Royal Line Read Free Page A

muscles were jerking, rippling, the pheromones in the air too much to resist. They called to each other. It was everything he could do not to slam their bodies together. Instead, he dragged Phoenix back toward the house, moving more and more quickly.
    The tiger was coming, Grio could smell it, giving every movement more purpose, more urgency. He needed to get Phoenix back to the house where he could contain the man's tiger until Phoenix had more control. And believe in it.
    It seemed that was going to take a little bit of time.
    He began running again, pulling Phoenix along behind him, his instincts telling him to get in the house. Now.
    "No! Let me go!" Each roar got louder. The tiger was so close now.
    They stumbled through the door and Grio slammed it closed behind them, hitting the locks closed through the security system. Then he faced Phoenix, head on.
    The tiger was right there, Phoenix's face flattening out.
    "Don't fight it. It will feel strange but it shouldn't hurt." He remembered his first time. He'd been young, with his family, and it had been so much fun to run and leap and simply be a baby tiger. He felt bad for every single one of them who didn't get to experience that, but it seemed especially unfair for Phoenix, having spent his whole life thinking his mother was insane.
    "Fi-i-i-i-i-i-i-ight." Phoenix's word was a yowl.
    He went to Phoenix, stroking the broad, still changing face. The harder Phoenix fought it, the longer it would take. "You're doing great. Just feel the change, let it happen."
    Phoenix's golden eyes were terrified. Utterly terrified.
    Grio rubbed their noses together, growling deep in his throat. Calling to Phoenix's tiger. The seams of Phoenix's clothes started to go, tearing away, and Grio felt his own tiger surging to the forefront, called by Phoenix's change.
    Suddenly, a regal male stood before him, perfect, lovely. Fucking breathtaking.
    Grio changed again--he couldn't have stayed human in the face of his prince in full-blown tiger mode.
    As soon as he'd changed, he bowed again before his prince.
    Eyes the color of jewels examined him as Phoenix stared at him. He raised his head and called out softly to Phoenix. He meant no harm. He was not a threat. Phoenix sat, never looking away. The cat wasn't panicked, was calm and quiet. Phoenix might not have known what he was, but the tiger prince had amazing instincts.
    Grio bowed again, then very deliberately turned his back on Phoenix. He sat and began grooming, offering his submission to his prince. He was no threat, and he knew his place was beneath his prince.
    Phoenix huffed softly and then headed off, curious and exploring, trying the doors, the windows. Grio pretended to be absorbed in his grooming, but he was watching, admiring.
    A low rumbling filled the air, the prince searching for an escape. Even in tiger form, he remained suspicious.
    Leaping to his feet, Grio headed toward Phoenix. It was time to get them back to human. He was sure Phoenix had a lot of questions and tigers were a lot of great things, but being a conversationalist was not one of those things.
    As soon as Grio came close, the prince snarled, warning him back. Oh. Prickly. He would be less threatening as a man now, so he thought about his human form and changed back, standing before the beautiful tiger that Phoenix had changed into.
    "Time to change back, Phoenix. We need to talk."
    Phoenix's upper lip curled, his eyes cutting to the door. The need to escape was still at the forefront of Phoenix's mind. The door was locked, though, and Grio wasn't worried about Phoenix escaping.
    "Think about being human and let the change take you." Learning to do this at will was one of the hardest lessons.
    Phoenix shimmered, but the tiger held on.
    "Come on, man. This is an important skill, but you're a smart guy. I know you can figure it out. Think about your human self. Hell, think about how mad you are at me and how you have to have a human mouth to yell at me."
    Phoenix