Protector of the Pride (Lions of Pride Island Book 3) by Terry Bolryder
Authors: Terry Bolryder
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what I hear, you aren’t allowed to pick her.” His grin widened, showing sharpened incisors. “If you want, I’ll pick up where you left off.”
Axel clenched his hands into fists. He couldn’t afford to get riled up. He also knew this douche with a collar had zero chance of getting to Lucy. Over his dead body.
He stayed silent. He’d had a lot of douchebags try to provoke him over the years, he wasn’t going to let them now. He leaned back against the seat, taking long, relaxing breaths and retreating into his mind. “Let me know when we’re there.”
10
“ O f all the people I expected to be in this situation, I never thought it would be you, Axel.”
Axel looked up from his chair as the oracle entered the room. He’d been waiting for several minutes, and when she appeared, she had Isaac the Neanderthal right beside her. Looking much more reserved with her right there.
She had a hold on him all right.
Axel glanced at the collar again. “What are you doing with him?” He’d never known her to chain anybody. She had tremendous power, but he’d never seen her use it that way.
“I’ll explain that in a minute,” she said, taking a seat at the desk in front of him. “After you explain what you’re doing as future king.”
Axel sighed. He leaned back in the too-small chair, wondering if there was even a way to explain it. He’d just done what he wanted to, damn the consequences. He folded his arms.
“Axel,” she said, her voice placating. “I know you. You want to do what’s right, always. You’re a good man. So tell me what’s going on that I had to hear about you punching a civilian while you were out in public at an amusement park, wearing Hawaiian clothes.”
“Not much to answer,” he said. “You have most of it.”
She tucked her hair back. She could change her hair color and style at a whim and often did. Today it was dark purple. But her eyes were the usual misty gray, startlingly sharp and youthful despite her aged, grandmotherly face. Like she could see right through him.
It had always felt that way to Axel, anyway.
She stood out of her chair and walked around him. Her office was filled with beautiful, antique wood furnishings. Timeless, just like her. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Axel, you’ve always been my responsible one. My rock. So what happened?”
He was silent, still processing his thoughts.
“And does it have anything to do with that sexy secretary I sent you a few months ago?”
He sat up straight. “I knew it. You sent her. I—”
“I wouldn’t make any assumptions if I were you,” she said, going back to her seat. A little chill ran up Axel’s back as she watched him with those gray eyes. “I didn’t say she was your mate. I haven’t told you who it is yet.”
“Then when will you tell me?” he asked.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” she said.
Axel heard a snort from Isaac and gritted his teeth together. “Now, are you going to tell me who that clown is?”
“One of the original dragons,” she said. “We were keeping them on ice. This one is from the medieval period.”
“That would explain his talk of wenches. But why?”
She shrugged. “Just exploring our options. Don’t worry about it for now. I’m still working out the kinks.”
Axel looked at the collar. “I’d say so.”
She grinned. “Back to you. What are you doing? And don’t avoid my question again. It wouldn’t be wise.”
Axel dropped his hand onto his knee. “I’m sorry. I’m just exploring something. Lucy and I are attracted to each other, and she pointed out that even when I am assigned a mate, I don’t exactly know what to do with her.”
The oracle leaned back. “I’m not averse to you dating. I never was. My one concern is that you would defy me, think that you could know better or seek to contradict my orders.”
He swallowed. Would he defy her for Lucy? He wasn’t sure.
“I hope you would understand the consequences of
Axel clenched his hands into fists. He couldn’t afford to get riled up. He also knew this douche with a collar had zero chance of getting to Lucy. Over his dead body.
He stayed silent. He’d had a lot of douchebags try to provoke him over the years, he wasn’t going to let them now. He leaned back against the seat, taking long, relaxing breaths and retreating into his mind. “Let me know when we’re there.”
10
“ O f all the people I expected to be in this situation, I never thought it would be you, Axel.”
Axel looked up from his chair as the oracle entered the room. He’d been waiting for several minutes, and when she appeared, she had Isaac the Neanderthal right beside her. Looking much more reserved with her right there.
She had a hold on him all right.
Axel glanced at the collar again. “What are you doing with him?” He’d never known her to chain anybody. She had tremendous power, but he’d never seen her use it that way.
“I’ll explain that in a minute,” she said, taking a seat at the desk in front of him. “After you explain what you’re doing as future king.”
Axel sighed. He leaned back in the too-small chair, wondering if there was even a way to explain it. He’d just done what he wanted to, damn the consequences. He folded his arms.
“Axel,” she said, her voice placating. “I know you. You want to do what’s right, always. You’re a good man. So tell me what’s going on that I had to hear about you punching a civilian while you were out in public at an amusement park, wearing Hawaiian clothes.”
“Not much to answer,” he said. “You have most of it.”
She tucked her hair back. She could change her hair color and style at a whim and often did. Today it was dark purple. But her eyes were the usual misty gray, startlingly sharp and youthful despite her aged, grandmotherly face. Like she could see right through him.
It had always felt that way to Axel, anyway.
She stood out of her chair and walked around him. Her office was filled with beautiful, antique wood furnishings. Timeless, just like her. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Axel, you’ve always been my responsible one. My rock. So what happened?”
He was silent, still processing his thoughts.
“And does it have anything to do with that sexy secretary I sent you a few months ago?”
He sat up straight. “I knew it. You sent her. I—”
“I wouldn’t make any assumptions if I were you,” she said, going back to her seat. A little chill ran up Axel’s back as she watched him with those gray eyes. “I didn’t say she was your mate. I haven’t told you who it is yet.”
“Then when will you tell me?” he asked.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” she said.
Axel heard a snort from Isaac and gritted his teeth together. “Now, are you going to tell me who that clown is?”
“One of the original dragons,” she said. “We were keeping them on ice. This one is from the medieval period.”
“That would explain his talk of wenches. But why?”
She shrugged. “Just exploring our options. Don’t worry about it for now. I’m still working out the kinks.”
Axel looked at the collar. “I’d say so.”
She grinned. “Back to you. What are you doing? And don’t avoid my question again. It wouldn’t be wise.”
Axel dropped his hand onto his knee. “I’m sorry. I’m just exploring something. Lucy and I are attracted to each other, and she pointed out that even when I am assigned a mate, I don’t exactly know what to do with her.”
The oracle leaned back. “I’m not averse to you dating. I never was. My one concern is that you would defy me, think that you could know better or seek to contradict my orders.”
He swallowed. Would he defy her for Lucy? He wasn’t sure.
“I hope you would understand the consequences of
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