The Head Predator looked like a pup who’d been denied ice cream even though he’d been very good today and deserved it—a mixture of offense and betrayal. “Well, you don’t have to shout about it. You always were an abrasive child, JayJay.”
He hasn’t called me that since I was twelve.
“Sorry.” Jace lowered his voice and perched in the visitor’s chair, struggling to calm himself. If the king was confused, it was best to go along with what he thought was happening or else it would upset him. “I’m just worried about you, is all. The doctor said you should get a lot of rest.”
“Pah!” The king snorted and then wheezed from the effort it took. “Good for nothing doctors, think they can tell a man what he can and can’t do. I’ll be running laps within the week.”
“Sure,” Jace agreed, faintly. “But for today, you’re staying in bed. You look pretty tired.”
“I am tired. So very tired all the time. Dr. Sanjay says this time the problem is in my blood. He said I can’t fight off what’s making me sick anymore.” And just like that, the king was aware again. Jace said nothing, waiting for more. “I’m very tired.”
“Then... then you should rest. Don’t worry. The council will keep everything in order.”
“Yes, you will,” the king said. He leaned his head back against the thin pillow and closed his eyes, drained from the brief conversation. Jace watched the rise and fall of his chest for a moment, pondering the significance of that statement. Not ‘the council’ will, but ‘he’ will.
Everything was coming so much faster than he was prepared for. He had all his court training and knew the difference between all the types of forks, and he knew how to dance and had the words to prayers, ceremonies, and general holiday events memorized enough to recite them in his sleep. He knew exactly what to do, except for the most important thing of all, and that was how to live without his father.
How to live when he was Head Predator, at the same time as hating all the strife his ancestors caused when they united the kingdoms of prey and predator. They were constantly on the verge of civil war, especially ever since his mother was accidentally killed at a prey shifter rally for equality, stampeded to death when the police showed up. And it wasn’t just the rift between the two types of shifters that had been growing steadily worse. It was the divide between alphas and omegas, and country and city dwellers. Tensions were so high for everyone that not even children were safe anymore. Wealth and food were divided unevenly, as was every other commodity. Huge gaps had broken the system to bits, leaving some who were capable of benefitting and others who ended up homeless and stolen by or sold to slave traders.
And Jace was about to inherit all of that, but he wouldn’t be able to wear a crown on his head unless he was mated and rightfully a king. And no one in their right mind would approve of him mating with an omega servant, especially not that servant himself.
Except, as he thought about it, the idea made perfect sense. In order to make a difference in the world, a leader had to show his followers that what he did was right. The way to do that was to make those changes himself; to practice what he preached.
What better place to start than making a servant as powerful as the Head Predator?
When some time passed and his father showed no signs of awakening, Jace rose to his feet and headed back out through the castle to see if Keiran had managed to find his quarters yet. He saw the doctor Sanjay but did not stop to apologize, since the man would already be able to feel it.
And as he walked, he planned.
Chapter 11
As the prince’s most loyal companion, Keiran had the honor of sleeping in the adjacent room connected to the prince’s quarters. He lay awake for hours in the too-soft bed, unable to sleep, until sometime around 1 a.m. when a presence in the doorway made him look up.
“Jace?” he whispered.
The alpha crept into the room on silent stocking feet, touching his lips to Keiran’s before gently climbing over him and spooning him from behind. “Feel like some company?” he growled.
Shapeshifters tended to have some personality traits of their animal counterparts, and wolves were no exception. Even as humans, they still observed some of a wild wolf’s rituals when facing a stranger or friend. By nature, they were pack animals and would constantly touch or play or sleep bundled together. Alpha and omega did so now, curled up in peaceful slumber with their bodies pressed together... and Jace’s hard dick nestled comfortably between Keiran’s ass cheeks.
They didn’t have sex, but this was somehow far more intimate. With the larger man’s body draped around his, Keiran felt safe and comfortable, warmer than any blanket could ever make him because this warmth came from inside.
In the morning, Jace roused him gently, and they both sat up and looked into one another’s eyes. Keiran blushed, but he strangely didn’t feel as awkward as he thought he might. Sleeping in the same bed with another person had that effect.
“Today is the day you start your duties,” Jace murmured. His still-sleepy voice was as husky and delicious as they came. “It might seem a little overwhelming at first, but don’t be worried. Everyone will know it’s your first day.”
Keiran glanced out the window at the soft morning light and the way it filtered in through the huge opening, illuminating the darkness of his new room. Though there was not much in the way of actual decorations as of yet, the furniture and even the full-length mirror were ornate and gilded with precious metals. Not golden as Jace’s room was, but silver and mother-of-pearl and other shiny things for which he had no name because he was a terrible blacksmith.
Looking back into Jace’s eyes, which he thought looked as dark as jet, he asked, “What’s going to be expected of me?”
Jace rubbed one hand against his eyes, adorable enough to make Keiran instantly want him. “In private, we’ll be mostly friends. More, if I desire.”
Keiran swallowed hard, fully aware of the other’s eyes on his throat. The place where he would be marked if he were to be mated. He was also aware of what it did to him—a tent appearing beneath the covers.
“In public, I might ask you to do something for me since it’s going to be expected. To everyone else, you’re only a servant.”
And to you? How much more am I than a servant to you?
Jace looked down at the tent Keiran had made underneath the covers, his eyes full of animalistic hunger. “But let it be understood that you are my number one. My confidant. Aside from my father and my father’s servant, and myself, you are the most valued person here and so you can go and tell another servant to do my bidding for you.”
All this was too much to be real. Keiran couldn’t comprehend it. He’d gone from being the lowest of the low to being so important he could tell others what to do?
“I don’t think I’ll do that,” he said slowly, working out his thoughts as they came. “I know what it’s like to be bossed around. I think I’ll learn to do as much as I can on my own. If that’s okay with you.”
Far from looking displeased at being disobeyed, Jace looked pleasantly surprised. “Very good,” he rumbled. “That’s one of the reasons I chose you.”
“And the others?”
Jace glanced at Keiran’s body, raking him up and down with his eyes.
“Oh.”
The alpha laughed, a low and sexual chuckle. “So then, we’ll get ready for the day. A full one ahead of us. There are always full days. And I think that they will only continue to get busier from here.”
Keiran wanted to ask about that, but the shadow in Jace’s dark eyes told him not to. He’d try to learn that on his own, as well as everything else. The question was, would he learn this like he learned healing or would he learn it like blacksmithing? Would he be good or bad at this, and did it truly matter if he was under Jace’s protection?
So, instead of prying, he asked, “What do I do?”
“Normally, a personal servant will first dress himself and then his master, and then accompany
him to his morning meal. From there, it varies. I have a schedule of meetings and meals and occasional ventures into the city that require my presence. You will come with me for all of it. Obey no orders from anyone but me. Do you understand?”
Keiran nodded.
“Then, we’ll get started. There should be some clothing in that chest of drawers for you. I had Don describe you to our tailor and he should have found the appropriate size for you. If it’s wrong, we’ll get it fixed. I’ll dress myself for today.” Jace slid out of the bed and strode toward the door, almost out into his own room in just a few steps.
“Wait,” Keiran blurted out. “Do you want some help?”
Surprise crossed Jace’s face for just a moment before he grinned. “I would like that very much, but I think we’ll take too long to sneak it in. We wouldn’t want Don to catch us again, would we?”
Keiran blushed and lowered his head. After what happened in the garden, he didn’t know how he could face the advisor again.
The alpha sauntered out of the room fully now, leaving Keiran to go over to the dresser on his own. As it turned out, the servant’s outfit tucked away in the top drawer wasn’t dissimilar to the one outfit he owned back in the village that he typically wore when important visitors were in town. However, this one was of a much higher quality and clearly new. Pressed black slacks, a smart black vest with silver buttons, and a pure white undershirt with a crisp collar that immediately chafed at his neck. Glancing at himself in the mirror, he couldn’t help but to be surprised at how good he looked. The seams all lined up perfectly with his body as if it was sewed directly onto him, allowing him just the right amount of give in all the right places. And the black contrasted nicely with his pale skin and fair hair. His eyes really stood out now.
Wandering over to the short hallway that separated their bedrooms, he called, “Can I come in?”
“Anytime you wish,” Jace purred.
Keiran admired the prince as he stepped into his bedroom. Jace’s outfit was a negative image of his own, with more trimming and embellishments that were made of gold instead of silver. “Wow,” he said, breathlessly.
Jace laughed; that sexy, husky laugh again. “I’m glad you like it. And we make quite a pair, don’t we? We’ll attract every eye as we walk down to breakfast.”
And they certainly did do that. Keiran stepped closer to Jace and tried to stand as tall as he did, but he was out of his element and had no idea where he was going or what exactly was expected of him.
They reached a grander version of the servants’ dining hall. There were windows in the ceiling. Skylights, Keiran thought they were called. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, but instead of light bulbs or candles, the ornate bows held mirrors that cast and diffused the natural light and sent it all up and down the long room. They were like classy disco balls.
The tables were made of wood but topped with marble, and there were plush chairs instead of benches. Instead of a counter where foods were laid out for shifters to approach at their leisure, servers wandered up and down between the tables with carts loaded with serving dishes.
Keiran followed Jace over to a long table that lay horizontally compared to the row of other tables, which were all vertical. That was the main difference, along with the quality and amount of centerpieces.
This must be where the royalty dines.
No one else sat there, but Jace took a random seat anyway and gestured for Keiran to join him.
“Do we have to wait for anyone else?” he whispered.
His answer came a moment later, as someone came up to them immediately with a cart that was different from all the others, resembling a gigantic cooler on wheels. The servant bowed incredibly low to Jace. “What can I offer you, my prince? Water, milk, juice, cold tea? If you wish for coffee or hot tea, I can make some fresh.”
Jace waved one hand. “Just water. Thank you.”
The servant placed a crystal glass down on the table beside Jace and filled it to the brim from a pitcher of water and ice, so cold that the sides sweated from condensation. He moved on, giving the same sort of bow to Keiran, who suddenly felt an inordinate amount of stage fright. “And for you, sir?”
No one has ever called me sir in my entire life.
“Uh... what kind of juice?”
He immediately regretted the question because the servant rattled off an incredibly long list that began with orange juice and ended with white grape. Baffled and overwhelmed, Keiran clung to one in particular just to have something to say when the speech ended. “Grapefruit. Please.”
And that began another tirade. “White grapefruit? Pink? Sugar-free? Ice or no ice?”
“Um.” His head spun.
A warm touch on his elbow, quick and almost entirely unnoticeable because of the speed, settled his nerves somewhat. Jace’s voice spoke over his stammers. “He’s not entirely awake yet, I apologize. The pink juice, please. And maybe a cup of coffee. Heavy on the sugar and cream.”
“Of course, sir.” The servant looked just as relieved as Keiran to have someone in charge who knew what to do. He bowed and poured the juice and then hurried away to fetch the coffee.
Jace touched his elbow again softly. “I know it must seem like a lot right now, but you’ll be prepared tomorrow. And in a few seconds, when this nice man asks us what we want for breakfast.”
Keiran pulled a face, making the alpha laugh. He didn’t think he would ever get tired of hearing that sound. It made his stomach flutter so nicely. “Don’t worry. I’ll save you again.”
That was how the rest of the day went, Keiran trailing behind Jace and Jace saving him from awkward situations with undeniable grace. He had to admire the alpha. Smart, strong, kind, dashingly handsome... what was there to not like about that? The meetings were boring in no small part due to the subject matter, as the council discussed some sort of tax, and voted to veto another sort of law. Keiran understood none of it, but he managed to escape his boredom by watching Jace. Even watching him breathe was enough to satisfy him. Watching him eat, and drink, and spar with his Guard... He was beautiful and graceful and, by the end of the day, Keiran ached to have a moment alone with him, even though part of him still didn’t believe that any of this was happening. Despite the kisses, the clear flirting, the sexual advances...
He wondered if anything would actually come of all this, or if it was an endless tease.
The answer came late that night after dinner, when they finally retired for the day to their bedrooms.
“I guess this is goodnight, then.” Keiran looked at the floor, trying not to be disappointed. They’d had a good day together with a lot of gentle, secret touches between them. There really was nothing more that he could ask for.
Hot breath on the back of his neck, followed by a soft touch of lips. “Not so fast,” Jace whispered.
Keiran closed his eyes. Yes. Yes. Please, yes.
“I’ve wanted to do this all day. For weeks. And now, I finally get the chance.”
That hot breath made him tremble with each exhale, but he forced himself to speak even through the shaking. “Don’t mark me.”
Sharp teeth pressed against the skin at the nape of his neck, right underneath his hairline. “And why not?” the alpha growled. His chest vibrated with the force of it. “I don’t want anyone else to have you.”
Keiran’s knees were weak. Jace’s arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back against that broad, vibrating chest. He wouldn’t have been able to stand otherwise. “I’m yours! All yours! But we both know that...”
One hand rose to touch his lips, silencing him. Jace’s hard cock pressed against him from behind. Those firm, yet soft lips kissed him everywhere, all up his neck and shoulders, tugging at his earlobe so hard that he felt it in his bones and cried out. “Don’t ruin this with logic,” Jace growled. “Don’t overthink it. Just be.”
Had there ever been a time in Keiran’s life when he hadn’t overthought something? Hell, he spent hours sometimes rehearsing th
e most meaningless of conversations just so that he wouldn’t mess it up! And now he was being asked to completely change himself around for this, and he was sorely out of his element. He had never practiced. This was going to be a disaster. Dirty talk was out of the question.
“Keiran? You’re overthinking.”
“You can’t read my mind,” the omega snapped, feeling a bit defensive.
Jace rumbled again, but the sound wasn’t quite as fierce this time. “Actually, I can. Even if we aren’t mated, we’re bonded.”
That’s true. Their awareness of one another and the ability to predict what the other felt or was about to do was too uncanny for it to merely be the result of a friendship they hadn’t had time to cultivate. It was their wolf spirits that had bonded, forming that connection between them that no one else shared.
“I can feel everything.” That list brushed the back of his neck like a sigh, and Keiran felt his eyes starting to close. “I know you’re nervous and I know you want me. Don’t you think everyone is nervous before their first time?”
Keiran whipped around and put his hands on his hips, glaring at the alpha. “You are reading my mind!” he said. “There’s no way you could have known that!”
“No? Maybe I can smell it.” Jace took a step forward, his dark eyes even darker than ever. Keiran felt hunted. “Maybe you’re just too damn shy and innocent for me to ever imagine you doing anything with anyone else. Maybe I just don’t want to think that. Or... maybe I can feel how tight you are right now. An opened omega would know how to relax.”
“You’ve got me there,” he said weakly, putting out one hand to support himself against the wall. Jace took the opportunity to close the distance between them some more. “I’m not good at that whole relaxing thing.”
“You will be by the time I’m done with you. You won’t be able to move even if you wanted to.” The alpha ripped open the front of his white vest, popping the buttons of the black shirt beneath with just a finger sliding under them. Buttons sprayed everywhere, rolling across the floor, some disappearing beneath the bed. “I promise I’ll be gentle with you. I’ll teach you.”
Wild Ride: An M/M Shifter Mpreg Romance Bundle Page 87
