Runaway Heart

by Scarlet Day

  Dragon’s Light

  Runaway Heart

  Can a princess pledged to an evil wife-beater and a dragon prince who can’t transform into his dragon save each other from fates worse than death?

  Being a princess has never been a picnic for Kari, and it gets worse when her father announces plans to marry her to a man whose many wives have a habit of winding up dead. Can she escape a miserable—and probably short—life and find her own destiny.

  Jaren is a prince in danger of not only losing his throne, but his sanity as well. If he can’t find the one woman who can give him the power to unleash his dragon, he will lose everything.

  Their love might save them both, but it could also start a war of galactic proportions. And even if war can be averted, will Jaren’s dragon send Kari running, taking Jaren’s heart with her?

  Genre: Futuristic, Science Fiction, Shape-shifter

  Length: 29,248 words

  RUNAWAY HEART

  Dragon’s Light

  Scarlet Day

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

  RUNAWAY HEART

  Copyright © 2012 by Scarlet Day

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-161-0

  First E-book Publication: August 2012

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Runaway Heart by Scarlet Day from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Scarlet Day’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Day’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  Dedicated to my husband, who never ceases to amaze me with his patience, his encouragement and his willingness to put up with all the craziness.

  RUNAWAY HEART

  Dragon’s Light

  SCARLET DAY

  Copyright © 2012

  * * *

  Chapter One

  Kari wished a hole would open up in the floor of her bedroom and swallow her. Falling to the molten center of the planet’s core would be better than the fate waiting for her. She looked over to the bed and stared at the costume she was expected to wear tonight. It was by far the most revealing clothing she had ever been given. The costume reinforced her desire to sink into the floor, but it wasn’t the only reason, or even the most important reason, she wanted to disappear.

  Kari’s face still burned at the humiliation she had endured just moments before, when her father had unexpectedly entered her room. He hadn’t come alone. Kari had once thought no man could ever strike more fear into her heart than her father, but she had been so wrong. While her father had looked down at her with disdain, the man that stood behind him had leered at her with an evilness that made her skin crawl. He was short and stocky, somewhat overweight but with enough muscle and mass that he would easily be able to overpower her.

  “Well, Karinna, after tonight I will no longer have to be responsible for you.” Her father’s voice had been laced with the contempt she was so accustomed to, but there had been gloating in his voice as well. “I will be giving you to Earl Bores here tonight during the ceremony. He needs a replacement for one of his wives.”

  Kari’s breath had caught in her chest, and she had felt the blood drain from her face. Her body had become suddenly cold, and her head spun.

  “Father, no! Don’t do this!” Her pleas had been met by her father’s scoffing laughter, while the earl’s sneer had become even more pronounced. Her anger flared.

  “No! I won’t go with him!” She had shouted at her father with all the hatred she had stored up over the years. Her father had slapped her hard across her cheek. It stung terribly, but Kari had learned long ago not to cry or show weakness. That just encouraged him.

  “Are you so stupid to think I would actually let you live in this palace forever?” Her father’s voice had mocked her. “Or even more laughable, allow you to choose a mate?” Her father had dismissed her with a flippant wave of his hand and left her room, laughing at her.

  The earl had not immediately followed, but instead approached Kari where she sat at her dressing table. She had instinctively pulled back as he extended his hand, but he shot forward and yanked her hair with his beefy fingers. He had grabbed her chin with his other hand, forcing her face up so that she had to look him in the eyes.

  “I look forward to breaking you in, my little pet. I will teach you exactly how I want to be serviced, which will be often.”

  His rancid breath had almost caused Kari to gag as he spoke just inches from her face, but she held down the bile that had risen in her throat. “The only service you’ll get from me is a funeral service.”

  He had stared at her with narrowed eyes that looked soulless, and his fingers had bitten painfully into her jaw with enough force that she could already see the bruising, but she had held the stare and refused to back down.

  He had finally released her and turned to leave, but he stopped and turned back. “Have no doubt, Karinna, I will break you. Body, mind, and spirit. And I don’t care how much I have to beat you or how many times I have to fuck you to make you realize that I am your master. You will never get away from me.”

  * * * *

  “I look ridiculous,” grumbled Jaren as he grimaced at his reflection in the mirror.

  “You’re dressed exactly as I am.” His brother Jaxson stood next to him and surveyed his own reflection.
<
br />   Jaren snorted. “Yes, and you look ridiculous, too.” He was not happy about having to wear a costume to the evening’s event. “I find it curious that Father did not mention that this coronation event was a masquerade,” he said suspiciously.

  Jaxson laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “He probably knew you would balk if he told you. We all know how much you like dressing up in costumes. Remember when Marinda was little and wanted us to dress up for her little parties?” Jaxson snickered at the memory.

  Jaren shuddered. “Please do not remind me. I didn’t think she would ever grow out of that phase.” Marinda was the youngest sibling of his family and the only girl. She was doted on by all of her older brothers, who would do anything to make her happy, including playing dress-up in emasculating garments. Jaren was just glad there were no preserved images to testify to the humiliating acts he had stooped to for the sake of his little sister’s enjoyment. At least his current costume didn’t include a bonnet. Thank the gods for small favors. He looked like one of the old-world buccaneers that he’d seen images of, ready to attack the nearest spacefaring ship to pillage and plunder.

  He was currently dressed in black leather pants that were more constricting than he preferred and tucked into knee-high black boots. His shirt was white silk and felt a little too tight across his shoulders and chest, with long sleeves that billowed at the wrist. The pants and shirt he could deal with. It was the damned mask that made him wince. Made of black silk, it had eye slits so that he could see but covered his face from just above his nostrils to the top of his forehead, wrapping around his head and tying in the back. His black hair was gathered at his nape and tied with a leather band, then flowed down past his shoulders. He had drawn the line when Jaxson had handed him a large gold hoop earring. There were some things he just would not do.

  Jaxson hadn’t mentioned anything about this evening’s attire during the entire week they had spent traveling to Montore. Although now that he thought about it, Jaren did seem to recall a certain mischievous gleam in Jaxson’s eyes every so often. Jaxson would have to watch his back. Jaren always retaliated and had a very long memory.

  Jaren sighed dejectedly. “How am I supposed to find my mate when I look like an idiot?”

  Jaxson laughed behind him. “Lighten up, big brother. With that look on your face, you’re likely to send the maidens screaming into the night. And not in a good way.” Jaren sent him a nasty look before plastering a fake smile on his face, which looked more like a grimace.

  Gods help him. He was in for a very long night.

  * * *

  Chapter Two

  Kari stood looking at her reflection in the mirror, wishing she could change back into her comfortable shirt and trousers. The costume made her look like a harem girl. She was sure her father chose it for that very reason. The long skirt was made of multiple layers of sheer white material that was formfitting at the waist and hips and then flowed down to the floor, which would allow for ample exposure of her legs as she walked.

  Her father had always made a point of telling her, usually in front of other people, that her hips were too large and that no young, virile male would ever want her. Kari wondered if he would make that comment tonight while she was paraded in front of everyone and wearing this skimpy outfit.

  The bodice was sewn from pure white silk that was heavily embroidered with silver thread in intricate patterns. Thin shoulder straps tethered sheer white fabric that would sweep down her arms and flow behind her when she walked. The bodice ended above her navel, exposing her midriff and pushing her breasts out and up. A white veil would obscure her face, as was customary at the event she was expected to wear this outfit to.

  She wasn’t happy with the thought of showing so much skin in front of throngs of onlookers, but it was nothing compared to the terror she felt imagining what Earl Bores had planned for her.

  The earl was known to have several wives, presumably so he always had someone he could bed while the others were recovering from being beaten by him. She knew there would never be any gentleness toward her, or even any compassion. The earl would take her by force and use her without mercy. Considering Kari’s willfulness and habit of speaking her mind, she had a feeling she would be beaten on a regular basis. Kari’s entire body shook with fear and rage. She couldn’t imagine spending one night with such a horrible man, much less the rest of her life.

  She glanced over at the balcony adjoining her bedroom, which was high above the tallest treetops, and thought about how easy it would be to throw herself over the edge and be done with it. But she knew she would never give up so easily. She suspected that was one of the reasons her father hated her so much. Even as a child she had been willful and had not bent under his cruel treatment. She knew she would fight the earl with everything she had in her, even if he killed her for doing so.

  Kari’s mother and brothers had always tried to defend and protect her, but standing up to her father would either get them beaten or thrown into a cell for awhile. Sometimes both. Of course, that merciful treatment was usually reserved for immediate members of the family. Anyone else was likely to be executed on the spot. Her brothers had spent more than a few nights in shackles on her account. Kari had spent so much time in those same shackles that she was surprised she didn’t have permanent marks on her wrists.

  She was glad that her brothers miraculously took after their mother, rather than their father, much to their father’s annoyance. While her four older brothers were warriors in every sense of the word, they also were honorable men with good hearts.

  Kari’s mother had long ago been banished to one of the upper wings on the outer perimeter of their home due to her own outspoken nature. There was no love lost between her mother and father, having been joined in an arranged marriage. Fortunately, Kari still managed to spend time with her mother, thanks to some compassionate servants who looked the other way when Kari would sneak off to visit her.

  Kari wasn’t the only person who wished her father would die a quick death. Unfortunately, he didn’t appear willing to lie down and die anytime soon, even with numerous assassination attempts against him every year.

  Kari continued to study her reflection, hating her appearance. She was much more comfortable in trousers and simple shift shirts than the elaborate clothing she was currently wearing. She spent most of her time helping servants in the kitchen or out in the forest clearings sparring with her brothers—behind her father’s back, of course. It wouldn’t do for her father to know that her brothers spent time with her, especially if they were teaching her any potentially lethal skills.

  A sound at her bedroom door startled Kari out of her thoughts and she spun, fearing it was her father or the earl again. Instead, she was surprised to see her mother sneaking into her room carrying a large bag.

  “Mother! What are you doing here? How did you get out of your quarters?”

  Kari rushed across the room to her mother and wrapped her arms around her, wishing for a moment that she was a little girl again so she could crawl into her mother’s lap for comfort. Lady Kindra stroked her daughter’s hair, letting Kari cling to her for a few moments. The two women were so much alike. Both had the same flowing blonde hair, the same emerald-green eyes, the same height, the same curvy shape to their bodies. Lady Kindra had always looked younger than she was. They could easily pass for sisters instead of mother and daughter.

  “My Karinna, I found out what your father has planned for you. If that bastard thinks I would stand for that without doing anything about it, then he should have posted a guard at my door.” Karinna was momentarily shocked to hear her mother refer to the king in such a manner, but then Karinna remembered where she got her willfulness.

  “Come, daughter,” Lady Kindra said with a devious slant to her eyes, “we have scheming to do.”

  Twenty minutes later, Karinna was again standing in front of her mirror. Her mother stood next to her, dressed in the white costume Kari had been wearing a few short minutes ag
o. Kari was now dressed in a very similar outfit, except it was a deep red. Both women had crystal headpieces that connected to veils covering their faces. Looking at the two women, with their faces obscured by the filmy fabric, no one would be able to tell which was which.

  “Mother, we can’t do this. If you’re caught Father will…” Kari’s voice cracked as she thought of the danger her mother was putting herself in.

  “Hush, Karinna, he will not know anything until it is done. Once the coronation is over, I will feign dizziness from all of the excitement and excuse myself. By that time you will be safely away and I will be sitting by the fire in my quarters, reading and having tea. My servants will swear on their lives that I haven’t moved from my sofa all evening. It will be a while before they realize you are not in your quarters.”

  Lady Kindra grasped Kari’s hands in hers, squeezing as she spoke with urgency. “You must be off planet by then, daughter. They will order the docking port closed as soon as the search begins. Regardless of what you have to do, get yourself in a ship and get off this world before that happens. Do you understand me, dear one?”

  “Yes, mamam,” choked Kari, reverting to the childhood name she used for her mother as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

  Lady Kindra gathered her into her arms, speaking soothing words to her only daughter. “You are strong, Karinna. You will be fine. All will be well, just wait and see.” She pulled away from Kari and held her at arm’s length. “I believe the fates have great things in store for you, dear one. You were not meant to stay here and waste away under the rule of a cruel master. This is your chance to escape and find your true future.”