The Royal Shifters Complete Series Boxed Set

by Alice Wilde

  “I’m telling you, it didn’t feel right.”

  “And now we’re just going to go by your feelings?”

  “Would you just shut up and let me finish?”

  “Please, Roan,” I say, laying a hand on his arm. Roan grumbles something I can’t quite make out, but he quiets and sits down next to me.

  “I went back to check.”

  “What?” This time it’s Li interrupting. “What were you thinking?”

  “That you can probably figure out your own way to the coast, and that I would be of better use discovering what happened after we fled the castle rather than continuing to guess and hope for the best.”

  Li frowns, but remains silent.

  “As I was trying to say, I went back to find out what I could about the events of that night,” Ero continues. “I even made sure to keep out of sight, but it wasn’t necessary. By the time I arrived, nothing was out of the ordinary. The men that we had seen attacking the castle were long gone, and the town outside the castle was as quiet as ever.”

  “What do you mean?” Roan asks.

  “I mean I don’t think there was a real attack on the castle.”

  “How is that even possible?” Li says. “We all witnessed the attack.”

  “I know it sounds absurd, and you can choose to believe me or not, but there’s something else…”

  Ero shifts uncomfortably, pausing long enough to make me anxious.

  “Ero, we need to know what you saw, whatever it was. Please,” I say, hoping my voice sounds gentle enough to coax the words from him.

  “I…I should have said something that night while we were running away. But in all honesty, I just wanted to get out of there as swiftly as possible, whether or not what I saw was true,” Ero says.

  “And?” Roan asks, his tone obviously displeased.

  “Did any of you notice the people’s eyes?”

  “What do you mean?” Roan asks.

  Li’s brow furrows as he tries to think back on the night.

  “Their eyes were the same black, soulless eyes I saw in the soldier’s back in France,” Ero says. “But this time, it wasn’t just their eyes that were black. It was almost as if there was a shadow surrounding them, like they were part of a mirage.”

  I watch Ero closely, his expression completely serious, but I don’t want to believe what I think he’s trying to tell us.

  “Speak frankly,” Li says. “What exactly do you think happened the other night?”

  Roan has wrapped his arm around me again. I wouldn’t have noticed except that even the softest touch from him sends tingles across my skin.

  “We all know that Damien’s magic is powerful, but I think it’s getting stronger. I don’t know how, and I sure as hell don’t know why, unless something transpired that I don’t know about,” Ero says, sending dagger eyes at Roan.

  “Hey, don’t look at me,” Roan says defensively. “As much as I wish something had happened, nothing did.”

  “I can confirm that,” I say, my eyes dropping to the ground as I feel my face flush hot.

  “Fine, but that doesn’t negate what I saw.”

  “You have yet to tell us,” Li says, the lilt in his voice betraying his growing aggravation.

  “When the attack began, I saw ships on the shore. At the time, I didn’t think much about them. They were the right build for Viking ships. But the longer I think about it, the more problems I recall.”

  “Maybe the ships aren’t built the same way they were decades ago,” Roan mutters.

  “Quiet, Roan,” Li says.

  I rest my head against Roan’s arm in a way that I hope he finds comforting, but also in an effort to keep him quiet.

  “I know a lot may have changed over the past few years, but not by that much. Vikings are proud of their designs, and these ships that I saw had oddly shaped masts and sails. They wouldn’t have worked properly when sailing. Besides, Vikings tend to appreciate putting a bit of flare to the bow of a ship. It’s a scare tactic, and from what I can remember, they were all missing that. I could understand if one or two were more plainly designed, but not all of them, and definitely not for an attack as large as that.”

  “So, you don’t think they were Viking ships?” Li asks.

  “I think they were meant to look like Viking ships, but whatever magic was used to conjure them either came from someone who doesn’t really understand Norse culture or they didn’t care about the details.”

  “Perhaps they were stolen ships?”

  “I doubt it. They weren’t the kind of ships you’d find in any shipyard I’ve ever visited. They weren’t of any design I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of ships.”

  Li nods his head, but Roan rolls his eyes.

  “Look, I know it sounds strange, but did we actually see any of Roan’s family on our way out of the castle? Did we recognize any of the people in all the chaos?”

  His words make me pause. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember much about that night other than the bedlam. Everything happened so fast, I could barely keep one foot in front of the other.

  “Now that you mention it, I didn’t recognize anyone. The halls were full of people, but other than that, there wasn’t anything memorable about that night…Well, besides the battle going on around us,” I say.

  “Exactly,” Ero says. “What we experienced was chaos and confusion. We heard and saw enough to make us run, but what we didn’t see was bloodshed or any familiar faces. That’s what makes me think it was all an illusion. In order for us to have seen someone we knew, the person casting the spell would have to know what they looked like. And I doubt Damien knows what Roan’s sister or anyone else we met there looks like.”

  “He could have used us to see,” Roan says.

  “Yes, he could have, but I don’t think he did,” Ero says. “Have any of you experienced anything strange since we arrived in Scotland that would make you think Damien was tapping into our souls?”

  “Hmm, no. Strange how quickly you can forget what that’s like,” Roan says quietly.

  “We’re probably too far away for him to directly use us,” Li says.

  “One can hope.”

  “Wait,” I say, “are you trying to tell me he can conjure up a fake army, make us hear and see things, but he’s unable to use us directly even though his strongest magical connection is through us?” I ask in disbelief.

  Ero grimaces.

  “She’s right, Ero,” Li says. “This doesn’t really make sense. Perhaps you just saw what you wanted to see.”

  “I wasn’t seeing things.”

  “Hear me out. Perhaps the idea that your people, the Vikings, would attack so brutally and without any seeming provocation did something to your mind as a defense mechanism.”

  “I have no love lost for Vikings,” Ero says with a sneer. “I may be one, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what we’re capable of. Dammit, I was the one who warned us that it was a Viking attack. Besides, I never said Damien couldn’t have used us, only that he didn’t use us.”

  “Relax, I’m not saying you’re wrong. We just need to process all of this.”

  “Ero,” I say, “is there anything else you saw?”

  Ero snorts and grinds his teeth together as he looks away from us, but then he turns back to look at me.

  “Vikings are brutal when it comes to conquering foreign lands, at least most of them are. Many Norsemen will take women and children as slaves or for trade and slaughter most of the men. But none of us actually saw any bloodshed.”

  “But we heard them, we heard the screams and terror being wrought on my people,” Roan says. “Did we have to actually see it for it to be real?”

  Li jumps to his feet, startling us all, his eyes shining.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “Don’t you see,” Li says. “We were the only people that we know of that saw or heard anything. What if…what if it was an illusion, but only an illusion in our own minds? Then it would
make sense why it was only the four of us who heard and saw the event unfold, and why when thinking back on what occurred, it doesn’t seem quite right.”

  “So, you think Damien may have forced us all to daydream an attack?” Roan asks skeptically.

  “It wouldn’t be the strangest thing that’s happened to us.”

  We all sit in silence for a long moment, and I try to contemplate what this means.

  “But, how would Damien even know where we were?” I ask.

  “That I don’t know,” Li says. “Perhaps he guessed it from the direction we were traveling, or he found something out when he attacked Louis’ camp.”

  “There are so many uncertainties,” I say, trying not to let myself think about Louis, his family, and the rest of the troupe.

  “Yes, but we have to consider all the possibilities and how this might affect our future plans,” Li says.

  “Thor’s hammer, you’ll never let me finish telling my story, will you?” Ero says.

  We all shut our mouths instantly, almost sheepishly waiting for Ero to continue telling us what he saw.

  “As I was saying, I went back to take a look around. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t what I saw,” Ero says. “There were absolutely no signs of damage. People were continuing about their lives as if nothing had happened. Well, almost as if nothing had happened.”

  Roan makes a sound as though he’s about to say something but stops when Li holds his hand up toward him.

  “Go on, Ero,” Li says. “What was different?”

  Ero glances toward Roan, and for a moment, I think I see a small smile play at the corner of Ero’s mouth.

  “There’s talk of a traitorous deserter,” Ero says slowly and deliberately, “the one and only son and heir to Clan Artair.”

  Roan jumps to his feet, the movement nearly sending me flying off the stone we’ve been sharing.

  “I’m no deserter!”

  “I didn’t say you were.”

  “You were practically gloating!”

  “I didn’t say it wasn’t entertaining to hear,” Ero says with an impish grin. “Besides, you are now…at least according to your own kinsmen.”

  Roan glares at Ero, but then turns and storms off in the direction we’d come from earlier that day.

  “Li—” I say.

  “On it,” Li says as he stands and quickly follows in Roan’s wake before I can finish my sentence.

  I watch them disappear as I wonder what we’re going to do now.

  Two

  Annalise

  Ero and I sit alone in silence, the sunlight slowly fading around us as he picks apart a blade of grass in his hands. Roan and Li have been gone for a while now, and all I can do is hope Li has managed to calm Roan down.

  There’s a slight chill in the air, and I can’t help but wish Roan hadn’t left my side…or at the very least that his body heat hadn’t. Ever since our wedding night, Roan hasn’t let Li or Ero get within arm’s reach of me, and this is the first time he’s left me alone for more than a few minutes. I’ll admit, part of me revels in how protective he is of me, but the rest of me wants to scream at how much it’s changed the dynamic of our group. Not that Ero or Li have ever been particularly chatty, but at least they all seemed to be working together before.

  A shiver runs down my spine as a cool breeze rustles through the leaves and across my skin. Ero doesn’t seem to be bothered by the evening’s temperature drop, but all three of them have remarkably warm bodies.

  I’d light a fire if I could, but I hadn’t paid much attention when any of them built them before. Ero is lounging lazily in the grass, his white-blond hair catching the dying rays of light in a halo around him and making him look like a Norse god. I can’t help but want to curl up next to him…and not just for warmth. My face burns at the thought. I’m not supposed to have these kinds of feelings, at least not now, and not for Ero.

  “What are you thinking?”

  I start at the sound of Ero’s voice, deep and velvety from his resting place.

  “What do you mean?” I ask as innocently as possible.

  “Your face is a red as a drunken sailor, princess,” Ero says without a hitch. “Don’t pretend you weren’t thinking something you oughtn’t.”

  I bite my lip. I hadn’t realized he was watching.

  “It’s nothing. I’m just a little cold,” I answer, a half-truth.

  “Uh-huh,” Ero says, propping himself up on his elbows so he can get a better look at me and cocking his head to the side. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

  I blink, my mind reeling, caught off-guard by the bluntness of the question.

  Ero grins roguishly at me before patting the ground next to him.

  “Plenty of space next to me,” he says. “Unless you think you’d get in trouble for getting too close without your husband’s permission.”

  “Ugh!” I stand up in a huff and stomp my foot at him before I catch myself. A childish tantrum isn’t exactly the kind of behavior I want to become a habit.

  “You know you want to,” Ero says.

  I do my best to glare at him and then spin on my heel, heading away from him and out into the surrounding forest.

  “Where are you going?” Ero asks lazily, still sprawled out in the grass.

  “To gather firewood,” I say. “At least one of us should try to be useful.”

  I gasp as I suddenly feel Ero’s hands on my shoulders. I don’t know how he managed to get up and over to me so quickly.

  “Without asking me to help?” Ero whispers in my ear.

  “I don’t need your help. I’m perfectly capable of doing this on my own, thank you very much.”

  “Oh, really? And when have you ever helped us build a fire before?”

  I ignore his question and shake myself from his hold as I start picking up random sticks and twigs from the ground.

  Ero doesn’t move to help me, instead choosing to watch as he leans casually up against a nearby tree. I don’t look at him to confirm this, but I can feel his eyes on me.

  “Are you just going to watch or were you planning to help?”

  “I didn’t realize I was allowed to help you. Thank you for granting me permission, princess.”

  “Stop that.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop calling me princess. It’s not cute,” I snap.

  “I think it is.”

  “No, you just like being annoying and pissing everyone off.”

  Ero doesn’t respond but begins picking up sticks, shoving them under his arm in a way that would have injured any normal man. I feel guilty for snapping at him. I haven’t actually figured out why his pet name bothers me so much. I am a princess, after all. Or was. I’m a queen now that my father is dead and I am legally married to Damien.

  “Do you really feel that way about me?”

  I pause, my hand outstretched toward a piece of wood. I turn to look at him. His arms are full of branches, far more than I’ve managed to collect in the same amount of time. The long, soft locks of his hair fall over his face as he watches me with his piercingly blue eyes. Even in the fading light, it’s impossible not to see how gorgeous he is. I swallow.

  “The words came out harsher than I meant them, but you really could try harder not to rub everyone the wrong way.”

  “I just say what’s on my mind. How people interpret my words is up to them.”

  “You could try to keep some things to yourself,” I say. “Sometimes it’s better to choose your battles than turn everything into one.”

  “It’s not my fault that Roan is so easy to rile,” Ero says with a wry smile.

  “It is your fault. Whether you like it or not, you are one of the few people in this world who really knows how to get under his skin.”

  “Fitting that you’d take your husband’s side.”

  “That’s not fair,” I say indignantly. “I didn’t take Damien’s side just because he married me. And I certainly w
ouldn’t take Roan’s side if he were in the wrong.”

  Ero rolls his eyes at me. “Oh, please. Then how come you have barely gotten within arm’s length of me or Li since you two married? This might be the longest conversation you and I have ever had alone.”

  I’m about to respond when it dawns on me what Ero might be trying to say but can’t. It almost seems as though he’s jealous of Roan’s relationship with me…if Ero is capable of being jealous.

  “Ero,” I start slowly, “are you jealous of Roan?”

  “Jealous?” Ero scoffs, quickly turning toward our makeshift camp, but not before I can see a slight tinge of pink flush his cheeks.

  I hurry to follow him back to our little camp. Ero dumps the wood he’s carrying on the ground and starts prepping a place for the fire.

  “Ero—”

  “I don’t want to talk about Roan.”

  “I was just going to ask if you could show me how to make a fire,” I say.

  “Oh,” Ero says. “Yes, of course. Come here.”

  He looks at me and pats the ground beside him.

  “So, the first thing you’ll need to do is find a good place to start a fire, an empty area kind of like this,” Ero says, gesturing around us. “A single flyaway ember can have devastating consequences.”

  I nod. This isn’t exactly new knowledge, but I don’t want to say anything that might keep him from trying to teach me more.

  “It would have been better if we could have found a pre-existing firepit, but I think this is a rarely traveled area.”

  Ero grabs a large handful of grass and tears it out of the ground, tossing it to the side. I watch as he continues to tear up grass until there’s a circle of exposed dirt.

  “And now, we need rocks.”

  I remain kneeling on the ground for a moment longer until I realize Ero is looking at me intently and actually means for me to collect them.

  “Aren’t you going to help?”

  “No, this is all you.”

  I don’t know why, but being told to do a task on my own sends a thrill down my spine. Rising to my feet, I scour the area for all the stones I can find, eventually building a decent pile by Ero’s side. He doesn’t say anything as I work, watching me as before, but his face is expressionless. Finally, I drop down next to him, satisfied with my work.