The Royal Shifters Complete Series Boxed Set

by Alice Wilde

  “I’m sorry, lass. Everything is okay now. The Unseelie Court is a dark place. I should have known better than to let go of your hand, even for a moment.”

  “What happened?”

  “They must have tricked you into seeing something powerful enough to make you step from the path.”

  “I don’t remember…No, I do. I thought I saw…” I say, shaking my head in frustration.

  “What was it?”

  “It was my mother. I thought I saw her through the trees, as idiotic as it sounds coming out of my mouth now.”

  “No, not at all,” Roan says. “I’m just glad you didn’t think you saw Ero and ran off after him.”

  I can’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of his remark. Leave it to Roan to have something ridiculous to say in a situation like this.

  “How about we get out of here?” Roan says.

  I nod and he picks me up in his arms.

  “Did we get married?”

  “Yes, yes we did.”

  “What a strange day,” I murmur, tucking my face into his chest as he carries me the rest of the way through the Unseelie Court.

  As dark as the Unseelie Court was, the Southern Portal is aglow with beautiful white flowers. We step through the same strange wall and out into our own, human realm.

  “Looks like we managed to get through the Fae realm faster than the men were able to ride here,” Roan says. “Perhaps we should rest for a bit.”

  Roan carries me over to a bit of supple looking grass and lays me down on it. Dropping down beside me, he pulls me to his chest and we watch the stars slowly fade from the sky as the sun begins to rise.

  “Thank you, Roan.”

  “For what?”

  “You’ve saved me more times than I care to admit. I mean, all of you have. But tonight was the first time I felt truly happy in a long time.”

  “Even though Damien was the one getting you off in your Unseelie induced nightmares?”

  “What?” I say, heat rising to my face.

  “It took me a while to wake you, lass,” Roan says, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “For a while there, you weren’t minding too much what was going on.”

  I shift uncomfortably. “It wasn’t him.”

  “But you told me it was Damien.”

  “I mean, yes, in the end it was. Those demon Fae are worse than they let on. The nightmare started out as a dream, a rather pleasant one. It was only once everything seemed to be going perfectly that it suddenly turned into my worst nightmare.”

  “So, who was it?”

  I hesitate for a moment before replying. “It was you, but I didn’t appreciate you ruining my dress.”

  “Oh, was it now?” Roan says, lifting an eyebrow skeptically. “You’re not just saying that to keep from hurting my feelings, right?”

  “I swear, it was you.”

  “So, how was I? From the sounds you were making, I’m guessing pretty good.”

  I pinch him, hard.

  “Ouch!”

  He grabs my hand and lifts it to his lips, kissing my ring finger gently. The last glow of moonlight fades as the sun and moon switch places on the horizon. I lay my head on Roan’s chest and he plays with my hair as we watch the sunrise together.

  “One day soon, I’m going to tear the clothes right off you and stare at your summer apples so hard.”

  “Thank you for completely ruining that beautiful moment we just had together.”

  “You’re welcome, little wife,” Roan says, kissing the top of my head.

  Seventeen

  Annalise

  We don’t have to wait long for the men to arrive at the Southern Portal. The sound of thundering hooves alerts us to their arrival long before the men are visible.

  “You made it through,” one of the men says in complete astonishment. “So, you are Roan, son and heir to Clan Artair.”

  “That’s what I’ve been saying,” Roan says. “Let’s get back to the castle. There’s a lot still to discuss. And we need food and rest.”

  “Of course, Lord Artair.”

  “No, please don’t call me that,” Roan says. “I’m not here to take back the rule of the land. I won’t do that to my sister and her husband.”

  “But you’re the rightful heir.”

  “Perhaps, but as long as I’m still alive, I don’t see the harm in letting someone else with more experience rule in my stead.”

  “What about the Fae folk?”

  “First, back to the castle,” Roan says, taking our horse from one of the men. He mounts, pulling me up to ride in front of him. This time, instead of the men escorting us, they ride behind, letting Roan take the lead. Roan keeps one arm around my waist, pressing me against his body as he holds the reins in his other hand.

  It doesn’t take me long to realize why he didn’t want me to ride in front before. I have very little experience to base my knowledge on, but from what I can tell, Roan has been blessed by the gods in more ways than one.

  By the time we reach the castle, Roan is fully aroused and ready to throw me into a haystack and have his way with me. At least, that’s the impression he’s giving off. He keeps shifting in the saddle.

  “We shouldn’t have ridden like that,” Roan says when we finally slow to a stop.

  “I didn’t do anything,” I say.

  “You didn’t have to…but I wouldn’t mind if you did.”

  “Hush.”

  “Is that any way to talk to your husband?” Roan whispers in my ear before letting me slowly down to the ground and placing his hand strategically on his lap. “You go ahead, I just need a minute.”

  I wait patiently just inside the castle for Roan, not wanting to face Fiona and her husband without him.

  Roan takes my hand as he enters the castle and leads me back to the Great Hall, which is far from empty when we open the doors and step in. Everyone turns to watch us as we make our way toward the laird and lady, their eyes wide with astonishment.

  “You’re back?” Fiona asks.

  “That we are.”

  Fiona and Neil share a look.

  “You’re certain they entered the Fae land,” Neil asks one of our escorts.

  “I wouldn’t believe it either except I saw it with my own two eyes.”

  “What of the Fae?”

  “As long as I am alive, the truce is still intact. The Seelie Court will make sure it is honored,” Roan says. “There shouldn’t be any more issues regarding the lack of firewood and cursed harvests.”

  The room is so quiet, I can hear goats bleating outside, and then cheers erupt loudly throughout the room.

  “Silence!” Neil bellows. “It is one thing to claim this is the case, but another to have proof.”

  The room grows quiet again, but not without the light chatter of increasing excitement.

  “McLauren,” Neil says, pointing at one of the men in the crowd. “Take several of the men who tend your land and go check your harvest. Bring back whatever you find.”

  “The two of you sit here,” Fiona says, directing us to sit on the stone steps near her feet. “Now, we will proceed with today’s business as before while we wait for the results of their findings.”

  Roan and I watch silently as the laird and lady deal with several difficult decisions that must be made regarding their people. It’s no easy task, and it makes me wonder what it will actually be like to rule an entire kingdom.

  “I hope they find what they’re looking for soon,” Roan whispers to me. “I’m sure we could both benefit from a comfortable bed.”

  “First, we’ll need to make sure Li and Ero are taken care of. I hate to think of them wasting any more time in that dungeon.”

  “Of course, lass,” Roan says. “Or we could let them stay in there a bit longer. I kind of like having you all to myself.”

  “Roan!”

  “Alright, fine. We’ll let them out first,” Roan says with a playful bump of his shoulder against mine.

  “My lair
d and lady!” McLauren and his men burst through the door at the end of the hall and run in breathlessly. He snaps his fingers and his men lay an assortment of fruits and vegetables at our feet. “The rot is gone, as if it was never there!”

  Roan and I turn to look up at Fiona and Neil. Fiona’s mouth is agape and her face softens for the first time since we met. She flies out of her seat and wraps her arms around Roan.

  “Brother,” she says, tears rolling down her cheeks. “It really is you.”

  Roan hugs her, patting her gently on the back.

  “Please forgive me. You have to understand my need for caution. The Roan I remember was not the same person I’ve seen these past couple of hours, aside from the red hair and ridiculous height.”

  “There is nothing to forgive,” Roan says. “You must protect your people, even if that means protecting them against your own brother.”

  Fiona rises, wiping the tears from her face and turning to her husband.

  The laird rises slowly from his seat, straightening the tartan of his kilt as he looks out over the Great Hall.

  “Clan Artair’s laird has returned home,” he shouts, bowing toward Roan as the room erupts in merriment and praise.

  Roan leaps to his feet. “No,” he says. “Please, I have no desire to rule the Artair lands.”

  “But you must,” Fiona says. “We cannot be certain of our own future without Artair blood seated as laird.”

  “I can’t accept,” Roan says.

  The room grows quiet again as everyone, including myself, listens.

  “Roan, you can’t come swaggering in here just to ask for help raising an army but refuse to be laird when these people need you. It doesn’t work like that.”

  Roan surveys the room and then looks back at Fiona and Neil.

  “I’ve been gone for so many years, I barely recognized my home,” Roan says. “How could I possibly be the laird to all these people when I don’t know my own lands?”

  “It’s not a choice,” Fiona says. “The blood and magic that run through this land chose for you long ago. I don’t say this lightly.”

  “Saints alive,” Neil says. “Do you think I’d give any of this up if I had the choice? Fiona and I have been the laird and lady of the land for decades. We love these people, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the things you love.”

  Roan glances over at me. “I know that all too well, but I have already made vows I cannot break.”

  “Sleep on it,” Fiona says after a long pause.

  “It’s only fair,” I say quietly.

  Roan sighs and then nods his head.

  “I’ll have you shown to your bedchambers,” Fiona says. “You may have your childhood room if you’d like.”

  “I’d prefer to stay with Annalise.”

  “What about Li and Ero?” I say.

  “Ah yes. We’ll send someone to release them at once and place them in rooms near your own. There should be a couple of rooms available in the west wing to accommodate you.”

  A servant steps forward and motions for us to follow her to our rooms. The west wing is quiet and overlooks a sizeable expanse of water. A door is opened and I am ushered into a large room with an enormous four-poster bed. The furnishings are rustic and a large animal pelt is spread out on the floor beside the unlit fireplace.

  “Light the fire and bring dinner to her. Oh, and water to wash with,” Roan says with a surprising amount of command in his voice. The woman bobs her head in understanding. Perhaps he’s warming up to the idea of being laird. I wonder what will become of us if he decides to stay.

  “I’ll be back to check on you soon,” Roan says as he turns to leave with the servant.

  “You’re not going to stay with me?”

  Roan pauses, glancing uneasily at the servant. “I need to check on Li and Ero. Dinna fash, no harm will come to you here.”

  I watch as he leaves with the servant, unsure why his behavior was so unnatural. I sit down in a chair by the window to wait.

  The sun has started to dip toward the horizon when my door swings open once again and servants enter, setting out a meal for me on one of the tables. They tend to the fire and begin boiling water to fill a large basin that has been brought in. One of the ladies lays a nightgown on the bed.

  The room warms quickly, and I find myself longing for bed.

  “Your bath is ready, my lady,” one of the servants says.

  I stand and walk over to the tub of water.

  “Will you require any assistance?”

  “No, thank you. I prefer to be alone.”

  The woman dips her head and she and the other servants exit the room.

  “I will come back in an hour or so to see if you require anything further,” she says before shutting the door behind her.

  I trail my fingers through the water. It’s piping hot. Deciding it’s better to eat first, I take a seat at the small round table. They’ve set out a dish of fresh fruits, cooked vegetables, several portions of various meats and cheeses, as well as a small, warm loaf of bread with honey. Their harvests really must have recovered for them to be so generous with their portions and selection.

  Choosing a bit of cheese, I bite into it and savor the creamy flavor. My appetite suddenly turns ravenous and I take a bit of everything, relishing every mouthful. Thirsty, I take the goblet and sip at the liquid. Red wine. My stomach clenches at the memory of being trapped in the wine barrel, and for a moment, I’m afraid I’ll be sick. I manage to calm myself, but place the drink back on the table. I doubt I’ll be able to look at red wine the same way ever again. Deciding to save the bread and honey for when my stomach has settled, I turn toward my bath.

  I slip out of my dirty clothes as quickly as I can, laying them across the back of one of the chairs, and step into the bath. The water is still almost hot enough to scald, but I ease myself into it, allowing the warmth to embrace me even as my skin turns bright pink. I submerge myself below the surface, letting the dirt and grime of the past weeks wash away. Resurfacing, I rest my head on the back of the basin and close my eyes while I soak.

  A knock at my door startles me, and I pull my knees to my chest.

  “Yes?”

  The door opens slightly and a head pops in. Roan.

  “You scared me,” I say.

  He slips in through the crack in the door and quietly closes it behind him. “Sorry, lass.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to be with you,” Roan says. “You are my wife, are you not?”

  “Then why did you leave earlier?”

  Roan leans against the door. “Well, lass, we may be married by Fae standards, but I doubt many will accept that as a proper Scottish marriage. So, for the time being, I’d like to keep our marriage secret.”

  “I see.”

  “Don’t overthink it, lass. After all, we haven’t told Li or Ero yet either. I doubt they’ll be too thrilled to learn I have a higher legal claim to you than they do.”

  “How are they? Have you seen them?”

  “Yes, and they’re fine. They’ve been given a room next to my own. I’m surprised they haven’t come to find you. But that’s probably because they needed their own baths. And on that note…”

  Roan turns a key in the door before pushing himself away from it and walking toward me.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I ask, clutching my arms around my knees as he draws closer.

  “I’m coming to join you.”

  “You are most certainly not.”

  “Is my wife denying me my husbandly rights?”

  “I most certainly am!”

  Roan grins mischievously, stepping closer, and I splash him with water.

  “Stay back or I may just scream.”

  “Oh, you’ll scream alright, but for entirely different reasons.”

  Before I can respond, Roan closes the distance between us, dropping down onto the floor beside the tub as I glare at him.

  “Lass, I
promise not to hurt you. Just relax. I can’t see anything from this angle if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  It is what I was worried about. Until now, I hadn’t purposefully let them see me naked, or any man for that matter. I’d been raised with an almost unbearable level of modesty due to my position.

  “Come now, relax. I’ll give you a massage.”

  “Fine,” I say. The thought of his strong hands kneading my sore muscles sounds more than welcome in my mind. I pull a strip of washing cloth from a small stand and carefully lay it across the basin to better hide my nakedness before positioning myself against the back of the tub once again.

  Roan sits up on his knees and gently pulls my long hair out from behind me, letting it fall over the edge of the basin as he begins to work his hands along my scalp. Shivers of ecstasy spread from my head, down my body, little currents of electricity shooting through my limbs with each movement of his hands. He slowly works down to the nape of my neck, releasing more and more of the tension that’s built there over the past few weeks with the pressure of his fingers. Roan continues down to my shoulders, squeezing and pulling at the muscles as he works to release the tightness within, and then he’s no longer massaging me. His lips graze my ear and then press against the side of my neck as they make their way little by little down to my shoulders. His hands dip below the water, his fingertips running down my chest to cup my breasts.

  “Let me pleasure you, lass,” Roan whispers as he continues to kiss me where my neck and shoulder meet.

  And I want him to. He gently squeezes my breasts in his hands, his fingers finding their way to my nipples where he plays with them until they’ve grown hard.

  I let out a small moan.

  “I want to see you,” Roan says, kissing my neck and jawline.

  I pull away from him, taking the cloth draping over the basin with me and covering my breasts with it as I turn part way to look at him.

  “I can’t.”

  Roan cocks his head to the side curiously, his curly red hair falling over his forehead. Gods, I hate when he does that. It is so difficult not to throw myself at him.

  “Why not?”