Wild Ride: An M/M Shifter Mpreg Romance Bundle

by Preston Walker

  “Because I never needed to ask,” Don replied. His tone was sharp, almost cutting. “I have already heard all about you from the prince.”

  At the mention of Jace, Keiran’s heart swelled in his chest. “Ja... I mean, he did?”

  “Of course, he did. You were invaluable to him, and he instructed me to have you stay in such a position.”

  This couldn’t be. Could it? There was no way in hell Jace cared enough to actually arrange for Keiran to train as a doctor. Or was there? Keiran held his breath even though that made him feel like he was about to pass out, what with the way his heart was pounding.

  “You will be Jace’s personal servant.”

  Oh.

  Keiran struggled to keep his face blank, but Don was more perceptive than that. “Something wrong with that, little wolf? It’s a great honor to be chosen for that task.”

  “I... think I might be a little confused about why that’s such a great honor.” He shook his head, trying to be polite about it, even though Don’s glare made it all but impossible.

  “Of course you wouldn’t know, since you no doubt come from some uncivilized little village. Judging by your skin, I would say by the southern border. No vehicles for days. Nothing but forests. Correct me if I’m wrong?”

  Far from being offended, Keiran actually laughed. “You’re pretty good!”

  And for the first time, Don’s expression softened. He lifted his head and stood a bit straighter, preening over himself. “Why, thank you. I do pride myself on my attention to detail. Now, this is an honor because personal servants are very close to their masters, and Prince Jace has never wished for such a person in his life before. He must value and trust you quite a lot for this to happen.”

  He was stunned, full of tingles. All that wondering about whether or not he would ever see Jace, and the prince had made sure it would be so. “Wow. This... this seems like a lot.”

  “It is, so you must not take it for granted,” Don warned. His warning tone was very similar to his regular tone of voice. “It is up to Prince Moody to explain to you his own reasoning.”

  “Prince Moody?”

  Don smiled. It was a very unsettling sort of smile. “That is what his subjects call him. For good reason, I might add. You will find out in your own time, I’m sure.”

  I wonder if he’s only moody when he has to be back in the castle. He certainly didn’t seem like that on the way here.

  Keiran looked around, hopeful for a glimpse of the prince. His prince, now. “Is he here to meet me?”

  “No,” Don scoffed. “Because he is much too important to stand around and wait for an omega like you.”

  Not that Don was any better as a person, since he was also an omega.

  “You’ll have to go find him on your own. The others will be getting a tour of the castle today, but I say directions will stick in your head much better if you wander the halls yourself.” Don nodded, clearly feeling clever again. “To that end, Jace has a clear schedule today. He can almost always be found in one of three locations: his chambers, the training grounds, or the royal gardens. As he has given his men the day off again, I would suggest not wasting your time by heading to the training grounds.”

  “Alright. Thank you,” Keiran said. “I guess I’ll be seeing you again a lot, since you’re his advisor and all.”

  “Yes, you will. And I must say that, despite our differences in personality, I believe that I would much prefer you over any other stray that Jace has brought home thus far. So, welcome to the castle, Keiran.”

  “Thank you,” Keiran repeated again.

  And then they stood there. Keiran waited for instructions for a moment before figuring out that the advisor really did expect him to figure it out all on his own from here.

  Fine. He would use his logic.

  Without saying goodbye, Keiran headed back around the side of the castle to the front courtyard and pushed his way in through the doors. The interior was no less intimidating than the exterior, and far more confusing than the servants’ quarters in terms of stimulus. Chatter and shouts and scents all clogged his ears and eyes, practically blinding him. He hesitated there, looking around, thinking that maybe he should ask for directions after all.

  This was how it felt when he stepped into the forest for the first time, he remembered. The new area and all the different scents... it was useless trying to find his way through the trails and to visually separate one thicket from another. Abigail made him transform into his wolf form so that he could learn the ways with his other senses before relying on his eyes. Perhaps that was the key here.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Keiran caught sight of a child sprinting down the hall in his direction and acted without thinking. He stuck out his hand and caught the kid by the shoulder.

  “Hey!” the child barked.

  Alpha, Keiran thought. And then he found himself on his back, wondering how they got the vaulted ceiling to seem so full of stars. The back of his head throbbed, but his vision didn’t spin when he sat up, which was a good sign. No blood either.

  “Wow,” a voice muttered from nearby. “You must either be really new or really dumb.”

  Keiran looked up to find another servant studying him from behind a cart filled with dirty laundry. Her blue eyes twinkled with amusement, a wide smile on her lips. “Why not both?” he suggested.

  She laughed. “I like that. So, new?”

  “I just got here last night.”

  Understanding seemed to dawn upon her. “You arrived with that group, huh? You’re lucky. Jace has been doing this for years. Helped a lot of people. But hey, didn’t your taskmaster warn you about the alphas? Some of them are super nice, but the kids tend to be entitled. Don’t touch them.” She giggled, covering her mouth to do so. “Although a really smart person would have used their nose to tell if they were about to grab an alpha or not.”

  “My human senses aren’t exactly the best,” Keiran answered.

  “Then I suggest you start memorizing faces, buddy. Were you grabbing someone for a reason?”

  If only I had waited a few seconds and just talked to her first, I could have spared myself a knot on the back of my head.

  “I’m supposed to be heading to the royal gardens. Can you point me in the right direction?”

  She didn’t ask what his reason was for going. All she did was nod and flash a smile. “Sure. There’s a couple of gardens and a big area out back that we call a garden too, but the royal garden is private. For royalty only, obviously. The only entrance is on the third floor. Go up the stairs here and head right at the landing...” The list of directions that followed was impossibly long, leaving Keiran more confused than he was when he started. All he could do was hope he got the gist of it. “And then when you reach that door, it leads outside and down a staircase to this really fancy enclosed garden. Surrounded on all sides by the castle walls. If that’s not where you end up, you’re in the wrong place.”

  Keiran thanked her and moved on before she could try and help him any further. If he couldn’t find it on his own, he’d ask someone closer to just walk him there.

  It turned out not to be much of a problem, however. After a few wrong turns, he picked up on a slight breeze and a scent of flowers that blew gently through the halls; following the scent to their source, an ornate and heavy metal door, he pushed through and found himself indeed standing at the top of a very long staircase draped with ivy. Silver blossoms covered the ivy, and the sweet scent came from their petals.

  Keiran strained his ears but heard nothing, not a single insect or bird chirping. “Quiet,” he murmured to himself. The sound dissipated, muffled by the thick garden below. He descended, examining the lay of the greenery beneath him. Statues rose beside hedges covered in precious flowers, and untamed flower stems protruded over the pathway. Trees rimmed the outer perimeter of the garden, obscuring quite a bit of the wall once he stood on the ground.

  I saw a clearing over by that fountain from the top of the stai
rs. If I was Jace, I think that’s where I would want to be.

  Picking his way over to the grassy clearing, Keiran called out, “Ja... uh, Prince Jace? Are you out here? It’s Keiran. Your... servant!”

  The idea of being Jace’s servant, destined to perform whatever task the prince wished, made heat coil tight in his stomach. Of all the times to be turned on, this wasn’t it. He couldn’t help it, though. He had been attracted to Jace since the very beginning and now for this to happen; it was a blessing and a curse all wrapped up in one.

  Keiran stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists, pulling in a deep breath and focusing on the pain of his nails digging into his palms. No. He was in control of himself. He wouldn’t walk up to Jace with an erection poking out the front of his slacks.

  A few moments of focusing brought him back in control, so he continued on down the remainder of the path while being careful not to tread on any flowers or vines. “Jace?” he called out again, softer than before as he emerged out into the clearing from behind a wall of bushes covered in tiny scarlet blooms.

  Jace lay in the middle of the clearing, cheek resting on his folded arms. Every inch of him glistened bronze in the sunlight, completely exposed and bare—he wore no clothing. In fact, his clothes had been scattered around him as if he had ripped the garments away as fast as he possibly could. Keiran saw everything. The supple line of his back. The ridge of his spine, and the jutting angles of his shoulder blades. His ass was as round and firm as two apples.

  Keiran couldn’t look away from it. His legs lay somewhat spread, which meant that Keiran could see between those parted cheeks to Jace’s shadowed opening, and he could see a glimpse of...

  “Hello,” Jace purred.

  Chapter 9

  He sensed Keiran’s approach as soon as the omega first set foot on the steps at the top of the garden. Though he wasn’t sure if the omega sensed their budding connection, Jace felt it as he would a new limb. That connection signaled trouble in their future, but he reasoned quietly to himself that it wasn’t the first time a royal took on a lover unsuited for his status in life.

  Look at me, he thought. He’s been my servant for less than a day and I’m already considering bedding him.

  He didn’t feel quite as bad when he felt the faint flush of warmth pulse through Keiran. It seemed the omega did feel something for him and that feeling was lust.

  “Hello,” Jace rumbled when he felt Keiran had stood there for long enough. “Why don’t you come join me?”

  He closed his eyes while waiting for an answer, enjoying the warmth on his skin.

  Keiran stammered, “Oh... um... maybe I... maybe I shouldn’t. I mean. You’re. Not dressed.”

  “You had best get used to the sight. Or would you rather quit your job before it even begins?” He tried to keep his voice light, but it proved difficult when he could feel the omega’s eyes roaming uncontrolled over his body. “It’s just nudity. Surely you’ve seen a naked man before?”

  Whatever the omega said, it came out incoherent. Jace turned his head so that he could press his face against his arm, stifling a laugh. He felt lighter than he had in months, all because of this unique man.

  “Come again?” he teased.

  “I... I said... I have, but... none that were so... you.”

  Jace bit his arm, muffling more laughter. Oh, this was too easy. He needed to do it more often if it felt this good. With Keiran around, he suspected he would have these chances quite a bit. The omega was so quiet and awkward and shy, and yet somehow so competent and in control. It really was quite fascinating.

  “Well, thank you. I need no other approval in the world now that I have yours. Please, Keiran. Would you sit? I’ll wear that robe if you want me to.”

  “There’s a robe?”

  “Over on the fountain. If you’ll fetch it for me, I will wear it to ease your discomfort. I really don’t want to chase away my servant on his first day at work.”

  He closed his eyes but listened intently to Keiran’s awkward steps, movements obviously restricted by a throbbing bulge between his legs. Cloth rustled, and then his folded-up robe landed by his nose.

  Jace sat up, sliding his gaze to the side. Keiran wasn’t looking at him. Mildly disappointed, he pulled on the robe and cinched the ties around his waist so the thick material concealed his cock. He had an erection as well, his organ hard and swollen. Burning heat gathered in his loins now that he wasn’t lying on his stomach with his cock trapped beneath him.

  Folding his legs, Jace patted the spot on the ground next to him. “Sit,” he implored again. He made his voice firm, the request clearly an order.

  Keiran sat stiffly, perched nervously without really relaxing.

  I should go easier on him.

  “Are you going to be able to get used to this?” Jace asked. “I do this all the time.”

  Keiran let out a nervous little cough and then said nothing. Jace knew what he thought, that he might be a bit too comfortable with this already.

  Jace continued on as if he hadn’t noticed the silence. “I’m interested in learning more about you, you know. You really proved yourself on the journey here.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Is that all you’ve got to say? You were much more talkative before. Did someone say something wrong to you?” The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, anger brewing just beneath the surface. If anyone dared speak to Keiran out of anything less than respect, he would have them thrown into the dungeon.

  But the omega stayed silent, staring down at his hands. His shoulders hunched up around his neck. Everything about him spoke of acute discomfort. He was nothing at all like he had been during the journey; Jace wanted the old Keiran, the confident one.

  “You might be my servant but that doesn’t mean I think I’m in control of you. You’ll be more of my confidant than anything else.”

  “Does that mean I can talk?”

  “Of course you can!” Jace grabbed onto that sentence and put as much conviction into it as he could. “And you can say whatever you want. Whenever you want. To anyone. You are under my protection now. More than just a simple servant. Do you understand?”

  The conviction of his words startled Keiran. They startled Jace, too. He knew he felt something, but he hadn’t known exactly how strong that feeling was until he said all this out loud.

  “You’re really serious about this,” Keiran said, quietly.

  “You have no idea.” He wished that he could tell the omega what he felt about the world they lived in, but his opinions were strange for an alpha. It was best to wait on that until they knew each other better. “So then. Tell me more about you. I want to know all there is about my new servant.”

  “And in return, does the servant get to know all about his presence?”

  Jace flashed a grin. “More than he bargained for, yes.”

  The effect on the omega was instantaneous. His skin flushed and he pulled in a deep breath, almost choking on it. He shifted position, clearly trying to hide the bulge between his legs. Jace said nothing, letting him believe he was successful. As for his own cock, it throbbed all down its length and he felt himself hardening even more than before, if that was somehow possible. This was going to be fun.

  “Keiran?” Just saying the omega’s name felt good.

  Keiran blinked rapidly and pulled in another deep breath before he was capable of speech again. When he spoke, the words came in fits and bursts to spin a longer version of the tale Jace already knew from before. It was no less amazing that a man with a handful of secret lessons given by a friend could be so resourceful in an emergency, but that said quite a bit about the wolf’s character. Whether or not Keiran was aware of it, he was far more than he gave himself credit for.

  Everything he said came out either extremely humbled or halfway insulting toward himself. Each time made Jace grind his teeth together. Damn this omega’s stupid, smothering father for not recognizing his son’s worth. Damn the society his ancestors create
d, which made Keiran feel so bound by his position in life that he couldn’t recognize his own worth.

  But out loud, Jace said nothing. All he did was listen until the end of the story came, and then he reached out and placed his hand on Keiran’s shoulder. His shy servant stiffened, in more ways than one, but he didn’t move away.

  “You’ve had quite the life.”

  “It hasn’t been anything interesting since, oh, three weeks ago or so.” Keiran smiled, uneasily. “But what about your life, Ja... my prince? I can’t imagine what it’s like to have grown up in the Capital, much less in a castle.”

  “Just call me Jace, please,” Jace said. He kept his hand where it was on the omega’s shoulder, punctuating his statement with a gentle squeeze. Keiran pressed his lips together, throat working. “And it hasn’t really been anything special in my life either. It isn’t all lying naked in the sun while your new servant admires your ass.”

  He hadn’t thought it possible, but the omega grew even redder. He was practically glowing.

  It seemed to be Jace’s turn to speak now, so he laid it out as best as he could. “Ever since I was very young, my life has been on a schedule.”

  And while that schedule changed as he grew and varied from one day to the next, all those days blurred together because the individual parts of the schedule were no different. He rose each day in a bedroom surrounded by expensive toys he never had time to play with, though those toys were continually discarded and replaced with the next round of new ones as they came out. He went through lessons just like any other school-age child, the difference being that he learned manners and diplomacy and fighting while learning how to read his ABCs and to count to 100. The learning never stopped either, though these days it mostly came in the form of sitting in on meetings while trying not to fall asleep.

  “I had no idea,” Keiran murmured.

  “Well, now you do. Living in the lap of luxury... It’s not as freeing as everyone might think.” Jace knew both sides of the argument, but he held his tongue. It wasn’t like he could get a clear thought formed anyway. His control slipped rapidly, becoming more haphazard. Keiran smelled of soap and innocence, and his body was so close...