Deep River Shifters 4 Book Box Set

by Lisa Daniels

  Transforming the house for Mokkan took all her energy, and she also held a vision for a new look of the tower – instead of it being a mess of twenty lonely rooms, she wanted to make them more like an inn. A grand, luxurious place with decent facilities, and somewhere for Mokkan’s guests to drop by. She also wanted to establish a gaming area of sorts for him, to give friends more of an excuse to stay around, to play card games or those strange little board games where people pretended to be characters hunting for treasure.

  Over the next week, Mokkan blitzed Quest after Quest, accumulating little things and gear for Xanthia, so she could start with Quests of her own.

  Armed with Leaf Wings – not the best flying item that existed, but something that allowed her to fly for a few minutes at a time before she needed to land to recharge them – mithril armor, an invisibility ring, a Quest detector complete with a rating meter, and a spark wand that fired electricity from the tip, she now started helping with Quests.

  Venturing out into the Wilderness sent her quivering with fear the first time. The invisibility ring would be how she escaped from threatening situations, and Mokkan had promised to deliver her a teleport ring once he completed the Prince in the Mountain Quest. She looked around the local area, and her Quest meter vibrated with possibility. Steeling herself, she committed to the nearest Quest.

  In one day, she’d managed to kiss three frogs who had once been witches from a bygone age before being cursed by their own spells, rescued a giant’s cat from a cliff edge where it clung desperately to some twigs, and did some shopping for a troll by collecting gloomseeds for his garden.

  Her net reward from these low-level Quests wasn’t much, but she then traded all the trinkets to procure a goblin crew for the day to help renovate the cave.

  All the trading around and scampering for items felt addictive.

  The goblins worked magnificently, reshaping the entire cave with their peculiar brand of magic, adding soft orange lighting everywhere. The tower went through the biggest reshaping, now becoming more like an inn, complete with a bar (no drinks, though), a resting area, spa rooms, and spacious bedrooms with some free furniture thrown in. They expanded the treasury as well, adding shelves to help display some of the artifacts Mokkan planned to accumulate at some point in the future. They also gave her a bottle of blackthorn ale for being such a gracious client.

  Mokkan came back to the transformation, and grew so elated at the sight that he grabbed Xanthia in a massive hug and spun her around. Her blonde hair flew out behind her.

  “You’re amazing! You did this with two days of Questing? Wow!”

  Xanthia grinned idiotically, happy that Mokkan liked her efforts so much. It made her time worthwhile, and to see an impact, the association of her hard work converting into something visible, hooked her to the idea of seeing it through to the end.

  Of contributing to something, instead of sitting around and having everything handed to her.

  It worked best when she didn’t focus too long on the easy life she once held.

  One month of hard grinding for Quests, and though the treasury wasn’t nearly as full as it used to be, Mokkan’s cave now looked like the inside of a palace, complete with fortifications and curses.

  Both of them were sprawled out on one of the new plush red sofas, toasting their efforts with glasses of goblin-brewed blackthorn ale, both heading more towards the tipsy realm, exceeding what would have been appropriate for a princess.

  “And then, I told that stupid troll that if he didn’t give up the location of the princess, I’d hang him from a tree by his ridiculous pink hair and smear honey all over him. He gave up that princess so fast, you’d have thought I’d threatened to burn his whole family alive. So that’s the secret with trolls. Threaten their hair, get everything.” Mokkan burped, raising up his glass. Xanthia’s legs draped over Mokkan’s lap, and she laughed and clinked glasses with him.

  “Who would have thought this Questing business was so fun? I can see why some people want to be Questers forever. It’s wonderful! So much better than sitting around and bitching about other people. We have an amazing place.”

  At the mention of we, Mokkan’s smile widened, becoming shy. “Yes. We’ve done a lot to make it wonderful. And the mice, too.”

  A satisfied squeak resounded from under the sofa.

  Xanthia sighed, staring up at the ceiling where an enchanted chandelier hung, flickering with orange light. New tapestries adorned the walls, and the better lighting gave the place a warm, homey aura.

  “I just wanted to let you know, I have a surprise coming for you later.” Mokkan folded his arms, and Xanthia glanced over to the living room table, where six chairs were lined up in total, and the candles were already set up. She guessed Mokkan expected guests, but acted as if she didn’t know and said, “Oh! I look forward to that. Will I need to change into anything special?”

  “Perhaps. But for now, we can just admire our handiwork.” He leaned against his palms. The happiness in his expression drooped slightly. “You know…” He sat up then, eyes serious, and Xanthia felt a little shiver travel up and down her spine. “Have you been enjoying yourself here? It’s just… I’m not used to being with a princess like this. I don’t really interact with them beyond, well, you know. Taking them.”

  “Mokkan, you’ve been interacting with me for the past month or so. We’ve been fine, haven’t we? I haven’t given you any murderous glares or anything, right?”

  “Right,” he said dubiously. “I tend to worry I’m doing something wrong.”

  “Why?” Xanthia leaned on her elbow, genuinely curious. “You’re a mighty and powerful dragon. You shouldn’t need to worry about that.”

  “I was –” he hesitated, now appearing deeply uncomfortable. Xanthia’s ears perked up, sensing a secret lay trapped in his throat. Waiting to be released. “Not considered a very good dragon. I was the runt of the litter. Last to get food, last to be considered. People didn’t want to be my friend, or they did so simply to trick me out of my gold and items, because I liked handing them over. I liked seeing people happy, and I strived to make people happy.”

  Xanthia nodded, an inkling of understanding burrowing itself into her brain. She thought Mokkan seemed shy on occasions, and she noticed how his face always lit up when she thanked him for something he did.

  That’s a bad habit. I need to help him. Or even I’ll end up walking all over him.

  “In the end, I found that I could get friends if I became rich enough. Then people would want to visit me, trade with me, admire my princesses. So I ended up hoarding quite obsessively. And it worked!”

  “Um…” Xanthia raised a tentative hand. “I hate to put you down like this, but I don’t think the people who visited you then were really friends. They just wanted to associate with someone who was rich. And getting people to visit you because you’re rich isn’t a great idea for having friends, either. I know that from experience. Princesses are bitches.”

  “Oh.” Mokkan’s green eyes looked downcast. “You think so?”

  “I know so. And, Mokkan. You can be a great dragon. I saw the way you fought – you fought so bravely! You just need to work on your confidence a bit. And I promise you’ll have friends.”

  “Right. Well. I might have… made some friends during my Questing. I had to get some people to help me out, and they said they were happy to help me out at any time. No payment needed.”

  Xanthia nodded, smiling at the dragon. “See? You’re already doing it.”

  She saw a question weighing on his mind. She still didn’t know much about Mokkan, but felt like he was somehow… more human than the humans she’d associated with. Bound by the rules of their lunatic world, and an enemy of the Hundred Kingdoms.

  Just not her enemy.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Mokkan reached over to grasp her hand, though he did it as if frightened she would pull away. When Xanthia let him take it, he took a deep breath and said, “I’m afraid you�
��re going to go away. I mean, I know that you’re not bound to stay here. And that you said you’d stick around and help me out. But… I like having you around. I like…” he searched for the word, scowling for a moment, “being a team with you. I like seeing our progress together, and I like seeing you smile.”

  Oh.

  Xanthia’s cheeks decided to burn like coals in that instant, and the temperature of the room suddenly increased. She fanned her face with a free hand and laughed nervously, both embarrassed and oddly happy to hear that at the same time. To have someone admit they liked her.

  Okay, it was a dragon, but honestly, he looked damn good. With some more confidence ramming up his spine, he’d be so deliciously sexy that she’d want to drag him into bed and never leave it again.

  After all, those eyes glimmered out of his face in a dreamy, ethereal manner. His red hair should have denoted a temper, but he acted like a sweet, kind soul – something so rare, that Xanthia didn’t want to see him go. She wanted to watch this soul mature into something glorious, to become what she knew he could be. Not a dragon going to auctions, buying princesses, desperate for attention and to be acknowledged, but a dragon who set fire to things, roared and stamped everything around him to smithereens under the weight of his awesome strength.

  On impulse, Xanthia brought Mokkan’s hand to her lips and kissed it, eyes locked on his.

  “I say we have at least a few weeks’ worth of decorating yet. And then maybe you can show me around your favorite places. That probably will take another few weeks, right?”

  A breath-taking smile crept across his face as the words registered in his brain. He then shook his head and blinked, before clasping her hand in both of his.

  “You should get ready. The surprise will be here soon.”

  He went to get off the sofa, before pausing, then pulling Xanthia close and planting a gentle, feathery kiss upon her lips. Her heart fluttered strangely from the tender contact. His hands cupped her cheeks, and he kissed, not expertly, but patiently, waiting to see what she did next.

  Well, Xanthia wasn’t exactly an expert on kissing, either. So, she went along with it, close-mouthed at first, enjoying the rubbery texture of his lips brushing over hers, and closing her eyes to sink into the moment.

  She wanted to float away in that fragment of time, drift into the sky and take him with her, and drink in the warm, shivering feeling inside her forever, but she forced herself away, cleared her throat, and said, “I…”

  “Yeah,” Mokkan said, appearing slightly dazed. “Go dress. No distract.”

  “No distract,” Xanthia agreed.

  She shot away from the sofa before she changed her mind and dragged him with her, to explore the feelings further, to see just exactly how far they might go.

  She knew it was improper for her to do so, but she no longer felt like a princess of the Hundred Kingdoms. She felt like a princess of the Wilderness.

  A princess with a touch of feral blood in her.

  Maybe I’m more like my sister than I realized.

  Chapter Four

  Clad in an iridescent yellow dress, Xanthia watched from the living room as Mokkan introduced three people into his home. The cauldron hissed in the kitchen, minutes away from completing its set menu, and Xanthia gasped when she saw Ruelle as part of the crowd.

  “Ah, good to see you! Good to see you! Oh, Gallius, don’t you have your princess with you?”

  The blond-haired shifter shook his head, dark eyes crinkled in amusement. “No. I’m afraid I haven’t house-broken her enough yet to justify bringing her along. She might disrupt the dinner.”

  “Ah, shame. She’s a new one, yes?” Mokkan led the dragon through, and Xanthia didn’t take her eyes off her sister, a myriad of feelings bursting inside. Elation. Appreciation for Mokkan. Relief Ruelle was okay. Puzzlement Ruelle was still with a dragon. Ruelle spotted her sister and started waving frantically, grinning like a loon.

  “Yes. I stole her from a careless Quester. She was by far the noisiest I’ve ever dealt with, so I hired a voice stealer to take her voice. Called Vanessa, I believe. One of them central kingdom types.”

  Xanthia started laughing, making everyone turn to her in confusion.

  “Vanessa… I believe she used to be one I owned. Before I was defeated.”

  “Oh!” Gallius appeared embarrassed. “I didn’t know that!”

  “No worries. I’m better off without. Believe me,” Mokkan said, grinning. Gallius nodded in apparent relief, and Ruelle trotted over to her older sister, short blonde hair bouncing with her stride.

  “Hey, Xanthia. I’m glad you’re okay.” Ruelle awkwardly stepped forward for a hug, and Xanthia accepted it with warmth.

  “Hey. Ruelle. I’m so sorry for how I’ve treated you in the past. You didn’t deserve it. About calling you a freak and whatever.”

  “Hey! Calm down. Don’t get the confession roses yet,” Ruelle replied, smirking in that irritating way. “How come you haven’t been rescued yet?”

  “Gallius’ princess persuaded the Questers that I was already free, after they locked me in a closet. I got freed by intelligent mice, so it’s okay. But I’m probably not going to be on the Quest menu for a while.”

  “Oh.” Ruelle sniggered, holding a hand over her mouth, as Xanthia heard Mokkan address the other dragon as Kerric.

  “What about you, then?” Xanthia asked, now holding her arm out for her younger sister. It felt good to see a familiar face, and it filled Xanthia with happiness.

  “Oh. Um. I had a curse – another one placed on me that I couldn’t leave my dragon, or I’d die. I had to fight my Questers or persuade them to go away.”

  “Oh, wow,” Xanthia said, eyes wide.

  “It’s okay. I got over it. And Kerric’s such a sweetheart.”

  Sweetheart?

  Seated around the table as Mokkan brought over the food, Xanthia noted Ruelle’s subtle interactions with Kerric, the nudges under the table, the hand touches, the general flirting that convinced her that those two were a little more than just dragon and princess.

  The mystery meat food with vegetables tasted delicious, and the behaviour of Ruelle and Kerric made Xanthia’s mind float back to that incident on the sofa. The lingering stares. The wrought desire, barely contained in their eyes. Mokkan taking that black and white suit off so Xanthia could see the tightly packed muscles and feel them glide over her.

  The desire whipped itself up until Xanthia felt as if she couldn’t stand it. It took everything in her willpower to smile and act normal, while her feverish mind kept sifting through various scenarios of getting Mokkan to strip, and getting him to take her virginity, usually reserved for marriage to a prince.

  For all she knew, Mokkan might be a prince in his own right.

  And what he did here, to find Ruelle and bring her over without telling Xanthia – what a wonderful surprise. It made her smile.

  Mostly, the dragons talked about the Wilderness, about other clans and notable raids along the kingdoms. Ruelle and Xanthia were in the same boat when it came to knowledge of their kingdom, and when Xanthia regaled her tale under the hands of Vanessa and her cronies, Ruelle just sat there shaking her head, before laughing when understanding the same princess got caught again.

  “Seriously, she deserves to never be rescued. Locking you in a closet? What is wrong with her to do that?”

  “I know, right?” Xanthia nodded vigorously, a mix of guilt and happiness swimming in her from how, well… not freakish Ruelle was.

  I was a Vanessa to her. But she’s not taking it to heart. She’s… a better person than me.

  “We should come around more often,” Kerric said, rubbing his hands. “You have a wonderful place here. It’s so professional.”

  “Thank you,” Mokkan said, beaming with pride. “Xanthia and I worked on it together, when the Questers trashed it. She turned her tower into something like an inn.”

  “Ready for all the parties you’ll be hosting in the future,”
Xanthia said with a wink.

  Gallius slapped Mokkan’s back, impressed. “You got yourself a keeper, here! I wish all the princesses I’ve had before were like these two. You’re sisters, right? Maybe you had a good family?”

  “You could say that,” Ruelle murmured. “As far as dysfunctional royal families go, anyway.”

  “I was a total bitch to her,” Xanthia admitted. “I used to call her a freak. But now, well, I’m a freak too. I can’t hold that to her anymore.”

  Ruelle held her hand for a moment, a little teary-eyed.

  “Well, we better get going,” Kerric announced. “But I’d love to come around again.”

  “I have a game we can play, too,” Gallius said. “But you know how it is, trying to get enough people to sit around the table and play…”

  With a last hug from Ruelle, the guests left, with promises to come over again. Xanthia assured Gallius he never needed to bring Vanessa over. Ever.

  Alone at last, with nothing to inhibit her thoughts, Xanthia stalked right over to Mokkan, seized him by the hand, and dragged him to his bedroom. His expression turned from surprise to understanding rapidly, and when she slammed the bedroom door and draped her arms about his waist, he leaned forward to kiss her. It was at first soft, before intensifying, pressing his lips hard onto hers, tongue flicking, seeking hers.

  Cheeks burning, Xanthia moaned as the heat swarmed through her, coiling in fiery passion in her stomach. It flared so strongly that she thought she might boil to cinders with nothing remaining of her emotions but ashes. It didn’t take long for her to peel off his clothes and for him to do the same, and they tottered into the bedsheets, rolling and grasping at each other in hunger.

  Her life back in the kingdoms felt so far away, so insignificant, in light of the things they’d achieved together. In a way, she had Vanessa’s spitefulness to thank, as the Questers might have taken her back home and she’d never have heard from Mokkan again. Perhaps, without her filling his mouth with the health potion, he might have died.

  Even then, seeing him lying there, would I have protested? Would I have asked to stay behind?