He steps forward and slips his hand around to the back of my neck. I try to tilt away but can’t get far enough with his two Guardians holding me. Hot Flame swirls along my spine to reach his touch.

“Come back to me,” he whispers.

The terrible pull on my blood falls away. A wash of fear replaces raging need. I blink as I’m left with a zinging sense of the prince’s closeness, but no urge to run to him. I look up into eyes like glinting diamonds.

“He’s planning something,” I say. “I can feel it.”

Flanagan glances at the blue sky and the empty border wall, searching for the attack I’m referring to.

“I can’t fight it,” I say to him. “Don’t let him take me.” The plea cracks my voice.

“The royal Call is strong on you because you’re young. He’s taking advantage of that.” Flanagan cups his hand to my face. “I promised I would protect you, Michael.”

“You deny the boy his people and compel him against his prince.” Of course Alexei can hear the conversation, even though we’re speaking softly.

“Release him from the Blood Call, Alexei,” Flanagan roars.

“The Blood Call is natural to our kind. Releasing him will not change what he is. He belongs with his own, and I am here to take him home.” The prince walks forward a few steps, his witches following, and the air rips with the sound of fifty steel swords leaving their scabbards. Major Zahir, standing behind Flanagan on the steps, raises a hand for calm.

Flanagan looks back down at me. “I need to release you while I deal with Alexei. When I remove my hand, the Blood Call will return.”

I shake my head. “It’s too strong.”

Flanagan grips my neck. “I will not let him take you. Okay?”

I tense my jaw and nod.

Even before he steps back, the force of Alexei’s will hits me like a truck. Need roars through my body. I jerk toward him. When the soldiers try to stop me, I yank my arms from their grip and kick out. My heel meets a knee with the crack of bone. Fist thuds against jaw as I take down the other soldier with one punch.

Flanagan reaches to grab me. “Michael.”

I leap from his grasp and bolt across the grass. More Guardians jump forward to stop me, but I easily dodge their hands.

When I reach my prince and fall to my knees, the beatific smile he grants me makes all my effort worth it. I lean my forehead into his stomach and grasp his suit on either side as a flood of relief robs me of strength. My panting breaths suck in the rich scent of figs and chocolate. The smell goes straight to my cock, already swelling just being this close to him.

He smells of home.