Count of Aras, into prison.
“I know he sent them,” she said in reply to Ged’s question. Vasily was cruel as well as vengeful. He would have her followed to the ends of the earth rather than allow her to escape him.
“If his men have been trailing you, why have they waited until now to attempt to capture you? It would have been easier to do it when you were alone and on the road.”
“Who knows? Maybe they wanted to find out where I was going. Once they knew I was with you, it would have changed everything.” She squared her shoulders, feeling the pull as she moved her injured arm. “There is only one way to find out.”
He was staring at her in that disconcerting way he had. As though he was looking through her, seeing something in her that captivated him. It was the look every woman should want from a man. If she wanted a man...
“Are your friends really big-cat shifters?” She attempted to deflect his attention by glancing at the two men who were still standing near the door.
“Ah, hell. I’d forgotten we weren’t alone.” He ran a hand through his hair. “How do you do that, Lidi? How do you make me lose sight of everything except you?”
“It’s not deliberate.” Without thinking, she reached up a hand and brushed back the lock of hair that had flopped onto his forehead. “And it’s mutual.”
Touching him only confirmed what she already knew. Heat pulsed through her at the brief connection, and she saw Ged’s eyes widen. There was no escaping this attraction between them. Unwanted and inconvenient, it was burning them both up.
He caught hold of her hand, his strong fingers wrapping around hers. The delicious tingling sensations continued, but his touch grounded her. For the first time since her mother had walked away, she felt safe and protected with another person.
“We have to go.” The regret in his eyes matched her own. Taking a breath, he turned to his friends. “Khan, Diablo...this is Lidi. She’s coming with us.”
She could see the interest in their eyes as they looked at her, particularly when their eyes dropped to take in their clasped hands.
Khan smiled at her. “Nice to meet you, Lidi. Now can we please go and kick some bear butt?”
Diablo clapped a hand to his forehead with a groan. “One day, Khan will think before he speaks. Sadly, I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon.”
Khan was protesting in an undertone as they headed toward the door. “What did I say?”
“First impressions count. You just sounded like you were excited about kicking naked asses.”
Khan gave a snort of laughter. As Ged opened the door, his mood changed, becoming instantly serious. They made their way along the corridor in silence. Although her own body was on high alert, Lidi was also aware of the coiled strength of her companions. They were a team, communicating in gestures and eye movements. She had engaged in coaching sessions with the Aras guards, and her training had been rigorous and demanding. Even so, she sensed something in this group went beyond her experiences. She had always felt there was an element missing from her instruction, a higher level that remained stubbornly out of her reach. Now she was witnessing it, and it had nothing to do with experience or skill. It was about trust. These men knew they could count on each other, no matter what.
They avoided the main staircase, heading instead for a door marked Réservé au personnel. Ged took the lead as they went down the stairs. Lidi was behind him with Khan next and Diablo at the rear. When they reached the second floor, a man was waiting for them. Although Lidi tensed for action, she recognized him. He was the guy who had tried to stop her from getting to Ged when she climbed into the hotel. She recalled that just after she had broken free of his grasp and kicked him, Ged had called him Rick.
Rick’s eyes flickered briefly to her face and he rubbed his chest reminiscently, but he gave no other sign that he knew her.
“Did you get a plan of the first floor?” Ged spoke in a low voice.
“Yeah. There is a storage room behind the kitchens. It has no windows, so no one can see in, and Torque has shut down the security cameras. If you can get these guys in there, you will be out of sight of the rest of the hotel. There is also an exit that leads to a delivery area, so I can bring a vehicle to the door and...uh, dispose of any evidence.”
Ged placed a hand on his shoulder. “Good work. I need you to direct us to this room and then get the hell out of the way. This will be messy.”
Lidi understood what he meant. His friend was a human and he didn’t want him caught up in the middle of a shifter fight. She knew her world was unique. Callistoya was inhabited by bear shifters, and diversity had barely touched their magical realm. It was only since her escape that she had encountered humans. Of course, since she was half-human herself, their ways, although occasionally unusual, weren’t completely strange to her. The biggest difference was when it came to combat. Then, of course, a human didn’t stand a chance against a shifter.
Rick accompanied them down the remaining stairs. As they drew closer to the lobby, they could hear noises. It sounded like the intruders were trying everything they could to gain access to the upper floors.
“They haven’t figured out yet that the system has been overridden,” Diablo murmured. “The locks have been disabled, and they could just walk through.”
“What are they saying?” Khan asked. “It sounds like they’re speaking Russian.”
Lidi turned to look at Ged, the only other person who could understand what the men were saying. She saw his face tighten with anger as he listened to the furious comments of Vasily’s men.
“Close,” Ged said. “It’s the language of Callistoya, their homeland. They’re know Lidi is here and they’re trying to find a way to get to her.” He gestured to the door. “Let’s go.”
They stepped into the foyer together and Lidi took a moment to view the damage. It looked like a hurricane had blown through the building. Furniture had been overturned and ripped apart as though a child had thrown a tantrum and destroyed its dollhouse. Ruined light fixtures dangled from the vaulted ceiling, and the doors on one of the elevators were hanging half-off. As they moved stealthily toward them, two of the intruders were using a table as a battering ram, attempting to pound their way into a room that Lidi guessed must be the manager’s office.
Close to the entrance, two figures lay on the floor, their uniforms soaked with blood. Lidi couldn’t see any signs of life from either of them. Nearby, a woman was curled in a fetal position with her hands over her head.
Ged moved forward, drawing the attention of the intruders. All four of them turned their way. One man lunged toward Lidi, his hand reaching for her arm, but Ged stepped between them.
“Touch her and you die.” There was no doubt about it. Ged meant what he said.
The other man’s lips drew back in a snarl. “She is the reason we are here. She is an escaped criminal and our orders are to return her to justice.”
“On whose authority?”
“I am Pyotr. I act on behalf of King Vasily of Callistoya.”
Ged drew himself up to his full, impressive height. “You have been misinformed, my friend. There is only one king of Callistoya...and you’re looking at him.”
Chapter 4 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
There is only one king of Callistoya and you’re looking at him.
As he spoke the words, Ged’s well-laid schemes came crashing down around him. As he faced Pyotr and Vasily’s other thugs, he knew the truth. He couldn’t stay away. The crown of Callistoya belonged to him, and no matter what he had to do, he would return and find a way to wrest it from Vasily so he could wear it with pride.
He had a moment or two for that thought to register before Pyotr shifted. Lightning fast, Ged gave a signal to his companions. There were a lot of myths around shifting, many of them originating in the books and movies of human culture. It wasn’t a long, protracted and painful process. Shifting was as natural as breathing. It was about reaching deep inside and finding the inner animal, then relaxing into those memories and muscles. For Ged, it was a split second in which he closed his eyes as a human and opened them as a huge Callistoyan bear. Shrugging aside the remnants of the clothing he hadn’t had time to remove, he rose onto his hind legs.
In the wild, bears avoided fighting. Armed with tremendous strength, large claws and teeth like knives, they were wise enough to know they could inflict severe injuries on each other.
To avoid physical conflict, bears used vocalization and posturing to demonstrate their dominance and intimidate an opponent. This allowed them to establish a hierarchy within which they could interact without violence. A bear’s place in the social structure was based on its size, strength, age and disposition.
As the two groups faced each other, it was apparent Ged had the advantage. He was the alpha, towering over the others, his superiority obvious. They should have bowed before him. But this wasn’t a forest and they weren’t fighting over a mate, or a kill. They were shifters, not wild bears. They retained an element of their human senses even in their bear form, and Vasily’s men were here on a mission—one that didn’t allow them to back down.
Even Lidi, who should have been subordinate to each of the males present, had an agenda that suppressed her bear instincts. Instead of signaling her subservience, her stance was combative. Standing tall, with her head held high and her golden eyes alert, she was the most beautiful sight Ged had ever seen.
Although there was nothing he’d rather do more than spend time admiring Lidi, either in human or bear form, there were more urgent matters to take care of right now. If his opponents were surprised to be faced with a tiger and a panther as well as two bears, they didn’t show it. As they charged forward, it was clear they were used to fighting as a unit.
Bring it on.
The lobby was filled with the sounds of claws scrabbling on marble, deep bear grunts and harsher cat cries as solid, muscular bodies connected. Ged squared up to Pyotr. His aim, as always in a bear fight, was to bring his adversary down. Once a bear was on the ground, it was easily defeated. Using his superior height to his advantage, he lunged, striking out with his huge claws. The blow caught Pyotr behind his ear, slicing through thick fur and connecting with flesh.
Pyotr staggered back but retaliated with a smack to the side of Ged’s head that made his ears ring. It shouldn’t have happened. Pyotr was an inferior opponent, but Ged’s attention was divided between his own struggle and what was going on with Lidi. His protective instincts were overriding his self-preservation, placing him in unnecessary danger.
What had he been thinking of? Allowing her to get involved in this brawl was madness. Even though she clearly knew how to handle herself in a fight, she was much smaller and lighter than the other shifters. As he dug his claws into the flesh of Pyotr’s shoulder, drawing him closer in preparation for a bite, Ged risked another glance in Lidi’s direction.
He saw at once that there was nothing to worry about. Her speed and agility were astounding, making everyone around her—even Khan and Diablo—appear slow and lumbering in comparison. Relying on tactics that were unusual for a bear, she dodged the swipes of her much larger foe, ducking under his huge paw and emerging behind him to deliver her own hits. It was working. Ged could see blood staining the other bear’s fur and heard his growls of frustration.
Conscious that at any minute the manager’s door could open, the guests could defy the instruction to stay in their rooms or the police might decide to act, Ged knew they had to move the action away from the public space. He pulled Pyotr to him and sank his teeth into the other bear’s shoulder. The temptation to rip into him and finish it there and then was overwhelming, but bear entrails in the lobby? Try explaining that to a forensics team.
Instead, he hauled Pyotr in the direction of the kitchens, trusting his companions to accompany him. From the noise level just behind him, he guessed they had followed his lead.
Once they were inside the storage room, Pyotr sensed what was happening and knew he only had one chance. Lowering his head, he charged at Ged’s midsection with his teeth bared. It was a brave move, but Ged had seen it before. Pyotr was expecting him to drop to all fours to protect his belly, at which point the other bear would tip him over. Instead, Ged waited until the last moment, just before Pyotr’s lethal teeth connected with his flesh. Then he gripped the other shifter and, using his monumental strength, flipped him onto his back.
Surprise registered in the depths of Pyotr’s eyes as Ged placed both paws on his chest. The final move was swift and brutal. With his thorax crushed, Pyotr was dead within seconds, leaving Ged free to help his friends. Although, as he drew himself up to his full height once more, it looked like his companions were doing just fine on their own.
Khan, the deadliest weretiger of them all, had one of the bear shifters cornered. Ged recognized his friend’s stance. From the way Khan’s huge fangs were bared and he was poised to crouch, he was going in for the kill. In another corner of the room, Diablo was shaking another of the intruders around like a rag doll.
That left Lidi. She was still facing up to her massive challenger with a dexterity and bravery that astounded him. With jaws snapping and claws slashing, they were engaged in a classic bear fight, but, as Ged watched, the large male raised a paw and slammed Lidi against the wall. With a snort of rage, Ged made a move to intervene.
Before he could get there, Lidi was springing back from the tiled surface. As the male swung at her, she ducked low and came up at his side, dealing him a blow in the kidneys that made him howl. When he reached for her, she slipped behind him. In a move that made Ged’s lips twitch into an appreciative smile, she hurled herself onto the other bear’s back, clinging on as she clamped her jaws onto the tender flesh between his neck and shoulder.
Maybe Lidi didn’t need his help after all. She hung on with her claws and teeth as her adversary tried everything to dislodge her. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was effective. Blood sprayed onto the walls until, eventually, Lidi’s victim dropped to the floor. When she released her grip, he twitched a few times, then became completely still.
Khan and Diablo had both won their fights. They moved into place, standing one on each side of Ged as he shifted back. A swift glance around the small storage room was enough to confirm that he had no need of their protection. All four intruders lay lifeless on the tiles. The two werecats followed Ged’s lead and shifted into human form.
“Bears.” Khan shook his head as he viewed the bodies. “Stubborn as hell. They never know when it’s in their interests to surrender.”
Lidi hadn’t shifted, and with a flash of insight, Ged recognized the reason. In her homeland of Callistoya, there was no shame in making the transition from bear to human. Being naked in front of others was an accepted part of a shifter’s life. But this wasn’t her homeland, and she didn’t know him and his friends. Keeping her head low, she moved restlessly from foot to foot, the classic sign of a bear in distress.
Slightly bemused that he was already so in tune with her emotions, Ged cast a quick look around. The storage room looked like a scene from a horror movie and they needed to move fast. These bear shifters were dead in the true sense of the word, but only silver could truly destroy their souls. The final kindness to a defeated enemy was to finish them in the manner of a true warrior. That meant decapitating them with a silver sword, the handle of which had been specially adapted so that the person who wielded it could do so without being poisoned. No one said being a shifter was easy.
Then, of course, would come the task of getting rid of the bear bodies and cleaning up. Modesty should be a long way down the list of priorities. But this was Lidi and she needed his help.
“Find something so we can cover ourselves.” He jerked his head in the direction of the kitchen.
Khan blinked at him. “Are you crazy?”
“Do it.” Ged wasn’t in the mood for a debate.
Shrugging, Khan went through to the kitchen. When he returned, he had several white aprons over one arm and a scowl on his face. “If a picture of me wearing one of these ends up on the internet—”
“Quit griping and put it on.” Diablo was already tying one of the garments around his waist. “If Ged wants us to do it, it’s done.”
Ged gave him a grateful look before placing an apron close to Lidi. “Now turn your backs.”
“You’ve got to be...” Khan caught a glimpse of Ged’s expression and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Okay. Okay.” Obediently, he turned to face the wall opposite Lidi. “What is this?” His whisper to Diablo was just audible. “We’re all shifters. Nudity is part of the deal.”
“Stop being such a tiger. Just for once,” Diablo growled back.
Ged could hear Lidi moving around behind them.
“I’m decent.” Her voice was gruff, and when he turned, her cheeks were bright pink. The apron she was wearing was too big and she’d wrapped it tight around her, tying it so it covered her whole body, back and front. Hanging her head, she scuffed the floor with one bare foot. “Sorry.”
Following on from her strength and courage, her embarrassment revealed a fragility that surprised him. It made him want to go to her, to reassure her, to hold her. No. He had to put those thoughts out of his head. Even if they didn’t have blood and gore to clean up, bear-shifter bodies to dispose of, and a hell of a cover story to come up with, there was no room in his life for a mate. Particularly one as sweet and vulnerable as Lidi.
“Let’s get moving.” Determinedly, he turned away from her. “We’ve got work to do.”
* * *
Ged had told Vasily’s men that he was the King of Callistoya. Did that mean he was prepared to fight for his rights? Lidi didn’t dare ask the question. Having come all this way and already faced a crushing disappointment, she wasn’t prepared to go there all over again. And there were more immediate problems demanding her attention. Although she had wrapped the oversize apron as tightly around her as she could, it kept coming undone and showed an alarming tendency to flap open at the back. Clutching the two sides together, she followed Ged up the stairs.
This new modesty confused her. Until now, she had never had a problem with nakedness. Back home in Callistoya, she thought nothing of slipping out of her clothes to shift. Life would have been very difficult for werebears if everyone had tried to cover themselves before and after shifting.
Back in that storage room, she had developed a sudden awareness of her body. It had prevented her from shifting from bear to human. All she knew for sure was that it was more to do with Ged than his friends. It was about how he saw her. It was foolish, but she felt shy around him. And she didn’t want his eyes on her body then. Not surrounded by carnage.
Curiously, it didn’t work both ways. Since his own apron didn’t come close to covering his rear, as they climbed the stairs she was treated to the delicious sight of long, muscular legs and round, firm buttocks. She was used to naked masculinity, but this was the first time she had seen a male body that appealed to her so strongly. It was rapidly becoming her favorite view.
“Khan and Diablo will deliver the mercy blows to the bodies, then Rick will clean up.” Ged turned to look at her as he spoke, and, aware that she had been caught staring, Lidi felt the telltale blush stain her cheeks. She tilted her chin. If he didn’t want her to look he should have done a better job of covering up. The smile in his eyes told her he was well aware of the reason for her mortification.
When they reached Ged’s room, Lidi grabbed some of the new clothes Rick had provided and headed for the shower. Although she needed to wash the signs of battle from her body, she also wanted a break from Ged’s disquieting presence. Being close to him was like staring into the sun. Everything else faded in comparison with his brilliance. But she needed to step away from the glare and view her situation realistically once more.
The fight with Vasily’s men hadn’t changed anything. Her long and tiring journey had been a waste of time. She still had to find a way to free her father from captivity while avoiding marriage with Vasily. It seemed like an impossible task, but Lidi had never been one to shy away from a challenge. As she stepped under the jets of warm water, her mind was forming and reviewing a series of plans.
Annoyingly, her thoughts kept encountering the same barrier. Ged. No matter how much she told herself she had to walk away from him, her emotions weren’t ready for that message. Deep down inside her, something fundamental had changed in the instant she saw him on the steps of the movie theater.
He’s my mate.
She groaned aloud, clenching a fist against the tiled wall. Why did this have to happen now? And why did it have to be him? Even if he wasn’t the king without a crown, he was the most unsuitable man she could have chosen. Everyone in Callistoya knew about the royal marriage pact. A Tavisha must marry the daughter of one of the five founding families. It was an ancient, unshakable agreement. And Lidi did not come from one of those families, so...whoa! Why was she even thinking about Ged and marriage in the same breath?
Straightening her spine, she let the scented gel do its work. There had been other occasions throughout Callistoyan history when this had happened. When an inconvenient attraction had occurred. It could be overcome. It was difficult, but not impossible. Nobles married for convenience, not love. Ged himself had been engaged to another woman. Clearly, since Lidi was his mate, he hadn’t really been in love with Alyona.
Lidi had always been strong, able to meet any confrontation head-on. Being the bear shifter who didn’t conform had always been hard. She’d grown used to the difficult task of wrestling with her unruly emotions. All it needed was focus...and in this case, some distance.
The thought instantly triggered a feeling of regret so powerful it was almost a physical pain. It was as if giant hands were pulling at her, tearing her in two. Common sense and duty were telling her to get away. These new, unfamiliar passions were prompting her to stay.
Placing her hands flat against the cubicle wall, she bowed her head as the water rinsed the last of the shampoo from her hair. She didn’t have time to work out this inner conflict. While she was here in this luxury hotel, her father was at Vasily’s mercy.
She snorted. Mercy? Vasily didn’t know the meaning of the word. After stepping from the shower, she dried herself and dressed quickly in jeans, sweatshirt and boots. Thoughts of her father’s plight gave her actions a new determination.
When she emerged from the bathroom, there was no sign of Ged in either the sitting room or bedroom. Although she had intended to tell him she was leaving, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief. This way was probably better. This way she didn’t have to put her own emotional strength to the test.
Feeling a lot like a thief sneaking out into the night, she opened the door. Immediately, a security guard, who wore the same black uniform as Rick, with the Beast logo on the breast pocket, sprang to attention.
“Ged asked me to take you to Khan’s room.” He gestured along the corridor. “The band are all there.”
Lidi weighed her options. Refuse to go and cause a scene? Go with him and waste more time? She didn’t like either option. “I know my way.”
“Uh...okay.” He scratched his head. “But Ged said—”
“I really don’t need an escort.” She used her best aristocratic voice, the one that had gotten her out of so many tricky situations in the past. It was an almost-perfect impression of her mother...and no one had argued with Olga Rihanoff.
The guy actually blushed. “Then I guess...”
Lidi moved in the direction he had indicated without waiting for him to finish. The only problem now was that he was watching her and she had no idea where she was going. Luckily there was a turn in the hallway, and she followed it. Once she was out of the security guard’s sight, she took a moment to lean against the wall, breathing deeply. A few feet away she could see the door marked Réservé au personnel that led to the staff staircase.
It was time to go.
Chapter 5 (#uedf52ade-3f8b-54ff-b7c3-7b8631e532f7)
“You’re leaving us?” It was Finglas who finally broke the silence.
Ged looked around the hotel room at the faces of his friends. He had known this wouldn’t be easy, but the depth of the shock and hurt on their faces stunned him. It also caused an answering tug of pain deep in his own chest. For ten years, this group of people had been his family. Now he was facing the prospect of severing his ties with them. For a long time he had believed that nothing could match the misery of leaving Callistoya. Turned out he was wrong. It also turned out he wasn’t that great at the whole “not doing emotions” thing.
Powering through the tightening in his throat, he forced himself to continue. “Guys, this is something I have to do.”
“Why?” Sarange had tears in her eyes as she placed a hand on his arm. “Explain it to us, Ged, so we know how to help you.”
Ged glanced at the clock, judging Lidi would be finishing up in the shower and joining them soon. Khan and Diablo had followed him up to Khan’s suite after they finished their grisly duty in the storage room, leaving Rick to dispose of the bodies of the intruders. Although Ged knew Lidi would be keen to get going straightaway, Sarange was right. She was one of his best friends, and he owed her, and the others, an explanation. Could he finally tell them his story? It felt like the time had come at last.
“I am the rightful king of a land called Callistoya.” There. He’d said those words out loud at long last. And the rush of pride that came with them was all the confirmation he needed. Going back and fighting for his throne was the right thing to do. Getting past the obstacles was going to be a different matter. “It’s a unique place. Imagine a medieval enclave high in the mountains in the center of a Siberian wasteland. A land that time forgot. Except it doesn’t exist on any human map. It won’t show up on a satellite image. It’s only visible and accessible to shifters.”
Torque frowned. “I’m struggling with the concept of a monarchy. We’re shifters. That means we’re immortal.”
“Like you, I’m immortal and so were my ancestors,” Ged said. “But we’re not invincible. We can be killed by silver, fire or beheading. There are even some illnesses to which we don’t have immunity, and that can be fatal. The Callistoya of my childhood was an enchanting place. In recent times, it has become a troubled land, plagued by constant battles. My father reigned for many centuries before he was murdered. I believe my stepbrother, Vasily, was his killer. I was in the palace on the night of my father’s death, but I remember nothing of what happened. I woke up two days later, here in the mortal realm. I had been badly beaten and I believe a spell had also been cast on me.”
Diablo shook his head. “I can’t believe we never knew about this side of your life.”
“I kept it well hidden. For good reasons.” The memories crowded in on him, and Ged looked at the clock again. What was keeping Lidi? “Other people were killed as well as my father, including my fiancée. She was found strangled and stabbed. In my bed.”
“But you didn’t do it,” Hollie spoke without hesitation.
Ged smiled gratefully at her. “No, I didn’t do it. But ever since then, Vasily has used her death as part of a campaign against me.” He closed his eyes briefly, picturing Alyona’s face the last time he had seen her. She had been laughing, making plans for their wedding, teasing him about keeping her dress secret until their big day...no. Even after all this time, it was too raw, too painful. He couldn’t talk about that part of it. “I should have gone back immediately, raised an army, fought Vasily, sought justice for my father and for Alyona...but the grief and pain were too great. When I did make the attempt a few weeks later, I couldn’t physically cross the border. There was some sort of magical barrier in place. Now after meeting Lidi and hearing what has been happening there, I know I have a duty to go back and put things right. I have to find a way across that barrier.” He felt the tension in every part of his body. “I have to defeat Vasily.”
“So this isn’t forever?” The hopeful expression on Khan’s face caused the constriction in Ged’s chest to tighten further. These people were all his friends, but the bond between him and Khan...well, that had always been special.
“I can’t say how long I will be gone. It could be for some time.” He had to do this, no matter how much it hurt. “And I can’t promise it won’t be permanent.”
“I can see how important this is to you, and I don’t want to sound selfish, but what about Beast?” Torque asked.
And there it was. The all-important question. Ged had a duty to his country, but he also had a responsibility to the entity he had created. Because of him, Beast was one of the most popular rock bands on the planet. He had brought this group of incredibly talented people together. It was his vision and hard work that had taken them to the top and kept them there. Now he was telling them he was walking away. Could he do that? And if he did, what would it mean for Beast and for them as individuals?
He had an answer, but he hadn’t discussed it with anyone. Not even the person it affected most. And he didn’t have time for lengthy conversations...
“There is someone who has been at my right hand over the last year, someone who can take my place.”
Ged looked directly at Hollie as he spoke. Her introduction into their friendship group had been unconventional. An undercover FBI agent who had been investigating a series of arson attacks, she had fallen in love with Torque, a dragon shifter. Hollie’s commitment to the man she loved had been absolute, and she had taken his bite to become a dragon shifter herself. Now they had their twin dragon babies to complete their family. While theirs was hardly a classic love story, it was definitely one that proved the theory of opposites attracting.
During her time with the band, Hollie had become Ged’s unofficial assistant, to the point where he often wondered what he used to do without her. She was a fast learner, picking up every part of the job and anticipating his needs, often before he even knew them himself. He knew she enjoyed the work, but was she ready for this? And could she fit it into her new dragon-mom lifestyle?
The question was reflected back at him as Hollie returned his gaze. She was silent for long moments before she responded. “Do you think I can do it?”
“I know you can.”
Her laugh was shaky. “I don’t suppose I’ll be able to call or email you if there’s a problem?”
Ged shook his head. “Technology hasn’t reached Callistoya.” The clock was drawing his attention again. Lidi was taking a hell of a long time. He laughed. “Think letters written in longhand and delivered by a messenger on horseback.”
Hollie looked around the assembled group. “What do you say? There are two more concerts before Christmas. Will you give me a tryout as your Ged substitute until then?”
Torque slid his arm around her waist. “We’ll support you all the way. And I can take on more of the baby chores over the next few weeks.”
There were nods and murmurs of agreement. Khan came forward to give Hollie a high five and Dev wrapped her in a hug. Ged exhaled long and slow. That was part one over with. The next part was even harder. “Good. Because I have a plan that involves your help. I need you to be at the royal palace in Callistoya on Christmas Eve.”
Sarange raised her brows. “Is this a royal invitation?”
“Believe me, it is not going to be that grand. Or that easy.” He nodded in the direction of the children. Karina, Khan and Sarange’s toddler daughter, was playing with her toys on the rug while the babies slept in cribs nearby. “And those of you with kids should probably excuse yourselves from this one. Outsiders are not welcome in my homeland. The battle will be a bloody one.”
Sarange’s expression conveyed her werewolf stubbornness. “Your people have never encountered us.” She swept a hand around the room. “Two wolves, a tiger, a snow leopard, a panther and two dragons. You wanted an army? You’ve got one right here in this room. We don’t need to excuse ourselves. Our children are in no danger of being left without their parents...because Beast doesn’t fight to lose.”
Khan placed a hand on Ged’s shoulder. “She’s right. You’ve always been there for us.”
Torque nodded. “It’s our turn to repay you.”
“Thank you.” Ged managed to get the words out despite the choking sensation in his throat. He had a long journey ahead of him. He didn’t want to start it by breaking down in tears. “Now I really do need to find out what’s keeping Lidi.”
After a group hug that tested his emotions—the ones he’d sworn he didn’t have—to their limit, he left Khan’s suite and made his way along the corridor toward his own room. A feeling of disquiet assailed him when he saw there was no security guard outside the door. His instructions had been simple. The guy was to escort Lidi to Khan’s room. Surely nothing could have gone wrong with such a simple plan?
He almost laughed out loud. Rule one of shifter living: if something can go wrong, it will.
When he entered his own room, it was empty. The feeling of unease became a squirming worm of certainty gnawing at his gut. Something had gone wrong with his plan.
Luckily when he called Rick, the other man answered his call immediately. “Everything is under control. There is no trace of the intruders. The police are downstairs. They’re bemused, but—”
Ged cut across him. “Find the guy who was guarding my room half an hour ago.”
“Dave?” Rick sounded surprised. “He’s right here.”
“Ask him why he left his post without permission.” The impulse to smash something was becoming overwhelming. He could hear the murmur of voices as Rick relayed his message to the other guy.
“Boss?” Rick’s bewilderment was even more evident. “Dave says he stayed outside your room until Lidi came out. He offered to take her to Khan’s room, but she said she knew where it was. She refused to let him escort her.”
Ged muttered a curse as he swiped the screen to end the call. What the hell were you thinking of, Lidi?
But he already knew the answer. She had gone because he had told her he couldn’t help her. Now she was out there all alone, with no money, no transport and no one to turn to next time Vasily’s men caught up with her.
It was like déjà vu. In another time and place, he had failed the woman he was responsible for. Alyona had died and now Lidi was facing the same fate. Because I didn’t protect her.
Feelings of hopelessness and unworthiness crowded in on him, crushing his chest until he couldn’t breathe. He was immobilized by fear, his usual decisiveness deserting him. Gradually, he forced his limbs into action.
Do something.
He was the guy who rescued shifters from danger. Since Alyona’s death and his exile from Callistoya, it had been his way of giving something back. His personal mission. For Alyona and for his missing brother, Andrei. During the years of his exile, Ged had built up a worldwide network of contacts, shifter and human.
Focused now, he moved with increased purpose. If anyone could find Lidi, he could. All he had to do was get to her in time.
* * *
The prospect of retracing her steps across thousands of miles made Lidi’s heart sink, but she had no choice. At least she was able to slip out of the hotel without anyone noticing her. Although the lobby was swarming with police officers, they were too busy concentrating on the ruined furnishings and the traumatized employees to pay attention to anything else. The scene was chaotic and, even though Lidi couldn’t understand exactly what was being said, there was clearly some confusion around exactly what had taken place.
Once she stepped outside, she could barely move for the hordes of people. The elegant promenade had become a battleground as reporters and photographers vied for the best story and camera shot. Keeping her head down, Lidi pushed her way through, emerging close to the beach. Feeling slightly disoriented, she followed a route that led her away from the town toward the harbor. Anything to get past the crowds.
Cannes harbor was huge, with a range of vessels moored within its confining walls. Lidi guessed some of the larger, gleaming yachts must belong to the celebrities who were staying in the same hotel as Beast. With their helicopters and satellite systems, they resembled floating palaces. Nearby, the tiny, colorful fishing craft were dwarfed by them. She followed the line of the water’s edge before sitting on the harbor wall, planning her next move.
After a while, one boat drew her attention away from her thoughts. Long, low and colorful with loud pop music blaring from its decks, it didn’t fit in with either the billionaires’ yachts or the working vessels. Intrigued, Lidi got to her feet and moved closer so she could read the painted sign on its side. Although it was rough and ready, it had been translated into several languages, including English.
Party Boat! Cruise with Us from Cannes to Genoa.
The Mediterranean climate was mild, but the middle of winter seemed a strange time to offer cruise parties. Then again, what did she know about such things? If there was a cruise happening, it interested her for one important reason. The Italian port of Genoa was a long way from home, but if she could get there, she would be heading in the right direction.
Lidi studied the boat, considering her options for how to get on board and remain hidden for the duration of the journey. As she did, a man sprang down from the deck. Landing neatly on the quayside next to her, he gestured to the vessel with a grin.
“N’est-elle pas belle?”
Although she didn’t speak French, Lidi understood enough to know that he was inviting her to admire the boat.
“Beautiful,” she agreed, speaking English. It wasn’t necessarily the first word that occurred to her as she looked at the garish craft, but politeness prevented her from telling the truth.
“Ah, you are English? American?” He switched languages easily.
“Russian.” It was the language that was closest to her mother tongue and it was easier than trying to explain where she actually came from.
Since she was trying to figure out a way to stow away on the boat, she didn’t really want to get into a conversation. But it seemed the man had other ideas. It was impossible to judge his age. With skin that was tanned almost mahogany and dreadlocks tied back in a ponytail, he was dressed in jeans and a sweater that were both faded almost to the point of extinction.
“Ah. So, you say ‘preevyet.’ Yes?”
“Preevyet.” Lidi returned the greeting with a smile. Despite the urgency of her predicament, it was impossible not to like him. And by talking to him, she might be able to find out more about his journey. “Are you going to Genoa today?”
“Tonight. This is not usually the season, but it’s a private party.”
Having spoken to him, she felt bad about her plans to trick her way on board. Not bad enough to abandon the scheme, of course. Getting to Genoa would take a big chunk out of her journey. She decided on a risky strategy.
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Jane Godman
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
Отзывы: Пока нет Добавить отзыв
О книге: Beauty…and Her Beast?Desperate to escape an arranged marriage, Lidiya Rihanoff sets off to find the only man who can help her. Ged Taverner wants the world to think he’s just the manager of a rock band, but Lidi knows the truth: he’s a king in exile—and a shape-shifter, just like her. She’s not ready for the overwhelming desire she feels for him. And he’s not expecting to find his destined mate…