by Leia King
Luca shot forward with a burst of vampire speed and slammed him against the bathroom wall. The force of his assault had several tiles shattering at the impact. “She is King Vazra’s daughter, Ryan!” he bellowed. “The Princess of the White Realm. She is betrothed to me!”
Ryan forced himself to feign shock at his words. But he’d figured out the truth of her origin the moment he’d realized she was his. It was shrouded in secrecy, but the White Realm princess had been rumored to be his. She’d been lost to him, though. Until now, apparently. What had possessed her to come to him all of a sudden? After all this time?
Her origin made sense of all her abilities. Her incredible healing. The fact that she’d survived an attack from Michael’s wolves.
“She is mine,” Luca said, releasing him and stepping back.
“She almost brought out the wolf in me, Luca.”
Luca’s gaze snapped to his. He knew how much control Ryan had over his wolf. He understood exactly what he was telling him. “You’re sure?”
“Of course, I’m fucking sure. And you barging in like that? I was seconds away from wolfing out.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t let you bond with her.”
Ryan took an angry step towards him and growled, “I can’t allow you to either.”
Luca snarled back at him.
And then something suddenly occurred to Ryan. “How did you know?”
“What?”
“How did you know she and I were together here?”
“I… read her thoughts. I saw—”
“What?”
“I saw you making love to her, sharing blood, bonding with her.”
“You saw that in her thoughts?”
“Yes.”
“She wanted it then. She wanted me.”
“Not just you.”
“What?”
“I came to her in a dream and she was very… receptive.”
Ryan thrust his fist into his face, propelling him through the open bathroom door and across the bedroom floor. “You tried to manipulate her with your bloodsucker mind tricks?” he thundered, striding towards him.
“I was trying to show her the truth.”
“You compelled her!”
Luca jumped to his feet and shook his head. “I cannot compel her.”
“What? You’re the Vampire Prince, the son of Nathanial, King of the Dark Realm. You can compel anyone outside of the family.”
“Not her.”
“Because she’s Vazra’s daughter?”
Luca shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps. I do not know.”
Ryan growled, frustrated at the situation. He pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Once he was dressed, he prepared to figure out a plan with Luca.
And then he realized something. He scented the air. As he’d feared. “She’s gone.”
Luca concentrated for a moment. “Do you hear that?”
“Yeah. Her bike. She’s taking off.” Ryan snatched his leather jacket off the back of a chair and shrugged it on. He held his hand out to Luca. “Take us to her. Now.”
“It’s been a while for you. It might make you sick.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“Fine.”
Ryan braced himself for the sickening feeling of teleportation, a gift only the royals possessed.
5
Cora breathed a sigh of relief as she shut the door to her apartment and strode on in.
Alone at last.
She needed a beat to get her head together. With Ryan and Luca arguing away, she’d seen her opportunity to take off and obtain some much-needed space.
She couldn’t believe all the shit that’d gone down in the last several hours.
One minute she’d been living a peaceful, mundane human life, then Luca had shattered it all in one fell swoop.
Not only had she discovered she wasn’t actually human, but she was apparently betrothed to a Vampire Prince, while also being intensely drawn to an Alpha wolf.
It was clear to her now that when Luca had awoken her, it’d sparked something primal to life within her. She’d misinterpreted it as the urge for the hunt, a residual effect of being a Seeker. But now she realized what its intention had really been.
To lead her to Ryan.
She knew, because, not only had her encounter with those wolves sent her on her way to him, but the primal sensation was exactly the same sensation she felt when she was in close proximity to him. It was so powerful, so hard to fight. She hadn’t actually wanted to fight it. It’d felt so… natural.
That was more than could be said for the situation with Luca. He’d claimed that she belonged to him. But the connection between them wasn’t anything like the one with Ryan. No, it felt… forced.
Regardless, though, both connections had left her feeling majorly out of control and not just because she wasn’t used to experiencing sexual desire, due to that failsafe thing Luca had mentioned. It was just strong stuff, plain and simple. The worrying thing was that she wasn’t the only one who seemed out of control. A Vampire Prince and an Alpha wolf out of control around her? She couldn’t think of anything more dangerous.
The fact that they were apparently brothers wouldn’t make it any easier either. How was that even possible? They were both of different species. And they were completely different, their personalities polar opposites. There didn’t seem to be a common thread between them. The only thing that pointed at all to them being siblings was the rivalry between them. Even just hearing the first few minutes of their argument through the thin walls of Ryan’s apartment had shown her how antagonistic they were with one another.
Cora headed into her bedroom. She needed to change out of her bloodied, sweaty, shredded clothes.
Reaching her wardrobe, she snatched out another similar biker jacket. If there was one thing she had plenty of, it was leather. It was a remnant from her old Seeker days. It’d provided protection from hits and falls alike. It wasn’t just for the bike. She pulled out a pair of boot-cut jeans and a pale blue, V-neck t-shirt. Peeling off her dirtied pants, she slipped on the jeans quickly. She slid off her shredded jacket and her dirtied tank top, until she stood there in just her bra and jeans.
And that was when she felt it.
A sudden rush of dark energy.
What now?
A chill swept through the room and she spun around to see Luca and Ryan materializing from a flash of vibrant red magic.
“Wonderful,” she groused.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again too, princess,” Luca returned.
Ryan doubled over, resting his hands on his thighs, choking out stilted breaths.
“What’s wrong?” she worried, stepping forward.
Luca rolled his eyes. “Teleportation sickness. It’ll pass soon enough.”
“Oh. It looks bad.”
Luca waved his hand dismissively. “He will be fine.” He sauntered over to her. “Now, where were we before you look your leave of me? Three times now.”
“Three times? There was the alley, then Ryan’s place.”
“And the dreamscape.”
She tensed. “What?”
He stepped closer until there was barely an inch of space between them. “You must remember, princess. It is impossible not to. It was extremely vivid, was it not?”
Her cheeks heated as she recalled what’d happened in what she’d thought was a private space.
He smirked. “Ah, I see by your reaction that you remember well.”
“You violated my mind? Is that what you’re telling me?” she demanded, anger spiking. “Not to mention, my body!”
“You desired me.”
“Did I? Thinking about it, I recall being hesitant until your eyes flashed at me. It was magic, wasn’t it? You were spelling me to allow you to fuck me?”
“You did what?” Ryan roared.
He was beside them in a rush of wolf speed. His hand shot out, closing around Luca’s throat. “Motherfucker!” he thundered
, hauling Luca off his feet and holding him there in front of him.
That familiar flash of red fire shone in Luca’s eyes. “Release me, or you will suffer the consequences, brother.”
“Release you?” Ryan spat. “I should rip your fucking throat out!”
Cora saw Luca’s palms spark with red magic. Oh no. “Ryan!” she called. “Let him go.”
“Cora,” he protested.
“Please,” she urged, watching as Luca’s magic flared. She couldn’t let him strike Ryan. Just the idea of him being hurt cut at her.
His eyes met hers. They softened as they looked upon her. He let out a low growl of frustration and then opened his hand. Luca dropped to the floor with a thud. Grumbling, he scrambled back to his feet. He reached out to her, but Ryan slammed his palm into his chest, knocking him back.
“Princess, it’s not what you think. Yes, I used magic. But it only opened you up to suggestion. The rest was all your own wants and desires.”
“Bullshit,” Ryan said.
“He’s right. I don’t believe you, Luca.”
“Of course not, because there is so much that you do not know.” His eyes bored into hers and she jolted as she suddenly heard his thoughts in her head.
Allow me to show you what you need to see, to teach you what you need to learn.
She shook her head. I can’t trust you.
He grinned. Impressive. You’re mind-linking with me without any prior instruction. Remember that this mind-link is proof that you belong to me, that we are bound.
“Are you mind-linking with her?” Ryan snapped.
“Yes,” Luca told him, smugly. “You see now? We are bound. That wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Can you do that with her? I think not.”
Hurt flashed on Ryan’s face and she hated it. It was gone in a second, though, replaced with him furrowing his brow in confusion.
The chirp of a cell phone cut through the awkward silence in the room.
Luca pulled a phone from his coat and eyed the call display. She heard him grumble under his breath. “I must take this. I am needed.” He gestured to the living room. “May I?”
“Sure.”
Cora blew out a breath and snatched up her clean top, slipping it on quickly, relieved to finally be fully clothed in their presence. That had just made things way more awkward. As she slipped on her leather jacket, Ryan came to her.
He sniffed her suddenly, drawing her scent to him.
“What are you doing?” she asked with amusement.
“Just checking.”
“Checking what?”
He met her gaze. “Luca said you were pure.”
“Pure?”
“A virgin,” he clarified. “I didn’t pick up on it before. The heat between us masked… everything else.”
She looked away, uncomfortable.
He lifted her chin gently, guiding her eyes back to his. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
She shook herself out of his grip. “I’m glad I stopped you from shifting.” She grinned. “I didn’t want wolf hair all over the apartment.”
He laughed. “That’s real fucking funny, darlin’.”
“What color are you?”
“White.”
“Wow. I didn’t know there were any white wolves. I’ve come across several and they were all dark. One tonight was auburn.”
“I don’t think I like the idea of you coming across so many wolves. At least I know you haven’t slept with any of them.”
“I forgot how possessive wolves can be. Especially the Alphas.”
His eyes clouded with desire. “Once a wolf finds his mate, all bets are off. He never lets go.”
“A wolf has to claim his mate first.”
“You know a lot about my species. I like that,” he said, stepping closer.
She tensed at his brazenness, the heat between them overwhelming her once again. “How big are you?” she asked, trying to cut through the tension.
He smirked at her. He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his dick. “I’d rather show you, instead of just settling for telling you, darlin’.”
She gasped as she felt him rock-hard, through his jeans. She pulled her hand away quickly, blushing furiously. “I meant the wolf.”
He chuckled. “I know. Maybe one day I’ll shift for you and then you’ll see.”
“All right,” Luca called out, coming back into the room. “Let’s go, shall we?”
“Go where?” she asked.
“You want answers, don’t you?”
She hesitated. She didn’t want to be pulled back into the supernatural world. But, then again, it was a bit too late now. Things seemed to have reached a tipping point. Better she know exactly what was going on. Until she understood, she’d be in danger. “Yes. Fine.”
“I will take you to my estate.”
“Excuse me? I don’t fucking think so,” Ryan protested.
“The library, Ryan? It contains all the answers that she needs.”
“Fine,” Ryan reluctantly agreed. “I’ll join you.”
“The Council resides at my estate,” Luca warned.
“You mean your nest?”
“Council,” Luca insisted.
“Vampires don’t tend to like Seekers. It probably doesn’t matter that I’m retired either,” Cora informed Luca.
Ryan nodded. “Exactly.”
“I can guarantee your safety. You were a Seeker, but you are also my bride. They will not harm you.”
Ryan scoffed. “Bride?”
Cora cut in quickly, before they got into it again. “What about Ryan? Vamps and wolves don’t tend to get along.”
“He will be fine, my princess. I give you my word.”
“Saves me from having to rip their heads off their damned undead bodies,” Ryan muttered.
Luca snarled, but Cora stepped between them quickly and held up her hands. “Stop it. Let’s just go,” she said, heading through the apartment.
She smiled as she heard their footsteps at her back.
6
Cora followed along beside Luca, purposely keeping a good few feet between them. She was still pissed at him for forcing that dream upon her. But her desperate need for answers superseded her anger and her wariness of him
She glanced over her shoulder. Ryan was hanging back, talking on his cell phone in the distance. He was checking in on his pack.
Turning back, she told Luca, “Sunrise is in less than an hour.”
“I know. I can feel it.”
“Feel it?”
“It makes me tired. Daylight is when my kind is at their weakest.”
“Oh, I thought that was just a myth.”
“There is much you don’t know, my princess.”
“As I keep hearing,” she muttered.
“It won’t be long until you know everything,” he assured her.
“I see the clearing up ahead. We’re almost there,” Ryan called, coming up on her other side. “Did you contact them and tell them to drop the wards, Luca?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Neither of us will fry then.”
“Fry?” Cora asked, concerned.
“Magical wards protect the mansion. Anyone who is not vampire who tries to approach will be assaulted with powerful magic. Or, fried, as Ryan so bluntly puts it.”
“Wards? Is that why I can’t see anything?”
“Yes. Neither can Ryan. Only those within the Council can.”
Cora turned her attention to Ryan. “How’s your pack?”
He smiled, clearly liking her concern. “They’re fine. They’re enjoying themselves right now.”
Luca scoffed. “Wolves never change.”
“Excuse me?” Ryan snapped.
“All about instant gratification. Reacting purely on instinct and engaging in mindless acts of violence and sex.”
“Like vampires are any different. Oh, accept for the fact that my boys don’t kill those they fuck. Vampires get off on having a life
in their hands, the power of draining their victim’s life force. Wolves revel in life. You are death and you breed only death.”
“You always did only see the dark side of vampiric nature, Ryan. You never cared to try to understand the other side of it.”
“Oh right, your so-called power? Your obsession with amassing riches?” He got in Luca’s face, forcing them all to come to a jolting stop. “Tell me, brother, is that how you plan to seduce her? With your money and the lavish luxury you surround yourself with? It won’t work. She’s not that kind of woman.”
“You barely know her.”
“Instinct.”
Cora listened to the argument between them, the exchange of fierce words that they each uttered. It had her realizing that there was far more to the story than the recent complication of her and merely sibling rivalry. “Why do you hate one another so much?”
Ryan didn’t take his eyes off Luca as he told her, “The simple answer? Betrayal.”
Luca released a heavy sigh. “It was more complicated than that.”
Ryan stepped back from him and softened his gaze before addressing her. “Vampires always betray those they claim to care about. If I can teach you anything, darlin’, it’s not to give any of them your trust. They use and manipulate. It’s all they know.”
Incensed, Luca shot out his hand and gripped Ryan’s neck. “Watch your mouth.”
Ryan laughed and broke Luca’s grip with a mere slap to his arm. “Getting tired, are you? I barely felt that. Praise the sunrise, huh?”
Cora moved between them and held her hands out either side of her, pressing her palms to their chests. “Stop,” she willed them. “You’re giving me another migraine.”
She looked at each of them in turn and that was when she realized how foolish her impulsive action had been. Both their eyes were glowing with fire as they looked upon her. Shit. She dropped her arms to her sides quickly and stepped back. “No, no, no. I’m not that kind of girl,” she warned them.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched them both shake their heads, as if both willing away the overwhelming feeling. Their eyes cleared.
A mammoth wave of dark energy enveloped the area, jolting them all.
“Where?” Cora asked aloud, scanning the wide expanse of fields all around them.