Ella and Her Shifters: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Once Upon A Shifter Book 1)

by Aria Winter

  “All—all right,” I stumble over my words.

  Something about him makes me uncomfortable. With my guards, I knew instantly that I could trust them. But when the prince asked me the same, my first inclination was to pull away. Instead, I’m allowing him to lead me onto the ballroom floor.

  If my guards had not told me of the prophecy, I would probably make an excuse to leave. There is something about the prince that unnerves me. But then again, perhaps it is merely anxiety from being this close to the man destined to become my husband.

  He pulls me onto the floor, and we begin to dance and spin. He pushes me slightly to whirl me away before twirling my body back to him. I’m surprised when he pulls me back into his arms and dips me low. One hand behind my back while the other moves up between the valley of my breasts to my neck as he stares down at me like a predator considering its prey.

  My chest heaves as I struggle to catch my breath, trying to calm my fluttering heart because I’m so nervous and yet oddly aroused at the same time. No one has ever touched me like this. So intimately. His hand is pressing insistently against my body as he smooths a line down the valley of my breasts. I should slap him for taking such liberties, but perhaps this is what is supposed to happen between and man and the woman he is to marry. I would not know. I’ve never even been courted.

  I scan the room, hoping to see Kai or one of the others for reassurance, but I find nothing. Wherever they are, they are well hidden.

  The prince lifts me back up, holding me tightly to his chest as we continue to follow the song’s rhythm.

  Something hard presses between us, and I gasp when I realize what it is. I may not know much of men, but I do recognize this. His length is like a hard bar against my abdomen. Having noticed my alarm, a smile tugs at his lips. He leans down and whispers in my ear. “I think I’ll take you.”

  I blink up at him, not sure what he means. But he takes my hand firmly in his and leads us off the floor. He grabs two more glasses of that delightful bubbly drink and gives them both to me. They taste so delicious I have no trouble drinking them both.

  Several pairs of eyes track us as he pulls me through a narrow door that leads out into the palace gardens. The full moon shines brightly overhead, casting everything in an ethereal silver glow. Thick rows of hedges full of blossoming flowers line the small, cobbled path straight to the center’s large fountain. A soft breeze carries the delicate fragrance of the many roses that we pass.

  My entire body feels light as a feather, and I gaze in wonder at the beauty that surrounds us. These gardens are so lovely, I can only imagine how much more beautiful they must be during the day. As we continue moving farther away from the palace, it occurs to me that he and I are entirely alone out here. Despite the lightness of my mood, panic spikes through me. “Your grace,” I begin, “what about your guests?”

  He guides me back against the massive trunk of a nearby tree, and presses his hips firmly to mine. “They can wait.” He grins. “And call me Alexander.”

  Pinned between him and the tree like this does strange things to me, but I’m nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before, and I’m not sure what to do. I’m not even certain that I like this odd feeling.

  He leans forward and drops his head to the curve of my neck and shoulder. He presses a series of kisses along my sensitive skin. I breathe shakily as his hand moves down my neck to the top of my dress, and he slips his fingers beneath the neckline.

  I gasp as he palms my breast, brushing his thumb across the soft peak until it hardens. My entire body lights up beneath his touch, but I... this all seems to be happening too fast.

  Kai and the others assured me this man would be my husband, but I’m not sure I want to let him take me before we are wed.

  “Alexander, I’ve never—”

  He whispers against my skin. “Then allow me to lead, my lady.”

  Chapter 13

  Kai

  We follow Ella and the prince out into the royal palace gardens. I sit beside Cash and Finn on a nearby tree, observing. Devon comes up beside us, his black fur nearly invisible against the dark shadows. I project my bitter thoughts to him. “Your dress seems to have worked. It definitely caught the attention of the prince.”

  With a slight clench of his jaw, he says nothing as he continues to stare down at Ella and the prince. The prince drops his head between her neck and shoulder, pressing a line of kisses along her skin.

  Nyx makes a soft noise of frustration on the ground near the tree’s base then shifts into his human form. I glare down at him as he climbs up beside us. I arch a condescending brow. “Was that necessary? You risk exposing us all.”

  A hint of irritation shifts into his gaze. “I could not see anything from the ground.”

  “What do you need to see?” I ask. “Can you not tell from our conversation that it is going as planned?”

  He turns to look down at Ella and the prince and he gasps.

  The prince dips his hands beneath the neckline of her dress and cups her breast. Nyx growls low in his throat. “Is it going as planned?” he asks. “Does not something seem off to you?”

  “I want you as mine,” the prince says in a low voice between presses of his lips to her skin. “Say ‘yes,’ Ella. Tell me that you will marry me.”

  “Yes,” she says, her voice a breathy sigh as he cups her breast.

  My heart shatters at the sight. We should be happy that our plan is working. And yet, I cannot deny that something feels wrong here. But I push the feeling down, believing it to be mere jealousy. I wish it were me pressing tender kisses to her delicate skin. Me cupping her breast in my palm and making her breath rasp as I awaken her desires. Why does it have to be him?

  I had not realized I’d projected these thoughts aloud to my bond brothers until Finn comes up beside me and touches my wing. “I feel the same, brother,” he says as he turns his gaze to everyone else. “As do we all.”

  “Let us go then and find my parents,” the prince murmurs. “I must take you to them since you have agreed to be mine.”

  Hand in hand, they leave the gardens to head back inside the palace, and we follow silently to bear witness.

  Chapter 14

  Ella

  The prince takes my hand and leads me to the two thrones at the top of the balcony, overlooking the ball. Everyone stops what they are doing and stares, watching us with curious eyes as we approach the king and queen.

  The queen stares down at me imperiously, as her gaze moves up and down my form. Her golden hair is twisted up in a series of braids atop her head, and I note the several white strands threading through it. Her eyes are as blue as the ocean, the same as her son’s, but there is little warmth in their depths as they move over me.

  The king has peppered gray hair and deep brown eyes that seem to look straight through my soul as I stand before them. His features hard and worn with age.

  Alexander bows, and I do the same.

  “Mother, Father,” he begins, “I have chosen Ella to be mine.”

  The queen arches a condescending brow. “Are you certain you want her? You’ve not even given the other maidens here a chance.”

  He squeezes my hand. “I am certain.”

  I can hardly believe this is real. It’s all happening so fast. Did the dressmaker cast some kind of enchantment upon the material? Am I really about to become the princess of the kingdom?

  Even as all these thoughts run through my mind, I find myself thinking of my guards.

  Of Cash, Finn, Nyx, Kai, and Devon.

  The prince is handsome, there’s no question about that. But I feel as if I’m betraying my heart by agreeing to be his.

  “Very well,” the king answers. He stands then moves to the balcony to address the crowd below. “My subjects. I must inform you that my son has made his choice.”

  His words are greeted with silence and not a few sounds of pitiful sniffling and tears from the many women who realize their chance to become queen someday is
now gone.

  He continues. “There is still much food and drink to be had. Let us celebrate my son’s choice of...” He looks back to us and whispers. “What is your name, my lady?”

  “Ella,” I reply, deciding to give him my real name because my stepfamily will find out eventually anyway. Might as well let them get used to this now that the prince has chosen me.

  “Ella,” the king proclaims to the crowd.

  The scattered sound of applause rings out below, and the music begins again. I note several people make their way to the doors, realizing their goal for the evening is now unattainable.

  The prince tugs on my hand to lead me out into a long hallway. “Where are we going?”

  “I’m going to show you to your rooms.” He smiles.

  “But what about—”

  He cuts me off. “Do not worry about your things. We will send for them in the morning. This is your place now.”

  I note the way he says “place” instead of “home.” That’s rather odd. I am, however, glad he’s taking me to separate rooms. I’m not sure I’m ready just yet to be completely his. I’ve never made love before, and I’ll admit the thought unnerves me. I have heard that the first time can be rather painful, and I... I’m just not sure that I want to rush into something that intimate so quickly. After all, I’ve only just met the prince—my future husband. Surely, he will understand that I want to know him better before we do something so intimate.

  We reach a large door at the end of the hallway, and he pushes it open. I turn, meaning to ask him if he wishes to spend more time talking, but he steps inside with me, locking the door behind him. He moves his hand to my waist and presses me against the wall.

  His gaze holds mine as he slides my dress farther down to expose my breasts.

  “Alexander, wait, I—”

  He cups my breast, running his thumb across the already stiff peak. A soft moan escapes me because it feels so good, igniting a burning deep in my core.

  But it’s all happening so fast. I want to slow down a bit.

  “So responsive,” he murmurs. “I like that.” He cocks his head to the side. “I assume you are untouched.”

  Confused, I look down at his hand and he chuckles.

  “No other man has ever touched you like this, have they?”

  I shake my head, unable to voice my answer.

  He grips the skirt of my dress and begins to lift it toward my waist. His fingers skate along my inner thigh and trace lightly over the small scrap of silken fabric between my legs.

  I smooth my hands firmly over my skirt to push it and his hand back down.

  He gives me a curious look as I smile nervously up at him. “I, uh... thought we might talk for a bit first. I mean... I’ve never done this before, and I’m a bit nervous and—”

  He begins kissing my neck again as his hand snakes up my thigh. “We will talk later. Right now, I must have you.”

  “Wait, I—”

  He pulls back and gives me an angry look. “You would deny your husband?”

  I’ve had enough of this. Prophecy or not, I won’t be pushed into something I’m not ready for. I meet his eyes evenly. “Yes. I’d prefer us to know one another before we go any further, Alexander. Is this acceptable to you, or not? Because if it isn’t, then I cannot be yours.”

  He blinks down at me as if he cannot believe what I’ve just said. “You really would deny a prince?”

  I tip my chin up. “Yes.”

  He huffs and then levels a dark glare at me. “I had wanted to give you pleasure before I followed through with my plan, but now you’ve ruined it.”

  “Your plan? What are you talking about?”

  An evil grin curls his lips, and I watch as his eyes turn from blue to glowing green. “You will not fulfill the prophecy. Not now. Not ever.”

  Fear trickles down my spine. “Who—who are you?”

  “I am your death,” he growls.

  Panicked, I jerk my knee up, slamming it into his groin.

  He doubles over, groaning in pain. It only takes him a moment to recover. His head snaps up to me, anger burning in his eyes. He snarls. “I would have made this painless for you, but now you will suffer.”

  He lunges for me, but I jump back then rush to the door. I jerk on the handle, but it’s locked and won’t budge. Fear tightens my chest, and I race for another door across the room. His footsteps echo loudly behind me as he gives chase.

  I’m barely through the door when I feel something jerk on my dress. The sharp ripping of fabric fills the space as he tears my skirt. I slam the door shut, locking him out.

  The prince pounds on the door, the wood groaning with each assault of his fists. “Open this door! Now!”

  I’ve never been so afraid in my life. I’m locked in the cleansing room, and there is nothing here I can use as a weapon. What am I going to do?

  I try to focus my thoughts, hoping I can reach out to my guards, but it’s useless. I can’t focus beyond my fear as the door begins to give under the prince’s attack.

  With a loud groan, the door creaks on its hinges, slamming inward. The prince rushes in, his eyes burning with rage.

  “Please,” I beg, throwing my arms up to shield me. “Please, don’t do this.”

  He rushes forward. His large hand grips my hair as he pins me against the sink counter. I struggle, but he slams my face against the vanity. Shards of glass splinter and drop to the floor like tinkling glass as I stare at my reflection in the shattered mirror.

  He spins me to face him. Wrapping his hands tight around my neck, he begins to squeeze.

  I sink to the floor, and he follows me, tightening his grip as his cruel gaze holds mine. My lungs burn, starving for oxygen. I slap at his hands and face, struggling to break free of his deadly hold.

  I don’t want to die. Not like this.

  A spike of panic goes straight through me as the edges of my vision begin to go dark. A reflection catches my eye off to the side, and I notice a large shard of glass on the floor from the broken mirror.

  Desperate, I reach for it and grip it tightly in my palm. Warmth blooms across my skin and blood drips from my hand as the jagged edges dig into my flesh. In one swift movement, I draw the sharp glass across his neck, slicing it open.

  His eyes go wide, and a choked gasp escapes him as he covers his throat with his hands, trying to stem the bleeding from his mortal wound. Blood streams down his front as he collapses over me. The scent of iron fills the air so strong I can taste it on my tongue. I nearly gag as my hands slip in the sticky, red substance as I struggle to push him off of my body.

  I have to get out from under him. I have to leave this place; it’s not safe. The prince himself tried to kill me. I cannot stay here.

  Chapter 15

  Kai

  Devon points to the large balcony three floors up in the palace. “She is there. The prince took her to that room.”

  I know I shouldn’t, but I want to make sure Ella is all right. I turn to him as I try to decide. “What are you waiting for?” His green eyes search mine. “Go check on her.”

  “Yes,” Nyx adds. “Just a quick glance to make sure she is safe.”

  I clench my jaw. “We should have made her complete the seal with us. It would have strengthened our bond and allowed us to sense if she were in any danger.”

  Cash shakes his head. “She is a maiden. It would not have been right to take her first kiss just to seal our bonds to her. You know how humans are about such things.”

  “Yes,” Finn says. “We can complete the bond after she has consummated her marriage to the prince.”

  They are right. With a heavy sigh, I lift my gaze to the window above. Soft light spills out onto the balcony, and I hope that because the room is still lit, I will be able to make a quick sweep of the interior then come back immediately. After all, I do not wish to see Ella mating the prince. The mere thought of it fills me with dread. I need to make sure she is well. That is all. I look to my bond brothe
rs. “I will take a quick look and return immediately. “Stay here.”

  I don’t wait for their response as I take off.

  As I fly up toward the balcony, a terrified scream rings out. My heart stops, then begins pounding. Furiously, I flap my wings. When I reach the window, I see the prince atop Ella. Her face bloodied and bruised as she struggles beneath him while he strangles her.

  Rage burns through me like fire as I shift instantly and break through the window. The world shifts into slow motion as the glass shatters inward and I race toward her. Fear grips me in an iron vise as she cries out again. I cannot reach her fast enough.

  Broken mirror pieces lay scattered on the floor all around them, crunching under her body as she wrestles beneath his larger form. She grips a large shard on the floor beside her. In one swift movement, she draws the sharp edge across his neck, slicing it open.

  Blood gushes from his body as he collapses atop her.

  She pushes at him, her hands slipping on the sticky, red fluid as tears stream down her face.

  I grip his shoulder and roll him off of her, lifting her to her feet. Panic stops my heart as my gaze travels over her form. She’s covered in blood. “Ella.” I cup her cheek, drawing her attention to me and away from the gruesome display on the ground. Her eyes are wide as she stares up at me in shock. “Where are you hurt? Please, tell me.”

  “I’m fine,” she barely manages, but I know she is not.

  A broken sob escapes her. I grab her wrist and study her palm, noting the cuts from the glass. I tear a strip from her dress and quickly wrap it around her hand to stop the bleeding.

  I gather her in my arms. “Ella!” I speak her name urgently as I gently cup her face and tip it toward me.

  Her beautiful face is battered and bruised. Blood covers almost her entire body, and I’m scared because I do not know how much of it is hers. She trembles against me, sobbing heavily as tears stream down her face.

  “What happened, Ella? Please, tell me. Where else are you injured?”