by Leia King
Ryan slapped him on the shoulder. “If I can convince the leader of the wolf resistance not to kill you, this should be a walk in the park. Just don’t bite anyone.”
Nathanial scoffed. “They should not flatter themselves.”
With that, the two of them made their way to the compound.
13
Cora made her way to the compound mess hall.
She was famished. She hadn’t eaten since her and Shaye had enjoyed a quiet dinner together in the White Realm yesterday evening. They still hadn’t received any word from her. Cora knew she was still in the White Realm palace. She hadn’t had the chance to warn her about her father, prior to being unceremoniously banished from the realm like a criminal.
Her father was not the man she’d thought he was. He was sick. Demented. Bent. She still couldn’t get the memory of the state of David and Marella out of her head. Her father was a sadist. Evil. As soon as her full strength returned, she’d get Marella the hell out of there. If Vazra tried to stop her then, he’d feel her wrath. His threat to bring her to her knees would pale in comparison to the might of her power.
She couldn’t believe she was back at the compound again. It was odd after being in a mystical place like the White Realm, to come back to something so… normal.
As soon as she’d arrived at the wolf compound ahead of Ryan thanks to the curt order he’d barked at her, the wolves had swarmed around her. They hadn’t been able to get enough of Orion. It was a huge deal to them to greet the son of their Alpha, their king. Ryan had forced them to calm down when he’d arrived with Nathanial in tow. Bringing Nathanial into the wolf compound had been a nightmare. To Ryan’s credit, he’d managed to assuage their fears and resistance. He’d explained the situation. He’d even entertained their questions for close to an hour before managing to ease them into a state of reluctant acceptance.
Since then, she hadn’t seen him. He’d been with Nathanial, talking about God knew what. King stuff, in all likelihood. She’d been taking care of Orion and trying to settle him into his new home. He still hadn’t shifted back to human form and she couldn’t help wondering whether he ever would. Perhaps he would remain that way until he was much older and had more control over his ability to shift.
He was her son and she loved him more than life itself, but a part of her felt a disconnect with him while he was in wolf form. She wasn’t wolf, so she couldn’t fully understand him. She couldn’t communicate with him through her words. And his gestures were pure wolf, too. Ryan understood him completely, though. He could connect with him wholly. She hated herself for it, but she felt a pang of jealously. At least Orion was happy. That was the most important thing. She’d left him in the pack’s care, after seeing how much they’d wanted to spend some time with him. She’d watched for a while as he’d bounced around with them. A bunch of them had shifted and played with him, letting him bound about and ride on their backs. It’d been the cutest thing she’d ever seen.
She was going to eat something, then head on back. Hopefully, Ryan would be done with his meeting with Nathanial and they could spend some time with their son together at last.
Speaking of that asshole, though, she was still pissed at the way he’d spoken to her. In front of company, no less. What was his problem? Hell, she knew exactly what it was. His misogynistic Alpha-wolf bullshit. Who the hell did he think he was dealing with? She wasn’t just some chick he’d banged. She was his wife and the mother of his child. And, not to mention, she was stronger than him, the almighty Wolf King. Her power was greater than anyone’s now.
Once she was finished eating, the two of them were going to have it out.
When she reached the mess hall, she stopped short at the sound of low voices rumbling from within. Ryan and Josh. She frowned as she picked up the content.
“You need to be gentle with her, Ry.”
“Gentle?”
“Yeah. I know that’s a new concept to you, but this David thing has her all on edge. I’ve seen it over the last few days.”
She heard Ryan scoff. “Believe me, she doesn’t like gentle. She’s more of a rip-my-clothes-off-with-your-teeth-and-fuck-me-hard-and-dirty kind of woman.”
“Another man took control of her against her will!”
Cora smiled at Josh’s sweet, selfless defense of her.
Something blunt slammed down on the table. Likely, it was Ryan’s fist, because he then yelled, “I’m well aware that some asshole fucked around with my wife! He’s gonna pay for it! She may have shown him mercy, but I won’t! I’m gonna track him down and fucking kill him!”
“That’s not gonna solve the problem, Ry.”
“It’ll solve it for me!” Ryan roared. “No one touches what’s mine!”
As Cora listened to Ryan’s rage-induced outburst, she shook her head with disbelief. Was she just some piece of meat to him? Fucking Alpha mentality!
“Calm down,” Josh urged. “That’s twice you’ve lost your temper in the last few hours alone. What’s with you?”
“I’m just stressed out. This David thing. The whole Wolf King thing. It’s a lot, J.”
“It’s more than that. Normally, you’d just bite my head off and, possibly, the Vampire King’s. But earlier you also took a bite out of Cora. It’s… guilt.”
“What?”
“Did you fuck someone while you were away in the Dark Realm?”
Oh my God. Cora waited with bated breath for Ryan’s answer. The longer the pause, the tenser she became. She felt an awful, sickly feeling form in the pit of her stomach.
“No,” he finally responded.
She breathed a sigh of relief. But it was short-lived when she heard him go on.
“But… there was this girl. Jada. A wolf.”
“And?”
“And she caught my eye.”
“Well, you’re married, but you’re not blind. Plus, you’re a wolf, Ry. A day without getting laid and we’re horny as hell. That’s all it was.”
“No. I wanted to, J.”
“What?”
“I wanted to fuck her. If—”
And that was the last thing Cora heard, before she turned and bolted back down the corridor.
14
“I wanted to fuck her.”
Cora couldn’t get Ryan’s words out of her head. It was as though another man had spoken them. Not Ryan. Not her husband. Not the man she loved with all her heart. The only man she’d ever loved. It was one thing for him to desire another woman in a fleeting moment. But to really desire someone beyond the point of simply finding them attractive? To actually want to sleep with someone else? That was going too far.
He’d said she was wolf. He was the freaking Wolf King now. He’d claimed his birthright. Maybe, he needed to be with a wolf then. When they’d got together, they hadn’t seen it coming. She knew she’d never intended to take on the role. But, now that he had, maybe it’d changed things.
The way he’d said it, with so much raw, sexual desire had really got to her. It was the same way he breathed her name when they were making love. It was his too-far-gone voice, the voice that told her that sexual desperation had overruled him. Was that what he’d felt for that wolf woman? That same intensity he felt with her? Or, even more than that?
She shook her head. No, they were mates. Destined. She was just overreacting.
Then again, why shouldn’t she? They hadn’t spoken since he’d blown her off, commanding her harshly in front of Nathanial and Josh during a fit of temper. He hadn’t bothered to track her down. If he was as horny as he’d discussed with Josh, why hadn’t he come to her? Was it because that wolf woman was on his mind?
Her troubled thoughts and her rising anger caused her to miss her turnoff onto the highway. Shit. She’d wanted to roar down the highway and race against her demons, pushing her bike to the limit.
It felt so good to ride again. It’d been too long. Her bike had been collecting dust in the wolf compound garage for weeks. But earlier she’d managed to sneak
it out and breach the gates without anyone noticing, a difficult task under normal circumstances with the thunderous roar of a bike. But everyone had been distracted by Orion, so it’d been possible.
As she roared down the country roads, a sudden veil of black fog swept towards her.
It caught her off guard, causing her to swerve to the other side of the road. She felt the bike skid. Thankfully, years of experience enabled her to maintain her balance and pull over safely. She dismounted, eyeing the thick, black fog that had shifted to surround her on all sides.
“Argh. Just what I fucking well need.”
“Having a bad day, princess?”
She gasped as Luca stepped through the smoke.
“Does Ryan know you’re out so late?” he asked, moving closer.
“Stay back!”
He did as she asked, folding his arms across his chest as he regarded her intensely for several moments. A sly grin then formed on his lips. “Do you truly want me to stay back?”
“What?”
“Despite how much you try to deny it, you do desire me, Cora.”
“You disgust me.”
He smirked. “You didn’t deny it. You want me now, just like you wanted me in that alleyway the first time we met. I read your thoughts then. I know the dirty little things you wanted me to do to you.”
“Ryan is my mate, my husband.”
“And you’re still not denying it.” In a flash of vampire speed he stood before her, glowering down at her, his eyes smoldering with desire. “You’re curious about me, aren’t you?” he asked, his mouth just inches from her ear. “You’ve wondered what it would be like. To have me take you to my bed. A vampire. With a wolf, it is rough and wild. That’s how they like it. In fact, correct me if I’m wrong, but I bet Ryan hasn’t even bothered to ask you how you like it, has he?”
“Shut up,” she cried, jerking her head away from him.
“I’ll take that as confirmation. Wolves are all about control. And Ryan? He’s the worst of them all. Their king. Too controlling for a woman as powerful as you. You need to be free, but he’ll keep you under his thumb, Cora.”
He trailed his thumb over her cheek. She jumped back. “Don’t touch me! No one touches me!”
“This is about Davidas?” he asked softly. He moved as close as possible to her without actually touching her. “Come with me, princess. I will make you forget.”
“It’s your fault it happened in the first place.”
He shook his head vehemently. “The mystical tattoo was my doing. The rest was his.” He leaned into her and whispered against her cheek, “Come. I will erase what he’s done and make you desire to be touched again. With a vampire like me, it is not so rough. It is sensual. I will build you up slowly and gently, showing you how you should be loved.”
Cora found herself shivering at his words. It concerned her that she wasn’t sure whether it was from disgust or… something else. Oh my God. What was happening? She hated him. Yet, his words were… doing something to her. “Are you compelling me?”
“No. Not at all.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”
She shook her head vehemently, trying to rid herself of her unsettling thoughts. “Go away, or I’ll blast you with my power.”
A chuckle came from behind her.
She spun around abruptly, shocked by the sudden presence. Standing just a few feet back was a woman with the oddest hair. Shockingly white, but plagued with black streaks. Right beside her was that son of a bitch, Michael.
“Your power is drained, princess. I can feel it from here,” the woman said. “You are only capable of delivering the equivalent of a static shock to my son right now.”
Her son? Oh my God. It was her. “Oriana.”
“Cora Black,” she returned.
“What do you want?”
“She is charmingly naïve,” Michael commented.
Oriana nodded and told Cora, “Your blood.”
“You can’t take it. Neither of them can feed from me. I heal too fast.”
“An ability that you are able to control,” Oriana pointed out.
“How do you know that?”
“You would not have been able to heal my other son without that being the case. He drained you dry.” Victory flashed in her eyes. “You merely have to be willing, my dear.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Oriana stepped closer, making Cora tense. “It means that you will let Luca take you.”
Cora jerked back. “You’re twisted. I’m married to your other son.”
“An unfortunate complication. One that does not fit into my agenda.”
“I don’t give a crap about your agenda.”
“Relax, princess. You will not die. Your blood is too powerful. You will recover within days.” She gestured to Luca. “He will treat you gently. You do not need to be afraid.”
Cora caught Luca’s eye and saw his confirmation. It really wasn’t the point. Of course, being a psycho, Oriana couldn’t recognize that, or how messed up she and the entire situation was. Why was this happening while her magic was depleted? She had the power to take her on under normal circumstances.
Hold up. She wasn’t the only one who had that wherewithal.
As Oriana continued on with her twisted reassurances, Cora tuned out and reached out with her limited magic to the only other person who had the power to help her right now.
It was a trying task. It was made more difficult by the fact that she, as a bearer of white magic, was trying to communicate with a bearer of the dark.
But, then she felt it.
She fought to keep her gaze steady to avoid giving herself away.
Nathanial?
Cora? His voice answered in her head.
Yeah.
You are in danger?
Luca and Michael have escaped. I’m facing off with them and Oriana.
You cannot defeat them, especially not with her present. Your power is drained.
I know.
What do they want with you?
My blood.
There was a brief pause. Shock, no doubt, as he realized what it meant. Luca will take you to his bed. He will make you willing, princess. And then he will drain you when you are at your most compliant.
I’m not willing.
You will be.
What?
The power of the betrothal bond. There is desire between you. He will know how to awaken it and seduce you. You will not be able to deny it.
Ryan won’t make it to me in time.
I will.
How? You can’t track me like he can.
You must shed blood. Merely a scrape will do. I will be able to find you.
Don’t tell Ryan.
Cora—
Please, Nathanial.
You have my word. Now pull back. You are draining more of your power by conversing with me.
Cora did as Nathanial suggested and retracted her magic, ending their conversation.
She returned to the reality around her and spun to Luca.
“I’m sick of this hanging over my head.”
His eyes wet wide. “You are?”
“Yeah. It seems that no matter what I do, I can’t avoid it. So, let’s just get it over with.”
“You are agreeing to allow me to feed from you?” he asked, incredulous.
“To end this, once and for all.” She pulled down the collar of her leather jacket. “Just take it.”
He started to move towards her, warily. But, Oriana beat him to it, grabbing her arm and jerking up her jacket sleeve. Before Cora had a chance to pull away, she sliced a deep wound across her wrist with her magic. She cried out from the painful burn.
“Mother!” Luca yelled. “What are you—?”
“Look!” Oriana commanded.
All eyes were on her wrist as the wound closed in a matter of seconds, healing completely, as if it’d never been.
Uh oh.
“You cannot simply take it, Luca. Yo
u did not believe me, but now you have seen it for yourself,” Oriana told him, dropping her wrist. “You must invoke the betrothal bond and ease her into a compliant state. She must give herself over to you. Then, you will feed.”
Cora swallowed hard, as the three of them surrounded her.
Luca stood right in her personal space with a burst of speed. He reached out and fondled a lock of her hair. “Better pleasure, than only pain, princess.”
“After what happened with David, I… I can’t go… fast.”
He bent down to meet her eyeline. “I understand. Besides, that is not my way. I will take my time with you.”
If he lived up to his promise, Nathanial would make it to her in time. She held onto that thought as she nodded her consent.
Without another word, Luca wrapped his arms around her and teleported them away.
15
Sitting on his bedroom floor, Ryan stroked Orion’s soft fur. He gave his little ears a tickle.
“The ear thing is the best, huh?”
He turned him over and tickled his belly and Orion flailed his tiny paws every which way with excitement.
And then he shifted back.
Ryan started in shock.
He hurriedly picked him up and cradled him in his arms. He climbed to his feet and hurried to his chest of drawers and pulled out a tiny blanket.
He laid Orion on his bed, just as a sharp knock sounded at the door.
“Come in!”
“Ry, I—”
Ryan shot a glance at the door to see Josh standing there, the surprise on his face mirroring his own.
“Now that he’s shifted back to human form, you can’t just wrap him in a blanket,” he said, coming into the room.
Ryan watched him cross to a cupboard in the corner. A cupboard Ryan knew well. “What the fuck are you doing? That’s my liquor cabinet, J. Keep that shit away from my son.”
“It’s not a liquor cabinet anymore,” Josh said, opening one of the doors.
Ryan was stunned. The cupboard was stocked full of baby supplies. He watched in wonder as Josh pulled out a diaper and some other supplies. “Where did those come from?”