Forced To Kill The Prince

by Hollie Hutchins

  That can’t be true though. He must be a genius if I am being distracted. Because I am very good at everything when I am not distracted. Holy shit, I can almost hear Thomas’s voice mocking me for that idea.

  I finally ran into the dragonling, he was dragon form right now. I froze, it was… it was magnificent!

  four feet tall on all fours and eight feet wide. Glittering scales that shined like diamonds in the sunlight. Each scale was some variation of a sandy brown shade that forced my heart to skip. Oh no. It reminds me too much of-

  The eyes hold the intelligence of a person, they glittered with a chocolate brown shade I was all too familiar with. The playful glint was gone, there was only anger, hurt, and betrayal.

  I convinced myself that it couldn't be him. He would never look at me like that so, it must not be him. Besides, I know my Tom-Cat. An innocent person. Kindness was practically his middle name. I don't think he even lifelong harm another living thing. He wouldn’t be so vicious, and he certainly wouldn’t have claws.

  Dragonlings can shapeshift. It obviously was trying to emotionally manipulate me. With a scream of indignant rage, I aimed my dagger into the whites of the monster’s eyes. I twisted the dagger and yanked out the eyeball. Disgusting, gory, but effective.

  AH!

  The sensation of razor-sharp teeth embedding themselves into my arm and slamming me into a wall was somehow simultaneously extremely sharp and a dull, persistent ache. And my vision went blurry as I watched the dragonling transform itself into a humanoid shape, blood pouring out of an empty eye socket.

  Chapter 7

  When I finally had my sight back, in front of me was, indeed, the boy I had seen as my best friend from childhood. Well, almost, there was a dark look in his eyes, well the one I could see. The other eye was covered by an eye patch. He probably didn’t want the sun to effect it until it was fully healed. Regenerating limbs was nothing for a dragonling.

  We were also in some kind of hotel room. This must be his room. I hate it.

  I really wished it wasn’t him. Oh god, how I wished it wasn’t him. But this just had to be him. If it wasn’t him, there is no way it wouldn’t have just killed me when it had the chance.

  “I would say I regret what I did and wish I never did it, but you never did like liars much.” His voice was as deep as ever, deepened by his own hurt. He was so upset, and it killed me a little bit inside. I never wanted him to be upset with me like this. I usually got upset just when he pouted. “I don’t regret anything I did to the person you are. I would never want to hurt My Genie, but you’re not her.”

  “My name is Jenna! And yes, I am her.” I barked out, feeling backed into a corner. How dare he say that to me? As if I’m the one who lied for years? As if I was the monster and he was merely an innocent bystander? As, if!

  “No. The girl I grew up with was sweet and kind. She loathed hurting another living soul to the point where she cried when we had to call animal control over a rabid raccoon. She was loyal to her friends even when on a mission. Even when she wanted to leave, she couldn’t do it without saying goodbye.” His words would have made me blush. How he saw so much good in me. How he said words I had longed to hear from my parents and have yet to, simple and complete acceptance of all that I am.

  His continuation, though, killed all the good feelings. It was as if he placed a dagger in my chest and twisted until he broke something deep down within me. Something I can barely admit even existed. “That girl can’t be the one standing in front of me. So I assume she died, and you are the hollow shell left in her place. A mockery of the girl, beautiful both inside and out, that I have befriended as a child and grew up with. She would never have left without even a note, never to be seen again. She would have never become this violent, monstrous creature who kills the innocent. Who would attack an innocent being, who has not done a single thing, with a dagger with the intent to kill. Who wishes I were dead.”

  I wanted to scream and rage. I was better than that and he should know that! He isn’t seeing what he is. “I didn’t lie, at least!” I screeched at him. “A monster! Lies and slander are all that have ever dribbled from your disgusting lips. Nothing more than honeyed words and lies. Pretending to be a good, normal person. Pretending you were a good man!”

  “Lied?” He laughed harshly and I wanted to fight him. I wanted to hurt him. How dare he make that noise. The noise of a playground bully who has the upper hand and knows it. "I never said I was normal. In fact, I used to tell you how normalcy was overrated or did you forget? I said you would be great, and you deserved so much, and you know what. You proved me wrong."

  I hissed and smacked him. The sting on my palm didn’t provide any outlet for my anger other than an increase in the fury that was boiling my blood. God dammit. How does he affect me so much? Make it feel like all my nerves are going haywire. Feel as if I can’t even breathe or think. “Lies by omission!” I snarled. “You never told me the truth. So you therefore lied.”

  “That’s not how it works!” He snapped, not even seeming to react to his now red cheek. "And you want the truth? Huh? Well, fine! If you want the truth so bad, what kind of a friend would I be to deny you of it." He sneered the word friend as if we were never really friends in any way. That might’ve been the most hurtful thing in his entire speech. “I am an orphan because my parents were murdered by worthless, bloodthirsty Seekers. I thought I would want revenge, but I didn’t. The quest would have poisoned me, and I had so much more to give to the world, then vengeance and hatred. Here’s more of the truth. I was in love with that girl whose smile lit up the world. I am still in love with that dead girl, but this thing you became. Nobody could really love it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s the truth.” He gave me a look of utter disgust. “You are simply unlovable, Babe.”

  A snarl of fury ripped through my throat, and I threw myself at him. I slammed my lips onto him, so hard our teeth clanged together.

  Chapter 8

  It was so wrong. Everything about this is so wrong. But I couldn’t control myself. Some volatile mixture of emotions so strong I couldn’t deal with it just began to attack me all at once. Lust and embarrassment and righteous fury and I could feel this tsunami of uncontrolled emotion struggling to push me to the ground. It filled the hollowness in my heart, but it wasn’t what it once was.

  Instead of a soft glow, the softness was replaced by violence and destruction and need. This primal need that I had never really felt before. I needed to feel him. I tore at his clothes and he tore at mine.

  There was no gentleness in our movements.

  Afterward, we were panting, sweaty and covered in rug burns. The pain was delicious at the time, but now, it was… this was an awful idea. Why did I think that this is what I wanted? And how is it that we were too violent and needy to use the bed. I was now just embarrassed, and ashamed of myself for my behavior.

  “We need to leave.” I declared, standing up abruptly. My legs were like jelly, and also sticky. Oh shit. We didn’t use a condom. Uuh… We’ll pick up a morning-after pill while on the run.

  “We?” He asked. Like an asshole. Fuck that guy, He was going to continue, but whatever he said would have just pissed me off. So I had to cut him off immediately.

  “Shut UP!” I snarled at him, my hand moving to slap him across the face as hard as I possibly could. I don’t even care if it hurts. “I was supposed to kill you.”

  “You say that like I didn’t already know that.” He mumbled like a pouty child. Which, was weird seeing as he was nude and covered in evidence that we had just had sex.

  It was actually genuinely endearing enough for me to calm down as I said the next thing I had to say. “My parents are seekers and have been tracking you. We need to leave as soon as possible.”

  His face transformed into a pained grimace. “What do you think of Illinois? I know you always wanted to go to Chicago.” He offered, shrugging nonchalantly. As if, like usual, he didn’t care one way or another.
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  Did he remember? I mean, I only mentioned it once. And we were both pretty drunk at the time. "Let's do it!" I declared excitedly. “But we need to stop at the store and pick up some-”

  “Oh yeah, Dragonlings are really rare because they can only impregnate a fellow Dragonling. So, you don’t really have to worry about pregnancy or anything.” He comforted. At least, it was an attempt to comfort me. He sounded truthful though. So that was good.

  “Good. One more thing off my mind.” I never did want kids anyway and I don’t really think that point of view is going to change any time in the future. Besides, if it does, we can always adopt. “So we should go, like, now.”

  “Let me put my stuff in the car, Babe.” I usually hated it when he used that pet name. But I didn’t right now. Really.

  We can talk in the car. Talk about us… about the future… about who we are and who we want to be…

  I found some of his clothes that were close to my size and put them on, before rushing us both to the car. The sooner we leave, the better chances of escaping. And the safer we will be.

  Chapter 9

  “So…” He started, as we drove on our new trip to Chicago. A place where the two of us can be happy. We can be who we are and… Who are we though?

  “So…” I echoed, not knowing how to reply. Not knowing what I want to say.

  “I’m sorry about what I said.” He blurted out. It was strange. He sounded genuinely remorseful.

  “No, don’t be.” I stared at my hands as I spoke. “You were right. I was acting crazy and not being myself at all. I needed to hear it from someone for me to actually hear and listen to it, you know?”

  He huffed a laugh. "Yeah, but it's not like you acted any more normal afterward." He wriggled his eyebrows playfully. Pervert. “Not that I mind it. At all.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. My entire body shook with my laughter, tears leaking from my eyes. Only my Tom-Cat can immediately let hurts and old emotional scars just roll off his back the way he did. And then joke about something like that. It didn’t seem as big or as impossible to deal with anymore and, you know what, that was most likely the entire point of his whole dumb act.

  “That’s the Genie I know!” He seemed so proud of himself.

  “I’m in love with you, you know.” I blurted out, shocking no one more than myself. I never thought I would love him. And I never even considered that I would say it out loud, even if I did.

  As I grabbed onto the seat to protect myself, I whimpered. Okay, I was wrong. From the way his hand on the steering wheel twitched and made the car swerve in a dangerous direction, I clearly wasn't the most shocked person in this development.

  “What the fuck, Jenna?!” He shouted at me, after parking in a place where we could calm down. “Do you not get the concept of ‘good timing’.”

  “Don’t insult my adorable spontaneity, you… you… a totally overrated lightweight clown without two brain cells to rub together!” I couldn’t really think of a good enough insult, my cheeks flushing.

  “Hey! You are the lightweight.” He snapped, rather offended by the insinuation. Weird that that’s what he’s annoyed about, but whatever. “Remember when you got drunk over a quarter glass of wine.”

  “Don’t bring that up!” I snapped, cheeks flushing a dark red.

  He smirked at me after a moment. Ugh. That smug glance in his eyes. I hate it so much. “You love me. You want to kiss me. You get jealous when I flirt with other girls. You want to daaate me.”

  I growled in annoyance. But he didn’t listen, he kept going on and teasing me. Well, two can play at that game! At least that was my excuse for pulling him down to me by his tie and slamming my lips against his once again. “Don’t act like you don’t want me just as much!” I bluffed.

  “You’re right. I’ve been in love with you since forever babe, you have no idea what it’s like to be in such close proximity to you and still not have what I want and all I really want is you.” He purred in my ear, causing my cheeks to flush a dark red.

  I couldn't help myself once again, and we ended up attacking each other all over again. "You're mine." I hissed in his ear, once we were done, our sweaty bodies cuddling into each other.

  “It’s not like I’m gonna argue against that, Babe. No sane man would.” He smirked playfully. “Not that any sane man would fall for you.” He teased.

  “Ugh! You dick.” There wasn’t any real heat behind my words or the punch I threw at him lazily. I was too content at the moment. “If no sane man would fall for me, what does that make you.”

  “Insane, probably…. But all man.” He says this with this flirtatious growl that, to my mortification, made me blush. How? I mean, he’s such a dork. How is he so handsome and amazing and… Ugh!

  "I hate you," I said, as seriously as ever. Which, isn’t that seriously, if I’m being honest.

  “Yeah, right.” He replied, smirking to himself. “You love me.”

  I huffed and rolled my eyes. “What’re we… gonna do?”

  "Go to Chicago! Obviously." He declared as if that was all the answer either of us ever needed. Dumbass.

  “What will we do in Chicago?” I wasn’t in the mood for him to avoid anything. I needed to hear the truth from his lips. I needed a plan. I needed to know that I’m not just going to follow him to the ends of the earth without even a plan of action.

  The worst thing about that is I know I would. I would follow him there if that's what I needed to do. If all I had with him was hollow promises, shallow dreams, and unsure futures, I would still follow him. And it scares me that all it would take is a soft word, and I would give up my life.

  I basically did. Gave up my family for him.

  Oh god. I gave up the thing I’ve wanted since we were children just for him. How do I-

  “We’ll figure something out. You always know what to do.” His voice was so soft, so soothing. And all of a sudden, I believed him. He trusted me and for whatever reason, I totally believed every word that poured out of his lips. “I trust you with my very soul. Just trust me with this.”

  I melted at his words. How did he become so smooth in the past month? I don’t even get it! "L-Let's go, then." I took his hand. It was so soft and so large. Comforting, it wrapped around my own hands.

  Epilogue

  It’s been years since that whole debacle. When I was too silly and shortsighted to see past my own face. When I almost lost the chance to have what I always needed, in exchange for what I thought I should have wanted.

  Thomas is my husband now. We go by the last name Moxie. It fits. And I slapped him when he suggested we go by Spitfire so hard I almost knocked his teeth out.

  We don’t have any kids, but I don’t need any. We go and help out at an orphanage sometimes, give the kids a happier past then I would’ve had without my Tom-Cat. The past that I might not have thought I wanted, but now knew I always needed.

  “Babe.” He pressed a soft kiss to my lips, smiling down at him with those same twinkling eyes that enraptured me all those years ago. His lips were quirked up in amusement. “What’re you thinking about, Honeybunch?” His voice was teasing, sickeningly sweet as he used the pet name that he knew I hated.

  Neither of us was that sappy. But we liked getting on each other's nerves with the sappiest of pet names. Everyone else just thought we were one of those grossly sappy couples.

  “Just about how much I love you, Babycakes.” I teased back, in the same sickeningly sweet manner. It was all worth it to watch his nose scrunch up in disgust at the overload of sugary sweetness. He might actually hate his pet name more than I hate mine.

  “Geee-niie.” He whined childishly. “Don’t call me that. It makes me sound… unmanly. I have my ego to think of you know?”

  “You can shapeshift into an eight foot tall monstrous scaly horned beast with razor claws and shark-like teeth.” I drawled, rolling my eyes at his pout. Thirty years old and still as whiny as he was when he was eight! “Your manly-ego can deal wi
th it.”

  “I am a horned beast without needing to transform.” He purred, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. This fucking dork. I knew he just couldn’t help himself. It was a reflex at this point. If I’m being honest, I really have to admit it; I definitely gave him the ammo for that one. On the other hand…. Really? Can he never focus without thinking of sex? Of course, I’m no better, but at least I can pretend to be better than that!

  “Tch. Really?” I put up a demeanor that I was unamused, even though I was mentally laughing my ass off. What? Don’t judge me! It was funny! What do you want from me? “We have work to do you loser.”

  He huffed in a laugh before getting up. He knew I thought it was funny because I wasn't slapping him for being overly perverted. “Yeah. Yeah. Who’re we getting today, Babe?”

  “Pair of Seekers. Mid-Twenties. Newlyweds. One a blonde male, the other a ginger girl. Freckles and all. The male is Swedish and the girl is a Scott. Bloodthirsty as they come. Uses their Seeker heritage to excuse their destructive tendencies. Apparently, they came to Chicago to ‘cleanse the city' as a honeymoon activity." I sneered at the idea, mumbling to herself, "the only thing the city needs to be cleansed from is these worthless, brain dead monsters. Can’t even understand the simple facts of life and how killing is wrong. What kind of fucking people even think like that?”

  “Oh, yeah. I love it when you talk dirty like that.” My husband mocked. Dumb Tom-Cat. “Let’s get a move on then, shall we, M’lady?”

  I gave him a kiss and we left our house. This was our day to day life. We fixed what was broken and helped those who couldn’t help themselves. Whether it be from heartless Seekers, or vampires, or Dragonlings… they have to go through us.

  It isn’t all bad. Some wealthy people we have helped send us a stipend. One wealthy couple bought us a house in Chicago – not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.