Protector of the Pride (Lions of Pride Island Book 3) by Terry Bolryder Page A

that,” she said.
    “I would,” he said. Losing the country. Losing everything he and his brothers had worked for. Everything he’d never asked to handle, but now treasured because he always had. He couldn’t just let that go.
    But after today, he knew he couldn’t just let Lucy go either.
    “Couldn’t you just make her my mate?” he asked impulsively.
    She sat up straight, glaring at him. “Are you suggesting I bend my complex assessment based on my gift of prophecy so that you can mate with someone you think is hot? No, I don’t think so.”
    “That’s right,” Isaac muttered from his position at the back of the room. “You aren’t exactly big on letting people do what they want.”
    “Say that again when you aren’t at risk of burning villages,” she snapped, shutting the other man up.
    Axel tried not to grin and failed.
    “Wipe that grin off your face, asshole,” Isaac called out.
    Axel stood. “You will not address your king like that.”
    “You aren’t king yet,” she said. “And you won’t be if you don’t stay in line with what’s expected of you.”
    He gritted his teeth, frustrated. “I have been acting as king since my father died. And I will act that way until I am removed from the position. And until I give you reason to do that, I expect you to not let your employees insult me.”
    He also still hadn’t forgotten Isaac’s crude comment about Lucy. He doubted he and the other man would ever get along.
    “Apologize,” the oracle said.
    The man frowned. “No.”
    She raised a finger, and he twitched.
    “I’m sorry,” he said bluntly.
    Axel sat down again. “No problem.” Then he looked at the Oracle. “I’m not going to cause problems with you. And I’m going to call the press and fix things up.”
    “We already have our PR people on it. But you can’t screw up again.”
    “I won’t,” Axel said. “I’ll keep it inside the castle.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “Given that I could pick a mate for you any moment, isn’t that a little reckless?”
    “She knows I’ll do anything for my country,” Axel said. “Besides, she doesn’t want me. So you have nothing to worry about.” He stood. “Was there anything else?”
    She shook her head.
    He jerked a thumb at Isaac. “I expect a report on what’s going on here. You may be our prophetess, but I’m still responsible for safety and keeping tabs on the dragons. If you are going to go forward with… whatever this is… then I need to know.”
    She waved a hand. “All in good time. I think you’ll see the wisdom in it soon enough.”
    He frowned. “Okay. But if it’s all right with you, I’m going to call my driver to bring me home.”
    She shrugged. “It’s fine, Axel. Everything will be fine if you just do what you’re supposed to.”
    That rankled, but there was nothing he could do about it. There was something shrewd in the old woman’s eyes, and he felt she was hiding something from him.
    But he’d been the one to break her trust with his actions, so he had no place to throw stones.
    “I’ll be at the castle the next few days for sure,” he said. “I always am, but yeah. If you need me, just call.”
    She nodded and then got up, came around the desk, and hugged him. He sank into it. Despite their occasional arguments, she’d been a surrogate mother since he lost both his parents. “You’re a good man, Axel. Stay the course.”
    Axel nodded and then stood up as she released him. “I will.” He didn’t even acknowledge Isaac as he walked from the room, pulling out his phone to call the driver.
    He would stay the course. The course he had lately been on: following his heart.

    * * *
    “ W here’s Lucy ?”
    Lucy heard Axel’s deep voice in the main hallway and hurried out of her room to see him walking toward her. His posture was cool, relaxed, composed.
    But there were stress lines under his eyes that said everything wasn’t going as great as it could be.
    “What’s going on?” she