TWISTED DESTINY: The Complete Saga

by Leia King

  Footsteps approached.

  “He’s too busy talking Dark Realm politics with Nathanial.”

  She knew that voice.

  “David?”

  He came into view. She watched him perch on the edge of the couch, eyeing her calmly, like nothing horrific was happening, like she wasn’t screaming in agony.

  “I think… baby’s… baby’s coming,” she struggled to eke out through the pain.

  “Not quite, my sweet.” He leaned forward and tugged up her shirt, exposing the glowing mark on her belly. “This will deal your child another fate.”

  “You… know it? The mark?”

  “I should.” He smiled, maliciously. “I was the one who gave it to you.”

  Dread slice through her. “No.”

  “Oh, yes. I spelled you to forget it. And to forget the other delicious things I did to that gorgeous body of yours,” he told her. He looked her up and down, licking his lips.

  Her eyes widened in terror. What had he done to her? To her baby?

  She summoned every ounce of strength she had to force herself up off the couch and move away from him. She staggered towards the bathroom, knowing there was a lock on the door. Gripping Ryan’s bedframe tightly for support, she struggled against the excruciating pain to make her way to her safe haven.

  “I cannot allow a blasphemous hybrid to be born into the world. The light and dark should not mix,” David said, sauntering towards her slowly.

  “You’re… wrong. The bridge….”

  David scoffed. “Bridge? You think it will bring peace? You are all fools! It will taint the White Realm and bring us nothing but the death and destruction that the Dark Realm personifies, Cora. I am trying to protect us all. To protect you!”

  “No. You… touched me.”

  “Mmm. Yes, I did. I enjoyed every pleasurable second of it. I had you begging me to do wicked things to you, to—”

  “Stop!” she screamed. “I’ll… kill you!”

  “It doesn’t look like you can do much of anything.”

  She cried out and collapsed to her knees at the foot of the bed, gripping her belly.

  She shuddered as he strode over and knelt down beside her. “Stay back!” she cried, holding up a trembling hand.

  He batted it away. Grinning, he asked, “Is the pain as bad as the rumors claim?”

  Fury burned white-hot and she focused on the powerful feeling, using it to summon just enough strength to call her magic forth.

  She let it fly, a bolt of white magic firing into David’s chest. He bellowed as it propelled him across the room. He hit the wall hard and collapsed onto the floor, knocked out cold.

  “Ryan!” she screamed. “Ryan, help me!”

  “I need to see the situation for myself first,” Ryan told Nathanial.

  He sat on the edge of the couch, while Nathanial leaned against the fireplace, eyeing him shrewdly.

  “As you wish. I will take you to the Dark Realm immediately.”

  “Now?”

  “The sun has set, so I am no longer in danger of bursting into flames when I step outside.”

  “Funny,” Ryan commented dryly. “I didn’t know the almighty Vampire King had a sense of humor.”

  “There is a lot you don’t know about me, wolf.”

  “But there’s a lot that I do.”

  “You will never be able to forgive me for killing your father, so do not waste your time trying. You need to see beyond your personal distaste for me. This is business.”

  “Believe me, if I wasn’t seeing past my personal feelings towards you, you’d be dust by now.”

  Nathanial smirked at him. “I like your spirit.”

  Ryan moved to respond, but a sudden spike of pain ripped through his head.

  He stumbled back.

  Ryan! Help me! Ryan!

  “Cora?” he choked against the pain.

  Nathanial ran to him and pressed his hand to his head. Ryan jerked away. “Don’t touch me, vampire.”

  “She is in trouble.”

  “Yeah. I’m getting that.” He grabbed his head. “Fucking hell.”

  “It’s the child.”

  “What?” A look came over Nathanial’s face that made his stomach churn. “What? What is it?” he demanded, unable to conceal the desperation in his voice.

  “The child is dying.”

  Ryan bolted for the door, in spite of the overwhelming pain shooting through his head. He felt Nathanial’s hand on his arm, stopping him. Before he could respond, a thick, black cloud of magic enveloped them both.

  17

  Ryan blinked hard to adjust his eyes to his newfound surroundings.

  Where had the Vampire King just teleported them to without his damned consent?

  Glancing around, he quickly realized he was standing in his apartment above his bar.

  He felt something by his feet. He looked down to see David sprawled out on the floor, seemingly unconscious. What the fuck?

  An awful whimpering caught his attention and he tracked the sound to the only thing that mattered. His pregnant wife.

  The sight of her on her knees on the floor at the foot of his bed sent a chill through him. Panic propelled him across the room in a burst of wolf speed and he skidded to his knees beside her.

  “Cora!”

  She looked up at him with a weak smile. “You’re here.”

  “Yeah. I’m here, my love. I’m here,” he said, gently gathering her into his arms.

  He put her down on his bed and leapt on with her. A shrill scream tore from her throat. It churned his stomach when she didn’t stop and started writhing in agony, clutching her baby bump.

  He hurriedly lifted her tank top, so he could take a look and try to figure out what was happening.

  An odd-looking tattoo filled his vision.

  “What the fuck is this?” He touched it, but jerked back a second later as it burned him. He knew the nasty sensation well. “Silver.” He shook his head vehemently. “No. No! The child is wolf! It’s hurting him!”

  Nathanial came up on his side, taking in the sight of the mark too. “It’s doing more than that. It’s killing the baby.”

  Ryan reached frantically for the mark. “I won’t let it,” he seethed.

  Nathanial knocked him back. “Move aside.”

  He recovered quickly and watched as Nathanial touched the tattoo. A black glow emanated from his hand and he held it steady over the mark for several seconds.

  Cora stopped screaming.

  Nathanial pulled back, telling him, “It won’t last long. The wolf essence of the child responded to me, but the white sorceress essence from Cora did not. White and dark magic is required to remove the mark completely.”

  Ryan studied it. It had faded substantially, but it hadn’t completely disappeared.

  “Thank you,” Cora told Nathanial in a breathless whisper.

  “You are most welcome, princess. I want this child to be born as much as you.”

  Ryan’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “Vazra and I need to combine our magic to save the child,” Nathanial said, sidestepping the question.

  All of a sudden, he wavered on his feet, grabbing at the bedpost for support.

  “What’s wrong?” Ryan asked.

  “The longer I am in the human realm, the more it drains my power. I have expended too much already.”

  “Rest,” Cora offered sweetly, moving off the bed and patting the vacated space.

  Ryan wrapped her up his arms.

  Nathanial shook his head, eyeing her curiously. He was clearly surprised at her kind gesture. “I thank you, but it is not necessary.”

  “You might need to take the princess up on her offer, father.”

  The three of them spun around to see Luca and Michael standing in the doorway. Ryan watched the two of them glance at David sprawled out by the door.

  “He failed,” Michael spat.

  “He achieved what he was mea
nt to,” Luca argued. Ryan heard him whisper, “The mark is in place.”

  “You sent that fucker after my wife! My child!” Ryan roared.

  “He’s proved very useful,” Luca said.

  Cora bolted forward, Ryan only just managing to hold her back, as she screamed, “You ordered him to abuse me? To touch me like that, against my will?”

  Luca looked shocked. “He did what?” He fisted his hand in the faery’s shirt and tossed him out into the hall, screaming, “I told you not to touch her! She’s mine!”

  When he started for the door, vowing to kill him, Michael intervened, fighting to calm him down.

  Ryan turned Cora in his arms. “The faery laid his hands on you?” The second he saw her pained expression, he had his brutal answer.

  “Collateral damage,” he heard Michael hiss at Luca, as he held him at bay, his hand clamped around his arm. “He achieved his objectives. The mark. Plus, he undermined their relationship, like you wanted. You got your proof from Ryan’s reaction when we had him captive.”

  Ryan caught Nathanial’s eye. Judging by the wild look in his fiery eyes, he’d overheard them too. He spoke to him at a low register. “You must stay your hand. Cora is unwell. Your unborn child is still in jeopardy. My abilities are compromised. We are at too much of a disadvantage to engage in battle right now and the risk to Cora and your son is too great. I understand your need to avenge her, but it must wait.”

  Ryan gritted his teeth.

  He couldn’t wrap his head around all the fucked-up things that’d come to light. He’d known there’d been something off with the faery. He’d known the guy had been into his wife. But he’d thought he’d cared about her. He never imagined he’d mess with her. Fuck. He should’ve. He should’ve been more cautious. He should never have let Cora out of his sight. He certainly shouldn’t have let that bastard anywhere near her, in any way, not even with her assurances that he was safe. If he hadn’t been so distracted, he might’ve seen what the faery had really been up to.

  Jesus fucking Christ. Someone had sexually abused his wife, his pregnant wife, right under his fucking nose. He felt sick. Gutted.

  Regret strangled him.

  He looked at Cora. Nathanial might’ve stopped her pain, but she was in a real bad state. Tears filled her eyes. As much as she tried to blink them away, they kept coming. He could feel her trembling against him. And she looked exhausted, her unfocused eyes plagued by dark circles beneath. Fuck. She looked broken. Nathanial was right, launching into battle in a bid to avenge her would be a bad call. It wasn’t what she needed. He’d get another chance.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said, lifting his chin at Nathanial.

  As Nathanial held his hands out to each of them, preparing to cast a teleportation spell, he was slammed hard from the side with a burst of vamp speed. He shot across the room, smacking brutally into the wall at the rear of the bedroom, his impact taking a chunk out of the drywall.

  Luca stood in his place. “That’s for draining your own son!”

  Michael joined him, shouting, “We three are united in a cause that many believe in. The White and Dark Realms must remain separate entities!” He gestured to Cora, making Ryan react instinctively and push her behind him. He assumed a fighting stance as Michael went on. “That child she carries is blasphemy. A despicable hybrid. We will not allow a symbol of unification to exist.”

  Nathanial snarled. “You are both fools, spewing ignorant hate. You will pay for your treachery.”

  “You are too weak right now to make anyone pay,” Michael shot back.

  “Stand down, father. Allow me to claim my birthright and you may live,” Luca said. “I will succeed where you have failed. The wolves will not revolt with me at the helm. I will crush them into submission.”

  Ryan growled at his threat to his brethren.

  Nathanial pushed off the wall and stood at his side. “I believe the Wolf King may have something to say about that.” He bared his fangs. “As do I, boy.”

  “We will crush you!” Luca bellowed, losing his temper.

  Ryan could see that Nathanial wasn’t the least bit intimidated by their threat. Instead, he was amused. “As I said, you are fools.”

  “Now!” Luca cried.

  Michael fired a bolt of red lightning at Nathanial.

  A ball of silver light exploded into being, blocking its trajectory, holding it motionless in mid-air.

  Ryan shot a glance over his shoulder to see the culprit at work. Cora’s eyes were narrowed in concentration. It took him aback, because she wasn’t even using her hands anymore. Just her mind.

  Michael balked under her strength and the ball of light slammed into his chest, dissolving his magic and forcing him back. “Bitch!” he yelled, as he stumbled.

  “My father’s protector now, Cora? The man who kept you and Ryan apart for centuries?”

  “Shut up.”

  Luca laughed. He looked at Ryan. “The feistier she becomes, the more determined I am to claim her as mine. Fiery beauty that she is, she sparks my desire at every turn. I’m hard for her right now.”

  Son of a bitch!

  Ryan snapped, finally losing control.

  Roaring, he leapt at him. Driving him into the wall, he smashed his face in with his fist. He beat him mercilessly in a fit of wild rage.

  “I will kill you! You’re dead, you fucker! Dead!”

  He felt Luca struggling against his whirlwind assault, but he failed miserably. Ryan was too irate.

  He sensed an approach, someone launching themselves at him from behind. A quick glance over his shoulder had him witnessing Nathanial tackling Michael just before he’d managed to strike him.

  “Ryan!” Cora screamed. “We need to go! Now!”

  He roared, hauling Luca across the room, into the couch. As it collapsed under the impact, he shot a glance Cora’s way.

  He was shocked to see her doubled over, clutching her baby bump.

  “The pain… it’s returning. Fast,” she told him.

  Distracted by his pregnant wife’s suffering, Ryan failed to sense Luca’s coming attack. The bastard lunged, driving him to the floor.

  Ryan grunted at the impact of both the floor and Luca’s body weight landing heavily on top of him. He thrust his elbow behind him, knocking Luca back. Then, he rolled to his side and somersaulted back to his feet. “No one touches my wife, motherfucker!” He thrust his boot into Luca’s ribs, making him choke. “No one! Do you hear me? Do you?” he roared at the top of his lungs, the force of it shaking the entire room.

  “Is this really about defending her honor, or the wound to your inflated ego, because you keep failing to protect her?” Luca accused. He spat out blood filling his mouth and snarled, “Typical wolf possessiveness. You see her as an object that belongs to you. One that should only be played with by you. Your fucking trophy. Isn’t that right?”

  Incensed, Ryan smashed his fist into the end table by the couch, decimating it. He snatched up a sharp piece of wood, spun it in his hand to take aim, then brought it down towards Luca’s heart.

  It never made contact.

  Strong hands gripped his, holding the makeshift stake steady, just an inch from its target.

  Ryan looked to see Nathanial fully vamped out, snarling at him.

  “Let go,” Ryan ground out, fighting against his hold.

  “He is my son.”

  Ryan glared at Luca. His eyes were wide with something he’d never seen from him before. True fear.

  “He is your brother,” Nathanial said.

  “A mistake I’m gonna fucking rectify.”

  A scream from Cora had his arm wavering.

  It was all Nathanial needed to break his hold on the stake and rip it from his grasp. He tossed it across the room, then took hold of Luca, hoisting him high in the air before him. “I will come for you, boy. You are no longer my son.”

  Nathanial tossed him through the open door of the apartment and Ryan heard him tumbling down the stairs.
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  Ryan ran to Cora. As he did, he saw her eyes flash at something behind him. She thrust her hand out.

  He spun around to see a shimmering barrier holding a dozen of Michael’s red bolts of magic at bay.

  Nathanial moved to Ryan’s side, telling Michael, “The battle is lost. Walk away, or you die this night.”

  Michael snickered. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you’ve already expended too much power to be able to do a thing to stop me? In the Dark Realm, your power knows no bounds. But, here, your power usage is a major issue.” He turned to Cora. “You’re wasting your power on me, when you should be conserving it to save the life of that hybrid child you’re carrying. The more you use your magic right now, the quicker the pain will return.” His eyes flashed. “The quicker the child will perish.”

  Ryan eyed her. “Cora? Is that true?”

  “I’m fine,” she snapped.

  But then he saw her grimace and shudder.

  “Pull back your power!” he ordered, frantically. She was going to kill herself, kill their child. “Now, Cora!”

  “If she does, Michael’s magic will strike us,” Nathanial cautioned.

  Ryan shook his head. “He doesn’t have the strength to kill any of us.”

  “Perhaps, not. Although, it will most definitely be enough to kill your child,” Michael threatened, shifting his position so that all of his magic was aimed at Cora.

  A flash of white light caught Ryan’s eye.

  “You may pull back now, Cora.”

  Ryan shot a glance over his shoulder. Shaye stood, holding both her palms before her, white light streaming from them. He was more than a little surprised to see Josh with her. He was hunched over beside her, retching violently. Yeah, that teleportation sickness could be brutal, until you got used to it.

  Cora hesitated on pulling back her magic. Ryan could see her hands shaking. He could hear her pained moans.

  “Cora! Pull back. Right the hell now!”

  Still, she hesitated.

  “I can hold this. It’s okay,” Shaye assured her.

  Ryan looked at Cora for her reaction, but there was none. “She’s lost control,” he realized aloud. “Shit.” He took hold of her, physically forcing her arm downward. She cried out from the force he was using. “Release the magic and I’ll stop,” he breathed in her ear. “Please, my love.”