Victor

––––––––

The instant Victor spoke, he mentally cursed himself. Too soon, too soon. He knew it from the shock in Debbie’s beautiful brown eyes. And yet he had no other choice. He had to move quickly, or he’d lose his mate before he’d ever had a chance to claim her.

His mate.

Even in the midst of his desperation and shock, he was unable to resist stopping to savor the moment. He’d known the instant he’d looked into her honey-brown eyes that she was the one. The only one. His own.

See? His dragon remarked smugly. Sparks flew.

They sure did, Victor admitted.

In the silence born of Debbie’s astonishment, he knew he should be thinking of a way to smooth over the awkward moment. But instead, he simply gazed at her, drinking her in.

It was strange how two women could look as identical as a pair of peas in a pod, and yet be so completely different. Princess Eugenia was pretty, certainly. But she didn’t set his loins on fire. Debbie did. Princess Eugenia’s voice was pleasant, but it didn’t make him want to sit forever and just listen to its melodic tones. Debbie’s voice, on the other hand—

“YOU WANT ME TO MARRY YOU?!” Debbie shrieked.

—was more enchanting than the most exquisite music.

Pull yourself together, his dragon hissed. Yes, of course, she is our mate, everything about her is perfect. But she does not yet know that she is our mate. Talk to her!

Hurriedly, Victor said, “Let me explain. Ah, may I do so in a more pleasant environment?  The palace, perhaps?”

Debbie’s eyebrows rose. She stared at him, her lovely features eloquently expressing shock, incredulity, and the suspicion that he was an escaped lunatic.

“I really am the prince,” Victor said. In desperation, he thrust his hand out to her. “See, there’s my signet ring.”

She glanced down at it, then back up at him. “I don’t know what that’s supposed to look like. For all I know you bought it at a pawn shop.”

His horror and disbelief at the idea that he might have purchased the signet ring of the royal house of Rodica in a common pawn shop must have showed on his face, because Debbie laughed.

“Okay, I believe that you’re the prince. You do seem... princely.” Then her amusement shifted to anger. “But what I don’t understand is why you said I should marry you. What the hell was that? Some kind of joke? Because it wasn’t funny!”

“Umm.” Victor frantically fished for an explanation that would soothe her without being a lie. He had never felt less suave in his life. “No, it wasn’t a joke.”

Ominously, his mate folded her arms. “Then what was it?”

“It was a very stupid thing to blurt out,” Victor admitted. “A stupid, regrettable thing. Which I’m regretting very much.”

“Yes,” Debbie said dryly. “Yes, that would be the definition of regrettable.”

“Can I start over?” Before she could object, he went on, “Hello. My name is Victor. It is my great pleasure and honor to meet you. May I invite you to...” She hadn’t appreciated the invitation to the palace. Probably she’d prefer something more casual. “...coffee? Pastries? Lunch?”

For a long, excruciating moment, Debbie was silent and Victor died a thousand deaths. Then she gave a cautious nod. “Okay.”

“Okay coffee? Okay pastries? Okay lunch?”

To his immense relief, that won him a smile. “Okay any or all of the above. What’s good around here?”

Aunt Agatha would have had no idea, as she only ate in the palace. But luckily, Victor preferred the less formal atmosphere and cooking of the restaurants of Rodica, and was familiar with this neighborhood.

In fact, that was why he was there. A week ago he had taken Princess Eugenia to a nearby café famous for its pastries. She’d enjoyed them so much that he’d returned in the hope that if she’d run away of her own accord, she might have gotten some tarts on her way out and the owner would be able to tell him so. Then at least he’d know for sure that she wasn’t coming back.

“I know just the place. If you will...”

He offered her his arm. She gave him a confused look that made it clear to him that Americans were mannerless louts with no idea how to treat a woman, then figured it out and laid her hand on his forearm.

It was the first time she had touched him. Even through two layers of cloth, the contact went through him like an electric shock. It must have had a similar effect on her, because her fingers tightened and he heard her sharp inhale.

“Lead on,” she said, her voice wobbling.

He led her through the streets. It was lucky that he knew the way well, or he would have gotten lost. He could barely focus on anything but the touch of his mate’s fingers on his forearm. He could feel the heat of each one like a brand. It made him want to push her up against the nearest wall, rip off her clothes, and take her then and there.

He shook his head, stunned by the intensity of his own desire. He’d never felt anything like it before. But everything about Debbie enchanted him, even her suspicion of his proposal and himself. He knew that he’d come on too strong and blurted it out too suddenly. Of course she was doubtful; it was only common sense.

And yet she was willing to hear him out. Some part of her must sense that they were mates.

Or maybe she just liked him.

Or maybe both, hissed his dragon.

I sure hope so, Victor thought.

But his main difficulty remained. It was strange how he’d always thought that finding his mate would remove all his problems. In fact, it only made them more complicated.

Debbie was an American commoner. No child of hers could ever be accepted as a ruler of Rodica, and fathering a baby on her would do nothing to confirm him as heir. If he openly married her, he would have to abandon his claim to the throne and leave his country without an heir.

Meanwhile, he was supposed to marry a woman who had vanished. Victor strongly suspected that faced with the reality of marrying a man she didn’t love, Eugenia had run off to lead her own life and love as she pleased. In which case, she’d never come back.

But Debbie looked just like the missing Eugenia. If she were to impersonate the princess, no one ever need know. He could have her and his country too.

But would she be willing to go along with it? Perhaps she would if he persuaded her that it would be temporary, only until Eugenia returned. But he didn’t want to marry her temporarily, nor did he want to lie to her.

And then there was the fact that he was a dragon shifter. While shifters were common knowledge in Rodica, he knew that most countries, including America, didn’t believe in shifters and thought that dragons were mere legend. How could he convince her that something she’d believed all her life was a myth was plain fact? If he told her, she’d think he was lying or even mocking her. If he turned into a dragon in front of her, she’d be terrified.

How could he be worthy of his mate if he lied to her?

How could he keep his mate if he told the truth?