Page 4 of The Wolf's Prince
To his delight, the anger faded from the shifter’s face. Suddenly, he watched Nikolai as though unsure of what to make of him.
“I am Nikolai,” he said, offering his hand.
The shifter took it.
“Soren,” he said in a low voice.
Nikolai found himself holding Soren’s hand for too long, feeling the warmth of his grip as fireworks erupted in his chest.
“Can you turn into anything you like?” he asked.
That finally drew a smile.
Soren shook his head.
“No.”
A man of few words it seemed. That suited Nikolai just fine. The things he wanted to do with the shifter had little to do with talking anyway.
He bit his lip.
“Then what do you transform into? Will you show me?”
Soren tilted his head, considering.
“Perhaps… if you can guess.”
Nikolai's lips tilted into a smile. He loved men who played games. It made everything more fun.
“Let me see,” he said coyly, using the excuse to step closer. “Hm, you're dressed well, but in so many layers. This fur collar...”
Nikolai allowed himself to touch Soren's broad shoulders, feeling the muscles under thick fur as he walked around Soren under the guise of examining his outfit.
“What about it?” Soren asked, turning his face to meet Nikolai's eyes as he came back around to the front of him.
There was amusement in his hooded eyes. Andinterest.
“It suggests that you are a hunter,” Nikolai said, lowering his voice. “Perhaps you turn into a predator of the wilderness in the dark of the night?”
“Like a monster?” Soren asked, his voice suddenly husky, eyes glinting on Nikolai’s.
“No,” he whispered. “But perhaps... like a wolf?”
Suddenly, someone bumped into his back, sending him lurching forward.
Soren caught him, his hands firm and strong, holding Nikolai longer than necessary as he swiveled, in turn catching the man who'd lost his step.
“Careful there, friend,” he said, catching the man’s shoulders as he stumbled.
Nikolai was surprised to realize that it was Prince Allard, looking dashing as usual, in a fancy white suit accented with gold and blue to bring out his pale blond hair and grey eyes. His worried eyes widened in surprise when their gazes met.
“Prince Nikolai! You’re here too?”
“Of course! Everyone is!” Nikolai laughed.
Nikolai had been looking forward to talking to him since receiving the invite, but now that Allard was here, he would have to get the short version of Nikolai’s commendations. His mind was fixated on the shifter standing behind him with a firm grip still surreptitiously on Nikolai’s hip, burning through his suit.
“What a revolutionary moment! I commend you and your family for choosing to bring the creatures of the wood to light. Such a daring idea,” he grinned, patting him on the shoulder.
