Royal Affair

by Preston Walker

  Keiran struggled to form a coherent sentence. “Well, I wasn’t just about to lie there and do nothing when I could move around. I’m the last one that the traders picked up, you know. Well, uh, I guess… you wouldn’t know… except… you know now… so…”

  The stranger just watched with those dark eyes. He hadn’t moved away and they were standing much too close together for two strange wolves who didn’t know each other. In any other situation, this was an invitation for a fight. “I see. Well, thank you for your assistance. May I ask your name?”

  “Keiran. Um. Keiran Smith.”

  The other wolf nodded so emphatically that it was almost a bow, which only increased Keiran’s discomfort. “Well, I’m in your debt. Who knows how many I would have lost on this journey back without you.”

  God, what a conversation this is. I can’t talk and this guy just keeps repeating himself. What a pair.

  “Like I said, I just felt like I should. So, I should get back to it. I need to make sure that everyone gets to the fire so that they can eat.”

  Keiran started back the way he’d come but was stopped by the stranger holding an arm out in front of him. “I don’t think so,” the man said. “Like I said, I saw you. You haven’t rested or had a drink. Let my guards help the others over to the fire. Stay here with me. Talk a bit. Take a drink.”

  The man held out a bottle of water he’d been holding onto, which Keiran hadn’t even noticed before. Keiran hesitated. What would Abigail do in this situation?

  A healer is no good to anyone else if she doesn’t take care of herself, he thought. She hadn’t ever said that, but he felt like she would have. It made sense. If Keiran dropped, no one else had the knowledge he did.

  With a nod to himself, Keiran reached out and took hold of the water. Raising it to his mouth, he was distinctly aware of the other wolf’s gaze on him. He drank, resisting the urge to gulp and limiting himself to only a few sips. Even so, he could feel the strength pouring back through his body and he let out a shuddering gasp. “God, that’s good.”

  The stranger smiled. It was a crooked, dashing smile that hung awkwardly on his lips like he wasn’t used to it. “Sit with me for a moment,” he implored and dropped down to the ground.

  After a bit of hesitation, Keiran did the same. The grass right was particularly soft. He took another sip.

  “So, Keiran, my name is Jace.” That was said in such a way as if it was more important than it seemed, so Keiran nodded seriously. Jace just blinked at him for a moment and then shook his head, gesturing for Keiran to drink more. “How did you come by your skills?”

  Keiran hesitated, lowering his head and staring at his hands. Indecision weighed on him heavily, nagging at him. It would be rude not to answer, but it would be potentially illegal to give the truth.

  “Keiran?”

  His name sounded so good in Jace’s mouth that he couldn’t help it. He decided to put it as simply as possible. “I’m the son of a blacksmith, but I sucked at working with metal. My best friend back in the village was a healer and I… learned from her.”

  Jace’s dark eyes narrowed as if in consideration, and then he nodded. “I see. Thank you for sharing that with me.”

  They sat together in silence for a while longer. Keiran took a few more sips of water. The scabs on his cracked lips were bleeding, tainting the taste of the pure liquid, but he could already feel himself hydrating and becoming healthier.

  “Hey, Jace?”

  “Hmm?” the alpha rumbled.

  “How did you … get into the business of hunting down slave traders?” That seemed like a safe topic. He had a right to ask that, didn’t he?

  The look Jace gave him said otherwise. It also said a whole lot of other things that Keiran didn’t understand. “I guess you could say I was born into it,” Jace said darkly and then stood. “Rest a bit longer before you help the others again.”

  Keiran stared down at his hands and took a few more gulps of water. The bottle was half-full when he stood up, feeling restlessness nag at his spine. He’d had his break. It was time to be useful again.

  All the omegas had been helped over to the fire, which Keiran examined as he passed. The first deer looked just about ready to be served, so he assisted in slicing small portions of meat and passing them out. Nearly every omega thanked him with some variable amount of gratefulness, and the only ones who needed assistance with eating were those who had the most problems getting a drink. Keiran did the best he could, placing morsels in their mouths and then giving them a drink to wash it down. It was something.

  Ty jabbed at Keiran’s shoulder, catching his attention. “Hey, you need to eat, too.”

  Keiran accepted the piece of venison offered to him, examining it while he tried to adjust to this strange sort of reverence everyone treated him with now. Was this how Abigail felt all the time or had she grown used to it? Did she like it? In the end, all he could say was simply, “Thanks.”

  “Sure.” Ty nodded. “You need to eat, too,” he repeated.

  “I guess so.” He took a bite of the meat. It was tough and burned on the outside, but he hadn’t ever tasted anything so good in his entire life.

  “No, I’m serious.” Ty shook his head and stared around, then leaned in close to Keiran and whispered, “I have no idea how you were so cool in front of Jace.”

  Keiran blinked and shook his head. “I’m not sure what you mean… I mean, I know he works for the Capital somehow, at the castle, but he’s just an ordinary shapeshifter, isn’t he?”

  Ty’s mouth dropped open, showing off two rows of slightly pointed teeth. His eyes went wide with astonishment, sending a ripple of uncertainty down Keiran’s spine. “Are you kidding? You seriously don’t know?”

  “Don’t know what?” Keiran asked, uneasily.

  “Man, maybe you really are as stupid as I thought at first! Keiran, that’s Jace. Jace Culvers.”

  For a moment, Keiran still didn’t understand. The last name of Culvers was familiar somehow, but where had he heard it before? And then, his eyes stretched wide and something akin to horror flooded through his body. He actually had to sit down, literally bowled over from astonishment. Jace Culvers. son of Bartholomew Culvers, the Head Predator of the Dexus. And that made Jace… a prince. Keiran had engaged in a casual conversation with the prince of the entire land.

  Chapter 6

  The rest of the journey was as uneventful as Jace could have hoped. Even with frequent breaks, they arrived at the Capital in less than two weeks. The omegas already looked so much better, but Jace hated what the poor souls had been through. He hated it so much. His hunters did the best they could, but their offerings were meager and they could only provide meat. Meat was all well and good, but the omegas needed vegetables, fruit, grains… a balanced diet. And yet they were filling out on what little he could provide, getting meat on their bones and developing muscle mass again from the constant traveling. It was a testament to their terrible treatment and he knew he would have lost many of them if not for that omega. That Keiran. The one he just so happened to notice, with the blond hair and sweet blue eyes.

  With Keiran’s help, injuries healed and each omega received an equal amount of care and attention. Jace had a feeling there was more to the story than he’d been told, but they didn’t often have a chance alone together to talk. He didn’t really know why he should want to speak with Keiran again, except that the omega was fascinating in a way very few people were.

  The scenery changed as they traveled, from plains and forests to an area of mountains. The travel grew more difficult , even as the roads became poured concrete, winding higher and higher up the mountain ridge.

  Jace stopped and looked back as they reached that final stretch. The omegas were struggling, staggering and exhausted. With a flick of his tail, he gave a signal. His Guard rearranged themselves, nudging the omegas into a long line so they could better spread out and assist them on the climb.

  Just a bit more.

  J
ace wasn’t tired in the least, but his paws started to drag as he padded toward the crest of this particular bit of road. He could smell the city on the wind. Smoke and gasoline and food and many, many people. Part of him was glad to be home, but he would also rather be anywhere but here. He needed to be back out there, fixing the problems of the world, not sitting in some big fancy chair in the castle watching people argue about fixing problems.

  Well, this current problem wasn’t solved yet. He still had a few hours left to go before it ended.

  The ground evened out under his feet and he stood looking down at the Capital city, nestled in the cradling arms of the mountains. It was the most defendable location on the planet so far as Jace knew, and sadly, a position it turned out they needed. Times were changing, and not for the better.

  There were three easily-guarded roads heading in and out of the city, this being one of them. The other two were large and much more well-traveled. Jace could see them even from here, clogged as always with the unique and varied traffic that made Dexus so special. There were gas-powered cars and electric cars competing with rickshaws and horse-drawn carriages, all on the same road. And the city itself was no more specialized than the roads, home to a host of skyscrapers and old-fashioned wooden saloons. When a new technology came along, the old was not replaced so much as it made room for the new in a spot beside it. Dexus was a melting pot, a bread basket of cultures.

  A hundred years ago, the separate kingdoms of shapeshifters were brought into one. Prey and predator suddenly found themselves living side-by-side, governed by a Head Predator who ruled over all. It was meant to be a movement toward peace and, if one never left the Capital, one could safely believe that peace had come. Prey and predator truly did live in harmony in this city. But outside the city…

  Jace glanced over his shoulder as the omegas finally caught up to him on the rise, drinking in their first glimpse of what must have looked like paradise to them.

  Things aren’t always as perfect as they seem.

  “Welcome to Auroris,” he said.

  That little, annoying fox gave a whistle. “Damn.”

  That seemed to sum up everyone else’s thoughts, as no one else made a comment.

  “We’ll be heading down to the castle on foot. I wish I’d been able to arrange transportation for us from here, but it wasn’t feasible.” It also didn’t seem as if the omegas really needed it any longer, but it would have been nice to spoil them. Jace continued, “Stay in the line formation as we go through the streets. People will be curious, but we don’t want to be sidetracked. And don’t worry. The Guards will keep you safe if anyone gets out of line.” Physically and metaphorically, he added to himself.

  Shifting again into his wolf form, Jace started down the road toward the city gates. The whole city was surrounded by a low wall which wasn’t exactly tall enough to discourage a particularly dedicated shapeshifter, but the wall itself was covered in sharp spikes. And beyond that wall was another wall, and that one was a fair bit taller. The closer they came to ground level, the less of the city was visible but for the towering metal skyscrapers and the far distant castle spires.

  Jace stopped the group as he reached the gates, shapeshifting into his human form. “Humans, everyone,” he called over his shoulder. The omegas—he had to struggle not to think of them as “his” omegas, especially that Keiran—and his Guard all followed suit, though they didn’t break formation.

  Jace waved his arm and they continued on toward the gate, following the footpath that had been installed specifically for travelers on foot so they didn’t have to fight with traffic.

  “Welcome back, sir,” the guard at the gate said. She bowed low. Her skin was unusually rough and gray for a human, her rhinoceros form too powerful to be hidden even now. Some made fun of the larger shifters for this peculiarity, but Jace was not one to turn anyone away due to outward appearances. After all, he wasn’t the largest or strongest alpha wolf in existence, but he was a prince all the same.

  “Thank you, May,” Jace said. He flashed a smile, maintaining it only long enough for her to give one in return. “I hope you aren’t going to ask my reason for wanting to come inside the walls?”

  The rhino’s leathery cheeks turned a dusky shade of red, but she laughed and gestured him on past her. “Of course not! Although would I be presumptuous in asking how you fared on your most recent venture?” She looked past him, nodding at his ragtag group of omegas. “Well enough?”

  “Well enough,” Jace answered, gravely. He nodded to May and moved off past her. He could feel the omegas’ nervousness and their awe as they took in the strange world around them, but the sensations gradually grew faint the further they moved into the city. As a prince, the entirety of Auroris was considered to be his pack. He felt the combined emotions of the city and knew when there was peace or unrest. Soon enough, his awareness of the omegas would be lost in the constant background cacophony, and that made him sad. He’d grown used to their presence, to protecting them and hearing them breathe in safe, contented sleep at night. Ah, well. It was for the best.

  Well, maybe not. That annoying fox had grown on him. He would miss that constant stream of boring chatter. And there was one more omega he would miss, and that one most of all. Keiran.

  But maybe, just maybe, I won’t have to miss him. I have an idea…

  And he mulled over that idea in the back of his mind while leading his procession down the streets of the city and in the direction of his home. The omegas behind him took their time and he let them have their fill of looking around at the city, so unusual to all of them since the slave traders tended to stick to distant towns where there were no resources to locate the missing. A few of them had clearly never seen a car before at all, while most had never been close enough to feel the way heat reflected from the metal. They passed by giant corporation buildings, construction sites, and tiny niche markets. They crossed at the crosswalks and stared in the windows of restaurants, drooling not just over the food but the idea of being served a meal they didn’t have to make themselves. It must have all seemed so wonderful to them, like a fairytale.

  It hurt Jace’s heart to imagine the moments when they would realize that wasn’t the case. He wished he could prolong it for them as long as he could. And that was the exact reason he knew he would be a terrible Head Predator.

  As much as the omegas stared, so too were they the ones being stared at by those they passed by. Jace’s presence was something of a surprise, since normal citizens didn’t tend to see royalty when buying a loaf of bread. However, even when they did, that member of royalty usually wasn’t in the presence of nearly 40 other shapeshifters, most of whom looked like they were inches from death.

  Jace ignored the looks, although he did tighten one hand into a fist where it hung down by his hip. His Guard understood; he heard them shifting subtly behind him, pressing closer to the omegas to reassure them.

  They passed through the business sector of the city and entered into the upper-end suburbs, where the wealthy lived in a halo around the central castle grounds. Jace waved at the guards at the gate, who greeted him politely and let him pass. From there, they walked down the long road through the open grounds and finally arrived at the castle itself.

  No crowd awaited his return. While all subjects knew of his departure, he gave them no prediction of when he might return as he hadn’t had that information himself. Jace turned to glance over his shoulder again, meaning to speak to his Guard, but stopped by the sight of Keiran weaving through the others, checking on them.

  I have never known such an omega as him.

  And suddenly, Jace had his answer as to what he would do about Keiran.

  “Stay here,” he said. “Rest. I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Listening to the weary groans of the former slaves as they collapsed to the ground, Jace pushed his way through the tall castle doors. Home at last. Directly before him stretched a grand entrance hall, ending in a staircase that climbed up and
up and up through five immense floors. On each floor, including the bottom floor where he stood, a maze of doorways and halls branched out. It was very easy to get lost, even when someone lived in the castle for their entire life.

  A servant boy scampered out of one hall and dashed toward the next, holding a letter in one hand. A page boy no doubt, whose sole purpose was to deliver messages throughout the castle. There were as many as twenty pages, Jace knew, all of them happily working just for the freedom of being able to run in the halls when an adult would normally yell at them for doing so. Well, the freedom of running and an occasional coin given by the recipient or sender of a letter.

  “Boy!” Jace called out.

  The servant swerved around and came scampering over to him, drawing to a quick stop and snapping off a salute. He moved with the speed of an omega but was large fior his age and already on his way to becoming toned. A little beta wolf then. “How can I be of service?” he piped. The tone of his voice was exactly that of a little yipping pup and Jace couldn’t help but to smile.

  He dug around in his pocket and pulled three coins out, handing them to the kid. “I need you to find Mr. Don Allen for me, please. Tell him I need him out in the front courtyard of the castle, please. It’s important.”

  “Absolutely, sir,” the page boy yipped. He accepted the coins without a second thought, running them between his fingers before pocketing them. “Shall I locate him before delivering this message?”

  Jace nodded and the boy took off, not just scampering but sprinting.

  Returning to the front of the castle, Jace spoke loudly so the omegas could hear him. “I’m waiting for someone who will help me take care of you.”

  Then, he pulled Marvin aside. “I think you and your men have earned a bonus. I’ll speak with Don about getting that arranged.”

  Marvin grinned at him, raking his hand backward through his hair to make the spikey clumps stand up worse than ever. “Thanks, Your Highness.”

  Jace rolled his eyes. “I’ve changed my mind.”