Determined Prince

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “I don’t want another,” he said. “I want Eve. Only Eve.”

  “It’s a strange feeling, isn’t it?” The queen smiled. “That connection you feel will only grow. Soon she will be a part of your soul. That is what marriage is.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Good morning, Rudolf, all ready to lead Santa’s sleigh tonight?” Eve mumbled. She stared at her nose in the mirror and gingerly poked at the tip. The blister was gone, but a scab had replaced it. She wore one of Kyran’s tunic shirts with a belt around her waist to fashion a dress. The skirt hung to mid-thigh and the top was baggy. It actually didn’t look half bad, and it beat the stack of renaissance faire gowns she’d been given as an alternative.

  “Come.” Kyran crossed over his living room so swiftly that she barely had time to gasp before he swept her up into his arms. Instantly, he started running for the front door in a panic. “Do not worry. Do not worry.”

  Eve caught her breath and lightly hit him on the arm. “What the hell is wrong with you? Put me down.”

  He came to an abrupt stop. The man actually looked confused. “You called me Rudolf and asked if I was ready to slay for this Santa. The surgeon said to watch for signs of confusion and…”

  Eve slowly shook her head. “I was talking to my nose, and I’m not crazy. Your doctors can’t do anything to help me anyway.”

  He released her and she slid down his body to stand on her feet. “You were talking to your nose?”

  “Not my nose, but my face, oh, you know what I mean.” Eve covered her face with her hand. Though the wound no longer throbbed, it looked awful. He’d been caring for her since it happened—bringing her strange foods that looked like moldy bread and something that came out of the rare fruit section of the grocery store. “I’m not confused. I’m irritated, and frustrated, and I miss my guitar, and I’m not even sure why I’m still here with you. Well, except for the fact I’m not going on stage looking like this.”

  He said nothing, which was a change from his constantly reminding her that they were married.

  “You’ve been hovering,” she said, somewhat playful, somewhat irritated. Eve wasn’t sure what she wanted out of him—well, besides a trip back through the portal. “Scared I’ll escape?”

  “Scared you will injure yourself,” he corrected.

  “How many times do I have to tell you it was an accident? I really don’t want to die.”

  “Then what would you like to do?” He smiled meaningfully, and she knew he waited for her to say the words “I am your wife and you are my prince” so they could have sex. It was a tempting way to pass the time, but her stubborn mouth would never let the words out. He always looked at her like that, with his steamy come-hither eyes and eager expression. His breathing deepened as if he was on the verge of exploding out of his clothes like a wild beast. “Or what would you like me to fetch you?”

  It took Eve all of two seconds to come up with a list. “Out of this castle. A cheeseburger. A latte. No, three lattes. My guitar. My clothes. A hair tie. Blow dryer. Fresh air. A—”

  “Come. How about I take you out of the castle.” Kyran seemed eager to please her as he crossed toward the bedroom and came back holding one of the my-lady gowns. “Dress.”

  Eve looked down at her outfit. “I am dressed.”

  “You are, uh—” Kyran eyed her naked legs, “—half dressed.”

  Eve arched a brow.

  “It is customary if you are to make an appearance as a Draig Princess that you wear…” He held up the dress for her with a hopeful expression.

  Eve shook her head in denial.

  “Whereas I have enjoyed your indecent display here in our home, I cannot allow other men to see your legs so exposed.”

  Eve crossed her arms over her chest.

  “They will get the wrong impression.”

  Eve tilted her head to the side. “If the sight of my naked legs is going to inflame your people, then that’s on them, not me.” Before he could defend the Draig honor, as it looked like he was about to, she added, “However, I will compromise. Get me a pair of those pants and I’ll wear them.”

  Eve knew not to push her attitude too far. If she wasn’t careful, she might not be let out of his home. But she also wasn’t the type of woman to bend her personality to fit others. She was who she was.

  When he didn’t answer right away, she said, “Need I remind you that you stole me from my planet. I get that a portal trip is probably like crossing the street between two places, but at the same time, it’s a whole freaking other planet. I think I’m being a pretty good sport about this. Most women would be freaking out right now, crying and talking nonsense. But not me. I’m holding it together pretty well, I think. So, in light of that, I’m thinking if I want to wear a pair of freaking pants then you should let me have my freaking pants.”

  What started as a reasonable tone ended in near hysteria.

  “You are right. I will find you pants.” Kyran nodded and disappeared out the front door.

  Eve sighed. Well, maybe she wasn’t handling this as well as she wanted to believe.

  * * *

  KYRAN HELD the pants for his bride in one hand as he strode into his father’s royal office. The king looked up at his approach. “Is the princess well?”

  Kyran nodded. “I believe so.”

  “That is a relief.” The king motioned that he should sit. “What brings you to my office?”

  Kyran obeyed the silent gesture. “We did not go about this bride thing right. I do not think women are still used to being stolen as they once were.”

  “Some adjustment is to be expected.”

  “It is more than that. She keeps asking for things that I do not have—her Earth clothes and something called a cheeseburger, which I recall from the mini shows as being a giant food that women enjoy eating half naked very slowly.” Kyran thought of Eve’s beautiful legs. He would very much enjoy getting her a cheeseburger.

  “Are you asking for permission to reopen the portal?”

  Kyran nodded.

  “We cannot open the portal so that you may find food for your bride when she has food here. The timing must be right. The humans cannot know we visit them, and our shifters cannot know the portal works as often as it does. Traffic through must be regulated.”

  “What are you not telling me?” Kyran asked.

  “We’ve had reports that there is a faction of Var who do not want us to open the portal. They feel that having the portal on Draig land gives us too much power over the fate of the planet. Some feel that your being the first to marry is proof of this.” King Severin frowned. “Right now, the people are still awaiting word about your princess. The next step is to make that happen. This must be done right, and it must be done fast. A catshifter must go next. One by one, the other princes will find wives. Then we will set a date to let the next batch of men go through.”

  Kyran knew the plan. He’d helped come up with the plan. “What did you tell the people?”

  “That the new princess is adjusting and being monitored closely for the safety of all shifters. The surgeon issued a report as to her compatibility but fragility. The last part was your mother’s doing. She is determined that all know these women are not as strong as dragon females and are to be protected.”

  “I think it is time that the people saw Princess Eve for themselves,” Kyran said. “I’m taking her outside the palace to the village.”

  “She is ready?” the king asked surprised.

  “Yes. Perhaps.” He sighed and stood from his chair. “I hope so. We need this to work. I fear the longer we keep her locked away, the more rumors will be circulated. Once they see she is shaped well, it will put many of the men’s minds at ease.”

  “The men are eager to find wives,” the king agreed. “This plays in our favor.”

  “I was also thinking about the portal trips. What if we planned on making the one night of darkness the sacred marriage day? It will limit the crossing over to once a year. W
e can take an equal number of Var and Draig, and we can institute a palace celebration to see the men off. We’ll imply that it has been discovered that travel during the night is less likely to harm the females. It’s true enough. If they come over when it is dark it is less likely they will be shocked by the full view of their surroundings. Eve kept mumbling about our three suns for hours.”

  Unless they drank tequila first. Then they apparently didn’t remember the trip over…or the fact that Eve’s hand had been firmly on his ass when they’d come through.

  “I’ll mention it to the queen.” The king turned his attention back down to his desk. “You can stop avoiding taking your wife out in public now. All this can be discussed later.”

  Kyran bowed out of habit, even though his father wasn’t looking directly at him, and left the office. The king was right. He was nervous taking his bride before his people.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Y ou should not denounce our marriage,” Kyran instructed. His wife wore his tunic shirt along with the new addition of the tight pants he’d found for her. “The people won’t understand.”

  Eve arched a brow and stared at him. He hated that look and wished she’d say something.

  “They will address you as a princess,” he explained. “You must allow them to.”

  “Kyran, do I look like an idiot?” She placed her hands on her hips.

  By all the dragon’s fire, she made his heart race. Every part of him wanted to touch her, be with her, please her—from his body to his mind. How could she not feel it? The attraction between them had been strong since the first moment he’d seen her on stage. When dragons mated, it was forever. He knew that she was his wife as surely as he knew he breathed air. How could she not know it?

  “Because you’ve repeated yourself three times now. I got it. You are asking me to behave, and at this point I’ll agree just so we can get out the door already.” Eve nodded toward the front door.

  “You act as if you have been kept prisoner in here. The door is never locked.”

  “Um,” she pointed at her face, “you saw what happened when I went out alone. I don’t really feel like being hit with an invisible hammer next time or falling into a dungeon through an invisible hole in the floor.”

  “That would be a ridiculous security feature,” he dismissed.

  “A few days ago, I would have said an invisible electric wall was ridiculous.” Eve scrunched up her nose. “And now I look like a crypt keeper.”

  “You look beautiful,” he assured her.

  Eve’s stern expression broke and she gave a small laugh. “They really do train you guys full out with the husband manual, don’t they?”

  “I don’t know what that means, but if you keep smiling, I will agree with it,” he said.

  Eve laughed harder. He liked the sound of her laugh. She tugged his arm. “Now let’s go. I want to see things.”

  Kyran obliged, leading her through the halls. Only when she reached the front gate did she hesitate. Kyran pushed a stone and the transparent wall tinted with blue. He reached his hand through to show her it was harmless. She took cautious steps as they walked outside.

  The day was warm and the green tint of the suns reflected off her hair to turn the blue streak a more vivid hue. He found the color did not disturb him as it once had—mainly because he’d noticed the hair closer to her head grew as a normal shade.

  Kyran automatically started leading her toward the trees, finding it hard to fight the urge to get her alone. However, Eve detected the rooftops of the nearby village and began excitedly pulling him that way.

  “Do they walk around like dragons?” she asked, practically bouncing as she walked.

  “If the occasion calls for it.”

  “So, is it like the wolfman where you have to have a full moon to change? Or is it more of a temper thing—like letting the dragon loose where you go all mindless and start attacking people? Or is it—”

  “I don’t know what you’re asking me. We shift if we want to shift, if there is danger, if we fall from a great height and need to land with minimal injury to our internal organs.”

  “Fall?” She frowned in obvious disappointment. “So you don’t fly?”

  “Only females and only at very rare times.”

  “Oh.” She sounded dejected. “So I guess you don’t breathe fire?”

  “There is a legend that females can when properly provoked. I have never seen it done.”

  Eve chuckled. “Yeah, we have that same legend amongst my people. We call it PMS.”

  “I have not heard of this.” Kyran was glad that she seemed more at ease. “You must tell me about it.”

  “Oh, if I’m here long enough, I’m sure you’ll learn all about it,” she mumbled. Then, becoming excited once more, she said, “Hey, so if I stay here, will I turn into a dragon? Will you have to bite me like a vampire or werewolf? Or is there some kind of mystical ceremony where I drink from the goblet of dragon ooze? Or—”

  “You are human,” he explained very carefully. “You will remain human.”

  Eve’s expression fell. “Well, that kind of sucks.”

  For some reason, her desire to become a shifter pleased him. “You no longer seem worried about being here. This pleases me. You will make a very fine queen someday, and I’m sure your new people will come to love you.”

  This did not seem to please her as he had hoped.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that.” She gave him a sheepish smile before narrowing her eyes. Eve pointed toward the tree line. “Is someone watching us?”

  He turned not seeing anyone.

  “Never mind, he’s gone. Hey, let’s not get into that whole marriage thing again. You seem a decent enough sort, and heavens know I’ve had crazier friends.”

  “You will miss these other friends,” he said, desiring that she know he understood the sacrifice she made. “For that I am sorry.”

  “My bandmates? Yes, they were a good fit for me. I’m sure they’ll find someone else to hang with though. We’d only been playing together for three months. The sad truth is I doubt they’ll even look for me that long.”

  “I am pleased you are accepting your role as my bride.” He smiled and lifted his arms to touch her. This was it. Finally…

  “I didn’t say that,” Eve corrected.

  “But you accept that you are here. I thought—”

  “Come on, cowboy. Enough talking. I want to see the sights.” Eve jogged ahead of him down a worn foot trail, giving him no choice but to follow behind.

  * * *

  I AM your wife and you are my prince.

  Eve knew what he wanted her to say. The challenge hung between them every time they stood in the same vicinity. Her body tingled when he was near, as if begging her to remember the familiar press of his against it. Oh, but she did remember, in raw, hot, blood-boiling, sex-wetting detail. But desire did not equal marriage. In fact, Eve had never really considered marriage as a possibility. The thought of it terrified her more than the idea of breathing alien air.

  The mountains surrounded them, tall spikes reaching toward the heavens. Fresh air carried the scent of grasses and vanilla. A community surrounded the stone castle—small cottages and stretches of farmland. It was much like she’d picture an English village would look like, all nestled and cute, yards tucked behind stone walls and cobblestone paths. People took care of their property. The roads were clean.

  A strange birdcall sounded, drawing her attention upwards. She blinked, instantly regretting looking toward two of the suns. Red blurs darted through the sky, flying erratically before diving into the nearby forest.

  The planet was similar to Earth—well, Earth prior to the industrial revelation to be sure. No cityscapes and electrical light poles marred the view. The sky was clear of airplanes and industrial smokestacks. The surrounding nature was different enough that she couldn’t forget she was on an alien world. The skinny trees looked like trees of the high mountains but for the bark that had
a strange bubbly texture. Thick bushes with dots of yellow and bubble-bark trees filled the distant landscape.

  She was surprised to find the commoners dressed like Kyran—in pants and tunic shirts. The only notable difference of rank was the dragon symbol on Kyran’s chest.

  When several people looked up from they were doing, Eve stopped walking. “Wait. Should you go get bodyguards or something? Is it safe for you to be out and about without protection?”

  “You are concerned for my body?” He smiled and his eyes flashed golden. That little trait wasn’t fair as it was all too seductive.

  “You’re incorrigible.”

  “If that means I want to see you naked, then yes, I am incorrigible.”

  The sound of gruff laughter cut off her answer, which was probably for the best since she didn’t know what her answer was going to be. A small group of dragon men walked in from a nearby field. She noted the dirt covering their hands when they lifted them in greeting. Eve didn’t understand a thing they said in their gravelly voices.

  “Eve,” one of the larger men repeated when Kyran introduced her. Eve’s name sounded like a painful grunt.

  Unsure what to do, she merely nodded her head toward him.

  “Well you come,” a younger dragon man said in heavily accented English, “Priceless Eve, my name is Muireadhach.” He looked very proud of himself for the introduction.

  “Murdock,” Eve said, knowing her pronunciation probably wasn’t the most flattering. “Thank you.”

  “Muireadhach, she is Princess Eve,” Kyran corrected.

  Eve arched a brow at Kyran and then smiled at the young man. “Priceless sounds better.”

  “He needs to learn the correct way,” Kyran said, his tone much more stern than it had been with her. He also looked more rigid in stance, as if the power of his position suddenly weighed down on him. “He wishes to marry and must be able to communicate with a bride before he can be chosen by the gods to go through the sacred portal.”