Crown of Fangs: A WhyChoose Romance (Throne of Wolves Book 3)

by River Ramsey

  Crown of Fangs

  A WhyChoose Fantasy

  River Ramsey

  Contents

  Free Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Free Book

  Connect

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2018 by River Ramsey

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  One

  “Hello, sister,” Albien says brightly, sweeping into my room. “Time to rise and shine!”

  I realize I’m alone in bed. I’m relieved I fell asleep in my nightgown, even though with Rowan and James sleeping in my chambers most nights, it’s a fifty-fifty shot.

  “What time is it?” I groan, sitting up.

  “More than past time for any decent person to be awake,” he huffs, drawing open the blinds to bathe the room in sunlight. I cringe. He is definitely the happy-cheery twin.

  “Don’t tell me the boys put you on babysitting duty.”

  He gives me a look, but he doesn’t need to answer for me to know it’s the truth. “They’re just worried. You’ve been off ever since Christopher disappeared.”

  “Can you blame me? There’s a damn good chance he’s the father of at least one of my babies, and he just vanished into thin air.”

  “He is a magician.”

  “Not funny, Albien.”

  “I’m sorry,” he says, sitting down on the bed next to me to give my shoulder a gentle nudge. “I know you’re upset, but sleeping all day isn’t going to do you or the little ones any favors. I thought we might go for a walk in the garden.”

  “After how long it took to get back to the kingdom on foot, I’m surprised you want to walk anywhere.”

  “It’s taken a couple of months, but I’m getting there,” he concedes, going over to the door. “Get dressed. I’ll be waiting on the patio.”

  With that, he closes the door behind him and leaves me to ponder whether I feel like doing anything at all. I guess he’s right, even if he’s half-wrong about the reason I’ve been moping lately. Yeah, it bothers me that Christopher left again, and this time without saying a word, but Mace is the one who haunts my dreams as of late.

  Maybe the fresh air and sunlight will do me good after all.

  I change into the most casual dress I can get away with now that I’m a member of the royal court, but the long green fabric still makes me feel overdressed. At least it’s comfortable and loose enough to cover the slight growing bump underneath.

  As far as everyone in the palace knows—outside of my sworn guardians and Albien—the babies are Rowan’s. In turn, that means we’ll be expected to tie the knot officially. I can still keep James and Christopher as my consorts, assuming the latter ever shows up again, but something about it just feels… off.

  It’s not that I don’t love Rowan. I love each of my protectors in his own special way, none more than the other—but in my mind’s eye, the few times I pictured myself marrying at all, it was James standing across from me at the aisle.

  When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I see Aspen darting down the hall. I follow him and peek into the drawing room where he’s trying to hide.

  “Ahem,” I say, folding my arms behind my back. “Aren’t you supposed to be in lessons?”

  He grins sheepishly at me. He’s got free run of the castle now and acts every bit the feral pup that he practically is, but I’m just relieved that his experience with Aedan doesn’t seem to have led to any lasting trauma. The fact that I have Mace to both blame and thank for that ordeal and the fact that we both came out of it is endlessly conflicting.

  “Ms. Cara is boring,” he insists.

  “Be that as it may, you need to listen to her,” I say firmly, folding my arms. It’s hard to keep the smile off my face, and I’m not sure I manage to keep it out of my eyes. The twins may be my first biological children, but in some ways, I feel like Aspen is the one who made me a mother. “If you’re good, I’ll let you go on patrol with Rowan.”

  His eyes widen in disbelief, and I know I’ve found a suitable carrot to dangle in front of him. “Okay!” he cries, running off to find his tutor. Whatever we’re paying the poor woman, I’m sure it’s not enough.

  With that settled, I venture out onto the patio and find Albien waiting, looking sharp as ever in his royal uniform. “There you are. I thought I was going to have to send the guard after you.”

  I roll my eyes, joining him on the patio. “Just had to wrangle a runaway student.”

  “How is Aspen settling in?” Albien asks, his gaze softening. As I expected, he’s been nothing but welcoming to my surrogate son. Aspen already thinks of him as his uncle.

  “He seems to be doing well, at least on the surface. Children are resilient like that.”

  “That they are,” he sighs. “It’s just a pity that he has to be. I swear, if I ever get my hands on that Mace…”

  I tense up instinctively. The realization that Mace is one of my Guards came as more of a shock to me than anyone, but I can’t forget what he did. The good, or the terrible…

  “What’s wrong?” Albien asks, searching my face in that way that only a twin can. We might have lived our whole lives apart, but sometimes it feels like we’re the same person.

  Then again, I guess that’s part of what it means to be a Magus. Why Aedan wanted us both so badly.

  “I know how this is going to sound, but I can’t stop thinking of him, Albien,” I say, unable to hide the shame in my voice even though I know he’s the one person who would never judge me.

  He reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing it tight. “That’s not a surprise. Hell, I can’t stop thinking about him after all he put us through.”

  “It’s not that,” I confess. “It’s… the way he was when I left. For most of my life, I’ve been so sure I knew who Mace was. Cruel and callous. The man I saw back there—the one who saved me—he was just broken.”

  Albien listens in quiet consideration and I can tell he’s weighing his words carefully. “I know how hard this is for you, Dani. You got close to Mace over time, and you shared a bond because of Aspen. It would be reasonable for you to have some conflicted feelings.”

  “It’s not just that,” I murmur. “It’s the thought of him being a slave to that… that monster. In a way, he’s just like you and me, except that Aedan got to him first.”

  “He’s nothing like us, Danica,” Albien says firmly. “You and I have never taken an innocent person against their will. We’ve never served a madm
an. A last-minute change of heart doesn’t atone for what he’s done.”

  “No,” I agree, my throat growing tight. I should have known better than to voice these kinds of thoughts out loud. Even to him.

  No… especially to him.

  “Forget I said anything,” I say, forcing a smile. “It’s just the pregnancy hormones. Making me all weepy and introspective lately.”

  He gives me an understanding smile and squeezes my hand as we walk deeper into the garden. “Soon, all that will be behind you,” he promises. “And motherhood will keep you too busy to think about Mace.”

  “You’re probably right,” I lie. As excited as I am about the prospect of bringing these babies into the world and enjoying the family I’ve begun to form with the others, the winter solstice is still looming on the horizon. Aedan won’t give up. I know it.

  We have to be ready.

  Two

  It’s been a long day. Between the Council and supervising Aspen’s tutoring, my plate is fuller as the Princess than it ever was as a Marok pack omega.

  That life seems like so long ago now. Sometimes it feels like it belongs to someone else. At least I have my guards to keep me grounded.

  When I open the bedroom door to find Rowan and James both waiting for me, I can’t help but smile. They look shockingly amiable, James reading his book and Rowan carving the hilt of the new weapon he’s been working on. Turns out, he’s quite the craftsman, even if his passion is limited to creating things he can use to fight with.

  He says he “doesn’t trust the quality” of the royal arsenal and I wouldn’t be surprised if he planned to replace it all by himself.

  “You two look cozy,” I say, crawling onto the end of the bed.

  Rowan is the first to look up and the easy grin that spreads across his face makes my heart beat a little faster. James just rolls his eyes, an equally endearing gesture, just in a different way. He closes his book and sets it on the nightstand. “We were beginning to wonder if you were ever coming to bed.”

  “Busy day,” I admit.

  “Everyone wants a piece of the Princess,” Rowan says, pulling me onto his lap. He’s shirtless and his thick muscles are on full display. My heart skips. I could get lost in those eyes of his forever and when his big, warm hands settle on my waist, a chill runs down my spine. “Can’t say I blame ‘em.”

  “I missed you both,” I tell them, settling my hands on his broad shoulders. When I look over, James is gone, but I feel his body pressed up against mine a moment later. The fact that he’s half vampire should be terrifying to a wolf, but when his breath hits the back of my neck, I melt against him.

  Desire stirs through me as his hand wraps around to explore the soft, subtle curve of my belly. Rowan’s mouth claims mine as James sucks on the tender flesh below my ear, driving me crazy with the tip of his tongue.

  God, I love being between the two of them like this.

  James pulls my dress up over my thighs and I lose track of whose hands are where, but before I know it, the dress is over my head and my skin is burning with need. I rise up on Rowan’s lap and realize I’ve somehow undone his jeans, freeing his cock. He’s so thick and as wet as I am, lowering myself onto him takes a bit of time.

  “Baby,” he growls in my ear, his fingers tangled up in my hair as he raises up into me.

  I’m breathless as my lips hover against his and James’ fingers lightly pinch my nipple. The way he rolls the tender bud between his thumb and forefinger is driving me wild, and my hips grind eagerly against Rowan. They both make me scream in ecstasy on their own, but together, they make one hell of a pair.

  I dig my fingers into Rowan’s short hair and pull as I buck against him. He leans down to take my other nipple into his mouth and as I rock on his lap, bringing us both closer to the brink, I feel a familiar warmth making its way down my spine. James’ cock is hard against my back, pushing my arousal over the edge.

  Just as I cry out, Rowan swallows the sound with a kiss and the feeling of him exploding inside of me is too delicious. I’ve barely caught my breath when James presses a kiss to the side of my neck and I fall back against him, blissed out.

  “C’mere,” I purr, gradually rising off Rowan’s lap to turn and face James.

  James chuckles. “You’re not spent?”

  “Not getting off that easy,” I tease.

  The lust and amusement in his eyes speaks volumes. He pushes me gently onto my back and pulls my body up against his. My legs part to receive him. I’m slick from my last orgasm, but I’m still tight enough to make him let out a slow, measured breath as he slides into me.

  “That feels good,” I moan, drawing my hands around his neck. I’m still sensitive and trembling from Rowan, so the feeling of being filled again is especially heavenly.

  Rowan bends down and kisses me, running his hands down my breasts as James fucks me. I lay my head in his lap and rub my cheek against his thigh. He’s hard again, so I turn my head and take him into my mouth, wanting to savor both of them at the same time.

  There are definitely some perks to being the Princess. Namely that I can get away with loving three men, and taking two to my bed on the regular at the same time.

  And they both know exactly what I need. I’ve been hornier than ever lately, and my cravings for chocolate are dramatically outweighed by my cravings for them. I need more, and as James bucks into me, he makes it clear he’s all too eager to give it. Rowan tastes sweet and salty on my tongue, and I suck him off with the same eagerness James is showing between my legs.

  At one point, I would have been ashamed of desiring them as much as they desire me. Omegas are supposed to be quiet. Submissive. We’re not supposed to have dreams or cravings or longings of our own, and if we do, we’re definitely not supposed to voice them. Satisfying them? Unthinkable.

  The two of them alone have taught me that there’s nothing wrong with fighting for what I want--or enjoying it. No matter what else changes in our lives, these moments are what make me feel strong. Like the bond between us is unbreakable.

  My moans of bliss push Rowan over the edge again and I savor the taste of him, swallowing his cum. James finishes a moment later, and the warmth spreads through me, giving me little post-orgasmic shivers.

  By the time I collapse between them, I’m blissfully sleepy and utterly contented just listening to the sounds of their hearts beating.

  Yeah, the future may be full of uncertainty and gray, but the present? Pretty damn near perfect.

  Three

  It’s the middle of the night when I wake up from another dream. It’s always the same one. Aedan standing over me, his ritual blade raised and ready to sacrifice. Mace tackling him away from me. The look in his eyes as he tells me to run.

  My father’s death should be the thing that haunts me. His betrayal, even. Instead, it’s the man I’ve hated for the vast majority of my life. The nagging question of whether or not he’s beyond redemption.

  I slip out of bed and manage not to wake Rowan or James. I’m tired, but my brain is too wired to go back to sleep and my stomach feels empty, so I decide to go down into the smaller kitchen and make myself a snack. The light is on in Albien’s room, so out of curiosity, I venture over and plan on knocking to see if he’s awake. Before I get the chance, a woman’s voice stops me short.

  Jenna’s.

  I freeze, my face growing warm as I turn away before I can hear something too intimate. So my theories about them secretly being together are correct. I know Albien insists that it would never work, despite the warm reception she gave him upon our return, and he’s probably right. The Council is mad enough that I’m pregnant without being married yet, and I’m sure they’d have something to say about the King marrying one of his knights.

  Still, I can’t help but think he and Jenna would make the perfect couple. She adores him, and it’s obviously mutual. Why do things have to be so complicated when they should be so simple?

  I walk downstairs and prepare a sandwich
and a glass of milk for myself. It solves the hunger, but not the weight on my shoulders. That dream is still fresh in my mind.

  Then again, I guess it’s more like a memory. I sigh, sitting down at the counter and trying to relax. I can’t even feel the babies kicking yet, but I’m sure they have something to do with my restlessness.

  I’m deep in thought when I hear something plink against the window. I look up but there’s no one there, so I turn back to my sandwich until I hear it again.

  “What the...?” I get up and walk over to the sliding glass doors that lead out onto the balcony. When I see Christopher standing there in the garden, my heart leaps and I slide the door open as quietly as I can.

  “Christopher?” I hiss in a whisper, leaning over the railing. “What are you doing here?”

  “Why did you leave” is the question I really should be asking, but it’s late and I’m not at one-hundred percent.

  “I need to talk to you,” he answers, looking around as if to make sure no one’s there. There are always guards on the grounds and I don’t even want to know how he got past them. Probably more magic that’s forbidden. More secrets he didn’t tell me.

  I climb down the steps that lead off the balcony and pull my robe tighter around me. It’s a bit chilly, but I know half the reason I’m shivering is adrenaline. “Where have you been?” I demand, hitting him on the arm.

  “Ow,” he mutters, rubbing his bicep like a big baby. He’s lucky I’m not dragging him back inside by the ear since he insists on acting like a child and running off.