me any of the fancy-pants stuff.”
“What is your preferred brand?”
She snapped her fingers and briefly closed her eyes. “Ohh, ‘Fire and Rain.’ I love this song.” She quietly sang a few lines before she turned her attention back to the bar. “Let’s not make this complicated. Just point at one of the green bottles.”
Prince headed toward the bar and paid for a bottle, hoping his selection would please Kat. He even compared brands and chose the most expensive. Strange that he’d want to please her when they’d only just met. Prince felt comfortable in her presence, as if they’d known each other for years. The only other person he’d ever felt that same connection to was Alex.
It didn’t make sense, because he had more in common with her sister. Who else was more suited to be his mate than Nadia? Sophisticated, enchanting, eloquent…
“Your zipper’s down,” Kat said brightly, snatching the beer from his hand and guzzling it.
Startled, he looked down and—to his horror—realized she was right. Discreetly, he turned away from the room and maneuvered his hand downward before anyone noticed.
Kat suddenly reached out and zipped him up. His eyes widened at her brazen move, and she grinned when the high-pitched sound caught the attention of a woman sitting at a nearby table.
“Don’t you have any sense of decency?” he whispered.
She glanced around the bar. “Only on Mondays. Wait, there he is. I’d recognize those jowls anywhere.” She nudged Prince and turned him to face the back of the room. “Over to the left near the woman in red. You can’t miss her; she stands out like a stuck pig in a cotton factory. Who needs to dress like that? Some women display their breasts like they’re melons at a farmer’s market.”
“Let’s say hello,” he said, pushing off the wall and centering his eyes on Vlad.
“Wait!” she whispered urgently. “You’ll spook him.”
“And your plan was to tackle him on the way to the men’s room?” he asked with derision as they moved toward the table. All Prince could think about was wrapping his hands around Vlad’s throat and squeezing until the life pulsed out of him.
Kat suddenly plopped down in the chair directly behind Vlad. She crossed her legs, downed her beer, and bored a hole in the back of his skull with her heated gaze. Prince continued walking without questioning her actions.
The music switched to another song when he pulled the chair out and sat across from the old Mage. When Vlad lifted his head from his glass of vodka, his glazed eyes settled on Prince for a few moments before a flicker of recognition sparked in them.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Prince . Vanquished two centuries ago and crawling back to civilization like a reptile emerging from a swamp,” Vlad said in a heavy Russian accent.
“Banished, not vanquished,” Prince stated flatly. “And how have the years treated you? Did you enjoy the spoils of war? Money and power can be fleeting for those who don’t know how to conserve.”
Vlad took another drink and slammed the glass down, raising his stony eyes to Prince. He was a hard-looking man with a weathered face and blond hair that seemed half a shade away from white. His eyes were the color of slate, and when he smiled, he showed more gum than teeth.
“You look different. I wouldn’t have recognized you if not for those devil eyes,” Vlad said. “They should have burned you as a witch centuries ago. One less Shifter infesting the world.” He lifted his glass, gave it a swirl, and then polished it off.
Prince maintained his composure. “Now that humans have mastered electricity, your Mage gifts seem far less impressive. No better than a battery.”
Vlad flashed him a hostile look. He was not only an immortal, but had the ability to manipulate energy, releasing it through his hands as a weapon to any non-Mage. Prince had built up a tolerance to the energy blasts over the years because of his alpha magic, so
Angel Payne, Victoria Blue