Marked Prince

by Michelle M. Pillow

  For a long moment, they stood, hearts beating hard as they waited to make sure the fight was over.

  “Are you all right?” Jaxx asked, holding the cut on his arm.

  “That cursed black hole hit me with a wrench.” Payton rubbed her forehead. “You?”

  “Don’t suppose you can tie this up for me?” Jaxx lifted his arm.

  Payton reached for the bottom of his tunic shirt and used her claw to tear off a jagged strip. She quickly wrapped it around his forearm to stop the bleeding.

  “Thanks.” Jaxx flexed his hand.

  “Where the hell did Doyen find a bionic soldier?” Payton frowned. She leaned over Barrel and sliced his shirt to look at the muscles beneath. She pressed at his chest and moved toward his shoulder. “Both arms it looks like.”

  “Probably legs too,” Jaxx assumed.

  “You can pull off his pants and look, but I’m good.” Payton stood. She frowned, not enjoying the thought as she added, “I hate to suggest it, but we should bring the bionic pieces to Yevgen. He can use them for parts. Maybe he can make himself a new pair of legs and we can get future credits on information trades.”

  “Good idea.” Jaxx did not look forward to lugging the large man through the city. “We’ll need a cart if we’re going to move him. And a shovel. This looks like as good of a resting place as any.”

  “Agreed.” She nudged Doyen with her foot. “You know someone is only going to take over where this one left off.”

  “That’s a battle for another day,” Jaxx said. “For now, let’s get rid of this mess. I’m ready for this to be over so I can take my bride home.”

  19

  Fiora stood with Jaxx at the top of the watchtower, looking over Shelter City from an opening that served as a perch for the dragons to enter. There was a stack of clothing for the dragons to use so that they could dress if they did not have clothes with them. He told her Olena had constructed such towers all over the Draig kingdom for the flying dragons. Thankfully so, since Fiora now wore one of the shirts to replace her bloody one.

  The Federation building seemed so close, and yet so far, on the other side of the cliff. Below them was the place they had first met—she had been dressed like a morphed pleasure droid, and he had been completely naked after a shift. It felt so long ago. So much had happened since the night of her escape.

  “Are you ready to look?” he asked.

  The last thing she remembered before she’d awakened out of the city was resting on Yevgen’s cot, trying not to jostle her head as pain radiated behind both eyes. Jaxx had yet to let go of her.

  “It is difficult to believe that it could be over.” Fiora looked at the tops of the buildings from their vantage point.

  Jaxx told her how he and Payton had gone after the still and had fought with Doyen. She tried to locate where it had been. From this angle, all the buildings appeared very much the same.

  “So Doyen really was responsible for the deaths. He and his followers rigged the still to explode.” Fiora sighed and leaned into him as Jaxx held her. She loved the feel of his chest as it lifted and fell against her in a steady rhythm.

  As far as she was concerned, this moment could last forever. The loud whoosh of the wind against the open window muffled all sounds from outside. The cold air from being high off the ground contrasted to the warmth of Jaxx’s embrace. It was only the two of them, away from the world, safe and alone.

  “Considering what you saw, I don’t think they knew it would cause such a big explosion, but yes, he was responsible. Thanks to you, we were able to stop him.” Jaxx leaned back so he could study her face. “You did an amazing thing, Fiora.”

  She took a deep breath. “We’ll see.”

  Fiora let go of him and stepped closer to the window. The cold hit her, blowing the tunic shirt against her. Goosebumps rose on her body as she forced herself to ignore the weather.

  Timelines formed as she stared at the city, but they were nothing like the chaotic mess of before. There were no screams, no explosions, no ash falling like snow over the land. The visions caused the expected discomfort, but nothing like the agonizing pain of before. The memories of what they had prevented would always be there in her head, but at least now they were only a tale of what could have been.

  “You’re smiling,” Jaxx said. “Does that mean it worked?”

  A tear slipped over her cheek, and she nodded. “The fire and ash are gone.”

  Her eyes moved over the city, following pieces of the lives to be lived below. So many people with futures now. They would not all be fantastic stories, but at least they were stories.

  “You did well ridding them of Doyen. There was evil in that man, the kind of evil you can’t cure. The things I saw him do to women, to children, to everyone around him.” Fiora hated those images but could take comfort that they too were from a timeline that had changed. “You saved many.”

  “We saved many,” he corrected.

  Fiora reached for him, and he instantly took her hand. All visions cleared to be replaced by the landscape.

  Seeing a dark figure in the sky, she squinted and leaned out the window to try to get a better view. The wind whipped her hair against her face, obstructing it instead.

  “Who is that?” she asked.

  Jaxx looked toward the sky. His eyes filled with gold as he focused his sight. “Grace.”

  Fiora watched as Grace circled over them, disappearing behind the tower only to reappear. She lifted her hand, waving at her. Grace again disappeared from view. A loud thump sounded on the roof as Grace landed over them.

  Jaxx reached for the stack of shirts and handed one to Fiora. “She’ll need this.”

  “How will she get down?” Fiora asked.

  Jaxx pulled Fiora away from the window. He averted his gaze.

  A very human, naked Grace dropped down from above, swinging her legs into the window. She landed in a crouch. When her head lifted, Fiora instantly gave her the tunic shirt to put on.

  Grace’s hand was balled in a fist as she held the shirt against her chest without putting it on. “We were worried. I flew past Grier carrying Salena into the palace. Aunt Olena sent me to look for you two since you hadn’t been back.”

  “We just finished in the city. We’re heading back soon,” Jaxx said.

  “Did it work?” Grace asked.

  “Yes.” Fiora nodded.

  “We stopped it,” Jaxx added.

  Grace let loose a long breath. “That is great news indeed. Dulla gave birth to two boys. She didn’t make it, but I have a feeling you already know that.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Fiora said.

  “I’m sure you had your reasons.” Grace looked haunted by what she’d been through with Dulla, but she didn’t say anything more about it. “Anyway, while I was in the mountains, I picked this up for you.”

  Grace tossed a pouch toward Jaxx. He caught it with one hand.

  “Shut your eyes,” she told her cousin.

  Jaxx obeyed, and Grace dropped the shirt. She smiled at Fiora. “I’m glad you made it out of there in one piece.”

  “Thank you.” Fiora started to say more but Grace turned and propelled herself out of the window.

  Fiora’s heart leaped in her chest as she ran to watch as Grace’s human body dove toward the ground. The dragon ripped from her flesh and before she crashed, her wings pumped hard to carry her into the sky.

  “By all the stars, that made my heart jump into my throat,” Fiora said. “I guess I still need to get used to the whole flying family thing.”

  “Grace likes to show off.” Jaxx tugged on her hand to get her to turn around.

  She smiled, moving to face him. A soft light covered his face, and she glanced at his hand. “What did she give you?”

  Jaxx held up a glowing crystal between two fingers. “Proof of what we already knew.”

  “Is that…?” Fiora reached for it, curious to see the mythical stone she’d heard so much about. The crystal felt
like it hummed with energy in her hand, she peered into its depths, mesmerized. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Not as beautiful as you,” Jaxx said.

  “So this means we’re married?” She grinned up at him.

  “We will be as soon as you break it,” he answered.

  Fiora frowned and held it against her chest. “But it’s pretty. I was hoping I could keep it.”

  “Doesn’t work like that.” He stroked her cheek. “When you break my crystal, it’s a symbol that we’re joined forever. You accept me, and I accept you. Our fates and our souls become intertwined. My life becomes yours.”

  “And my life will also become yours?” She smiled, liking the romantic notion.

  “Yes, but literally my life becomes yours. When a dragon finds a mate, we share our long years with them. We will live for a very long time. Together. We’ll be able to speak without words, share our emotions. You’ll be able to tell what I’m thinking. I’ll hear you call for me over a distance, and you’ll hear me. We’ll be joined.”

  Fiora looked down at the crystal. “All that power is in here?”

  Jaxx nodded. “What do you say, Fiora? Marry me. Make me your forever.”

  The beauty of the stone paled compared to the life and love he offered. She lifted her arm and threw it as hard as she could against the tower wall. It shattered on impact. She felt a lightness to her chest the second the glowing stopped.

  “I feel you,” she whispered. “Inside me.”

  Jaxx drew her toward him and grinned. “Not yet, but you will soon, wife.”

  The promise in his golden eyes caused a shiver to run through her. She felt him as sure as she felt herself—his love, his desire, his need to be with her. It was intoxicating.

  Jaxx slid his hand along her hip to dip under the loose shirt. He skated his fingers beneath the material to cup a naked breast. She gasped in pleasure.

  Their lips met in a passionate kiss. He pressed her against the wall. She lifted her leg, rubbing it against him while wishing there were no clothes between them.

  Fiora tugged at his shirt, wanting to feel more of him. Jaxx leaned away and peeled the shirt from his chest. She kicked off her boots and pushed her pants from her legs.

  Jaxx tugged his pants down his hips to reveal his aroused cock. He came back to her and lifted her off the floor. His hands settled on her hips, and Fiora held onto his shoulders for support.

  Her body tightened in anticipation. She wanted him inside her. Every nerve in her body focused on his touch, his smell, his heat. He was everything to her. Every moment in her life had built to this, to him.

  He brought his body to her sex. With a desperate plunge he entered her, sliding deep. She cried out in pleasure. Tears fell down her cheeks, the emotional release more than she could handle.

  Jaxx kissed her moist cheek, his lips moving against her skin. The heat of his breath contrasted the cold from the window. His hands tightened on her ass. He thrust inside her, as eager as she to find release. She rocked against him, not caring that the tunic provided little padding against the stone wall.

  Pure need took over their frantic movements. A small noise escaped her mouth each time he pushed forward. Release came hard and sure.

  “Jaxx,” she cried out, trembling into her climax.

  “I love you,” he whispered against her ear.

  Jaxx stiffened. He held himself deep as he met his release. They stayed pressed together for a long moment.

  “I never want to let go,” she said with a smile. “I love you, too.”

  Jaxx slowly lowered her to her feet. He rubbed his hand along her upper thigh. “It’s too cold up here for you.”

  “I don’t notice when you hold me.” She caressed his face.

  “I notice.” Jaxx leaned over to pick up her pants from the floor. “I want to take you home.”

  “To your parents?” she asked.

  Jaxx laughed. “No. Our home. Do you think I live with my parents?”

  Fiora shrugged and laughed. “I don’t know.”

  “We have a house,” he assured her. “In the woods. Close to my parents. I have been on my own for many, many years. But I want you to know that because of the visions we can live anywhere you want, away from people, in the mountains, however far you need to go to be free.”

  Fiora looked at her hands, turning them as if she felt him against her skin. Suddenly she realized he didn’t touch her. She gasped and turned to the window and looked out at the city. Everything stayed in the present like when he held her. Only now they weren’t making contact.

  She thought of the first person that came to mind—the woman Justina who had tried to rescue her from Jaxx. She focused on finding the woman’s timeline. The images came forward, flowing as one vision when it should have been a cascade of many. She saw Justina walking through a street, standing on a crate and yelling, tugging her cloak around her as she walked quickly through an alleyway that made her uneasy.

  “What is it?” Jaxx joined her. He laced his pants at his hip.

  “I can control which timelines I see, and it doesn’t hurt like before.” Fiora stopped Justina’s timeline. “Or if I want to see them.”

  “How is that possible?” He started to reach for her only to hold back.

  Fiora looked toward where she threw the crystal. “It had to have happened when we mated. Whatever effect your touch has on me must have intensified. You balance me somehow.”

  Jaxx smiled. She felt his love radiating off him. It was more than an expression. She could feel what he felt.

  “You are the most amazing person I have ever met.” He leaned in to kiss her softly. “I am truly blessed.”

  Fiora leaned against him and gazed at the city. Jaxx wrapped his arm around her, stroking her arms to keep her warm. She thought of the toothless woman in the market and was able to see bits of her future. The impressions weren’t strong, not like when she was close to the person, but they were controllable.

  Fiora started to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I should have mated to you the second I saw you standing naked in front of this tower.” She turned to face him and place her hand on his chest. “Stopping the apocalypse would have been so much easier.”

  The End

  * * *

  The series continues with

  Feral Prince (Qurilixen Lords)

  Meet Jaxx’s Parents

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  Find out about Jaxx’s parents.

  Dark Prince (Dragon Lords)

  Out of the fire...

  Intergalactic thief, Olena Leyton is one of the best space pirates to sail the high skies. Adventure is in her blood. When her crew is scattered in a run from the law and her spaceship explodes into a ball of flames, she is forced to find sanctuary on a bride procurement ship. She poses as a willing mate to one of the alpha males on the primitive alien planet of Qurilixen to elude the bounty hunters pursuing her.

  But, marriage isn’t something this pirate takes seriously.

  * * *

  Into the flames...

  Dragon-shifting Prince Yusef leads a simple life away from the royal palace. He knows from the first moment he sees his fiery temptress that he will possess her and make her his mate for all time. The prince soon learns that playing with fire will always leave a man burned.

  With passions that surge as powerful as theirs, he is not willing to give up his bride without a fight.

  Buy Dark Prince (Dragon Lords)

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  Love Potions CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW!

  A little magickal mischief never hurt anyone until a love potion goes terribly wrong.

  Erik MacGregor is from a line of ancient (and mischievous) Scottish warlocks. He isn’t looking for love. After centuries of bachelorhood, it’s not even a consideration… until he moves in next door to Lydia Barratt.
It’s clear the beauty wants nothing to do with him, but he’s drawn to her and determined to win her over.

  The last thing Lydia needs is an alpha male type meddling in her private life. Just because he’s gorgeous, wealthy, and totally rocks a kilt doesn’t mean she’s going to fall for his seductive charms.

  Humans aren't supposed to know about his family's magic or the fact he's a cat shifter. It's better if mortals don't know the paranormal exists. But when a family prank goes terribly wrong, causing Erik to succumb to a love potion, Lydia becomes the target of his sudden and embarrassingly obsessive behavior.

  They’ll have to find a way to pull Erik out of the spell fast when it becomes clear that Lydia has more than a lovesick warlock to worry about.

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  Warning: Contains yummy, hot, mischievous MacGregors who may or may not be wielding love potion magick in an effort to prank their older brother, and who are almost certainly up to no good on their quest to find true love.

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  About Michelle M. Pillow

  New York Times & USA TODAY Bestselling Author

  Michelle loves to travel and try new things, whether it's a paranormal investigation of an old Vaudeville Theatre or climbing Mayan temples in Belize. She believes life is an adventure fueled by copious amounts of coffee.

  Newly relocated to the American South, Michelle is involved in various film projects with her talented director husband. She is mom to a fantastic artist. And she's managed by a dog and cat who make sure she's meeting her deadlines.

  For the most part she can be found wearing pajama pants and working in her office. There may or may not be dancing. It’s all part of the creative process.

  www.michellepillow.com