Rebellious Prince
Michelle M. Pillow
Official Website
Contents
Rebellious Prince (Captured by a Dragon-Shifter)
Copyright
About Rebellious Prince
Captured by a Dragon-Shifter Series
Note from Author
Dragon Lords Related Books
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Want more Var?
About the Author
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Rebellious Prince (Captured by a Dragon-Shifter)
A Dragon Lords Romance By Michelle M. Pillow
Rebellious Prince © copyright 2015 by Michelle M. Pillow
First Electronic Printing March 2015
Cover art by Ravven, © Copyright 2014 - 2015
ISBN-10: 1625010990
ISBN-13: 978-1-62501-099-5
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
All books copyrighted to the author and may not be resold or given away without written permission from the author, Michelle M. Pillow.
This novel is a work of fiction. Any and all characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places is merely coincidence. Novel intended for adults only. Must be 18 years or older to read.
Published by The Raven Books
www.TheRavenBooks.com
Raven Books and all affiliate sites and projects are © Copyrighted 2004-2014
About Rebellious Prince
Captured by a Dragon-Shifter Book 2
Shapeshifter Romance
Catshifter Prince Rafe knows that technically he’s supposed to be traveling to Earth to find a bride, but he doesn’t see the need to rush things. While his dragonshifter neighbors appear all too eager to claim their mates and settle down, he’s all for putting that final moment off and enjoying his little trips through the portal. Yeah, yeah, eventually he’ll have to marry and set a good example for his people because on his planet females are rare, and they need to have children and blah blah blah. But honestly, catshifters are known to embrace their feral side and it would take a very impressive female to tame his.
Then he sees Jenna Kearney and all bets are off.
Captured by a Dragon-Shifter Series
Determined Prince
Rebellious Prince
Mischievous Prince
Headstrong Prince
Note from Author
If you’re new to my books, the Dragon Lords are my bestselling futuristic romance series. The stories became reader favorites, and so I wrote things from their enemy’s point of view in a spin-off series for the catshifting Lords of the Var. Then they ventured off into the stars in the series installment Space Lords. Now, I’m traveling with them back to our contemporary time with the series Captured by a Dragon-Shifter, which you are now reading book two of. Don’t worry, I have the series reading order on my website to help you figure it all out, http://michellepillow.com/.
To those of you not new to my books, readers have emailed asking Dragon Lords cultural questions since the first dragonshifting prince released years ago. I have teased you with a lot of little hints of how the Draig found brides in “the old days”. Many of you have expressed wanting to climb aboard the space ship and sail away into the future—which would probably take some cryogenic freezing and a lot of icy waiting. Well, before you start packing those sweaters… I don’t want any of you going to that extreme, so I’ve brought your favorite dragonshifters and catshifters to modern-day Earth. They don’t live on our planet, but they have recently started to revisit.
For Dragon Lords and Lords of the Var fans, Captured by a Dragon-Shifter is a modern-day prequel series to those first books. They take place long before the princes you know and love ever found their mates, long before The Dragon’s Queen, in a time when the dragonshifters and catshifters actually—wait for it—liked each other and hung out as friends. They also don’t have Galaxy Brides to bring them women.
There’s no one left to marry on their planet, and things are starting to get desperate. So please be careful when you go out at night, or else you might just find yourself Captured by a Dragon-Shifter.
Author recommends reading series installments in order of release for the simple fact she likes hiding little tidbits in the books as she goes, and it’s more fun that way, though each book can be read as a standalone if you prefer.
Dragon Lords Related Books
Dragon Lords Books
Barbarian Prince
Perfect Prince
Dark Prince
Warrior Prince
His Highness The Duke
The Stubborn Lord
The Reluctant Lord
The Impatient Lord
The Dragon’s Queen
Lords of the Var Series
The Savage King
The Playful Prince
The Bound Prince
The Rogue Prince
The Pirate Prince
Captured by a Dragon-Shifter
Determined Prince
Rebellious Prince
Mischievous Prince
Headstrong Prince
Be sure to check out the other books in the Dragon Lords’ world: Space Lords series, Zhang Dynasty series—with many more books to come!
To learn more and to stay up to date on the latest book list visit www.MichellePillow.com
To the Pillow Fighter Fan Club
Chapter 1
Kansas City, Kansas
“Hello, faes, want to take a ride on my spaceship?” Rafe shot the Earth women a playful smile and wagged his brows. They giggled just as he knew they would. Even on his home planet of Qurilixen he had a way with the ladies—well, what very few single ladies were left on his planet, and the alien travelers who visited. What could he say? Charm was a gift. Half the time it didn’t even matter what he said to them, as long as he dipped his voice and smiled.
“I don’t care if he is crazy, look at him,” one of the women whispered. She had no way of knowing his shifter hearing could pick up her hushed words.
Rafe was technically supposed to be looking for a bride while on Earth being as humans were reproductively compatible. It was the whole reason the shifter princes were allowed to leave their home world. Rafe was part of the catshifting Var royal family who ruled half the planet—the fun half. The other half was ruled by the dragonshifting Draig. As much as he liked his dragon neighbors, they were a little reserved and obsessed with planning the future. Since the portal to Earth was on their land, they were only willing to open it if the princes looked for life mates.
All the dragons ever talked about was mating and continuing the family lines…kind of like Rafe’s older brother, Prince Ivar. For a cat, Ivar seemed to be missing the wild gene.
Rafe grinned. He was wild enough for both of them. His trips to Earth were solely for adventure. The culture captivated him. The plentiful sea of women fascinated him, especially since his planet lacked that particular resource—females. Men they had plenty of.
He didn’t stop to talk to the flirtatious women as he went to the din
er’s counter. If he forgot to acquire cheeseburgers for the Draig princess, he’d never hear the end of it. Princess Eve was the first and only human to be brought through the portal and the only demand she ever made was for Earth food. She’d married dragonshifter Prince Kyran. The union was a good one. It proved portal travel for brides worked and allowed the three remaining Qurilixian princes to continue their explorations offworld.
Rafe knew why their parents wanted them to mate so badly. Scholars estimated that the shifters would die out within a generation if women weren’t brought to the planet. No matter how many babies a woman had, the vast majority came out male. Scientists tried, but no one could explain it. People were healthy, lived longer lives—much longer than they had on Earth—and for the most part thrived. They just didn’t conceive girl babies.
The downside of Kyran finding love after one attempt through the portal was that their royal parents were starting to get a little suspicious when no one else brought back a bride. Rafe liked Princess Eve well enough. She was what the Earth people called a spitfire. And, thanks to her help, he and his fellow shifters were able to blend successfully in to the modern human world. None of this meant Rafe was ready to find his own princess.
Since shifters had originated on Earth centuries ago, they still spoke a dialect of one of the Earth languages, but so much had changed since they’d left, and many things had to be learned. What little the elders remembered about escaping to Qurilixen was outdated and filled with stories of shifter persecution and bloody war. For this reason, they hid their shifting abilities while traveling. Not counting a couple bar brawls when Rafe had tried to seduce a claimed woman—not that he could detect a mark or finger shackle on her to back up the man’s claim—Rafe hadn’t seen much by the way of Earth battle.
Night pushed its way past the broken streetlight to darken the diner windows. The waitress behind the counter came forward with her notepad to take his order. He leaned forward on his hands. “I’m wondering if you have a smile for me, sweetheart.”
Startled, the woman blinked rapidly and then started to laugh. She swiped her pen at him before saying, “What can I get for you?”
“A dozen cheeseburgers and do you have something called cream pie?”
“Chocolate, banana, coconut—”
“A slice of each. To leave.” Rafe turned as the bell on the door dinged to signify someone entered.
“I think you mean to go,” the waitress said.
Rafe absently nodded as he studied the new woman who entered. His accent made it easier to cover his English mistakes. He was about to answer when the woman pushed a hood off her head. Red hair spilled over her shoulders. The sides were clipped back to reveal small ears. A strong force hit him and he couldn’t move.
“Evening Jenna,” the waitress called.
“Hi Barb,” the redhead answered. She turned, pretty green eyes looking past him to the waitress. “Usual please.”
“Hey, spaceman,” one of the women he’d flirted with earlier called. “Come sit with us.”
“Joe’s already started it for you, hon,” Barb answered Jenna. “Be up in a minute.”
“Thanks. I didn’t have a chance to eat today.” Jenna crossed the diner, pulling the strap of her messenger bag off her chest and over her head before shrugging out of her jacket.
“You mean you forgot to eat today. Again.” Barb poured a coffee next to him and slid it toward the woman. “Sit down before you pass out.”
Jenna came toward the counter. Rafe inhaled, detecting the scent of flowers in her hair. He stared at her. The sound of her voice mesmerized him. Jenna reached for the coffee and finally glanced up. He held his breath to hear what she would say to him.
Jenna arched a brow. “Your alien groupies are waiting for you, spaceman.”
Rafe let loose his breath. “You know I am not from Earth?”
The woman stiffened, eyeing him as if he suddenly resembled the back end of a yorkin beast. She brushed past him and took a booth as far from the counter as she could get. Setting her bag on the table, she began rifling through papers and did not look at him again.
Rafe ignored the noisy women and they soon lost interest in his joining them. He sat at the counter to wait for his order and watched the redhead. She didn’t look up, and he couldn’t look away.
Jenna did not look like the Earth women he normally met. In clubs he could see at least sixty percent of a woman’s body. Jenna appeared more reserved. Loose slacks and a blue striped button down shirt covered very lush curves. This woman hadn’t reacted to his charming smile either. He found himself intrigued.
“Burgers be up soon. Here’s the pie.” Barb put a bag on the counter in front of him. “You’re barking up the wrong tree there, lover boy.”
“I do not bark,” Rafe said.
“Whatever you say.” Barb left.
Rafe lifted the bag of pie slices and made his move toward the table. At his presence, she mumbled, “Thanks. Just leave it on the table.”
“You wish to eat my cream?” Rafe asked.
The woman gave a little jump of surprise and looked up at him. Her mouth opened but no sound came out as she looked from his face to his hips and back up again.
“I have very good cream,” Rafe said, hoping to see her smile at him. “I would enjoy it if you ate—”
“I-I…” Jenna held up her hand. “Are you…unwell? I mean, do you need…mental help?”
Rafe didn’t understand her question. He smiled at her, waiting for the dip of her eyes and the tiny giggle females on this planet made. She had such a pretty voice and an even prettier face. “I am Rafe and I do not require assistance at this moment.”
Rafe slid into the booth across from her and reached into his bag to lift a white container. “I have chocolate, banana—”
“Oh, pie, you have cream pie,” Jenna said, seeming to relax. “No. I don’t eat pie.”
“Ah, you eat parchment,” he pushed at the pages on the table. They were filled with numbers and charts. Finally, she gave a small smile. The look caused his heart to quicken and his stomach to tighten.
“I don’t know what your game is, sitting down here, talking to me.” Jenna gathered her papers and shoved them into her bag.
He glanced out the window, knowing he had to go just as soon as he had Princess Eve’s food. Eve liked burgers to the point she threatened him if he came home empty-handed—well, not a real threat, but an almost real threat. “I have cheeseburgers. Would you like to eat that?”
“Do you have a food fetish? Is that what this is?” She shook her head. “I’m honestly not in the mood. I’m behind on paperwork for a thankless boss who is threatening layoffs because of the economy. The hot water in my shower is broken and my landlord is a deadbeat. And I lost my cat to old age. So, please, I don’t need crazy right now. Just go be an alien with your girlfriends over there.”
Rafe glanced over his shoulder. “Those girls are not my friends. You said you had not eaten today.” Then seeing Barb placing his bag on the counter, he knew he didn’t have much time. He hesitated. Something about Jenna made him want to stay.
“Barb, can I take mine to go, please?” Jenna asked loudly.
“Sure thing, hon.” Barb disappeared into the back.
“Looks like your order is ready. You should pick it up now.” Jenna gave a pointed look at the counter.
Rafe slowly stood and nodded. “As you so decree, m’lady.”
Chapter 2
Jenna Kearney watched the all-too-sexy man walk out of the diner. As gorgeous as he was to look at, she’d been burned by his kind before. The man was a foreign fitness model named Rafe for heaven’s sake! His accent said he wasn’t from the United States, and what else could he be with chiseled features, chin-length black hair, green eyes that seemed so bright they glowed? The tight black leather of his pants with the vest-shirt held together by crosslacing down the front and sides could only be high-end fashion. He was a magazine page come to life.
&
nbsp; Men like that didn’t go for girls like her. Period. She wasn’t a fitness model. She didn’t dress like a starlet. She liked talking about social policy and watching cute animal videos. Her idea of a hot night was reading a book and drinking a bottle of wine. Her cat, Ace, used to curl up next to her. Damn, she missed that cat. Knowing it had been his time didn’t make it easier. Now she had no one to go home to. That’s why she’d been coming to the diner at night to work.
Jenna put money on the counter¸ nodded her thanks, and took her grilled chicken sandwich to go. As she passed the table of women, she tried not to stare. They were what society called pretty—petite, caked in make-up and hair product, young and flirty. Jenna had never been like them. She had never been outgoing or the center of attention. In fact, she hated when all eyes in a room focused on her. It was the thing nightmares were made of. She took care of herself but not obsessively so. She read more than she socialized. She was…she was just plain Jenna.
The overhead bell jingled as she pushed through the door. She balanced her food bag while shoving her wallet into the messenger bag.
“You should come with me.”
Jenna gasped, startled by the sound of Rafe’s voice. She dropped her food into a puddle. For a confused moment, she stared at it. As if to protest, her stomach growled loudly. Under her breath, she muttered, “Dammit.”
Rafe stepped out of the shadows. “I did not mean to frighten you. I was on my way to the portal when I realized I would not be coming back to this city again, at least not for an Earth year, and I did not want to risk you not being here. So I think you should come with me to my home.”
Jenna frowned, glancing at the diner’s front entrance. It was close enough she could run if she had to. “Portal? I think you mean airport terminal.”
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