Rebellious Prince by Michelle M. Pillow

Author:Michelle M. Pillow [Pillow, Michelle M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Shapeshifters, Fantasy, Paranormal
Amazon: B00QMXXFUG
Barnesnoble: B00QMXXFUG
Goodreads: 23693707
Publisher: The Raven Books
Published: 2015-03-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

“It cannot be a coincidence that someone threatens Lady Jenna the first moment she is alone.” King Ainmire studied his sons. The sound of the dining hall filtered through his office door, and he moved to shut the noise out. A low fire burned, casting orange light over black shadows. Ivar sat before the fire, an ankle resting on his knee. He seemed more interested in the fire than the conversation, but Rafe knew his brother considered everything.

Rafe had left Jenna with his mother, overlooking the gathered crowd. Nothing would happen to her in such a public place. Even so, he wanted to go back to her side.

“And you’re sure no one followed you in the forest?” The king leaned against the mantel to face his sons.

“No one,” Ivar stated.

Rafe stood behind a chair, resting his arms on the back. He dropped his eyes to the empty seat cushion. “My thoughts were occupied elsewhere, but I did not detect a threat.”

“I knew the Nutef faction was becoming more vocal but I did not imagine they would dare to try anything in our home. This goes too far. It is one thing to kidnap a Draig princess, but another to threaten a royal Var ward.” The king’s face shifted partially into his tiger form in his anger. “Why can’t they see we opened the portal to help the people? Our ancestors mated with humans. They are the perfect vessels to carry our children.”

“They claim it was the human-shifter mating that drove us from the Earth,” Rafe said.

“Rewriting history to fit your doctrine does not make it true,” the king interjected.

“They gain more support,” Ivar said. “They are no longer content to preach against cat-dragon marriage. The old stories still linger in the villages. People fear the human world. We have seen this world, father. It is chaotic. Culturally, humans are still children. Maybe it is their shorter life spans. They have little time before the next generation takes over.”

“Our people fear them only because they don’t understand them,” Rafe said. “The humans are not children. They are just different than we are. It does not make them better or worse.”

“Have you seen them in their revelry? Puking on their streets? Drunken fools fighting and preening?” Ivar gave a short, humorless laugh. “They have plenty women but the good ones are rare. We have been where the unmarried gather to find mates. Sadly, I think those women even understand they can never be royalty. I tell them I am a draqueen, and they instantly go in search of other mates. It is a wonder they manage to perpetuate a culture at all. Their process is barbaric. They even finger shackle each other because their bonds are not strong enough to radiate for all to see.”

“Fear is born of ignorance,” the king stated. “But we will not change Nutef opinions with a couple marriages. It will take time to prove there is nothing to fear from human wives. If the human armies

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