The Lost Princes of Ambria 06 - Taming the Lost Prince by Raye Morgan Page A

he had trouble sitting for long, and by the time an hour had passed it was obvious the meeting had to be adjourned for the day.
    But Max sat with them at the long, shiny table and made small talk about how he was settling in. Then the real work of the meeting had begun, and he was very quickly over his head. The talk was all architectural plans and cost estimates and zoning regulations, things he had never dealt with before. He listened carefully and filed information away to learn more about later. But he was definitely out of his element, and what’s more, though he liked and admired them, he didn’t feel any special connection. They were brothers, but it didn’t feel the way he had expected that sort of relationship to feel. When they all rose, shook hands and parted ways, his head was swimming.
    That feeling was still with him now. He was glad to have carved out an hour to be on his own. There was a lot to think about. He was feeling a bit shaky about what he ought to be doing and generally undecided about his own future. Bottom line—what the hell was he doing here living in a castle?
    The whole prince thing just didn’t feel right. He’d never asked for it. He’d been happily flying reconnaissance missions over the Granvilli territory when he’d been called in to the commander’s office and asked to take a battery of tests. He still didn’t know who had nominated him for testing or why.
    If only he’d refused and walked away right at that point, none of this would be happening. He’d be off flying in someone else’s war.
    Still, what was stopping him from doing exactly what he pleased right now? He could go. He could find someone else to fly for. He would keep his promise to the queen, but once that was over, he wasn’t so sure he was going to stick around. After all, what was really keeping him here?
    Right now, he would have to say it was mostly Kayla. He hadn’t expected to find her here, but now that they had reconnected, he knew he didn’t want to lose her again.
    Kayla was important to him. She always would be. He remembered those days in Trialta as the best days of his life. He and Eddie had hit it off like brothers, born to be together, and Kayla had been a huge part of that bond.
    Funny. When he’d heard she had a child, he’d assumed her baby would be an extension of that. That he would love the kid as a small form of Eddie. But the reality hadn’t fit in with the vision. There was something about that baby …
    He was definitely a beautiful baby boy. But looking at him, something hadn’t felt right. Something about the kid bothered him, made him want to look away quickly, and he didn’t want to feel that way about Kayla’s baby. Very strange. Maybe he ought to stay away from the kid until he was a little older.
    A twig snapped and he turned his head, sure someone was coming into his little clearing. He didn’t want company. He stared into the brush, ready to scowl a nonwelcome. But no one appeared. He stared harder, his gaze darting from one gap in the greenery to another, looking for movement. Nothing. Funny … he was sure he’d heard someone.
    And it had happened before. He remembered getting the same feeling when he was wandering through the halls, earlier. A feeling that he wasn’t alone.
    Suddenly he had a prickly feeling on the back of his neck, and he stood, turning slowly, hands balled into fists. Yes, damn it, someone was watching him. Maybe he couldn’t see it, but he sure as hell could feel it.
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    KAYLA looked up, startled, as Max came into the office. There was a thunderstorm brewing in that handsome face.
    “Max,” she said, but he walked right past her desk and confronted Pellea.
    “I want to know why you’ve got somebody following me,” he said curtly. “Don’t you trust me? Has it really come to this?”
    Pellea looked up and gaped at him, bewildered and showing it. “What are you talking about?”
    “Look, I’ve made you a promise. I may be