by Alice Wilde
“Magic fingers?” Roan quips as he tries to pull me into his statuesque arms.
“Wait, I need to help Li,” I say. Roan gives a mock pout but lets me go. I step over to Li and get on my knees. “May I?”
“Of course.”
I reach up and release the binding around his neck. It falls to the ground and I suddenly find myself swimming in Li’s large, violet eyes as they look deep into mine. He pulls me close and kisses me, hard.
I let the feeling wash over me like a welcome summer rain, but just as quickly as the moment started, it ends. Li pulls away, and I am made aware of the complaints rising from Ero and Roan.
“Thor’s hammer, Li!” Ero growls. “You could have had the decency of asking permission first.”
“I know,” Li replies, leaving me in a state of shock on the ground as he straightens himself into a standing position. “It won’t happen again.”
I secretly hope he’s lying.
“Pretty sure Ero meant you should have asked his permission,” Roan says with a laugh.
“Annalise,” Li says, “would you mind terribly parting with a bit more of your dress?”
I can’t say anything yet, but I nod.
Li lifts me to my feet and then carefully tears two long strips of cloth from my dress, tossing them to Roan and Ero.
“Cover up.”
Roan sighs but ties the material around his waist.
“I’m quite comfortable just the way I am, thank you very much,” says Ero.
“Now,” growls Li.
I shake myself from my shock, but both are fully covered before I turn to look.
“So, what now?” Ero asks.
“Looks like we’re going to be accompanying Annalise.”
“I’m not an idiot, Li. Where are we going to go? It won’t be long before they find us here.”
“I know. I need to think. I hadn’t expected things to go this far.”
The three strikingly beautiful men are sitting in a circle now, and all I can do is stare. I’m sure this all has to be part of a dream. Just a few hours ago, I was trapped in my own body, preparing to marry a beast of a man. Now, here I am in a clearing with my leopards, or what were once my leopards. I can’t stop myself from inspecting them, and it’s only now that I notice the marks on their bodies. The same as the one on my neck.
Li’s mark is on his shoulder, Ero’s on his forearm, and Roan’s on his upper back.
“What are the marks for?”
Li turns to look at me. “They’re Damien’s claim of ownership.”
“Yes, but is there any other reason for them?”
“I think,” Li says, “I could be wrong, but I believe that as long as Damien is alive, these marks will allow him access to us in some way.”
“How?”
“You saw how he used the collars against us, right?” Ero says. “And how we can speak to you through your mind?”
“Yes,” I say, though I’m only just now realizing that it wasn’t me going crazy and they had been talking to me.
“Well, it’s like that. The mark connects us through a kind of blood magic. Very ancient, dark magic.”
“Wait. Does that mean Damien still has a connection to us? Even now? Is that why you were able to shift into leopards?” I ask, my heart starting to pound in my chest.
“Patience, Annalise. We’ll do our best to answer your questions, but we don’t know the full extent of the powers yet. Blood magic is only unbound by death. And I doubt any distance, with or without the collars, will keep Damien from hunting us down.”
“And no, we were shifters before the curse. That’s what drew Damien to us,” Ero says. “At least, part of what drew him to us.”
“Lass, as long as you’re alive, Damien won’t stop looking for you.”
“Why me?”
“Because,” Li says in a low voice, “he believes you’re the key to unleashing Lethe. A death magic that was forgotten long ago.”
“What? How?”
Li clears his throat uncomfortably.
“Another type of blood magic, lass,” Roan chimes in.
I stare at them confused. “You’ve lost me.”
“You’re a virgin,” Ero says bluntly. “And now, unfortunately, you’re married to the demon. So, if he ever catches you and beds you, a blood bond will be formed. If you’re the one spoken about in the myths, the blood bond will be the key to unleashing Lethe.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I say, the words coming out in a snort, but their faces are stony and an uncomfortable chill runs through my skin. “Okay, so, take my virginity.”
The three of them turn to look at me in obvious shock. Then they laugh.
“I’m serious,” I say, all vows of renouncing lovemaking long gone.
“It’s not as simple as that, lass.”
“Even if we took you to bed, and with an invitation like that I’d have you in a heartbeat, the bond would still be formed,” Ero says. “Remember, we’re all connected to the beast. So, if any of us was to unite with you, the blood bond would still be connected to Damien. It’s too much of a risk.”
“So,” I say, “the only way to end this madness is for us to find someone unconnected to the bond willing to, umm, help or for me to die a virgin…”
“Not going to happen,” Ero interrupts.
“Shut up,” Li snaps. “But Ero’s right. That’s not going to happen. Don’t forget, the mark Damien gave you has already linked you to him. And, now that you’re married, anyone who touches you in that way, will only cement the blood bond. You legally belong to Damien and that’s all death magic cares about. Law.”
“So, we have no option but to kill Damien,” I say.
The silence that settles among us is heavy, almost stifling.
“Yes,” says Li, finally breaking the silence. “But that’s impossible.”
“Not quite,” Roan says.
“How do you mean?” Ero asks.
“We weren’t always Damien’s slaves. We do…or at least, we did have homes.”
“What’s your point?” says Li.
“What if we returned to our homes, found our families, and raised our armies?”
“We don’t even know how long we’ve been cursed. How do we know our families are still alive, or if they’d even welcome us home?” Li asks.
“Aye, but we won’t know unless we try. What choice do we have?”
“Wait, who are you?” I ask.
“You just think to ask us this now?” Ero says, snorting. “A moment ago you were practically offering up your body to us.”
I can feel my face flush.
“He’s just teasing you, lass.”
“I know.”
“I am Roan, heir to Clan Artair. Or at least I was before Damien kidnapped me. Ero is the only living son of a Viking lord, but that’s all I know.”
“And all you’ll ever know,” Ero growls. “Besides, I doubt anyone would remember me if we returned.”
“Li?” I question.
“I was one of the sons of Emperor Wu.”
“So, all three of you are royalty, at least in some way.”
“I suppose you could put it that way,” says Li.
“Some royalty,” scoffs Ero.
“But don’t you see what this means?” I say. “There’s a chance that at least one, if not all of your families could help us defeat Damien. We have to try!”
“I don’t think you understand the risks, Annalise,” Li says.
“Which is worse? Staying here and waiting to be found, struggling to survive under Damien’s cruelty? Or trying to find a way to defeat him and dying along the way?”
Li growls but doesn’t oppose me.
“So, it’s settled then? Where should we go first?” I say, the excitement rising in my chest.
“Let’s look at this logically. We’re where? Close to Italy?” Li says, directing the question at me.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“So, our three
respective countries are Scotland, Scandinavia, and China,” Li says. “Of these, China is by far the furthest.”
“Scotland it is!” I say, after all, I wasn’t about to be given a lesson on geography when I know quite well where all the countries are, even if I’d never visited any of them. “So, come on, let’s go! Before Damien finds us. Hurry up!”
Roan laughs at my eagerness. “You’ll be the death of me, lass.”
“She’ll be the death of us all,” Li mumbles.
“I’d take a death by her over Damien any day of the week,” Ero says as he jumps to his feet and scoops me up in his arms. “To Scotland?”
“To Scotland,” Li and Roan agree.
I hear footsteps approaching and the three males share a look before we dash out of the clearing in the opposite direction, Ero holding me tight against his broad, smooth chest.
“To Scotland,” I say quietly, smiling to myself as I nestle into Ero, the wind and trees rushing by. To freedom.
To safety.
Thank You!
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Her Highlander
The Royal Shifters Book II
Prologue
Screams filled the room as women hurried about, the scent of warm blood and sweat heavy in the air.
“Hush, my lady,” the midwife said as she wiped the sweat from Lady Artair’s forehead. “The child will be here soon. Breathe.”
“It has to be a boy. It just has to be,” Lady Artair whimpered softly.
“All we can do is hope.”
Lady Artair panted as she wiped a strand of raven black hair from her forehead and then cried out as another contraction overpowered her senses.
“Push, dear, push! I can see the child’s head!”
Silence fell over the room as everyone froze in place with whatever task they had been carrying out a moment before, and then a baby’s cry rang out. The tension that had been building over the past several hours broke with a collective sigh of relief.
“What is it, Jenny?” Lady Artair asked as the midwife twisted and cut the umbilical cord and then reached for a clean cloth.
“It’s a boy,” Jenny replied.
Lady Artair smiled as she closed her eyes and leaned back to rest. “Good. My husband will be pleased.”
The midwife walked away to wipe the babe clean, admiring the velvety softness of his red hair and fair skin. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, but she was sure they would be just as beautiful. Jenny had delivered a great number of children, but this was the first boy for the Artair family. And the only one with red hair. Finally, they had an heir. Not that the daughters were unloved, but these were dangerous times, and a man-child would strengthen the family name. Now, he just had to survive to adulthood.
Cleaning the last of the birthing fluids from the baby, Jenny crossed the room to return the child to Lady Artair. “What will you name him, my lady?”
But before Lady Artair could answer, the baby’s eyes fluttered opened to reveal the most piercing green eyes Jenny had ever seen. She gasped in surprise and tripped, sending the small child tumbling out of her arms. Time seemed to slow as mouths flew open in fear and astonishment.
The sound that should have come next never came.
There, lying on the hard floor, was a small bundle, but the bundle was no longer a red-headed baby. It was a snow leopard cub pressed safely against the stone on its four large paws. Not a second later, the cub was once again the small babe, now lying naked atop his swaddling clothes.
Jenny snatched the child off the floor, quickly re-wrapping him in the cloth.
“I…My lady…” Jenny stumbled over her words.
“Bring the child to me,” Lady Artair snapped, but out of fear rather than anger.
Jenny stepped to the bed and placed the babe in Lady Artair’s arms. Her eyes roved over the child’s body expertly, calculating the damage.
Lady Artair caressed the child with her fingers, as only a mother does. “He’s perfect. No harm done.”
Jenny sighed along with the rest of the women in relief before small whispers began twittering about the room.
Lady Artair’s eyes flashed in anger. “None of you shall speak of what happened. Magic may run deep within this country, but I will not have my son’s inheritance stolen by it. If one of you so much as breathes a word of this, I will have you sent to live among the Fae.”
The lady’s heads dipped in acknowledgment and they returned to their tasks in silence.
“What of his name, my lady?” Jenny asked to break the tension.
Lady Artair was quiet for the space of a moment before replying with a soft smile on her face. “His name is Roan. Roan, my little redhead.”
One
Annalise
Life didn’t prepare me for any of this. The novelty of running away has been replaced with dire needs. Besides the clothing on my back, what little is left of it, I brought nothing with me. Now, I realize just how unprepared I was for life outside the castle walls.
Li, Ero, and Roan have been more than gracious toward me, carrying me when my feet can no longer handle the stress of walking and the blisters on my heels grow too painful to bear. We travel far faster when they carry me, and I know they’d hold me all the time if I would let them, but this is as much my escape as it is theirs, and I am determined to play my part.
We’ve hardly rested in days, and it’s starting to show. I’m not even sure how many days we’ve been traveling at this point. As soon as we try to catch our breaths, we can hear Damien’s men closing in on us. I don’t know if it’s because they actually are or if I’m just paranoid…or if there’s another form of dark magic at play. In any case, we have to find a village or town soon. I need more sensible shoes and we all need new clothes. And a hot meal.
My stomach growls at the thought. The smell of roasting pheasant from my wedding feast has been haunting me for days and suddenly wafts around me once again. I try to shake it, but I can’t. I exchange a look with the other three before we all start sniffing the air like hungry dogs.
It’s not imagined. The juicy aroma of roasting meat is twirling through the air. I start walking almost blindly toward the scent, but a large hand wraps around my upper arm, holding me back. My heart flutters at the touch.
“Slow down, lass,” Roan says. “It could be a trick.”
“Or it could be our first real dinner,” I quip, tugging my arm out of his grasp. “You’d think the three of you would be better at hunting, being half animal and all.”
“You should know by now we’re rather tame for the beasts that we are,” Li says. “At least we try to be.”
“It’s your own fault that we’re struggling with our beasts, princess,” Ero chimes in. “We don’t know how dangerous we’ll be if the scent of blood is heavy in the air from a fresh kill. Not when we’re this hungry.”
“Speak for yourself,” Li snaps.
“Hey, you’re the one who nearly killed Annalise when she fell,” Ero snaps back. “And that was when we were well-fed.”
“Hush. And stop calling me princess,” I interject. “We’re all starving. Let’s not rip each other’s heads off now. I shouldn’t have blamed you for our lack of food, but we do need to find sustenance, and the sooner, the better. I’m starting to worry you won’t be able to control yourselves at all if we don’t eat soon.”
“In what way, princess?” Ero asks with a smirk, and I send dagger eyes at him. I can’t decide if Ero keeps calling me princess to irk me or because he genuinely thinks it’s cute.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Li says, ignoring Ero’s innuendo but giving him a dirty look. “Annalise is right. We need to keep ourselves fed and in a stable state or we might do exactly the kind of damage we’re trying to avoid.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” says Ero.
“So, what exactly do you propose we do?”
“We could at least find out where the scent is coming from,” I say. “You three might be massive, but that doesn’t mean we have to go around barging in on people. For all we know, we’re near a small town or perhaps a traveling caravan.”
“For all we know, Damien’s men are trying to lure us out,” Li grumbles, but I pretend I don’t hear.
“Shall we?” I ask, although I know I’m going to investigate further whether or not they agree.
Li shrugs, Ero strides ahead, and Roan takes my hand in his.
“As you wish, lass.”
Together we move as quietly as possible through the trees and underbrush toward the delicious scent. It’s further than I had anticipated, but that might be in part due to how slowly I’m moving. For their massive size, Roan, Li, and Ero move as silently as their leopard counterparts, at least when they’re trying to be stealthy—another reason I can’t understand our lack of food.
They’d make excellent hunters in either form, but not one of them has strayed far from me since the night in the clearing, except to relieve themselves. And Papa had complained about how clingy I was when Mama was alive!
Papa.
I haven’t had time to grieve. Haven’t even thought of Papa since I ran away. Not until now. The sudden thought of him lying cold and forgotten forces a lump to my chest. I clear my throat.
“Who goes there?” a voice shouts.
“Damn,” Ero growls.
“So much for trying to stay out of sight,” Li mumbles in a show of exasperation, although his eyes shoot toward me worriedly. Li is the most frustrating of the three. At least Ero openly tries to annoy me.
Roan doesn’t say anything as he gently pats my back. But a gentle pat from him is more like a shove from anyone else. I lurch forward, tripping over a tree root. Roan realizes what he’s done before I can hit the ground and I find myself jerked back by my hand, my feet now dangling in the air and a sharp pain shooting through my shoulder.
