His name upon her lips resonated through him like a perfectly tuned note. He looked forward to hearing her scream it as he brought her to ecstasy over and over again. For now, though, things seemed to be going well. In time, she would come to trust him, and eventually, would not be able to envision her life without him in it.

A check of the monitors confirmed that the club was once again at capacity. This night, however, he had no intention of making an appearance downstairs. He had already found his happiness, and she was in a small apartment on the other side of town. He knew because he had surreptitiously followed her the night before. Her safety and well-being had become his primary concern. Even now, she was under the watchful eyes of one of his men.

He smiled, envisioning how that knowledge would probably rile her. Ryan was a warrior for her people.

While he appreciated her abilities, taking such precautions was necessary. She was his mate and, as such, there were those who would target her because of it. The fact that she did not yet know that did not alter the truth of it.

In the meantime, he had a courtship to plan.

He pressed a button on the private communication device, pleased when Spice answered right away. “Whatcha need, boss man?”

“I require tutelage on the proper wooing of a human female.”

There was a moment of silence before she said, “Say what?”

He exhaled then spoke slowly. “I require tutelage on the ...”

He didn’t get any further before Spice came through the door, eyes alight. “Who is she?”

“Her name is Ryan Winslet, and she is—”

“A cop.”

“Yes. Have you made her acquaintance?”

Spice frowned. “Not personally, no, but in my former profession, it made sense to know the players on both sides. Straight-laced and kind of a ball buster, right? Not exactly your type.”

“She is exactly my type,” he countered. “She is a strong, capable, honorable female. More importantly, she is my mate, the one divinely chosen for me and me alone.”

“Aha. And she’s okay with all this?” Spice asked doubtfully, waving her hand in the air. “With you?”

He stiffened. “She is quite taken with me.”

Spice stared back at him. “She doesn’t know, does she?”

“No,” he admitted, “which is why I require your assistance.”

“Let me guess. You want her so head-over-heels in love with you that who you are and where you came from won’t matter.”

“Precisely.”

“All right, then,” Spice said after several long moments. “Lord knows you’ve done so much for me. For all of us, really. I’ll help you get your happily ever after, Sharky, but it’s not going to be easy.”

He grinned. “Nothing worthwhile ever is.”

By the time the dawn was nigh, Tiberius’s head was filled with suggestions on how best to win the detective’s heart. Spice had called in several others over the course of the night, and all had been willing to share their personal strategies, which ranged from traditional gestures, like roses and candy, to all-night pleasure marathons. Tiberius had listened to them all and had eventually crafted a plan which he felt would not only appeal to his mate but was also centered around his particular strengths.

Hours later, rested and refreshed, Tiberius was finalizing the evening’s plans when he received a call from downstairs.

“A guy named Drew’s here to see you, boss. Says it’s important.”

“Very well.”

“You want me to bring him up to your office?”

“No, I shall speak with him in the bar. I am on my way down now.”

Tiberius took his private elevator down to the first floor, enjoying the tranquility of the place now that it wasn’t filled with writhing humans.

He paused at one of the massive aquariums and gazed at the assortment of sea creatures longingly. It had been too long since he had immersed himself in the salty depths, felt the cool glide of water over his skin, enjoyed the peace and serenity only found far beneath the waves. This afternoon, he would treat himself and Quintus to a brief but much-needed sojourn before the evening’s courting began in earnest.

“Quintus,” he said without turning around, “stop skulking. It is beneath you.”

“It is not, and you know it,” Quintus replied easily, stepping up beside him. “And my skulking, as you describe it, has served us both well.”

Tiberius couldn’t deny the claim. Quintus’s ability to melt into the shadows had revealed quite a few truths over the years, many of which had saved him from making grave errors in judgment. What people said to a prince’s face and what they said behind his back were often vastly different and, as Quintus had told him on multiple occasions, he was sometimes too naïve to sense a person’s true intentions.

If he had listened to Quintus’s warning about the Celusian princess, he wouldn’t have been found guilty of treason and exiled to Earth.

Then you wouldn’t have met your mate, a small voice in his head reminded him.

Well, there was that.

“I have been informed that someone named Drew comes with important news.”

“Drew?” Quintus furrowed his brow. “The cannabis merchant?”

“I suppose.”

Quintus frowned and looked as if he wanted to say more, but only nodded. “Very well. Let us hear what he has to say.”

They found Drew waiting in a plush, semicircular booth, being guarded by Gino, one of the daytime security staff. Drew’s gaze flicked left and right almost constantly. Beneath the table, his knee bounced up and down in quick, staccato movements.

“I thought cannabis had a calming effect,” Tiberius commented quietly.

“It does,” Quintus replied darkly, which meant whatever news Drew had brought, it was not good.

Tiberius and Quintus sat down, one on either side of Drew, effectively caging him between them.

“You have something you wish to tell us?” Tiberius asked.

“Yeah.” Drew looked at one, then the other, and swallowed. “Word is, Black Eagle isn’t too happy about so many of his peeps going missing.”

Tiberius inclined his head. “Black Eagle?”

“Yeah, man. Black Eagle.” Drew licked his lips. “As in, the Black Eagle that every pimp and dealer in the Golden Beach area gave seventy-five percent of their take to before you came along.”

“And ...?”

Drew blinked. “And ... the dude is hardcore, man. He doesn’t like to share. If he’s coming to town, it’s not in a friendly way, feel me?”

“Ah,” Tiberius said, realization dawning. “You have come to warn us.”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Why?” Quintus asked suddenly.

“Why?” Drew repeated, seeming confused.

“Yes, why? You do not strike me as a particularly selfless, giving soul. What is it you hope to gain in exchange for imparting such information?”

For a moment, the man looked offended by Quintus’s assessment. “Me? I don’t want nothing, man, except for you to remember who gave you a heads-up when shit gets real.”

“Shit is not real?” Tiberius murmured.

Quintus shot him a quelling look then turned back to Drew. “You are afraid of this Black Eagle?”

“Fuck yes, I am. And dude, you should be, too. Look, things around here are a lot better since you came to town. Less painful, more happy, and heavier pockets, if you catch my drift. A lot of us don’t want to see things go back to the way they were. I know you’re a badass and all, but Black Eagle ain’t like the small-time losers you’ve been dealing with. He’s the big fish that eats all the little fish that ain’t making bank; you know what I’m saying?”

Tiberius processed his words—the man had an odd way of speaking—and translated it to something he understood. “Forewarned is forearmed.”

“Exactly.” Drew nodded emphatically. “And I’m forewarning you so you can forearm yourself with some big-ass guns.”

“Do you have information on his pending arrival?”

“No, he ain’t the type to give out details, man. My sources only say it’s gonna be sooner rather than later. And it ain’t gonna be pretty. Dude likes to make a statement, send a message to anyone else who might be thinking about going indie.”

“Thank you, Drew. Please continue to keep us informed.”

“Yeah, man, I will.”

“Excellent. Gino will see that you have whatever you need. Good day, Mr. Drew.”

Tiberius and Quintus walked away, leaving a slack-jawed Drew staring after them.

“Is he reliable?” Tiberius asked.

“For the most part,” Quintus answered carefully. “He does seem to pick up a lot of information not readily available, but I don’t trust him.”

Tiberius smiled. “You do not trust anyone, my friend.”

“True enough.”

“We would do well to be prepared in case the fecal matter does find its way into the circulating blades.”

“You mean, before shit hits the fan?” Quintus laughed.

“Yes. That is what I said.”

“My prince, we really must work on your grasp of human colloquialisms.”

“Quite,” Tiberius agreed. “In the meantime, have Antonio prepare the car. It has been far too long since we have had a proper swim, and I need to prepare for my date this evening.”

“I hope you are right about her, Tiberius.”

“I am,” he said confidently.