Spellbound Shadow Prince: Enemies to Lovers Shifter Paranormal Romance (Fated Mates of the Royal Wol

1. CHAPTER 1

“Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!”

My arms hurt from doing a handstand, and my throat muscles work overtime to swallow every drop of beer. I keep going, determined to prove to everyone that I’m still the champion.

“Go, Grayden!” Wyatt cheers, raising his glass. “That’s my best mate! He’s the bloody party prince! Woo!”

The gathered crowd picks up Wyatt’s cheers, urging me to empty the keg. My rough estimate tells me that I am about twenty-three beers deep in a very short time, which would kill a normal human. Fortunately, I’m not normal or human.

It’s still too much, my wolf warns me, sounding breathless and exhausted from the rapid work he’s been doing.

Stop trying to heal me, I shoot back. I want to be drunk.

If you continue on this path, you will be, he replies, channeling his annoyance onto me.

Aren’t you tired of having the same conversation night after night?I ask, starting to feel the strain in my arms.

Aren’t you tired of reliving the same thing night after night? my wolf challenges then retreats out of reach as the large amounts of alcohol finally overpower him and his healing abilities.

As every night before, I only stop chugging beer when he quiets down. That’s when everything I put into myself takes effect.

The keg’s hose is still in my mouth, I meet Wyatt’s eyes and nod. Since it’s not our first rodeo, he immediately gets the meaning.

“That’s it,” Wyatt announces, and steps forward to the two guys that have been helping me to stay up. “He’s had enough.”

Both of the guys are wearing the Academy hoodies, and some part of my brain notes that they must be on their spring break. I give them a curt nod when they let me down, ignoring the slight pang in my chest when my eyes land on the familiar crest of a wolf howling to the moon.

“Alright, mate?” Wyatt asks me with a heavy English accent. He pats my shoulder with so much force that I would’ve fallen over if he hadn’t caught me. “Careful there.”

I let out a drunken laugh and shake my head, pushing down the nostalgia. While I loved going to the Academy, I also enjoyed the perks of being a prince.

“What’s next?” I ask, looking around the foyer that’s big enough to easily fit all the guests.

Wyatt follows my gaze and points out at a black-haired beauty. “I heard that she broke up with her boyfriend last week, so she might be up for a good time.”

“Been there, done that,” I tell him, then blow air through my mouth, making my lips flap as they make a silly sound. “The guest list is always the same. Maybe we should find a new crowd.”

“You complain too much,” Wyatt insists and opens his arms wide. “For people like us, not even the sky’s the limit.”

I mockingly raise my brow but don’t have the time to comment because that very same black-haired beauty walks up to us. Her attention is turned on me, and I do not doubt that she’s trying to get some more of my princely action.

She’s just another one of the wannabe princess whores,my wolf comments, sounding as if he’s talking from another side of a tunnel.

Being a prince has to have some advantages, I reply. It’s not like there’s anything expected of a second-born.

“Prince Grayden,” the black-haired beauty greets me and even does a little curtsy. “I don’t know if you remember me, my name is—“

“Portia,” I reply, confident that I got it right, but her face tells me a different story.

“Lady Priscilla Brown,” Wyatt jumps in, giving her a slight bow.

“That’s right,” Priscilla confirms, her perfectly groomed brows raising in surprise as she looks at my friend for the first time. “And you are?”

“Oh, forgive my manners,” Wyatt says with a chuckle. Not that he needs it, but he’s overdoing his English accent, knowing that it’s a hit with the ladies. “Duke Wyatt Lacroix at your service.”

“Duke,” Priscilla breathes, shifting her body toward Wyatt as he must’ve passed some nobility standards she put in her head. “I’ve never met a duke before.”

“We are as rare as a diamond,” Wyatt replies with a wink.

Priscilla giggles at his bad joke, and I do everything in my power to suppress a groan. Before I can lose whatever little control I have over myself, I make my excuses and leave Wyatt alone with the young gold-digger.

“Grayden!”

A group of lordlings waves me over, and I only decide to acknowledge them after I notice the big hookah on the table where they’re all gathered around. I don’t bother to greet them and reach straight for the hose, putting it against my lips and inhaling deeply.

I close my eyes as the smoke travels straight to my lungs. Holding my breath, I crack a smile when I realize that instead of water, they’re using vodka. It’s a nice touch. I exhale through my nose, blowing the smoke out.

“Deadly,” I say in approval, borrowing a word from Wyatt’s vocabulary.

“In ten minutes or so, you should feel a little something extra,” the young lord, whom I only know by his family name—Lincoln—informs me with a wicked grin on his face. “It’s of my own creation.”

“Definitely worth the money that you’ve spent on the lab,” Lord Karlsen tells him. “I wish my father wouldn’t pay so much attention to my finances.”

Trust fund idiots,my wolf mocks.

Aren’t we all?I argue, then smile wider at the lordlings.

“If it’s as good as you say it is, you might get another customer,” I tell Lord Lincoln, whose eyes shine with excitement. “How will I know it’s working?”

“Well,” Lord Lincoln starts, then clears his throat, adopting the voice of a young businessman. “It works on a basic principle of suppressing the biological connection to our wolf. Thus, shutting them down and out of our minds. It’s a lot faster than doing a headstand on a keg.”

“Ten minutes, you said?” I ask, ignoring his jab. Lord Lincoln nods, but I furrow my brows in concern. “Do you understand that by making a drug to shut out our wolves totally, you are also suppressing our rapid healing abilities?”

“Yes,” Lord Lincoln confirms, but the excitement on his face tells me that he has no idea how dangerous it is.

“Are you fucking insane?” I hiss, taking a step closer to him. “I’m all for living it up, but if this falls in the wrong hands...”

“It won’t,” he assures me, with way too much confidence.

“How do you know?” I challenge, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Who cares?” Lord Karlsen interrupts and puts an arm around his friend’s shoulders. They’re both facing me with a look that tells me to either get on board or fuck off.

I stare them down a while longer before I roll my eyes and mutter, “I’m way too drunk for this shit. You guys are on your own.”

You’re neglecting your duty, my wolf warns me, and I grab a bottle of whiskey from the counter, taking a swig from the top to shut him up.

I don’t owe anyone anything. If this drug falls into the wrong hands, it’ll be something for Garren to deal with. His kingdom, his problems.

“Grayden!” Wyatt calls over the music, pushing through the crowd to get to me.

“That was fast,” I tell him when he reaches me. “Did you already get tired of her?”

“Not at all, mate,” Wyatt replies with a grin on his face. His hair is pulled into a small man bun, and despite the heat, he’s wearing a proper suit and tie without even breaking a sweat. “Priscilla and her friends are going to bounce.”

“So, she’s the one that got tired of you?” I rephrase my question.

“Stop being an arse, and let me finish.” Wyatt rolls his eyes and puts his arm over my shoulder, starting to pull me in the direction he came from. “They want to go to a human bar, and they asked if we want to join.”

“I hope you said no,” I tell him sharply. I might be tired of this scene, but human bars are so fucking below me. No way in hell I’d voluntarily mingle with them.

Wyatt gives me an apologetic look, and just as I’m about to tell him off, he mouths please. I shake my head, but he doesn’t let it go.

“I really like this girl,” he whispers into my ear. “You know me, mate. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

I give him a sidelong look, but he’s prepared, giving me puppy eyes. As soon as I groan, his expression shifts into one of excitement. We’ve been friends since the Academy, so he doesn’t have any problems reading me. He’s also not afraid to push the buttons that get him what he wants.

“Just so you know,” I tell him, determined to get the last word. “She looks hot, but in bed, she’s a bit of a drag. So not worth it.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Wyatt replies and playfully punches my shoulder.

I take another swig from my bottle, not wanting to lose my drunken haze. If Lord Lincoln’s drug really works, I should be good to go for the rest of the night before my wolf recovers his healing abilities and shits on our parade.

Priscilla’s two friends look at me with wide eyes before putting their heads together and giggling. I suppress the urge to roll my eyes but make a mental note to drink more alcohol. I’ll make sure that Wyatt understands the sacrifice I’m making for him to get laid.

Wyatt offers Priscilla his arm, and she hooks hers through it. The two girls give me an expectant look, but I just push past them, not even trying to pretend to be a gentleman. They can take care of themselves for all I care.

They are rather pretty, my wolf comments, noting their long brown hair and attractive facial features, along with a set of plump lips on one and almond-shape eyes on the other.

Boring, I reply, downing the rest of the whiskey, and then throwing the bottle in the trash. Well, a few feet from it, but it’s the thought that counts.

Wyatt must’ve sent a text to his driver because the black limousine was already waiting in front of the door. Wyatt holds his hand out to Priscilla to help her in, and then goes behind her, not bothering with her friends. Following his lead, I do the same, ignoring the shocked gasps from the two girls. I really have no interest in them, so I don’t see the point of pretending.

Priscilla and Wyatt take the whole seat for themselves, leaving me with her friends. Wyatt is far from shy, and buries his face into Priscilla’s neck, kissing and tickling her. I roll my eyes when she giggles and squirms. Been there, done that, not worth repeating.

“I’m Sarah, and this is Teena,” the one with plump lips says, daring to start a conversation with me.

I’m about to tell her off when I notice Wyatt’s warning look, so I sigh and offer them a mocking smile instead. “Prince Grayden Gray.”

Yet again, I’m forced to suppress a groan when Sarah and Teena turn toward one another to exchange a quick gossip about this revelation, which I’m pretty sure isn’t new. Everyone knows who I am.

“I heard that Prince Garren’s missing,” Teena says, locking her almond-shaped eyes on me.

“Where did you hear that?” I challenge, cocking my brow in question.

“Um…well,” Teena stammers, then looks at her friend, suddenly at a loss for words. It’s so easy to render them speechless. All I have to do is ask them a direct question, and boom, their little brains turn to fluff.

It’s Priscilla who answers, “He hasn’t been around for a while.”

I turn my head to her, giving her the full force of my attention. “And just how well do you know my brother?”

“He’s our future king,” Priscilla replies with a nonchalant shrug. “It’s my job to know everyone that is someone.”

“What is it that you do, darling?” Wyatt asks with his heavy English accent. Though he’s smiling, and he uses a term of endearment, his body goes all tense as he undoubtedly remembers his unfortunate roll in the hay with an infamous reporter.

“I’m one of the partners in the top New York PR agency that King Grey has on a retainer,” she replies with a proud tone.

Wyatt exhales, his entire body relaxing. He buries his face in her neck again and mutters, “Smart girls are so hot.”

“You still didn’t answer my question,” I say to Priscilla, narrowing my eyes at her. “How well do you know Garren?”

The corners of the black-haired beauty’s lips quirk up. “One could say that I know him as well as I know you.”

I swallow hard, hoping that my face didn’t turn green. Leaning forward, I smash the button to open the window, breaking it. Fortunately, the window rolls down, but there’ll be no way of closing it. That’s a tomorrow problem, one that definitely won’t be mine.

More like a dog than a wolf, I push my head through the open window and heave with effort as my stomach convulses. I retch again and again, but nothing comes out. My throat is acidic with bile that’s stuck there.

I finally give up and take a handful of deep breaths instead. The city air isn’t exactly fresh, but it’s a lot better than the stuffy air inside the limo.

“I need a drink,” I say to no one in particular when I return to my seat.

With his brows furrowed in concern, Wyatt wordlessly hands me a bottle of champagne from the mini fridge on his left side. Ignoring his worried look, I grab the champagne and unceremoniously open it. The pressure pushes the bubbles out, and I jump forward, putting the bottle to my lips and eagerly gulping down as much as I can in one long chug.

“All right, mate?” Wyatt asks when I set the bottle down and wipe my mouth with my sleeve.

“Not really,” I reply, swallowing an excess of saliva. “While I generally don’t care about a woman’s past, there’s something in me that can’t get over the disgust of knowing that my brother and I shared a...conquest.”

Wyatt slowly raises his brows while Priscilla only rolls her eyes. Garren started on this path almost a year before me, so this revelation shouldn’t come as a surprise to me, especially after knowing his reputation.

“We’ve also had the honor of entertaining Prince Garren,” Sarah supplies rather unhelpfully.

I shake my head, suddenly needing to be as far away from these women as possible. “Stop the car.”

“But we’re almost there,” Priscilla argues, looking over her shoulder and through the front windshield down the street.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I insist, locking my eyes on Wyatt.

My best friend gives me a solemn nod, finally taking me seriously. He gestures for Sarah and Teena to change seats with him. With only Wyatt by my side, I find it easier to breathe.

“Okay, mate, listen to me,” Wyatt whispers into my ear, keeping his voice as low as possible. “I know that you’re in shock right now, but I really need you to get over it.”

I jerk my head around to look at him, my eyes widening in disbelief. Wyatt grabs the collar of my shirt, his fingers hooking around my loose tie.

“You know, the same as I do, that it would be nearly impossible to find a girl that hasn’t been tainted with the Grey seed,” Wyatt continues. The choice of his words makes me wince. “My parents want me to settle down, and I really like this girl. I want to give her a chance.”

I keep my eyes shut as I ask the question that I already know the answer to. “What exactly do you need from me?”

“I need you to pay a bit more attention to Sarah and Teena,” he tells me, a hint of pleading in his tone. “Priscilla won’t leave them alone unless they’re taken care of.”

“But—”

“You’re free to dump them on some random human men when we arrive,” he assures me. “I just need Priscilla to see that they’re in good hands.”

I look him straight in the eyes. “You owe me, man. Big time.”

“That’s a debt I’ll happily take on,” Wyatt assures me, a wide smile on his face as he shakes my hand.

“We’re here,” Priscilla announces as the driver stops the car in front of a shady-looking establishment.

Thanks to the broken button, my window is already rolled down as I take in the brown brick building. The neon sign flashes the words Base Club along with a picture of a wine glass and an arrow pointing at the entrance to the bar, which is down in the basement.

“Are you sure about this?” I ask Wyatt again when I step out of the car, the smell of the overflowing trash containers hitting my nostrils with full force.

Be careful,my wolf warns weakly, the two words hanging in the air. He doesn’t need to tell me that the drug has taken effect. I’m still drunk, and if I have to entertain two girls that I have zero interest in, I’m going to have to get another drink or five.

“Let’s go,” Wyatt says, Priscilla’s arm hooked through his.

With a sigh, I offer one of my arms to Sarah and the other to Teena. I try to keep a pleasant expression on my face when they touch me. The fog in my brain is still thick enough that my horrible imagination isn’t able to pierce it.

After living my unpredictable lifestyle for so long, I don’t expect that I still have many firsts left, but I guess the saying is true…There’s a first time for everything.

Following Wyatt and Priscilla, we descend the stairs and into the human bar.