We landed, and I was ready to bound off the plane and back home, when I caught a glimpse of my father through the window, walking to meet us.
“Great,” I mumbled as I waited for the door to open.
“Father,” I greeted him less formally than I probably should have as I met him at the bottom of the stairs.
“My office. Now.” At least he didn’t send his guards to get me. That was embarrassing and sadly something I was well acquainted with.
It made for an awkward drive back to the palace. When we arrived, I followed him to his office, his silence a very bad sign, but not nearly as bad as when he walked around behind his desk and sat down. He wasn’t just acting as my father—but also as my king. Fuck.
“Father, I can explain.” He wouldn’t like the explanation, but that was beside the point.
“Enough. Instead of being the man I raised you to be, you chose to fly to the mainland of all places. Did you not stop to think that your brothers might need you—that your omega father might need you? No. You just flitted off without a care in this world.”
“I didn’t flit, and I will have you know that I could easily have taken my wings and not the jet. I do have some sense.” His dragon shone through his eyes. Why was I poking the dragon? Because you’re pissed your dad cock-blocked you. There was that.
“You didn’t even take a guard.” And while I might have fire and talons, on this he was right. The mainland wasn’t a place where I could take my true form easily and most definitely wasn’t a place I could cover up any dragony discoveries a human might make. On the island, I had vast areas of royal land where humans—those unbound to the kingdom, anyway—were not permitted where I could spread my wings without too much worry. On the mainland—at least where I had been—there was none of that. I’d have been lucky not to have been caught, breaking the laws of our kind which superseded the laws of Monitpan.
“You’re right.” That had been stupid of me. How hard would it have been to ask one of them? But then you wouldn’t have gotten off.
“What?” My father cupped his ear. “Say that again?”
“You’re right. I just—the whole I have to be mated thing.” It was one thing to fall in love or whatever and decide to be mated—but to do it so you don’t ruin your family’s entire purpose—too much pressure. “That’s not what I want, to be forced to make a lifelong bond so, what—you can stay king?” Because telling him how I felt was too hard, I lashed out, my mouth going faster than my brain. “So my brothers or I could be king?”
“That’s not what I want, either.” He leaned back in his chair with a long sigh. “I want you to find your one true mates and live as happily as your dad and I.” And they were happy. They set the bar so high, I couldn’t even imagine settling for any mate.
“But Gabriel said,” I reminded him. The conversation was not at all about true mates. Or was it and I had blocked so much of it out with all my pissyness and walking out?
“Gabriel speaks the truth and it was a truth you needed to hear. This—” he swished his hand indicating the entire office, “this means nothing if my family is not happy and even less if they are not safe, which is the reason why I called you in here.”
“I know.” The guilt was settling into me the way it always did when I acted out. “I won’t do it again.” At least not like this. I could never promise not to do something equally ridiculous. It was my weakness. Aiden used to say I was the bad dragon so he didn’t have to be. I was more the act-first-think-later dragon. Same results, but still.
“You won’t.” He stood up.
“May I go now?”
He slowly walked around his desk, stopping right in front of me. “You won’t do it again, and to make sure, I am reassigning the new guard we hired to take Liam’s position. He will be your personal guard.”
It took almost a full minute for his words to absorb.
“Babysitter.” I closed my eyes, wishing I had misunderstood. I hadn’t. “You hired me a babysitter?”
“No. I hired someone to take Liam’s place... I am reassigning him to be your guard.”
“That sounds a lot like potatoes potahtoes to me.” I huffed. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Your behavior suggests otherwise.” He crossed his arms.
“I’m an adult.” I snapped my mouth shut. Just by saying those words, I was pretty much proving the point that I hadn’t been acting like one.
“Then behave like one.” Direct hit.
“You can’t give me a babysitter.” Please don’t give me a babysitter. “I won’t do it again.”
“It’s my responsibility as both your father and your king to protect you from those that would do you harm. If you can’t stay where it is safe, I will have someone with you to keep you safe.”
“Are we done?” Because I needed us to be done. I needed to get some air to figure out how to fix this to... great, two seconds after my promise and I was already thinking about leaving again.
“You are dismissed.”
I stomped out, leaving zero room for doubt that I was an insolent brat, marching straight to the back door where I called upon my dragon, ready to fly to the mainland and... and what? Show up naked after ripping through my clothes and flying where humans could see and record me only to find Devlin long gone, or worse—with another omega.
I had no delusion I was special, nor did I want to be. Liar.
My dragon didn’t come forth.
I called for him again.
Skin, was all he said before falling back.
Great. Even my dragon was on Father’s side, refusing to shift.
“You’re supposed to pick me,” I grumbled. “I don’t need you on my ass too.”
Except it looked like I kind of did.
What was wrong with me? I could no longer blame my pissy mood on not getting laid.
Back into the palace I went, and straight to my quarters. Maybe if I went to sleep, I could at least dream of the hottie daddy’s knot, because it sure as the day was long wasn’t going to be happening in real life any time soon—or ever.
6
Devlin
My first day of work. As I headed toward the office of the man I was replacing, I inspected the palace. Manicured lawns and gardens sprawling over acres of land surrounded the one-story structure with tall, almost castle-like, flat-roofed towers in each corner. Perfect for a dragon landing. Huge covered terraces encircled the buildings—of which there were many—and each was connected by a covered walkway.
The main entrance was a huge arched door that led into the confines of the palace. There was an inscription etched into the mortar which had been weathered by decades of sun, wind, and rain that I could no longer read. Courtyards of citrus trees in bloom and pathways lined with fragrant jasmine, roses, gardenias, and lavender in pots, along with water features and fish ponds had me standing still and taking it all in.
Breathing in the rarified air of the palace was more like a fantasy, but one that was my new reality. And for a moment, as I sniffed the competing scents, an image of Chance appeared in my head.
Sad I’d never gotten a taste of him.
Hadn’t put my mouth over his damp skin and lapped at the sweat.
Would never admire the dips and curves on his body before shoving my cock in his hole.
And I’d never find out why he’d come to the bar that night.
Shrugging off my regrets, I strode toward the main building, only to be stopped by a uniformed guard who examined my temporary permit on the lanyard around my neck. Earlier, at the gate, my permit had been scanned and I’d been forced to leave my phone in a lock box. I’d been background-checked during the application process and fingerprinted at the small office the royal family maintained on the mainland, so this was a formality, making sure I was who I said I was.
But I hadn’t met Liam, the alpha who’d been in service to the Montipan family for decades and was now retiring. He was staying on for a month to train me, believing my t
ech skills filled a gap that his current employees lacked.
An assistant led me to his office, and after shaking hands, we talked pleasantries while tea was served. Liam held my resumé in one hand as he stood outlined against a window that looked out onto a fountain surrounded by flowering shrubs. I imagined myself coming to work every day and couldn’t believe how lucky I’d been.
Liam cleared his throat and that caught my attention, and I studied his face. My work experience had me picking up a slight tremor in his hands. Could be why he’s retiring. A tightening around the mouth. He’s not sure about me? That didn’t bode well. A tic under one eye had me hoping the alpha was well enough to get through the next month.
“There’s been a slight change of plans.”
And there it was. The deafening crash inside my head was the sound of my life collapsing around me. I’d given up my job on the mainland, though hadn’t yet vacated my apartment, and arrived here with a bright future.
And what of my dragon? He’d urged me to accept the position, relishing the prospect of working for dragon royalty. He snorted and writhed, and I begged him to tamp it down. I may not have the job I was promised, but scorching what was left of Liam’s hair wasn’t the way to deal with it. Take it down a notch, buddy, I said, wishing we were outside the palace and could fly over the island and get rid of our aggression and disappointment.
Now what? They were booting me out and not bothering with a trial period? Surely I should be offered some sort of compensation. I opened my mouth to protest but Liam butted in. “It’s not what you think. You still have a job but not the one we hired you for.”
Taking a deep breath, I let his announcement settle over me. Not as bad as I thought. Sidetracked, perhaps. “I don’t understand.”
“King Ari has three sons.”
If this was the beginning of a fairy tale, I needed something stronger than tea.
“And his youngest is somewhat challenged in terms of following protocol and… basically doing as he’s told.”
How old was the guy? A problematic teenager? I’d done my research on the Montipan Dynasty and decided when it came to royalty, the current king was more ethical than most monarchs, considering that centuries ago, the family had plundered and pillaged far-flung colonies.
But King Ari and his consort had made good on the promise he’d proposed at his coronation to share the family’s wealth and good fortune, and now the citizens of the island nation had free health care and education, and anyone who wanted a job had one. I’d seen a photo of the crown prince but hadn’t checked out his younger brothers. Maybe I should have.
“And you want me to do what?”
“Be his personal security guard.” He hurried on after catching a glimpse of my face. “The salary and benefits package we agreed on will remain, and of course you will have accommodation here in the palace as we promised, but the king is yet to make a decision on which quarters you’ll occupy but will do so later today. Once the young prince no longer needs the extra attention, you will assume my position. His Majesty is optimistic you shadowing his youngest son will be a short-term assignment.”
Gods, I hope the immature prince doesn’t keep me up all night with noisy, booze-filled parties.
“I apologize for not giving you any notice, but the decision was forced on the king very recently. I hope that is agreeable, Devlin.”
I assumed the bratty prince had fucked up big time, and I had to swoop in and save his sorry ass. It could have been worse. I’d been a mall security guard one Christmas and had had to detain shoplifters and help kids who’d gotten separated from their parents. One wayward prince was a piece of cake. “I have to admit it’s not what I was expecting, but it’s an honor that they trust me with their son.”
After being led into the king’s suite of offices, we bowed and Liam introduced me to His Majesty, his consort Prince Ezra, and his older sons, Princes Adrian and Brenton. But my eye strayed to the empty chair. The king followed my gaze. “It appears my youngest son is derelict in his duties once again. My sincere apologies.”
His consort put a hand on His Majesty’s arm. “Let me find him, my dear. I’m sure I can convince him to make an appearance.”
Wrong approach. “If I may be so bold, Your Royal Highness.” I had been asked to study the Montipan handbook of etiquette and hoped I wasn’t about to be thrown in the dungeon, if they had one, or locked in one of the towers for my impertinence. Bowing again, I waited. Eyes darted around the room from king to consort, to their children, onto Liam, and finally resting on me. The king gave a small nod.
“You may continue,” Prince Ezra replied with a smile.
“As the young prince’s safety will be my responsibility, I should be the one who fetches him. We’ll be together most of the time…” Liam shot me a look and shook his head ever so lightly. “Sorry… all of his waking hours, so he must learn you have given me the authority to keep him in line.” I waited, hoping I hadn’t put Liam in an impossible position. Had I come on too strong? They might not appreciate one new upstart employee telling their precious younger son what to do.
Prince Ezra and the king shared a glance, and Prince Brenton covered a snigger behind his hand.
“You have full authority regarding my son’s safety, his whereabouts, and his behavior,” the king said.
“And thank you.” Prince Ezra clasped my hand. “Having you at his side will set my mind at ease. I do worry about our youngest son. He is rather headstrong.” Another snort from the middle prince told me my life was going to get a whole lot more complicated.
7
Chance
I flopped down face-first on the bed and tried to ignore how dramatic I was being. I wasn’t throwing a tantrum. I was way too old for tantrums, obviously. No, maybe I tripped and fell across my bed. Yeah, that was what happened. And then I buried my face in my pillow by accident, followed by flopping my arms and legs against the mattress. Maybe I had restless leg syndrome.
Not a tantrum.
I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ornate ceiling. I hated that stupid ceiling. It was all pomp and circumstance, just like the rest of this stupid room. I could just keep rolling over in this bed, and it would probably take me 20 minutes to reach the other side of it. Gods, I much preferred the crowded pub from last week to the gilded furniture and solitude I was subjected to here. Why couldn’t I just give up my title and my fortune—not to mention the stupid babysitter assigned to me—and go live my life in peace?
“I’ll fuck whoever I wanna fuck,” I muttered, my voice echoing in my cavernous living quarters. My dragon agreed with me, bringing forth memories of Devlin for my viewing pleasure.
Mmmm, I wondered what the rules were about having an alpha on the side. I was the Prince of Montipan, dammit! Didn’t that afford me some perks? Maybe I could tie myself to whatever alpha looked good on paper, and then Devlin could come and be my boy toy. That was a thing, right?
I reached down and cupped my cock through my pants, where things were getting a tad tight. With a little help from my dragon’s impeccable memory, I could almost remember the way Devlin’s hands felt tangled in my hair as he guided me to his shaft, the way he filled my mouth, his dick nudging the back of my throat. If Devlin were my boy toy, I could have him in my bed whenever I wanted, and the way—
A knock on the door interrupted my fantasy.
Nuh-uh. Not happening. What knock? I didn’t hear anything.
Now, where was I? Oh yeah, imagining how he would spread my ass cheeks and—
The knock came again, and my erection began to soften. Whoever was at the door sure knew how to kill the mood. It was probably my dad. He was the calmer of my two fathers, so I should be glad for it, but honestly? Right now, I just didn’t wanna.
I didn’t want to go to their stupid meeting. It didn’t matter who they’d hired to be my freaking nanny, it wouldn’t change how I felt about having a babysitter assigned to me. I wasn’t some child who needed a guardian ho
vering over them, telling them what they could and could not do. I was a grown man, dammit! Would this goon cut my food into tiny little bites too? I might choke, heaven forbid.
I smirked at the mere thought of all the menial tasks I would assign for this “bodyguard.” Father may be king and demanded acceptance, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be extra petty about it.
This time, the knock on the door had a sharper quality to it, as if the person on the other side was getting fed up. Good.
“Sorry, nobody here,” I called at the wood panel. “Why don’t you try back next year?”
“Open the door,” a voice answered, a muffled command, from the other side.
There was something about that voice… while I pondered why my cock was stirring, my dragon took the reins and had me up off the bed and padding towards the door. He clearly wanted to see whoever was on the other side of that door. Before I could stop myself, I grabbed the knob and swung the door wide.
“You!” I gasped. There, standing at my door, hand poised to knock again, was Devlin! Was I hallucinating? Had he walked straight out of my daydream and somehow manifested at my door… wearing the standard uniform of our security guards? What?
Devlin’s jaw dropped. “You?” I watched as he quickly tried to school his reaction. He swallowed down his shock, straightened his oh-so-perfect shoulders, and stood at attention. “Your Highness,” he said and gave me a fucking bow! “Devlin Prester. I have been assigned to your personal security detail.”
We gaped at each other before the pieces began to fit together. “You’re the babysitter?”
He gave a little frown, and I hated that I’d been the one to put that look on his face. But, since I was in prime tantrum mode, there was no way I was going to apologize for my attitude. Nope, he would just have to spank me. Ooh, yeah. I want some of that, please.
The Dragon Prince’s Daddy: An M/M MPreg Shifter Romance (Royal Heat Book 1) Page 3
