Chapter One

 

“Seriously, Tessa? You have got to be kidding me. A matchmaker? What did your parents say?”

“Nothing.” Her friend shrugged. “It really wasn’t any of their business. Besides,” the Vaepanther, part vampire – part black panther, waggled her eyebrows. “You’ve seen Lenn.” She flopped back on the bed, adding with a dreamy sigh, “Gerri definitely knows what she’s doing. I’d give her a ten out of ten for prompt and thorough service.”

Savannah could only roll her eyes as one of her closest friends giggled like a giddy schoolgirl and tease, “Yeah, but he’s a scaly, old dragon. I’ve heard their domineering and bossy.”

Rolling to her side and propping her head on her hand, the Vaepanther grinned, “Oh yeah, in absolutely all the best ways.”

Throwing a pillow at her friend, Savannah shook her head and sighed. She was thrilled for her friend…. really. Tess had every right to be happy…. even though it was nauseating. She was mated to one the sexiest men Savannah had ever seen. Lennox had a wicked sense of humor and the tenacity to keep up with a crazy Vaepanther every step of the way.

But I’m a Queen. I have responsibilities. I’m supposed to mate someone of royal descent…

“But they all suck,” Tessa answered out loud. “And you deserve better.”

“Stop listening to my thoughts.”

“If you don’t want me to listen and give my opinion, then don’t broadcast them for the whole world to hear.” The Vaepanther playfully stuck out her tongue before going on. “Besides, who knows better than me? I’ve met most of the feline royalty and let’s face it, all the males are either momma’s boys or more pretentious than a beauty queen.” She sat up on the bed, holding the pillow Savannah had thrown at her. “You need a man who can make you laugh. Who sweeps you off your feet.” She threw the pillow at the same time she quickly added, “Gets the ‘I’m-a-Queen’ stick outta your ass and makes you purr a little.”

Opening her mouth to snipe back as she caught the pillow her friend had thrown, Savannah’s jaw snapped shut, she flopped into the overstuffed chair behind her, and sighed, “You know, you’re right.” She bit the inside of her cheek and thought for a minute before going on. “I’ve been the Queen of this Pride since I was eighteen.” She leveled her gaze. “And you are one of the few people who know how damn long that’s been.” Winking to lighten the suddenly serious mood, the lioness hurried on, getting more excited with every word. “It’s time I had some fun. Thought of myself…lived a little, ya’ know?” Not waiting for an answer, she went on. “Who cares if he’s of royal descent or not? Has fur or feathers or Goddess forbid, scales? It’s time I grab a little happiness for myself.”

Jumping to her feet as her friend sprung off the bed, the two women gave a loud, ‘Woohoo’ and a unanimous fist pump. Grabbing the phone from Tessa’s outstretched hand, Savannah touched the screen and listened intently as the matchmaker’s phone began to ring.

“Hello?” Answered the voice on the other end. 

“Hello. Is this Gerri Wilder?”

“Yes, it is. How can I help you, Savannah?”

Pulling the phone from her ear, the Queen looked at it like it had sprouted ears then looked at her friend who was nodding knowingly, as Tessa hit the speakerphone button and Savannah asked, “How did you know who it was?”

A laugh, so full of life that it made Savannah smile despite her trepidation, filled the room as Gerri replied, “A magician never reveals her secrets.”

“A magician, huh?” Savannah asked with raised eyebrows. “Is that how you changed Tessa from a cranky, old Vaepanther to this blissfully happy slug before me?”

“You know it,” the matchmaker snickered. “But Tessa and Lennox were an easy match. Just as I’m sure you and your mate will be.”

Holding back her laughter as her friend stuck out her tongue, harrumphed and folded her arms over her chest, pretending to be offended, Savannah questioned, “So since you know what I’m calling about, what’s the next step?”

“I like you.” The Queen could hear the smile in Gerri’s voice as she went on, “Direct and to the point – my kinda girl.” There was a pause during which Savannah could hear papers shuffling before the matchmaker asked, “What are you doing this afternoon?”

“Nothing. Why?”

“Because I’m coming over and we’ll get started. No time like the present, right?”

“Oh…well, yeah. I guess you’re right.”

“See you at two.”

“Wait, are you close to the Pride Lands? I thought you lived…”

“Darlin’, I’m close to everywhere,” the matchmaker chuckled. “See you at two.”

“Well, damn. She works quick.” Savannah blew out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“I told you she was something else,” Tessa grinned then quickly added, “This is gonna be fun.”

“Wait…fun?” She knew that look in Tessa’s eyes. Had seen it more than once and every time they’d ended up in some kind of trouble…usually the type that required one or both of their sets of parents getting involved to avoid inter-species war.

Just like the time they were vacationing on Australia’s Gold Coast and got into an argument with two mermen about whether cats liked water or not. It had only taken four tall glasses of some fruity, alcoholic concoction and a whole crap-ton of healthy competition to make the girls change into their cats and jump into the warm, clear waters of South Straddie.

Unfortunately, they’d been so caught up in proving the mermen wrong, that the girls hadn’t even noticed the fifty or so surfers paddling around, waiting for a wave. Needless to say, after smoothing everything over with local officials, the MerKing had immediately called their parents.

For the next twenty-four hours, while sequestered in the MerKing’s underwater castle, the girls had enjoyed enough seafood to sink a small battleship while waiting for their imminent doom. Savannah would never forget how many zeroes were on the check her father wrote to the Sea Shepherd Marine Debris Campaign, the merpeople’s charity of choice, or how long she was grounded.

And I’d do it all again to have my parents back…

“I miss them, too,” Tessa nodded with tear filled eyes. “They were the best.”

“Yeah, they were,” Savannah agreed. “And that was the last vacation we took before they were… were…” She choked back the words, unable to continue.

Coming up beside her, Tessa wrapped her arms around Savannah’s shoulder and nodded, “I know, hun, I know. Sometimes, life’s just not fair.” Patting her arm before stepping back, the Vaepanther painted on a smile to hide the pain Savannah felt within her friend and teased, “Now, get outta that damned, old, ratty T-shirt and those smiley-face boxers. That’s really no way for a Queen to dress.”

Snickering despite the tears still clogging her throat, Savannah rolled her eyes for at least the tenth time since Tessa had arrived with coffee and croissants at the crack of dawn and teased, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, like your matchmaker friend cares what I look like.”

Tilting her head to the side and giving the lioness an oh-yeah-you-think-so look, Tessa scoffed, “Oh girl, are you in for a surprise.”

“What do you mean?” Savannah asked, getting more nervous with every passing second.

With a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin, Tessa raised up on her toes, spun towards the door and as she headed into the hall called over her shoulder with a chuckle, “You’ll see.” Then added, “Want some more coffee?”

“No, I don’t want coffee,” Savannah grumbled under her breath as she got ready to take a shower. “I want to have my head examined for listening to you.”

“I heard that,” came Tessa’s sing-songed reply.

“Good, I meant for you, too,” the Queen yelled back before sighing, “Good Goddess, what was I thinking?”