Drop Dead Single (Monstrana Paranormal Romance 1)

Joy also wouldn’t listen to Cate’s protests. She practically dragged her to the landing pad with the rest of the group. Cate shuddered at the sight of the giant metal beast with the lazily spinning propeller. It looked like a death trap. Back home in Nebraska, they would flash her picture on the late evening news and talk about the tragic death of another US tourist. That wasn’t for her. But she couldn’t quite get her feet to stop moving forward. Plus, Joy was strangely strong for her tiny stature.

“It won’t be that bad,” she cooed at her shoulder. “Just a little noisy. But once we’re up in the air, I just know you’re going to love it.”

Cate’s stomach was threatening to do other things up in the air, but it clenched as soon as she spotted Prince Viktor on the landing pad. He wore an attractive pair of worn jeans and a stiff-collared button down shirt, looking strangely out of place. His feet didn’t seem to want to stand still and he turned every few seconds, as if to leave. Prince Leo stood beside him, the image of cocky confidence. He placed an arm on his brother’s shoulder and mouthed a few words to him. Whatever he said seemed to have a serene effect on his older brother. Prince Viktor planted his feet and crossed his arms, his usual scowl in place.

“Is Prince Leo coming, too?” Joy squealed. She clapped her hands like a little girl. “Two princes in one. What a great day.”

Cate could think of better days, but who was she to argue with Joy’s ultimate childhood dream? The two of them followed a quiet and laser-focused Jezebel into the helicopter. It was surprisingly roomy, with two bench seats facing each other. Room enough for only six passengers. She looked back and forth, wondering how the television crews were going to fit.

As if she could read her mind, Stasia hopped in after them, a camera perched on her shoulder. She grinned and pointed at it. “The rest of the crew will meet us in Murdo. It’s just me, until then.”

She sat in the middle of one of the benches. Immediately, Jezebel claimed the window seat on the opposite side and placed a protective hand on the empty seat next to her, glaring at Cate.

“I guess one of us will have to sit next to Stasia...” Joy said, her smile faltering.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take it.” Cate was happy to give up a seat next to the pouting prince. She liked Stasia’s company better.

The men took their places, Prince Leo across from a simpering Jezebel, and Prince Viktor looking awfully uncomfortable in his middle seat. Cate couldn’t help but snort behind her hand as Jezebel slid her hips a little closer to him and he moved in the opposite direction.

Maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe the snooty Prince Viktor wasn’t into aggressive women. Or, he simply had the flirting abilities of a slug. Still, it was fun to watch. Maybe this trip wouldn’t be a waste of time. She could see two people make fools of themselves on national TV. Surely that was worth another few hours of mistaken identity.

That was, until the helicopter lifted up into the air and Cate clutched the seat for her life.

?

Viktor tried to keep his attention glued to the wide glass windows on the sides of the helicopter, but everywhere he looked there was a woman trying to catch his eye. Lady Joy kept smiling at him like he was a caramel treat in a candy store. And Duchess Jezebel seemed to want nothing more than to press her perfectly proportioned body into his, completely overriding his need for personal space.

Still, there was one woman who didn’t seem too concerned with him at the moment. Lady Larisa’s face had gone ghostly white and her hands clung to the leather seats. Her eyes appeared wide and glassy, as if she were about to faint. His first thought was that she was going to hurt herself if someone didn’t help her. His second was that it was a good enough excuse to change places with someone else.

“Stasia, trade seats with me so you can get some shots of both sides of the copter,” he shouted to her.

She peered out from behind her camera and gave him a thumbs up. Before Duchess Jezebel could protest, he’d taken Stasia’s spot and successfully placed himself out of her reach.

“You must put your head between your knees,” he said, turning to Lady Larisa.

She glowered at him, her lips trembling. “Excuse me?”

“I said you must put your head between your knees. It’ll help with the nausea. Trust me.”

Her blue eyes narrowed, but slowly she folded herself over until her ears brushed her legs.

“Now, take five big breaths,” he instructed, placing a hand on her back.

She did as he said, filling her lungs deeply with air and then letting it out in a long stream. Finally, on the fifth breath, he felt the tension go out of her muscles. Sitting up, she looked at him, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

“Thanks for that. Heights have always affected me. It’s probably because when I was three, I fell off my dad’s bookshelf and broke my arm. Those kinds of things tend to scar a kid for life.”

He nodded, grasping his legs tightly with his hands. Even those slight few moments of physical touch between them had him shaking. He needed to get a grip. She was just another vampire hunting for a rich and powerful mate. And she wouldn’t find it in him.

“Try to look out the window, Lady Larisa.” He pointed to the scenic view below. “Maybe you need a distraction.”

“It’s Cate.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I prefer to be called Cate. Lady Larisa sounds too stuffy.”

“Cate.” He liked the sound of it rolling off his tongue. “Please call me Viktor. Or Vik. But in all that is holy, never call me Viky. Only the Queen gets away with that.”

Laughter bubbled up from her lips and he felt an unbidden smile at the corners of his lips. It was a pleasant sound and his heart thrilled with the knowledge that he’d been the one to cause it. She turned to the window and gasped when she caught sight of the island below.

They were so far up, the trees appeared to meld together in one big green field. Monstrana Castle looked like a gray stone dollhouse that was slowly disappearing over the horizon. The brilliant blue of the Bering Sea rose up to meet them, stunning in the late morning light. The landscape rolled with hills and mountain peaks, hidden lakes, and tiny towns.