Knocked Up by the Cursed Prince: Sexy Stories from Steamydale

Evie - Taking Care of Business

Taking care of business apparently involves going back to my house. Also, Liam knows the way out of the Infinity Gardens without the special Steamydale phone app. When I mention the app to him, he looks at me like I'm crazy.

"What's an app?"

"You don't know what an app is?" I ask, confounded. "It's a program you download on your phone?"

"Download on a phone...?"

"We're getting you a phone," I say, starting to worry for my royal baby daddy. "Ugh. How long were you trapped in there?"

"I'm just teasing you," he says, laughing. "I know what a phone is. I don't have one, as it's a little hard to get a phone when you look like a white stag or a tiger or whatever other manner of beast I turn into when I leave the Castle manor, but I do know a few things about the world outside."

"Do you know about how amazing the Hart Cafe muffins are, though?" I ask him.

"Not yet," he says. "We'll go there after."

After is...

We get back to my house. My sisters are gone, probably at Steamydale University for their morning classes already. Which is also probably where I should be. Shoot. I'm missing my classes! I mean, I'm missing them for a good reason. Maybe. Is being knocked up by a cursed prince a good reason?

No?

Um, nevermind. This isn't about that. Not right now at least.

Liam and I go through the house to the backyard and then to my dad's workshop. I sneak in with him through the side door like I tried to do yesterday. Just like before, Eli is here. And just like then--

"Mr. Belle," Eli says, looking bored. "Have you made any headway on those loan repayments we discussed?"

"I... I'm trying," my dad says. "My daughter is missing. If this is your way of telling me you're serious... please, just bring her back. I'll pay, I swear. I promise. I'll..."

"I have no idea where your foolish daughter is," Mr. Draconis says with a shrug. "What I want is my money. Now either you magically win the lottery or go to the Infinity Gardens and get me a rose. I recommend the latter. If you don't, the next time I return I'll be here for Lily. And a month later, I'll take another of your girls. And if you still haven't caught up by then, I'll take the last and we'll call it even. I don't think you want to pay that steep a price, though."

My father looks like he wants to fight back, to come up with something, either money or a fist to the face, but he knows that either he can't or it won't help.

Liam, on the other hand, looks absolutely enraged. He squeezes my hand tight, kisses me softly on the cheek, and then lets go, taking a step towards the other two men.

"Eli," Liam says, loud, standing tall. "It's been awhile."

Eli Draconis blinks fast before turning to look towards the Prince. "What? Liam Castle?" he says, confused. "How? What are you doing here? You shouldn't--"

"You didn't hear?" Liam says with a scoff. "Mr. Belle is under my protection now. Evie Belle is my betrothed. We're bound to one another."

"No, that can't be--" Eli says, glancing around.

When he spots me, I lift my hand up and do a little wavy greeting thing. Seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Eli narrows his eyes at me, looking absolutely furious.

"There are ways around that, I assure you," Eli says, speaking to Liam but glaring at me.

"Not while I'm here," Liam tells him.

And then Liam turns. His body transforms into that same beast of a man I saw last night, the one I rode atop, the one who made love to me with wild, reckless passion. A lion, but not quite. Something more. Something half-human, half-beast. He charges Eli with a loud roar. Before Liam can tackle him, Eli snaps his fingers and simply vanishes, though.

Um... what?

"The contracts," Liam says quickly. "Give them to me."

My father rummages furiously through the papers on his workshop desk until he finds the loan contracts that he and Eli signed. My father also keeps gaping at the fact that there's this beastman in his workshop. I mean, I know it's not exactly normal, but he's mine now, and I love him, so, um... I hope that's alright, Daddy...

I scurry over to see what's going on. And also to be closer to Liam.

Prince Liam reads through the contracts quickly. As soon as he finishes each one, another signature line appears out of thin air underneath the lender and borrower ones above it. Liam scribbles his signature on the line with his claw on each paper, then hands them back to my father.

"There," he says. "This doesn't absolve you of repayments, but let's just say that your loan terms are a lot more agreeable now. We'll get everything else sorted in due time. Don't worry."

"Right," my dad says, nodding slowly. "And who in the hell are you?"

"Oh, um, Daddy?" I say, speaking up with a squeak. "This is Prince Liam. He... he's my fiance? We're betrothed."

"You're what?!"