Court of the Shifter 3 Chapter 1 (Sex scene)

I should be able to get this out next week. I'm a bit behind. I'll post chapters up when they are ready!
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My first thought upon waking up was about the prophecy that had brought me from Earth to this medieval fantasy world I now found myself in. I was once a park ranger minding my own business in Idaho when I went to inspect a possible den of wolves on the campgrounds, but when I’d climbed into the hole, it kept going like a cave. Then I’d fallen into a pool of water, but instead of floundering in the liquid, a disembodied white hand had dragged me under and I’d fallen all the way through until I landed in the middle of a vampire city.

After fighting some rogue vampires and having some other vamps jump in to help me, I met with the king and queen of Marbrooke, the vampire capital city. They told me about the prophecy, about how I was a shifter, and about how I was the fabled Ulvant, and according to the prophecy, that meant I was supposed to save this world.

And mate with a bunch of princesses…

I yawned and stretched as my eyes slowly opened, but the first thing I saw was Calantha’s pale skinned bare back as she lay beside me. The vampire princess was still asleep, and I grinned as memory flashes from the night before coursed through my brain, but then I snuggled up to her until my morning wood was pressed against her backside.

The soft morning sunlight poured over her pale skin and illuminated it in my vision, so I soaked in the sight of her before I let my hands explore the soft texture of her flesh.

I couldn’t believe she was here in my bed.

I had to be the luckiest man… er, shifter in the world.

The vampiress had knocked on my door late the night before, and she’d sat down on my bed as soon as I allowed her entry to my bedchamber. I would never have been able to predict what had happened next, but the haughty princess had actually apologized to me. Her state of utter vulnerability triggered a strong reaction in me, and my loins ached at the mere memory of her tear-filled crimson eyes.

Those beautiful red eyes were softly closed still, and while I didn’t want to disturb her slumber, I couldn’t help but explore her body with my hands while she slept.

Calantha exhaled softly as my hand slid from her shoulders to her hips, but then I caressed her tenderly back up in the same direction. The beautiful vampire princess stirred against me, and her ass wiggled against my hard on.

She was perfect.

I planted a trail of soft kisses across the back of her neck and shoulders, and she wiggled backward toward the sensation.

“Eli…” Cal murmured sleepily.

“Is this okay?” I asked in a husky voice dripping with desire.

“Oh, yes,” she moaned, and she pressed her ass even more firmly against my crotch. “Please continue.”

“As you wish, princess,” I chuckled, but then I lowered my lips back down to her bare neck and shoulders.

I watched gleefully as goosebumps erupted down her spine while my fingers slowly caressed her side up and down, and her breath began to hitch in her throat. The flash of heat that always washed over me in her presence was like a comforting fireplace fire, and I accepted it fully. After the literal flames erupted from us when we first made love, I wasn’t afraid of the heat anymore.

Whatever magic connected us, I was okay with it.

My fingers began to circle her hip bones with each southward circuit, and I inched closer and closer to her abdomen with each successive trail. Calantha gasped when I got near her downy mound, but then I backed off again to trail my fingertips up to her shoulder once more.

“You’re such a tease,” Calantha hissed, and she rolled over and spread her legs. “Touch me. I dare you.”

“Let me enjoy myself at least.” I flashed her a mischievous grin. “Try patience for once in your life.”

“Fine,” Cal sighed, but she took my hand and guided it to her center of pleasure nonetheless. “I’ll be patient after I come once.”

“Deal,” I said, and I slid my finger against her node of pleasure with a steady pressure.

I went up and down, around in circles, and pulled back to tease her ever so slightly. My motions caused her to twitch toward the sensations, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

“Yes!” Calantha gasped and arched her back.

I fingered her teasingly soft at first, but then Calantha began to lift her hips to get more pressure. Once she showed me she was getting slightly frustrated, I slid my digit all the way inside her dripping wet tunnel.

Her pussy muscles clenched my finger as she spasmed, but then I leaned down and flicked my tongue across her clit while my digit was still deep inside her.

“Fuck!” Calantha twitched and shivered as her climax washed over her, but I didn’t wait for her to come back to reality before I began to lick and suck on her lower lips with gusto.

Her small orgasm continued to build and build until I thought she would have a seizure from the amount of pleasure coursing through her, but then her sharp fingernails dug into my scalp, and she pressed my face even harder against her wet opening until her juices dripped down my chin.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Calantha’s eyes rolled back into her head as she arched her back, and the image was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.

I pulled back reluctantly, but I could feel my cock throbbing with desire for her. I wanted her bad, and I could tell she wanted me, too.

“That… That was… Incredible, Eli,” Cal panted between breaths. “You are incredible.”

“It’s not much, but it’s honest work,” I said with a one shoulder shrug.

“I don’t understand.” Cal shook her head. “But I’m just going to chalk it up to Ulvant weirdness for now.”

“That might be for the best,” I snickered. “I’d have to explain what a meme is, and that’s a whole can of worms I’m not ready to open yet. Besides, we’re not finished here yet.”

“What do you mean?” Calantha bit her bottom lip, and her crimson eyes filled with lust.

“Oh, ho, ho,” I snorted. “You know exactly what I mean.”

Then I pounced on her, and I ground my throbbing hard on against her dripping wet entrance until she moaned in my ear. Only then did I grab my cock in one fist, rub it against her clit until her hips jerked, and finally slide my length inside her welcoming tunnel in one slow movement.

“Peeeeerfect,” Calantha sighed as she wrapped her legs around my hips, and she gripped each of my shoulders as I slid in and out of her. Her crimson eyes met mine, and I stared into the glowing embers as we became one in that moment. The vulnerability and intimacy shared between us was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before in my life. It was magical, and I half expected the flames to erupt around us once more, but no weird things happened this time.

Maybe when we came together?

It was worth a shot.

I rolled Calantha partially on her side, and I bent one of her knees against her belly while her other leg remained straight. Then I gripped her ass cheek in one hand, and I slid into her from behind. The angle was incredible, and I could feel her squeezing against me with the perfect amount of pressure.

Then I situated my finger against her node of pleasure as I continued to fuck her in that position for several moments, but it wasn’t long before she began to whimper and press herself against me. Her climax built slowly, but it hit her hard, and her entire body trembled as the waves washed over her.

“Do you like that?” I asked as I ground myself deep inside her.

“Mmhmm,” Cal moaned.

I let her come back to reality before I changed positions again, but this time, I rolled her completely onto her stomach and straddled her ass. Her pale perky ass was squeezed between my legs, and I gripped her butt cheeks in each hand to reveal the moist pink entrance of her pussy hidden beneath.

Then I slid my slippery cock back into her waiting tunnel, and we moaned in unison as we became one once more.

“Fuck!” Calantha arched her back, and her spine dipped to create a concave that was very appealing on the eyes.

“Shit, you’re so much tighter like this,” I growled and fucked her in that position until my balls began to tingle again, but then I switched her around once more.

This time, however, I rolled onto my back, and Calantha straddled my hips with her creamy white thighs. Her perky breasts heaved as she arched her back, but then she slid down my waiting shaft at a tantalizingly slow speed. We both hissed with pleasure as we became one again, and then she rode me like a cowgirl as I gripped her hips in each hand.

I could soon feel her pussy beginning to tighten as yet another orgasm rocked through her, and I wondered briefly about what would happen if we came simultaneously again.

Would the flames erupt into reality?

I had to find out.

I released my control over myself as I reached down to rub the pad of my thumb against her clit, and my lover’s breath caught in her throat as she leaned toward the sensation.

“Oh, fuck, oh, Eli!” Cal whimpered, and her hips started to twitch sporadically.

“Fuck me hard, princess,” I commanded as I ground her hips against mine.

I could feel the head of my cock rubbing against the entrance to her cervix, and her entire pussy spasmed around my girth as she exploded with pleasure. My load sprayed her insides at the same time, and flames erupted from both our bodies to dance around us like a lit candle flickering in the breeze.

I was right.

It wasn’t as strong as the first time it had happened, but my hypothesis had been correct, so I was pleased with the results.

We stayed frozen in that position for a long time, but once we were both spent, Calantha leaned forward and rested her face against my chest. Her crimson eyes were half closed, and her gaze was full of contentment. I rubbed her spine with tender fingertips as her breathing slowly returned to normal, and I blinked away the stars I still had in my vision.

“Damn,” Calantha murmured against my chest.

“What?” I asked as my hand stilled on her spine.

“I can’t believe I waited so long to do that with you.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe you didn’t want to fuck me the first moment we met,” I teased and resumed stroking her soft skin. Memories of the first time I saw her naked flashed through my mind. I had accidentally walked in on her in the bathtub, but even then, the water had grown hotter and hotter the longer I was next to her. “That’s how I felt, anyway.”

“I could tell.” Calantha laughed.

“For real, though, Cal,” I said in a serious tone. “I’m grateful for your presence here. Sex aside, I just enjoy being around you.”

“Thank you,” she breathed in my ear, but then she rotated her hips in such a way that my body instantly responded. “Do we have to put sex to the side, though?”

“Not at all.” I smirked. “I am your plaything, my dear. Do as you will to me.”

“Then I’m going to fuck you,” the vampiress declared in a sultry voice.

My still-wet cock hardened again at her words, but the seductive quality to her voice didn’t hurt either. I could feel her moving up and down my slick shaft with tender slowness, but then she began to pick up the pace, and it was my turn for my breath to catch in my throat. Her face was still buried in my clavicle, and her brunette hair was cast over my eyes, but I had more than enough stimuli with my other senses.

The smell of her invaded my nostrils, and I inhaled it greedily. There was something different about Calantha that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Her fragrance was a mixture of exotic spices I had no chance of pronouncing and some sort of flower that would probably kill you in some way. A strong, hot energy radiated between us, and I wondered if it had something to do with the prophecy.

We fucked a few more times, but then we lay side by side and talked for a while. It was nice to slow down and appreciate the moment, and having a beautiful bed mate didn’t hurt either.

“What do you think is going to happen next?” Calantha asked as she propped her elbow against the bed and cupped her chin in her palm. “Will we stay in the shifter realm?”

“That all depends on the king, doesn’t it?” I said. “Once the big cat talisman has done its work, and he heals, then we will see what else he wants from us.”

“I will do my part, no matter what,” Calantha promised with fervor in her voice while her fingers traced idle designs on my chest. “I won’t let you down, Eli.”

“And the same goes for me,” I said as I reached down and enveloped her slender fingers with my broader ones. “I will do everything in my power to make sure your country and your people are made a priority. There will be peace between the shifters and the vamps, I just have a good feeling about everything.”

“Me, too,” Cal agreed, and a rare soft smile twitched across her lips.

I couldn’t help myself, and I leaned forward to claim her lips with my own. The kiss deepened and became passionate, and I slid my hand between her milky white thighs to her still-wet entrance.

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door.

Well, there went the rest of my fun, and I flashed Calantha an apologetic smile as we pulled apart.

“Come in,” I said, but I pulled the covers over our nude forms before the portal began to swing open.

A servant entered wearing the royal household’s colors, and I smelled the distinctly bear smell on him that showed him to be a shifter. He bowed stiffly at the waist, and I gestured for him to speak.

“Your presence is requested in the throne room.” The servant’s eyes flicked back and forth between the two of us laying naked in bed together. “Both of you are to report to the king and queen at once. They are awaiting your arrival now.”

“Oh, that’s awesome,” I said. “Thanks so much for letting us know.”

“That is not all,” the servant continued. “The seamstress is to see each of you first to take some measurements, and you will be provided with new attire before you present yourselves to the royal couple. If I may?”

“Um… Sure?” I shrugged one shoulder.

The servant returned to the threshold to the hallway, and he snapped his fingers once. Then a procession of people entered the room, and they were carrying tons of fur and other fabrics in their arms.

This must be the seamstress and her entourage, then.

I exchanged a glance with Calantha, but the vampire princess merely shrugged and tossed the sheets off her naked body before standing up. I followed the vampiress out of the bed, and I tried not to be modest about my nude form in front of so many strangers.

Perhaps the servants were used to naked nobles?

The thought helped me a little, so I held onto it as I stood in the middle of the room being measured with small measuring lengths of knotted rope. Calantha was in a similar position, and I winked at her through the press of bodies that filled my bedchambers.

“Is this normal?” I asked over the heads of the servants.

“At times,” Cal laughed. “It’s all part of being royal. There isn’t much the staff don’t see.”

We were each outfitted with shifter style clothes, and we both stood side by side in front of the full length mirror to appreciate the new digs. Calantha cocked her hip to one side and planted a fist on it while I crossed my arms in the cliche hero pose.

The vampire princess wore a skirt split up either side of the legs, and the straps came together around her waist in a big belt buckle that highlighted her narrow hourglass shape. The dark shirt was a V neck sloped against the shape of her cleavage, and a white mink fur cape hung from leather straps around her shoulders.

I wore a similar strappy leather and fur getup, but mine accentuated the broadness of my shoulders and the length of my legs. I could also tell the outfit was designed for shifters since there was room to expand and for the fabric to split apart along the seam lines.

“We look pretty damn good, if you ask me,” I said with a cocky grin.

“I suppose.” Cal smirked. “The shifters do have a certain flair to their fashion, don’t they?”

“It’s efficient for shifting, too,” I pointed out.

“Really?” Calantha’s eyebrows rose in newfound appreciation. “Show me.”

“Alright,” I chuckled, but then I focused on the primal energy flowing all around me as I began to shift into my half wolf form.

My legs thickened, and the leather pants bulged to adapt to the change in my stature. Then my chest rippled with newly grown fur and muscle, and my shirt sleeves split open like a ship’s sail being released. My wrists stretched at the limits of the shirt’s wristbands, but other than that, I still felt comfortable and fully dressed.

No more ruined clothes for me.

“Well, that will certainly come in handy,” Cal said in an approving tone as I shifted back into my Nulmancer form. “I suppose they’ve got a few things figured out, after all, at least when it comes to shifters.”

“At least the king has finally agreed to meet with us,” I said. “See? I knew it would happen eventually.”

“Yes, well… thank you for keeping my mind off it in the meantime,” Cal said, and a blush tinged her neck and throat.

Flashes of our lovemaking sessions went through my mind’s eye, and I felt my body respond to the images as if they were happening in real life.

Calantha certainly had a powerful effect on me.

The vampiress noticed my hard on through my pants, and she lifted one delicate eyebrow, but I merely shrugged and smirked.

“I’ll keep you occupied any time you want,” I promised and flashed her a wink. “I had a lot of fun with you, Cal. I hope this isn’t a one and done sort of thing…”

“Of course not,” Calantha said as she waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll want you in my bed regularly. When you’re not with Willow that is…”

“Deal,” I chuckled.

“How do you think she will feel about… us?” Cal’s crimson eyes stared into mine, and for a moment, the usually stalwart princess looked unsure.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine with it,”  I assured the vampiress. “You’re part of the prophecy, after all.”

“Plus, we literally brought you here to be my mate,” Cal pointed out before she cleared her throat and averted her gaze. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come around to the idea.”

“Good things always take time,” I said, and I wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders before I squeezed her against me. “I wouldn’t change a thing about last night and this morning. I hope it happens many many more times, but even if you decided you never wanted me to touch you again, I’d still be grateful for the time I’ve had with you.”

“You’re sweet, Eli,” Cal said, but she flashed me a devilish smile. “But you’re not off the hook yet.”

“Fine by me.” I grinned. “Now, shall we go meet with this king and queen, or what?”

“What?” Cal laughed. “Only joking. Lead the way, shifter.”

“Then follow me right this way, princess,” I said, and I gestured in an over dramatic fashion to the bedroom door. “The king and queen awaits you.”

“As they should,” Calantha said with a teasing glint in her eyes, and then she marched out into the hallway with determined steps.

I had never been to the throne room before, though, so I wasn’t entirely sure which way to go, but it was at least outside of the west wing where we were staying, so I led the way to the main hallways.

Willow suddenly turned a corner down the way and trotted to catch up to us, and I paused in the corridor to greet the shifter princess. Her raven black hair hung crisply to her shoulders, and her emerald green eyes twinkled with merriment as they met my gaze. The shifter princess was wearing a similar outfit as Calantha, but she looked a lot more comfortable and familiar with the attire than the vampiress seemed to be. Willow’s outfit was emblazoned with the royal crest of the shifters on her chest, and I wondered if I’d get a similar logo on my cloak after meeting with the king.

The vampire royal family had given me royal access to every part of the palace, and the seal stitched on my clothes ensured I was treated with respect whenever I ventured into Marbrooke. It would be handy to have something of the same kind for the shifter realm, but I’d left my vampire cloak in my room out of respect for the shifter rulers.

I leaned down and kissed Willow on the cheek, but her nose curled as she sniffed me over like a dog searching for a hidden treat. Then Willow continued the motion over Calantha, and her eyes widened with sudden understanding.

“You two had sex.” Willow grinned, and she flashed me a devilish wink. “Finally.”

Calantha and I exchanged a look, but then the vampiress turned to the shifter princess with a shocked expression on her face.

“You’re… You’re not mad?” Calantha arched an eyebrow in a questioning manner, but a blush darkened her cheeks and neck, and she refused to meet my eyes. “I know we spoke after the feast, but I didn’t anticipate seeking Eli out so… quickly.”

“Why would I be mad?” Willow asked. “You two have been beating around that bush for far too long. It’s about time you two hooked up and released some of the sexual tension in the air. Now, we can focus on the task at hand.”

“Which is?” I chuckled.

“Saving our kingdoms and fulfilling the prophecy, of course,” Willow said, and she marched forward without another word.

I followed behind the shifter princess, but I held out my hand for Calantha, and the vampiress took it with only minimal hesitation. I squeezed her hand in a reassuring manner, and the vampiress returned the pressure in kind.

Whatever happened next, we were facing it together, and that was the most important part.

I’d learned through my recent experiences that I could conquer any challenge with the two princesses by my side, and our little trio had already accomplished a lot. With the help of Zolas, the vampire mystic we’d left back in Marbrooke to continue research, we’d defeated Malonet, the evil wizard bent on world destruction as well as the crazed wizard terrorizing the shifter kingdom recently.

Except, there was some new found evidence suggesting the wizard Malonet might be alive, or even immortal.

At least, that was what the crazed wizard we had just killed in order to break the curse on the king seemed to think.

I had to get to the bottom of it, but maybe the shifter king and queen had some leads we could work on. Then again, until very recently, they also had their own problems to deal with.

Namely, the curse that had affected the king’s health.

Our little trio had retrieved the big cat talisman needed to break the spell on the king, and he’d shown signs of improvement immediately, but he was still on a long road to recovery. I was glad he felt well enough to see us, though, so I continued down the hallway at a more rapid pace.

Calantha matched my pace and kept her hand in mine, but she didn’t seem very talkative at the moment, so I let her be.

Willow continued to march in front of us, but she often flicked her gaze over her shoulder to check if we were still following her. Then her emerald green eyes landed on Calantha’s hand clasped in my own, and she smiled broadly.

“You two are so cute,” Willow teased. “Like an old married couple already.”

“Shut it, shifter,” Cal shot back, but there was no animosity in her voice, and she didn’t let go of my hand.

It was nice to know Calantha hadn’t completely changed overnight, and I foresaw lots of playful banter between the three of us.

“How much further?” I asked as I glanced around at the opulent, Viking-esque designs of the palace.

Everything was made out of natural materials, and there were furs or taxidermied animals everywhere I looked. The scones were carved from massive horns, and the chandeliers above my head looked like they were made from antlers.

“Not far,” Willow promised. “But if you two want to stop to make out somewhere along the way, I’d be happy to accommodate you.”

“We can control ourselves,” I snickered. “For now.”

“We’ll have to work out a system,” Willow said without looking back. “To take turns with you, Eli.”

“What do you mean?” Both of my eyebrows rose skyward.

“Well, unless you want us both at once, that is,” the shifter princess teased, and this time she flashed me a mischievous smile over her shoulder. “Then we’ll have to take turns in your bed.”

“Whatever works best for you both,” I said in the most casual voice I could muster considering we were discussing taking turns fucking me.

“I can share,” Cal murmured, but her lips twitched into the faint hint of a smile. “But I’ll just make my turns count.”

“It’s not a competition,” I said.

“We know,” both girls said in unison.

I couldn’t help but laugh at their synchronized response, and I also couldn’t help imagining them both in my bed at the same time. The thought sent shivers up my spine, and my cock hardened in my pants, but the baggy style leggings hid my hard on from view.

The three of us bantered back and forth the rest of the journey through the shifter palace, but we arrived at the throne room a short while later, and two guards opened the humongous double doors for us as we approached them. The leopard men nodded respectfully in my direction, but they both turned their noses up at Calantha. There was still a lot of work to be done on the relationship between the two realms, but the princesses getting along seemed like a good place to start.

The people just had to see the two women becoming friends and soon, they’d rethink their feelings towards the other race. It was a lot of pressure to put on two young women, but if anyone could live up to it, it was Willow and Calantha. I’d never met more passionate, determined, and powerful women before in my life.

Inside the doors waited a crowd of people, and I was surprised to see so many nobles present at our first meeting with the king. If he hadn’t been feeling well, he probably wouldn’t be holding court as normal, but Willow had said they needed to keep up appearances.

We paused just inside the threshold, and a servant standing just inside the doorway in royal livery stepped forward and cleared his throat.

“Announcing the arrival of her royal majesty, Willow Lunaverre, Master Elijah, the Ulvant, and Princess Calantha Mithari of Marbrooke, daughter of King Aleister and Queen Seraphine.”

The herald spoke in a loud clear voice, and silence fell throughout the throne room.

I peered around in curiosity, but I never dropped Calantha’s hand from my own. Whatever happened next, we would face it together, just like I’d promised. The three of us walked down the aisle between the hordes of nobles and representatives, and we all held our chins high and our shoulders squared.

Then I laid eyes on the king and queen of the shifter realm for the first time.

King Frejit Lunaverre was shifted into a half lion form, and his massive auburn mane waved behind the golden crown resting upon his head. Silk robes made of the finest fabrics coursed down his muscular body, and I could even see the fur on his chest between the folds. A massive two handed sword leaned against the stone throne, and the jewel encrusted hilt signified it was used for more ceremonial purposes than for battle.

Queen Liliana Lunaverre was a vision in her silver chair beside the king, and the delicate silver circlet above her jaguar eyes glinted in the light of the chandeliers. Cat-like ears protruded from her golden hair, but that was the only animal trait visible. Her gown was made entirely of lace, and it flowed down her legs like a foamy waterfall onto rocks. She had the tip of a silvery shoe tucked out from beneath the gossamer layers, and it was pointed in the direction of her husband.

A subtle redirection of attention back to the king.

Willow reached the dais first, and she climbed the steps to press a quick kiss against her mother and father’s cheeks. Then the princess took a stance at the base of the stairs leading up to the thrones, and she gestured subtly for us to hurry up.

The space between me and the throne suddenly seemed very long, and I could feel the countless eyes following my every step, but still I carried onward with the same proud demeanor.

“Your Majesties,” I said as I knelt before the thrones. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

“Master Elijah,” the king greeted in a voice that was surprisingly soft for his countenance, but I wondered if his illness had anything to do with that. “You are the hero of the day. Many have turned out to see the warrior with enough power to topple Greystone Manor.”

“Topple, sir?” I chuckled with a hint of nervousness. “I only caved in a few floors.”

“Even so, the building is unfit to enter,” the king said, but the twinkling in his eyes told me he wasn’t truly upset at the state of the dilapidated manor.

I opened my mouth to respond but didn’t get the chance.

“Alright, you’ve had your look at him!” the king suddenly shouted at the crowd of nobles gathering around the base of the dais. “Off with the lot of you now.”

Everyone began to file out of the throne room, and I exchanged a loaded glance with Calantha. None of them had reacted strongly to the presence of a vampire, but I supposed helping retrieve the big cat talisman went a long way to buffing up her reputation among the nobles.

Once the throne room was empty except for Calantha, Willow, the shifter king and queen, and myself, I arched a questioning eyebrow at King Frejit.

“Why send them away?” I asked. “Surely they would want to learn more about our recent success?”

“No, they can’t know about the talisman,” the king said in a no nonsense voice, and he gripped the arms of his chair firmly until his knuckles whitened. “The Court of Representatives must not know of the curse.”

“You don’t trust your own people?” I didn’t want to overstep my bounds, but I couldn’t help asking the question I knew was on everyone’s mind.

“Trusting people is how I ended up cursed,” King Frejit said as his expression darkened.

“Your Majesty, if I may--” Calantha started to say.

“You may not, Princess Mithari,” Queen Liliana cut in. “Please wait your turn.”

I swallowed hard as I checked Cal’s expression in my peripheral vision, but I was surprised by how well she held herself together after that comment. Her eyes widened ever so slightly, but she showed no other outward signs of her displeasure.

I didn’t know if I should say something or not, but I didn’t want to further mess up the relationship between the two realms, so I opted for waiting to see what happened next.

“Master Elijah,” the king began again. “You have traveled a great distance to reach my lands, both before and after arriving in the vampire realm. Where is it you come from exactly?”

“I was originally from a place called Earth,” I said. “Well, I was in Idaho, but that’s a state inside a country. Anyways, I was a park ranger there. Dealt with animals and the like.”

“Interesting.” The king scratched his round, auburn beard. “Have you always had an affinity for animals?”

“Yes, sir,” I said. “They called me Whisper because of how it seemed like I could almost talk to the animals. Really, I just knew how to read the signs the creatures gave off, and I always had a deep respect for mother earth.”

“Your homeland is also your mother?” The king tilted his head to the side in confusion.

“No, that’s just a saying from my world,” I explained in a patient tone. “Even though we all seem to be speaking English, there’s still a lot of cultural differences between our worlds.”

“Do you wish to return to this Earth place?” the king asked, and he leaned forward with a furrowed brow as he spoke.

“Nah.” I shrugged. “What’s the point? I have everything I could ever want in this world, I just have to work for it, and I like a good challenge.”

“But you know of the prophecy,” Queen Liliana said, but I wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement.

“Yes?” I frowned. “There seems to be more than one version, but I’ve heard both the vampire and shifter ones.”

“Do you think the other races also have versions of the prophecy that involve you?” The queen tilted her head to the side, and she peered at me with her yellow eyes.

I wasn’t sure what she was getting at, so I just shrugged and turned back to the king.

“I have a few questions of my own,” I said. “Like how are you feeling? Did the talisman work? When will it be returned to me?”

“I suppose with you being the fabled Ulvant that the talisman belongs with you,” the king mused, but he ignored my questions. “I will return it when I’m done with it.”

“When will that be?” I pressed.

“Eli!” Willow hissed in a warning tone, and she sliced her hand through the air in the universal “cut it off” sign.

“No, no, it’s fine, my dear,” King Frejit said, and he batted a calming half-hand, half-paw in his daughter’s direction. “Let the man ask his questions. I think it’s a good sign that he’s taking control of the situation.”

While I didn’t enjoy being talked about while I was standing right there, it seemed like I’d managed to stay on the king’s good side.

“Now, Master Elijah,” the king said.

“Please, call me Eli,” I insisted.

“Yes, Eli, well, there’s a lot to consider before we move forward.” The king steepled his fingers together and gave me a hard look over. “Can I trust you?”

“Yes, sir,” I answered without hesitation. “I only want what’s best for your realm.”

“As do I.” The king nodded solemnly. “But there are some who only wish to further their own names and power. Some of those people are within arm’s reach of the throne, so we must tread very carefully from here on out.”

“I’m listening,” I said, and I took another step closer to the throne. “How can I help?”

“What do you know about the city of Ordrya and the shifter realm?” the king asked.

“Just what Willow and the vampires have told me.”

“Well, then, you must realize how precarious of a situation the curse has put me in,” the king said. “With the Court of Representatives all controlling a section of the city, any one of them could surpass me in power very easily. I must keep a tight leash on my city, or all will fall into chaos.”

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

The king pushed himself up from his throne, and he gestured for us to follow him. Queen Liliana immediately leapt up and leant an arm to support the frail lion king, but then the two led me over to a table strewn with maps.

At the very center was a large detailed depiction of the shifter capital city, Ordrya.

I leaned over the table and inspected the diagram closely, but it only confirmed what I’d already seen with my own two eyes. The city was divided into six sections, with the entire city consisting of three concentric circles. The outer layer was the bazaar and nightly training grounds, the second ring held the six sections of various shifters, and the innermost ring held the castle and square.

“Did Willow tell you about the habitats?” King Frejit asked.

“A little bit, father,” Willow said. “I explained how we use primal magic to change the climate of each area.”

“Well, that magic is failing, and we don’t know why,” the king sighed. “The Court of Representatives seems to think it has something to do with me, but I’m not so certain.”

“What do you think?” I asked.

“I think there is someone within my city who is plotting against me,” the king confessed and narrowed his large amber eyes. “I’d like you to weasel them out and bring them before me.”

“What about the big cat talisman?” Calantha asked in a timid voice. “Couldn’t it help you?”

“Unfortunately, not much is known about the talisman’s powers,” Queen Liliana offered. “Much like the prophecy, it is still a mystery despite evidence of its validity.”

“Speaking of the prophecy,” Calantha interjected. “Can we discuss how there’s a difference between the two versions our people are familiar with?”

“We can discuss whatever you like at a later date,” Queen Liliana assured the vampiress, but her tone was dismissive. “Just not at this time.”

I couldn’t stand it any longer.

“What’s your deal with Calantha?” I asked.

King Frejit and Queen Liliana exchanged a glance, and behind them, Willow rolled her eyes.

“We have nothing against Princess Calantha,” King Frejit said. “As long as she doesn’t interfere with anything.”

“Interfere?” I snorted. “As in help me retrieve the talisman and defeat all those monsters your men couldn’t get past? Or interfere in some other way, like by bringing peace between your two realms after generations of tensions?”

“I understand your affections for the vampire princess,” the king said in a fatherly tone. “I just don’t want them to cloud your vision of my daughter.”

“Willow?” I lifted my eyebrows into my hairline. “What does she have to do with anything?”

“Well, are you or are you not having sexual relations with my daughter?” the king asked.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

I couldn’t lie to the man, but what father wanted to hear about his daughter having “sexual relations” as he called them.

What was I supposed to say to that?