“Indeed, I am.”
“Smaller than I expected.” Her lips curved in what might have been a smile. “And prettier.”
Laughter rippled through the assembled soldiers. I felt my jaw tighten, but kept my voice level. “Disappointed?”
“Intrigued.” She stepped closer, close enough that I caught the scent of steel and sweat and something wildly feminine underneath. “The question is, are you here to talk, or are you here to prove yourself?”
“That depends on what you consider proof.”
“Single combat.” The words rang across the courtyard like a bell. “You and me. No weapons. No mercy.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then you’re not the mate I need.” Her green eyes blazed with challenge. “I don’t bond with cowards, Prince. Even royal ones.”
The circle of warriors pressed closer, their excitement palpable. This wasn’t a formal greeting—it was a test, and everyone knew it.
“Astrid.” An older man pushed through the crowd, his weathered face stern with disapproval. “This is not—”
“This is exactly what it needs to be, Commander.” She never took her eyes off me. “I won’t be mated to a man who can’t hold his own in a fight.”
“The prince is our guest—”
“The prince is a warrior.” I stepped forward, pulling my travel cloak free and dropping it to the ground. “And I accept.”
The courtyard erupted in cheers and shouts. Warriors pressed forward, forming a rough circle around us. I could feel their hunger, their need to see blood spilled on stone.
“Strip to the waist,” Astrid commanded, already beginning to remove her armor. “I want to see what I’m working with.”
I pulled my tunic over my head, feeling the bite of mountain air against my skin. Around us, the soldiers roared approval. But Astrid’s reaction was different—her eyes traced the scars across my chest, the evidence of battles fought and won.
“Impressive,” she said, letting her breastplate fall to the ground. “But scars don’t make a warrior.”
“No,” I agreed, taking a fighting stance. “Victory does.”
She launched herself at me without warning.
The first blow caught me in the ribs, a sharp jab that would have dropped a lesser man. I grunted, pivoted, and swept her legs. She went down hard but rolled immediately, coming up in a crouch.
“Better,” she said, circling me like a wolf. “But not good enough.”
She feinted left, then drove her fist toward my jaw. I caught her wrist, used her momentum to flip her over my shoulder. She hit the ground with a satisfying thud, but was back on her feet before I could press the advantage.
“Lucky,” she panted.
“Skilled,” I corrected.
This time when she came at me, it was with everything she had. We crashed together in a tangle of limbs and fury, rolling across the stone courtyard while the soldiers cheered.
Her nails raked down my back, leaving burning trails. I pinned her wrists, but she twisted free and wrapped her legs around my waist.
“You fight like a soldier,” I said, breathing hard.
“I am a soldier.” She bucked against me, trying to throw me off. “Born and bred for war.”
“Good.” I tightened my grip on her wrists. “I don’t want a wife who can’t protect herself.”
Something flickered in her green eyes—surprise, maybe, or respect. “Wife?”
“Mate. Queen. Whatever you want to call it.” I leaned down until our faces were inches apart. “The bond is already forming. Can you feel it?”
She went very still beneath me. Around us, the soldiers had fallen silent, sensing the shift in the air. “I feel it,” she whispered.
“Then stop fighting it.”
“I don’t know how to stop fighting.” Her voice was rough with emotion. “It’s all I’ve ever known.”
“Then fight with me instead of against me.”
I released her wrists, expecting her to strike. Instead, her hands came up to cup my face, her touch surprisingly gentle.
“You’re not what I expected,” she said.
“Neither are you.”
The kiss was inevitable—fierce and desperate and full of the violence we’d just shared. She tasted like battle and blood and something indefinably wild.
When we broke apart, both breathing hard, the soldiers erupted in cheers.
“Well,” Commander Hayes said, pushing through the crowd. “That was… educational.”
Astrid sat up, her red hair wild around her shoulders. “The prince has proven himself worthy of consideration.”
“Just consideration?” I asked.
Her smile was sharp as a blade. “Prove yourself worthy of more, and we’ll see.”
She stood, offering me her hand. When I took it, electricity shot between us—the mate bond snapping into place with an intensity that made my wolf howl.
“Welcome to Ironheart, Prince Kieran,” she said, her voice carrying a new note of respect. “Try not to disappoint me.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“You’ll do better than that.” She pulled me to my feet, her grip strong and sure. “Because I don’t accept anything less than perfection.”
Around us, the soldiers dispersed, but I could feel their eyes on us, assessing this new dynamic. Astrid Stormclaw was nothing like Lilith—where my first mate was gentle strength, this woman was pure fire.
“Come,” she said, retrieving her armor. “We have much to discuss.”
“Such as?”
“Such as how you plan to handle having two mates.” Her green eyes held mine, unflinching. “Because I won’t share you easily, Prince. And I suspect your moonlight lady won’t either.”
The challenge in her voice made my pulse quicken. This was going to be more complicated than I’d imagined.
“Then earn it.”