Royal Affair

by Preston Walker

  “Ha,” his father snorted. “If you say so. Those scrawny little omega legs of yours need to get some more exercise.” Keiran tried to speak, to say that he would, but his father spoke over him. “You’d get stronger if you actually did your job.”

  Looking at his father, Keiran had to admit it was true. Metal was heavy stuff, and working with metal all day since he was young had turned his father into even more of a beast than he already was just by being an alpha. He had muscles on his muscles and a chest sculpted enough to wash clothes on. He was also incredibly hairy, which Keiran figured was more a thing of personal preference than anything about job safety. Having that much hair when working with heat and fire would have to be like playing with matches while sitting in a pile of hay.

  There was nothing Keiran could say in his defense, so he didn’t even try. His father continued on. “I guess it’s no use arguing with you about that. There’s nothing I can do for you.”

  That hurt, but not as much as it used to.

  “Have you heard?”

  Keiran blinked. Great, now there was something he should have known? “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

  His father shook his head. “Where the hell were you if you don’t even know what’s going on?”

  He wasn’t about to answer that.

  “See anything weird out there on the horizon, boy?”

  “Not really,” Keiran muttered. “A bit of dust up the road. It’s windy.”

  “Well, this isn’t just some dust on the wind. We had a runner come for a visit while you were doing whatever the hell you were doing. There’s a caravan of important visitors coming up this way.”

  Keiran blinked, startled. “Important visitors? What kind of important visitors would come this way?”

  His father shrugged. “What the hell do I know about politics? All I know is they like to poke their noses where they don’t belong and make observations about the way we live. That’s why you’re going to spend the rest of the day cleaning up the house with your sisters and then make sure you look your best for tomorrow. These guys might never look in our direction, or we might end up having to play host to them because we have a spare room.”

  A spare room. Ma’s room.

  “Right. Okay.”

  “Good pup.” His father patted him on his shoulder. The force of it almost knocked him off his feet. “Make sure everything is spotless. Keep your sisters in line.”

  “I will.”

  And then his father was gone, swaggering off in the direction of his workshop to no doubt arrange his tools and whip up a few half-finished weapons to make it look as if he was busier than he really was. After all, the funding for business in the village was decided upon by the government, the decisions of which were influenced by inspectors. If these people coming were inspectors, or could possibly inform any other person of importance that the blacksmith shop in the village of Marvels wasn’t doing so well, their funding could be cut.

  It seemed unfair to Keiran that those who weren’t doing so well should be punished for it instead of receiving more help, but that was just life. It was unlikely to change.

  “Kiki! You’re home!”

  Keiran grabbed onto his sister just in time to keep her from knocking him over, giving her a tight hug. “Yeah,” he said. “I’m home. Dad said I’m supposed to keep you in line.”

  His sister Sarah scowled up into his eyes. “More like we’ll keep you in line, Kiki.”

  He tipped his head to one side. “Yeah, you’re right.”

  There were four children in the Smith family: Keiran and his three sisters, Sarah, Camara, and Ann. Sarah, the youngest at 14, was named for their mother who had died giving birth to her. Ann was the second youngest, at 15, and Camara was 18. Though Keiran was the eldest at 22, he often felt like his sisters were all much older than he due to their maturity. Two of them were training to be merchants, while Sarah was destined to be a daycare assistant.

  Sarah grabbed at his hand and tugged him off around the side of the house, blonde ponytail bouncing along behind her like a perky wolf’s tail. “Cam told me to clean up around the house. Sweep and stuff and trim the plants. I figured you’d want to help me.”

  Her voice was strangely suggestive when she said the word “plants”. Keiran didn’t like that, although he also wouldn’t say out loud that she was right. He would much prefer to work with the landscaping and garden than to do anything inside. It was too nice of a day to waste being cooped up indoors.

  “I sure would. What are Cam and Ann doing?”

  Sarah made a face as she took him over to their little supply shed. Really, it was the size of a dog house – and not a good one. “I think Ann is cleaning the bathroom, and Cam is doing dishes.”

  Oh, yeah. I definitely want to be outside.

  ***

  Chapter 2

  A sound in the darkness awoke him, although he couldn’t identify the source.

  Keiran opened his eyes, squinting into the darkness. Although shapeshifters kept some trace amount of their animal form’s abilities when they were humans, his vision still wasn’t strong enough to penetrate the thick shadows. Yawning, he wondered what it mattered and snuggled deeper under the covers to chase away the chill of night. His internal clock told him it was just past midnight, which explained the complete absence of light. No one, not even his father, was awake at this hour. No lanterns in the house were lit, and no lanterns outside the window were lit, either. If there were any night workers up and about, they weren’t passing this way.

  Must be cloudy if there isn’t even any moonlight.

  He closed his eyes again and pulled the covers up over his head, curling himself into a ball. He was squeaky-clean from a thorough bath earlier in preparation of visitors and somehow the sensation of being cleaned only added to the pleasure of staying in bed.

  There was absolutely no sound in the room at all but for his own breathing. Keiran opened his eyes again, bothered for a second time by something he couldn’t quite identify through the fog of sleep. Alone? He shared his father’s bedroom, while his sisters curled up in a room of their own. If his father wasn’t working, he should be in bed.

  Keiran didn’t hear him.

  He held his breath and listened ,but still couldn’t detect any other sounds. Now that his eyes were adjusting, he could see as plain as day that his father’s bed was empty but for rumpled covers.

  “Pa?” Keiran said, frowning more. No answer came, not that he expected one to. A prickling ran up the back of his spine, worrying him with its presence. He was certain something was dreadfully wrong now, although he couldn’t imagine what it could be. There were plenty of places his father could have gone off to. Yet, the prickling dread stayed.

  Pushing himself up out of bed, he padded silently over to his father’s empty bed and touched the mattress. Cold. He’d been gone for more than a few minutes then.

  “Pa?” he called, slightly louder. His voice cracked, and he hated himself for that. Stupid omega, unable to contain his fear. What good was he?

  Padding out of the bedroom now, he trailed his fingers along one wall and headed down the hall in the direction of the kitchen. He saw nothing, and started to turn the corner…

  “That’s not nearly enough.”

  Keiran strangled a gasp in his throat, acting on instinct and leaping back before he actually saw anything. His heart pounded in his chest. Lifting one hand and clamping it over his mouth, he struggled to control his breathing. What was that? What had he seen?

  Calm down. Abigail’s words to him. Assess the situation.

  Omegas were jumpy and wary, but they were that way due to their ability to pick up on warning signs and signals. It was a hidden strength and a necessity for survival. At least, that was what the healer told him. Until now, he hadn’t come across a situation where he could apply that practical knowledge.

  He did so now, catching at his racing thoughts with claw and tooth to drag them to a halt as he might do t
o a bit of escaping prey. What had he seen? Three men in the living room, standing in complete darkness. One of them was clearly his father, but he couldn’t recognize the other two just by the shapes of their silhouettes.

  If they were standing, that meant they didn’t feel comfortable enough to sit down and have whatever discussion. So then, not friends. Maybe no one he knew at all.

  Could these be the special visitors? But why are there only two of them? Wasn’t there supposed to be a whole caravan? And why are they here in the middle of the night?

  It was his father he heard speak first, saying something wasn’t enough. Whatever they were discussing, it had to be either extremely important or else a secret. Keiran wasn’t supposed to be awake and listening, but here he was. If he moved, they would hear him. It was a miracle they hadn’t already. But if he stayed to listen, he would be caught anyway.

  “That’s about all he’s worth, Lance,” said an unfamiliar voice in response, using Keiran’s father’s first name. “He’s basically worthless.”

  Lance acquired a tone to his voice when he spoke next, one that Keiran recognized immediately from frequent scoldings. “Are you kidding me? Omega males are rare.”

  They’re talking about me.

  But what were they discussing? He couldn’t make any sense of it.

  “Yeah, rare because no one wants them,” a second, unfamiliar voice said. “Your kid is worthless. Worthless even to you or you wouldn’t be talking to us.”

  Keiran blinked back tears, stung. Was that true? Did his father think he was worthless?

  A long silence punctuated the end of the statement before Lance sighed and spoke again. “Well, you’re right about that.”

  It took everything Keiran had to keep from reeling backward in pain.

  “I already have three omega daughters. What do I need with an omega son who can’t even carry on my trade?”

  I’ll do better! He wanted to cry out, to fling himself into their midst and plead his case. I’ll think of it like healing and I’ll learn what to do, I promise!

  “Exactly,” the second voice rumbled. “You have no use for him. No one does here. It’s best for you to just accept our offer and be rid of him once and for all. Clean and easy. We’ll do everything else.”

  Fabric rustled and shifted from within the living room. Keiran pictured his father shifting his stance, folding his arms. “He might be an omega, but you’ll have buyers lining up for him. Like I said, omega males are rare. I’m going to need more than that.”

  “And you aren’t going to get it.” That was the first voice again. Short, sharp, businesslike. “It’ll take time to find a buyer for him and that’s time we’re going to have to spend lodging him. We won’t make much of a profit, if we make a profit at all. You either take this,” a jingle of money being shaken, “or leave it.”

  Another long silence, and Keiran could feel his father’s decision before he said anything out loud. Horror poured through his entire body like sludge, turning his blood cold. Before he could think to stop himself, he lunged out from around the corner and sprang into the living room.

  Lance cried out in surprise, but the other two shadows seemed distinctly unbothered. “Keiran! What are you doing up? Go back to bed! This isn’t any of your business!”

  “Ha,” one of the silhouettes said. It was the shorter and more squat of the two men, the first voice who spoke whenever the topic was about money. “He was there long before now. You didn’t notice him. He must really be worthless to you if you can’t even sense his presence.”

  The other silhouette chuckled darkly. Keiran stared back and forth between the two of them, suddenly becoming aware of something he hadn’t noticed before. These men were not wolves. He couldn’t feel them the way he could feel others of his own kind; when he tried, their auras seemed to slither away from his. Reptiles, then. They were famous for their crooked ways and this certainly seemed like a good example of that.

  “Pa!” Keiran cried, swiveling around to face his father. “Don’t sell me to them! Please!”

  Everything had clicked into place in his mind once he realized that these unexpected visitors were reptiles. He was going to be sold into some sort of slavery, and none of the various kinds seemed like a life he would want to live.

  Lance stared at him without passion, without pity. His eyes held nothing, purposefully blank. He might have only been looking at a fruit to be picked from the garden, or a fat lamb fit for the slaughter.

  “Pa!” Keiran pleaded. His voice rose, almost a howl now. His body shook, wolf awareness shoving at the corners of his mind. He was on the verge of shifting and that would render him voiceless. He needed to stay a human and talk his way out of this. “Please, I promise I’ll do better! I’ll be the best kid you have, and I’ll make you proud! Please, Pa. Don’t let them take me. Please.”

  Nothing but silence.

  “Pa?”

  But his father turned his head away. “I think we’re done here.”

  Keiran misunderstood. Relief flooded through him and he started to lift his arms to embrace Lance, to thank him for one more chance.

  In that instant, something wet and foul-smelling was shoved over his mouth and nose—some sort of cloth, drenched in a disgusting fluid. Keiran gasped in surprise and the harsh tang filled his senses, immediately clouding his thoughts. Haze stole through his brain and a glassy film covered his vision’ he reached out to his father, but now his b beseeching hands were curling like claws.

  “Pa… you…”

  The words were muffled behind the rag, every attempt to speak drawing more poison into his lungs.

  “I…”

  Lance turned away.

  Through the film covering his entire existence, Keiran tried to shapeshift. Fur pushed up from underneath his skin and his muscles tightened, but he couldn’t feel anything else happening. The changes were coming too slow, and he couldn’t make them happen faster.

  He staggered, brought down to his knees. Rough hands pushed him down, forcing him from a kneeling position down onto his side. And still he fought, but he was an omega and he was drowning in poison, fading fast.

  Opening his mouth to howl, Keiran sucked in a deep breath of the foul-smelling substance and felt the last bit of strength leave his body. Just before his eyes closed and the darkness became a part of him, he saw a reptilian face grinning down at him. Yellow, bulbous eyes and shiny green scales. A wide maw that spread from edge to edge, filled with rows of needlepoint teeth. It was a thing of nightmares.

  Chapter 3

  Keiran woke again to darkness. All he felt was weariness. He was so, so tired of being in the dark. Bad things happened in the dark, like being sold into slavery to two reptiles.

  Misery swamped over him and he went to close his eyes, to succumb to the weariness, but a soft voice came to him through the fog of despair clouding his brain.

  “Pssst… new guy… you’re awake.”

  Keiran opened his eyes again, although he didn’t say anything in response. The darkness wasn’t as complete as he initially thought, with narrow beams of light filtering in from the roof and sides of whatever container they were in. The container constantly swayed and bounced around, jostling him. From his limited knowledge of vehicles and what his father had said before selling him, this must be the caravan of important people.

  From what Keiran could see now, he was in a big truck filled completely with unwanted shapeshifters. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Keiran started being able to make out individual features and forms. Everyone was bound at the hands and feet, and so was he. Their mouths were not covered, however. He spared a moment to wonder at that before quickly realizing there was no need for it. Everyone else here looked absolutely exhausted. Emaciated, heartbroken, sold; they had nothing to cry out for, no reason to beg for help from anyone they might pass. They were all omegas, every single one of them. Unwanted from the start, no one would dare waste the time and effort to send them back to a world that woul
d be better off without them.

  Despair getting the best of him again, Keiran started to let his chin slump down toward his chest.

  That voice came again. “New guy… stay awake. Come on.”

  Who was speaking to him?

  “Over here.”

  Keiran looked around. He had his back jammed against a short length of wall. The voice came from several shifters away, almost exactly opposite him. The speaker had a thin face made all the thinner by starvation, and his shock of bright orange hair could not be diminished even by the shadows.

  “You’re a fox,” Keiran said, dully.

  The shifter tossed his head indignantly. “You’re profiling me because of my hair?”

  “Sorry,” Keiran said. He felt lost, not exactly sure what was going on. His brain must still be foggy from that chemical the reptiles used to knock him out. “What are you, then?”

  “A fox.”

  Okay then. This guy is insane.

  “My name is Ty,” the fox announced, as if he wasn’t sitting tied up in the back of a slave trade truck. “Yours?”

  “Uh… Keiran.”

  The fox nodded as if this made perfect sense. “Keiran. Nice to have you on board. What’s your story?”

  I have no idea what’s going on.

  “My story?”

  No one else in the caravan was acting like Ty. No one seemed interested in any conversation. They weren’t even looking up.

  “Yeah. Your story.” Ty nodded, his eyes reflecting a shaft of light that went past his face. “Like, I got caught trying to steal from a store. The family caught me and made a deal with the reptiles instead of letting the police deal with me.”

  Of course a fox would steal. Ty was full of stereotypes. “How long ago was that?”

  “Two weeks.” Ty shrugged. “I think.”

  “This can’t be happening,” Keiran moaned. “This really can’t be happening.”

  “It is.” And now Ty sounded the way Keiran would have expected him to. Depressed. Hopeless. Resigned to his fate. “But you have to make the best of it, right? Who knows where we’re going to end up! Might be better than where we started out! So, your story?”