The Shifter’s Hostage (Shades of Shifters Book 5)

by T. S. Ryder

  “Alice, and you are?” Alice asked, moving to her feet and calmly regarding the woman in front of her. She made no move to shake hands, waiting to see if the woman wanted to be friendly or not. She was not going to play their little game.

  “Veronica,” the woman said, eyeing Alice slowly and pursing her lips. “I didn’t think that the prince would be interested in a portly little thing like you.” She smirked, earning a chuckle from Alice.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t know the prince well enough to know his type. Certainly, though, if he were into women without a little meat on their bones, it seems he would have already selected a mate.” Alice smiled back at the woman, retaining her nonchalant stance.

  She had dealt with women like Veronica for years and she had learned that the best way to get under their skin was to stand firm and not give them any power. Veronica was clearly a young vampire and had none of the experience that the women at the witching academy had had. There was very little she could say or do that would get a rise out of Alice.

  “And you think that he’s going to choose you?” Veronica demanded, her lips twitching in obvious irritation. Alice shrugged, sitting down on the bed once more and glancing out of the window.

  “Whether or not he chooses me, it’s my decision. He’s already made it pretty clear that he’s interested in pursuing me,” Alice pointed out, glaring back when the woman in front of her glared and seemed to bristle with anger.

  “Why would he ever want to marry someone like you? You’re a peasant; you’re useless,” Veronica spat, trembling as she glared at Alice, her companions tittering nervously behind her.

  “Useless? Well, I don’t believe I’m useless.” Alice smiled, her hands on her knees. “Then again, you do not know who I am, so it makes sense you would make assumptions in order to make you feel better about yourself.” She sighed, looking up at the woman with a knowing grin.

  Veronica’s eyes flashed crimson as she moved closer to Alice. Since her verbal taunts appeared to be having little to no effect, she was growing more and more aggravated. That was exactly what Alice wanted. The best way to conquer any society was to go for the head, and she was going to take Veronica down now before she ever had the chance to try to gain power over her.

  “You aren’t welcome here,” Veronica glared, grabbing Alice and pulling her off the bed. Her fangs flashed dangerously, her mouth opening to bite down on Alice’s shoulder dominantly.

  “Consto.” Alice couldn’t do much magic with the repressor around her neck, but she had enough power to do basic spells and put the brat in her place.

  Instantly, Veronica froze, her body going rigid as Alice moved to her feet and pressed her finger to the terrified vampire’s forehead. Smiling as Veronica let out a muffled, terrified noise, Alice leaned in close to the woman.

  “Now you listen to me,” Alice began, her silver eyes locked onto Veronica’s. “Your reign of terror is over. From here on out, I don’t want to hear about you speaking unkindly to any of the other women here. If you do decide to cross me and speak ill of any of the women here, I will make sure that you remember who is in charge.” She growled before pulling her finger away from the other’s forehead. “Eximo.” She pulled away as the woman slumped back with a gasp, the spell dissipating at her command.

  “Y-you’re a witch!” the woman squeaked, letting her followers pull her back. Alice nodded, crossing her arms over her chest with a smile.

  “That I am,” she agreed, moving over to the bed again and sitting down. “Now, I’ve had a long day. I would appreciate being left alone so that I can rest.” She smiled up at the terrified looking women.

  “Of-of course!” Veronica gasped, rushing away from the bed and leaving Alice and Lindsey sitting alone in the corner.

  “That was amazing!” Lindsey gasped, holding onto Alice’s arms. “How did you do that? I’ve heard about witches, but I didn’t realize how powerful they were!” Alice chuckled at the girl’s excitement, leaning back against the bed with a sigh.

  “That was nothing. A quick spell like that is easy to use and maintain even with my powers as low as they are,” she explained with a chuckle. “One of these days, maybe I’ll teach you a thing or two. Magic is inside everyone; it’s just a matter of learning how to harness it.” Lindsey seemed thrilled at the idea and beamed as she hugged Alice tightly.

  “I’d love that!” Lindsey said, pulling away from Alice before moving into the bed just across from her. “You should get some sleep. I’m sure the prince has something fun planned tomorrow to win you over.” She grinned, pulling off her dress before slipping into some silky pajamas.

  Alice nodded, sighing at the idea of the prince going out of his way to woo her. She would give him one thing: he was persistent. Despite her misgivings after being kidnapped, she decided that she would give the man a chance. It wasn’t his fault that his mother was trying to find him a mate. She hadn’t been out on a date in years and it might actually be a nice change of pace to have someone attempting to win her over.

  Curling up in bed, she was just pulling the blankets over herself when she heard a little scratch. Looking up, she frowned, only to beam when she saw who was sitting just outside the small window. Pulling it open, she allowed a damp, exhausted-looking Talon to leap into the room.

  “You’re ok!” She pulled him into a hug and laughed as the cat let out a huff and nodded.

  “Alive, but very sore,” he muttered, pulling back and shaking out his fur. Starting to vigorously lick himself clean, he looked up at the woman and hummed. “I’m glad that you’re unharmed.”

  “I’m alright.” She nodded. “Things have been strange, but I’m not in any danger here.” She pressed a kiss to the top of Talon’s head and earned a huff from the exhausted cat.

  “Great. I’m glad to know that I braved the wild just to find you relaxed and pampered,” he huffed, though he didn’t seem to truly be upset. Instead, he nuzzled against her shoulder and curled up in her lap.

  “I’m so sorry. I’m just glad to have you back,” Alice whispered, trailing her fingers slowly through the cat’s fur. It was reassuring to know she had a friend to watch her back in the coven.

  Talon didn’t respond. Instead, he curled up into a tighter ball and within a few moments had fallen fast asleep with his face pressed against her stomach. Smiling, Alice rubbed at his ears gently before lying back against the sheets and closing her eyes, allowing the quiet sounds of the harem to soothe her mind while she curled around her oldest friend.

  Chapter Seven

  Adapting to life in the harem was something that Alice found to be more difficult as time went on. She hadn’t foreseen the consequences of putting Veronica in her place. Now leaderless, Veronica’s followers had chosen to go to Alice for guidance and decisions about how the harem should operate. Despite her best attempts to convince them to leave her alone and make their own decisions, the women were set on bothering her with every little argument between groups.

  Thus, whenever she got the chance to escape from the harem, she did, disappearing into the house and settling in one of the many rooms to read, study, or even nap.

  She was settled in the library, her mind lost in the pages of one of the vampire’s history books when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Gasping, she jerked to her feet and spun around, her hands sparkling faintly with magic, while Talon hissed and glared at the intruder who had dared to disturb his nap.

  “Relax, I’m not one of your followers. Lindsey told me you would be hiding from your adoring fans,” Matheus laughed, holding up his hands defensively, regarding the cat at her side with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t realize you had a cat.”

  “I do. His name is Talon.” She smiled and sat down again, pulling her companion onto her lap and kissing the top of his head. “Can I help you with something, your majesty?” she asked, setting her book on the table after properly marking her place.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Master Talon,
” Matheus smiled, chuckling when Talon ignored him. “I was just going to ask you if you’d mind joining me for dinner tonight. It’s been over a week since you first arrived and I’ve only been able to speak to you in passing.”

  Alice felt a smile form on her lips at the eager look on his face. The man who she had once thought was some sort of monster was starting to remind her more and more of a puppy. She didn’t hate him like she thought she should, despite everything that his kind had taken from her.

  “I suppose that would be alright,” she said, trailing her fingers through her hair. Glancing over at Talon, she raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you coming?”

  “Why would I join you on your date?” he asked, not even bothering to open his eyes. Rolling her eyes, she turned away from her cat and allowed Matheus to take her arm.

  “You can speak to your cat?” Matheus questioned, smiling when she nodded.

  “Of course, I can. I can never understand how others don’t understand him. He’s incredibly outspoken.” She laughed, leaning against Matheus’ side. When they got to the king’s private quarters, she raised an eyebrow at the lavish dinner that had been laid out for them. “I think you were expecting me to say yes,” she mumbled softly.

  “Well, if you said no I would still have had a fantastic dinner for me to enjoy while I grieved over your rejection,” Matheus said, pulling out her chair before sitting himself. “I hope you don’t mind veal; the cook insisted on it.”

  “Veal is fine,” she responded, letting the servant dish out her plate.

  “Great, veal is one of my favorites,” Matheus smiled, dismissing the servant with a wave as soon as their plates were full. “How have you been enjoying your time in my manor?” he asked, eyeing Alice slowly.

  Taking a moment to sample the food while she thought, Alice hummed softly as the veal all but melted on her tongue. That had been something that she had missed when she left court to go into retirement. The food had always been so good.

  “I’ve been enjoying myself. My only complaint is that the girls seem to always come to me to deal with their problems,” she sighed, looking at him with an amused smile. “Luckily, the libraries and gardens are quite extensive and they never think to look for me there.” Matheus laughed at this, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

  “I knew that you would enjoy it here, even if you have quite a little cult following you around,” he grinned between bites of potatoes, his eyes wandering over her form. “They all look up to you. After you defeated Veronica, who I admit has always been a bit of a pain, you gave them someone to look up to – a person who isn’t manipulative or controlling.”

  “They are good girls,” Alice said. He was looking at her intently, making her heart flutter in her chest. Blushing slightly, she turned her attention back to her food quickly. “Though, I do wonder why you, of all people, are interested in someone like me.”

  “Why?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and gently catching her free hand in his own. “You obviously can’t see yourself, because if you could, you would realize just how ridiculous you sound.” He laughed softly.

  “How so? I’m hardly the most beautiful woman in your harem. I’m bookish, not beautiful. I always have been,” she huffed, though she didn’t pull away from his gentle touch.

  “I would have to disagree with you.” Matheus shook his head, his icy thumb trailing over her knuckles slowly. “You are beautiful, one of the most beautiful women that I have ever seen, not to mention the fact that you are intelligent, strong, and powerful. A woman like Veronica would sit pretty on a throne but accomplish little in the way of bettering her country. Whereas you, I would gladly rule beside, knowing that my country would be taken care of.”

  “Is that all? You believe that I would rule your country better? That is hardly a reason to wed,” she mumbled, her fingers small in Matheus’ strong hand.

  “No, it’s not, but that’s not the only reason that I want to take you as my lifemate,” he said, trailing his thumb across her fingers slowly. “I know that you don’t feel anything because you aren’t a vampire, but vampires are given an innate ability at their birth to sense potential mates and determine whether or not they will be suitable as a life mate.” Alice nodded. She had heard about this before.

  “So you’re saying that you naturally find me a suitable mate? How romantic,” she teased, looking up at Matheus and hating how her heart fluttered in her chest the moment that he met her gaze. “I’ve felt something strange too,” she admitted, hating the hurt look on his face. “I won’t say that I believe that we’re magically fated to be together, but I do believe that there is something between us.” She blushed when he lurched forward immediately and captured both of her hands in his own.

  “See? Even you can feel it, and you aren’t a vampire!” He beamed, leaning in before she could protest. She gasped when she felt his lips press against her own.

  The kiss was firm, his soft lips pressing against her own and gently coaxing them apart with the tip of his tongue. She could taste blood on his breath, something that would normally be disgusting, but she instead found absolutely intoxicating. She shouldn’t be so aroused by such a simple kiss, yet there she was pressing against the cool touch.

  If they were supposed to be together, if the feelings she had been having towards the prince meant anything, the only way she was ever going to know was if she let him closer. It went against everything she had ever believed in, but even she couldn’t deny there was a certain amount of magic involved here. Maybe they were tied together by some sort of ancient magic, a type of magic more powerful than anything she had ever studied.

  She wanted to learn more and the man currently pressing soft kisses up her neck was willing to teach her.

  Letting Matheus pull her down into another slow kiss, Alice allowed herself to be sat into his warm lap. Tangling her fingers in his hair, her lips curled into an eager little grin.

  “You’ve got me where you want me, now what are you going to do?” she asked, trailing her fingertips over his broad chest. Matheus chuckled at the challenge, his eyes sparkling with lust.

  “Let me show you,” he whispered, moving to his feet with Alice in his arms. Alice shivered at the dominating sound of his voice, her slender fingers tangling into his shirt as they moved towards the bed.

  Chapter Eight

  Alice’s back hit the bed with enough force to send the air rushing from her lungs, and a pleased look formed on her features as Matheus pulled his shirt over his head, revealing an expanse of muscled, pale skin. Letting her gaze roam over his body, she felt it linger a few moments on a set of jagged scars that marred his chest. They were like cracks in the granite that he was carved from.

  “You have scars,” she noted, reaching up to trail her fingertips over his skin, feeling each quiver of muscle under her touch. He was unlike anything she had ever seen.

  “We aren’t as invincible as we like to tell people we are,” Matheus mumbled, crawling over her with a primal look of lust in his eyes. “My queen, my flower, might I make love to you?” he asked, his fingers wandering around to rest on the zipper of her dress. His eyes sought permission, something she never expected from a man with his power.

  Her breath hitched at the feel of his mouth against her ear, and she let her fingers wander up to trail over his chest slowly. She mapped out every flaw, curve, and mark that made him look like the mortals his father had wanted to conquer.

  Her mind was distracted quickly, though, when she felt Matheus’ hands wander upwards, resting lightly on the collar around her neck. It was the only thing keeping her from using her abilities. Before she could open her mouth to question his intentions, she heard the soft click of the mechanism releasing.

  The collar fell away from her neck and landed on the sheets. She was free, the collar quickly cast aside by her lover and landing on the ground beside them. If she wanted, she could kill the man in front of her and be gone in a matter of moments. She could
go home.

  She could, but she didn’t want to. There was something stopping her from moving away, something telling her that, despite everything, she belonged right here in Matheus’ arms.

  “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to bed an enchantress?” she asked, looking up at the man through her soft lashes. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal your soul? Take you down to the depths of the underworld with me?” Matheus’ eyes lit up, his free hand moving up to cup her blushing cheek.

  “Not unless you’re afraid I’ll do the same,” he chuckled, pressing their lips lightly together. Satisfied with his answer, Alice pulled back and nodded.

  “Then my body is yours, my king,” she breathed, sitting up and feeling a shiver move through her body as her zipper rolled down her back slowly.

  Sliding down her shoulder straps, Matheus’ eyes wandered over her body. He was studying her as well, mapping out every inch of her body. To him, she was a puzzle that he needed to put together. To her, he was a book that she needed to study in order to discover what hid between his many pages.

  Pale, soft hands wandered across her stomach the moment that he cast aside her dress, his cool thumbs brushing over the perked buds on her ample chest, the full mounds freed from their cloth prison. Trembling at the soft touches, Alice bit her lip and laid back to let him crawl closer, her own fingers trailing over his muscled arms.

  “You’re beautiful,” she mumbled, leaning in and pressing hesitant kisses over his shoulders and neck. The action seemed to coax Matheus out of his trance. His eyes lighting up with adoration, he lurched forward and pinned her to the bed, pressing heated, open-mouthed kisses up her neck and shoulders.

  “Not as beautiful as you, my queen,” Matheus growled, his tongue trailing over her shoulder. He left a mark on her skin with a wet sound, his hands exploring her beautiful body eagerly.

  His hands wandered over every inch of skin he could find, moving lower and lower until the tips dusted over the edge of the lacy panties she had been given by the harem servants. The black lace clung to her freckled skin lightly, hugging her soft curves and leaving Matheus absolutely entranced.