Something Fishy About Love (Monstrana Paranormal Romance 3)

She was about to meet a real monster.

?

Leo clutched Eina’s hand as they followed Earl up a nearby shaded hill and into a fabulous garden full of unfettered wildflowers. Gone were the ogre’s muscular friends. He marched on up ahead, not glancing back to make sure they’d followed him.

Leo hesitated at the entrance of the garden, sensing their moment to break free and run. They weren’t even being guarded. It would be easy to get a head start. After that, it was anyone’s guess.

“Prince Leo, I welcome you to our humble village.”

A strangely husky feminine voice called his name, causing the plans in his head to dissolve into thin air. He looked over the nearest crop of flowers to see an ogre much larger than Earl seated at a desk carved from stone. It had a thick growth of green hair that had been pulled back into a low bun on the back of its round head. Generous purple lips smacked together in a pleased noise and parted to show off yellow teeth. The ogre stood as they approached and Leo could see the green patchwork dress it wore.

“I am Rita,” she said, holding out a thick hand. “Tribal leader of the Noctis ogres.”

“Call me Leo.” He took her hand in slight disbelief. “And this is Eina of the Aestus mermaids.”

“My lady.” Rita lowered her head in a little bow. “Please, come sit.”

They followed her to the desk and sat across from her on intricately carved stone chairs. Eina kept her head down, but Leo could see her taking in their surroundings with quiet interest. They both seemed to be in a state of shock. He’d half expected Earl to walk them off a cliff, not lead them to a garden.

“I must apologize for my nephew,” Rita said, folding her massive hands together. She shot the ogre a withering look and he shrunk into the wildflowers, disappearing. “He was dropped on his head as a child. He doesn’t seem to be able to retain the basic intelligence on how to greet a guest.”

A tight smile passed over Leo’s lips. “Yes, your nephew and I have had a few run-ins, one of which included dropping me to the bottom of the sea—accompanied by a pair of cement boots—after he falsely accused me at cheating him out of a poker game.”

Rita grunted a mixture of syllables that Leo could only guess were ogre curses. She apologized to him again, eyeing the direction in which Earl had retreated.

“This isn’t the first time he’s broken ogre decree,” she said. “He will be swiftly dealt with. In the meantime, I was told you requested specifically to meet with me.”

Leo glanced down at Eina. She met his eyes with a hopeful expression. He reached into his back pocket to pull out a thick roll of paper that had been folded several times and laid it across the desk.

“This is the treaty that my brother, King Viktor, and my grandfather before him have attempted to make with your people.” He pointed at the text on the pages. “I wish to see it through and obtain official peace and unity with your ogre tribe.”

Rita pursed her purple lips and leaned back in her chair. She eyed the treaty with suspicion, her dark eyebrows lowering.

“You’ve never bothered to meet with us in our village before now. Why exactly should we join your kingdom?” She threw her hand out in a half circle. “We’ve got everything we already need in these mountains. What can you offer us that we don’t already have?”

Leo felt his throat constrict and he tried to mouth some words. Even during the darkest of situations, he seemed to be able to keep his cool, but put him in front of a potential political ally and he was about as charming as the stone chair under his rear.

“Because you’re already a part of this nation.” Eina’s head snapped up and she leaned forward in her chair. Fire burned bright in her eyes. “Forgive me, Rita, for being so blunt, but you are already afforded the protection and benefits that come along with the Monstranian kingdom, despite the fact that they owe no allegiance to you. What they offer you now is an official place in their ranks.”

Rita’s eyes shone with interest. She leaned forward and rested her head on her massive fists. “Go on.”

“What you have right now is convenience,” Eina said, scooting to the edge of her seat until she was eye to eye with the ogre. “Which is nice in itself. But haven’t you ever desired a voice in the running of this country? If you sign an official treaty, you would not only guarantee safety for the ogre generations that come after you, but you would have a hand in shaping the country’s future. Doesn’t that appeal to you?”

A low-pitched hum reverberated through Rita’s skull and she narrowed her eyes, staring at the piece of paper in front of her. Leo held his breath, unable to curb his appreciation of the woman beside him. She’d been so worried about not having a voice, but she’d managed this meeting spectacularly. He was in awe of her strength and her courage. She fought her battles head on and tackled life with a fierce will to do good. He couldn’t relate to that passion, that fire.

She was everything he wasn’t. And even as he remembered the sweet taste of her kiss and the way every cell in his body cried out for her, he knew he couldn’t have her. She deserved so much better than a spoiled prince who coasted through life. His presence would only drag her down.

As soon as she got what she needed, he had to let her go.

“I’ll sign,” Rita announced suddenly, grabbing a pen from under the desk. In a flourish of movement and symbols Leo didn’t recognize, she wrote her name on the signature line. “You are very good at your job, young lady. This is because of you.”

Eina beamed at the ogre and then at Leo. He tried to return her smile, but it felt as if his cheeks were about to crack. Already, their time was drawing to a close. His undead heart was crumbling to pieces inside his chest.

At that moment, the woods around them broke into a frenzy. Helicopters descended from above and guardsmen pushed through the brush into the garden clearing. Rita clasped at the signed treaty as one the helicopters descended into a landing nearby and out popped the king of vampires with a fierce scowl.

“What’s the meaning of this?” she demanded in a deep voice. Her eyes darting around the clearing in alarm.

“It’s just my brother’s way of making an entrance,” Leo said, holding up a hand to placate her. “I’ll tell him to knock it off.”