TWISTED DESTINY: The Complete Saga

by Leia King

  She broke from his hold and spun around. “No. I’ll help them get settled in.”

  Ryan scoffed. “I don’t think so.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I do.”

  He released a frustrated sigh and rubbed the rough stubble on his chin, before saying, “I’m not leaving you here alone.”

  I will be fine.

  Not happening.

  I breached Dark Realm magic to escape Luca’s mansion, overpowered Roy, and saved your life with my blood. I think I’ve got this.

  “Cora!” he thundered.

  It took him a moment to realize that he’d said it out loud. Shit. He glanced around the room. All eyes were on him. Eyes of fear. Dammit. He didn’t want to keep his wolves in line with fear. That was the mark of a bad ruler. A failure of a ruler.

  He drew in a breath and pulled Cora outside with him, kicking the door shut as they went.

  Pressing her against the wall, he told her, as calmly as possible, “Look, I’m sorry I yelled. I just… this… what’s happening is a lot. Right now, I just need you safe. And then I can figure out how to deal with the rest. Just let me handle it.”

  “You don’t get it.”

  “Get what?”

  “I am your wife.” She spun him around, slamming him into the wall. Her hands fisted in his shirt, jerking him towards her. “We do this together. Starting right now. You can’t handle all of this on your own. You’re about to declare war on an entire species, Ryan! You need all the help you can get. And, lucky for you, I’m a pretty powerful ally. So, suck it up and stop being such a chauvinistic, stubborn asshole. Let me help you.”

  Ryan took her words in and then he looked down at her hands gripping his t-shirt. He couldn’t help cracking a smile. “Nice moves, darlin’.” He gripped her hands gently and pried them off his shirt. “That almost hurt.”

  He pulled her back into the women’s compound area.

  “All right, ladies. My wife is gonna help you all get settled in,” he said pleasantly. “I have three rules. One. You stay in this area of the base. Do not go beyond the titanium door. There’s plenty of room. This area of the compound stretches for more than half an acre. There’s plenty of food and provisions. I’m used to catering living arrangements to guys, so if there is anything you need that’s not here, let Cora know and we’ll take care of it. Two. No fucking my boys. As for the other packs, you ask permission of that Alpha first. Three. You touch my wife and you die. Now, are we clear?”

  “What if one of your boys is one of our mates?” a familiar voice came from the crowd.

  He knew immediately that it was Alyssa. “You come to me first,” he responded, coldly.

  He was expecting many of those cases to arise. All the wolves in the human realm were here now in his pack’s base. The likelihood was great. But he also knew that some of them—the female and male wolves alike—didn’t care about finding their mate. They just wanted to have fun and fuck. He had to make sure that didn’t happen, especially not with war on his doorstep.

  He heard a low hum of acknowledgement. And then he leaned into Cora and whispered, “Be careful, my love.”

  23

  Luca stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the military base two hundred feet ahead of him.

  With the aid of his vampire eyesight he could see just fine. Every detail in the courtyard. The fearsome look in the eyes of each of the eight wolves guarding the gates. Eight? Ryan had stepped up security, four-fold. It was a smart move. What wasn’t smart was declaring war. In fact, it was an extremely stupid move. He was out of his league.

  A gust of wind blew through the still night.

  “Michael,” he said, sensing his arrival.

  “How’s the wound? Healed yet?”

  Luca spun around and nodded. “Yes. Two weeks. Unbelievable.”

  Michael’s eyes fixed on the wolf compound in the distance. “Who knew the Alpha would step up to the plate? After so many years of denying his heritage and running from what he was.”

  “I didn’t see it coming either,” Luca muttered, barely able to contain his fury at the recent turn of events. When he’d threatened the other wolf packs, he’d assumed that Ryan would come to him and make a deal over Cora. A deal that would meet both their needs. Mmm. That would have been interesting. He’d expected Ryan to appease him, like he always had.

  “It’s because of the girl,” Michael said.

  “What?”

  “Cora?”

  Luca scoffed. “We’re talking about Ryan here, Michael. He doesn’t allow anyone to affect him.”

  “He spent two hundred years thinking he’d never see his mate, never get to be with the only person who he was destined to be with, because of the treaty. The fact that she was betrothed to you through forced magic. He’d accepted that he would walk the earth alone. And as a pureblood, he’s immortal, just like us, so that’s forever. A hell of a long time to carry such a loss. And then, lo and behold, she suddenly walks on in through his door? It changed everything.”

  Luca shook his head in disbelief. “I still don’t understand how it happened, how she sought him out like that.”

  “It’s a mystery to me, too.”

  “I went to her in her dream earlier that night and—”

  “And what? Fucked her?”

  “Of course.”

  “Did she let you bite her during your sex capades?”

  “No. Why?”

  Michael laughed. “Don’t you get it? It was just compulsion. If it had been anything more, if she’d really wanted you as her mate, then she would have allowed you to bite her. She didn’t. That means she knew instinctively that she was not meant for you. She forced herself awake. Talk about power, especially when under a vampire’s spell. And from the Vampire Prince, no less.”

  “I can’t compel her, Michael. Believe me, I have tried. Several times.”

  “It appears that is not entirely true.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I believe you can when her defenses are down.”

  Luca took his words in. Interesting.

  He recalled the first time he’d come to her in that alleyway. He’d definitely caught her off guard then. She’d been high on pain meds at the time and disturbed by his revelations. And, at that time, she had been receptive to him, when he’d had her up against that alleyway wall. Initially, anyway. The first time he’d visited her in her dream, she’d been even more receptive. She’d been caught off guard then too, scared, even. It was the first time someone had entered her dreams and she hadn’t known what to do about it. She’d been at a major loss and, with sex in play, something she hadn’t been comfortable with, it’d made it all the worse for her. That time, he’d actually managed to seduce her. Because she’d been so incredibly vulnerable and inexperienced in the ways of magic. It all tracked with Michael’s theory. It was bolstered even further by the fact that Luca had failed to influence her every time since. Because she’d come into her power and she’d been on guard around him.

  “Of course,” he breathed. “You are right.”

  “We might be able to use this. I think a little pain will work wonders to bring down her defenses. Don’t you?”

  Luca shook his head. “How? We cannot breach the wolf compound where she is staying. Forget about vampire invitation rites. Even your wolves will fail to breach it. Ryan has it locked down.”

  “Only until the next full moon. The wolves will tear that place apart, if he doesn’t let them run free that night. But we won’t have to wait that long. I have another idea.”

  “All right. Know, however, that I cannot keep this from my father forever, Michael. He will feel the rise of the Wolf King soon enough. He will interfere. He will come here and realize what we are doing. He will discover our alliance and then we will both be marked for death.”

  “I know. I will do my best to block his ability to view the human realm, for as long as I can.”

  “Let’s hope your black magic will be strong
enough.”

  Michael laid his hand on his shoulder. “Relax. You will be king. Together, we will destroy the White Realm and all of its power.”

  24

  Ryan trudged tiredly into his bedroom. It was the break of dawn and he’d been up for hours upon hours with so much that he’d had to get done. Housing so many wolves was a major undertaking. Not to mention, prepping for war. He was unbelievably beat.

  Cora strolled from the bathroom with only a cotton towel covering her body.

  Damn. Despite how tired he was, he felt his cock stir at the sight of her wet and barely clothed.

  “Did you get a message to that ex-girlfriend of yours? The witch?” she asked, before he could get a word out.

  Well, that was like ice-cold water raining down on his libido.

  Closing the door behind him, he nodded. “Yeah. The message has been sent. Just waiting on her reply.”

  “Do you think she will help us?”

  “We parted on good terms.”

  “Can she actually protect the wolves during the full moon, though? Is she strong enough?”

  “From what I’ve seen of her power, I’m pretty sure. I won’t know for certain until I talk with her.”

  “A lot of your exes have been popping up lately.”

  “A lot? I counted only two.”

  “Ryan.”

  He held up his hands in surrender and then slid off his leather jacket and tossed it over a nearby armchair. He released a heavy sigh as he told her, “I’ve lived for three hundred years, Cora. And none of my relationships have lasted longer than a few days. Most didn’t even last that long.”

  She nodded and held his gaze.

  He snaked his arms around her waist and drew her close. “There have been… many,” he admitted.

  “Ryan, it’s okay. I get it.”

  “No, you don’t,” he said, tightly.

  “I don’t?”

  He slumped onto the edge of the bed, pulling her with him, so that she straddled his lap. “Unlike you, I’ve known what I am for my entire life, as well as all the shit that comes along with it. That means that, for three hundred years, I’d known that I would never get to be with my mate. There is only one, Cora. It meant I would never be fortunate enough to have that connection, or even to have a child. I am the Wolf King. Only one woman can bear me a child. My true mate. I lived my life believing that it wasn’t a possibility for me, because of that accursed treaty and because you were lost to everyone. I’d believed all of that until that day when you walked into my bar.”

  “So, all those girls were—?”

  “Solace,” he answered, his intense gaze meeting hers.

  “I don’t care about the girls, Ryan. It’s just, you never talk about you. I wanted to know more, that’s all. I really don’t care how many women you’ve slept with.”

  “Really?” he asked surprised. “You don’t? Because—”

  She pressed her finger to his lips quickly, before he could say another word. “Never tell me.”

  He nodded his compliance and then he released a low chuckle. “You know, the only reason you’ve got me spilling my guts here, is because I’m fucking exhausted. So, while we’re doing this, there’s something I’ve wondered about you, too.”

  “Shoot.”

  “What’s the real reason for your hatred of vampires? I know you were a Seeker, but I’ve seen the extent of your loathing. Your mistrust. The day we walked into Luca’s mansion, I saw it. It runs deeper than the job. It’s personal. Why? What did they do to you?”

  She drew in a deep breath. “Vampires killed my close friend.”

  Ryan grimaced. “I’m sorry, Cora. What happened?”

  “He was a Seeker. He trained me, actually. He was killed on the job, ambushed by a group of vampires. His body was never found either. It was like he’d never existed, in a way.”

  “That’s brutal.”

  “Yeah,” she murmured. “After that happened, I walked away from that life. I stopped being a Seeker and I kept far away from anything supernatural. Those wolves I took down before I came into your bar that night were my first kills in five years.”

  Wow. “No wonder you’re gun-shy around vamps then.”

  “It’s not so bad when it’s one-on-one. I’m okay handling that.”

  A growl escaped him before he could stop it.

  Her gaze snapped to his and he saw realization on her face. She knew why he was upset. “I didn’t mean him, Ryan. Don’t start in on that. I can barely wrap my head around what Luca did to me. It’s still too raw. I can’t… I just can’t talk about it.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just… difficult to accept.”

  “Preaching to the choir,” she murmured, bitterly.

  “That fucking betrothal bond is a load of bullshit. Even if you hadn’t found me, there’s no way you couldn’t fallen for that prick.”

  “You know that I’ve told him that directly, Ryan,” she said, getting her back up.

  “No. I mean, it’s actually impossible, Cora.” He took her hands in his. “You can’t love anyone, but me. It works both ways. We are mates. Destined. Nothing and no one can come between that.”

  Cora smiled up at him and then she released a small chuckle.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, grinning back at her.

  “I get under your skin, don’t I?”

  He stroked her hair gently, as he said, “You challenge me like no one ever has, like no one has ever dared. It’s frustrating.” He kissed her lips. “But, it’s also refreshing. And, sometimes, it even turns me on.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yeah. Our fight over the female wolves a few days ago, when you had me up against the wall? The heat between us then was stifling. You have no idea how much I wanted to fuck you, right there, in the middle of the corridor.”

  Suddenly, she slammed her hands into his chest, pushing him into the bedroom wall. Whoa.

  “What are you—?” he choked, winded. He didn’t get to finish his sentence, because she had his words catching in his throat as she dropped to her knees in front of him.

  She freed his cock from the confines of his jeans.

  The next thing he knew, her tongue was swirling around the head. “Oh, fuck, Cora,” he groaned.

  His reaction spurred her on and she really went for it.

  Her movements were wild, all-consuming, as she licked up the length of his shaft and back down again, sucking gently at the tip and tasting his pre-cum as she went. Her hand gripped him fiercely, pumping his cock as her other teased his balls. He moaned as she took them in her mouth, sucking and tasting him ravenously.

  She pulled back briefly, and he failed to stifle a gasp as her warm, moist lips wrapped around his cock and swallowed his entire length. He resisted the overwhelming urge to fist his hands in her hair and fuck her mouth. He knew he was big, a lot to take, and he didn’t want to make her gag.

  A second later, he was glad he’d resisted taking control, because she began to move, really move, pumping his cock in and out of her mouth determinedly.

  Shit. It was going to be a fucking record for him, if he didn’t stop her. “Cora,” he gasped. “Stop. I’m gonna come.”

  She glanced at him, her eyes afire with silver and desire. But she didn’t stop.

  He gently eased her back, forcing her mouth from his cock. “I want to come with my cock buried inside your sweet pussy, darlin’.”

  He ripped her towel from her body with one rough tug and then gripped her thighs, hoisting her up. He slammed her against the wall and thrust inside her.

  She screamed excitedly as he pounded into her.

  There was nothing gentle about it this time. It was pure, wild fucking. Brutal, relentless, and rough.

  It was the first time he’d been so rough with her.

  His claws were literally digging into the soft flesh of her thighs. The room shook from the force of his thrusts as he fucked her, slamming her hard into the wall with his moveme
nts. He realized how much she actually liked it rough when he felt her pussy spasm around his cock. So fucking quickly. She threw her head back, screaming and cursing like a sailor as she came apart around him.

  He reached between them and teased her clit, holding her against him with one hand as he continued fucking her roughly. “You’re not done, darlin’. Come for me again.”

  Her nails dug into his neck, drawing blood from the ferocity of it. And then her lips were on him, suckling, tasting his blood. Mind-blowing. He knew he was right on the edge, but he wanted to feel her come apart again first.

  He bit down on her soft flesh between her neck and her shoulder, breaking the skin. She screamed. He lapped at her blood. And then she came around him again. Hard. He felt it rip through her as he continued to suckle at the incision. The heady sensation of the power he tasted from her blood drove him over the edge, too. Somehow, he managed to actually think, and he pulled out quickly as he came.

  She completely shocked him then, lapping at his hands, cleaning him, her tongue licking away every drop of cum he’d just managed to prevent himself from releasing inside her.

  He couldn’t believe it.

  He couldn’t speak. He just stared at her in wonder as he watched her climb into bed.

  “What?” she asked. “Was it not—you didn’t like? I’ve never….”

  “You’ve never what? Sucked a man’s cock before?”

  She nodded shyly.

  Coming back to himself, he stripped and then climbed into bed with her. “It was mind-blowing, Cora.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, my dirty little wife.”

  “Good. I wanted to relax you. I know the last couple of weeks have been difficult. Taking your place as Wolf King, taking care of the wolves. It’s been a lot.”

  He gathered her in his arms and pulled her close. “Thank you,” he breathed into her hair.

  Cora let out a weary yawn and stretched out. It didn’t feel like she’d slept for very long. She didn’t feel as refreshed as she normally did after a good night’s sleep.

  She rolled over and reached for Ryan, only to find that he wasn’t there.