The Helpful Swan

A Cob Brothers Story

By Amber Kell and Stephani Hecht

Resplendence Publishing, LLC

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

Resplendence Publishing, LLC
2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349
Daytona Beach, FL 32118

The Helpful Swan

Copyright © 2012 Amber Kel and Stephani Hecht

Edited by Delaney Sullivan and Jason Huffman
Cover art by Les Byerley,

www.les3photo8.com

Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-506-9

Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including
infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable
by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Electronic Release: May 2012

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product
of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

The Dedication

To our loving husbands:

Thanks for putting up with all our moods, fits and temper tantrums.

Chapter One

Kedrik was walking down the sidewalk with his flavor of the night, whose name he’d

already forgotten, when a man in a shop window caught Kedrik’s eye. He noticed the stranger’s

hands—long fingers carefully positioning a pair of women’s heels in the window. The unknown

person stole Kedrik’s breath as well as his attention, halting him in his tracks.

Lust hit him so hard he thought he’d been blindsided—by a train or a semi or something

really big and fast.

Everything he had went hard when he saw the leather boots the man wore. They were

black, curved up his calves and had shiny silver buckles Kedrik longed to undo with his teeth.

“Hey, Kedrik.”

A tugging on his arm had him turning an annoyed gaze to his date, Phil, or Peter or

something. “What?”

“I thought we were having dinner, not staring at the dude in the window?”

Just then, the man they were talking about turned, and Kedrik felt a punch of desire right

in the gut. Intense green eyes, as rich as any forest, locked with his and made him shiver with

need.

A connection strummed between them. Kedrik had to forcibly jerk his gaze from the sexy

man. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Every step he took farther away from the shop felt wrong. His instincts told him to rush

back and beg the man for attention, but he resisted. Princes didn’t beg.

Straightening his spine, he gave his date a brilliant smile and was pleased when his

companion’s eyes glazed over with lust. Maybe taking the guy home and screwing his brains out

would get rid of some of the overpowering need jolting through his system.

* * * *

Two days later, he stopped in front of the shop again. He couldn’t get the man out of his

mind despite a couple more nights of hard sex. Last night, he could only come when he imagined

having those big hands across his skin.

A closer examination of the store showed it was high-end shoe shop. The kind of place

people spent a lot of money to pamper their feet with leather shoes that looked to be hand

stitched and made from premium hide.

Curiosity made him open the door while need had him searching the store for the

handsome man from a few nights before.

“Can I help you?”

The female voice behind him churned his stomach in disappointment. An extremely

pretty woman with shocking pink hair and a black leather bustier over a white blouse smiled at

him. When she stepped out from behind the counter, Kedrik saw she wore a short leather skirt,

black stockings and ankle length leather boots. She looked good but not half as amazing as the

sex god of his dreams.

“I saw this place when I walked by the other night. I thought I’d check it out,” Kedrik

confessed. He’d rather examine the man in the window, up close and personal, but it didn’t look

as if the leather-clad honey would be on the menu today.

He had to admit, the level of despondency he felt over not getting to talk to a complete

stranger was over the top. Turning to the first rack he reached, he began to look at the wares,

halfheartedly glancing over some shiny tasseled loafers. His interest in the goods paled next to

his interest in the man.

“Well, let me know if you need help with anything.” Her tone invited him to do whatever

he wanted with her, but he’d never been the type to play with girly bits.

“I’ve got this one, Jane.”

A deep, delicious voice sent shivers up and down Kedrik’s spine. Turning, he met a pair

of familiar green eyes and a voice inside him whispered.

I’m sooo in lust.

“I’m Cadell Shumaker. The owner of this place.”

The gorgeous man wore a form hugging T-shirt with a leather strap tied to his right bicep.

A pair of black jeans covered his lower half. Kedrik couldn’t tell because of the jeans, but he

thought the boots were the same ones the man had worn the other night.

An odd outfit for a shoe store, but Kedrik’s rapidly beating heart couldn’t find any fault

in it. Kedrik’s cock rose at the testosterone pouring off the sexy man. Never one to deny himself,

Kedrik knew he’d pounce as soon as he had the opportunity. He didn’t hold the title of family

slut for nothing.

He accepted the hand held out to him. “I’m Kedrik Cob.”

Cadell had met many, many pretty boys in his life. Kedrik Cob put them to shame. But

then he’d been in love with the prince since childhood, so he knew Kedrik’s features better than

anyone else in his life. Kedrik’s blond hair hinted more at gold than ordinary yellow, his face had

high cheekbones, liquid brown eyes with flecks of gold and flawless honey-tinted skin that

begged for Cade’s hand to mark it up. To top it all off, his body was the work of Cade’s

dominant dreams.

Kedrik wasn’t the typical skinny twink, although he barely came to Cade’s shoulder. The

younger man had a tight, muscular build that showed he knew how to take care of himself. Cade

knew Kedrik had earned his physique from horseback riding and other outdoor pursuits. Now,

finally, he had a chance to meet him one-on-one and maybe claim his prize.

When Cade had seen the man the other night, it had taken all of his self-control not to

chase the man down the street and physically take him from his date. He could tell the man

Kedrik had been with was unworthy. After all, he wasn’t Cade.

Cade tilted his head toward Jane, telling her to help the customer who’d just come in. No

one got to help Kedrik but Cade.

“Is there something you’re looking for?”

Kedrik stared Cade up and down. His gaze, more a visual caress than a mere glance,

made Cade harder than hell. When had a man ever turned him inside out with only his eyes?

Never. His mother had done a damned fine job when she’d chosen Cade’s mate.

“I think I found what I was looking for.” Kedrik stepped closer and for the first time,

Cade almost stepped back from another man’s challenge.

“You think so?” Cade teased. Seeing Jane busy with a customer, Cade grabbed Kedrik’s

wrist and dragged him to the backroom behind the “employee’s only” door. Pulling it open, he

yanked Kedrik inside and locked the handle behind him. “You think you can handle me?”

Beneath Kedrik’s gaze, he pulled off the tie around his arm. With quick, practiced

motions, he yanked Kedrik’s arms behind him and bound his wrists together. The younger man

made a soft sound.

“If I’m going too far, too fast, you say stop, and I’ll stop.” If Kedrik said he’d had enough

Cade would end everything.

Kedrik wiggled his arms a bit. “I’m good.” Lust made his pupils look large as he gazed

up at Cade. Kedrik licked his lips. The swipe of his pink tongue left his lips wet and welcoming.

Unable to resist the allure, Cade plunged his fingers into Kedrik’s silky hair and pulled

him to his toes so he could plunder the soft, tempting mouth.

Sweet.

The hot, beautiful man tasted like sugar beneath Cade’s tongue, making him wonder what

Kedrik had eaten before he’d come to hunt down Cade. He liked a man who knew what he

wanted, especially this man that Cade had waited so long for.

Yanking Kedrik higher on his toes, Cade put him off balance until Kedrik had to let Cade

support him. His lean, muscled body relaxed against Cade, their erections brushing together as

desire hit him with a tsunami-like force.

He gave Kedrik no choice as he pushed the smaller man against the wall and lifted him

by his ass. “Wrap your legs around me.”

Cupping Kedrik’s butt cheeks, Cade held Kedrik up between his body and the wall. Their

cocks pressed together causing dual moans. He stopped caring if the entire world heard them.

There was nothing but heat, need and Kedrik.

Cade broke the kiss to dip down his head and bite Kedrik’s neck.

Mark him.

This man needed to have a sign that he belonged to Cade. He’d never felt this level of

possessiveness before. Of course, none of his other lovers had been marked as Cade’s mate since

early childhood, but Kedrik didn’t know that yet.

Cade bit again, pleased when Kedrik’s hips convulsed against him.

“Mine,” he growled against Kedrik’s skin. “You don’t let others touch you.”

Kedrik moaned, rubbing against him.

Cade pinned Kedrik’s hips. “No. Repeat after me. I belong to Cade.”

The blond shook his head. “No. I…”

“Belong to me!” Cade insisted. “Say it!”

“I belong to you.” Kedrik sighed as if a great weight had lifted off his chest with those

words.

“Good. I’m gonna make you come and then you’re going to suck me. Understand?”

Kedrik nodded. “Yes, please.”

Normally, Cade preferred his lovers to suck him first to take off the edge, but he had a

deep-seated need to smell the man’s cum, to paint his stomach with Kedrik’s seed. The odd

thought almost drew him out of his lust-filled desire but Kedrik leaned up and offered his mouth,

wiping away Cade’s thoughts. Cade cupped one hand around the back of Kedrik’s head to steady

his lips and wiggled the other one into Kedrik’s pants, wrapping it around his cock.

Cade broke the kiss, startled by what his hand encountered. Looking down, a low growl

of need rolled from his throat. His new sub was hung like a horse, a well-endowed horse.

“It’s a good thing you’re a bottom. I don’t think many would want to have you ream their

ass with that monster.”

Kedrik gave him a sly smile. “You’d be surprised.”

Fury ran through Cade, hot and swift. He wanted to rip apart anyone who’d dared to

touch his man. He gripped Kedrik’s shaft, hard enough the other man understood the message

but not tight enough to cause any true pain. “They’d best not experience it again. This belongs to

me now! Doesn’t it?”

Kedrik nodded, panting as Cade handled his cock with an experienced touch.

“Say the words.”

“It belongs to you.”

“Good boy.” He pumped Kedrik up and down and thought of all the delightful ways he

could train the man.

Kedrik’s eyes snapped open, and Cade found himself the focus of a fierce expression in

those usually warm eyes. “I’m not a boy!”

Kedrik’s icy cold tone, despite their intimate connection, almost made Cade take a step

back. He suppressed that instinct even as his desire spiked at the note of command in Kedrik’s

voice. He was offering Cade a precious gift. Something Cade knew that Kedrik didn’t take

lightly. Kedrik gave in because he found a man worthy of his submission. Cade would take

everything given and make Kedrik work for more.

Pride pulsed through Cade’s body. “Understood. As long as you remember you’re mine.”

Kedrik’s mouth quirked up in one corner. “I belong to myself, but I might let you borrow

me for a bit.”

Cade laughed. “Good.”

He captured Kedrik’s lips again, ratcheting back up their desire until Kedrik was once

more moaning and writhing against him. Wrapping his hand around Kedrik’s large erection, he

pumped the shaft, not bothering to hide his smile at the younger man’s desperate noises as

Kedrik bucked against his touch. Cade paused his hand to let Kedrik know who was in charge of

the situation.

A quiet whimper of distress slipped past Kedrik’s lips.

Cade gave in and moved his hand again. He would show Kedrik who would be in charge

of their relationship later. This first time he wanted Kedrik to experience nothing but pleasure.

Taking another kiss just because he could, he lavished attention on his lover’s sexy

mouth and absorbed the soft sounds directly from Kedrik’s lips. Pumping and squeezing

Kedrik’s cock, he coaxed Kedrik to the edge of orgasm. “Come,” he whispered against Kedrik’s

lips.

With a cry, Kedrik came. The warm splash of semen against Cade’s stomach almost set

him off. The scent of Kedrik’s release made Cade harder than stone. He’d never had another

lover smell so goo d.

Kedrik panted as Cade set him back on the ground. He wobbled a little on his shaky feet.

“Suck me,” Cade demanded.

Unable to wait for Kedrik to gather his composure, Cade all but ripped his jeans open and

freed his cock. He wasn’t as big as Kedrik, but he figured Kedrik’s ass would be thankful for that

small mercy when they got around to fucking. He helped Kedrik to his knees and just as he was

about to feel that perfect mouth around him, someone banged on the door.

“I’m going on lunch break,” Jane shouted.

“Lock the door and put the ‘be back later’ sign up when you leave.” Cade didn’t want to

be interrupted by an actual customer.

“Enjoy your sex!” The laughter in Jane’s voice made him smile. She was a good friend.

He heard her move away and was startled when Kedrik leaned away from him.

“Do you often drag strangers into the back room for sex?” The hurt look in Kedrik’s eyes

stabbed him in the heart.

He stroked Kedrik’s soft hair in a soothing gesture he’d never offered a lover before.

“No, but she saw me take you in here and correctly figured out what I was up to. Two men don’t

usually spend a lot of time together in the backroom discussing their shoe size.”

Kedrik’s eyes warmed again, making Cade feel like he’d won the fucking lottery. He had

a feeling the sweet man on his knees before him was going to be high maintenance. Good thing

Cade knew how to use a firm hand.

“Enough talking. Suck me.”

He thought Kedrik would argue, but instead, he got a warm smile and the hottest mouth

he’d ever felt wrapped around his dick. He almost came with the first suck like a seventeen-year-

old boy.

Cade moaned, letting Kedrik hear his enjoyment. He wouldn’t always be so generous

with his sounds, but damn, this first time he couldn’t resist. He plunged his fingers into Kedrik’s

silky hair. He could easily become obsessed with Kedrik’s sunshine-colored strands.

Kedrik opened wider and sucked Cade down to the root, something none of his previous

lovers, even the extremely experienced ones, had been able to do.

“Oh, fuck.”

The man must completely lack a gag reflex.

It took an embarrassingly short amount of time before he came down Kedrik’s throat.

Hell, he didn’t even have the decency to ask if it was all right before he shot more cum from his

body than he’d previously thought possible.

When he finally softened and slipped from between Kedrik’s lips, he had to put a hand on

the opposite wall to prevent himself from falling head first onto him.

Taking a deep breath, he reached down and helped Kedrik to his feet. With a quick flick

of his wrist, he removed the leather binding and let it drop to the ground as he kissed Kedrik

again.

Fuck, he was addicted. His mother’s childhood story had finally come true.

Mate.

The signs were all there. He’d denied it as well as he could, but Kedrik was indeed

Cade’s mate. His interfering mother had told Cade she’d marked the young prince, but Cade had

always discounted it, along with the stories of her great magical power, which he’d never seen in

evidence. His sister had more ability in her little finger than his mother had ever shown.

However, as soon as he saw the prince again, the man Cade had followed across worlds, he knew

in this case, his mother had gotten it right. Cade had just enough elf blood in him to feel the pulse

of nature, to weave his work with more craftsmanship than most and apparently, if his mother’s

stories were true, to find his one true mate.

What the fuck was he going to do now?

Chapter Two

Cade must not have been the only one to feel the connection because Kedrik let out a soft

gasp, those gorgeous eyes of his growing wide with shock.

His fearful gaze locked in on Cade’s face and one single word slipped from his lips.

“Stop.”

While it wasn’t an official safe word, it was close enough, and Cade knew he had to back

off, or risk losing Kedrik’s trust forever. He retreated a couple of steps but didn’t go as far as

leaving the room.

Kedrik shook his head slightly, his face paling. “I just…I’m not ready. It’s too much.”

In Cade’s opinion, it wasn’t soon enough. He’d been watching the prince from afar for

years. He’d seen how Kedrik had drifted, in need of an anchor. Cade also knew he was the one

that could finally give Kedrik the grounding he desired.

Now wasn’t the time to point all that out, though. Damn it all.

Reaching out, Cade brushed his knuckles along Kedrik’s cheek. “You have two days.

That’s how long I’m going to give you to get used to this. I’ll be here, waiting for you.”

Kedrik nodded, his lips slightly parted in shock. He quickly adjusted his clothing and

rushed to the door. Just as he was opening it, Cade gave his final order.

“Just know this. You belong to me. So, I’d better not find out you were playing around

with another one of your fuck buddies. You better not come by your own hand, either. Your

pleasure is only mine to give, and I’m going to be very selfish with that gift.”

A slight whimper came from Kedrik, and Cade didn’t need his enhanced elf senses to

know his orders turned the prince on like nobody’s business. After a pause, Kedrik gave another

nod.

“No, I want to hear you say it,” Cade commanded sharply.

“Yes…sir.”

It didn’t go unnoticed that the last word seemed to be forced. As if Kedrik wasn’t

accustomed to using the honorific. It gave Cade a heady pleasure to know that he and he alone

had been the only one on the receiving end of it.

Kedrik rushed out, the sound of his footsteps soon followed by the tinkling of the bell

above the door. Cade lingered in the backroom, his mind replaying the encounter.

All in all, it hadn’t gone too badly, even with Kedrik pulling the scared rabbit act at the

end. Cade even allowed himself to grin in satisfaction.

Making sure everything important was tucked in, he walked out into the store. For the

rest of the workday, all Cade could think about was Kedrik and his sexy, little smile. Damn that

prince was going to drive Cade crazy at this rate.

* * * *

The next morning, Cade woke up grumpy since he hadn’t gotten much sleep. All he’d

done was toss and turn as he thought about how long it would be before he saw Kedrik again. As

Cade stumbled into the kitchen, he had only one thought on his mind—coffee! When he saw

Zara waiting for him, Cade’s mood went from cranky to pissed.

Damn it, why did his sister have to pick now of all times to pop in unannounced? She sat

cross-legged on top of the counter with a bored expression on her face.

“Zara, nice to see that you dressed up just for me,” Cade said sarcastically.

Not that he should be surprised. Zara had always had her own take on fashion and it was

never good. Today, she had her long, brown hair so ratted out that a whole family of field mice

could have lived in there unnoticed. Her lips were slathered with a heavy coat of red lipstick and

dark liner surrounded her green eyes.

Her clothes somehow managed to be worse. All black, from her torn fishnet stockings to

her ripped multilayered dress, she looked like a version of reject pirate wench meets turn-of-the-

century barmaid.

She smirked. “Somebody is being tricky.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

One could never be certain with Zara since she liked to speak in riddles and half-truths.

“You didn’t tell the princey that you’ve been lusting after him for years.” She shook a

finger at him.

“It’s none of your business what goes on between me and Kedrik.”

She let out a shrill laugh. “What do you consider your little prince will think when he

finds out you’re an elf and knew all along who he was?”

“I’ll tell him when the time is right. I have no intention of keeping him in the dark

forever.”

“No, you just plan on fucking him into submission and then hoping he’ll fall so in love

with you it won’t matter that you’ve been stalking him for years.”

“I haven’t been stalking him,” Cade snarled.

Normally when he used that tone, people backed down. Not so with Zara. Be it because

she had a major set of chesticles or the fact that she was bat-shit crazy, she didn’t fear Cade in

the least.

She hopped down from the counter and slowly made her way toward him. “Not stalking

him? Really? Then what exactly have you been doing? Because if you ask me, pining away for

somebody and following their every move seems like the perfect definition of stalking. Hell,

brother, you even followed him to Earth. Anymore stalkerish and we’d have to buy you a

windowless van and a high-powered camera.”

Ouch! That almost came close enough to the truth to hurt. Not the van and camera part,

but all the rest. Cade had been harboring an attraction to Kedrik for years. Ever since his mother

had told him the prince would be his mate.

He still recalled the first time he’d actually laid eyes on the prince. It’d been five years

ago, when an elf contingent had traveled to Aria to discuss elf and human relations with the king

and queen.

While Cade should have been giving his undivided attention to the royal couple, his gaze

had been continually drawn to their third eldest son. Kedrik had been young at the time, but Cade

could clearly see the signs of the man he would become.

He’d also seen a brat who was in desperate need of being reined in. Even then, Kedrik

had several men panting after him, and the prince had gone through them faster than Zara went

through underwear.

It had killed Cade to stand by and watch all those bastards touching what belonged to

him. But Cade had forced himself to hold back from lashing out at them for two reasons. First,

he knew Kedrik wasn’t ready for the type of relationship that Cade sought. Second, the queen

would have sooner murdered her own son than see him mated to an elf.

To say the old queen was a bigoted bitch would have been a vast understatement. She

hadn’t wanted any of her sons to be with another man, let alone one who was a different species.

Only the finest Aria born women would do for her princes.

After the queen and king succumbed to the plague, Cade held back from claiming his

mate to give Kedrik time to grieve. When the prince left the realm to live on Earth, Cade knew

his time of waiting had come to an end. He’d followed Kedrik then set up his own business.

Once he’d had everything established, he’d cast a spell over the premises to attract Kedrik’s

attention.

Although, truth be told, Cade probably hadn’t needed the spell after all. It hadn’t escaped

him that Kedrik was naturally drawn to leather. It’s one of the reasons they were so perfect for

each other.

“What’s the real reason you’re here, Zara? I know it sure as hell isn’t because you missed

me and wanted to catch up,” Cade snapped.

When Zara gave him a satisfied smile, much like the cat that had just stomped on the

canary, Cade knew it wasn’t good. She even tilted her head to the side and let out a satisfied

purring sound.

“I have news about your wee, bitty princey boy.”

There was nothing wee or bitty about Kedrik, but Cade kept that fact to himself. If Zara

did indeed have some information about Kedrik, something told Cade he needed to find out what

the hell it was.

“Fine, tell me.”

She let out another one of those shrill laughs, even going so far as to bounce a few times

on balls of her feet. “I’ve gotta secret and you want to know.”

Cade repressed a shudder in response to the madness fairly rolling off of her. While he

did love her, sometimes even he had a hard time understanding her behavior. Sadly, she wasn’t

the only unbalanced one in the family. Many elves were mentally unstable. It was a trait that had

plagued them for centuries and nobody had ever been able to figure out why.

“Come on, we both know you want to tell me the secret. Otherwise, you would have

never come here,” Cade reasoned.

She paused mid-laugh, her lips pursed together in thoughtful O. “You think so?”

“I know so.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Oh, okay then, I guess I can tell you.” She smiled. “Someone evil is being tricksy in

Aria, and it wants to kill all the princes, including your pretty one.”

Fear coursed through Cade, soon followed by anger. The mere thought of Kedrik being in

danger set off all of Cade’s protective instincts. “Who’s being tricky?”

“They say it’s the sister. That she’s corrupted by the blackness and seeks to kill all the

other heirs.”

A low growl rumbled from his chest. “Are you telling me that Kedrik is in danger of

being attacked?”

“No, it’s already happened.”

Cade’s chest grew tight. “That’s impossible. He was just with me yesterday, and he was

fine.”

“Magic works in such erratic ways. What affects those immediately sometimes hits

others later.”

“Damn it! What does that mean?”

He knew he’d pushed her too hard when she began to hum under her breath while

twirling a piece of ratty hair around her finger. Desperate for answers, Cade went over and gently

grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Please, Zara, tell me. You know how much he means to me. If you have any love for me

then you’ll help.”

Her eyes cleared as she focused on his face. “Kedrik is in grave danger. The word is that

his sister has sent hunters for all the brothers and that they have a heavy price on their heads.”

Cade let a loud curse and started for the door.

“Where are you going?” Zara asked.

“Where do you think? I have to go warn him.”

More than that, Cade had to find some place where they could hole up until he found a

way to keep Kedrik safe for good—if that meant killing the prince’s sister then so be it.

“Oh, no!” Zara breathed.

Cade froze. Something in the way she’d spoken told him he was in for even more bad

news. “What?”

She walked slowly to the front window and stared out. “The sun is out.”

“So? What does that have to do with anything?”

“It means that Kedrik has already taken flight.”

What in the hell does that mean? “Is he going to die?”

“Not yet. The fairy made sure of that.”

“Who?”

“His fairy godmother, of course.” Zara pressed her lips together. “She’s an odd one, isn’t

she?”

Said the pot. “But the hunters are still coming, aren’t they?”

“Yes, not even she can stop them. Just like she can’t completely stop the curse.”

“What curse?”

“The one Kedrik’s sister cast.” Zara stomped her foot impatiently. “Are you listening to

me at all?”

“I’m trying, but you’re really making it difficult.”

She made shooing motions with her hands. “Well, what are you waiting for? You need to

get going? If the hunters find Kedrik before you do then your prince will be no better off than a

heap of road kill.”

Yeah, Zara really did have a way with words.

Not waiting around to hear another dose of her riddles, Cade rushed outside to his

compact car. As he ran

,

he prayed to every deity he could think of that he got there in time. He

also cursed the fact that he couldn’t transport from place-to-place like other elves could. When

he’d asked to come to Earth, he’d been forced to give up some of his gifts in return and damned

if that wasn’t one of them. That and controlling nature were his biggest losses. Zara could still

even throw fireballs. How was that fair?

Turning the corner, he found the road completely blocked by traffic. Flashing lights

pulsed up ahead, indicating an early morning accident, and from the looks of it, it wouldn’t be

clearing up any time soon.

“Damn it!” Cade yelled, slamming his palm against the steering wheel.

He briefly debated going in reverse and finding another route, but more cars pulled up

behind him, effectively boxing him in. Fear clawed at Cade’s chest. It wasn’t lost on him that

Kedrik could very well be under attack at that moment.

Growling out another curse, he turned off his car and abandoned it where it sat. If it got

towed or stolen, so be it. The car he could easily replace. The same couldn’t be said about

Kedrik.

Running as fast as he could, Cade raced down the sidewalk to Kedrik’s apartment.

Thanks to what Zara termed as his stalking, Cade knew exactly where the prince lived.

Pushing his way through the front entrance of the upscale apartment complex, Cade

bypassed the elevator and rushed up the fire stairs to the third floor. Once there, it only took him

a second to locate Kedrik’s unit.

Pounding on the door, Cade called, “Kedrik, I need you to open up. It’s important that I

talk to you.”

As the minutes ticked by without Kedrik answering, Cade’s stomach dropped. After

Kedrik still didn’t come to the door, Cade decided that he needed to take drastic measures.

Lifting his foot, he kicked in the wood.

Normally, the heavy oak would have withstood an assault, but since he was an elf, he was

much stronger than any human. The door slammed open and split up the center, leaving behind

all kinds of interesting damage.

Even before Cade walked inside, he knew things weren’t good. While he didn’t see

Kedrik being the best of housekeepers, somehow Cade doubted he’d be this messy.

Furniture was tipped over and thrown about, most of the couch cushions were ripped

open and stuffing littered the floor. Papers, glass and other broken items joined the disorder.

“Kedrik!” Cade yelled, although he could already sense nobody else was present.

He blanched when he noted smears of blood marring a shattered window in the living

room. Several white feathers were caught up in the jagged edges of the glass. Grabbing one,

Cade blanched as his sister’s words came back to him.

Kedrik has already taken flight.

Oh, shit! This wasn’t good. Not by a long shot. Because if what Cade suspected was true

then his prince was now something else and it sure as hell wasn’t human.

Chapter Three

When Kedrik came back to his senses, he started shivering. The smell of chlorine filled

the air. Where the hell was he? Blinking, he saw a ring of lounge chairs circled the water he

found himself in. Kicking his legs to stay afloat, Kedrik’s skin prickled and goose bumps

skittered across his body as he realized he was alone in a strange pool. Why would a bird stop at

a patch of water filled with chlorine? He'd have thought his bird senses would’ve found a lake, or

a pond or hell even a fountain.

Memories of hunters storming through his apartment flashed through his mind like a bad

movie. Identical figures in black carrying weapons and attempting to kill or capture him. He

hadn’t stuck around long enough to try and figure out which.

What was going on? And how the fuck had he turned into a swan? He distinctly

remembered flying, which was kind of cool but exhausting, and finding water, which turned out

to smell wrong to his bird senses but he’d been too tired to fly off again. Flying took a lot of

energy when you weren’t used to flapping your wings or even having wings. He didn’t know

how it had happened but one minute he was trying not to get killed then the next he was flapping

his wings out a building.

Kedrik absently rubbed his arm. His left one hurt. In the water, he couldn’t see what was

wrong with it, but it burned like a paper cut rubbed with lemon.

Looking down, he could see he was completely naked in the pool, which made sense

because he was almost certain swans didn’t wear swimming trunks. Luckily, it was cool enough

outside that no one lounged by the poolside or he’d have even bigger questions to answer.

Crap!

What was he going to do? The pool sat squat in the middle of an apartment complex with

a frightening amount of windows facing the water. Baring his naked man bits to anyone looking

out the window didn’t strike him as a fun way to pass the night.

His arms shook as if he’d lifted too much weight and his spine ached from twisting into

shapes not meant for a human. Images of his brothers went through his head. He had to get hold

of them and make sure they were safe. If hunters were tracking him, his siblings were

undoubtedly having the same issues. His mouth went dry as he thought of what foul magic must

have been raised to transform him into a swan against nature and will.

Were all his brothers turning into swans? What could they do to stop it? All spells had an

escape plan. It was just a matter of finding it.

Kedrik’s stomach growled, reminding him it had been a long time since he last ate. His

human stomach definitely didn’t appreciate the addition of chlorine water sloshing about his

insides.

The breeze iced over his already cold skin, and he wished desperately for Cade. But

should he? Kedrik didn’t know if he could trust the man and he certainly wouldn’t be the first

person in history to be betrayed by a lover. Unfortunately, Cade was the only man Kedrik had

ever felt such an instant connection to. Now in this vulnerable state, he longed for the man he’d

shoved away before.

“There you are, pet.”

Kedrik snapped his head around at Cade’s relieved tone. “Cade! What are you doing

here?”

Finally spotting a set of stairs, Kedrik swam toward it until he could grab the hand held

out to him at the top of the pool. Without hesitation, he threw himself in Cade’s arms. Merely

seeing someone familiar settled his nerves.

“Here, babe, put this on.” Cade slid off his jacket and handed it over.

Kedrik blushed as he remembered his nudity. Excitement over Cade’s appearance had

scattered his mind. Fingers shaking, Kedrik tried to do up the zipper. After a minute of fumbling,

his hands were gently brushed away.

“Hey, I’ll do that. Are you all right?” Cade’s calm, reassuring voice settled Kedrik’s

nerves.

He nodded. It took him a second to collect his thoughts enough to respond.

“How did you find me? Why did you find me?” The pure relief at being found faded as

Kedrik wondered how Cade knew where he was.

“You’re in my apartment complex. I went to your place to talk to you and found broken

glass and blood. I’ve been searching for you all day. When I couldn’t find you, I came home to

meet up with my sister and look up the numbers of the local hospitals. I was worried you’d been

injured.”

Kedrik looked around the place with new eyes. “This is a nice place.”

Cade nodded. “I like it. Why don’t you come upstairs before someone peeks outside and

complains about a half-naked man.”

Considering Cade’s jacket covered most of his body, he doubted anyone would complain,

but there was a cold breeze and the water had all but iced on his skin. Kedrik became too frozen

to say anything through his chattering teeth. He still didn’t know if he could trust Cade who’d

conveniently turned up when Kedrik had needed him, but as he lacked clothing, he didn’t have

very many choices. He didn’t know how to get back home.

Kedrik stumbled on the deck.

Before he could say more than ‘ow’, Cade swept him off his feet and headed for the glass

door.

“If you could grab that handle for me.” Cade nodded toward the entrance.

“Oh sure.” Kedrik gripped the metal rectangle and pulled it wide enough for them to slip

through.

Cade approached an elevator. “Press the up arrow.”

Obediently Kedrik pressed the button. It glowed at his touch.

A few minutes later, the doors opened. An elderly couple stared at them before getting

off.

Kedrik braced himself for a scathing comment. He was more than a little surprised when

they passed without a word.

“They make such a cute pair.” The elderly lady’s voice drifted back to them as Cade

carried Kedrik onto the elevator.

Cade laughed. “You can never tell about people.”

Kedrik nodded his agreement. “You can set me down now. I promise not to stumble on

the elevator.”

For a second, he didn’t think Cade was going to release him, but eventually he was set on

his feet. He watched Cade press the P button.

“You live in the penthouse?”

Cade shrugged. “I have some family money.”

Kedrik accepted his explanation. He’d interrogate Cade about his family later. Right now,

he wanted a hot shower and some clothes.

The elevator dinged again and the doors slid open revealing a marble entry.

Cade wrapped a hand around Kedrik’s arm and pulled him along. “You can stay with me

for a bit until you get your stuff together.”

His previous thoughts flashed back into his head. “Do you have a cell phone? I want to

call my brothers.”

“Sure.” Cade handed over his cell.

With his attention on dialing, Kedrik blindly followed Cade as he tapped the phone keys

then dialed again when he received no answer the first time. Neither of his brothers answered his

frantic calls.

“I can’t get hold of either of them.” Kedrik let out another curse before handing back

Cade’s phone. “And neither of their phones are even rolling over to voice mail.”

Kedrik worried that whatever magic had changed him into a swan probably wouldn’t let

him just pick up a phone and call his brothers. Only dark magic could force someone to

transform their shape without regard to will. There had been rumors while he’d lived in Aria that

his mother had dabbled in the darker arts. Kedrik had always thought it was spiteful people

trying to ruin a queen. Taylora had always been close to their mother. If the queen transacted

with dark powers, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise that his sister had also.

Cade squeezed Kedrik’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s going to be all right.”

Kedrik took a step back from Cade. For a stranger, Cade was taking this entire situation

extremely well. “You didn’t ask me about my brothers.” It struck him then that Cade hadn’t

asked him about anything. “And you didn’t say anything about finding me naked in your pool.

Why aren’t you asking me about any of this?”

Despair swamped him as he realized he was alone in a strange world without the support

of his brothers and in the presence of a man who didn’t appear to have any answers for his

questions.

Cade’s heart ached for the prince. Hopefully they could get his problem resolved. “Why

don’t you hop in the shower? I know you’re confused right now but we can talk after you warm

up. Try to trust me a little longer. Get clean and I’ll go find you something to wear.”

Kedrik looked Cade up and down. “I don’t think anything you’ve got is gonna fit me.”

“My sister visits a lot. I think she left some sweats behind, and I’m sure I’ve got a spare

shirt. It won’t matter if it’s large.”

“As long as they’re not hot pink, they’ll be fine,” Kedrik said.

“How about purple?” Cade gave the prince a wicked smile.

“Funny. Very funny.”

“I thought so.” Cade wrapped an arm around Kedrik’s waist and herded him down the

hall and into the bathroom. From a cabinet, he took out a towel and washcloth and handed them

over. “There’s soap in the shower, and I have a large water tank. Take as long as you want.”

“Thanks.” Kedrik did look thankful. Poor guy.

Cade resisted offering to scrub Kedrik’s back. He patted the prince’s shoulder and forced

his feet to move away.

He headed to the kitchen to make Kedrik something to eat, trying to convince his erection

that it didn’t really want to join the wet and naked man in the shower. Unfortunately, no part of

his body agreed with that assessment.

A knock on the door had him setting down his sandwich fixings as he went to see who’d

arrived. Turning the knob and yanking it open, he stared at his visitor for several seconds before

stepping back.

“I should’ve known you’d show up. You could’ve just called.”

“Now, brother, you know I had to come and make sure you didn’t screw this up.” Zara

batted her kohl-lined eyes. Marching past him, she pointedly waited for him to close the door

behind her. Damn she must be planning to stay awhile. Images of joining a wet, sexy Kedrik

passed reluctantly out of his mind.

“He’s taking a shower. I think he changed into a swan.”

“Well, of course he did. That’s what the curse is all about. That bitch of a sister did it to

him.” Sitting down at the kitchen bar, she plopped onto a barstool and propped her chin on one

hand, exposing her well-chewed nails.

“Damn, I thought it might be her. She’s the only one who has anything to gain by the

death of the princes. Did his brothers get cursed, too?”

“Yep. She cursed them all. She wants the crown for her pretty little self.”

“How did you find out?” Cade stared at his sister, appalled at the news. Kedrik wasn’t

going to take this betrayal well.

Zara shrugged. “I heard some mermaids talking when I went to the beach today.

Apparently, one of the princes hooked up with a fish boy.”

“Which one?” Cade didn’t know much about the other princes. His fixation had always

been Kedrik.

“Fisher.”

Cade gave a snort. “Figures. If anyone was going to bond with a merman it would be that

one.”

Zara giggled. “Is Kedrik aware you know who he is?”

“No.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

“He doesn’t have to.”

Cade spun around to see Kedrik standing in the doorway wearing Zara’s sweats and a

loose T-shirt. His expression didn’t invite confidences. “Who are you, really, and don’t lie to me.

I heard you talking.”

Cade’s heart pounded in his chest. He couldn’t lose Kedrik now. Not after he’d given up

everything to be near him. “I’m Cadell Shumaker, a half-elf from Aria.”

Kedrik paled and grabbed the wall to steady himself. It took all of Cade’s restraint to stop

from walking over to the man.

“Are you working with my sister? What else did you lie to me about?”

“No! No, baby, I’m not working with Taylora!” Marching over, Cade gave into his

instinct to pull Kedrik close. “Shhh. Don’t be mad.”

“You should be flattered,” Zara muttered. “He gave up everything to follow you to

Earth.”

Cade wanted to slap some tape over Zara’s mouth when Kedrik lifted his head to look

him in the eyes.

“What is she talking about?”

Groaning, Cade took a quick kiss in case it was the last time he got to hold Kedrik in his

arms. Stepping away, he folded his arms over his chest. A protective gesture he couldn’t stop.

Kedrik could destroy Cade if he rejected him. No one else held that power.

The memory of their first encounter flashed in his head. “I saw you for the first time five

years ago. You were at the solstice ball standing with your brothers. Dack was talking and you

threw back your head and laughed. I fell in love right then. My family always falls in love at first

sight, but we don’t always get the object of our affections. When I heard you were heading to

Earth, I came over, too.” Cade left out a whole lot of the story, but he didn’t think Kedrik was

prepared to hear everything.

Kedrik frowned. “Why did you wait so long to meet me? I was planning to leave Earth

soon.”

Cade avoided the prince’s gaze. “I was afraid to approach you and find out you weren’t

interested.”

“Let me get this straight. You’ve been following me for almost five years and now you’re

shy?”

“It’s easy enough to admire from afar. It’s harder to tell someone you love them when

you’re not even sure they like men.” Cade paced as he talked, unable to look at the love of his

life while he confessed to his obsession.

Luckily, his sister broke in. “It doesn’t matter that my brother is a stalker. You have

bigger problems.”

“Bigger than finding out my lover is not what he seems?”

Zara laughed. “Yes, featherhead, there are bigger problems than your little affair with my

brother. Your other brothers were turned into swans. As you’ve already guessed by now, your

sister is involved. My spies think she made a pact with a sorcerer to gain power to kill your

brothers, but your fairy godmother stopped her.”

Kedrik laughed. “I don’t have a fairy godmother.”

“Yes, you do.” Zara shook her head. “How can you not know that? Your mother banished

her when you were young.”

“Why?”

“The queen deemed her unfit, but we’ve always thought it was because the queen didn’t

want oversight into her actions. Your mother was crown deep in bad magic.”

Kedrik slumped against the wall. “I always suspected. We all thought that she was into

something evil.” He waved his hand ineffectively. “But she was our mother, and we didn’t want

to be right. I mean, it’s better to think she might have dabbled in something wrong than to know

for sure.”

Cade broke and walked over to Kedrik. He wrapped the prince back into his arms. “You

have to believe me that I didn’t plan to deceive you. I was going to tell you who I was as soon as

we had quiet moment together.”

Kedrik let out a long sigh. “I believe you. I wish you’d introduced yourself earlier, but I

believe you’re sincere.”

Cade didn’t relax. Kedrik said all the right things, but the tension in his body didn’t relax.

“What are you thinking?”

“That I should get out of here before the hunters come. They could track me here.” He

gave Cade a bittersweet smile. “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.” He cupped Cade’s

face and gave him a soft kiss.

Panic rushed through Cade’s body. “What? No, wait!”

As Kedrik tore himself out of Cade’s arms he felt his heart rip, too.

However, before Kedrik reached the door, it burst open and four men dressed in black

stormed into the room.

Chapter Four

Dack jumped over a fallen tree limb, his feet hitting the ground with a jarring thud. He

didn’t dare take a break to rub away the pain, however, not with the sounds of the horse hooves

drawing nearer with each passing second.

He did dare a glance behind him, but all he saw was darkness, a lot of darkness. Of

course, it wouldn’t matter what time it was. One of the reasons he’d chosen this place to hide out

in was because it was called Carpe Noctem, which meant Seize the Night.

Some claimed it was magic that kept the forest cloaked in darkness. Others said it was

due to the dense foliage of trees. Since Dack had already shifted into his swan form and back

again, he was now inclined to believe the former.

Most sane men would never bring their horses into the forest for fear of hurting them or

worse. The darkness didn’t exactly make for the best hunting conditions. Unfortunately for Dack,

Taylora’s minions were just as insane as she was. Must be something in the castle’s water.

“Where is he?” a male voice called.

“This way. I can see where he’s broken some branches,” another one said.

The second voice was all too familiar. While Dack had yet to learn the man’s name, he

did know that he was Taylora’s chief hunter. With shaggy black hair, piercing blue eyes and a

body that looked as if it had been forged from steel, the hunter just screamed mean and scary.

Biting back a cry of fear, lest he give away his location, Dack changed directions and

tripped. Just like one of those chicks from the Earth horror movies he used to like watching in

the magic mirror.

Mud splattered all over his body, ruining his clothes. Not so long ago, something like that

wouldn’t have bothered him. Back at the castle, he had closet upon closet full of clothes. Now,

however, all he had were rags that weren’t even fit for a peasant.

He’d stolen them from the clothing line of some poor family, which had made him feel

all the worse for his thievery. But he’d had no other choice, since a stark naked man was sure to

draw all kinds of attention and that was the last thing he needed.

Each time before he knew his shift would be coming, he would find the nearest body of

water, undress and wait. While it wasn’t the best option, he didn’t want to lose the only outfit he

had.

Out of desperation, he closed his eyes and whispered, “Petra, where are you?”

It was as if some barrier now separated them. Perhaps the same one that prevented Dack

from being able to find his way back to her house.

Ever since he’d gone all swan and flown out of her window, he’d been unable to locate

his fairy godmother. Damn, if he didn’t need her bad, too. He so missed her warm bed and the

sweet tea she used to make him. Even if her cooking had sucked, it sure as hell beat having to

live on whatever plants and berries he could scrounge up.

As expected, his airheaded but well-meaning godmother didn’t show up.

The sounds of horses drew nearer, the baying of dogs joining in. Dack let out a small cry

of distress but quickly pushed himself back to his feet and ran even harder. His ill-fitting cheap

shoes did little to protect his blistered feet.

He fell again, this time landing in a pile of manure. He didn’t know what kind it was, nor

did he have time to care. The hunters were so close now that his only option was to find a place

to hide and hope their damn dogs didn’t sniff him out.

He let out a mental snort of derision. Fat chance of that happening. The dogs were

rumored to be the best trackers out there. Dack knew he had little chance of escaping their

notice.

He still had to try. He wouldn’t let his older brothers down by turning coward and just

giving up without a fight. Spotting a cluster of dense bushes, he dove in.

Thorns dug into his flesh, causing a burning pain to rush over his face and arms. He

forced himself to ignore the pain and focus on finding the best place to hide amongst the bushes.

He’d just settled in when the hunters arrived. He hoped that they’d continue on, but the

blue-eyed scary one held up a hand and had them all stop.

Dack’s heart pounded wildly in his chest as he found himself looking at the legs of the

stallions. Crap on a biscuit. They couldn’t be more than twenty feet from him. At that distance,

there was no way in hell those ugly dogs of theirs weren’t going to find him.

There was no denying those mutts were ugly, too. Almost as big as ponies, the things

were covered in thick, wiry black hair and had short tails that came to a point at the end. Their

ears were so short, they were almost to the skull, and the beasts’ muzzles looked deformed from

their large fangs.

Almost as one, the dogs raised their noses in the air and began to sniff. Dack tensed,

waiting for the howls that would indicate they’d found their prey, but strangely, the animals

remained silent.

Then he took in a deep whiff, and he had his answer. Of course! His scent was covered

by the smell of manure. What had caused him to curse in frustration just moments before had

ended up being his salvation. If he could have, he would have laughed at the sheer irony of the

situation.

Just as quickly, he shook aside that theory. Even normal hunting dogs would be able to

detect his scent, manure covered or not. So, what was saving him? He scrambled his mind for

possibilities, but came up blank. Yet, there had to be something hiding him, otherwise the dogs

would have already been on him. Dack frowned. Had he not known better, he would have sworn

that it was magic that was helping him. But, that was stupid. He didn’t have any magical

abilities.

When the hunters continued to linger, Dack’s unease began to rise again.

Go! Just leave already! Damn it, ride on and leave me the hell alone!

Shit, he wasn’t made for all this run and hide kind of crap. As the youngest in the family,

he’d always been doted on and protected—in some cases overprotected—which may have been

nice, and he knew the others had only had his best interests at heart, but now it left him at a loss

as to how to survive.

How could Taylora do this to him? That hurt most of all. The fact that the sister he’d

always looked up to could turn on him so easily. He wondered if she’d ever cared for him at all,

or if it had always been an act.

Look at how stupid Dack is. He’s so easy to trick. Ha! It’s amazing he can even tie his

own shoes in the morning. It’s a good thing he’s the youngest because there is no way a dummy

like him could run a birthday party, let alone a kingdom.

“Where do you think he could be?” one of the hunters asked.

Dack’s blood grew icy as he glanced up at the blue-eyed one. As far as Dack could tell,

he was the leader.

“He can’t be far from here. From what Taylora told us, the only real exercise the brat

ever got was going from his bed to the bathroom and then back again,” the leader said.

Dack’s mouth parted in shock. That was so not true! While he may not have had the same

training that Landon and the others had, Dack had still taken some fencing and horseback riding

lessons. Fisher had even begun to start sparring with Dack, so he would know how to use his

fists, too. Dack regretted that they’d only had time for a few sessions, or else he’d show these

damn hunters who the weak one was.

Shots rang out. They were so unexpected Dack almost gave himself away by screaming

in reaction. Instead, he put one hand over his mouth to stifle any noises that may slip away.

“What in the hell are you doing?” the leader asked the hunter who was holding a gun.

From the looks of it, it was an Earth model, which was another form or irony since they

always professed to be above that world.

“I saw some swans, so I shot at them.”

“Why?”

“I figure that if one of them was a prince, we could finish him off that way. Since, we

can’t seem to catch any of them, I thought maybe a different tactic would work.”

Dack dug his fingers into the cool mud. Yes! From the sounds of it, his brothers were all

alive and on the run like him. He just wondered how long before one of them was captured,

though.

“All we need to do is kill one and then they will all die. Taylora’s spell has tied their life-

forces together.”

Dack was glad he still had his hand in place or he would have yelled out a loud, “Oh hell,

no,” at that one.

Shit. Damn. Double damn!

Now if he didn’t survive, he’d be letting his brothers down in the ultimate way because

they would die alongside him. Just the mere thought of an Aria without Landon, Fisher, Kedrik,

Adar or Eaton was horrifying. There was no way the kingdom could survive without them.

Already, the kingdom was showing signs of trouble. Shops had closed up. Others had

been burned to the ground or looted. Dack didn’t even want to fathom how bad things would get

if Taylora continued to rule.

“So, your great plan is to go around and kill every swan in Aria, just in the hopes that one

of them may be a prince?” the leader asked with icy cold sarcasm.

“Yes, sir.”

“You are such an idiot.”

Dack found himself giving a small nod of agreement. He instantly regretted moving at all

when the leader sharply glanced in the direction of the bushes.

Dack froze, his breath caught in his throat as terror clawed at his insides. Oh damn, had

he given himself away? While every instinct screamed at him to run…run…run, the sane part of

his brain told him to stay still.

For a second, Dack could have sworn he felt that deep-blue gaze boring into his. He was

suddenly glad that he’d had trouble finding drinkable water the past couple of days because he

surely would have pissed his pants in fear.

Then, just as he felt certain they were about to descend on him, the leader turned his

horse and shouted, “Let’s go look this way.”

Dack remained motionless, afraid to move. Even after the sounds of the horses and dogs

had dimmed to nothing, he still couldn’t make himself leave. His back began to ache from being

locked in a tense position, and his legs screamed for relief.

Something reached out and grabbed his foot and this time, Dack was powerless to stop

the scream from passing his parched lips. Turning his head, he was shocked to find himself

looking into the gaze of a gnome.

Regardless of what those on Earth thought, gnomes weren’t friendly little guys who hung

out in gardens and wore pointy hats. Sure, they were small, most of them reaching only four feet,

but on the whole, they hated being outdoors. In fact, this was the first time he’d ever seen one

outside the castle.

Even the ones who worked in the castle preferred to hang in the shadows and kitchens.

So why this one was risking his life to come to Dack was a huge mystery.

“Follow me, my prince. I can offer you safety,” the gnome said in a gravely voice.

Dack carefully studied the gnome’s deeply wrinkled face for any signs of deceit, but he

saw none. So Dack nodded and scooted out from the cover of the bushes.

Once they were both standing, Dack looked at the gnome more carefully. The creature

had a large nose and big brown eyes, but his most remarkable feature was the dark green overalls

he wore.

“Oh, my goddess. You’re Fudwick. You used to work in the castle kitchen.”

The gnome’s eyes widened in shock. “You remember me?”

“Of course I do. You and your wife, Merka, make the best cinnamon buns ever! They

used to practically melt in my mouth.”

Dack would have given his left nut for one of those rolls right about then. His stomach

seemed to agree because it let out a loud growl.

Fudwick glanced around. “Hurry, we must get you to shelter before the hunters return.

Taylora has allies all over, and they would love to collect the bounty on your head.”

Dack swallowed hard. “How much is the bounty?”

“A million gallie.”

Wow, that was the equivalent of five million dollars on Earth. Dack didn’t know whether

to be flattered or terrified.

The gnome gestured with his hand, and Dack followed. He really had no choice but to

trust the gnome. Besides, Dack had known the couple since the day he was born, and they had

always been nothing but loyal to him and his brothers.

“Why aren’t you living at the castle anymore?” Dack asked as he struggled to keep up.

Lack of sleep and food had left him very weak.

“Once your sister took over the kingdom, she either banished or killed all those who she

considered your allies,” Fudwick explained, not even turning around.

Dack’s stomach turned. “How many died? It’s only been a week since she took control. I

didn’t think that even she was capable of doing that much damage.”

“We don’t have exact numbers, but we think it’s in the hundreds. Plus, she has countless

hunters and sorcerers working on her side. We even believe the centaurs and demons may be

aligning with her next.”

“Who’s we?”

“The rebels, of course.”

Dack reached out and touched the gnome’s arm so he would stop. Dack needed a

breather, and all the new information was beginning to overwhelm him.

“What are you talking about?” Dack demanded.

“There are those who are still loyal to you and your brothers, and we are determined to

help you win back the kingdom.”

That was the first piece of good news that Dack had received in the past few days. It

seemed that Taylora wasn’t the only one who was capable of moving fast.

“So, have you been able to find any of my other brothers?”

Fudwick’s gaze grew sad. “Not yet, but we have our own allies searching everywhere for

them. As soon as we hear anything, you’ll be the first to know. I vow that to you.”

“So, what do we do now?” Dack asked.

He hoped that they didn’t expect him to be some super leader. He was great at following

but sucked at ruling. Then he glanced down and saw the hope in Fudwick’s eyes and Dack knew

he had no choice. For the sake of Aria, he had to find the courage to stand up and take some

responsibility.

“Okay, but before we do anything, I need a bath, some fresh clothes and food,” Dack

said, gesturing to his filthy body.

Fudwick gave a hearty chuckle. “Oh, you have no worries about that. There is no way

Merka is going to let you step one foot in our new home smelling the way you do.”

Dack found himself smiling in return and despite the fact that he now literally had the

whole weight of Aria resting on his shoulders, he felt hope for the first time.

Chapter Five

Kedrik froze. Cade didn’t have the same problem. As Kedrik watched, his lover disabled

two of the intruders with nothing but his hands. Light flared from Cade’s fingers. The other two

men screamed and toppled over unconscious.

Mouth open in surprise, Kedrik stared at the four men lying still on the floor. “What did

you do?”

“Stunned them. Let’s go. It won’t hold them for very long.”

He didn’t know how to respond to this new side of his lover. Feeling a little stunned

himself, he stood and stared at Cade.

“Snap out of it, pretty boy, we need to get out of here,” Zara said.

Kedrik shook off his shock and watched as Cade dragged two duffle bags out of the hall

closet and handed one over to his sister.

“What are you doing?” Kedrik asked.

“Leaving.” Cade grabbed Kedrik’s arm and pulled him along after him.

“Where are we going?” He didn’t argue about getting out of there but he did wonder

where to go now.

“Back to Aria. There’s bound to be people who don’t support your sister’s rule. We just

have to find them.”

“We can’t leave Earth yet. I have to find my brothers.” Kedrik dug in his heels. He might

like being pushed around in the bedroom, but in the rest of his life, he insisted on being heard.

Cade made a grumbling sound at Kedrik’s resistance. “We have to get you somewhere

safe. As long as one of you princes is alive, your sister hasn’t won.”

“No!” Kedrik shook off Cade’s grip. “I need to check on my brothers. I’m not leaving

Earth without finding out what happened to Landon and Fisher.”

He had a bad feeling that if he left Earth without his brothers, he’d never see them again.

Cade scowled at him. “Fine. Which one lives closest?”

“Fisher. He’s only a few hours away by car. If you want to return to Aria without me, I

won’t stop you, but I have to go and see Fisher. If the hunters found me here, they might have

found my brothers. I can’t leave them out there alone. Landon can probably handle himself, but

Fisher is a scientist. The hunters will make mincemeat out of him.”

“We can take my car,” Zara offered. She carried the large duffle like it was feather light.

“I’ve got more room in my Hummer than Cade does in his compact.”

She shrugged when Cade scowled at her. “What? I wouldn’t leave without you even if

you annoy me.”

“Fine.” Cade’s shoulders sank as he gave in to their demands. “We can just leave my car

behind. Maybe they are staking it out and it will confuse the hunters when we never come back

for it. But let’s get going before they wake up. That diversion will only buy us a little bit of

time.” He waved a hand to indicate the men on the floor.

Without further discussion, Kedrik followed Cade out the door. Kedrik had a feeling Zara

walked behind him to guard his back. His hunch was affirmed when she hustled him into the

Hummer. Zara settled in the backseat, humming happily as if they were on their way to a picnic

instead of running for their lives. He didn’t know what sort of abilities Zara had, but as Kedrik

had none of his own, her magical skills had to be better than his.

Once they were safely inside the vehicle, Kedrik barely got his seatbelt fastened before

Cade peeled out of the driveway.

“Cade!” Zara snapped. “The point is to get the prince away safely not kill him in a car

accident on the way to see his brother.”

“Shut up,” Cade snarled. “There’s a team of hunters chasing us.”

“Oh shit.” Kedrik looked in the side mirror and sure enough, Cade was right.

A black SUV was barreling down the road after them. Every late night shoot ‘em up

action movie had a car exactly like the one following them. “I wonder how they learned to

drive?”

“Probably the same way I did,” Cade said. “By watching movies.”

Kedrik’s heart lodged in his throat as Cade whipped around a corner, narrowly avoiding a

car turning left in front of them. An involuntary whimper emerged from Kedrik’s mouth.

“Take it easy, psycho driver,” Zara yelled from the backseat. “Remember, living is the

goal.”

“No backseat driving,” Cade said as he screeched across a curb.

Kedrik’s grip turned white-knuckled on the door handle. If he survived this, he swore to

only travel by horse or foot. He wasn’t even going to take a carriage ever again.

With an eye on the pursuing vehicle in the mirror, Kedrik watched as the hunters lowered

the passenger window. A hunter leaned out with a crossbow clutched in his hand.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Zara opened the back window. Turning to face the hunter, she raised

her hands.

“What’s she doing?”

“I’m guessing fireball,” Cade said in a distracted manner.

Sure enough, a soft whoosh filled the air. Wide-eyed, Kedrik watched a giant glowing red

orb fly from Zara’s hands directly at the hunter’s vehicle. A screech of tires stopped the hunters

from running straight into the flames. Kedrik let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t want the hunters

to catch them, and he definitely didn’t want an arrow in his ass, but they were only doing their

duty and who knew what sort of spell his sister had cast upon them.

“We’ll only lose them for a little while. We need to switch vehicles,” Kedrik said. He

didn’t know what the master plan was but constantly changing cars might keep the hunters off

their tail for a little bit. It always worked in the movies.

“Won’t do any good,” Cade denounced flatly. “They aren’t following the car. They’re

tracking your magic signature.”

“What? I don’t have any magic.” He’d know if he had magic. Hell, he’d have thrown a

fireball of his own. Possibly. Okay, maybe not.

“Of course, you do. How else do you think you’re turning into a swan?”

“Evil sister curse! I thought we covered that,” Kedrik protested.

“Stop traumatizing the guy.” Zara patted Kedrik on the head.

He guessed it was supportive in a condescending sort of way.

“He didn’t even know his sister was evil until a few hours ago and no one knew exactly

how bad things were going to get.”

“How do I have magic?” How could he have an ability he had no idea about?

Cade weaved in and out of traffic at a heart-stopping rate. It took Kedrik’s breath away.

“Everyone in Aria has some magical ability,” Cade explained. “Not necessarily giant

fireball magic but some sort of magic.”

“What good does it do me?” Kedrik knew he sounded bitter but damn, it wasn’t fair that

his sister could turn him into a swan and all he could do was hope no one plucked his feathers.

“I don’t know yet.” Cade swerved right, narrowly avoiding a man who had the nerve to

cross the road with a cane. “It might be that you have to be with your brothers to activate your

ability.”

“Activate it?” Kedrik let out a snort. “What am I, a Power Ranger?”

“Ooh, I want to be the pink one,” Zara piped up in the back.

“What are you two talking about?” If Cade scowled any more his face was going to stay

like that.

Kedrik resisted the urge to touch Cade and soothe his temper. They’d barely avoided a

traffic accident at this point. He didn’t want to be the reason karma caught up with them.

“Never mind.” Kedrik waved the Power Ranger discussion to the side. “I guess I’ll have

to wait and see what my brothers have to say. As far as I know, none of my brothers have ever

shown the least bit of aptitude for magic.”

“What about Dack?” Zara asked. “Everyone knows he’s Taylora’s favorite.”

Kedrik shrugged. “I doubt it. He can’t keep a secret to save his life. I doubt Taylora

would teach him anything if it would expose her to us.”

“Good point,” Zara said.

Cade grunted his agreement.

With the loss of the hunters tailing them for now, Kedrik leaned his head against the seat

and closed his eyes. He hoped to get some rest, and this way, he wouldn’t have to watch Cade’s

driving. In this particular instance, the old saying proved true. Ignorance was bliss.

He woke up to the feel of soft lips brushing across his.

Blinking, it took a few minutes before Cade’s face came into focus. “Hey.”

Cade’s brilliant smile woke Kedrik further. The man hadn’t smiled all day.

Looking around, he didn’t recognize anything. “Where are we?”

“Rest stop. I thought we could take a break before we continue our journey. I didn’t want

to leave you all alone while we were outside.”

Kedrik smiled at Cade’s consideration. “Thanks.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Another kiss. The sensation of Cade’s lips across his flowed through Kedrik like warm,

melted honey—sweet and toasty. He almost forgot where they were when his cock began to

respond to the heated body pressed against him.

“Gentlemen!” Zara protested. “As much as I’m glad my brother has his prince, I don’t

really want to watch you two go at it.”

Cade lifted his lips from Kedrik’s. “Then don’t watch.”

He returned to the kiss after speaking. A plan Kedrik could easily get behind.

“Eww. I’m going to the restroom. You two get out and stretch your legs. If I find you

doing the horizontal mamba when I return, a fireball will be the least of your problems.”

Neither man indicated they’d heard her. Kedrik focused on the heat and need pouring

from his lover’s mouth. The idea of letting Cade fuck him in the car sounded better and better the

more he thought about it. Cade palmed Kedrik’s hard shaft, pulling a groan from him.

“Oh yeah, that’s so hot,” Cade murmured against Kedrik’s lips. He slid his mouth down

Kedrik’s neck, licking and biting along the way.

“Keep that up and Zara is going to complain about the smell of spunk in the car all the

way to my brother’s.”

“I can get rid of the smell,” Cade promised. “Let me feel you.”

Before Kedrik could argue or really even form a thought, Cade’s clever fingers

unfastened Kedrik’s pants then fisted Kedrik’s hard shaft.

“Oh, hell,” Kedrik moaned.

Cade knew exactly how to rub him just the right way. A tight fist in slow even strokes

had him damn near begging for more.

“That’s it, baby, let me take care of you,” Cade whispered in his ear.

Kedrik knew if anyone walked by the window they would see two men in a

compromising position. He hoped no one walked that close. However, he couldn’t make himself

care too much. Not when Cade had the most perfect hands in the universe. Kedrik had had

enough men touch him over the years to know when he was being worked by an expert.

Cade definitely knew his way around a man’s body, and Kedrik was more than willing to

take advantage of all that practice.

When Cade pushed against Kedrik’s slit, he lost control.

“Oh yeah, give it all to me,” Cade moaned. He pressed a hard kiss against Kedrik’s

mouth, swallowing his scream as he came.

Gasping, Kedrik collapsed against the seat, his muscles melted.

Cade’s pants tented at his crotch. Kedrik admired the covered erection even as Cade

tucked Kedrik back inside his pants and zipped him up. Licking his lips, Kedrik reached for Cade

only to be brushed back.

“Oh no, babe. If you touch me, I’ll never be able to stay alert enough to continue our trip.

I’ll need a nap.” Cade kissed Kedrik in a silent apology.

Before Kedrik could object, Cade waved his hand and the mess and smell disappeared.

“Wow! Handy.”

Cade smiled. “Yes, it is.”

Looking around, Kedrik frowned. “It’s been a while since Zara went to the bathroom.”

The sight of a small group of people fleeing caught their attention. “I don’t think I’m

going to like this,” Cade muttered.

Sitting up straight, they both reached for their door handles as an explosion rocked the

ground.

“I think that answered your question about where Zara went,” Cade said.

The sight of Zara running toward the vehicle had Cade starting the car. It didn’t take

spying the three hunters in black chasing her to tell them they needed to get out of there.

Zara rushed to the Hummer and slammed the door as Cade peeled out of the parking lot.

“Here we go again,” Kedrik said under his breath as Cade hit the gas. If a cop didn’t stop

them on the way, it would be a minor miracle.

Chapter Six

They lost this set of hunters easier than the last, although it had taken Zara a bit longer to

work up a fireball. It made Kedrik wonder if her magic was becoming weaker, or if she was just

bone tired like he was. With all the flames she’d created, she was beginning to remind him a lot

of the little girl from Firestarter, although Zara wasn’t as cute and seemed a whole lot more

cray-cray than the main character in that story. At any rate, he made a mental note to buy a fire

extinguisher the first time they made a stop at a store. He also needed to pick up some snacks,

because from what he knew of Cade, the guy hadn’t packed anything sugary or salty, and that

just wouldn’t do. Since coming to Earth, Kedrik had become seriously addicted to the stuff. So

much so that Taylora liked to snap at him that if he didn’t watch it, he’d become fat. A comment

that had stung more than the others since deep down Kedrik often wondered if his good looks

were the only thing he had to offer to the family.

He let out a loud yawn. Everything was beginning to catch up to him. As the adrenaline

began to die down, he was crashing hard. He didn’t want to fall asleep on Cade and leave him all

alone though, because going by the lack of harpy comments from the back, Zara had already

drifted off. Thank god for small favors.

Rolling his head to the side so he could glance at Cade, Kedrik said, “I don’t suppose you

could magic up some coffee or maybe an energy drink or two?”

Cade gave that smile, the wicked one with just a hint of savageness. It always garnered

the same mind-blowing arousal from Kedrik, too. It made him wonder how Cade was different

from all the others Kedrik had been with. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d always been the

slut of the family and that he’d never wanted another man more than once…until Cade had come

into his life. Now he was all Kedrik could think about.

Great! Just what Kedrik needed, more complications in his life. As if it wasn’t bad

enough that he was cursed to be a swan of all things, but now he was pining for an elf with an

attraction that was both undeniable and scary as hell at the same time. And back to the swan

thing. If Taylora was going to be a major bitch and curse them, couldn’t she have at least had the

decency to turn them into something more manly, like say tigers? Hell, puppy dogs would have

almost been better. Turning them into honky, white-feathered birds was like the last fuck-you

twist to the knife she’d stuck in their backs.

Knowing her, she’d done it to mess with their minds all the more. She’d made it no secret

that she detested the fact that all her brothers were gay. She’d even gone so far as to once suggest

maybe a curse had been put on the family, a comment Landon had quickly slammed her for.

Kedrik snorted. If there was any curse that had been in the family all along it had been

her. Each and every memory of her that he had from growing up was of her being mean and

cruel. Her reputation was so bad that Landon had been unable to find anyone willing to marry

her. So that meant that the princes were going to be stuck with her forever.

Or rather, they had been. Now that she’d pulled this stunt, Kedrik didn’t know what kind

of punishment she would receive. Treason called for death and even though she was part of the

royal family that might not save her. A part of him felt horrible and vile that he didn’t really care

either way what happened to her then he thought about Dack and how scared and alone he must

feel right now and all Kedrik’s pity for Taylora vanished. Out of all of them, her betrayal must

have hit Dack the hardest, and he was the least prepared of the princes to survive the battle that

lay ahead.

Of course, they would have to survive this in order to take back the kingdom, so maybe

Kedrik was getting ahead of himself.

Zara was splayed out in the rear seat, her mouth slightly open as she snored loudly.

Kedrik let out a much-needed laugh. “It was a good thing they weren’t thinking of her

when they cast the part of the female elves in the Lord of the Rings movies.”

In fact, aside from her magic, there were very few elf-like qualities in Zara. She looked as

if she’d be better off in a Tim Burton movie or something. Kedrik was still thinking about her

unusual appearance as he closed his eyes.

He was in the space halfway between sleep and consciousness, when the memory came

back to him.

He’d only been ten and had snuck out of the castle. His two older brothers were going on

a hunt with some of the knights, and Kedrik was upset about being left behind. He wasn’t a baby

like the others. He was just as strong as Landon and Fisher. Sure, he may be younger and a little

smaller, but he knew that he rode a horse way better than Landon, and he could shoot an arrow

much better than Fisher. So, Kedrik felt he had every right to be out there, too. He was one of the

oldest three, and it was time they started treating him like the man he was. He was going to prove

it to them, too, by catching up to them and making the first kill. Maybe then they would stop

acting as if he was some cute tag-a-long all the time.

But as he navigated his way through the thick forest surrounding the castle, he quickly

began to rethink his plan. Especially when it grew dark and he became lost. Horror clawed at his

thin chest as he began to run, desperate for any sign of life, be it the hunting party or the castle

just as long as it was friendly. But all he came across were more trees and dense foliage and it

was now so dark he could barely see.

Then, just as he thought things couldn’t get any worse, he saw glowing eyes off to the

side of him. Red and sinister, the sight made Kedrik’s heart freeze in terror and while he wanted

to run, he found that his legs refused to move. Which only made him more scared and bitterly

disappointed in himself. The others had been right in leaving him behind if he wasn’t even brave

enough to stand up against one animal and fight it off.

The eyes moved closer, revealing the creature to be a bjomolf. Half-wolf, half-bear, it was

rumored to be a creature straight from hell. Something Kedrik found himself full well believing

as he gazed up at the huge beast. Even on all fours it was as big as a horse, but twice as thick. It

had large, yellow fangs that were coated in saliva and blood that may have been the remains of

its last meal, but it still looked hungry for more as it eyed up Kedrik as if he was a lamb chop.

The beast even licked its lips in anticipation.

Kedrik’s legs finally worked, but he only managed to get in two steps before he stumbled

back onto his rump, all the air leaving his lungs in a rush as he realized he was going to die alone

in the woods. Darn it, how could he have been so stupid? He was just a little bubblehead, like

Taylora had said.

He was just about to squeeze his eyes shut so he didn’t have to see it coming, when a

bright white light flashed in front of him. Before he could even blink, a tall woman stood

between the bjomolf and him.

She lifted a hand and said in a soft voice, “Leave here now. You’re not welcome in these

woods.”

While the woman seemed so kind and serene with her long, flowing dark hair, pale,

beautiful face and shimmery white dress, the beast still let out a yelp of fear before it turned tail

and ran in the opposite direction. Kedrik remained motionless, wondering if she was going to

yell at him or worse.

Instead, she turned and gifted him with the sweetest of smiles. “You shouldn’t be allowed

out here, prince. There are things lurking here that are far more dangerous than a bjomolf.”

“Who are you?” Kedrik asked.

She reached out and gently stroked his face, giving him a loving caress that should have

come from his own mother, but never had. “I am Ovlia, Queen of the Elves.”

“Do you live out here?”

“No. I sensed you were in trouble, and I came to rescue you.”

“Why?” Not that he wasn’t grateful, but he didn’t see any reason she would go out of her

way to save a stranger from a dangerous animal.

“Because someday our families are going to need each other.” She leaned down and

touched Kedrik’s arm. “You are very important to us, little prince. More so than any of your

brothers.”

He let out a low hiss of pain as he pulled his arm back to see a small star-shaped

birthmark now marring his skin. “What did you just do?”

“I gave you the best thing ever. You could think of it as a piece of my heart. I gave you

my son, Cade.”

Confused, Kedrik glanced up into her eyes…eyes that were identical to…

“Cade!” Kedrik yelled as he jerked awake.

Cade gave him a confused glance. “Yeah?”

“It was your mother. She saved me that night. And she bonded us together, didn’t she?

We have all but been betrothed since then.”

“I was wondering when you would finally remember that,” Cade said, his lips forming a

grim line.

Kedrik scratched his head as the pieces suddenly clicked into place. That was why he’d

never wanted to be with somebody twice and why no other man had been able fulfill his desires.

All this time, Kedrik had been looking for Cade and never realized it. The emptiness, loneliness

and yearning that he’d suffered through was because, deep down, Kedrik had known the other

half of him was out there, and he’d been trying to find it.

“Your mother made me into a slut,” he blurted.

Cade cocked a brow, showing how much that comment displeased him. “My mother

didn’t force you to sleep with half the kingdom of Aria and Earth.”

“Bullshit! I was doing it because I was looking for you, but I never knew it. Why didn’t

you come find me sooner? Why did you let me troll around like that? You could have saved me

from a lot of self-loathing and heartache.”

With a low growl, Cade pulled the car off to the side of the road and slammed it into

park. Turning around, he grabbed Kedrik by the arms and gave him a shake. “Do you think it

was easy for me? To watch as all those men touched you? Knowing that they were fucking you

when I already knew that I loved you? I saw all the times you went off with somebody, and it felt

like a dagger to my heart every single time. But, I allowed it because you needed time to grow up

into the man you are today.”

Kedrik froze, his heart splintering into a million pieces as he saw the raw hurt in Cade’s

eyes. Guilt slammed into Kedrik as he realized just how much pain he’d inadvertently put the

other man through.

“I’m so…sorry…why didn’t you tell me sooner? I would have never…” Kedrik babbled.

He felt tears building up but blinked them away. After all he’d done to Cade, Kedrik

didn’t deserve to be the one who got all soppy. Yet it was Cade who wrapped Kedrik into a

comforting embrace.

Kedrik took off his seatbelt so he could get closer. Burying his nose in the crook of

Cade’s neck, he breathed in the other man’s scent and discovered he’d finally, truly found his

place in the world.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Kedrik repeated.

“You weren’t ready until now. I wanted to give you time to live your life some before

you had to settle down. I wanted to make sure that you didn’t have regrets or feel like you were

forced into this union,” Cade replied as he rubbed Kedrik’s back.

So, instead, Cade had stood by and watched while Kedrik had tramped around. Kedrik

couldn’t have hated himself more.

As if sensing that thought, Cade made a shushing noise. “It’s not your fault. I don’t blame

you.”

“Never again. I promise. I belong to only you from now on,” Kedrik said, aware he was

still babbling, but unable to stop himself.

A warm chuckle filled the car. “I plan on showing you that, too. Just as soon as all this

mess is over, I’m going to chain you up and mark you until there is no mistake who you belong

to.”

A shiver of arousal went through Kedrik at that thought. He even reached up and touched

his bare neck, wondering just how far Cade would go in claiming him.

“Yes, eventually you’ll be wearing my collar,” Cade promised.

Damn if those words didn’t almost make Kedrik come in his pants. He bit his bottom lip

to keep some control, all the while trying to stave off one erotic image after another. Visions

filled his head of kneeling at Cade’s feet, Cade whipping him then slowly kissing each welt after

he was finished.

“If we don’t stop, we’re going to give my sister a show,” Cade warned.

That was enough to make Kedrik pull away but only far enough to put his seatbelt back

on. He still kept his head near the edge of his seat, wanting to breathe in the scent of the other

man. It may have been a bit awkward given how big the vehicle was, but it was well worth the

discomfort.

He must have drifted off at some point, because he awoke to the sound of Cade cursing.

Sitting up, Kedrik gasped as he saw the burnt remains of what had once been Fisher’s home.

“No. Please,” Kedrik gasped as he clawed at his seatbelt. Somehow, he managed to get it

undone. He tore out of the car, running toward the carnage.

“Get back here! We don’t know if it’s safe,” Cade yelled.

All Kedrik could think about was Fisher and if he was dead or not. Then Kedrik spotted a

pile of white feathers covered in blood and his heart thudded against his chest. Sinking to his

knees, he picked them up all the while repeating, “No. Please. No. Please.”

Cade knelt down next to him and put a strong arm around Kedrik’s shoulder. “He’s not

dead. We would know if he were.”

“Yeah, because you’d be kicking up the daisies, too, since the spell tied your life forces

together,” Zara piped in.

Cade shot her an annoyed glance. “You could have found a more delicate way to put

that.”

She made a big show of rolling her eyes. “Fine, poor little princey, don’t cry. Your

brothers are still alive and making my life annoying. Is that better?”

“Much,” Kedrik gritted out between clenched teeth.

He would have given his favorite stallion up to be able to shoot some fire her way, if for

no other reason than to shut her up for five minutes.

She looked down at the ground, her lips pursing together. “That’s odd.”

“What?” Kedrik asked, not sure how much odd he could handle.

She picked up one feather and held it up. “This one is from a duck.”

“What in the hell is a duck doing at Fisher’s?” Kedrik blurted, before giving a slight

shake of his head. “Never mind. Knowing my brother, he kept it as a pet or something.”

“Your family is weird,” Zara remarked.

Since she had chosen that time to use the quill of the feather to pick her teeth, Kedrik

wanted to point out that she had the award for Weirdo of the Year, but before he could get the

comment out, he found himself turning into a swan.

Well, shit!

Chapter Seven

Kedrik gave a honk of protest as his hands merged into feathery wings and his shoes

became too big for his webbed feet. The clothing around him caused him to panic. Flapping and

honking, he tried to escape his material prison.

“Hey! Hold on, honey.” Gentle hands freed him of his clothing.

Making that undignified swan noise again, he looked up at the speaker. His neck wobbled

strangely as he hopped from foot to foot. He didn’t like this. Not one bit. He needed to break

Taylora’s curse no matter what it took. He tried to convey his frustration to the pretty man

watching him but only weird bird noises emerged from his throat.

“If it makes you feel better, you’re a pretty bird,” Zara said.

Kedrik snapped his beak at her.

“Hey, I was trying to be nice. Watch it, or I’ll singe your tail feathers.”

“Zara, why don’t you go and see if you can find any hints of where his brother might

have went? I think we’re going to have to try and find Landon. Fisher is obviously alive, but we

don’t know what kind of condition he’s in. I’m thinking he’d head to his older brother’s if he

was in trouble.”

Zara nodded. “I’ll check for magical signatures.”

“You do that.”

As soon as she’d disappeared around the corner of the charred house, Cade kneeled

beside Kedrik. “Don’t take this the wrong way, love, but I really prefer you as a man.”

Kedrik gave him an ill-tempered honk. He preferred himself as a man, too. That didn’t

change the fact that his bitch of a sister had cursed him.

“We’ll get you out of this,” Cade vowed. “Just don’t leave or go find water or anything. I

don’t know if I’d be able to find you again.”

Kedrik wanted to tell Cade that he wouldn’t dream of leaving the other man but the idea

of water had a definite appeal. He wiggled his webbed feet and his wings twitched with the urge

to flap.

“Oh no you don’t.” As if he could read his mind, Cade waved his hands and a silver rope

appeared in his hand.

Before Kedrik could figure out what the thing was, Cade lassoed it over Kedrik’s head

and pulled it tight.

It didn’t hurt, but the sensation of needing to fly vanished.

He honked inquiringly at his lover.

“It’s an enchanted rope. It makes you want to stay with the person holding the other end.

I’d never use it on you if you were human, but I don’t want to lose you. I have no idea where a

swan would go in this area.”

Cade looked down at his feathered beloved and took a slow breath. He had to be strong

for his prince. He couldn’t let Taylora win. Even if they never broke the curse, he’d stay by

Kedrik’s side even if he could only see him in human form for half of the time. He’d waited

years to have Kedrik belong to him. He could wait forever if necessary. The fae lived a long

time. He hadn’t broken the news to Kedrik yet, but when his mother combined their life forces,

she’d lengthened Kedrik’s life, too.

Cade didn’t know how he was going to save Kedrik from the curse, but maybe once they

found the other princes, they’d find a way. If one prince found the secret to breaking the spell

then maybe they all could. The only problem was he didn’t know if anyone had succeeded yet.

Zara returned from her investigation before he could find anything else to say to his

disturbed prince. “I found a few bodies of hunters. I’m hoping Fisher escaped without too much

injury. Our best bet now would be to head toward Landon.”

Cade nodded. Luckily Kedrik had told Cade earlier where his older brother lived. If any

of them had already broken the curse, it would be the eldest prince. Landon would make a fine

king. All they had to do was collect all the princes, break Taylora’s curse, overthrow her power

and take control of the throne. Surely it couldn’t be that hard.

“Let’s go.”

Ushering a swan into a Hummer wasn’t the easiest thing he’d ever done. With the silver

rope around it, subduing its need to fly, Cade had to lift the flapping bird and try not to get his

face pecked as the swan panicked.

He could almost feel Kedrik vanishing as his animal half swallowed his humanity.

“Stay with me, honey,” he muttered.

Zara climbed into the back and they tore off toward Landon’s place.

Only a few miles down the road, Cade caught sight of a pair of Jeeps in his rearview

mirror. He tried to tell himself it was his imagination—after all, there were a lot of things going

on. Surely the hunters wouldn’t be on them again. When the vehicles sped up, he knew he was

wrong.

“Crap, how did they find us so quickly?” Cade asked.

“Who?” Zara turned to look out the rear window. “They could be tracking Kedrik’s spell.

If Taylora cast a curse, she could have a way to follow it. If she showed the hunters how to detect

him, we might not be able to shake them so easily.”

“I guess we’ll have to kill them then.” Cade was usually the last person to offer violence,

but these hunters were bouncing on his last freaking nerve.

“I don’t have the energy.”

Cade received an apologetic smile when he looked in the rearview mirror. “For

anything?”

Zara shrugged. “Certainly not fireballs.”

Before he could think about what else she could conjure up for him, the first set of

volleys arrived from the hunters. Arrows pinged against the Hummer’s hard sides.

“Crap, they’ve got the cross bows.”

“Do you think it’ll damage the Hummer?” Zara asked.

“I have no idea.” Somehow he doubted the car designers were thinking about the car

being arrow proof when they decided what material to make it out of. And they certainly never

tested a car versus an arrow on Aria.

“Hit the gas,” Zara demanded as an arrow banged against the back window, causing a

crack.

“I am.” Cade pressed down on the accelerator. “I don’t want to be stopped by the cops.”

“I can cloak,” Zara said. “It’s all the magic I’ve got, but it’ll be enough the police can’t

see us.”

“Do it.”

Cade slammed on the gas harder. If the authorities couldn’t see them then he didn’t need

any other incentive to go faster. The goose honked at him.

“Stay calm. I’m going to secure you,” Cade told the bird.

Cade waved a hand and the silver leash turned into a wide mesh restraint. It wrapped

around the bird and attached to the seat.

Kedrik squawked in surprise.

“Shhh, it’ll keep you safe.” If they crashed, he didn’t want his mate going through the

windshield.

The hunters sped up, closing the gap between them as Cade weaved in and out of traffic.

His heart pounded in his chest as he veered around the other vehicles while trying to remember

the best way to get to Landon’s house. The sound of sirens pierced the air, but not before a loud

thunk hit the Hummer, and the car swerved out of control. Zara screamed as the vehicle slid off

the road and tumbled down the embankment.

Tumbling over and over, Cade smacked his head on the side window and everything

went black.

* * * *

“Crap!” Cade kicked the Hummer.

His head hurt and his body ached and he didn’t know one fucking healing spell. One of

the hunter’s arrows had punctured a tire just enough to make Cade lose control of the vehicle.

The Hummer was beyond repair and they were stuck in the middle of nowhere without any way

to find the princes—not to mention his lover was a swan and his sister couldn’t stop bitching

about the bump on her head.

They stood at the side of the freeway and oddly enough, no one wanted to stop for a

woman and a man with a bird on a leash. He glared as another car drove by.

“Want me to set them on fire?” Zara offered, her narrowed gaze fixated on the last car.

Cade sighed. “No. Someone is bound to report us, or record it on their phone.” The onset

of technology on Earth severely curtailed the ability to use magic without revealing themselves.

Now everyone walked around with a handheld recorder. Cade’s head hurt too much to make

their actions invisible, so they had to behave like average humans, not an easy feat to accomplish

with a swan standing beside you.

A long, black limousine pulled up beside them. Cade stood protectively in front of

Kedrik, ignoring the nips at his calves. The damn bird was trying to get his attention, but Cade

stayed firm. He wasn’t going leave his man unprotected even if he wasn’t quite a man right then.

The back window rolled down, revealing the concerned brown eyes of the Crown Prince.

“Who are you and why do you have my brother?”

“I’m Cade Shumaker and this is my sister Zara. I’m Kedrik’s mate.” No way was he

going to turn Kedrik over to anyone even if it was his brother.

“You know who I am.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.”

“What are you?”

Zara shoved in front of her brother. “Listen, Your Highness, we’ve had a crappy day.

Now are you going to let us in your fancy limousine or leave us by the side of the road like

yesterday’s trash? I can tell you now that Cade isn’t going to let your brother go anywhere

without us.”

Cade didn’t speak. Hell, he barely breathed as Landon regarded them as if weighing their

souls. “Fine, come in.”

The door opened and to his surprise, there were only two people in the limo, Landon and

a slim man who snuggled beside him.

Cade waited until they were all settled before he started his interrogation. “Why aren’t

you a swan?”

Landon examined the leash Cade had around Kedrik’s throat. “Why do you have my

brother bound?”

“Because if I let him go, I didn’t know where he would end up. I don’t want to lose him.”

“If he was truly your mate, he wouldn’t be a swan now.”

Anger crackled through Cade. “I am his mate as he is mine. My mother bonded us

together years ago.”

Landon examined Cade. “Elven. I should’ve known. You are a meddling breed.”

Cade snorted. “Your sister cursed you all, and I’m the meddling one.”

The man next to Landon gave a snort of laughter. “He has a good point.”

“Hush.” Landon’s tone completely lacked any sign of reproof as he cuddled the man

closer.

“I’m Brian.” He gave everyone a wide smile. “Human. Kind of rare among this group.”

Cade found himself liking the man with the wide smile and the future king of Aria

wrapped around his small human finger. “Nice to meet you, Brian.” He didn’t offer a handshake

in the human manner. He didn’t think Landon would take contact with his other half well.

“Where’s Fisher?” Zara interrupted. “His house is like ground zero.”

“There was a hunter attack. He and his mate are fine. Petra sent me here to retrieve you.

Fisher and his mate needed more rest.”

“How is Petra?” Zara asked, leaning forward. “I’ve always liked her.”

Cade broke into the conversation. “Why hasn’t she stopped Taylora? If she’s truly your

godmother, why can’t she protect you?”

“She has limited powers,” Landon said. “She’s not supposed to directly affect our lives,

only guide us. My understanding is that she’s breaking all kinds of rules to help us even this

much. I haven’t seen her since she went to go check on Dack.”

“Dack is all right?” Relief rushed through Cade. He knew Kedrik worried about his

youngest brother.

“Petra saved him from Taylora. He was wounded, but he’s healing well.”

“Good.” Cade relaxed against the seats. “Kedrik will be relieved to hear that.”

The swan honked as if agreeing with Cade.

“I know I asked this, but why haven’t you broken the curse?” Landon crossed his arms

across his chest.

Cade ground his teeth together and resisted the urge to strangle his future brother-in-law.

“I would if I knew how.”

“You have to admit you love each other and then have sex.”

“I already told him I loved him,” Cade protested.

“But did you have sex afterward?” Brian asked.

Thinking over his confession then their last lovemaking, he had to admit that they hadn’t.

“Then there you go.” Landon waved his hand to encompass them both. “When he turns

back to human, you need to tell him you love him again then have sex.”

Cade leaned against the leather bench seat and closed his eyes. “I’m really beginning to

hate your sister,” he muttered.

“Join the club, Cade. Join the club,” Landon said.

A soft honk of agreement echoed in the limo.

Chapter Eight

They were driven to an old farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere. It was at such direct

odds with the wealth of the limo that Cade couldn’t help but lift a questioning brow at Landon.

The prince shrugged. “We needed someplace to hide from the hunters. Since this home

used to belong to Xanthi’s sister, it’s cloaked to mask any magical markers. Plus, if the hunters

do happen to find us, we’re far enough out no innocents will be hurt.”

Zara’s eyes grew wide. “Xanthi? He’s here? Yes!”

Before the limo had even come to a full stop, she was already out and running up the

wooden steps. Tightening his hold on his swan, Cade just watched her, wondering what in the

hell she was up to now. The last time he’d seen her move that fast while not retreating from

hunters had been when The Hunger Games movie had come out and she’d wanted to be the first

in line to get tickets. She’d knocked over two small groups of teen girls in that incident.

Things got even more interesting when Landon’s mate let out a whoop of laughter and

hopped out, too. “This I have to see.”

Getting out much slower, Kedrik carefully cradled in his arms, Cade asked, “Do I even

want to know who Xanthi is?”

“He’s an exiled fairy who’s been mostly stripped of his powers,” Landon replied

casually.

It took everything Cade had not to roll his eyes. Could this situation get any stranger?

Then the sound of yelling came from inside, and he realized that he shouldn’t have asked himself

such a stupid question.

He went into the house to find pandemonium. Zara had a short, thin blond pinned to the

wall, Prince Fisher was on the couch, doing nothing to help, unless laughing one’s ass off

counted as aid while a redhead was trying his best to peel Zara away.

Then Kedrik chose that moment to let out a loud honk, and the room froze for a brief

second, before it managed to get even louder. Fisher took one look at the swan and started to

laugh harder, the blond began to curse Zara out, she kept making cooing sounds to him and the

redhead finally threw his hands up the air.

“Oh, I give up,” Reef declared.

Zara ran a finger down the side of the blond’s cheek, receiving a shudder in response.

“Don’t be so shy, Xanthi. It’s been ages since we’ve seen each other. Didn’t you miss me?”

“Not in the least. What part of I’m gay don’t you get?” Xanthi snapped.

“One good shag with me will make you never look back,” Zara insisted.

Okay, now his sister was just being insulting.

Handing Kedrik over to Landon, Cade walked over and jerked her away from the poor

guy. “Leave him alone.”

She narrowed her eyes at Cade. “Just because you’re too much of a chicken to fuck the

guy you love doesn’t mean I’m the same.”

“I’m not afraid to do anything with Kedrik, and it doesn’t matter what you say or do.

Xanthi is never going to be interested in you because you’re a woman.”

Fisher stopped laughing long enough to cock his head in confusion. “Wait. You guys

haven’t done it yet? That doesn’t sound like Kedrik at all. Usually, he fucks first then asks for

names.”

A surge of jealousy shot through Cade. He forced it back, recalling the look of self-

loathing on Kedrik’s face when they’d had their earlier argument about his old promiscuous

ways. “We’ve already gotten pretty close, thank you very much. We just haven’t since we both

realized that…”

He trailed off, not wanting to look too sappy in front of a houseful of crazies.

The redhead gave a happy, little sigh. “You mean you haven’t sealed the bond by making

love since you both realized that you’re soul-mates?”

“No, Reef, they haven’t. Hence the reason our brother is sporting feathers,” Landon said.

Fisher walked over and bent down so he could get in the swan’s face. “Hey, Keddy. How

is it in there? Remember how you used to tease me all the time about how I had to spend half my

life in water and that made me such a loser? Well, looks like you’re one, too, because I bet you

would love nothing more than to be in some hot, sticky swamp now.”

Kedrik let out a honk and tried to bite Fisher, who easily dodged away. Letting out a sigh,

Cade went over to retrieve his mate. Here he thought all this time that his family was

dysfunctional. In his opinion, Kedrik’s crew was way worse.

Zara let out a loud yelp before she jumped back. Rubbing her stomach right above the

new burn hole in her dress, she glared at Xanthi. “I thought they took your powers away?”

“Most of them. I still have a few tricks in my bag, and I’m not afraid of using them,”

Xanthi announced as he pushed away from the wall and went to stand by Fisher.

“So, what exactly is our plan?” Cade asked.

He didn’t want to have to spend one more minute cooped up in the loony house than

necessary. He just wanted to cure Kedrik and get him some place safe until they could take care

of Taylora and put her permanently out of business.

“Now that we have Kedrik, we need to go back to Aria and find our other brothers. Once

we have them cured and safe then we can go after Taylora. We don’t dare attack until we know

for sure that all of us have shaken this damn death spell,” Landon said.

“So, you need to get to work on making Kedrik un-swanned,” Xanthi drawled.

Cade gave the swan a pointed look. “I can’t exactly do anything about it right now. I

don’t know what kind of kink you’re into, but I prefer my partners to be human.”

“Fuck, elves are such a bore and a major pain in my ass. And not in the good way,

either.” Xanthi rolled his eyes as he began to storm from the room. “I’m taking a nap. Once those

two finally do the screw and cure wake me up.”

“Is he always like this?” Cade asked once Xanthi had left.

“No.” Reef slowly shook his head. “Usually he’s ten times more sarcastic. He must be

tired.”

Landon ran a hand through his hair. “We’re all tired. Why don’t we take a nap and then

hopefully we can leave after Kedrik’s curse is broken.”

When Cade noticed the whole room was now giving him a pointed glare, he let out an

aggravated growl. “I told you, I’m not making love to a swan.”

“We weren’t suggesting now. We were thinking that maybe you could once you and

Kedrik woke up, and he was back to his usual self,” Fisher explained, the corners of his mouth

twitching.

So, not only was Cade expected to make love to his mate and cure him, but he also had to

do it while a whole house full of people were probably listening in. Great, no pressure there.

“Do we at least get a private room or are you going to sell tickets to the event and make it

a public viewing?” Cade bit out.

Landon grinned. “We have a bedroom upstairs you can use. It’s not custom in Aria for

princes to have sex in front of an audience until after the couple’s second anniversary.”

It took a second for Cade to realize that Landon was pulling his leg. Letting out a sigh, he

readjusted his grip on Kedrik and asked, “Can you please just tell me where we can crash.”

“Upstairs, second room on the left.”

Not wanting to be around the chaos for one more second, Cade beat it up the stairs and

found the room. As he shut the door, he let out a deep breath. Damn, how was it that nobody

knew how insane Aria’s ruling family was? But then again before now they had always been

sheltered and kept away from others.

Cade sat the swan on the bed. Kedrik must have been just as tired as Cade because he

ruffled his feathers just once before he settled down and fell asleep. After stripping to his briefs,

Cade climbed into bed.

He groaned as he eyed the bird. This wasn’t exactly the way he’d imagined spending his

first night with his mate, but at least they were both alive and safe…for now.

They still had a tough road ahead of them. They had to cure Kedrik, find a way to sneak

back into Aria, locate the other princes then defeat Taylora. All the while, they had to make sure

to stay one step ahead of the hunters.

It was so overwhelming that it made Cade more than a little anxious. Now that he finally

had Kedrik by his side, he was more than determined not to let anything ever come between

them again.

* * * *

Cade woke up later to the sensation of lips slowly gliding down his body, leaving behind

a heated path in their wake. Even without opening his eyes, Cade would have recognized the

scent and touch of his mate. He gave a loud moan and continued to enjoy his mate’s attention.

“Shhh…the others are going to hear you,” Kedrik whispered.

“Let them. It’s not like they don’t already know what we’re going to be doing in here.”

Kedrik swirled his tongue around Cade’s navel. “It’s still better than doing it with a swan

and out in public.”

“You heard all that?”

Looking up from under his lashes, Kedrik gave a wicked grin, and it did all kinds of

amazing things to Cade’s body.

“Some parts are a bit fuzzy, but yeah, I got most of it. Enough to know that I’m going to

kick Fisher’s ass as soon as we get done here.”

If Cade managed to accomplish all the things he planned on doing to the prince, Kedrik

would be too tired to kick much of anything for a while. Letting out a growl, Cade sat up, his

arms going around Kedrik’s waist to ensure the other man didn’t fall off the bed.

The new position made it so Kedrik was basically sitting in Cade’s lap, but that was soon

remedied when Cade turned their bodies and pinned Kedrik under him. Kedrik struggled, but in

the end, they both knew it was all for show. Not only was Cade bigger and stronger, but Kedrik

also wanted to submit. One look at the raw need in the man’s eyes screamed that fact.

“There’s something I should tell you about my kind.”

As he spoke, Cade used one hand to pin Kedrik’s hands so they were above his head. The

new position stretched out his body perfectly, making the hard muscles ripple under his tan flesh.

It looked so tasty that Cade couldn’t resist from taking a bite. Lowering his teeth, he nipped at

one of Kedrik’s nipples, pausing after to lick away the sting.

“Fuck!” Kedrik cried out. There was no doubt the whole house heard.

Cade smiled against his mate’s flesh, relishing in the fact that Kedrik was very vocal.

Cade liked that he’d never be left not knowing just when and how much his lover was pleased.

“Fae mate for life. Once we do this, there will never be any going back,” Cade warned.

He paused long enough to gaze up at Kedrik. While Cade’s cock screamed at him to get

the show on the road already, he had to make sure Kedrik knew everything before agreeing to the

union.

Kedrik’s eyes grew wide as his tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip. “But I thought

you guys were immortal?”

“We are.”

“Then how can you be mated to me when I’m not?”

“That’s just it. Once we do this, you’ll live for as long as I do.”

Cade paused, somehow knowing that those words would have the biggest impact on

Kedrik’s decision.

Sure enough, Kedrik took a shaky breath. “So that would mean I would never get old, but

I’d have to watch all my friends and family age and die?”

“Not all of them. I would still be there for you.”

Kedrik paused and for one brief horrifying moment, Cade was certain he was about to be

turned down.

Then Kedrik gave him a lopsided grin. “I can think of a lot worse things to worry about

than having to wake up forever in the arms of the most handsome guy in all of Aria.”

Elation filled Cade. “Does that mean yes?”

“Of course it does.”

After pressing a kiss to Kedrik’s lips, Cade stood long enough to pull off his briefs then

grab the bottle of lubricant somebody had not so subtly left on the nightstand. When he noticed

that Kedrik had lowered his arms, Cade muttered a spell. Silver ropes appeared, slithering around

Kedrik’s wrists and binding him to the headboard.

Kedrik didn’t fight the restraints. If anything, more desire flared in his eyes as he let out a

loud gasp of pleasure. It was an emotion that echoed within Cade as he gazed down at his mate,

all flushed with need, cock hard, body just begging to be fucked.

Running one finger along Kedrik’s chest, Cade praised, “Do you know how perfect you

are?”

Kedrik shook his head. “I’m just a pretty face. That’s what Taylora always told me. She’s

right, too. I’m not strong like Landon or smart like Fisher. Hell, even Dack is better than me, and

he’s the baby in the family.”

Cade reached down and wrapped his hand around Kedrik’s cock. “Babe, you’re

wonderful just the way you are. Just because your bitch of a sister or mother could never see it

doesn’t make it any less true.”

Kedrik was great, too. In all the years that Cade had stood back, admiring the man from

afar, he’d noted many things. Like how when tempers would flare up within the nobles it was

Kedrik who would turn on the charm and calm everybody down. How he always had time for

any subject, be they a knight or a chamber boy. He treated everybody as an equal and was never

afraid to jump in and get his hands dirty to get a job done.

Cade wanted to say all those things, but he realized that Kedrik would have to come to

see that for himself. Instead, Cade settled for peppering kisses all up and down his mate’s body.

Using one hand, he managed to get the bottle of lube open and squirt some of the liquid

over his hand. He then continued to kiss every inch of Kedrik's body…well, almost every inch.

Cade made a very deliberate point of avoiding his lover’s cock. A situation that soon proved

frustrating to Kedrik, going by the number of moans and curses that slipped past the man’s lips.

It still wasn’t enough. Grinning to himself, Cade thrust a finger inside Kedrik’s tight hole.

Cade’s cock gave an eager jerk when he felt how tight Kedrik was. Cade added a second finger,

spreading them apart so Kedrik was stretched and ready to take him.

Finally, when Cade knew his prince couldn’t hold back his orgasm any longer, Cade

slipped his fingers out. Grabbing Kedrik by the hip, Cade ordered, “Look at me.”

Kedrik immediately obeyed, his lust-infused gaze locking with Cade’s. Only then did

Cade slowly press his cock inside Kedrik.

They both let out groans as Cade slid home. He only paused a moment before it became

too much. The knowledge that he had Kedrik in his arms, at his mercy and forever his, snapped

Cade’s control, and he began to pound into his mate.

Kedrik must have felt the same anxiousness because he let out a loud cry of pleasure,

urging Cade on. He even arched his body up to meet Cade halfway.

Shit, Cade knew he wasn’t going to last long. He could already feel the tingling at his

spine that let him know that his orgasm was coming. He didn’t want to find his release until

Kedrik did though, so Cade reached down and began to stroke Kedrik’s erection.

“Love you. So fucking much!” Kedrik yelled.

He then arched up one more time before he came, his cock shooting hot ropes of semen

all over Cade’s hand. The feeling of his mate’s body trembling under him shoved Cade over the

edge. Groaning Kedrik’s name, he allowed his orgasm to slam into him.

A gold shimmering light traveled over their bodies as the bonding process that was as old

as Cade’s kin set in place. He gave a slight hiss as a star tattoo appeared on his arm, the mark of

the elvish. A matching star glowed on Kedrik’s arm. Anyone who spotted them together would

know they were a mated pair.

Once the light faded, Cade muttered the spell to undo Kedrik’s wrists. Just as quick, he

said another one. This time a silver chain appeared around Kedrik’s neck. While it looked like

another piece of jewelry, the leaf shaped clasp that held it closed marked it as more. In ancient

elvish lettering was Cade’s name.

He was the only one who could ever take it off and Kedrik would wear it forever. Rolling

to the side, Cade pulled Kedrik into his arms. A sense of calm came over him now that he knew

the prince was finally where he belonged.

Chapter Nine

Kedrik sighed as he moved his arms and wiggled his fingers. It felt so good to be human,

and if his brothers were right, he’d stay that way.

They were all sitting around the living room snuggled with their respective mates. Zara

sat across from Xanthi, occasionally flashing him resentful looks. Kedrik bit back a smile as he

watched the pair interact. Zara was obviously one of those females who thought they could un-

gay a man. Why she thought that when her own brother was gay he didn’t know, but then some

people didn’t make sense.

The ex-hunter introduced as Hagen kept flicking his large hunting knife back and forth,

looking like a man who was going to kill something soon if he didn’t get some action. According

to Landon, the man thought he could help find the missing princes.

Kedrik sighed as Landon went into another speech about how they needed to overthrow

their sister.

“We get it, Lan. We know. Taylora is an evil bitch and we need to kick her ass. Can we

move on to how we’re going to find Adar and Eaton?”

“Let’s ask Petra when she returns.” Landon glared at his brother for interrupting. “She’s

supposed to be checking on Dack.”

“You don’t think she’s going to bring him here, do you? We need to get back to Aria.”

Kedrik fidgeted as he waited for his brother’s response. This entire thing had him on edge. How

could their sister do this to them?

Landon shrugged. “I’m hoping she’ll have better sense than that.”

Silence fell upon the group, but Kedrik didn’t know what that meant since he hadn’t met

Petra.

“We’ll get your brothers,” Cade whispered in Kedrik’s ear.

“I hope so.”

Before he could wonder how much longer they’d have to wait, a flash in the room

blinded him. Kedrik blinked to clear his vision and blinked again when it cleared. Whoever had

convinced the woman that Madonna’s eighties look was coming back should be shot. Black lace

bustier, black leather mini skirt and hot pink leggings assaulted Kedrik’s eyes, but it was the

leather ankle boots that polished it off. Her hair, thankfully, was a little improvement, but the

headband did nothing for her pretty face.

“Petra, there you are,” Landon exclaimed. “Where’s Dack?”

“We’ve got a problem,” the vision said.

“What’s wrong?” Landon jumped to his feet, towering over the tiny woman.

Hagen stood, too, discreetly placing his body between the godmother and the prince.

“Dack is missing. I mean, he could’ve left on his own. Why he would, I don’t know, but

he wasn’t there, and I couldn’t find any trace of him. I’m thinking his swan half took over and he

left.”

Kedrik jumped to his feet, ready to strangle the woman. “You lost my baby brother!” The

temptation to choke her was huge.

“I didn’t lose him! He went off to explore his swanness.”

“I’m going to explore my murderness,” Kedrik growled.

“Calm down,” Hagen warned.

“Easy, honey.” Cade wrapped an arm around Kedrik, holding him close. “When we get

back to Aria, we’ll find Dack. Let’s focus on how to get there.”

Silence filled the living room as looks were exchanged and no answers were given.

Petra tapped her foot. “It’s easy for me to transport myself, but I need to open a doorway

between the worlds to get all of you on the other side.”

“Why can’t we just go back the way we came here?” Kedrik asked.

Petra shook her head. “Your sister would know if you came that way and have you killed

before you even had a chance to catch sight of her.” Petra twisted her hair around her finger as

she thought. She snapped her fingers. “Cade. Did your mother give you something with an Arian

symbol on it?”

“No, she gave it to me,” Zara spoke up. “She worried that Cade would lose it.”

Cade scowled at his sister.

“What? You know you lose crap all the time.”

Zara pulled a gold cuff bracelet off her wrist and handed it over to Petra. “She knew Cade

would need it eventually.”

Petra gave a little squeal. “Brian, give me your brooch and, Fisher, give me your ring.”

Flipping over the cuff, she jiggled the brooch into the curve until an audible snap filled the room.

Fisher’s ring went next, pressed into the back of the brooch. Biting her lip, she examined the new

shape. “I think this will do it.”

“Do what? Make ugly jewelry art?” Zara asked.

Petra glared at Zara. “If you don’t have anything useful to say try staying quiet, or I’ll

make sure you stay that way?”

Although Petra looked about as frightening as a fruit fly, Zara paled and backed away.

Goes to show you couldn’t always tell by appearances.

The fairy godmother set the combined jewelry on the floor and pulled a wand out of her

sleeve. Swirling the sparkling stick around the pile caused a small whirlwind to appear. The

twisting wind turned a glowing gold until it encompassed the entire center of the living room.

A loud bell rang, leaving behind a ringing in Kedrik’s ears and a piercing headache. A

tall, gold door now stood where the jewelry had been.

“There. That should do it.” Petra tucked her wand back in her sleeve and surveyed her

work with an expression of pride. Without preamble, she ripped open the door. A loud growl

filled the room. Petra slammed the door shut. “Umm, that wasn’t it.”

Landon stomped over to the fairy godmother. “Petra. What did you do?”

Petra pulled out her wand again. “I think you might want to be the one to open the portal,

Landon. I sort of forgot that part.”

She chewed on her bottom lip as Landon approached the shining entryway.

“What part?” Kedrik asked.

“It has to be a member of the royal family to break through the barrier.”

“Ah.” Landon grabbed the handle and pulled. He cautiously peeked through the opening

before turning back to the others. “What are you waiting for?”

Kedrik watched in amazement as his oldest brother vanished through the doorway.

“Crap.” He broke free of Cade’s hold and ran after Landon.

There was no way he was going to lose his brother. He had to wait as Brian pushed his

way forward to cut before him. Kedrik didn’t yell at him. He’d be upset if Cade went without

him. A hard grip clamped around his arm. He turned to see his mate glaring.

“If you think I’m going to let you go through some magical doorway alone then you’ve

lost your royal mind.”

Kedrik rolled his eyes. “I had no doubt you were coming, but I can’t leave my brother to

fight Taylora either.”

In the corner of his eye, he saw Fisher, his mate and Xanthi slip through the doorway.

“Can we go now? I don’t know how long this opening will last.”

Cade met his gaze for so long Kedrik wondered what he was looking for. “I’m going

first. If there’s anything out there, I don’t want you to get injured.”

“I’ll go after him,” Zara piped up.

“I’ll go last and close the portal,” Petra announced.

“Fine. Go then, oh great protector,” Kedrik muttered.

Cade pinched Kedrik’s ass as he moved past him. “It’s my job to look after you,

remember that.”

Kedrik had no doubt in his mind that Cade would remind him if he ever dared to forget.

After Cade vanished through the doorway, Kedrik followed right on Cade’s heels. The

crackle of electricity pricked across his skin, making the fine hairs on his neck and arms tingle

and stand on edge. The smell of flowers drenched in sunlight filled the air, and the ground

beneath his feet had a spongy feel instead of the solid rock sensation of Earth. Plants as big as

skyscrapers towered over him, and a low howling filled the air.

“The hunters are nearby,” Landon said.

The words were barely out of his mouth before an arrow whizzed through the air and

embedded in a tree beside Kedrik. Horses burst out of the forest, their hooves sounding like

rolling thunder as they approached the group.

Cade grabbed Kedrik’s arm, shoving Kedrik behind him.

“Stay right there,” Cade demanded.

Kedrik would’ve objected, but what was he going to do? He didn’t have a weapon, or any

magical ability.

Cade lifted his hands in the air and muttered a string of words in some foreign lyrical

language. Vines slithered across the ground like snakes, ensnarling the horses' hooves.

Screaming in protest, the horses tossed their riders. While the hunters slashed and fought

against nature, the group ran.

“This way!” Hagen shouted.

Nothing looked familiar to Kedrik as he followed the ex-hunter at a breathtaking pace.

Eventually they stumbled to a halt in a shadowy copse.

Kedrik threw himself on the ground, panting. Since the sounds of pursuit had faded a

while ago, he needed to take a breather while he could.

“How did they know we would be there?” he asked.

“I doubt they did,” Petra said. “I bet they were in the area and sensed my magical

signature.”

“How are we going to find my brothers if we can’t even escape the hunters ourselves?”

Frustration brought tears to Kedrik’s eyes. It was bad enough his sister had cursed them, but now

they were outlaws in their own kingdom.

“We need to separate and look for Dack, Adar and Eaton in small groups. Otherwise,

we’re going to get captured or killed. It’s much easier to hide when there’s only two or three of

us.” Landon met Kedrik’s then Fisher’s eyes, silently asking for agreement to his proposal.

Kedrik nodded. “I think you have a good point. We don’t want them to capture us all at

once. But if Hagen is the only one who can find our brothers, how are we going to find them

without him?”

Hagen stepped forward from where he’d hung back while the princes had had their

discussion. Kedrik didn’t know if he did it out of courtesy or because he was waiting for them to

realize they were useless without him.

“I can take care of that problem, but you have to promise not to tell anyone that I’m the

one who told you. Right now, I’m a deserter and could be thrown in jail. If they know I’ve

revealed their secrets, I could be killed.”

“I’m confident I can speak for all of us when I say your secrets are safe with us,” Landon

vowed.

Kedrik and Fisher nodded in unison.

“Tell us, Hagen,” Kedrik urged.

“All hunters of Aria can manipulate a bit of nature. It’s part of the reason we are chosen

as hunters.” Hagen reached down and picked up three round stones. Cupping all three in his

hand, he covered them with his other one. He muttered something too low for Kedrik to hear, but

it must’ve worked because blue light shot from his hands in all directions. After about a minute,

the light died down and Hagen opened his hands.

All three rocks glowed a faint blue.

“Princes, each grab a rock.”

When Cade went to grab Kedrik’s, Hagen pulled it out of reach.

“Kedrik needs to take it. I promise it won’t harm him,” Hagen swore.

Kedrik watched the clash of the alphas with amusement. Finally, Cade gave an agreeing

nod and stepped back.

Kedrik snatched the stone before his mate could change his mind.

The rock gave a soft hum, and the blue light shot into Kedrik’s hand. He gave a hiss at

the unexpected sensation as his palm ached with cold.

Lifting the rock, he saw a strange symbol was now on his palm and on the rock.

“You said it wouldn’t hurt him.” Cade stepped toward Hagen, but Kedrik held out his

arm to keep him back.

“It just stung. I’m fine.” He gave Hagen his full attention. “What now?”

“Now you have a direction stone cued to your DNA. Anyone in your family can be found

with that stone. Pick someone.”

Holding the stone flat on his palm, Kedrik spoke. “Where is Eaton?”

The stone rose from Kedrik’s hand, stopping about two inches above his palm. Light

crackled across the stone until a compass appeared on the surface. The word Eaton glowed on

top with an arrow pointing north.

“You can change it anytime by saying who you’re looking for,” Hagen said.

“Okay. You take Eaton. Fisher, you find Adar and I’ll look for Dack. Petra, are you

staying?”

Petra shook her head reluctantly. “If I interfere any more, they’ll pull my wings.”

Landon nodded. “Thank you for your help. Zara, you go with your brother and Kedrik.

Fisher, do you want Xanthi or Hagen?”

“Xanthi.” He shot the ex-hunter a shy smile. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Hagen assured him. “You don’t know me.”

“Exactly!” Fisher gave the ex-hunter a relieved smile.

Kedrik wouldn’t have wanted to offend the granite-faced man, either.

“I’ll take Hagen then,” Landon said. “Once we collect our brothers, we’ll meet in the

castle’s north woods by Emerald Lake. Any objections?”

“No,” everyone said in unison.

“Good.” Landon clasped hands with Fisher then with Kedrik. “Be safe, my brothers. The

kingdom depends on you.”

Kedrik nodded. For the first time, he had an important part to play in the kingdom, and

he’d do anything if it would make everything go back to how it was before.

Fisher and Landon activated their guiding stones and headed in opposite directions while

Kedrik fought tears as he remembered playing hide and seek with his brothers in the past. This

time an entire world depended on them being able to find those that were lost.

“It’ll be all right.” Cade wrapped Kedrik in his arms.

“No, it won’t,” Kedrik said. “It will never be all right again.” No matter what happened in

the end, too much had changed for Kedrik to ever go back to living the sheltered existence he

had before.

A soft whistling filled the air. He didn’t pay attention to it until Zara screamed. Kedrik

spun around. Zara lay on the ground, an arrow pierced through her chest.

Cade threw Kedrik from him. “Don’t stand there, Kedrik. Run!”

Chapter Ten

“Where are we going?” Dack whispered as he darted a nervous glance around the woods.

Fudwick only paused long enough to toss a few words over his shoulder. “Patience,

prince.”

Dack resisted the urge to roll his eyes. After another day spent as a swan, patience was

the last thing he was feeling. All he wanted was to find his older brothers. Then they could take

back the castle and crush Taylora and her creepy friend.

Instinctively, his hand went to his stomach directly where Nico had zapped a huge hole in

him, just so Taylora could have the blood needed for the curse she’d cast on them. Dack wasn’t

sure what had hurt worse, the wound itself or the fact that she’d betrayed them.

After some internal debate, he decided it was her treachery. While the wound had long

ago healed, the pain in his heart still felt raw and fresh.

All his life, he’d looked up to Taylora and doted on her. While deep down he knew that

she was mean and hateful, most times she’d at least treated him with kindness. That was until

she’d literally tried to kill him.

Had it not been for Petra, Dack would have bled to death or succumbed to the curse.

While he knew he should feel grateful that she’d at least been able to soften the curse some, it

was still hard to be happy over the prospect of having to spend half of the rest of his life trapped

as a swan.

They reached a tree and the gnome stopped in front of it, his small, grimy hand going to

his heart almost as if in worship. Dack stared at the tree, trying to figure out what was so special

about it. Other than the fact that it looked pretty ancient and was bigger than hell, he didn’t see

how it was any different than the rest of the woods.

“What I am about to show you has been a closely guarded secret by the gnomes since the

beginning of time,” Fudwick said.

Dack almost quipped, What? It’s been gnomes who have been living in trees and making

cookies, not elves? He decided that it was one of those times that Landon would have advised

him to hold his tongue, so Dack simply nodded in response.

Speaking in some guttural, almost animalist sounding language, Fudwick began to chant.

An eerie green light glowed at the top of the tree before slowly shimmering down the

trunk. Once it reached the ground, a small door appeared at the base of the tree. Dack had grown

up around magic, but he still found himself impressed. For decades, everyone had thought that

gnomes were beneath them since they were smaller and didn’t possess any powers, but it would

appear as if the race had been underestimated.

“Are you ready?” Fudwick asked.

Dack shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything that could have prepared

me for what’s happened the past week.”

Fudwick’s lined face grew dark with worry. “You have to be prepared to stand for Aria,

or else all hope will be lost.”

While Dack seriously doubted that anybody would ever look to him, the youngest of all

the princes, for any source of leadership, he still nodded. Only then did Fudwick give him a faint

smile before opening the door.

Dack walked inside and found that the tree was really an entrance to a cave. Then, as he

got a better look, he immediately wanted to turn back around and run away. Before him lay a

huge cavern, and it was filled with refugees from the castle and surrounding countryside. Old,

young, rich, poor…they were all present. Worse, some were wounded and dying.

“What is this place?” Dack asked.

Gazing up, he saw the ceiling was low. Rounded passages had been carved into the rock

and they led into what he assumed were other rooms. The entire interior was illuminated by

torches that were attached to the stone walls, and the air smelled damp.

“It’s the secret dwelling of the gnomes. Until Taylora’s hunters began to attack, we were

the only race to ever see the insides of these walls,” Fudwick replied.

Dack ran a hand along the wall, marveling at how smooth it felt. “It must have taken you

guys forever to dig this out.”

“We have been working on it since the beginning of time, and we still continue to toil.”

Shocked, Dack gaped at the gnome. “How big is this place?”

“It runs under the entire kingdom of Aria.”

“How is that possible? Somebody had to have noticed all of you working.”

Fudwick grunted. “Do you know how many individuals know my name?”

“No.”

“Just you, prince. Most others just view gnomes as stupid, ignorant creatures who aren’t

worthy of anything by manual labor.”

Dack wanted to deny that, but he knew it was true. He couldn’t even begin to count the

number of times he’d seen knights or other nobles kicking and cursing at the gnomes as they

scurried around the castle. While Landon had always been fair and demanded that everybody in

his castle be treated with respect, he wasn’t always there. Plus, he was one of the few royals who

had compassion for the small creatures.

“Yet, when we were in need, you still opened up your dwelling and resources to us,”

Dack said.

It both humbled and awed him that the gnomes could be so forgiving and understanding

after all the hate they’d faced over the years. It also made him hope that he never let Fudwick

down, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of panic.

In the past, whenever he’d faced a challenge, Dack had been able to turn to his brothers.

Now he was all alone, hunted and at a loss as to what direction to take.

Turning to Fudwick, Dack asked, “What do you want me to do?”

“You’re the prince. Lead them.”

Horror clawed at Dack’s chest as he felt the weight of every gaze on his shoulders. Were

they insane? How in the hell did they expect him to lead? He’d never even been in charge of a

group of trained knights, yet they thought him capable of becoming the head of their resistance?

Had they all been eating crazy pie and forgotten to give Dack his slice?

“You need Landon or Fisher. I’m just Dack,” he sputtered.

“You’re all we have now.” Fudwick reached up and put a hand on Dack’s arm. “Unless

you do something, all these people are going to die. You’re a prince, now start acting like it.”

Dack glanced down at himself. In his dirty, torn clothes and battered shoes, he didn’t look

like royalty. “I have no training, no battle skills and I’m scrawny. What can I do?”

Fudwick gestured to the cavern. “We are small, yet we still managed to make this.”

“But you had help. I’m alone,” Dack said.

It was true, too. He didn’t even have Petra anymore.

Fudwick gave Dack’s arm a gentle squeeze. “You’re not alone. You have us with you.”

Fudwick then tilted his head toward one of the tunnels. “Come, some of the knights made

it out, and they will want to talk to you.”

Dack seriously doubted that. The only times the knights had ever spoken to him were to

say things like, Where is Prince Landon? Or, Stop feeding my horse sugar cubes and apples

because he’s getting fat.

Still, Dack followed. He expected to make a quick dart through the main cavern, but as

he began to enter the throng of people, the crowd began to buzz with excitement.

“It’s Prince Dack.”

“He lives!”

“There is hope.”

He soon found himself stopping along the way to shake hands and comfort the wounded.

Hell, he even gave one little girl a hug. By the time they reached the corridor, he was breathless

with shock.

Fudwick’s eyes twinkled with pride. “I told you that you weren’t alone.”

“I just assumed that everybody saw me as a pesky kid.”

“That’s because you listened to your sister too much. She always did underestimate you,

and now that just may be her undoing.”

Dack glanced back at the sea of hopeful faces and for the first time he felt real rage…not

hurt, not personal betrayal, but real honest to god anger at Taylora for what she had done to these

people.

Not only had she turned on her brothers, but she’d also let loose an evil on their kingdom,

and she didn’t seem to care who got hurt in the process. All she wanted was wealth and power,

and she appeared willing to let the rest of the people starve to death or worse.

Even with that fire burning inside him as they approached the small group of knights,

Dack still expected them to laugh in his face. When they all turned and immediately fell to one

knee, Dack was so shocked he almost tripped over his feet.

Hope surged through him when he noticed that one of the men was Cecil. He was one of

the best knights and had served Landon loyally for years. He’d also been the knight who Dack

had played a few pranks on. Dack just prayed the guy didn’t hold a grudge.

“Cecil, you’re alive,” Dack said.

The knight gave him a warm smile. “Yes, and we’re happy to find that you survived as

well.”

“Have you heard any word from my brothers?”

“No, we have men searching every corner of the kingdom. It’s not easy, though, because

the area is thick with hunters and they have orders to kill any man who wears the royal crest.”

Despite those words, Dack noted that each and every knight still proudly wore their

tunics that had the crest on it. The thought of their loyalty eased the sting of the lack of news on

his brothers.

“So, how many refugees are here?” Dack asked.

“Last count, three hundred, but more are trickling in every day.”

“Do we have enough food and supplies to support that many?”

Cecil nodded. “Thanks to the gnomes, we have enough to sustain us for several months.”

Thank goddess. When they won this war, Dack was going to make certain that there was

a new official holiday celebrating the species. For all of Aria would surely see how worthy they

were by then.

“So, prince. How should we proceed?” Cecil asked.

Dack fumbled. Shit, what would Landon say? Then before he realized it, orders began to

tumble from his lips. “Fudwick, I need you to become our official ambassador with the gnomes.

We need to work with healers so we can set up a hospital for the wounded. Then we have to

figure out a way to respectfully deal with the dead bodies. We can’t use a pyre since that will

alert the hunters of our location, so we need to think of an alternative. Then we need to assign

workers to the kitchen and laundry. Since the gnomes are welcoming us into their sanctuary, the

least we can do is carry our own weight. You are our honored hosts, not our servants.”

Cecil smiled his approval. “If I may make a suggestion, I think we should also train some

of the peasants to fight. We lost a lot of our men to the hunters, and we need to replace them.”

Dack nodded. “Agreed, and I want you to start with me. I have been lacking in my sword

skills, and I need to get them up to par.”

“I would be happy to, prince. We even have a set of armor here that will fit you.”

It gave Dack a sense of relief to know that he wouldn’t have to go out in only the ragged

clothes he wore. One of the knights was even bringing him a fresh set of garments and shoes.

Taking them, he nodded to the men. “Okay, let’s get going. In the meantime, we have to

continue to search for my brothers and bring them back here. Also, spread the word. Until I say

otherwise, the hunting of any swans is illegal.”

The last thing he wanted was for one of his brothers to get killed and served up for

dinner.

Cecil cocked a brow. “Is there any specific reason?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

Dack decided that the less people who knew about the swan curse, the better for now. He

did realize that he’d have to at least trust Cecil with the news, though. That way he could keep

Dack under lock when his inner bird decided to come out.

“So, Cecil, are you ready to start training me to be a good knight?”

As Dack said that, he thought back to the hunter, the one with the intense blue eyes. Dack

vowed that the next time they crossed paths he would stand on his feet and fight. He sure as hell

wouldn’t cower and tremble in the mud any longer. He was a crown prince of Aria, and he was

going to show those hunters what happened when someone fucked with his kingdom.

Chapter Eleven

Cade ran to his sister’s side. “No, Zara.”

Kedrik gasped at the blood pouring from the wound. She lay still, her lips turning paler

with time.

Cade turned at the sound. “Run, Kedrik!”

“I’m not leaving you!” Kedrik’s heart pattered like a frightened rabbit in his chest, but he

stood his ground.

“I’ll take her.” Petra appeared before them. “Since she has elvish blood, her magic could

help her heal. If I get her home, she might survive.” The sparkly godmother now had a serious

expression as she took in Zara’s appearance.

Cade leaned down and kissed his sister on the forehead. The sound of horses approaching

snapped him out of his funk. They must have magically sent the arrow for it to strike Zara so far

ahead of their appearance.

“Run. I’ll cover for you,” Petra shouted.

Cade grabbed Kedrik’s arm and ran. Stumbling along with Cade’s longer stride, Kedrik

moved faster than he ever had before. This wasn’t a case of a tickle match with Landon, or a

wrestling tussle with Fisher if he was caught. If they were caught, they would die or be given to

Taylora where they’d wish they were dead.

An explosion shook the earth, throwing Cade and Kedrik off their feet. Kedrik fell to the

ground, twisting his ankle. Hundreds of tiny rocks scraped at his skin, ripping off a layer. Dazed,

he blinked up at the sky trying to make sense of the world.

“Kedrik!” Cade ran to his side, throwing himself down beside Kedrik. “Are you all

right?”

Kedrik blinked up at his mate. “I think so. What the hell was that?”

“I’m guessing it was Petra. She’s taking care of the hunters. We need to get out of here.”

Sliding an arm around Kedrik, Cade helped him to his feet.

Pain shot up Kedrik’s leg, and he began to fall.

“I’ve got you,” Cade said.

Before Kedrik could argue, Cade lifted him up in his arms and continued down the road.

“You can’t carry me for miles,” Kedrik protested.

“Well, I can’t heal you. I don’t have that kind of energy, and I’m not going to let you

suffer.”

Kedrik sighed. “Let’s see if we can find something to use as a splint.”

Cade walked off the path and farther into the forest.

“There.” Kedrik pointed to a dark patch of forest. “Set me down, and we can find some

wood and vines to shore up my ankle. I think I only twisted it a bit. I just need some support, and

I can hobble along.”

Cade didn’t return Kedrik’s smile. “I might have lost my sister. I won’t lose you.”

Kedrik cupped Cade’s face with his hands. “You won’t lose me. I won’t let you. Now go

be survival man and make me a splint.”

Finally, he got a smile.

“I can do that.” Cade walked away and before long, he vanished in the thick forest brush.

A soft rustling beside him put Kedrik on alert. Fear kicked adrenaline through his system.

Had the hunters escaped Petra and found them anyway? Kedrik doubted he’d have time to

escape before they killed him, but he couldn’t let himself die. Cade wouldn’t be able to take it if

Kedrik didn’t survive.

Scooting on his ass, Kedrik tried to turn to face the intruder.

To his surprise, a small mole popped out of the ground. The noise he’d heard was the

sound of the little creature digging.

“Prince Kedrik!” the little creature exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

“Um, hi,” Kedrik responded hesitantly. He had to admit, he’d never spoken to a mole

before. In fact, he could’ve sworn they didn’t talk.

“You can understand me!” the mole squeaked, excitedly.

“Yes. I can.” And didn’t that freak him the hell out.

“It must be the bird spell. My name is Possly,” the animal said wisely.

“Nice to meet you.” For a mole, the creature made good sense. Kedrik hadn’t thought of

the bird spell having other effects.

“Your brother speaks animal well also.”

“What? Which brother?”

The mole tilted his head as if he didn’t understand the question. “Dack brother, our

leader.”

Kedrik laughed until his stomach hurt. Dack, a leader? He hadn’t thought he’d hit his

head but maybe he was dreaming. The only thing his brother could lead was an extremely tame

pony at the end of a leash. Poor delusional creature.

“Have you seen Eaton?”

The mole shook his head sadly. “Eaton is lost.”

“What do you mean lost?” Fear sucked the air out of his chest.

“He’s wandered into the giant fields where the beanstalks grow as tall as mountains.”

“Crap!” Kedrik sighed, thudding the back of his head against the tree.

“No, thank you. I don’t need to defecate right now. I only came to check on you. We

need you princes. Without you, Taylora will win and all will be lost.” The mole peered blindly

about. “Where is your mate?”

“How do you know I have a mate?” Kedrik asked suspiciously.

The animal had come out of the ground. How did he know it wasn’t a spy for his sister?

“The prophecy says the three will not return until they have found their other halves. You

are here, so you must be mated.”

“What prophecy?” How could there be a prophecy that none of them knew about?

“The prophecy at Dack’s birth. The queen had it sealed, but the fairy Petra stole it away.

We’ve been preparing for many years. The Earth three must save the Aria three, or the kingdom

will fall. Where is your mate, prince?”

“He’s looking for a splint for my foot.”

“Oh, you must not tarry. The bad knights will come.”

Talking to the mole was like trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together backwards and

upside down.

Kedrik let out a frustrated sigh. “What bad knights?”

“The sorcerer’s stolen souls. Your sister isn’t in this alone. She has conspired with a man

of evil to take over the kingdom. She cannot succeed or the kingdom will die. Already a

perpetual cloud darkens the castle’s skies.”

“I have to wait for Cade to wrap my ankle.” Kedrik lifted his leg to reveal his swollen

limb.

The mole scooted closer, tilting its head this way and that as it examined Kedrik’s

wound. “I will return.”

Before he could say anything else, the animal vanished down the hole. Cade returned

from his search with a long vine and some pieces of bark in his hands. The anxiety Kedrik hadn’t

realized he was feeling disappeared.

“Hey, honey. A mole was just here. He said Eaton was in the giant lands.”

Cade paused mid-step. “You can talk to moles?”

“I’m sure it’s related to my previous swannish existence.” Kedrik brushed the issue away

as if he were swatting a fly. “Does it really matter? Didn’t you hear me? Eaton is near the

giants.”

Cade frowned as if he were considering the situation.

“He said he was coming back,” Kedrik prompted.

“The mole did?”

Kedrik nodded.

“Why?”

Kedrik shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Before Cade could ask any more questions, Possly returned with a tiny green creature

that looked like a cross between a gnome and a sprite. It wore a green fluttery dress and wasn’t

larger than Kedrik’s hand.

“This is Tleen. She will heal you,” Possly stated.

“Um, thank you, Tleen.” Kedrik didn’t know if he wanted the odd creature to touch him,

but then what choice did they have.

The little girl or boy or thing scurried over to Kedrik’s ankle and pressed its hands on

either side of the swollen section. Its arms almost weren’t wide enough for the job. Kedrik heard

a high-pitched voice jabber in a language he couldn’t understand. Heat poured from Tleen’s

hands into Kedrik’s skin. The wound throbbed and began to burn. Kedrik sucked in his breath at

the sudden pain.

“Stop, you’re hurting him,” Cade yelled.

“Sometimes you must push forward to reach the other end,” Possly said, or at least that’s

what Kedrik thought he said because his world whited out. He screamed as the world faded

around him.

Cade stroked Kedrik’s sweaty forehead as his mate lay there still as death. The creatures

had run after Cade had threatened to hurt them as they’d hurt his beloved.

He didn’t understand their senseless jabber, and he didn’t appreciate the pain they put his

mate in. The swelling had faded and Kedrik slept peacefully, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t

done him lasting harm.

Fluttering lashes caught his attention. “Honey, are you all right?”

Kedrik blinked at him, trying to focus his brilliant gaze. “I-I think so. What happened?”

“The little green thing tried to fry you.”

Cade helped Kedrik sit up. He’d fallen over when he’d fainted from the pain.

Kedrik rotated his ankle and a smile spread across his face. “I’m better. Tleen healed

me.”

“Tleen tried to kill you,” Cade objected.

Kedrik shook his head. “No, I’m healed.” Looking around, he narrowed his eyes as he

turned to Cade. “You didn’t hurt them, did you?”

Cade shook his head, too. He didn’t need to confess that it was only because they’d fled

before he could blast them with his magic. He could keep that info to himself.

Leaning down, he kissed Kedrik. He would never tire of the flavor of his lover’s lips.

When they broke apart, Kedrik scowled at Cade. “Don’t think you can distract me with a

kiss. I’m not that easy.”

“Yes, you are.” Cade kissed him again to prove his point.

“Damn, I guess you’re right.” Kedrik climbed to his feet. “Come on, we don’t have time

to fool around. We’ve got to find my brother before he gets eaten by giants.”

Cade suppressed his disappointment. The fate of Aria was more important than him

getting some nookie…maybe…probably.

“Later, you’re all mine,” Cade growled to his mate.

Kedrik gave him a surprised look. “Cade, I’m always yours.”

In complete accord, the two men went off to find Eaton.

* * * *

Eaton ran and ran as he heard the hunter’s hounds getting closer; his clothes were ripped

by the thorny vines, his knees were scraped raw from the many times he’d taken a tumble and

the cut on his cheek wouldn’t stop bleeding. The final straw was the sign warning him that he

was entering giant territory.

At least the odor of rotting beanstalks and the stink of giants might confuse the dogs. He

could barely hold back the urge to vomit from the smell. A particularly close howl startled Eaton.

Spinning around, he slammed into a rather tall beanstalk.

“Ouch, fuck!”

His brothers’ cursing was wearing off on him. During their mirror chats, they’d explained

certain Earth words were worse than others. That word felt extra good passing his lips.

Another howl had Eaton grabbing onto the ropy vine. Gritting his teeth as the thorns bit

into his palm, Eaton climbed up the sharp stalk, muttering under his breath with each tiny step.

He pulled himself up until he couldn’t hear the baying creatures or the hunters’ horns. So intent

on his trek and his bleeding hands, Eaton hadn’t realize he’d passed the clouds a while ago until

he looked up and saw a castle in the distance along with a golden trail of hand cut rock.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Eaton wondered.

About the Authors

Amber is one of those quiet people they always tell you to watch out for. She lives in Seattle
with her husband, two sons, two cats and one extremely stupid dog.

Amber loves to talk to her readers and can be found at amberkell.wordpress.com.

Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all
things about the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Go Wings!
You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book or gorging on caffeine
at her favorite coffee shop.

Stephani loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.stephanihecht.com.

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