Charming (A Seven World Novel) (2 page)

“Sire, your visitor’s in the sitting room,” Stover informed him in a thick Scottish accent.
Russell was Prince’s second-in-command—and on the receiving end of countless jokes because of his name. Every Christmas, the men honored him with a box of assorted Russell Stover chocolates. Russell would conjure a smile and graciously accept the gift, although Prince could tell the novelty had worn off decades ago. But a man who complains only puts a bigger target on his back, so he wisely left it alone. Besides, a man could hardly object to a few taunts when it earned him confectioneries in return.

Prince rose from his chair and crossed the room, the soles of his shoes tapping heavily against the marble floor. He’d been waiting upstairs in a quiet study all afternoon, unable to read or put his thoughts to rest after sending one of his men for Nadia. Their brief encounter had ended abruptly when she’d received a business call that continued for the rest of the car ride. So to remedy their abbreviated meeting, Prince had invited her over for drinks, hoping to finally get answers about what had become of his friend Alex.

“This is
quite
a mansion,” Nadia remarked from the first floor below, speaking with a lovely Russian accent. Every sound was amplified because of the large space.

Prince descended the stairs with a casual swagger, averting his wayward gaze from her beautiful legs. Her white business skirt suited her in a way that left a man thinking about anything but business.

“I’m pleased you could come on such short notice, Miss Kozlov.”

When she bowed, her silky blond hair slipped forward. It was past her shoulders and as straight as could be. “I cannot help but notice how you enjoy saying my name.”

“This way.” Prince took her arm and led her toward the parlor at the other end of the rotunda.

Her eyes soaked in the magnificence of his mansion—the marble floors, exquisite paintings, golden light that showered down from the skylight above, and silence. Not all Packmasters could claim to have a quiet house, but it was a luxury Prince appreciated. When not performing their jobs, his pack preferred to either congregate in one of the social rooms or let their wolves roam the property. The only ones allowed to make noise within the main rooms were the children, but even they were quiet and respectful when he passed through the room.

As soon as they entered the parlor, Nadia whirled around dramatically and put her hands on her hips. “Do you really know my father, or was this a ploy to get me alone?”

Prince closed the door. “Does he still live?”

She shrugged indifferently. “Last I heard.”

“When is the last time you spoke?”

Her finely shaped brows arched as she turned on her heel and poured herself a glass of white wine at the long table against the wall.

Prince watched with mild curiosity as she crossed the gold marble floor and stepped onto the oversized white rug in the center of the room. He often used this room to impress his guests by flaunting his wealth. She glanced up at the crystal chandelier that hung from the high ceiling. It wasn’t the only source of light, as track lighting ran along the outer edges. Nadia chose to sit in one of the chairs instead of the gold couch, which he had hoped she would do. He preferred sitting beside female companions when conversing.

Nadia sipped her wine, leaving a red lipstick stain on the rim of the glass. She set it down on a table and then looked about the room. “I must say that pack life treats you well. It always benefits the Packmaster more than his packmates.”

He strode across the area rug and sat on the edge of the sofa, Nadia to his right. “And where do you think my pack lives? They enjoy the same accommodations I do. The same food, the same land, the same roof above.”

“But not to the degree you do.”

He laced his fingers together. “Is that what keeps you from joining a pack, Miss Kozlov?”

She looked at him unabashedly, her pale brown eyes sparkling beneath the light. “Precisely. I have no desire to share what is mine.”

He pursed his lips, admiring a woman who spoke the truth. It was a quality he’d always been attracted to, even over looks or the purity of a woman’s blood. “Perhaps you do not aspire to a high enough position.”

“Is that an invitation?” Her red lips turned up in a smile. “I’m a gregarious woman who enjoys going out at night. Most alphas wouldn’t find me an ideal mate because I prefer having a good time over staying home and bonding with a pack. I’m afraid my social habits wouldn’t change if I chose to mate.”

“Why would you desire the company of strangers when there are plenty of Shifters within a pack to keep you company?”

This time she really did laugh, though she did it with closed lips so that it was more of a snicker. “What makes you think I’d find those of my caliber within the house? I don’t seek the company of just
anyone
. I enjoy intellectual conversation, dancing, dining, and spending time in the VIP lounges of all the trendy clubs.”

“In search of what?”

She crossed her legs, and when they brushed together, her skin made a soft hiss, sending a shiver up his spine. Her legs were undeniably long and feminine with just the right amount of curve at the hip. He couldn’t tell if her eyelashes were false, but they were thick and black. They fanned over brown eyes that shifted with the light—sometimes taking on a stormy color. Nadia was lovely—exquisite features, like a fairy. It was hard to believe someone like Alex could have produced such a creature.

“You make plenty of assumptions,” she replied, turning the gold watch on her wrist and giving it a cursory glance. “So tell me, why did you invite me here? Are you assessing me for personal reasons, or did you want information on my father?”

He widened his legs and leaned back, taking a moment to ponder her question. Nadia wanted him to choose, and he had to tread carefully since both topics were of equal priority.

“I consider myself fortunate to share the company of a beautiful woman who is also the daughter of an old friend.”

“Well played.” She set her glass down after another sip and angled her body in his direction. “I’ve never had a close relationship with my father.”

Intrigued, Prince leaned forward. “By choice or circumstance?”

Nadia twirled an emerald ring on her finger. “My father had priorities and was always a busy man. I’m not yet fifty, if that gives you a timeline.” Shifters aged slowly, and Nadia looked like a delicate flower in her midtwenties. “Life was different then, as you must know. So much has changed for Shifters in just the past twenty years. But back then, his focus was on his pack.”

A smile touched his lips. “So he’s rebuilt?”

Her brows drew together. “Rebuilt what? My father was a rogue until my mother came along. Then he decided to settle down and become a Packmaster.”

It seemed Alex had kept secrets from his daughter. “And your mother?”

She sighed dramatically, and her gaze drifted up to the opulent crystal chandelier. “My mother…” Nadia’s eyes glittered for a moment. “My mother was underwhelmed by the monotony of pack life and left her family to mate a powerful alpha.”

Prince’s lip curled in when she didn’t use the term
Packmaster
. “A rogue? She chose a
rogue
over your father?”

Nadia glanced at her watch again. “Yes. As I said, she had different priorities and a change of heart. I can’t blame the woman for wanting more from life. My father did an adequate job raising me, and now look where I am. I’m an artifacts dealer who specializes in rarities. No one knows as much as I do about the value of old pieces, and no one has my connections to match buyers with sellers. It’s not as if we have an auction house among the Breed. My father raised an independent woman, so I have little concern over men who flash their judgmental eyes at me. The only thing I lack is a good man.” She sighed thoughtfully and lifted her glass of wine. “I had hoped things would work out between Denver and me. He and I are similar in that we both—”

“
Denver
?
” Prince blurted out. He belonged to the Weston pack and worked as a bartender, hardly worthy of a woman such as Nadia. “You would have mated with a low-ranking wolf?”

She licked a drop of wine from her lip and set the glass down again. “Do I look like a woman who is searching for a man to offer me the comforts of money?”

What exactly was she searching for?
An obedient man? A plaything?
Prince bristled at the idea because Nadia was descended from nobility—one of the purest Shifter bloodlines in Europe. He and Alex came from two of the oldest generations of powerful Shifters—their life spans would stretch twice as long as other wolves. Because of that rare purity, importance had always been placed on not diluting their family line by mating with an inferior Shifter. There were few purebloods, and they were still royalty even if others were oblivious. So finding out about Nadia’s existence had sent a sliver of hope that he might have found his perfect mate.

Finally
.

“Have you taken up residency in your mind, or would you like to join the living?” she asked. “I have a meeting with a client in an hour.”

Prince rose to his feet, disheartened.

Nadia caught his look. “I’ll tell you what—why don’t you come to my place for dinner tonight? I don’t work in the evening, and that will give you plenty of time to tell me about how you know my father. We’ll have
hours
,” she said, uncrossing her legs. “Although I hope you don’t want to spend
all
that time talking about him.”

He gently took her hand, noticing how delicate her fingers were. Her fingernails were a deep shade of violet, and he kissed the knuckles on her right hand, all while keeping his eyes on hers. She rose to her feet, and the sweet scent of her perfume swirled between them.

“I adore a gentleman. No later than seven, and bring a bottle of wine.”

He arched a brow. “That I can do. Would you prefer red or white?”

“Surprise me.”

Prince knocked on the apartment door for the second time, a bottle of wine in one hand and impatience in the other.
A short, round woman with a fluffy white dog passed by him. She wobbled back and forth from what looked like a bad hip, pausing briefly to praise Mr. Teasley for sniffing Prince’s Italian leather shoes and showing what a good dog he was. After she went into her apartment, Prince bent down to wipe the stray dog hairs off his pant leg.

When the door swung open, he found himself at eye level with the most remarkable knees.

“That’s an interesting way to greet a woman,” Nadia said with a sultry chuckle. “I’d apologize for having you stand out in the hall so long, but I prefer to keep my men waiting. Come inside.”

She turned away and Prince stood erect, straightening his suit jacket and closing the door behind him.

“These are modest accommodations, Miss Kozlov. I thought you had money.”

Nadia was clipping on a pair of gold earrings while standing at the entranceway to her living room. “An intelligent woman doesn’t spend it all in one place. And never assume, Mister…”

“Prince.”

“You want me to call you Mr. Prince?”

“It’s the only name I have. Call me what you wish.”

Nadia put on her other earring, fastening the back. “As I was saying, Prince, I’ve purchased all the apartments on this floor as an investment. Well, except for the woman’s down the hall. I can’t seem to get her to sell, but since she doesn’t bother me, I can patiently wait her out. I have all the privacy I need with the convenience of living in the city near my clients. I’ve even renovated one of the apartments to allow my wolf to run.” Once she got herself together, she examined him closely. “You are a handsome man. Your features are very distinguished—something I don’t see very often unless I’m in Europe.”

If Prince were a man of humility, he might have blushed. But it was a compliment he’d received often from women. He was a Shifter in his prime—seven hundred years old, but he appeared to be in his late thirties. He still had many more years ahead of him, and hoped he would age as well as his father had. His long hair didn’t appeal to many women, so he pulled it back in a tight band for a distinguished look. It drew attention to his unique eye coloring. Prince was born with one brown and one sapphire-colored eye, and while most would have concealed such a defect with contacts or hidden it behind long hair, he had chosen not to. A man who hid his differences was a man who considered himself inferior.

“There is only one object in this room worth admiring,” he replied smoothly.

Her gaze dragged down to his hand and she smiled. “The expensive wine?”

They both jumped when a fist pounded against the door. Nadia glanced at her watch, and when a look of confusion crossed her face, Prince turned the wine bottle in his hand and held it like a weapon.

The pounding continued and a woman sang, “I know you’re in there!”

Nadia’s eyes not only rolled to the back of her head, but her eyelids fluttered. “Of
all
times… This is not the place… Always doing this,” she murmured under her breath while she unlocked the door.

In a swift motion, Nadia swung the door open. A woman with leather pants, attitude, and black tresses in unkempt waves filled the doorway. She leaned on the doorjamb. “’Bout time you opened the door. I was starting to fossilize. Something smells good.”

Nadia extended her arm in front of the woman, blocking her entrance. “
Impeccable
timing, as always.”

“I see you still haven’t dropped your accent,” she muttered, ducking below Nadia’s arm and sauntering inside. Before Prince realized it, the woman plucked the bottle from his hand and turned it around to read the label. “Yummy.”

“Katarina, I have a guest. Is there somewhere you can go until—”

“Nope.” Katarina held the bottle to her mouth, biting the end in what looked like an attempt to open it.

Prince grew agitated. The thought of this woman breaking her teeth on a nine-hundred-dollar bottle of wine made him wince. He took it away from her. “It’s sealed with a cork.”

“Ah,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “I should have known. Nadia likes the fancy stuff that doesn’t come with a screw top. Don’t you, Nads?”

“Don’t call me that,” Nadia bit out, slamming the door. “What sewer did you crawl out of today?”

“Hey, is that any way to greet your long-lost—”

Nadia cleared her throat. “Shall I just get my wallet?”

The woman raked her fingers through her hair and turned around. “Now I’m insulted. I only borrowed money
once
, and I paid it back the next day.”

When she faced Prince, he took a step back. Confusion swam in his eyes as he gripped the arch dividing the living room and front entrance.

“What’s the matter, never seen a carbon copy before?”

His eyes darted between Nadia and Katarina—the resemblance was uncanny. They were identical twins. Same warm eyes, same flawless skin and heart-shaped face, same attractive figure. The main difference was that Katarina had dyed her hair black, and it looked like the only thing that brushed it was the wind. When Nadia approached her sister, they registered at the same height, and yet the differences in personality between the two were striking. Katarina wore leather pants and a black shirt that revealed an inch of midriff. Her black boots were scuffed, and she didn’t paint her nails or wear makeup that he could see. Not that she needed any; her skin was luminous.

Prince had always been fascinated by the way a person’s body language spoke before they did. Each woman had a confident stance, but in different ways. Katarina’s pose was smug and nonchalant, whereas Nadia seemed ever-aware of her ladylike posture.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Katarina said with a snort. She slung her right arm around Nadia’s shoulder, waiting for Prince to respond.

Nadia stiffly gazed at Prince with an apologetic look in her eyes.

Prince bowed slightly. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Katarina Kozlov.”

“Kat.”

He flicked his glance up.

She jutted her hip to the side and smiled softly. “Everyone calls me Kat. Well, everyone except my own flesh and blood, but she’s excused.”

“I apologize,” Nadia said to Prince. “We can do this another time.”

Prince slid her a reassuring smile. “If you didn’t prepare enough for three, we can always share a bottle of wine.”

“Sounds perfect!” Kat exclaimed.

A flutter of amusement rolled through Prince, but he concealed his smile. She didn’t have an accent like Nadia, and her personality was a force to be reckoned with.

Nadia frowned and looked toward the kitchen. “I only baked two quails.”

Kat wrinkled her nose. “Quail? No, thanks. Why don’t you two gobble that up and I’ll just order a pizza.”

“And
who
will pay?” Nadia asked.

Prince quickly spoke up. “I’ll cover the expense.”

“Swell!” Kat said jauntily, walking past him. “I left my credit cards behind, and I’m low on cash.” She suddenly whirled around and held up her index finger. “I want the largest pizza they sell that has three kinds of meat. Extra everything. Oh, and a two-liter bottle of soda with a side order of garlic breadsticks.” She nibbled on the tip of her thumb. “And if they have anything sweet, I’ll take it. Cinnamon sticks, brownies, whatever.”

“What if I just order it all?” Prince suggested.

In a motion too fast to track, Kat pounced forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, gazing up at him with provocative eyes. “Then I just might mate with you.” Her eyes flicked back and forth between his. “Say, you have different color eyes.”

“Katarina!” Nadia gasped. “That’s enough. Why don’t you clean yourself up while I put dinner on the table?”

Kat left the room with a sullen expression, hands clasped behind her back.

“Let me apologize for my sister. She’s crass and doesn’t have a sense of when she’s acting inappropriately.”

He lightly shrugged. “I find nothing rude about stating the obvious, unless the intention is to cause emotional pain.”

Strangely, Prince liked that Kat had addressed his eye color right away. Most people never mentioned it, although they would steal glimpses when they thought he wasn’t looking. She didn’t say it in a way that had offended him either. In fact, he’d stirred a little when she gazed into his eyes, their bodies pressed together and her arms around his neck. He’d centered his attention on her soft lips, or at least he imagined they were soft. Her breasts were
unquestionably
soft by the way they had molded against his chest, and she wasn’t wearing a bra. That kind of detail rarely escaped a man’s attention.

Nadia touched his arm, quieting her voice. “Katarina is like a virus. She infects people with her unsolicited opinions. I’m sure I won’t have to worry about that with a man like you. You’ll have to ignore half of what she says; she was raised differently than I was. She’s lived in America longer and has no ambition. The only time she shows up is when she needs a place to stay for a few days.”

“What does she do that she wanders around like a nomad?”

Nadia cupped her elbows. “She’s a bounty hunter.”

Prince’s jaw slackened. “I’ve never met a female bounty hunter.”

“Now you have. She won’t settle down with a job that doesn’t involve slamming someone’s head against the hood of a car. It pays well, but she’s not as wealthy as she could be because Katarina gives away too much of it to Breed orphanages and God knows what else. Why don’t you go home and we’ll do this again another time?”

Because then Prince wouldn’t get to learn about the peculiar offspring that Alex had produced. “Would you like me to assist you in the kitchen?”

She laughed with her lips pressed tightly together and began to pull off his suit jacket. “Take a seat in the living room and make yourself comfortable. It shouldn’t be long.”

“Yummy.” Kat folded a giant wedge of pizza in half and took a hungry bite, causing an avalanche of melted cheese and meat to slide off. She used her fingers to pinch the cheese in half, winding it up and placing it back on her pizza. The aroma of spices was heavy in the air, and after filling her mouth, she licked the sauce from her fingertips. She hadn’t even bothered to use a plate but instead had set the pizza box in front of her and ripped off the top.

Prince shifted in his chair and examined his glazed quail.

A burst of laughter flew out of Kat’s mouth when she looked at his plate. “I
love
the position you put her in, Nads. It looks like the poor bird’s about to get laid.”

Nadia shaded her eyes with one hand, concealing the blush that tinted her cheeks. She was sitting at the head of the table to Prince’s left, with Kat directly in front of him.

“I’m not trying to be rude,” Kat continued. “I just thought you were supposed to tie up the legs or something. Say, did you ever get a TV? I don’t want to miss all my favorite shows.”

Nadia cut through her asparagus. “It sounds like you need to buy a home of your own. Then you can have all the television sets you desire.”

Kat gave her a frosty look while picking a sausage off her pizza. “I just thought it would be nice to watch TV while you’re out toasting the town. I’m not much of a reader—not that you have any books,” she said with a chuckle. Then she turned her attention to Prince. “I may not look like it, but I’m the homebody in this family. Nadia likes to party all night, but I guess you know that already. When I’m not working, I just like to kick off my shoes, snuggle up on the sofa with a warm blanket, and have something to take my mind off everything.
I Love Lucy
works like a charm every time.”

Prince set down his fork. The way she shifted her eyes when talking about winding down from work made him curious about how stressful it was. “What is your line of work?”

“Bounty hunter. But
shhh
. It’s never a good idea to spread that kind of thing around. Most of the guys I turn in stay locked up for life, but people hold grudges for a long time. The last thing I need is someone blowing my cover, so usually the only people who find out are the ones I haul in.” She chewed on the crust of her pizza and spoke with a mouthful. “It’s good money, in case you’re wondering. And while Nads over there thinks I do it because I enjoy beating people up, it’s not about that. When I catch a criminal, I’m doing some good in the world, like taking out the trash. You know? I get to choose my cases, and I can’t resist hunting down a no-good loser who touched a little kid where he shouldn’t have.”