Page 3 of Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me: Volume 4

A Toad Becomes a Prince

Wine? Check. Warm, cozy fire? Check.

Courage? Well, a few more gulps from my glass should do the trick.

“You’re pacing again.” Rowan knelt by the fire and added another log, causing the flames to burn brighter. “Keep it up and you’ll wear out the floorboards.”

I stopped on the rug and eyed my glass. “I’m gonna refill my wine.”

“No, you’ll sit down and start talking,” Maddox growled from his place on the couch. “Before I lose my temper.”

“Oh, we wouldn’t want that.” Rowan took his preferred position against the wall, crossing his arms. “You’re already such a ray of sunshine.”

“Silence that mouth of yours, thief, before I throw you out into the snow. I’m not in the mood.”

“I’d just use the shadows to come right back.” Rowan’s gaze settled on me. “Come on, little treasure. Spit it out.”

The only thing I was about to spit out was my dinner. Nerves rolled around in my belly. They all stared at me. Waiting.

“I know it’s a cliché line, but I really don’t know where to start. From the beginning, sure, but where is that exactly? There’s a lot to unpack here and I’m kinda at a loss. The tiny Evan’s operating my body are in panic mode, slinging coffee and muffins everywhere.”

Lake cocked his head.

“Forget that. Um.” I shifted my weight between my feet, choosing to remain standing. Sitting would make me too antsy. “I guess this started when Lupin visited me a few months ago.”

“Lupin?” Rowan asked. “Who’s that? A former member of your harem?”

I sighed.

“He’s a mage,” Briar explained. “A very powerful one.” His attention shifted to me. “What did he want with you?”

“To send you back?” Maddox’s hand balled into a fist.

“No,” I answered. My captain was still worried I’d leave him someday. Which explained his bad mood. He could be a total grump, but he had a sensitive heart.

“Send you back where?” Rowan asked.

“Um. About that…” I chewed my bottom lip, blanking on how to tell him. He was the only one who didn’t know about the whole world-traveling thing. It was definitely a night for revelations.

No more secrets. It’d either bring us closer… or tear us apart.

“Evan was sent to us from another world,” Lake told him. Had he sensed my inner turmoil? Bless him. “One with horseless carriages and large balloons that can take you flying through the sky. There are no demi-humans, demons, or mages. Magic exists but is much weaker than it is here.”

Rowan’s face scrunched up. “Sounds like someone’s had too much wine.” He looked at Briar. “You should lock up your supply, Specs. The pup can’t hold his liquor.”

“I’ve not had a sip of wine. This is tea.” Lake nodded to his mug, and his tail flicked once. A sign of his agitation. “I speak the truth.”

“He does,” I said. “Lupin travels across the realms in his magical emporium, finding lost souls or people at the end of their rope, and helps them. I visited his shop on my twenty-third birthday, made a wish, and then woke up here in Bremloc.”

“What wish?” Rowan’s mouth twitched. “To have your own har—”

“One more word, and I’ll make you eat every sickeningly sweet dessert in that kitchen.”

He put his hands up. “Fine, fine. What was your wish?”

“To find a place where I belonged. Which brings me to my next point…” I placed my empty glass on the side table and laced my fingers together. “As you all know, I never knew my parents. Well. I recently learned about my mom. Her name was Cynthia. She loved to bake, just like me, and one day dreamed of opening her own bakery. And she’d been called the Beauty of Exalos.”

“Exalos,” Maddox repeated. “But that would mean—”

“That I was born here after all. When I was a baby, my mom found Lupin’s shop and begged him to take me away. That’s when he sent me to my other world.”

“Why did your mother request such a thing?” Maddox asked.

“I’m getting to that.”

“Get there faster.”

“Be patient,” Briar said. “Can’t you see this is hard for him?”

Maddox scowled.

“My mom was running from someone. Lupin was her last resort to save me.” I stared at the floorboard, noting a design in the wood and skimming my foot over it. “I know this is a lot to process, and I’m sorry. It was a lot for me too. It still is.”

“You’re shaking.” Briar stood and offered me his hand. “Come over by the fire where it’s warm.”

The shivers had nothing to do with the cold, but I let him guide me to the couch between him and Maddox.

Lake emitted a low whine, no doubt feeling my whirlwind of emotions. “I’ve sensed something in you ever since the winter solstice. A gnawing ache and restlessness. Is this why?”

I nodded. “I met a mage in the woods that night who was performing spells beneath the solstice moon. We sat and talked for a while.”

Maddox growled under his breath. “You thought it wise to sit and chat with a stranger you met in the woods? You could’ve been hurt, Evan.” He glared at Lake. “Why did you allow him to wander off on his own, wolf? You were supposed to be watching over him.”

“Don’t get mad at Lake,” I said. “He and Rowan were asleep, and I had to pee. I wandered off on my own, followed a flashing blue light, then found Xavier. That’s his name.”

“So your small bladder is to blame,” Maddox said, losing some of his ire.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I grinned and lightly bumped against his arm. I loved when he picked on me. He turned his face into my hair and took a deep breath.

Did my scent calm him like all of theirs did for me?

“About this Xavier…” Briar rested a hand on my thigh and rubbed small circles with his thumb. An instant comfort. “What role does he play in this?”

“He knew my mom. They grew up together, and he kept his feelings for her hidden. Before he could confess to her, another man swept in.”

“Your father,” Rowan said.

I nodded.

“Who was he?” Briar’s thumb stilled on my thigh.

Nerves sloshed in my gut. “His identity is why I’ve struggled telling you. It’s… dangerous.”

“Dangerous how?” Maddox asked.

“If the wrong person learned about it, I’d have a target on my head.”

His jaw clicked.

Rowan tapped the dagger strapped to his hip. “If anyone comes for your head, I’ll have theirs removed from their shoulders before they can even blink.”

“And I’ll help.” A hard gleam touched Lake’s purple eyes. His fierce protectiveness showed hints of the lethal hunter he could be if provoked.

“This is something you may not be able to protect me from.”

“Explain,” Maddox said, his demanding tone a clear sign he’d lost all patience. Not that he’d had much to begin with.

A ringing sounded in my ears. The words were right there, but they got caught, just as they had all the other times I’d tried telling them.

“Goddammit, Evan.” He grabbed me by the jaw and forced my face to his. “We can’t help you if you keep us in the dark.”

“I’m scared, okay?” My voice cracked.

Apprehension glinted in his deep blue eyes, and his grip loosened. “Scared of us?”

“No. Never of you.” I took his big hand in mine and pressed it to my cheek. “It’s just… once I tell you, everything will change. And I’m not ready.”

“Whatever burden you’re carrying, let us carry it with you, sweetheart.”

Briar rubbed my thigh again. Encouraging me.

I’d never be ready, but I was out of time. Heart thrashing, I forced out the words. “The kingdom of Haran killed my father.”

“Haran?” Maddox’s hand slipped from my cheek.

“King Silas sent assassins after him and my mom. After me too, I guess. I was just a baby when it happened.”

Briar sucked in a small breath and withdrew his hand, covering his mouth. He studied me, dissecting every inch of my face.

He had put the pieces together.

“You okay, Specs?” Rowan asked.

Lake shifted forward in his seat, purple eyes on our physician.

“Briar?” Maddox’s concern bled into his voice.

“I… I’m fine. I only need a moment to...” Briar took off his glasses and pinched his brow. His breathing was erratic. “That means you’re his son… but you can’t be. Can you?”

More sharp, shallow breaths. He was having a panic attack.

“Hey.” I rubbed his back. “Breathe, handsome. In. Out. There you go. Focus on the sound of the fire. The little pops and crackles. Inhale. Exhale. Good.”

Briar dropped his hand and stared at me with wide eyes. “How is this possible?”

“How’s what possible?” Rowan released a frustrated breath. “Specs here might’ve figured it out, but the rest of us haven’t.”

“Why would King Silas send assassins after your father?” Maddox asked.

The drumming of my heartbeats quickened, marching ever closer to war. To that point of no return. “Because he ended his engagement to the princess of Haran and chose my mother instead. That decision broke the treaty that would’ve guaranteed peace and sent the kingdoms back into war.”

Maddox’s eyes widened a fraction. “Your father was…”

“Prince Elias, King Eidolon’s younger brother.”

Silence.

Nervous, I pushed from the couch and returned to my earlier spot in the middle of the parlor, staring down at the same floorboard as if it held the key to holding myself together. Because I felt like I was about to break.

“So you see? We’re already on the brink of war with Haran. If they learn I’m alive, they might come for me. But what worries me most is something happening to any of you if they do.”

The floor creaked, and I looked up just as Maddox reached me. He was a master at hiding his emotions. He kept them locked away and only showed me what he wanted me to see. But there was no hiding right then. A rawness tore through his blue eyes.

“M-Maddox?”

He dropped to one knee in front of me and lowered his head. “My prince.”

“Don’t do that,” I said, eyes stinging.

He kept his head bowed.

“Maddox? Please look at me.”

Slowly, his gaze lifted.

“I’m still me.” I cupped his cheek. “I’m still your clumsy little muffin who rambles, drinks way too much coffee, and loves when you tease him. Please don’t treat me differently now.”

Trembling, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed my fingertips, one by one. “When I took my knight’s oath, I swore fidelity to my king and those of his blood. Loyalty that came from a sense of duty. My vow to you, however, comes from the heart. I swear to protect you with my own life. I will be your sword and your shield until my dying breath. You hold my entire world in these small hands of yours.”

“They’re not small.” My voice cracked. “Yours are just abnormally large. Another part of you is too.”

Maddox breathed out a laugh and rose to his feet, hooking an arm around me. “I love you, sweetheart.”

I rested my cheek against his chest. “I love you too, big guy.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Rowan pushed from the wall and toyed with the golden cuff holding his hair to the side. “I captured a prince after all.”

“You did.” I smiled. “And it explains why you mistook me for Prince Sawyer. I guess King Eidolon and my father resembled each other a lot too.”

Maddox glared at Rowan. “Cast aside any thoughts of betraying him, thief. I know you still wish to find yourself in Lord Onyx’s good graces, and if you think of using Evan to—”

“I would never betray him,” Rowan snapped. Shadows swirled at his feet in his anger. “Evan is the one thing I treasure above all else. Above riches and power. Even above myself. Him being of royal blood changes nothing.”

“Says the man who’d screw over anyone for a shilling,” Maddox countered.

“On the contrary, oh mighty captain.” Rowan gave him a honeyed smile. “I’d screw you over free of charge. No shilling required.”

“Enough arguing. It’s the last thing our Evan needs.” Briar exhaled and stood from the couch. “I do believe I could use another drink.”

“One step ahead of you, Specs.” Rowan withdrew his flask and took a swig before offering it to him. “Want some?”

Briar eyed the flask for a beat or two and then accepted it. He took a drink and cringed.

Rowan smirked. “Too strong for your delicate constitution?”

Maddox chuckled, and Briar shot him a look.

Lake rose from the armchair and went over to the window. Moonlight shone on the tree branches heavy with snow.

“Lake?”

His wolf ears twitched, but he didn’t look at me.

“Do you hate me now?” I whispered. He held a deep distrust of those in power; especially the royal family.

“I could never hate you.” His purple eyes shifted to me. “You’re my home.”

“Then why are you upset?”

Lake stepped from the window and neared me, taking my hands in his. “Because I’m afraid.”

“Of what?”

“Your father’s identity reaching the wrong ears. Of someone even thinking of harming you because of it.” A soft whine escaped his lips. “You once said I was like a shooting star. Beautiful and bright. But you, Evan, are the night sky that allows me to soar. Without you, I’m nothing.”

“I’m not going anywhere. It’s been decades. Haran might not even care about me.”

“Let’s not test that theory,” Lake said.

“Oh, enough with this melodramatic drivel,” Rowan muttered with a flick of his fingers. “Besides, he’s my home, pup. Find your own.”

“He was mine first.” Lake’s upper lip curved into a snarl.

The banter was a good sign. Things almost felt normal. But could it really be that simple?

“What happens now?” I asked.

“As you reminded our captain, you’re still you.” Briar softly smiled. “You’re still the man I fell madly in love with.”

My bottom lip trembled.

“This does change things,” Maddox told me.

A spark of worry ignited in my ribs. “It does?”

“Yes.” A slow smile curved his lips. “You thought I was overprotective before? Just wait, muffin. Knowing the danger you face, you’ll be fortunate to even bathe by yourself from this moment on.”

When I laughed, the worry fizzled and died away. “That’s fine with me. I like when we take baths together.”

Hunger darkened his blue eyes. Was he remembering the time I rode him in the tub? Water sloshed and groans bounced off the walls as I fucked him like it was our last night on this earth.

Without a word, Maddox scooped me up into his arms and carried me from the parlor.

“Still treating me like a sack of potatoes, I see,” I said. “Picking me up and throwing me around whenever you want.”

He lightly swatted my butt. “Ssh.”

I laughed.

Once in the room, he tossed me on the bed and claimed my mouth in a toe-curling kiss. The floorboards creaked as footsteps neared us, the scent of magnolia close behind. The mattress dipped before Briar kissed my temple.

Another pair of lips brushed my collar bone, the smell of peaches tickling my nose. My wolf. I caught traces of black cardamom too but didn’t feel Rowan on the bed. He wasn’t far though. Probably finding solace in the shadowy corner of the room and watching us.

Things couldn’t stay the same forever. I didn’t know how or when, but everything would change. Eventually.

But for now? I got lost in the men I loved more than life itself.

***

Early morning light filtered into the bedroom. A gust of wind rattled the branches of the tree outside the window, and I snuggled deeper into my blanket.

The bed felt too empty. Cold. I stretched out, finding myself alone in the sheets. An extra blanket had been placed over me, and something soft tickled my cheek: Mister Hop, Lake’s toy bunny rabbit from his childhood. The stuffed animal had become a comfort for me over the months.

Had Lake placed him in my arms?

Where was Lake? I always woke to him on my lap, whether he was asleep or not.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee came from downstairs, luring me from my burrow of blankets. Chilly air nipped at my bare skin as I hunted for Briar’s oversized sweater. After dressing and slipping on house shoes, I descended the stairs.

Voices trailed from the kitchen. I padded that way, eager for coffee and morning snuggles with my men.

“I’m still in a state of shock,” Briar said.

I came to a sharp stop in the hall.

“We all are,” came Maddox’s deeper voice. “I find myself torn between my devotion to him as a knight and my love for him as a man. Locking him away in this cottage for all of eternity so he can come to no harm is awfully tempting.”

“Do you believe it’s truly that dangerous for him?” Lake asked.

“Assassins were sent to kill his father,” Briar responded, followed by the clink of a spoon against a cup. “The kingdom of Haran has a long history of holding grudges, some of which are why we’re still in conflict with them to this very day. I fear what would happen if they learned about Evan. He may become their target instead of Prince Sawyer.”

I pressed closer to the wall.

“You’ve worked in the castle for many years, Specs,” Rowan said. “You know the king better than most. Evan is his nephew. If Haran did come for him, wouldn’t the king protect him?”

“It’s hard to say. I’d like to believe he would, yet too many factors are unknown. Telling him about Evan is a risk I’m not willing to take. At least not at this time.”

“Then we’ll keep it between us for now,” Maddox said. “No one else can learn the truth.”

“Agreed,” Briar responded.

“Aye,” Lake added.

“Thief?”

“I’m offended you’d even ask,” Rowan snapped. “Like I’d do anything to harm a hair on his pretty head.”

“Says the one who captured him and tried to give him to the goddamn demon lord,” Maddox said.

“You really need to let that go.”

Mugs clinked together, followed by the sound of something being poured. Just as I was mustering the courage to step into the kitchen and pretend I hadn’t been listening to their conversation, Rowan popped his head through the archway.

I screeched.

“Morning, little treasure,” he said, looking sinfully sexy in tight black trousers and no shirt. Leave it to him to forgo a shirt but remember the dagger strapped to his thigh. “Or should I say, little eavesdropper.”

He handed me a mug of coffee. The source of the sound I’d heard. He was so sneaky. Observant too. Between him and Lake, I couldn’t get away with anything.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. It just sort of happened.” I took a sip and groaned. The strong brew awoke my taste buds and chased away the leftover grogginess from sleep. “So yummy. Thank you.”

“Specs made it.”

“Morning, love.” Briar sat at the table near the bay windows and offered me a tight smile. He wore a sweater—similar to the one I’d stolen from him—and his unfixed, light-brown hair just begged to have me run my fingers through it.

“Morning.” I shuffled forward, holding the mug between both hands. “I’m not used to all of you being awake before me.”

Maddox caught me around the waist and wrapped me in his big arms. He hadn’t put on his armor yet, so his chest, though firm with muscle, was snuggly and warm. “We had much to discuss.”

Guilt feathered across my ribs. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“Uh oh,” Rowan said. “There he goes again. Looking like a sad toad.”

A rough sound came from Lake—his unique laugh. He sat beside Briar at the table, both of them with steaming cups of tea in front of them.

“A sad toad?” Briar asked.

Rowan nodded. “When Evan pouts, his chin dips and his mouth goes like this.” He tucked in his chin and made a face.

“I don’t look like that,” I denied.

Maddox pressed his lips together. To keep from smiling? The jerk. “Actually… the thief and I are in agreement for once. That’s precisely how you look when you don’t get your way.”

“Y’all are so mean to me.”

Rowan stole me from Maddox’s arms and blessed me with my favorite fang-like tooth. “You’re the one who said you didn’t want anything to change. We’re just obliging that request. Besides…” He pushed his face against my neck, his warm breaths tickling my skin. “Teasing you is much too fun.”

“Yeah, well…” I rested my head on his. “I might like it. Just a little.”

A rumble had me glancing at Maddox. He placed a hand to his stomach.

I laughed. “Guess that’s my cue to start breakfast.”

Almost a year in Bremloc, and the medieval fantasy atmosphere and way of life still amazed me. No electricity. Instead, magical runes and crystals lit up rooms, kept things cold, and operated the stoves and ovens.

I ducked into the pantry, and then this world’s version of a refrigerator—powered by an ice crystal that was recharged once a month—and grabbed what I needed for banana muffins. Turning, I caught Briar scrutinizing me.

“What?” I asked, self-conscious. “Do I have a booger?”

“No, your face is perfect, love,” he said with a tight smile. “I just feel like a fool for not seeing it before. The resemblance is uncanny. Your features are more delicate, but you truly are of the royal bloodline.”

“It’s quite strange. You even look like my brother. I see why that bandit mistook you for him.”

A chill settled in my bones.

“You’re aware this makes you third in line to the throne,” he added. “Until one of the princes have children, anyway. Haran’s grudge against your father aside, that alone puts you in danger.”

Holy shit. Being in line for the throne hadn’t even occurred to me.

The cogs in my brain rattled and threatened to fall apart, like a carnival ride put together in a hurry without first checking all the screws and bolts before letting people on. I imagined the team of mini-Evans that ran my body on a rickety Ferris wheel and screaming as it crashed and burned. Muffins flying everywhere.

“I’d be a horrible king,” I said with a nervous laugh. “People would come to seek an audience with me, and I’d be in the kitchen baking cupcakes.”

Briar smiled. “I disagree.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’d be making muffins instead.”

“Not about the baking, love.” The backs of his knuckles slid over my cheek. “I believe you’d make for a fine king. Compassionate, yet resilient. Your gentle heart would touch all those fortunate enough to meet with you. And we’d all be by your side.”

I hugged him. “I don’t want a throne. I just want to spend the rest of my life with all of you.”

“And you will. We’re bound by fate.” He rested his head on mine. “At the risk of sounding like a sentimental old fool, I can’t help but say how deeply I love you.”

“I love you too.” Throat tight, I breathed in his magnolia scent. A burst of spring amid a cold winter’s morning. “Pretty sure I fell for you the night you stole those flowers.”

He laughed. “I was gathering them, not stealing.”

“Whatever you say, flower thief.” I rose up and kissed his cheek before continuing making breakfast. After putting the muffins in the oven, I turned from the oven and crashed into Maddox. “Ow.” I rubbed my forehead. “That’s familiar.”

“Just like the morning we first met.” He took me in his arms. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll live, I guess.”

“You better.” Maddox cradled my face and softly kissed beneath both my eyes. The tenderness of it made my heart wobble.

“What will you do if I don’t? Bring me back to life so you can spank me?”

A gruff laugh vibrated in his chest, and he skimmed his lips down to mine. As we kissed, I felt the tension in his body. My big guy held so much on his shoulders, most of which he carried alone. Worries and doubts. Learning my true identity had only made it worse.

Knocks came at the front door.

“A visitor this early?” I asked.

Lake was beside me in less than a second, his purple eyes glowing bright and his fingernails pointed. Something that happened when he felt threatened. When another set of knocks sounded, Maddox left the kitchen and headed toward the front parlor. The rest of us followed, though Lake stopped in the hallway, staying out of sight.

“Court physician!” came a man’s voice from the porch.

Briar opened the door. “Yes? What is—”

“Your presence is needed at the castle right away, sir,” the boy panted. Looked like a squire. “A patrol unit from the Third Order was just attacked.”