Northern Realm Royal Dragons Shifter Boxset Bks 2-5

by Lisa Daneils

  “Ah, a demon. That makes more sense,” Alannah mumbled before her body began to feel strangely warm.

  Her body shook a little as she heard something like a chuckle. “That’s more like it,” the voice said as she drifted off to a very strange sleep.

  Chapter 2

  I’m Not Your Monkey

  Alannah woke up, her mind groggy and her head feeling like it was full of cotton. She heard voices and was vaguely aware that at least one of them was familiar.

  “Are you sure he’s alright?”

  “Yes, ma’am. He’s more likely to die of foolish bravado than any of his current wounds.”

  “It’s strange that Ally never mentioned that he had a traveling companion.”

  “Not strange at all. He’s my squire, and he knew that he was in some very serious trouble. You see, he’s been on the run for several months.”

  One of the people clicked their tongue, but that wasn’t what was bothering Alannah as she tried to force her mind to make it through the hazy fog of thoughts. Part of her knew exactly what the demon was doing, and she wasn’t about to let him control her.

  The familiar female voice said, “I’m just glad that you found him when you did. Judging by the amount of blood, he wouldn’t have made it much longer.”

  “Ah, you needn’t have worried. He’s too thick to die just because he’s been stabbed.”

  The woman’s laugh was not at all welcome to Alannah because that meant that his story was working. “I suppose he’s lucky you found him in such a state. It has clearly made you far less angry than you should be at a rogue squire forcing you to hunt him down.”

  “Yes, he is. But you’ll have a hard time convincing him of that.”

  “When he gets a chance to grow old, he’ll change his tune. I know that he deserves punishment, but if you could, go easy on him. He’s been a sweet boy who probably just needs to learn his place. I would rather that sweetness not be beaten out of him.”

  “You’ve no need to fear, my dear Mrs. Flannery. I never beat those who are underneath me. There are far more effective ways of teaching lessons.”

  “Oh my, but you sound like a much different kind of instructor. If only there were more knights like you.” There was a hint of something in the woman’s voice that further alarmed Alannah. If she didn’t know better, the married woman was flirting. “Well, please do take good care of him. Let little Lilith know if you need anything.”

  “Actually, there is one thing I could think of, but Lilith won’t be able to help.”

  “What is that, sir knight?”

  “I’m afraid that we will not be able to take the dog with us. I would be beholden unto you if you would be willing to take charge of the poor creature. It will be a while before we can return home, and I fear his current wounds will make the trip too difficult for him.”

  “Oh, well…” the innkeeper’s wife was clearly thinking it over. Alannah found that she was holding her breath, waiting for the response. “If it will help you, I think we can make room for the dog. According to Lilith, he has some protective instincts.”

  “I would be more than happy to help you train him. Give me two days, and you will have an ideal pup to protect you. Just in time to see us off.”

  “Just two days? Are you certain?”

  “Let’s just say I have a reputation for dealing with animals.”

  “You mean, you are like an animal whisperer?”

  Something in his voice let Alannah know that he was incredibly amused. “Oh, there is no whispering about it. I just understand how the simpler creatures think, so communicating with them is an easy task.”

  “I dare say your kingdom is most fortunate to have you for a knight. Your wife must be the luckiest woman in the world too.” The innkeeper’s wife giggled as she said that.

  “Ah, there I have not been fortunate. My life has been in the service of my kingdom. There is no time for love or marriage.”

  “I am most sorry to hear that. If she were a bit older, I would be more than happy to have you fall in love with our little Lilith. I think you would make each other so very happy.”

  “From what I have seen of the child, her husband will undoubtedly be one of the most fortunate men in the kingdom. But you should keep her close for as long as you can. Life is not long enough to rush through it.”

  “And you are much wiser than your years, sir knight. I will keep your words in my heart. It is so easy to get caught up that we forget to pay attention to the moment. What poor creatures we humans are.”

  At this, the demon made a most amused sound, and Alannah knew exactly what he was thinking. Of course he would find the poor innkeeper’s words funny. He wasn’t human at all.

  The woman chortled before finally saying, “We will keep the dog, but I hope that there is more we can do to help you. That is, I would like to help you, not just your wayward squire.”

  “As long as you provide ample food and water, and don’t mind my delinquent squire taking this room for a few days, I have nothing further to ask of you.”

  They exchanged a few more pleasantries before the door closed.

  The charming tone changed to one of sheer amusement. “You can stop pretending to be asleep now.”

  Alannah knew that he was talking to her. Without opening her eyes, she muttered, “Who’s pretending? It would have been rude to interrupt you lying to the kind woman who helps run this place.”

  “Well, I could tell the truth, but I’m very certain you would not want me to do that. Most certain.” Something in his tone let her know that he knew a lot about her, though beyond her gender she wasn’t sure what. “Anyway, I hardly think that someone eavesdropping on a conversation has any room to say anything.”

  “I wasn’t.”

  “You most certainly were. While I was aware when you woke, she wasn’t.”

  Alannah struggled to open her eyes, the anger in her rising. “Look here, you wretched demon—”

  The pain that shot through her body caused the poor woman to fall back on the bed. Her hand automatically went to the wound and she felt a slick warmth. The bed moved down a little and the voice was right next to her.

  “It’s not fully healed, you foolish little mortal. Now you’ve reopened it, and you are bleeding over the nice innkeeper family’s bed.”

  Alannah snarled at this, “You should have just let me die. I have no desire to serve you and don’t care if death is the only way to avoid that.”

  Something warm touched her shoulder, and she immediately relaxed, a warm sensation coursing through her like a warm glass of milk or a shot of heavy liquor. “Now, now, throwing a temper tantrum is not going to get you anywhere. And my design on you is not to have you as a slave or a servant. There’s absolutely no fun in trying to control you, as you are much more interesting when left to your own devices.”

  Alannah weakly tried to move away from the hand on her shoulder, but found that her body was not quite so offended as her mind. All she ended up muttering was, “Then you aren’t going to force me to do whatever you say?”

  “Goodness me, absolutely not.” The mock offense was so heavy in his voice that the young woman began to feel anger rising despite the relaxing warmth. Alannah tried to hold on to that anger as the voice continued, “I’m rather looking forward to seeing just what you get up to on your own. My interference beyond getting you better will be minimal. Though still far more than I should be doing, if I’m being honest.”

  “What?” Alannah found herself losing in a fight against sleep as the warmth made her feel a comfort she had never known. “So you are just going to follow me around, like I’m some kind of monkey?”

  “Ah! That’s a fantastic comparison. Yes.” There was a moment of silence. “Yes, I think that you are very much like my own little wild monkey. What a cute little monkey.” He pinched her cheek with his other hand, but Alannah didn’t have the strength to fight back.

  His laugh was almost musical, disarming her briefly as th
e words registered in her mind.

  “I was trying to be funny, but I don’t think that you were laughing for the right reason.” Her voice was flat as she continued trying to open her eyes, but found that the lids were far too heavy.

  “Don’t try to be funny. Just be yourself. That is more than enough amusement for me. Trying spoils the whole thing.”

  “Look, you bastard,” her words began to slur, “not only am I no one’s slave or servant, I’m certainly nobody’s monkey or whipping boy. I’m not about—”

  “My dear little Alannah, you are not a boy at all.”

  A chill shot through her as Alannah knew she had never told him her name. As muddled as her mind was, the realization that she was in a much more dangerous situation started to dawn on her. It seemed that her current predicament was far more precarious than she had initially thought. The demon may have been snarky and sarcastic, but there was a lot more to him than his words. Just what he was capable of doing was impossible for her to guess. And in her current state, she was in no condition to even start trying to get that information from him.

  A hand touched her other shoulder and the warmth began to spread faster. Fighting to stay conscious, Alannah knew she wasn’t going to win.

  As she began to fade out, a voice said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to go telling anyone about your gender or your birth. I wouldn’t want to impede my monkey in her antics, now would I?”

  This was not a comfort as she fell asleep. For the first time in months, she dreamed about her former life and the nightmare that she had escaped.

  Chapter 3

  Definitely No Angel and Surprisingly No Demon

  Alannah awoke, her head a little fuzzy. Her sleep the night before had really made it difficult to separate her past from her present. All of the recent events were entirely muddled in her mind, and focusing on any one event was nearly impossible.

  Opening her eyes, the woman quickly realized that the light hurt them. Her hand went to her head, and she felt a strange pull on her back.

  I was stabbed, that was the only thought she needed to have a better understanding of her current situation. Slowly, she opened an eye and surreptitiously looked around the room. It wasn’t the room where she had stayed previously. This one must have been for newlyweds and very important people because it had its own bathroom, and the sheets were really nice. And that’s why I had a hard time remembering the present. Gods damn demon is messing with me. As much as she wanted to curse him, at least it was really nice to be in a soft bed with sheets that felt so good. Maybe she had terrible associations with the sensations, but in her current state, feeling comfortable was a nice change from the last three years. If nothing else, it helped to take her mind off of the aches and pains from the last few days.

  After trying to sit up a couple of times, she decided that it was best not to keep pulling on the scabs that had covered the stab wound. She knew that it shouldn’t be nearly that far along in the healing process, so it was clear the demon had done something to her that would heal the wound much faster than it would naturally. She didn’t have the chance to ask him, though, because as far as she could tell, he wasn’t in the room. This is going to be so boring. What am I supposed to do if I can’t even sit up? How am I supposed to eat? He should have just let me die. That would definitely be preferable to this miserable situation.

  Fortunately she didn’t have to wait too long before she heard the door open. Turning her head a little, Alannah saw a very well-dressed man enter with a tray of food and a pitcher. His clothing looked amazing on him, highlighting all of his muscles. It was not a style she had ever seen before—then again, she had never left her father’s kingdom. It was one of the poorest, but it was enormous, giving her more than enough place to roam without being recognized.

  The man gave her a beautiful smile, then placed everything on a small table. Turning his back to her, he began to prepare something. Alannah was glad that he had not attempted to engage her in conversation because she was currently at a loss for words. From his jet-black hair to his muscular body, this man was easily the most handsome person she had ever seen. She was hypnotized by his graceful movements, and it was only the occasional clinking of porcelain that reminded her that he was real, and not some image of perfect beauty. For a few moments, she simply enjoyed watching him. If life had taught her anything, it was to enjoy the little things and whatever beauty she could find in the world—it never lasted.

  When he turned around, his startling grey-blue eyes were about the only thing she could see as he approached her. A gentle smile passed over his lips, and he placed a smaller tray with a glass of water next to the bed. Sitting down, he carefully pulled her into a sitting position, placing a pillow behind her back. He then picked up the water and offered it to her.

  In that moment, Alannah had completely forgotten what he was. Taking the glass, she gulped the water, some of it dribbling down the side of her mouth. The man simply smiled as he pulled out a handkerchief and cleaned up the water on her face and neck. Next, he gave her a small plate of fruits that were decidedly out of season. And from much further away.

  Oh gods, this must be the demon. This realization almost shook her out of what she had been thinking. Still, he was really easy on the eyes, and in her current predicament, there wasn’t much she could do against him. He could do anything he wanted to, and there was no way to stop him. Of course, if he poisoned the food or drink, it would probably kill her, or maybe he was trying to control her mind. Whatever reservations she had, Alannah quickly waved them aside. If it killed her, she had no qualms with that. If he ended up controlling her, she doubted that this was the only method at his disposal. With no idea how much time had passed since she ate breakfast with Lilith, she ate without asking any questions.

  After the first bite, she realized two things. First, she was ravenous. Whether from the amount of time that had lapsed between meals, or because of the healing process, or all of the energy she had expended in dispatching the two men, she could not say. What she knew was that she was starving. The second thing she realized was that it was the best food she had ever eaten. All manners and decorum went out the door as she tore into her meal.

  The man laughed again, his gorgeous eyes twinkling. A part of Alannah wanted to say something smart, to tell him to stop laughing at her. But she didn’t want him to stop laughing either. The sound was so pleasant that the thought of him following her seemed almost welcome, stirring up hope that she would make him laugh more.

  However, it was the smile that she really did not want to stop. The look in his eyes, the skin around his mouth, and the two incredible dimples—everything about his smile was amazing.

  Oh, you are going to be in trouble if you go thinking like that, she tried to warn herself. Then again, she had not done what most considered to be the smart thing in years. Well, if you are going to have a traveling companion, I definitely could have done a lot worse. At the very least, his exquisite appearance will be enjoyable for the foreseeable future. And he will very likely act as a guard because he clearly does not want you dead.

  Her thoughts were going a mile a minute as Alannah shoveled the food into her mouth. At some point, she had stopped tasting the food because of the thoughts that were already going through her mind.

  Seducing him ought to be enjoyable too. If demons can be seduced. The young woman began to ponder the nature of demons and realized that she was going to have to spend a lot of time learning about him so that she could get some kind of leverage over the situation. Perhaps she would enjoy his company for a bit, then sneak off when she got bored of him. Alannah would not allow herself to think about the possibility—or more likely, the probability—that he would get sick of her first. If that happened, there would be nothing she could do anyway. After the first year out of the palace, Alannah had learned never to worry about what might happen down the road. There would be so many things between the present and future possibilities that her mind was best kep
t in dealing with the immediate problems.

  As she finished eating, her demon placed his chin on the palm of his hand. Two elegant fingers rested on the side of his face, as his eyes bore into her. Alannah had not realized that she was staring at him until he finally said, “Either you are trying to plan your future escape, or you are choking and haven’t started to show signs yet.”

  “What?” Alannah asked, a bit of food spewing from her mouth.

  The demon looked down at his bicep where some of the food had landed. Shaking his head, he grabbed a napkin and carefully brushed it off. “Gross,” he managed to say as he shook the crumbs on the tray. “But at least I know now that it was the former and not the latter.”

  “Sorry, but I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “Of course you do, my little monkey.”

  She quickly swallowed a mouthful of food, then looked at him. “You are half right. What do you mean I’m choking?”

  “The way you were staring so intently, it was clear either your mind was working in overdrive, or your throat had entirely stopped working.”

  “Are you always so… rude?”

  He snickered, “Oh, you’ll have to forgive my reluctance to answer that question from a young princess pretending to be a man who just spat food all over me. I dare say that you need to stop throwing rocks before you break the rest of your glass house, my little pet.”

  Alannah gritted her teeth, “I’m not your pet.”

  “Oh, but you are. You really, really are. At least for now. Don’t worry, just like I let little Lucky go, I’ll let you go too.”

  “Why do I have the feeling that letting me go will be very different from how you got rid of the dog?”

  The roguish smile made her squirm a little. This caused the smile to widen, showing some very beautiful teeth. “Well, I had assumed that you would want to be off on your own. Just say the word, though, and I will be more than happy to find someone to take care of you too.”