The Warrior Princess

KANE

“You need to talk to me. Tell me what you are thinking,” Nixon had returned from showing the others to their rooms.

“She looks just like her.”

“Like who?”

“Leia.”

“She is not her, Kane. You saw Leia die. This is a young female who just happens to look similar to her.”

“But her looks…and her scent…”

“She smells mated.”

“The mating hasn’t been completed. She reeks of it.”

I rubbed my face roughly and gathered my thoughts.

What was I doing? What was I thinking?

My mate was dead.

I saw her die.

The humans killed her right in front of me.

Brutally.

But the half-breed was so much like her. Such fire. Such spirit.

Who wouldn’t complete mating with her? Her body is so…inviting.

“Kane, you need to pull yourself together. Something tells me this girl is not to be trifled with,” Nixon said.

I nodded, still staring out into the distance. “I know, Nix. I know.”

Nixon and I had been friends our entire lives. He knew every one of my secrets, good and bad.

“Do you think they’re really here on a goodwill mission?” I finally turned to face Nixon.

He shrugged his shoulders and poured us both a drink.

“It’s difficult to say. They could be…or they could be here for him. The timing is a little too coincidental, in my opinion.”

I nodded sipping on my drink.

“I have a funny feeling it is the second option. No doubt King Raphael sent three of his best to retrieve him.”

“Well after their display today, there is no question that they possess some impressive power,” Nixon offered up taking a sip of his drink.

Yes, she was impressive…

“Well, they have an impressive bloodline, however tainted it may be.”

I rubbed my face roughly.

“I’m going for a run. I will check the borders while I am out. The humans might try to attack again.”

He nodded as I left the room, my mind scrambled and racing.

When Leia was killed in front of me and I was powerless to stop it, my father tried to arrange a new mating. He argued that the throne needed an heir, so he lined the females up.

But none of them were like Leia. She was fire and comfort at the same time.

It was after that I developed a dislike for females. All they wanted was the throne. None of them cared for me as Leia did.

I shifted and ran along the borders, nodding to my guards as I passed.

The humans waged a war on us after what happened with that young wolf and the woman. They had taken it upon themselves to drive us to extinction.

I didn’t know how, but I ended up at the female’s quarters. I opened the door without knocking.

“Excuse me. What are you doing?” she barked at me.

So much like Leia, it hurt to breathe.

“I came to see you had settled in well.”

Had I?

“Well, I have. Now you may leave,” she pointed to the door.

No.

Not until I get what I want.

What is that?

Her.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously as I stepped further into the room.

“I’m warning you. I am not a wolf you want to mess with.”

Oh, but I do.

I sidestepped toward her. She stepped in the opposite direction.

We were circling each other.

“You look so much like my mate.” My voice was hoarse, barely even sounding like my own.

Her eyes narrowed even more. “Why don’t you go to her then?”

“I can’t.”

She paused, looking at me intently.

“She’s dead.”

Without giving the female a second to think, I lunged, grabbed her by the waist, and threw her onto the bed.

“So I’ll just have you instead,” I growled, climbing onto the bed.

“The hell you will!” she snarled, kicking out her bare foot and making contact with my chin, knocking me backward. Even without her powers, she was a strong wolf.

She will make powerful pups.

Just what this kingdom needs.

I stood up, cracking my jaw back into place. “That wasn’t very nice,” I growled at her.

She jumped off the bed and got into a fighting stance.

“I swear to the Goddess I will kill you where you stand,” she growled.

I like her.

She has spunk.

I like spunk.

I lunged for her again, but this time she was ready. I hit the floor, clutching my head in pain as a blinding white light flashed before my eyes and my ears rang with a high-pitched sound.

What is this magic?

She is very strong. Very strong indeed.

I tried to stand up, but she put me in a tighter hold.

“I will not tell anyone what happened here tonight so as not to disrupt your reputation, but know this. Should you try anything like that again, I will end you.” Her voice was very quiet.

She released me from her grip just as quickly as she had gotten me into it, and I heard the door behind me burst open.

I could smell her brothers even though I was still on the floor clutching my head and trying to regain my breath.

“Milly, it’s Pops.”