The Shifter's Catch

by T. S. Ryder

  "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to go through that."

  Edan flashed her a small smile. "And then I found myself in this position. I always wanted love or nothing. I didn't want to be in a situation where I had to marry and produce an heir, so I was always grateful to be the youngest son. I'm certain that Zoelle and Clint love each other, but they didn't marry for love."

  "But if you want love, why . . . ?" Isobel slumped back and turned her face away. "Because you don't have a choice. And I guess I'm better than nothing."

  "It's not—"

  "It is. You picked me because you thought it was a done deal. And you stayed with me because I'm here and you don't want to have to find someone else." She fixed him with a steady gaze. "Don't try to deny it."

  He wanted to. He wasn't sure what the words he wanted to say were, though, so he sat back. "Anybody I pick will be in the same situation you are and I know that you and I get along well enough."

  "You're rich. Why don't you just buy someone?"

  Edan leaned forward. "Buy someone, huh? Okay. Name your price."

  Isobel pressed her mouth shut tight.

  "I can give you anything you want . . . Everything you want. Money is no object and you know that I'm willing to spend on you. So. Just name it, and it's yours."

  He had meant to pull back but kept moving forward. His lips brushed hers, then pressed harder. Her lips were soft and luscious and he found them drawing him in deeper. He moaned as he teased her lips apart, his fires singeing through his blood, craving more . . .

  Chapter Six – Isobel

  His mouth tasted smoky, like when a hot dog was cooked over an open fire. Isobel tasted him again and again as she slipped a hand between the buttons on his shirt. His chest was so smooth, his skin soft while his muscles were hard. Perfect for a man. One of his arms wrapped around her while the other moved to her breast. Even hooked up to machines that were beeping constantly, she was almost able to forget what brought her to the here and now of this place.

  Almost.

  Reluctantly, she pulled away. He followed her until she put her hands on his chest, stopping him. Edan smoothed her hair behind her ear and searched her face.

  "I can't," she whispered, actually disappointed. "I can't commit to a lifetime with you. So I . . . I just can't."

  "You don't have to commit to a lifetime." His rich baritone voice rumbled through her. "You just have to commit to a marriage and a baby. After that, you are free to have and do anything you want. Just, please, say yes to me. I need to have this, Isobel. And if not with you, then who? I know that's not flattering, but I have to think of what is the best for the kingdom."

  The desperation in his voice hurt and she winced. She wished she could just say yes and end his torment, but she knew it wasn't going to make him happy. Not when he had a brother who betrayed him like Brant had. And in the end, that was the greatest pain. Even if doing his duty was a chore, it was nothing compared to when he would have to eventually face his brother.

  But she didn't say any of that. "You deserve someone who can at least try to love you."

  "We don't usually get what we deserve or want. We can only focus on what we need. And I need you, Isobel. After the baby is born, you won't have any obligations. You can—"

  "I will have obligations. I won't abandon my child like my mother abandoned me. If I have a baby, that baby is my life. No exceptions."

  Somebody cleared their throat at the door and Isobel jumped. Zoelle stood in the doorway. The queen looked every bit deserving of the title with her long flowing hair and piercing gaze. There was tension in her shoulders and mouth, though, and the way her lashes clumped slightly told Isobel she had been crying, although not enough to turn her eyes red.

  "Edan, I need to speak with you," Zoelle said evenly. "There is a labor dispute in the city's public transit system and Clint isn't feeling up to mediating."

  "Of course." The dragon nodded and pressed a kiss to Isobel's cheek before he left the room.

  Once he was gone, Azalea plopped into the chair that had been occupied by Edan. She had disappeared halfway through her conversation with the prince, but that didn't necessarily mean that she hadn't been listening in. She always refused to tell Isobel where she had gone off to and Isobel had started to think that she couldn't actually go anywhere.

  "That pretty, elegant woman is trying to steal your man."

  "She's his sister-in-law. His brother's wife."

  Azalea yawned, stretching her back out. "And there has never, ever been a history of royals sleeping with each other's spouses. I see. Well, that's good to know. And it's also good to know that your man isn't desperate for a baby and—"

  "Shut up." Isobel's hands bunched into her blankets. "Besides, Edan isn't my man. It's not like that."

  "Oh, isn't it?"

  "No." Isobel could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and scowled in frustration with herself. There was no reason for her to get embarrassed by Zoelle's attitude and yet, that was exactly what was happening. Stupid ghost.

  Azalea smirked as she leaned back. "Come on. You're an expert at reading people and you haven't noticed the way that Edan looks at you? His feelings are deepening and it's not because he wants you to pop out an heir."

  Well, she wasn't even going to reward that with a reply. Utterly ridiculous. Not even worth bothering with. Isobel adjusted herself on the bed, then grabbed the glass of water that sat beside her and took a few sips from the straw. Three days in a creepy cave was enough to do a number on her, but fortunately, the palace doctors were good at what they did.

  "Lover boy won't wait forever."

  "Why should I even listen to you when you turned a coward and left me in the Phantom's Cave all by myself, huh?" Isobel narrowed her eyes. "You've done nothing but get me into trouble. You're a ghost. You wouldn't have died in there, and yet you split like a rabbit with its ass on fire."

  Azalea huffed. "I just thought you needed to have some time to figure things out on your own. I'm always here taking care of you and you never listen."

  "If I hadn't listened to you, I wouldn't have gone into that cave and I wouldn't be in a hospital right now."

  A nurse passed by and peered in curiously. Isobel pointed at her ear, which was covered by hair and mouthed "Bluetooth" at her. The nurse smiled and left. Isobel waited a moment before turning back to Azalea.

  "You seem to be around a lot more recently. Why's that? What do you want?"

  The ghost shrugged, but her expression was uneasy. "It's the drama. I'm finding it exciting."

  "Liar."

  Azalea narrowed her eyes, then shrugged again. "Fine. Whatever. It's this place. Maybe it's the dragons, but I'm just full of energy here. It's like . . . I'm not sure how to describe it. There is strong magic here and it's filling me with its power. But it's kind of scary. Something dark. Dangerous. So I'm sticking with you so I can help protect you."

  Protect me. Right. Isobel opened her mouth to snap back at her but even as she did so, she had to admit there was something different. The darkness of the cave was a million times worse, but after going in, she could feel something slippery just beyond her reach had followed her out. Maybe it was just her imagination. Maybe going to the cave had made her paranoid. Maybe it was Azalea messing with her.

  Or maybe her abilities had grown stronger and she just didn't know how to exercise them. Maybe she had brought something out of the cave with her. Maybe a spirit there had attached itself to her and was standing out of sight, licking its chops as it waited for just the right time to devour her.

  "Right. I'm not staying here."

  Isobel swung out of bed and grasped the rolling IV hanger thing to help her stay straight. She felt much stronger than she had when she arrived, but her leg ached terribly. It wasn't too difficult to walk, though.

  "You sure you shouldn't be in a wheelchair?" Azalea asked her as they shuffled along.

  "I'm fine. You just got me all nervous and I need to walk to calm down."


  Moving slowly, she went down the hallway and found her way to a balcony. Potted plants were all over the place, hiding sofas and chairs from each other. She got to the edge where she could look over the majestic scenery and plopped herself onto the sofa there.

  "Now, this is the life." She stretched out on it, sighing.

  A voice just behind her chuckled. "Hello."

  Isobel sprang to her feet again. She whirled to see a man in a wheelchair. But not just any man. The king. Her jaw dropped and she all-out gaped. He was clearly older than Edan, with gray streaks in his hair, but they shared the same eyes, nose, and lips. A blanket was tucked around his lap. Only one foot poked out. A crutch and artificial foot were strapped to the back of the chair. Isobel swallowed and bowed.

  "Pardon me, my lord. I didn't realize that—"

  "It's fine. Sit down, Isobel. I figure it's about time I meet the girl that has my brother smitten."

  "Whoever told you that is a lie," Isobel blurted. Her face reddened but she couldn't stop herself. "He's not smitten."

  Clint smiled warmly at her. He had the same lopsided dimple that Edan had. "Nobody has told me anything, but I have eyes. I have ears. Edan has never shown this much interest in a woman before. And he's had a lot of opportunities. The female dragons from five kingdoms have all thrown themselves at him, but the most he ever gave them was a smile and a polite refusal. But you're different."

  Isobel shifted uncomfortably. First Azalea and now the king himself? She was the expert when it came to reading people and she didn't see anything in Edan that proved what they were saying. Just that desperation – that need to produce an heir.

  "He's not smitten. He just really wants to have children. You know, for heirs, so the kingdom is stable."

  Oh crap. Isobel's glance fell to Clint's missing foot for a moment. Her cheeks flushed a brilliant red and she ducked her head. Well, that was not the right thing to say to the king who was in a terrible accident and whose infertility issues were the reason why Edan was so desperate to marry and have children.

  The king was silent for a moment before he smiled wryly. "Am I correct in saying that you don't know much about dragons?"

  Isobel nodded. Nobody knew much about dragons. They ruled the lands and had the occasional public appearance but other than that they might as well have been myths and gods.

  "Dragons are different from many other species. Often times we will make commitments to each other – become mates – before we really know or love our partners. It was that way with Zoelle and I as well as my parents and almost every other couple I know. We get together for practical reasons. But once those commitments are made, feelings take over. I hardly knew Zoelle when I married her, but a week after, I would have died for her. Now, it's like she's the other half of my soul."

  Isobel brushed her fingers through her hair, not liking where this was going.

  "Edan has made a commitment to you. It might not be the same sort of commitment yet, but he picked you because he was drawn to you and he's not going to let go without a fight. It's not love yet, but every day brings him closer to that." Clint patted her hand. "If you can't give him yourself, then I suggest you leave before his feelings get any deeper. I'm not trying to be cruel. I just want what's best for my brother."

  She didn't respond. What could she say to that?

  "If you are going to stay, however, marry him quickly. Give yourself to him. In my state, I can't stand against Brant and if Edan doesn't have a mate. I'm not sure who the generals will side with. So make your decision quickly, Isobel. Stay or let Edan pursue another. For his sake and the sake of the kingdom."

  Chapter Seven – Edan

  "So make your decision quickly, Isobel. Stay or let Edan pursue another. For his sake and the sake of the kingdom."

  What the hell was he doing? Edan's fires reared so high that a single flame licked his lips. This was inexcusable. He had been trying to make sure that Isobel knew he wasn't going to force her to do anything. Yeah, he wanted her and he thought she wanted him too, but he wasn't going to emotionally blackmail her into anything.

  It seemed that Clint had other ideas. Ideas he had no right to. Edan's fists clenched. Maybe the fate of the kingdom was resting on him, but did that mean he had no right to his own life?

  Yes, a voice whispered in the back of his mind, but he shoved it away.

  He stormed through the plants to the edge of the balcony and narrowed his eyes at his brother. If Clint was surprised to see him, he made no indication of it. Isobel, however, jumped.

  "Mind your own business, Clint."

  "What you and this young human do together affect the kingdom. It is my business." Clint's voice was, as usual, calm and even. "Isobel needs to know the stakes."

  Edan swallowed his flames back down, though he longed to unleash them. He wasn't certain what part of what Clint said was making him so angry – he just knew it was. It was wrong for Clint, even though he was king, to make Isobel feel like she had no choice in the matter. But did either of them really have any choice?

  Of course they did.

  "She already knows the stakes and I bet she doesn't appreciate us talking like she isn't here."

  Isobel snorted. "You realize you just did the same thing, right?"

  Edan grimaced briefly before narrowing his eyes at Clint again. "I can take care of this myself."

  "See that you do – and quickly."

  Edan didn't even bother to answer that. Letting out a deep huff, he turned to where Isobel sat on the couch. What had she been doing getting up and walking all over the place anyway?

  "You're injured," he said gruffly. "You need to be in bed, recovering. Come here."

  He picked her up, tucking her close to his heart. She grabbed the IV tower and dragged it with them as he headed back to her hospital room. His fires still roared at the crap Clint had pulled with her, but having her close calmed them somewhat. By the time they reached her room, they had returned to normal and he released a breath of smoke.

  "I could have walked," Isobel said as he placed her in her bed and tucked the blankets around her.

  Edan paused a moment, then tucked a stray golden tendril away from her face. "If you wanted to walk, you could have said something earlier."

  The human scowled, her nose wrinkling in such an adorable manner that it made him want to kiss it. She pulled the blankets to her armpits and shrugged.

  "I am sorry for talking over you," he continued. "I was mad at my brother for ambushing you."

  "One, he didn't ambush me. Two . . . he said some things that I needed to hear. So you should apologize to him, too."

  Edan nodded slowly before taking her hand in his. "I don't want you to feel pressured."

  "Kinda hard not to when everything is riding on this thing between us." Isobel shuddered. "But then again, I guess that is how you feel, isn't it? You have to get married and have a kid right off the bat... But why you don't just announce what Brant did and let the world know he's not in line for the throne—?"

  "Dragons don't work that way. To have such a division would invite the other kingdoms to back Brant and challenge Clint. He'd die if that happened. But you don't have to think that it’s either marry me or destroy the kingdom. I will face Brant if I need to. I will fight him for the kingdom."

  "And you would be okay with that? Fighting your brother? Possibly killing him?"

  Edan couldn't stop himself from flinching. Isobel leaned back, her face clouding. He wasn't sure what to say now. She was giving him a studious look that seemed to pierce into his soul. After a moment, she shook her head.

  "I don't think you could. He is your brother and you still love him. You still hold out hope for him." Her hand turned over and pressed into his palm. "I don't want you to have to fight him. So tell me, my prince, what would marriage to you entail?"

  Hadn't he already told her that? "You would have everything you want. Every penny in my name would belong to you as well. You would never want for anything."

/>   Isobel rolled her eyes. "I know that. But what would marriage to you, not the prince, entail?"

  "I am the prince. Marriage to me would be marriage to him."

  "But what would you personally bring? Not the money. The emotion."

  The question surprised him and, for a long moment, he wasn't sure how to answer. He had always been the prince and, even if he didn't have the obligations his brothers did, there was nothing that wasn't superseded by the crown. What would he give his wife? Everything he wanted her to give him.

  "I would cherish you," he said eventually. "I would do my best to make sure you were never lonely again."

  "Would you go into the cave with me?"

  At first, he wasn't sure what she meant. But he quickly remembered the darkness closing in on him, the feeling of his flames being smothered. It was an evil place, he had no doubt about that. And yet . . .

  "Yes. I would go to make sure you come back to me."

  After a long moment, she nodded. "Okay. Then maybe I will start thinking seriously of marrying you. Now. What's your favorite food?"

  ***

  Edan pulled in a deep breath as the knock sounded on his door. After his blow-up at Clint, he and Isobel had talked for hours before she fell asleep. He never noticed how many walls she had up until they were gone. If he could have, he would have stayed and watched her sleep, relaxed, her hand in his and a small smile on her face.

  Of course, it hadn't lasted long. Soon after she fell asleep, a servant had come to him saying that Clint was going to see him in his apartment. It was rare for Clint to set up such a formal meeting in such a private space, so Edan had rushed to his apartment at once and tidied it up (he didn't like people in his personal space so he refused to let the housekeepers in except on desperate occasions) in preparation for the king's visit.