*****
“Stephanie…Stephanie!”
I jolted awake at the sound of Micah’s urgent voice. When I opened my eyes I found that I was in Micah’s arms and he was looking down at me with concern in his eyes. His face was so close to mine that I lost my breath all over again. Did he have to be so gorgeous?
“I’m okay…I just…I thought you were insane, there’s no way dragons are real, or shifters…or dragon shifters!” Micah pulled me up from the ground and kept his arm around my waist. He was really warm, which didn’t help my trying to recover from fainting.
“I’m not insane. Now how about we get you some water and I finish explaining to you why you’re here?” said Micah.
I nodded weakly and Micah led me back inside and then down another short hall where we emerged into a family room. The space was open concept and next to the family room was a modern kitchen. On the other side of the kitchen was the dining room that had a huge wall of glass looking over more of the fields surrounding the house. I could see the forest in the distance surrounding the clearing.
Micah sat me down at the breakfast bar and I wondered why it was so quiet in the seemingly large house. He puttered around the kitchen silently as he got a glass and poured me some water from the fridge. He set the glass down in front of me on the granite countertop. I took a sip and then realized I was parched and then took a larger gulp.
“Like I was saying, I’m a dragon shifter, a part of a small clan of other shifters. We live out here, separated from the rest of human society, pretty much. We do have a leader, the king, Lord Cyrus and his son Prince Tristan must soon assume leadership. The next generation of shifters are all matured and it is time for Tristan to lead. In keeping with our culture Prince Tristan must marry before he can become Lord.” Micah spoke slowly and clearly while his blue gaze held mine.
“I was tasked, as his second-in-command to be, to find him a suitable bride. You with your blonde hair, green eyes, and pleasing shape are a perfect fit,” Micah finished. I simply blinked at him, doe like, and then I took a long drink of the water. I almost wished it was something much stronger.
If there was ever a time where I cursed my good looks it was that morning. I had long wavy dark blonde hair with big bright green eyes. I had high cheekbones that were naturally rosy due to my fair skin and my full lips were also naturally red. I wanted to glue a paper bag to my face and then run away back to Denver.
“You want me to marry your prince…a guy who I haven’t even met?” I asked with a bit of hysteria creeping into my tone. The entire situation I was stolen into was completely insane. Micah nodded and I sighed deeply.
“This can’t be…real,” I said in exasperation. My hand fell down to my lap from gripping the then empty glass and I remembered that I was wearing the satin nightgown. “How did I get into this? Who undressed me?” I asked. My fear and hysteria was quickly dissipating and anger was replacing it. Flint entered my voice and my eyes cut into Micah’s. His eyebrows furrowed a fraction and then he smirked, of all reactions.
“It is real; Prince Tristan is on a private mission with his father at the moment. You will get to meet him later in the day, but I am to ensure that you understand that this is your life now. Most importantly that you understand there is no going back from this.”
My other hand tightened around the glass and I let it go before I picked it up and threw it at Micah.
“As for your clothing…I changed you. I thought you would be more comfortable in that.”
I stood up from the stool and began pacing back and forth in front of the breakfast bar.
“I need…I just need time; I need to think,” I said. I began to walk away from Micah, but before I knew it he was right in front of me. I yelped in surprise and took a few steps back from him.
“You cannot leave Stephanie, I hope you know this,” Micah said with finality.
“So you’ve said, but you can’t just expect me to wake up and accept all of this on a dime!” I was through trying to reign in my anger and I let him have it. Micah smiled; it was almost patronizing, but also almost like he was happy to see me angry.
“You have fire in you, that’s good. As you can imagine we are a very spirited people, hot-headed at times, but passionate. You are a better fit for Tristan that I thought,” Micah said with a smirk. I grabbed a throw pillow from the nearby sectional in the family room and threw it in Micah’s face. He caught it before it could hit him and he actually laughed at me.
“I apologize, I’ll show you back to your room so you can change and shower, then if you are hungry you can find me here. I’ll be making breakfast.” Micah turned on his heel and led me back through the same section of the house and to the room I woke up in. He left me at the door. I shut the door and took a deep breath before I walked back to the closet. It was full of clothes, my clothes. As if someone had been back to my house and emptied out my room. Towards the back of the large walk-in was another door that led to the bathroom.
I picked out an outfit; a clingy, plain, light blue sweater and light grey skinny jeans. The bathroom was just as modern with the same understated opulence as the rest of the house. Well as much as I’ve seen anyway. There was a free standing tub to the right and one way glass, or I hoped it was one way glass, that looked out at the clearing along the right wall. Next to the tub was a wide space with a tiled floor and a drain at the center. Above was a rainwater shower head coming straight down from the ceiling.
Across from that was a large vanity counter with a sink set into it. To the left of the vanity was a room for the toilet. I went ahead and did my business. I showered and took my time in brushing my hair until it dried. Then, before I went out to the kitchen I decided to explore the house. There were three wings to the house and I figured out that it was really a mansion or compound. It was all modern and updated. The wing I was familiar with had seven bedrooms and two separate living areas; the one near the kitchen and dining room and then another that was more of a game room. In the second wing of the house was a more formal, much larger dining room. There was a formal living room, music room, and library.
In the third wing was a party room, or ball room really. There was another larger kitchen and then an indoor garden. Outside of the garden was an actual backyard with a gourmet deck with outdoor living area. Leading down from that deck was a cobblestone path that led into the surrounding forest. After what I saw Micah do an hour ago I was afraid what was lurking in the trees and I didn’t want to venture out into the dense forest.
I went back into the house, to the first, east, wing. I took a deep breath before I stepped into the kitchen with Micah. He was sitting on the couch playing videogames for Pete’s sake. He glanced back at me and then gestured to the oven.
“There is steak and eggs in there for you, I hope you are not vegetarian,” Micah said before he went back to his game. I stifled my sigh and went to get the plate from the oven. There was a place set for me on the dining table and I sat down to eat. The food was surprisingly delicious and I was starving. The food disappeared from my plate quickly.
“You eat well,” Micah said. He smiled at me as he walked over and leaned against a chair.
“I eat when I’m hungry,” I said, and then glanced up at Micah. He was looking at me with a strange tenderness in his eyes and it sparked an even stranger warmth in my chest. I quickly looked away.
“Tristan is due to arrive any minute now. It’s customary that we meet him outside to welcome him home,” I nodded and then stood up with my plate to wash them in the sink. “Don’t worry about that, we have staff,” Micah said and I wondered who actually had cooked the fantastic steak and eggs.
Micah led the way and we walked out towards the back of the house to the clearing, where we waited in the grass. Soon I saw five shadows cast on the grass. When I looked up I saw five huge dragons flying right towards us. They were varying in color and hue and they landed almost directly in front of us. They all morphed quickly into their human forms. T
here was a large white dragon with striking moss-green eyes, darker than my light green ones, and he morphed more quickly than the others.
He seemed almost eager as he strode up the few short steps and took my hand in his. I was stunned by his beauty honestly. Were all dragon shifters gorgeous?
“Hello, I am glad to finally meet you. I am Prince Tristan.” Tristan’s voice was decadent, deep and smooth like chocolate. He was a little taller than Micah, but a bit more leanly built. It was odd how they could morph with their clothes, but he wore a tan, almost golden-colored turtleneck sweater, and snug blue jeans. Tristan had golden blond hair that was curly and hung to his shoulders. His face was gorgeous. He had an angular jaw and chin. He was smooth shaven with high cheekbones and a hawkish nose that was very slightly crooked. He had the sparkling, attractive eyes that were framed by long lashes. His wing-tipped brows weren’t as intense as Micah’s but still gave him a smoky gaze. Tristan even had a deep dimple in his left cheek.
“Um…hi, I’m Stephanie…” I said lamely. I was still a bit star struck. I barely even noticed the other dragons who had all morphed back into men and were greeting Micah and filing inside after having sent me curious glances. Tristan smiled and he brought my hand to his lips for a brief kiss.
“I hope you have made yourself at home here?” Tristan had a cute, subtle accent that I couldn’t quite place. It was vaguely Baltic.
“Honestly…it’s kind of hard seeing as I was kidnapped and then forced to conform to whatever this is,” I said, gesturing to his house and the surrounding woods. Tristan’s expression instantly became contrite and he glanced behind me to Micah before his green gaze settled on me once more.
“I realize this must be hard for you to get used to so quickly. Perhaps we can walk together and talk about some of your concerns.”
Tristan was actually trying to soothe my fears. I blinked at him in surprise, then nodded cautiously.
*****
Tristan kept hold of my hand. He glanced at Micah again before he led me down the steps and then towards the perimeter of the clearing and the house’s lot. Micah stayed behind, but he watched us go for a moment before he turned around and disappeared inside.
“So what is your greatest fear about this?” Tristan asked, his voice was sincere and his eyes trained on mine as we walked.
“Other than the fact that I’m marrying a complete stranger who can turn into a giant dragon and fly…I’d say it’s the prospect of never going back to my life in Denver. I mean…I have a father and a brother who I visit often and I have a job that I love,” I said. My voice grew thick as tears threatened from the thought of never seeing my family or friends again.
“Is that how Micah made it seem? This is not how things will be at all. Just think of this as you moving in with your fiancé and marrying him. You can still work and visit your family if you wish. Only you’ll be married in a few short days and then we will soon have children to secure my line is furthered.” Tristan explained all of this in earnest and I took a deep breath. The whole idea of marrying a stranger wasn’t so scary anymore.
“So I can still… work and visit my family?” I asked hopefully. Tristan nodded and he smiled softly.
“Of course, what sort of monster would I be if I had you kidnapped and ruined your life as you knew it?”
I laughed, surprised that he was making fun of himself and a joke out of the still pretty bad situation. “I breathe fire, I don’t tear apart families,” Tristan added and I giggled. It felt good to laugh a little with the heavy heart I’d had since I met Micah the night before.
“I’m relieved you said that, really. It makes this a lot more…palatable.” I said and it was Tristan’s turn to chuckle.
“Now as far as your marrying a stranger…yes that is true, but you can think of it as an arranged marriage. Plus, since we already get along well now, our bond will only grow in the days to come,” Tristan said optimistically. I smiled, he was almost like the polar opposite of Micah who was so intense and maddening. Tristan was light and carefree and I honestly felt a little better from our short conversation.
“I must lecture Micah on his manner, I’m sure he terrified you,” I nodded, if only Tristan had any idea.
“He said he’s your second in command? That you’re a prince?” I asked.
“Yes, here in Minturn with a population of just over a thousand, we are all dragon shifters. Largely, the shifter trait is dominant and we breed mostly male children so we mate with human females more often than not. We are the only dragon shifter community in the country and my great grandfather united us all in this small town. He was seen as a great leader and fair Lord of the Lands. The title was carried on to my grandfather, and then my father who oversees us as leader of our community. With our mating the title will be passed on to me,” said Tristan.
“Are there other dragon shifters in the world?” I asked, and Tristan nodded.
“Yes, not all are as close knit as ours and we are threatened by nomadic clans all the time. There is so much land on this planet it is always a wonder why other dragons wish to usurp us from these mountains.”
I was finding it refreshing on how easy it was to talk to Tristan. He made his background sound so interesting, apart from the fact that he was a dragon.
“So did I help in soothing some of your fears?” Tristan asked me and I nodded with a small smile.
“Yes and you should talk to Micah about his way of talking to people,” I said, a slight stern touch to my voice. Tristan smirked at me and humor sparkled in his eyes.
“I apologize, I can only imagine how traumatic his kidnapping you must have been,” Tristan got serious for a moment, his eyes grew somber. I took a deep breath and then winced as scenes from that dark night flipped through my mind’s eye.
“It’s odd that he acted so violently against me and now…I mean you seem normal,” I said and the corner of Tristan’s lips quirked upwards.
“I am for the most part, normal. I was raised here in the US; I went to school. I just have a slightly different culture than the rest of the world might know as normal.” I nodded, it made sense I supposed.
We turned around and started heading back towards the house. Tristan was still holding my hand and I found it kind of cute.
“Have you taken a tour of the house?” Tristan asked me as we reached the glass panel that led back inside.
“I gave myself a tour yeah, it’s a really beautiful house,” I said truthfully. Tristan gave me an odd frown and he glanced at Micah, who was lounging in the family room and talking with a couple of guys I recognized from before.
“I think I should have that word with Micah now. Excuse me for a moment.”
Tristan let go of my hand and left me just inside the family room. I watched as he strode over to Micah and bent down to whisper in his ear. Micah glanced over at me. He stood and then followed Tristan deeper into the house, I was then left alone with two dragon shifters who were sending me furtive glances.
*****
“Lady Stephanie, I am Safir, and this is my brother Declan. We are cousins of Prince Tristan.” Safir had friendly brown eyes and sandy blonde hair with the good looks I was already becoming accustomed to of the dragon shifter men. Declan had a mop of curly brown hair and bright blue eyes that were just as friendly. Really they weren’t so scary once they started talking.
Both Safir and Declan stood up from the couch as I walked over to shake their hands. “It’s good to meet you Safir, Declan.” I returned their smiles and then added, “Oh and please, call me Stephanie, no need to be so formal…I mean after all we’re going to be family soon,” I said with a small nervous laugh.
“This all must be disconcerting for you. It was for my wife, who we also picked up outside of the town.” Declan said, his tone was reassuring. I lifted my eyebrows in surprise.
“So you guys do this sort of thing often?” I asked and both Declan and Safir nodded.
“Yes, we do. We had tried simply going out and
seducing women the natural way, but we found this to be quicker and more effective,” Safir said. I went to sit on the sectional with them and they both sat back down.
“How so?” I asked, perplexed.
“When you meet a woman the natural way, seduce her, fall in love with her even. When you show her what you really are and what your culture is like there is always the possibility she might run. It has happened before and put our entire way of life in danger. We can’t leave room for that possibility any longer so we decided to simply take the woman we like and give her no choice in the matter. It’s surprising, but the women we pick up tend to come around to the idea quickly.” Safir explained, I sat back against the plush light grey leather. They had an entire philosophy behind kidnapping women and forcing them to marry.
“So you’re saying the women basically get…Stockholm syndrome?” Declan shook his head no.
“Not at all, just like Prince Tristan has told you, our wives are allowed to live their lives as they’ve done before, it is as simple as them moving to another house and acquiring a husband in a matter of days. Our wives accept this and want to be with us,” Declan explained earnestly.
“So…what if a woman doesn’t want to be with you?” I asked curiously, I wasn’t trying to challenge them. I simply wanted to know their reasoning.
“Then we let her go. There are measures we take to ensure she doesn’t out us to the general public or to the authorities,” Declan answered. Safir nodded his head in agreement and I pursed my lips. I didn’t really want to know what those ‘measures’ were.
“Okay then, that’s…not so terrible I suppose,” I said slowly and both Declan and Safir chuckled at me.
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