by Lisa Daneils
Nissa pulled back and shook her head. “I don’t need your pity.” She wanted so much to say more, to hurt him, but the look on Ethan’s face made it almost impossible. A part of her knew that she was taking out her anger on him, when the person who deserved it was back at the inn.
Ethan slowly reached out toward her again, the silk barely touching her skin. “It isn’t pity. I don’t know what happened, so I have no reason to pity you. What I feel right now is concern. What happened?”
His hand pressed against her cheek, and Nissa found herself giving in. It was obvious that the bear shifters had been completely correct about his personality. Ethan was compassionate in a way that was entirely rare to see among humans. Taking a deep breath, all she could manage was to sigh out the words, “Come on.”
She began to walk back the way she had come.
“Where are we going?” Ethan asked, appearing beside her.
“Please, I really don’t feel like talking or thinking or anything. Just… please, let’s walk in silence.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him nod.
The walk back to the inn was uneventful. Nissa had managed to get a hold over her emotions, at least enough to calculate what she was going to do. Pulling out some paper, she scribbled a note, then put the paper back in her bag. The note she slipped into the front of her cloak.
By the time they walked through the doors, Nissa had pulled her hood back up over her face. Nicolas and the woman sat at a table, their hands all over each other. Though Nissa had expected it, the sight still made her sick.
At her side, Ethan whispered, “What’s wrong?”
Nissa strolled forward, her steps confident as she moved to the table. She stood in front of the couple. Ethan had followed her but wasn’t quite sure what was going on. Reaching into the front of her cloak, Nissa pulled out the note she had written and placed it on the table in front of Nicolas.
“What’s this? Oh, has the princess finally responded? It’s about damn time! I swear that girl—”
Nissa stuck her arm out just before Ethan lunged across the table. Pulling her hood back, she looked down at her former lover, a wicked grin crossing her face. “Since I’m not certain you have enough brain cells to read that letter, I’ll save you the trouble. You have two hours to get out of my kingdom before I stop holding back my most trusted friend. And believe me when I say you would be lucky if he stopped at just shredding you into pieces. And yet that would still be a kinder fate than if I let Father know what you are doing here in our kingdom.”
The color was completely drained from both Nicolas and Destiny. She quickly turned on him, “What have you dragged me into, you—”
“Spare me the act, you half-baked, dim-witted example of the worst humans have to offer. You knew exactly what he was doing, and you had it on full display when he mentioned me when he picked up the note.”
“You have no proof.” She glowered up at Nissa.
Ethan’s voice was almost unrecognizable—it was as cold as he had been that one morning. “Well, with me, she has all the proof she needs.” He gave the pair a mocking bow. “I am Prince Ethan of the Red Kingdom. I had expressed an interest in marrying Princess Nissa, but she made it clear that her heart belonged elsewhere. When I insisted on seeing her lover, she brought me on what I thought was a wild goose chase.” He leaned forward, and Nissa found herself holding her breath for what he was going to say. Ethan was good—amazing, in fact. He was lying and making it sound so convincing. “But you see, I knew that she was telling the truth because humans emit some very interesting smells.” He leaned over further, his voice getting even lower. “And when humans lie, the smell is indescribable.” The way he licked his lips was so menacing that Nissa moved back a little. “It’s the smell that is all over both of you. And I know that I don’t need to tell you that neither of you loves the other.”
Ethan stood back. “I will give you one hour to run. My recommendation is that you make the most of it because I’m relentless.”
“What—what—what are you?” The woman looked terrified, though Nissa wasn’t sure what he had done to them.
Ethan held a finger up to his lips as a cruel smile crossed his face. “I will let your minds run wild. When I see you next, it will be that much more terrifying. Run!”
The last word was said in a way that sounded like he was waking the pair from a trance. The chairs hit the floor as Nicolas and Destiny tried to push each other out of the way to escape.
Ethan’s hands were balled in fists as he watched the couple run out the door.
Nissa patted his arm. “Thank you. For everything. Now, get back to your business.”
“Because you have no path forward now?”
Nissa turned to look at him. “Seriously? Are you still going to try to help me after all of that?”
“Well, I at least have to make good on my word to—”
“No. I don’t want them killed. I really don’t care what happens to them.”
Ethan scoffed, “Really? I had thought you were more of a fighter than that. Seems you aren’t nearly so different after all.” He looked at her face, then closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just…” He ran a hand across his forehead. “Please stop trying to push me away. That isn’t helping either of us.”
Nissa heaved a sigh, “What does it matter? I can’t go home because I still refuse to marry that creep.”
“Why don’t you come with me and we can find a path forward for you?”
“I really don’t need to owe you any more. My reliance on you is embarrassing.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Well, I do.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Nissa found she couldn’t say the words that played on her mind. She had just experienced too much to express anything of that nature. “Because it’s wrong.”
Ethan slipped his hand into hers. “Come on. I will help you recover so that you can see clearly again. You never know. After your disappearance, your father may be willing to listen to you.”
Nissa shrugged.
The shifter pulled her out of the inn, then got down on his knee.
Nissa stared at him for a moment. “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking you somewhere that is secluded so that you can think more clearly.”
“I can walk.”
“Not where we are going.”
“What does that mean?”
“Hop on and hold on tight. And I do mean tight.”
Too exhausted to fight with him, Nissa climbed on his back. Seconds later, he began to expand and grow and she sat up with a jolt as the man shifted into something about three time longer and much wider. He was a mixture of beautiful reds, and her eyes moved over his body as Ethan lifted off of the ground.
Chapter 10
Beyond Expectation
The flight was familiar, and Nissa realized that it wasn’t her first trip. When they had traveled to Brighton that night, she knew that he had flown most of the way. It had bled into her dreams.
She closed her eyes as the wind whipped around her. A part of her urged her to sit up and hold her hands out, but fear made her press closer to his sleek body. The rhythm of the wingbeats and the way his muscles moved were very calming. As much as she wanted to check out the world around her, the bursts of emotion over the last few hours finally caught up with her. Closing her eyes, Nissa fell asleep on Ethan’s back.
When she woke, Nissa found herself in a bed. Ethan sat at a desk not too far away. When she stirred, he rose and moved over to her. “How are you feeling?”
“Not as bad as I would have thought. It was a shock, but now that it is over, I’m not heartbroken.”
Ethan gave her a smile, “Heartless humans.”
Nissa rolled her eyes. “If you are going to talk like that, I’m not going to let you cuddle up next to me again.”
Ethan stopped and looked at her for a moment. Twisting her head slightly, Nissa watched him a little closer. The look of moment
ary confusion was punctuated by his eyes. Two sets of eyelids slid over his eyes. Before she could say anything, he responded, “That almost sounds like an invitation.”
“How did you get that from me saying you couldn’t do it anymore?”
“You said if I keep talking like that then I am banned. Which means if I stop talking like that, I can cuddle up to you.”
Nissa couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, you are just going to keep seeing things your own way.”
“And yet, you didn’t say I was wrong.”
Nissa looked at him, and a thought struck her. “You make it sound like you want to share my bed.”
“I hadn’t realized just how warm humans can be. As a lizard, I don’t have a lot of my own heat, even when I am human.”
Nissa watched him for a moment. Wrapping her arms around him, she murmured, “You know what? If this is the only way I can repay you, I’m fine with you joining me whenever you need the warmth.”
Ethan was still for a moment. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her and shifted his body onto the bed. For the next few hours, Nissa held him, her hands running through his hair until she fell asleep.
The next few days were fairly uneventful, with as much time spent cuddling in bed as doing anything around the little cottage where Ethan had taken them.
The moons were full again one night as they lay together, staring up at the sky through the window.
“It’s been a month,” Nissa said. “One month since I set out for my happily ever after. And less than a week since I realized I was a complete idiot.”
“Not a complete idiot. It only took weeks for you to realize what I was.”
“Oh, you.” She pushed him away.
Laughing, Ethan stretched out his arms. When she rolled over, the prince wrapped his arms around her. “You can’t take my warmth away. I’ll freeze.”
“Then you should have thought of that before agreeing with me.”
“Duly noted. I will never agree with you again.”
She rolled over to face him, her mouth a slit as she tried to glower at him, “You know that isn’t what I mean.”
Ethan looked down at her, his eyes traveling over her face. “If you won’t hold me, would it be alright if I hold you to warm up?”
“You already are.”
“Would it be alright if I… took warmth through a kiss?”
Nissa looked up at him, surprise obvious on her face. “I thought you didn’t find me attractive.”
“I never said that.”
“But you have no interest in me.”
“I had no interest in you. A lot has changed.”
Nissa looked into his eyes, trying to figure out if Ethan was being honest. When he didn’t look away, she moved up and gently kissed his lips. His arms moved around her as his tongue flicked against her lips. This took her by surprise, but soon she opened her mouth and slid her tongue into his mouth. His body temperature began to change, and this made her feel hotter. Her hand slid down his back and under his waist band.
Ethan shifted his weight over her body. “Nissa.” His voice was like an aphrodisiac in her ear. She moaned, her body pressing against his. When he said her name again, the princess arched up into him. He took this as an invitation and began to kiss her neck down to the top of her chest. Nissa tugged at his shirt, and for a second, his weight lifted off of her. She welcomed the return of the pressure as he continued to kiss down her body, unbuttoning the coarse fabric. He whispered her name like a chant that he couldn’t stop.
When he finally made his way back up her body, Ethan kissed her passionately. Nissa wrapped her legs around him, her hips begging him to finish what he had started.
Several hours later, she woke against his chest. Ethan was soundly asleep for the first time since that morning, a gentle glow on his cheeks. Nissa thought back over his views on sex, and she found that she had to agree. The way he touched her caused her to shiver at the memory, and she knew that he had reacted as much to her passion as he had to his own. It had been messy, and she knew that her hair would be an impossible tangle, but she didn’t regret it at all.
“Just a little longer. I just want to stay like this a little longer.”
An arm moved around her and pulled her close. Nissa looked up to see that he was still asleep. Pressing her face into his chest, she did not want to let go.
It took a while before she was ready to return to her father—nearly another week. The fact that she and Ethan had spent so much time together, both making love and talking, had not made it easy to finally give in to his expressed interest in having her at least talk to her father.
He had flown in near the capital, and they had walked in together, her face still hidden. It was far more common for people to enter the capital like that than the surrounding towns and villages.
Ethan had been right about her father. As soon as he had seen her, the king had fallen down, tears streaming down his face. Ethan had given her a quick nod, then strode out of the throne room.
For a brief moment, her eyes watched him. He knows that I will be fine now.
Shaking off her longing, Nissa turned back to her father and they spent a few days talking. He promised not to push the issue of marriage if she would promise to engage in discussions in a way that was less petulant. There was still some friction, but their lives seemed to be returning to something more like normal.
The days in the palace were familiar but Nissa did not have the same outlook on life anymore. The way the servants treated her was the same. The way the people outside the palace reacted to her presence had not changed at all. Nissa knew it was her, but this was no longer the life she could live. She had seen too much and knew that she had to do more. Even the horrors of that first night had their roots in something other than the hearts of the people she encountered.
Nissa and her father discussed how things needed to change, but they didn’t entirely agree on what needed to be done.
As they were sitting in the throne room heatedly discussing what to do, the steward appeared at the door. “Excuse me, Your Highnesses. You have a visitor.”
Father and daughter turned to see who would dare to interrupt their dedicated argument time.
A man in an elegant outfit strode into the room, and it only took a moment before Nissa recognized him. The vibrant red and gold of his clothing were very similar to the beauty of his other form.
Prince Ethan stopped in front of them. “I apologize for not sending word ahead of time, but business has kept me quite occupied for a while.”
Nissa tried to hide a smile as her father looked confused. “I’m sorry, young man, but with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”
Ethan gave a low, elegant bow, and Nissa’s heart fluttered as she saw the way his muscles rippled under the outfit. Her body remembered what those muscles felt like. Ethan’s calm voice echoed around them, “I am Prince Ethan of the Red Kingdom.”
The king’s smile fell. “Of the Red Kingdom.” His hand gripped the throne.
Nissa placed a hand over it. “You never did allow me to thank you for ensuring my safe conduct, my prince. I was most disappointed when you left without so much as a farewell.”
“As my princess knew, I had postponed some personal business to ensure your safety, and once you were safely restored home, I had to take care of a few extra tasks.” He gave her a slight wink. “They aren’t dead, just imprisoned.”
“What? You imprisoned—”
“Nicolas and Destiny,” his mischievous smile widened. “The children and young men seem to be doing well, though little Timothy has become quite the problem.”
“What?” Nissa asked, now as confused as her father.
“The children that you saved. And I am happy to report that little Byron was adopted by Lyosha’s sister. Byron, Lyosha, and Adrik all send their regards.”
Nissa placed a hand on her chest. “But you have been busy, haven’t you.”
“Well, after you kindly offered me a
solution to my greatest concern, how could I not try my hardest to resolve yours?”
She frowned at him, “Your greatest concern?”
Ethan moved quickly, falling to his knee directly in front of her. He took her hand in his. “Will you marry me?”
Beside her, Nissa heard her father gasp. Her head began to move before she even registered it. For a fraction of a second, she tried to play it cool, but found herself unable to keep up the pretense. “Of course I will!” She threw her arms around his neck.
“What is the meaning of all of this? How can you say yes? Do you know what he is?” Her father seemed stunned. She had told him very little of her adventures for fear that he would lock her in her rooms.
“Father, Prince Ethan is the reason I survived from day one.” She looked into the prince’s eyes. “He saved me when a couple of men tried to kill me, then again when someone was being stupid. After that, he insisted that he had to protect me if I was going to survive. And to my great shame and pleasure, he was right. He is a dragon shifter, and he managed to steal my heart even without my noticing it.”
Ethan clicked his tongue, “That is hardly fair. Who stole whose heart? I’ll have you know that until you, I was certain that I would lose my kingdom because I refused to settle. Then while protecting you from yourself, I didn’t see you slip in and steal my heart from the pedestal where I had stored it for so long.”
“Nissa, do you realize what this means?” There was pleading in her father’s voice. “You won’t be allowed to live here.”
“I know, Father, but you have but to ask and we will be by to visit. Even after we have children.” This caught Ethan by surprise, as well as her father. Nissa gave him a look. “Oh, surely you knew that was bound to happen.”
“At some point, yes. We should probably discuss it first.” His cheeks were flushed red. “I don’t think this is the appropriate place to talk about it.” He looked away as he said that.
