“Fine,” I sassed, strutting past him because I could. “If you keep looking at me like that, it will be harder for me to leave our little love cave.” I looked back with a wink, and sure enough, his eyes were glued to my ass. As they should be.
“Ha. Nice try, my boy.” He raked his eyes up and down my body, lingering at my butt. “But you like it when I look, so why would I stop?”
“Why are you always right?” I grumbled and went to get my clothes on.
I did like it when he looked at me. No. I loved it. He made me feel this heady combination of loved and possessed.
Five minutes later, we were on our way to my fathers’ private quarters. They were more than happy to meet with me when I called, and I half wondered if they already suspected that Devlin and I were more than bodyguard and charge.
“I’ll be out here.” Devlin stood to the right of the door.
I wanted to kiss him, to hug him. We’d gone back and forth on whether or not we should both go in, and at the end decided that my parents would probably have questions for me that would best be done without Devlin there. Not because he didn’t have the answers or I was embarrassed by him or anything like that, but because they, as parents, would want to be sure this was what I really wanted and that I hadn’t been forced into anything.
“I’ll get you in a bit.” I tried to come off as reassuring.
I knocked on the door and entered as they called to me. My fathers were sitting in their seating area at a small round table with a plate of muffins and a carafe of coffee. What was it about muffins lately?
“Son. Join us. We had Aiden bring us these delicious muffins.” My dad pointed to the seat across from him. “And tell us what brings you to us today.”
I stepped closer to the table, and in none of the eloquence I’d been taught in lessons, I unceremoniously pulled my shirt down for them to see my mark. “I did a thing.”
My alpha father’s eyes were glued to my mark, his dragon so close I could scent him.
“Why?” he seethed. “Why would you do this?” My omega father’s hand settled on his arm.
“You heard Gabriel... and my heat is almost here. The signs are there.” Please don’t ask me what signs. How embarrassing that would be.
He stood up, his anger palpable. “Mating is not something one does to save a job. Mating is permanent. It connects you together for all of your days in a way that can never be broken... you foolish boy.”
“But... but I love him. He’s the first person I think about when I wake up and the last as I fall asleep, and then during my dreams he is there. He is my mate, and waiting when I know it is right risked more than jumping in with both feet and starting our lives together.” I looked to my father. “I love him with all that I am, and I can’t imagine a day without him.”
“You love him,” my father stated, and I nodded. “And he loves you with the same fire?” I nodded again.
Next thing I knew, I was being hugged by both my fathers. “That is all we ever wanted for you boys,” my father said low in my ear and then stepped back.
“Now sit down and tell us all about this alpha who stole my son’s heart. Where did you meet?”
“It’s Devlin, and we met on the mainland the day you called me back.” And instantly all the tension in the room was back. How had they not connected the dots? It wasn’t as if I was ever with anyone but Devlin. Because he is an employee and they didn’t consider it an option, dumbass.
“He took advantage.” My father’s dragon was now at the surface. Great. I knew how to flub things up.
“He didn’t. He was the one who wanted to deny our feelings... thought he wasn’t good enough for a prince and that he’d lose his job and me in the process,” I tried to explain, and from the looks on their faces, only making it worse. “When we met, he had no idea who I was. He already had this job—only at that time, it wasn’t supposed to be babysitting me.”
“It was his duty to let us know of a conflict,” he said matter-of-factly with no passion in his voice, like he was going through a script. Part of me wondered if maybe he already at least suspected this. But if he hadn’t and he meant those words...
“Bullshit.” I flinched at my own words. I knew better and yet I carried on. “If Dad had been hired help before you mated, would you have seriously considered letting him go?”
“That’s different because I loved him from the…” A smile bloomed on his face. “This is true love. He’s your true mate.”
“Yes, Fathers. He’s mine, and would’ve been mine even if we denied ourselves. There is no other for me.”
“Then why is he not here?” my dad asked pointedly. I couldn’t even be mad. They were being protective because they loved me.
“That was me. I wanted you to not think he was taking advantage, and see how well that plan worked out.” I forced a chuckle. “But he is outside and waiting for me to get him.”
“Then do so without haste.” Formal king father it was. Ugh.
“Just remember, he is my everything.”
“And we will treat him as such,” my dad promised as I went to let Devlin in.
22
Devlin
I knew what was coming—I couldn’t avoid it, even if I wanted to—but that didn’t stop me from jumping about a mile in the air when the door swung open and Chance stuck his head out into the hall.
“Ready?” he asked.
I took a moment to examine the lines of his face, his body language, the tone of his voice, to judge how it was going to go before I answered. Reading a situation, all part of my security training… except I’d been trained to keep others safe, and now I was more worried about my own neck. “Sure. Ready. Yeah, totally ready to tell the king that I mated his youngest son. No worries…”
“Such a worrywart,” he said with a wink, and then grabbed my hand and tugged me into the room. I followed along mostly willingly, only dragging my feet the tiniest bit.
The king and his consort sat in their seats with as much poise, it was as if they were thrones instead of squishy armchairs. I gave the sitting area a second glance to make sure we weren’t actually in the throne room. The space was still fancier than anything I was used to, but I was glad at least to be somewhere more casual than their throne room, mostly reserved for formal occasions. Even still, I felt underdressed. Maybe I should have worn my fancy uniform. I tugged on the collar of my dress shirt until Chance slapped my hand away.
“Your Majesties,” I said, bowing low.
When I raised to my full height, I stood at attention. This was partly out of habit, but also, I figured it couldn’t hurt to show my future in-laws the utmost respect.
Chance’s omega father gave me a slow, knowing smile, but it was his alpha father that I truly needed to worry about. The King of Montipan. The most respected monarch in the country’s history and alpha dragon to boot, more than capable of charring me to a crisp where I stood.
I gulped under his assessing gaze. A prickle of sweat gathered along my spine while I waited for them to address me. The rules were clear, only speak when spoken to.
“So… Devlin Prester…” the king began, his voice booming. “You have had the audacity to mate with my son without express permission?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said, my throat bobbing. I was super proud of myself for keeping my voice calm, not a single quiver in sight. Should I bow again? I wondered. Couldn’t hurt. Chance’s hand on my arm stopped me from laying myself out prostrate on the floor, begging the king for his mercy.
“He’s teasing,” my sweet boy said, narrowing his eyes on his fathers. “Be nice,” he scolded them, and his omega father chuckled. The ice in my veins melted a tad at the sound.
Prince Ezra gave his mate a tap on his arm. “I told you. I said there was something going on between them. Didn’t I tell you?”
The king rolled his eyes. “Yes, dear. How very observant of you.”
Chance scoffed. “Wait… you knew? You made it sound like this was
some massive surprise! Here we were all stressed to the max over telling you, and you already knew!”
Prince Ezra shrugged, completely accustomed to his son’s dramatic nature. “Oh please. You have to let me have a little fun from time to time. Can you blame me?”
Chance crossed his arms across his chest and gave a little huff. “Yes. I blame you completely.”
The tension in the room now dispelled, I cautiously allowed myself to stand at ease, perfectly prepared to snap back to attention at the first look from the king. Instead of barking commands at me, however, the king now leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. The relaxed posture left me feeling unarmed.
His soft voice left my shoulders sagging even further. “My son,” he said, holding his hand out for me to approach. His skin was warm and soft against my palm. “Chance is a special man. We want only the best for our son. Prince or not, he means the world to us. I can see with my own eyes how you are made for each other, true mates.” At the clearing of Prince Ezra’s throat, the king rolled his eyes again. “Yes, yes, just as my mate saw long ago.”
He leaned forward and said in a loud stage whisper, “Better to learn this lesson now, just like our son, Ezra can be stubborn. It’s better to just admit that the omega is always right.”
Both Prince Ezra and Chance said, “Damn straight,” at the same time.
“There, all is well once again,” the king said, clapping his hands together. I stepped back from the seating area, but Chance’s fathers stood and came over to meet us, officially ending the stiff ceremonial vibe in the room. Prince Ezra hooked his arm around my elbow and led me over to the low table, where there was a tray of the most delicious-looking muffins. “Come, Devlin. Join us for breakfast.”
“Thank you, Prince Ezra,” I said with a mini bow as he handed me a plate.
“Oh, please. We’re family now. You can just call me Ezra. Or Dad, if you’d prefer.” He offered me a wink, and I caught a glimpse of Chance out of the corner of my eye, thrilled beyond belief at how well this was going. Strange to think I’d been so nervous about telling them.
Coffee was poured, and the king rose to his feet, mug held high. “To our son, Chance,” he declared, “and to the man who is bold enough to tame him.”
“Hear, hear!” Chance said with his mouth full, crumbs falling into a heap in his lap.
“Hmm, maybe tame was too strong a word,” Ezra said, giving me a wink. “Good luck. You’re gonna need it.” It was obvious his teasing was good-natured. I knew as well as anyone how infuriating Chance could be, but also, how unbelievably worth it all of it was, just to have the pleasure of being in his presence. He was like my very own private sun. And I would forever have the privilege of basking in his warmth.
After we had spent some time eating as the king and his mate offered toast after toast to our future, good health, and the promise of many children—bringing the sweetest blush to my mate’s cheeks—the king finally cleared his throat and said, “And now, the big decisions.”
I had no clue what big decisions those would be. But he lowered his voice and zeroed his gaze in on me. “A title. Being Chance’s mate, you are now a member of the royal family. And as such, I can bestow a title.” He raised a brow. “Do you have any preference? Something that is meaningful to the pair of you?”
“I don’t think… I mean… me… a title? Like a prince?” As a child, I’d had pretend battles where I was a king and the other kids in the neighborhood were my knights. But this? This was unreal.
“Not a prince. An earl. You wouldn’t have to use it, except for formal occasions,” Chance interrupted my thoughts. He drew me closer and whispered, “Dark and stormy.”
“Chance!” Heads bobbed in our direction as my mind flew back to the drink Chance had ordered at the bar that first night.
“Storm… something,” he continued. “What about the Earl of Stormfield?”
Hmmm, the Earl of Stormfield. “I like it.”
The king lifted a ceremonial sword from the wall and I kneeled at his feet. “I dub you Earl of Stormfield. Arise, Earl Stormfield.”
“M’lord.” Chance smirked.
I would never understand titles, when to use earl or lord, but it didn’t matter. I was still Devlin, Chance’s mate.
“We will need to announce your mating, of course. The people of Montipan adore our youngest prince, they will want to share in his joy.”
“Oh,” I said. I wasn’t sure what else to say. I hadn’t been raised on the island, nor had I been raised in a wealthy family, not even close. Ceremonies and celebrations weren’t something I had any knowledge about.
I opened my mouth to elaborate on my one-word answer, but Ezra interrupted before I could have a chance. I was seriously becoming a bigger fan of his by the minute. “Oh, dearest alpha, let us release these two from all of those boring technicalities for now. Can’t you see they’re being suffocated?”
I looked over to Chance, who indeed did look about ready to die. He had laid his head down on the table, and as the king’s attention turned to him, Chance let out the most pitiful moan. “So… bored…”
The king gave a great sigh. “Very well. Go!” he said, waving his hand to gesture that we were being permitted to leave. “Later, we will make preparations and arrange for Devlin to begin the job we originally hired him for.” The king’s kind smile filled me with acceptance. “But for now, you two should go for a fly. Spread your wings and celebrate… in private.” He gave his husband a wink that Chance and I probably weren’t supposed to see.
“Eww,” Chance said, slapping a hand over his eyes. “Did you guys just make a sex reference? So gross.”
“Do you need instruction on how babies are made, dear son?” Ezra teased.
Before things could get any more awkward, I grabbed Chance by the hand. I wasn’t above throwing him over my shoulder, but our relationship was still new in the eyes of his fathers. I didn’t want to push my luck. For now, however…
As soon as I had drawn my mate down the hall and out of sight, we broke into a jog. “Hurry!” he hissed. When I looked back at him, I could see his dragon was sitting just beneath the surface of his skin. “I have been dying to fly with you since the moment I first scented you in that pub. Please, make it happen?”
“My sweet boy,” I whispered, drawing him even with me and placing a small chaste kiss on his lips. “Your wish is my command. I would love nothing more than to fly with you by my side. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
We headed back to Chance’s quarters, and I realized that I could probably refer to them as mine now as well. I would go to sleep beside him every night, wake up with him every morning. Make love to him… and punish him when the mood struck us. I planned to never leave my mate’s side again.
We undressed slowly, trailing fingers across skin, and when we were both bare, we stepped out onto the balcony together, hand in hand. I watched as my mate took his dragon, his scales glittering in the sunlight. He was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.
“So beautiful,” I whispered, reverently, and if dragons could blush, I knew he would’ve.
When I allowed my own shift to take over, my heart swelled with love. In this moment, my life was complete.
But as we soared through the sky, high above the mountains, a small echoing voice whispered… your love can only grow.
23
Chance
“I feel weird.” I rolled over to face Devlin. It had been almost a week since we told my parents about our mating, and in that time, we flew together, got naked together, and stayed in our quarters just enjoying each other’s company. We’d have to face the world and deal with announcements and ceremonies and brothers eventually, but for right now, there was no place I’d rather be.
Except I would like to feel less wrong.
“How so, my sweet boy?” He kissed my forehead, and his lips formed a perfect O as he pulled back. “Are you hot?”
“Yeah.” How had I not seen that
as the problem? I yanked the covers from myself. “That will be better.”
He let out a low rich chuckle. “Not for long, my sweet boy.” Devlin hopped out of bed and pulled on his jeans. “Do Daddy a favor and go take a cold shower while I run to the market really quickly.”
“Market? Why?” I sat up a little too quickly, my head starting to spin.
“Because you are about to go into full-on heat.” He walked around to my side of the bed. “We sensed it was coming,” he reminded me. “Now do as I say and I will hurry back with supplies.”
I wanted to ask him what supplies, but instead I just nodded my head. Daddy would take care of me.
He all but ran out of the room as I struggled to get out of bed. Not physically. That I could manage. I just wanted to crawl back up in the covers and go back to sleep.
Daddy said to take a cold shower. And as much as I teased him about wanting a punishment, I wanted one that was a few playful spanks, not what I’d earn by breaking an instruction I knew he’d given for my own good. If this was heat, it was nothing like what they promised in sex ed. Where was the insatiable need, the unwavering lust, the hunger deep inside for all things, and the lack of thinking skills?
I probably was just getting sick.
Climbing out of bed took more energy than I’d have liked and I fell back on it, when Devlin was suddenly in the doorway, startling the daylights out of me.
“Did I fall back asleep?” I hadn’t thought I had, but given how hot I was, it was a definite possibility.
“No, Chance. I barely got three steps away.” He rushed to my side. “As soon as I stood in the hallway, the fresh air had me coming to my senses, and I put in a delivery order with directions to leave it at the door.”
“Fresh air? Senses?” I grabbed onto him, holding him tight.
The Dragon Prince’s Daddy: An M/M MPreg Shifter Romance (Royal Heat Book 1) Page 10
