TWISTED DESTINY: The Complete Saga

by Leia King

  “Yes. Thank you, father.”

  “Fortunately for you, to break the betrothal bond, you and Cora must combine your magic. I had no choice but to restore your Vampire Prince title.”

  “Now? You’re going to break the bond now?”

  “Yes. Why? Did you think it would aid you in taking the princess to your bed?” Nathanial asked. “Luca, you forget who you are dealing with when it comes to Cora,” he said, winking at her. “Besides, she is Ryan’s wife. You will find your own soon enough.”

  Luca growled quietly.

  Nathanial let it slide and told the two of them, “You must tap into one another’s magic. Join hands.”

  As Cora took his hand, she told him, “I do care about you, Luca.”

  Luca smiled at her words. “You are very forgiving then, princess.”

  “The heart does not always see reason,” she jested.

  “Your heart?” he pressed.

  Nathanial cleared his throat noisily, clearly not liking the exchange between them. Cora wasn’t surprised. She knew how tight he and Ryan had become.

  “Nathanial,” Cora pressed, when he just continued to stare at Luca with a severe look of disapproval. “We’re ready. Our magic is connected.”

  At her words, he averted his gaze and sprang into action. “This will sting a little.”

  They both nodded their understanding.

  He summoned his magic. Cora gasped and Luca hissed as the sting he’d warned them about ripped through them both.

  “Just a sting, huh?” Luca complained.

  Nathanial ignored his comment and instructed, “I need you both to repeat my words in unison until you feel a sharp spark within. That is the bond shattering.”

  “Okay,” Cora said.

  Nathanial began. “Exsolvo. Exsolvo. Exsolvo. I command thee, release them! Release!” his deep baritone rumbled through the night.

  Cora and Luca followed his instructions and repeated his words until Cora felt the sharp pain he’d mentioned. A hiss from Luca told her he’d experienced the same thing.

  “It is done,” Nathanial announced. “Luca, you and Haraz will take command of the vampires here in the human realm. After experiencing the painful effects of Oriana’s destruction of the first orb, they will be angry. I need you to get them under control. We cannot risk them reacting and drawing attention to our existence here in the human realm. Michael and I will assist Cora in removing the block Vazra implanted in her.”

  “Father, I can assist with that.”

  “You are the Vampire Prince. The human realm vampires recognize your authority as much as mine here. It must be you. Haraz will assist you and you will listen to his advice. He has many centuries of experience that you can learn from.”

  “Yes,” Luca grumbled. “As you wish.”

  Before Cora could get a word out, Nathanial grabbed her hand and teleported her with him.

  5

  Ryan stood in Damon’s tent, discussing their plan to create one hell of a massive distraction up at the Dark Realm castle.

  After donning a black robe that he’d snatched from one of the marketplace stalls and making his way through the dead forest incognito for several hours, he’d finally caught onto the scent of the wolves. He’d found their camp located deep in the valley of the forest. It’d been fortunate that, as Wolf King, his wolf senses were so attuned, or he would’ve never found them.

  When he’d arrived, all the wolves had bowed instantly at his feet. Damon Hunter, the former leader of the wolf resistance, had welcomed him with open arms. After conversing with the wolves, Ryan had retired with Damon, now his second-in-command of the Dark Realm wolves, to discuss strategy.

  “Your plan depends a hell of a lot on your ability to control the wolves,” Damon said.

  “It won’t be a problem.”

  “Ryan, in the human realm your wolves are at their wildest and uncontrollable during the full moon. Here in the Dark Realm, it’s like that all the time. I’m not sure if you remember.”

  “I do.”

  “How do you expect to be able to control them when you’ll be affected by it as well?”

  “I won’t shift.”

  “What?”

  Ryan held up his hand and gestured to his ring. “This will ensure that I maintain control. And, believe me, I won’t have any issues controlling all the wolves here. I am Wolf King, Damon. They won’t be able to resist my will.”

  Damon slapped a friendly hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “If you say you can, then I believe you. The rest of the wolves will arrive here within forty-eight hours. Unfortunately, it won’t be sooner as they’re scattered all over the realm, a precaution given our former war against the Vampire King. Until then, I’ll show you to a tent, so you can get some rest.”

  Ryan nodded and let Damon lead him out of his tent and through the camp. It was deserted, everyone having already gone to bed because it was late. Damon stopped at the white tent at the end of one of the two rows. He pushed aside a sheet passing for a door and led Ryan inside. It consisted of a double bed with a thin blanket and two pillows, along with a small table for two in the corner. He noted the box of rations on top of it. Good. He was hungry.

  “I’m sorry it’s not anything worthy of a King. We weren’t expecting you so soon. I would have—”

  “Relax, Damon. I’m not my father.”

  Damon chuckled. “If you were, you’d have already had my head by now.”

  Ryan smiled. “Goodnight, Damon.”

  Damon nodded and left the tent.

  Ryan shed his shirt and pants as he approached the bed. He was exhausted. He breathed a heavy sigh as he flopped down on the mattress, hoping sleep would take him quickly.

  Hours had come and gone and Ryan still hadn’t been able to fall asleep.

  It was her. Cora.

  He couldn’t get her out of his head.

  He still couldn’t believe they’d split. His wife had actually left him, accusing him of being too controlling. What did she expect? She was mated to a fucking Alpha wolf! It was an animal instinct for male wolves to be in control, to dominate. It was the very essence of what he was. And she’d wanted him to change that? To change his very makeup for her?

  After talking to Shaye and Josh, he’d actually considered it, because he loved her so damned much and it’d hurt to even think that she was gone, that they wouldn’t be together.

  Fuck. He’d waited two hundred years to be with her.

  But now she could go to hell.

  She’d saved Luca from the death that he’d deserved.

  After her staunch denial outside the mansion that night, after her pleading with him to believe that she didn’t want Luca, after making him feel like an asshole for treating her like a whore when he’d fucked her, because of that shit-show between her and Luca. After all of that, she’d gone to that fucking vampire. And the look in Nathanial’s eyes when he’d told him Luca was alive because of her had said it all. Even Nathanial knew Cora felt something for his son. Ryan had seen the worry in his eyes over it.

  Well, fucking fine. She could do whatever the hell she wanted with that demented vampire. She could break the mating bond between them for all he cared. But, if she thought she was ever gonna take his son from him, she had another thing coming. She was powerful, but there were other ways to stop her. As long as Orion remained in wolf form, she wouldn’t take him. If he had to, he’d move to the Dark Realm permanently and surround Orion with all of his wolves. See her try to take on an entire army of wolves.

  And, as long as he could get to her before she used her powers, he’d still be able to stop her anyway, even on his own. He could easily overpower her physically. He was still stronger than her in that respect, especially since he’d matured into his full strength as Wolf King.

  Bitch!

  How fucking dare she?

  He felt sick to his stomach whenever he thought about her and Luca. He never wanted to see her again, to smell her, to feel her. That fucker had to
rtured him in the most sadistic way possible. She knew it and, yet, she’d saved him? It told him everything. She had absolutely no respect for him, for her own husband.

  “Fuck her,” he muttered, throwing the covers aside.

  “Your majesty,” a familiar voice called from the door.

  He looked up to see the feisty, blonde wolf goddess who’d caught his eye last time he’d visited the Dark Realm sauntering into his tent. Jada.

  Her hair was loose and tussled wildly about her face. Her piercing, blue eyes were fixed on him as she approached the bed.

  His gaze raked over her and he failed to suppress a low growl of appreciation at the slip of a nightgown she was wearing. The red silk barely contained her ample tits and the hem scarcely reached the top of her thighs. A slit up her right thigh gave him a glimpse of her tight little ass, making it abundantly clear that she wasn’t wearing any panties. Goddamn.

  “Call me Ryan.”

  He started when she perched on the edge of the bed, crossing her shapely legs.

  “Couldn’t sleep, Ryan?” she asked coyly.

  He smiled. “Looks like you couldn’t either.”

  She gazed at him intensely, her eyes hooded with desire. “I didn’t want to sleep alone.”

  The meaning wasn’t lost on him.

  “That right?”

  She bit her lower lip. “Absolutely.”

  He swallowed hard.

  A dozen thoughts fought to overwhelm him, all warring with one another. He pushed them down. He didn’t give a fuck anymore. It was time to do what he’d always done until that treacherous wife of his had come into the picture.

  Take.

  He sprung forward and grabbed Jada’s hips, tossing her down onto her back on the bed.

  She squealed in surprise and the innocent, sweet sound spurred him on.

  Grasping her face with both his hands, he held her still as he took her in a ferocious kiss. When a growl from him got a sexy little response from her, it had his cock hardening to fucking steel. He pressed her into the bed, their lips clashing, teeth gnashing, tongues dueling. It was animalistic to the core. Fucking amazing shit that he’d denied himself so long.

  His claws raked lightly over her tits, down her stomach.

  “Don’t hold back, Ryan. I’m wolf, remember?” she gasped against his lips.

  Ryan took her words in.

  He had been holding back.

  He hadn’t even realized it. He was so used to doing it. He’d had to. Cora wasn’t wolf. She couldn’t handle him like that, unleashed.

  Well, no more.

  It was time to free the animal within.

  He ripped off his boxers, then gnashed his teeth at the sexy, wanton wolf beneath him. “You asked for it.”

  He called his wolf claws forth and with a single swipe, he shredded her dress from her body.

  He felt her push something into his hand. Looking down, he saw a condom. Smiling, he took it and tore open the wrapper with his teeth. He watched the look of wide-eyed wonder on her face as he rolled it down over his throbbing cock.

  “Mmm… I knew it,” she breathed.

  He grinned. “Gonna give you every fucking inch.”

  Her hot little body trembled with anticipation. Damn, she couldn’t wait. And, neither could he. Not another second.

  He grabbed hold of her and flipped her. “Ass up,” he commanded.

  She complied instantly, sticking her ass into the air, offering herself to him.

  “Good girl,” he growled.

  Trailing his finger over her exposed pussy lips, he groaned at how wet she was. Dripping.

  “You’re begging for my cock, aren’t you? So fucking desperate for me, baby.”

  He circled her clit and she bucked against him. “Yes,” she breathed.

  “Beg me. Beg me for my cock.”

  “Oh, God! Yes! Please, Ryan! I need it, need you!”

  Fuck, yeah. He thrust into her, driving balls deep, making her squeal.

  Winding his fingers in her hair, he tugged hard as he pounded into her wildly. “Goddamn, you’re so fucking tight.”

  She moaned as he licked her shoulder. His wolf teeth dropped and the next thing he knew, he was biting down, tearing into her soft flesh. She’d unleashed the animal in him. She called to the wolf in a way he couldn’t believe. The sound of her growling had him losing his ever-loving mind. She was getting off on it on an animal level. It fueled his desire, his desperate need even further.

  He raked his claws over her tits as he jackhammered her from behind. It was the final straw for her and he felt her contract around his cock, cursing and crying out his name, as she came apart.

  He released her and she collapsed onto her stomach as he continued his ruthless fucking. He didn’t stop until he’d taken everything he could from her. When he finally let go and came, a ferocious howl ripped from his throat.

  “Fucking hell,” he gasped, pulling out and collapsing onto the bed beside her.

  She rolled over, stroking his arm, drawing his attention back to her.

  And what he saw when he looked at her, shocked the shit out of him. “What the hell?”

  “My eyes?” she asked.

  He swallowed hard. “Yeah.”

  “They’re glowing, aren’t they? I can feel the heat.”

  “Uh… yeah.”

  “Like yours.”

  He shot up in bed. “What?”

  “Yeah. They’re glowing gold.”

  No. No. No. He scrambled off the bed, quickly pulling on his boxers, before turning his back. Scrubbing his hand over his face, he fought to get a grip, to think. Kind of hard to do when most of his blood was still running south.

  “Are you mad at me?” he tiny voice called.

  “No,” he spoke over his shoulder, trying to keep his tone as kind as possible, given the vulnerability he could hear in her voice.

  “I can feel it, Ryan,” she said. “A pull to you.”

  Fuck. He spun around. “I’m already mated, Jada.”

  Her eyes flashed with hurt. “But you just fucked me.”

  Jesus Christ. What had he done? “I… it’s complicated.”

  “Ryan, I thought….” She trailed off, hanging her head and sniffling.

  He climbed back onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t cry, okay? It’s gonna be all right. I just need time to figure out what’s going on here. This… the glowing… it shouldn’t be possible.”

  “But it is. It happened, Ryan,” she cried against his chest. “I’ll go back to my own tent,” she said, trying to pull away.

  “No,” he said, holding her tightly. “I don’t want you leaving when you’re upset. Just close your eyes, baby. Sleep now.”

  He felt her relax against him, submitting to his soothing, reassuring tone.

  What the fuck is going on?

  There could only be one. One mate. One destined love.

  6

  Cora shook her head to herself.

  She wasn’t happy about this. Not at all.

  “Nathanial, can’t we do this at the wolf compound? I want to see my son.”

  She turned up her nose as she strolled behind Nathanial and Michael, taking in Michael’s creepy, age-old mansion.

  “Your son’s senses are highly-attuned, Cora. He is very sensitive,” Nathanial explained. “What we are about to do will not sit well with him. It will frighten him and distress him greatly.”

  Cora gulped. “Well, how bad can it possibly be?”

  A disturbing look passed over Nathanial’s features. Before he got the chance to vocalize what it meant, he was interrupted by Michael announcing, “This is it.”

  She watched nervously as Michael opened a hefty-looking door in front of them and gestured for them to go on in.

  The moment she followed Nathanial inside, she started at the sound of the lock clanging, sealing them inside. She spun around to see Michael leaning against it, as though he were acting as an extra line of defense against her t
rying to leave. What was going on?

  Nathanial’s heavy footsteps and unintelligible mutterings had her turning her attention to him. And that was when she saw something disturbing. Some sort of fucked-up dentist chair. The chilling thing about it? The hefty leather restraints attached to it. A rush of adrenaline shot down her spine. It had her backing away slowly, instinctively trying to get back to the door. “What the hell is that?”

  Michael opened his mouth, but Nathanial held his hand up, silencing him. “She does not need to hear about what you have used it for, sadist.”

  But Cora realized then. “The wolves… this is where you tortured them, isn’t it?”

  “Actually, that was outside in my courtyard. This is where I turned them into a special breed.”

  “The poisonous claws!” Cora gasped, horrified. “Oh my God.” She brought her hand to her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “Enough!” Nathanial commanded, eyeing Michael fiercely.

  Michael sighed and told her, “I am sorry. You need not focus on that now. It is the past. I have rectified things, remember, as per our agreement?”

  Nathanial came to her and bent down to her eye level, telling her softly, “Cora, focus on what must be accomplished here, today. The chair is required, as you need to be restrained, for you must remain as still as possible. I cannot do that magically, as I need all my concentration to perform the procedure.”

  “I can remain still without the need for that thing, Nathanial. I’m not a child.”

  “This will be painful, Cora.”

  “I’ve had his wolf poison inside me,” she said, eyeing Michael with disdain.

  “This will be worse.”

  “What? How much worse?”

  “You are a sorceress of white light. Your body will reject the presence of my dark energy. Furthermore, the block that your father put in place was never meant to be removed. I will need to force it.”

  “I… see,” she managed to eke out, even as a wave of fear rose within her. “And, Michael? What’s his part in this?”

  “I will need to expend a great deal of power to remove the block. It means I will only be able to concentrate on one thing at once. Michael is here to stabilize your body, to prevent you from going into cardiac arrest, shock, or from sleeping. Unfortunately, you must remain awake, so that you are at full strength. Whenever you sleep, your power is weaker and during this procedure you will need everything to sustain yourself.”