Headstrong Prince

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “Who are you people? Where am I?” Beth’s voice sounded raw, and her dry throat ached.

  “I’m Lori. This is my home. And those are the bayou lizard men.” Lori gave a small smile. “But I think you know who they are, and I suspect you know exactly what is going on here.”

  “Where is the man I was with?” Beth demanded. She wasn’t sure where the false sense of bravado came from because in truth she was terrified.

  “The cat-shifter?” Lori asked.

  Beth nodded. She tried to relax when it appeared as if no one was coming to hurt her. Still, she didn’t let down her guard. After all, she was kidnapped and being kept in the swamplands.

  “So, you are with him? He wasn’t chasing you?” Lori took another step forward. Beth matched the movement by taking a step back. She quickly darted her eyes around to make sure no one else was sneaking up on her.

  Beth nodded again. “Yes, I’m with him. We were running from your men. You have no reason to hold us here. Let us go.”

  “The guys will be disappointed you’re spoken for, but this explains why the prince was in New Orleans. He was there for you, not for us.” Lori sighed. “That is a relief. My husband has been worried that the royals had located our whereabouts and were coming to force the defectors back to their home planet. And the fact you know all about it keeps me from having the very awkward conversation of,” Lori’s tone dropped into an almost bored sound as if she’d had said the words often, “these men are aliens, these men are dragon-shifter, these men won’t eat you, please stop screaming.”

  “You’re a dragon?” Beth looked the woman over for signs of shifting.

  “No. I married one. His fate is mine. You know how it is to be mated.”

  Beth narrowed her eyes in confusion.

  “You’re not mated to the cat, are you?” Lori laughed. “A mated woman wouldn’t look as you do now. Was I wrong? Do you have any clue what is going on?”

  Beth didn’t answer the pointed question. “Where is he?”

  “I wasn’t sure if the cat-shifter was a friend or chasing you, so I had them put him in one of the small houses.” Lori motioned that Beth should follow her toward the shacks. “I thought you should have the more comfortable bed, being as you’re human and may not have anything to do with what is happening here.”

  “What is this place?” Beth was slow to follow. She glanced around, keeping an eye on the trees and water. The construction noises continued.

  “I told you. This is my home.” Lori paused and looked at the barracks. “Did you ever see that musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers where the woman gets married only to learn she suddenly has a bunch of brothers that she needs to domesticate? I’m the first wife, but instead of seven, I have seventeen new brothers, and they’re all terrible with women.”

  Beth couldn’t help the small laugh of disbelief that escaped her at the comment. She looked around the swamp compound.

  “They can build a house,” Lori motioned to the shacks, “but they get all crazy-eyed the moment a single girl walks by.”

  “Sounds like you have your hands full.” Beth tried to keep her tone polite as she wondered which structure they kept Ivar in. “Why did they bring me here?”

  “They were protecting themselves. They didn’t know what else to do, and they didn’t want to leave you in the alleyway.”

  “I was in the alleyway because they broke into my apartment. It was left wide open. Everything I own has probably been stolen by now.”

  “They told me they locked it for you,” Lori said.

  Well, that was something.

  “I love my husband, and these men are his family. Maybe not actual brothers, but they need Drake’s help and mine.” Lori paused to clarify, “Drake’s my husband.”

  Beth nodded not sure why the woman was telling her all this.

  “These men are good people. They’re hard workers and loyal, but they came here almost innocent. They know nothing of Earth life except some horror stories they were told about the medieval period when their ancestors left.”

  “So why did they come here if they’re scared?” Beth asked, telling herself to be respectful. She needed this woman’s help to get home.

  Lori narrowed her gaze. It was the first aggressive gesture she’d shown. “I’ll help you find Ivar, and if he is truly your man and means us no harm, then we won’t have a problem. But there is no way I’m letting him take my family back to that awful place.”

  “I don’t understand.” Beth glanced at the houses. Which one held Ivar? How could she find him?

  “That prince of yours. He is known to travel here with the dragon princes. Royalty sticks together. When cat-shifter nobles stole my husband’s family’s land, they asked the dragon-shifter leaders for help and were denied because of who was taking it. The royal families struck a deal, and Drake’s family lost their property because the Myrddin clan noblemen claimed to have found old territorial documents that proved it was theirs. They could never provide the documents, but that didn’t matter. It’s the kind of primitive third world dictator shit that you hear about. I will never let them get taken back to Qurilixen against their will.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about what you’re saying.” Beth frowned. She’d been in shock since Ivar had told her of his home planet. There was so much she needed to come to terms with that the fact he was an alien had slipped her mind. Could it really be true? After all, she had her proof of shifters being real. Why not aliens? “Are they why rumors of the lizard men are hitting the Internet like crazy?”

  “That would be Janice, the proprietor at the Plantation Inn,” Lori said. “She thinks lizard men are good for business, like Area 51 and aliens. So she keeps posting nonsense about them, like how they’re dangerous when provoked and eat alligators for breakfast. Then, drunken hunters come snooping around the swamps looking to cause trouble. It’s why we are building our little village here. It’s secluded, and there is safety in numbers.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Beth wondered aloud. “If you think I’m with the prince, and the prince wants to take these men back to his,” she stuttered over saying, “planet?”

  “Because I’m hoping you will put in a good word for us if and when the time comes,” Lori said. “These men don’t want to go home. They belong here now. There is nothing for them on Qurilixen. I don’t know if the prince told you, but they don’t have female children there. It’s some genetic mishap. All they want is to live honorably, find a woman, settle down, have kids, and be happy.”

  “I feel for you,” Beth said, “but I’m not sure there is anything I can do to help. I won’t tell anyone if you’re worried about that. As long as you let Ivar and I go, we can chalk this up to a misunderstanding. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to see that Ivar is all right.”

  A splash sounded near the dock. Both women turned to watch a man jump out of the murky water. Brown armor covered his body, and his yellow reptilian eyes glowed. A protrusion distorted his forehead and formed a ridge of scaled tissue over his nose and brow. He wore the clothes of a man, well, the wet plaid pajama pants of a man. Ivar’s fur had been soft. The dragons looked like they were covered in full body armor.

  “Drake,” Lori called, lifting her hand. “Come meet…” She looked at Beth expectantly.

  “Beth Watson,” Beth whispered, unable to keep from staring at the shifter.

  “Meet Beth,” Lori finished.

  As the dragon-shifter strode toward them, his body morphed into that of a man. Somehow, the transformation from dragon to man was much scarier than when she had seen Ivar transform. His dark, wet hair did not change. Though handsome, he had a scar along his temple that added a dangerous vibe to his expression. Drake’s yellow eyes did not appear welcoming. In fact, he studied Beth suspiciously as if she was a stranger trespassing on his land.

  “Lena?” Lori asked.

  “She is safe, chere,” the dragon said, his voice deep.

  Lori let go o
f a long sigh and nodded. “And Ursa? How is she?”

  “She is much better,” Drake said. “The sickness has left her chest. She breathes normally. I did as you suggested and informed her that there were new members to be made Cajun and that seemed to make her happy. She’s willing to perform the ceremony for us whenever we are ready.”

  Drake eyed her again, and Beth felt the urge to back away from him. She needed to find Ivar. Even if that meant searching every single tiny house in this messed up village.

  “Ursa is this crazy—” Lori began to explain.

  Beth ran toward a shack. It wasn’t the most logical choice. Nor was it the closest. But for some reason, she felt compelled to go to it. She had to find him. She had to know that he was safe. It was a need that burned inside of her.

  Her shoulder met with the door, and she shoved her way into the small building. She expected there to be resistance. Instead, it opened freely, and she was flung by her own weight into the room. The space was tiny. A small bed looked like it doubled for a couch as it sat along one wall. An open door showed a narrow bathroom. A sink, stove, and dorm refrigerator made up the kitchenette area. The home was empty. She’d been so sure he was in there.

  Beth spun around expecting to leave. A figure in the doorway stopped her. The man’s hands were raised over his head as if he was about to strike. The breadth of his shoulders blocked the light from behind. She let out a small yelp of fright. Her arms lifted to block her face, preparing for the blow.

  “Beth?” Ivar croaked her name, the word distorted and gruff.

  Beth lowered her arms to her side. She took a deep breath. “Ivar?”

  “Beth.” Ivar dropped his hand, and she heard something clunk on the floor. “Are you injured? Did they do anything to you? How did you get here?” He wobbled slightly on his feet as if he was just now waking up from a drugged state. Having been in a similar situation only moments before, she understood how his mind might be muddled in confusion. “They did something to me.”

  “Take a deep breath.” Beth reached for him. “It’s going to be OK. Breathe.”

  “I was coming to find you. I swore I heard you say that you were not safe. Did they hurt you?” Ivar began to look her over as if studying her for injuries. His eyes glowed softly in the dim light, but they did not scare her like the dragon’s had. Beth felt safe with him.

  “No, I’m fine.” She wanted to erase the worry from his expression. “But they are out there. We’re in swamp country.”

  “I know that is not the truth. You are not fine. I saw what happened in the alley behind your home. They did something to you. I’m sorry I failed you. I should’ve protected you. Instead, I led them straight to your door. I should not have come into your home.” He stepped back when she would touch him. “The gods were right to keep you from me. Just because I wanted you does not mean I deserve to have you. I am not worthy of a mate. I can’t protect you. I have nothing to offer.”

  “Ivar what are you talking about? I think you are a little confused from the drugs they gave you to knock you out. Everything is going to be fine. They don’t want to hurt us. They were scared that you were coming for them. I need you to go out there and tell them that they are free to stay here on Earth. Tell them you’re not going to take them back to your home planet.”

  “I will do no such thing,” Ivar denied her request. “I have every intention of making them go home. They do not belong here. They escaped through the portals without permission.”

  At that, Beth frowned. “I don’t think you mean that.”

  “Yes. Of course I mean it. They left without permission.”

  Surely he didn’t really believe that. It was so barbaric of a notion. “And who is the one to give them permission?”

  “The Draig royal family. Dragons were not supposed to leave through the portals so soon. We were going to bring them to find brides when the time was right, and the plan was safe—after all four princes found wives to prove marriages would be blessed by the gods. It would be enough to calm fears and encourage men to travel through the right way. Now there are so many voices, all with an opinion and our plans are being threatened. On one side we have rumors of Earth being some kind of paradise and the royal family is blamed for keeping everyone from it. Then there are those fear mongers spreading rumors that dragon subjects are being sacrificed in order for the nobles to have women. Their leaving caused chaos.”

  “Ivar, you can’t force people to stay somewhere they don’t wish to stay.” Beth wanted to make him see reason. “These people have chosen to be here.”

  “What is the sacrifice of a few when an entire world is at stake? Would you not sacrifice yourself to save your fellow humans? The fear they caused has spread through my world. People are demanding the portals be closed. Without the portals to Earth, we have no chance to marry, and no marriage means no children. Without women, our people die out in a few generations. We are out of options. It is why I came here with Prince Finn. We were going to marry anyone we could convince to prove that Earth was still a viable choice. If these men come back, it will let the others know that they were safe. They can teach others what they have learned. What they have done here is selfish.”

  “I don’t think it’s that simple, Ivar,” she said.

  “It is very clear,” he argued. “The gods trapped me here so that I could find you and find them.”

  “These men are not going to agree to leave with you,” Beth warned. “You’re outnumbered.”

  “I am a prince. I will not give them a choice.” He seemed so sure of himself.

  Beth did not know what to make of this man. Something inside her felt connected to him, even if the words coming out of his mouth were not words she could agree with. To make somebody leave their home? To force them to sacrifice? It went against everything she was taught to stand for.

  “Draig subjects need a firm hand, that is all. This would not have been happening if the portals were on Var land. Our guards would never have let men slip through. Portal travel would have been regulated, and this situation would not have occurred.”

  Beth frowned. “That seems a little extreme. How about we do not tell them that when they ask what your intentions are?”

  “I will not lie.”

  “All right.” Beth took a deep breath. He didn’t seem to understand how dire their situation could become. “How about we tell the dragons that no decisions are being made today?”

  “That would be correct. The decision to bring them home was already made before today.”

  “Great. Just don’t mention that last part.” Beth smiled. “And then they’ll let us go.”

  Ivar shook his head. “I do not think so.”

  “Why? Don’t tell them you’re set on making them leave. It’s not like we know how to get here. They can blindfold us and drive us to a bus station, and we’ll never find our way back.” Beth tried to keep her words calm, but it was hard to hide her apprehension.

  “They already know.”

  “Know what?”

  “My intentions. They’re outside listening to what we say.” Ivar gestured to the door.

  “How do you know that?” she whispered. They weren’t talking very loudly. She looked around for a listening device. The wooden walls were bare.

  His eyes flashed. “Because I can hear them talking about it.”

  Beth pushed her way past him to go outside. Several men stood on the lawn staring at them. It didn’t take a genius to see they had heard what Ivar said.

  “We’re not going back,” Drake stated when Ivar joined her on the steps to the shack. “We are Cajun now. Not Draig. This is our home.”

  “Dimosthenis,” Ivar stated. “You do not know what you started when you left.”

  “I am Drake of the Cajun now,” Drake said. “Dimosthenis of the Draig is no more. Galen brought you so you could see that we have a life here.”

  “I’m sorry, Drake, I see that was poor judgment on my part,” Galen said.

&nb
sp; “You don’t know what you have done.” Ivar crossed his arms and faced the men on the lawn, not appearing worried by the fact he was outnumbered. “The elders are trying to close the portals forever. You will be trapped on Earth.”

  “This is my home,” Drake answered. “It saddens me never to see the green skies or smell the sweet valley air of the Northern Mountains again, but we were left with no choice. Here we have a fighting chance at survival. We carve our destinies with our hands.”

  “And wives,” one of the dragon men added. “Here they have women.”

  “All the things you royals deny us and keep for yourself,” another put forth.

  “Your brother and Prince Kyran both flaunted their wives before us,” another spat. “And you journey here whenever you wish, denying the rest of us the opportunity to be happy.”

  “Who are you to question our plan?” Ivar demanded. He crossed his arms over his chest. There was no fear in him, and that frightened Beth. “We know what is best for—”

  “Uh, Ivar,” Beth tried to interrupt. This didn’t seem like the best way to ensure their freedom from the dragon-shifter compound. She was well aware of the eyes on them. The dragons moved closer. Inching forward as if they might attack at the slightest provocation. “Maybe you should tell them your plan for opening up the portals? You mentioned bringing everyone through to find brides when the time was right.”

  Beth really hoped he had a plan, and that it was a good one.

  His eyes met hers. He began to lift his hand to touch her cheek but then hesitated. “You have fear in your eyes. Are you frightened of me?”

  “Of course she’s frightened of you,” Lori answered for her. “Beth it’s OK. You can come here. I promise no harm will come to you. We have no quarrel with you. It’s clear you didn’t know about any of this.”

  “Beth, I would never harm you,” Ivar said, his tone softening.

  There was something in his eyes that caused her to stay next to him on the stairs to the shack. “I know. I don’t know how I know that. But I know. I think you need to tell the dragons your plan for the portal.”