Viktor: Heart of Her King Read Online Free PDF Page A

trying to come up with a plausible explanation for why he’d changed his plans without telling his commander the truth. As hard as it was to wait, the King knew it was the only way he would get confirmation of what he already knew...Lee was tracking his own mate. Time stood still as the ancient warrior listened to his comrade’s inner debate.
    Being the most open of all of them, Lee never tried to hide his thoughts from any of the Kings, even when it would have kept him out of more scrapes than any of them could remember. Viktor admired his friend for his openness but still wanted to wring his neck for breaking the code of their kind. Kings were never permitted to track, make contact with, nor in any way be a part of their custos animae’s life until she made her way to him. It was an oath they’d all taken before their original death. They simply could not interfere unless their mate was in mortal danger...then all bets were off.
    Viktor knew this was not the case. He’d discussed it with Lee more than once. The young King’s mate was approaching her thirtieth birthday and still had given no indication she knew of Lee’s existence. Their initial bonding had been difficult to say the least, and over the years, Juliette’s adventurous spirit had nearly driven her King to distraction. Apparently, Lee had decided enough was enough and was going to stalk the keeper of his heart until she decided to notice him.
    “Ah hell, you already know what I’m doing. Do I really have to say it?”
    Lee sounded dejected and for the first time in a very long time, hopeless. For just a second, Viktor contemplated letting his friend’s indiscretion pass but knew he couldn’t; it was his duty and one the Father of all the Gods would not let him get away with ignoring.
    “Yes, Achilles, unfortunately you know that you must admit what you’ve done.”
    “Well, shit then. Let’s just get it over with. I’m in Mumbai because Juliette is in Mumbai. She’s on a dig for the Archaeological Institute of America in the Ghatkopar Hills during monsoon season. There will most likely be landslides and only the gods know what else while she’s digging her little heart out nine hundred and ninety-one feet above sea level. That has to count as her being in mortal danger, doesn’t it?”
    “You know it doesn’t, but if you give me your word that you will get on the next plane to East Kimberly and get that bloody diamond mine opened, I will consider your punishment complete. I think Zeus would agree that being marooned in the northern most region of remote Western Australia with a crew of a hundred aboriginal male miners is sufficient penance.”
    There was silence on the other end of the phone. Viktor once again listened to Lee’s thoughts. His inner debate had turned to self-recrimination, something a twenty-nine-hundred-year-old immortal King of the Blood (or as they had been known since some man named Dracula wreaked havoc in the Carpathian Mountains in the 1890’s – vampire) simply should have no time for, but then Lee was a true original.
    Finally, the man who’d been an expert archer for the ancient Grecian Army spoke, “Yeah, all right. I’m turning the jeep around.” Then under his breath he added, “Should’ve known better than to call. Why did I call?”
    Dismissing Lee’s ramblings, Viktor responded, “Thank you, Achilles. Please do call when you arrive at your destination.”
    “Yeah, whatever, you got it, Boss,” was the other man’s only response before the connection was severed.
    “Do you honestly think he’ll leave Mumbai when his Juliette is once again tempting Destiny?” Roman asked, clinking the ice in his glass while staring off into space.
    “I do. Achilles will not risk Zeus’ wrath.”
    “Or yours...” Roman sounded as if he had more to say but was holding back.
    Viktor was just about to question his friend when a soothing warmth rolled over him, stealing all thought from his mind. The scent of