by Leia King
He stilled. “Control?”
“My power is so great now that if I lose control of it, it could engulf me, destroy me. Nathanial has been teaching me how to avoid that, but when I saw you in the dungeon, in that state, I almost lost it.”
Oh fuck. He had to get her out of the room, away from him. If she read his thoughts, given what she’d just told him, it could put everyone in jeopardy. He could never tell her about Jada. It was way too fucking dangerous.
“I’m tired.”
“I know, baby. I healed you, but you’re still weak, because of how Oriana tortured you.”
He finished chewing his last mouthful of steak, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “What does that mean?”
She lifted his plate from his lap, placing it down on the bedside table. She fixed him with an uneasy look, clearly disturbed by what she was about to tell him. “Her magic ripped through your very being. Your essence. It was unlike what you’ve endured before from manmade weapons, silver. My blood was able to heal those wounds quickly. But, what she did diminished your life force. She was tearing you apart magically. It would’ve killed anyone else. My blood was the last line of defense. She couldn’t breach its magical properties. It’s what kept you alive. Even though I healed your wounds, your body was unbelievably drained. It’s why you feel weak now. Fortunately, you have your new Wolf King abilities and its accompanying strength so it won’t be too long until you’re back to your normal self. You should feel better by tomorrow.” She smiled at him. “And then I should be able to read your thoughts again.”
So, she couldn’t read them now? Relief coursed through him. But it’d be short-lived if she stayed close by much longer. “You need to go.”
“What?” she asked, hurt flickering in her eyes.
“Go. Our son needs you.”
She pulled him tighter to her. “I don’t want to leave you when you’re like this.”
“You already left me, Cora.”
She jerked back, as if he’d just slapped her across the face. “You’d made it impossible for me to stay, Ryan. What you did. What you said.”
“I’m sorry,” he offered. “I shouldn’t have treated you that way.”
She took his words in, her face lighting up. “Thank you,” she said, so happy about his apology. It was rare that he ever dealt anyone one.
The next thing he knew, she was straddling him.
He reached for her hips, to lift her off him, only to find that he couldn’t. He was too weak. His grip was loose and limp on the waistband of her leather pants.
“Do you wish I was wolf?” she asked, suddenly.
Talk about coming out of left field. It was dangerous subject matter. Real dangerous.
“You’re not.” What else could he say?
“Ryan,” she pushed.
Fine. He’d give it to her. Maybe it’d get her to leave.
“It’s hard sometimes. I have to hold back with you.”
“It’s worsened since you acquired your Wolf King abilities, hasn’t it?”
He nodded.
“I’ve told you before, Ryan. I want the wolf. You’ve shown me your wild side plenty of times.”
“No. I haven’t, Cora.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. No, not surprise. Shock. “I don’t satisfy you?”
“You do.”
As soon as the words had left his mouth, they hadn’t even sounded true to his own ears. Judging by the expression on her face, she’d picked up on it, big time.
Suddenly, she was jerking down his covers, calling her power, then slapping her hand to his cock.
“Fuck!” he cried, writhing beneath her, against an intense wave of pleasure tearing through his exhausted body.
“That’s right. I do satisfy you. I’m your mate. Only I can.”
“Stop. I can’t. I’m too weak for this. Cora!”
But she didn’t stop. She wouldn’t remove her hand.
Ryan used what little strength he had to summon his claws. He swiped her arm, hard enough to draw blood. She drew back quickly and scrambled off the bed. “You hurt me?” she choked, in disbelief, as she cradled her bloodied forearm.
The look on her face was gut-wrenching. He had to look away, as he ordered, “Go.”
Whimpering, she crossed to the door. She stopped, her back to him, her hand frozen over the doorknob. “Do you still love me, Ryan?”
He started at her words.
“Ryan?” she pressed.
He grunted and settled down into the bed, turning away from her.
He felt her watching him for a few moments and then he heard her sniffling, before the door slammed shut.
“Shit,” he breathed.
Of course, he loved her. But everything was so damned complicated.
Plus, ever since Damon had suggested that Vazra could have engineered things between him and Cora, he hadn’t been able to get it out of his head. The love he’d seen in her eyes moments ago, had just served to disgust him, knowing that it all could’ve just been fake, manufactured by that manipulative bastard. Their recent separation and the Luca thing had just intensified everything. It was at a point where he couldn’t stand being around her.
He didn’t know what was real.
And a wolf relied on his instincts. The fact that he couldn’t do that unnerved him.
He didn’t want Cora anywhere near him, until he could figure things out. He didn’t want to screw things up permanently with her. There was too much at stake. The most important and precious above all else being their son.
He had to hold it together for his sake.
He was the only thing out of the whole fucked-up mess of a situation that was truly real. He was his son. His love for him was true and unconditional.
He was what he needed to focus on.
19
“Get a fucking grip!” Ryan chastised himself.
Pulling on a fresh pair of jeans, he glared disapprovingly at the sight of his hard cock tenting his boxers. He’d been rock hard, since he’d woken up several hours ago and he’d stayed that way. Even for a wolf, that wasn’t normal.
What was going on?
He wasn’t just turned on. It was beyond that. The need to satiate the burning desire threatening to overwhelm him was bordering on painful.
He tried to swallow it down, to focus on something else, as he slipped on his black muscle tee, then shrugged on his leather jacket. Cora had been right about him feeling better within a day. He was back to his full strength.
And, now, he needed to get home to his son and check on his wolves in the human realm.
But, before he left, he had to talk with Nathanial about their strategy regarding Oriana’s threat, and the fucked-up situation with Jada.
It was odd that Nathanial hadn’t already come by to check on him. It was in his best interests to ensure he’d been recovering as quickly as possible. They had to schedule their coronation ritual ASAP, so Ryan could officially take his place as joint King of the Dark Realm. It would serve to seal the peace between wolves and vampires, and prepare them for unification with the White Realm. Given Oriana’s threat, the sooner all of that happened, the better.
He threw open the door, intending to track Nathanial through the castle.
But another scent had him choking from its intensity. His body went rigid, his cock twitching and pressing painfully against his zipper. What the fuck? He frowned, scenting the air deeply so he could get a lock on it. It led him down the corridor, past the kitchen, and along a very narrow hallway. He found himself outside a door secluded right at the end of the hall.
Throwing it open, he stormed on in.
“Jesus Christ,” he gasped, when he saw who was inside.
Jada.
She was sprawled out across a bed over on the other side of the room by a window, reading some sort of magazine. Her head swung towards him, clearly sensing him. “Ryan!” she cried, her whole face lighting up, as she scrambled off the bed and hurried towards him.
He kicked the door shut behind him. “What are you doing here?”
She stopped in front of him and gestured to the door. “How did you open that door? I’ve tried repeatedly. Maybe it only opens from the outside?”
“No clue,” he said, eyeing it over his shoulder.
She lunged at him then, throwing her arms around him, holding him tightly to her. “I can’t believe you’re here, Ryan. Being apart from you has been killing me.”
Being so close, pressed right up against her, sent his cock into a frenzy. It was her. Her close proximity had been making him so horny.
He spun her in his arms and slammed her up against the wall, his lips crashing down on hers, taking her in a desperate kiss.
“Fuck, baby. I’ve missed you,” he said, his hands shaking with his need for her. “I’ve gotta take you right the fuck now.”
She nodded fervently. “Yes, Ryan. I need you inside me.”
Growling, he grabbed the waistband of her tiny shorts, ready to tug them down with one rough burst of strength.
But he never got the chance.
Strong hands clamped down on his shoulders, ripping him from her, and tossing him across the room.
He stumbled, managing to catch his balance, his claws dropping in preparation for a fight.
Nathanial stood between him and Jada.
“Step aside, Nathanial.”
Ryan watched him shift his weight, readying himself. “No.”
A ferocious growl tore from Ryan’s throat. How dare he keep her from him? He needed her. He had to have her. Nothing, or no one, was gonna stop that from happening.
He roared and charged Nathanial.
Nathanial thrust his hand at Ryan’s chest, propelling him backwards, using the momentum of his furious charge against him. “No! Back up!”
“She is mine!”
It was clear that Ryan did not have control of his faculties. He was wild, his eyes glowing dangerously with the sign of a shift, his wolf teeth gnashing, his claws already out. He was ravenous. The animal in him was driving him wholly. He could feel the same intensity from Jada. The sexual heat in the room was stifling. Nathanial could barely endure it. He had never felt anything quite so potent. It was beyond the pull of a mating bond, something he was personally familiar with now.
Jada pushed against him, shrieking. He reached back and wrapped his hand around her throat, using his incapacitating grip to slam her against the wall behind him, holding her steady with one hand.
Ryan’s eyes flashed. The possessive part of the wolf could not stand him having a hand on Jada. Ryan was unhinged. Nathanial could see he was moments away from attacking at full force. He had to separate them before things escalated.
“Luca!” he called out.
A sudden gust of ice-cold wind ripped through the room and Luca was beside him a second later. He took in the situation quickly, struggling to make sense of it. “What is this?”
Nathanial spoke to him telepathically. He could not have Ryan overhearing his plan.
Get her out of here. Move her to the top room in the tower over on the other side of the castle. Spell it so that Ryan cannot pick up her scent, no matter how close he is.
“What are you telling him?” Ryan thundered. “She is mine! Move!”
“Shit,” Luca said, eyeing Nathanial. “What’s happening here? This is the wolf that I smelled on him yesterday?”
“I will explain later. Just get her out of here,” Nathanial commanded. He watched Ryan leap into the air. “Now, Luca!”
Luca took her arm and teleported hastily. A split second later, Ryan’s full weight slammed into Nathanial, driving him into the wall.
While they were evenly matched with regards to their strength, Nathanial had far more experience in battle. He broke Ryan’s hold on him, spun him around, and wrapped his arm around his neck, forcing him into a powerful chokehold. He exerted pressure slowly, until he felt Ryan’s body weaken against him.
His wild struggles ceased and he collapsed to his knees.
“Good. Relax, Ryan. Calm down.”
“Need… her,” he growled quietly.
“I know. I know,” Nathanial said soothingly. “We will find out what is happening here.”
“Mine,” Ryan whimpered. “It… hurts. Mine.”
“Clear your mind. Focus on my voice. Relax now. Relax.”
Nathanial felt a sudden presence behind him and he craned his neck to see Luca standing in the doorway looking in on the scene before him with disbelief.
“Where is Cora, Luca?”
Luca hesitated.
“I know how you feel about her, so I have no doubt that you are tracking her whereabouts, as though she were your prey. As a result of you employing such vampiric abilities, you will know exactly where she is at any given time, Luca.”
“She has returned to the human realm. She is with her son in the wolf compound. She left a few hours ago, rather upset.”
“She must have interacted with Ryan then, despite my insistence that she leave him alone to heal. I had wanted to avoid her noticing this… change in him.”
“He thinks this wolf girl is his mate, Father.”
“A natural conclusion, given his strong pull to her.”
“You don’t think it’s true? A lust spell, perhaps?”
Nathanial shook his head. “I fear it is worse than that. Love. But magically induced. You must feel it, yes? The magic emanating from him?”
Luca concentrated for a few moments. “Yes.”
“You need to practice your magic. You should have been able to sense it immediately. It is extremely potent, Luca.”
Luca grunted at his condemnation. “Fine. So, what about this mess? What are you thinking?”
“I need to locate the source.”
“The girl?”
“No, she was as caught up in it as Ryan.” Nathanial cautiously released Ryan and climbed to his feet. Ryan remained on his knees, lightheaded from the powerful chokehold and still out of sorts from his intense interaction with Jada. “Luca, summon Michael here. I will need his help in order to locate the source as quickly as possible. You do not say a thing to the princess. Are we clear?”
“It is not for me to tell her. He needs to.”
“That is not like you.”
“I love her,” Luca murmured. “That is why.”
Nathanial’s gaze softened, as he told him quietly, “I am sorry, Luca. Cora is his, not yours.”
“What if their bond isn’t real and this thing with the wolf girl is?”
“I highly doubt it. We both felt a magical presence.”
“What we’re feeling could just be the bond taking hold, though. We can’t be sure.”
“We will know soon enough. Bring Michael to me.”
With a nod, Luca took off to seek out Michael.
Nathanial turned back to Ryan. He was struggling back to his feet. “I regret that I had to do that, Ryan.”
“I’m sorry I tried to kick your ass.”
“I need you to return to the human realm. All the while you are here, you will feel the pull. Being in another realm will weaken it substantially. Do not tell Cora. I cannot risk anything destabilizing her magic with Oriana still out there. She will be unable to read your thoughts, so you do not need to worry about that.”
“How’s that possible?”
“In the dungeon, I spelled you with a block.”
“Wow. Okay. Shit.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. It was clear that the situation was taking a toll on him. The young Wolf King already had enough weight bearing down on his shoulders as it was. This was the last thing he needed. He breathed a heavy sigh, then eyed him, as he asked, “What about the coronation ritual?”
“Your head must be clear when that occurs. Soon, Ryan. I will get to the bottom of this.”
“I’ll help. It’s my problem, Nathanial.”
“There is nothing you can do. You do not possess magic
al ability.”
“All right,” he agreed with a frustrated sigh.
“Leave now.”
Ryan crossed to the door. He stopped then and turned around. “Thank you.”
Nathanial smiled kindly. “You do not need to thank me. This situation affects us all.”
After Ryan left, Nathanial had barely had a few minutes to himself to determine the best course of action when Luca returned with Michael and Haraz in tow.
“That was fast.”
“We were already on our way to you when Luca found us,” Haraz explained.
“On your way to me?”
“Oriana has possessed the human realm vampires,” Haraz reported.
“How long ago?” Nathanial thundered, incensed that Oriana had taken control of his subjects yet again. The scathing insult of it did not escape him.
“It has just happened. We would not have waited to report such a thing to you,” Haraz told him.
Nathanial looked them over, studying Haraz and Michael. Their coats were shredded. Their shirts were stained with blood. They had clearly done everything in their power to contain the vampires.
Oriana had a great deal of power. Too much for them. But not for him.
She was a mere sorceress, not even of royal blood. He was King of the Dark Realm. He might not be able to kill her, but he could definitely incapacitate her. The only issue there was that he could not risk taking his leave of the Dark Realm again, not so soon after her recent attack. His subjects needed him present to provide reassurance. And, the last thing he needed was an uprising happening, borne from fear. He had spent far too much time away of late. It was imperative that he projected stability and a sense of protection to his subjects. Now more than ever.
“Where are the vampires now?”
“We don’t know,” Haraz said.
Michael cut in, “She’s spelled them to prevent us from tracking them with ease. They have no scent.”
“Haraz, you will bring Marella to me. I do not want her in the human realm while this is going on. She is not as strong as normal. Her magic is compromised. Accompany her. Protect her.”
Haraz bowed low and teleported away to do his bidding.