“Tina, sorry,” he said with a slight nod.
“I’m in no mood to talk.”
“That’s fine. I simply wanted to check on you. Things got heated back in the throne room.” He gave her a warm smile.
“No shit.”
“Yeah, ‘heated’ is kind of an understatement.” He chuckled and rubbed his neck. “Look, it’s fine if you don’t want to be around anyone, especially any of us. I just wanted to offer you a way out of all this.”
Now that piqued her interest. Hands on her hips, she raised one disbelieving eyebrow and cast a fleeting glance over her shoulder at the empty corridor to see if anyone else was listening. “A way out? Why would I want that?”
Instead of looking surprised that she might reject his offer, Zane grinned as if he had expected her to say that. “You’re powerful, Tina. I don’t doubt for a minute that, with time, you could learn to control your powers well enough to take on an army. I have faith in you, and I would hate to ever again be subjected to your wrath. Once is enough for me.”
He raised a finger. “But you’re new to this world, and the kings are not the kind of enemy you want to make. They’re stubborn, prideful, and arrogant. You’ll need to be at your full power to take them all on at once, and that will likely take years. In the meantime, I have contacts. I can get you out of any situation and keep you safe until you’re ready to take them on.”
She frowned, mulling over this new information. True, she didn’t have full control over her magic yet, and she knew next to nothing about this world of royal shifters and bids for power. Politics had never really been her forte, but she could figure it out on her own.
Suspicious, she glanced him up and down. “And what’s in it for you, Prince Charming?”
He leaned against the wall and stared at the floor. “You don’t know a lot about us, Tina, but I know the other princes’ strengths and weaknesses inside and out. I’m a strategist, and I can usually see fifty moves ahead. Do you know what the other princes are doing right now?”
She shook her head, not entirely sure if he was answering her question or avoiding it.
“They’re strategizing. Planning how to best woo you.”
“Oh? And how exactly do you think they’ll do that?”
He leaned against the wall. “Anthony is already smitten by you and will do anything to win, even if it means breaking your rules.” Zane shrugged, counting off the princes on his fingers as he spoke. “Draven wants to win your heart through sex, and honestly, he’s going to be a handful for you to manage but he’ll make it worth your while. Flynn will teach you everything there is to know about Olympus in the hopes that your mutual magical ability will endear you to him, and it probably will.” Zane kicked off the wall and slowly neared her, hands in his pockets as he studied her face. “And Killian is a knight, a man of honor and justice, so he’ll make pledges and fight for your admiration.”
“Wow,” Tina muttered, genuinely surprised. She hadn’t expected him to actually answer, and the responses were incredibly illuminating. She felt like she’d just learned more about the men in her contest than she could have in a week of dates. It seemed like Zane would prove to be quite useful.
“All of them want you, Tina, just like I do.” Zane set his hands on her shoulders. “We respect you, and your display in the throne room has made us all adore you. No one here is willing to lose, so this competition will be fierce.”
Tina frowned. “Why aren’t you off strategizing, then?”
“Already done. Made my plan back in the throne room while everyone was talking. That’s what I do, Tina. I look ahead, analyze the situation, determine the most likely outcome, and plan accordingly.”
With a mischievous smile, she pretended to study the gardens out the nearest window. “And what’s the most likely outcome here?”
“You’ll pick me.”
“Will I now?” She laughed in surprise, both charmed and taken aback by his confidence, and spun around to find him watching her with a soft and curious expression.
“I know that sounds incredibly cocky, and I’m sorry.” He chuckled and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “I promise that’s not who I am but hear me out. I’ve thought this through.”
“I’m listening.” Arms crossed, she gave him a once-over even though she couldn’t hide her amused smile. Except for that offhand comment, he didn’t seem like the arrogant type, and thus far he hadn’t said anything that made her think she should send him packing.
With a goofy grin on his face, he rubbed the back of his neck yet again. “I’m absolutely enamored by you, Tina. I’ve never felt this way before about anyone, and I want you to be happy. If you choose me, I will always do everything in my power to give you everything you could ever want.”
Her grin widened, and she melted a bit more at his nerdy charm. The cynical part of her brain began to look for loopholes he might exploit to manipulate her, but deep down she knew this was a man who would deliver on his word. “Let’s say I take you up on this offer. What if you tell the other shifters where I am? King James wants me dead. You could just lord that over me for the rest of my life and make me do whatever you wanted.”
Zane raised one eyebrow in challenge. “I’ll give you a secured phone line, a private island, a seaplane, and five million dollars in cash. I’ll even teach you to fly the plane if you don’t want to trust the pilot I’ll hire for you.”
Oh wow, nice. She mulled it over, trying to find the loophole. “What’s the catch?” she asked.
“No catch. That’s not how I operate.” Zane closed the distance between them, his hands still in his pockets. “This is merely a chance for me to show you that I will always keep your best interests at heart. You ask, and I will deliver. Always.”
She toyed with the ends of her hair, a smile on her lips as she eyed the endearing nerd before her. “That’s sweet, Zane.”
He smiled warmly, so close she could smell his oaky cologne. Her eyes trailed to the first few buttons of his shirt, which had been undone and revealed a hard chest underneath the fabric as he spoke. “Now’s the part where I confuse you.”
“How so?”
“I mentioned that I want you to be happy, and I mean it, even if it’s not with me.” He held her hand, his touch surprisingly gentle. His touch sent delicious shivers through her body, and she leaned in instinctively as he continued. “I have my qualms with the other princes, but each of them has a good heart and will bring you joy. All of us would die for you, Tina, both as a goddess and as our mate. It doesn’t matter to us if it’s a political marriage. Regardless of who you choose, you’ll have protection and safety for your entire life. I just hope that you choose me.”
As he spoke, the last shred of Tina’s anger huffed out like an extinguished flame. He wanted to keep her safe, and he seemed to genuinely mean it when he said he wanted what was best for her. Grateful for the kind-hearted tiger shifter in front of her, she smiled warmly and kissed his cheek. “Fine. If I feel the need, I’ll take you up on your offer, Zane.”
“That’s all I ask,” he said right before he kissed on her forehead. The movement was so quick, so sudden, that by the time she had realized what he’d done, the touch of his lips was already sending sparks of heat and desire through her body.
“Wow,” she said as Zane released her, and the absence of his touch left her skin went cold despite the hot and humid night.
“The thing is, I’m not even half as good as Draven or Flynn.” He looked like he was going to say more, but before he could, he glanced over his shoulder. When she followed his gaze, she found herself staring at empty shadows.