The Royal Shifters Complete Series Boxed Set

by Alice Wilde

  I glare at him fiercely.

  “I’m just kidding, princess. But, it is a good idea.”

  “Thank you,” I say.

  “So, what kind of blood are you thinking?”

  “I hadn’t thought that far ahead to be honest.”

  “Well, you did mention killing, so I wasn’t sure if you were trying to allude to the fact you’d like me to off myself or…”

  “Ero!”

  “How about a chicken?”

  “Do you have to kill it?” I ask.

  “Depends on how much blood we’re talking.”

  “I don’t know. How much is normal?”

  “You’re asking the wrong man, princess.”

  “I guess as much blood as you can take without killing anything.”

  “You sure know how to make things more difficult than they need to be, don’t you?” Ero says, giving me a roll of his eyes. “You’re literally asking me to drain the blood out of something without killing it. I’m starting to wonder if you’re a master intimidator in the guise of an innocent young princess.”

  “Oh, no. I don’t want to torture anything!”

  “Then best you leave the execution up to me,” Ero says. “Get it? Execution?”

  “You’re horrible.”

  “I know.”

  “What about the vial?” I ask.

  “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

  “Perhaps we can find something in town?”

  Ero steers me away from the castle and into a small town a short walk away. The narrow dirt roads are bustling with people and excitement. It seems word of Clan Artair’s heir getting married has spread quickly and preparations are well underway.

  “How are we going to pay for anything if we do find something?”

  “Leave that up to me.”

  “Don’t steal, Ero, please. I don’t want to do anything that might harm someone’s business.”

  “I’m pretty sure unleashing an ancient curse that would bring the world to its knees would be far worse than me stealing a vial to stop that from happening.”

  I don’t say anything. Ero is right, even if I don’t like the idea. Not that I condone the action either way, but he always sees the greater good in his actions—both a fault and a virtue.

  We stop at a small silver shop.

  “Hello,” Ero says.

  The silversmith turns to look at us. “What can I do for you?”

  “How quickly can you make a ring?” Ero says.

  The silversmith wipes his hands on his apron.

  “It depends on the ring. What are you looking for?”

  “A simple, silver band with an inlaid stone.”

  “Hmm, I should be able to make one in about two hours. When do you need it by?”

  “Two hours.”

  “Yes, but what day do you need it?”

  “We need it two hours from now.”

  “I’m sorry, that’s just not possible. Have you seen how busy things are today? You must not know about the wedding happening tonight. We’ve only just found out ourselves. The soonest I can get a ring made would be tomorrow.”

  “I’m sure you can make time,” Ero says. “It’s for the lady next to me.”

  “I don’t care how pretty the lass next to you is, I won’t have time until tomorrow. Good day,” the silversmith says, turning back to his current project.

  “This lady is soon to be the wife of Clan Artair’s heir.”

  The silversmith spins around slowly. “I beg your pardon, my lady. I didn’t know. I had heard she was a lass of fair beauty, but I had yet to lay my own eyes on her.”

  “Two hours?” Roan says.

  “Of course. Do you have a particular stone in mind?”

  “Whatever you see fit,” Ero says. “I have one more request. The band of the ring needs to be hollow in the center, and the stone needs to be able to be removed and replaced.”

  “A very strange request.”

  “It’s necessary to carry out a special tradition from her own culture,” Ero says. “Can you do it?”

  “I believe so, but I will need at least three hours.”

  Ero looks up at the sky, the sun just past midday. “Very well.”

  “Thank you,” I say with a curtsey to the silversmith.

  “It’s my honor to make the wedding ring for Clan Artair’s lady.”

  “I think you’d better go back to the castle now to start preparations, princess,” Ero says. “I doubt you’ll want to be around while I try to figure out what to do about your request. I’ll bring the ring to you as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you, Ero,” I say as I reach up to caress his cheek with my hand. He stiffens at my touch. “Sorry, I didn’t—”

  “It’s nothing,” Ero says. “I just…you need to hurry back.”

  I step away and hasten back to the castle.

  Twenty-Four

  Annalise

  I stare at myself in the mirror. This is the second time I’ve prepared myself for a wedding, and it’s still no less nerve-racking. Actually, it’s probably more so this time.

  My dress is a beautiful, silken red with a fitted bodice and flowing skirts. My hair has been washed, dried, and brushed, my curls then carefully rewound by a maid’s fingers. Ero still hasn’t returned with the ring, and I’m starting to get nervous. I’m not quite sure what to expect from this ceremony, but I’d feel a little more at ease if I knew the ring had worked out.

  The sun has begun to dip on the horizon, shimmering on the water’s surface. Roan’s homeland really is very lovely. Perhaps one day we can return and explore it properly.

  “You’re ready, miss.”

  “Thank you.”

  Although my dress and hair are far less formal than my previous wedding, I feel much more like myself this time around, and not just because I’m not fighting a dark spell in my mind.

  I stand and cross to the door. I take a deep breath as the maid opens it for me and I step out into the hall.

  Li is waiting for me, along with several of the castle’s guards.

  “You look stunning.”

  “Thank you.”

  Li offers his arm to me and I take it. We walk down the hall toward the Great Hall, but we walk past it and down a corridor.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Reaching the end of the hall, one of the guards opens the door and we step through it and out into a picturesque garden, the warm colors of sunset lighting up the sky. It’s filled with people who all turn to look as I step out with Li. A path has been made out of flower petals that leads to Roan, who is standing, kilted, at the end of it. Beside him is Ero, as well as the laird and lady and a priest. This is it.

  At least I know Ero made it back, although I still have no idea if he has the ring or not.

  “Ready?” Li asks.

  I nod my head, unable to speak as my heart races in my chest, and we begin walking toward Roan.

  The whole way to him, Roan’s eyes never leave my face. He gives me an encouraging smile as I get closer. I don’t know if it’s the setting or just the magical feel about this evening, but Roan looks even more gorgeous than ever. I might just have to make him wear his kilt more often. I lower my eyes at the thought, hoping no one will notice how red my face feels.

  Li gives my hand to Roan and then moves to stand next to Ero. Roan stares at me for a long moment, and then he lets go of my hand to remove a long strip of tartan cloth draped over his shoulder. I smile as he tenderly drapes it over my own shoulder and pins it at my hip.

  “Are you going to say something?” I whisper.

  “I can’t.”

  I look up into his face and am surprised to find that he has tears in his eyes.

  “Stop, or you’re going to make me cry,” I say, trying and failing to make the moment less emotional.

  “Let us begin,” the priest says.

  I can barely focus on anything except Roan, the priest’s voice a wor
dless hum in my ears. Roan’s mouth moves pleasingly in response to some question.

  “And do you take Roan, heir to Clan Artair, laird, and peacekeeper of the land, as your husband?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you have the ring?”

  I look over at Ero, but he makes no move toward us.

  “I do,” says Roan, pulling a ring from some hidden pocket. It’s silver with a single smoky quartz inlaid in it.

  I glance toward Ero once again and he winks at me. Thank the gods.

  Roan slips the ring on my finger.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife,” the priest says. “God bless the laird and lady of Clan Artair!”

  Cheers erupt from the people gathered.

  “And now, on to the feast!” Neil says.

  Roan takes my hand and we follow Neil and Fiona back into the castle to the Great Hall, where an enormous feast has been prepared. I have no appetite. Most of the food looks lovely, but there are a few dishes that I can’t help but wonder why they exist. Roan eats heartily and tries to offer me portions of whatever he takes, but all I can do is nibble at them. The cider is another matter altogether, though.

  I gulp down the first mug of cider far too quickly, and then proceed to drink another before Roan can notice.

  “Lass, there’s nothing to be nervous about, but we do need to keep our wits about us.”

  “What makes you think I’m nervous?”

  “It might be the fact that you’re chugging hard cider.”

  “I didn’t realize it was alcoholic.”

  “A family recipe. It’s pretty good, isn’t it?”

  The cider is good, far better than any I ever had back home. I want nothing more than to down another mug, but I know he’s right. We do need to be able to think on the spot if need be. I’m starting to feel a little dizzy from the two mugs I’ve already had. I fill a glass with water and drink it. My stomach is still knotted, but not as badly as before.

  The room grows wilder as the evening turns to night and everyone becomes more intoxicated. Even Fiona is laughing at something her husband has said. Just as I’m beginning to relax, I hear the scrape of wood against stone and look over to see Neil standing, holding a mug up in the air. He clears his throat loudly.

  “Quiet,” Neil says. “Quiet! The time has come, as I’m sure many of you know. Roan and his wife have given their vows before you all, but they have yet to become one.”

  A few shouts of excitement erupt around the hall.

  “And,” Neil continues, “now is that time!”

  Deafening cheers erupt through the entire room and I look nervously at Roan. He takes my hand and squeezes it reassuringly. People start to crowd around our table and we’re suddenly lifted into the air by the crowd of people. They carry us through the hall and to a bedroom I’ve never seen before. They toss us on the bed amid cheers, laughter, and lewd remarks before flooding out of the room to drink more and we’re left alone—except for Fiona and Neil.

  “Before you take her, we need a vow,” Fiona says. “The blood from your maidenhood will not only symbolize your loyalty and purity as a wife and lady of Clan Artair, but it will also be what we take as a blood pact in regards to the vow you made earlier. If there is no blood, we will deem this marriage and your vow to us as false and untrue. Is this accepted?”

  “Yes,” I say nervously.

  “Good,” Fiona says. “You may begin.”

  Fiona and Neil drink from their glasses but make no move to leave.

  Roan clears his throat. “You can leave now.”

  Fiona laughs. “You really don’t know how this works, do you, brother?”

  “You’re going to watch?”

  “It would have been our parent’s job if you had married and become laird when you were supposed to, but now that’s fallen on my shoulders.”

  “That can’t be right.”

  “If you can hurry up and give us the proof we need, we can leave you alone.”

  “There’s absolutely no way I’m undressing or submitting my wife to that for your peace of mind.”

  “There’s a reason for quilts,” Fiona says. “Now, please, I don’t want to stand here all night.”

  Roan looks over at me apologetically.

  “Ready, lass?”

  Twenty-Five

  Roan

  I get up off the bed and lift Annalise off the quilt. She looks even more lovely today, and I’m almost sure it’s because I can claim her as my own now. Annalise looks up at me with her big eyes and I kiss her softly. It’s as if she’s melting in my arms. I reposition her on the edge of the bed and remove her shoes before turning down the quilt and placing her beneath it. I walk around to the other side of the bed and sit to unlace my shoes before joining Annalise under the quilt. This experience is already far worse than I had anticipated. I look up at Fiona and Neil. At least they’ve finally moved to the far end of the room to sit in the chairs by the fire.

  “Sorry, lass. I didn’t know our first night together would be this tricky.”

  “This isn’t our first night together,” Annalise whispers.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Is there something different about tonight?”

  “Unfair, lassie.”

  “I know at least one of you is not doing this for the first time,” Fiona calls from her chair.

  Great, as if tonight wasn’t difficult enough, the last thing I want to think about while I’m with Annalise is the mistake I made with a girl I didn’t love so many years ago.

  Love. It’s far too soon to say that without scaring the lass, even if she is my wife.

  “Get it over with already, Roan!” Neil taunts drunkenly.

  I turn on my side and look at Annalise. She’s staring at the ceiling, her hands folded over her chest, twisting her wedding ring on her finger.

  “Romantic, isn’t it?”

  Annalise turns to look at me and gives me a nervous smile. I reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear. I don’t know why this particular action always makes me feel closer to her, but it does. Grabbing her around her waist, I pull her to me and we kiss.

  It’s a gentle kiss, meant more to soothe her—and my own—nerves rather than excite us. But I can’t help enjoying it all the same. I run my hands over the silk of her dress until I reach the pin in the tartan sash. I remove it and slowly pull the strip of cloth from her, placing it on the stand by the bed.

  “I honestly have no idea how to get your dress off,” I say in a low voice.

  Annalise giggles, the tension in her body lessening slightly. “Perhaps, just this once, we don’t have to remove my dress.”

  “Then how…Oh,” I say realizing what she means.

  I take a deep breath, tracing the edge of her hip and thigh. Taking a handful of her skirt in my hand, I begin to lift her dress when I feel her hands brush over my kilt until they find the buckle. She pauses for a moment and then undoes it.

  “Oh, so you want me to undress, but all I get to do is hike up your skirts?” I say, but I can’t keep from grinning at her.

  “Obviously, unless you’ve suddenly grown breasts.”

  I chuckle and roll onto my back but stop before I unlatch the buckle on the other side. Instead, I pull my shirt over my head and toss it to the side. Annalise’s eyes wander over my body, and I can’t help but revel in the way she’s looking at me. She places a tentative hand on my chest and gently traces my torso with her fingertips, gradually moving lower until she reaches my kilt. She stops and looks up at me, and I place a hand on the kilt buckle and unlatch it, hoping to encourage her. God knows I need it. Not because I don’t want her, but there is something very off-putting about having your family in the same room.

  Annalise peers up at me and I give her what I hope is a reassuring look, but she remains frozen in place. I roll onto my side and pull her body to mine, kissing her while my fingers caress her hair. Our soft kisses grow needier as the world fades around me. I pull one of her legs up ove
r my hip, Annalise tugging at the quilt to pull it up over our shoulders. I slide my hand under her skirts and along the outside of her thigh, higher and higher, until I can clutch her arse and pull her body firmly against my own.

  “Are you done yet?” Fiona asks, her voice grating on my nerves.

  Whatever progress I had made toward hardening is lost. God, Fiona really knows how to ruin a moment. I almost wonder if that’s what she’s trying to do.

  “Lass,” I whisper, “I’m sorry. I can’t do anything under these conditions.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I swallow, my mouth dry and uncomfortable.

  “I mean, I can’t get hard with my family in the room. I don’t know how we’re going to follow through with this.”

  Annalise breathes deeply and slowly exhales. I gasp as a rush of blood suddenly surges through my cock and I look down at Annalise in shock and pleasure.

  Twenty-Six

  Annalise

  I’ve never seen Roan so uncomfortable. If only we could actually make our marriage official, this wouldn’t be so bad. No, actually, it might be worse. I’ve never made love before, but I have a feeling it’s even harder to pretend to do so when your body won’t respond.

  I have to help him if we’re going to make this seem as real as possible. A fire starts between my legs at the thought in my mind. As nervous as I am, there’s no doubt in me that I want him. I breathe in deeply.

  Exhaling, I plunge my hand beneath his kilt, taking his cock in my hand. He immediately begins to stiffen, and I take unexpected pride in that fact. Roan’s the first man I’ve ever touched in this way, and I have no knowledge of what I’m supposed to do next.

  My action encourages Roan, and he starts to shift his hips so that his cock slides up and down in my hand until he is harder than I thought possible. The ache between my legs is becoming unbearable. I want him to take me, but my mouth has gone dry at the thought. True, I’ve never touched or seen a completely naked man before, but I didn’t know they were so large below their belts. I can’t even begin to imagine how it would feel to have him take me…or how much it must hurt. The thought only lasts for a moment. Roan presses his lips to mine and we kiss passionately. Roan suddenly yanks my skirts up above my hips as he rolls on top of me. There’s a look of intense desire on his face as I look up at him. One of his hands brushes against my stomach on its way down between my legs, Roan spreads my legs wider to position himself more comfortably and I gasp as his fingertips glide along my inner thigh. He pauses, watching my face, and then his fingers find me.