The women came to a stop outside a door right at the end of the corridor. One of them pressed her hand to it. She smiled, telling him, “She would like you to come inside.”
They giggled amongst themselves and looked him up and down, making their interest known. He ignored it and brushed past them. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, tensing when he heard it shut behind him.
It was dark, but it barely took his eyes a second to adjust to it. A perk of being wolf. He walked further into the room, but a sudden wave of sexual desire had him stopping short in surprise. Fuck me. It was so potent that it took him a moment to blow past it.
His eyes snapped to the source.
A mammoth bed in the corner of the room.
Hundreds of candles surrounded it, illuminating the red, silk sheets, and the scene playing out on them.
And there she was.
Shaye.
She was sprawled out on her back, her striking, white hair fanned out over the abundance of pillows beneath her. A naked woman knelt between her thighs, lapping at her pussy frenziedly. Another straddled her and Shaye pumped two fingers in and out of the naked beauty’s pussy and suckled at one of her tits.
Her sun-kissed skin glistened with sweat and her hips started to buck furiously, the woman tending to her driving her to orgasm. He heard her familiar scream of pleasure echoing off the walls.
“Leave me,” her velvety smooth voice ordered the women moments later.
They clambered off the bed and hurried to the door, hesitating when they noticed him standing there.
“He is not for you,” Shaye called out.
They giggled and ran out of the room.
When Ryan turned back to Shaye, she was tying a silk robe around herself, thankfully doing him the decency of covering up in his presence. She gestured for him to follow her to a seating area over on the other side of the room.
“I would’ve waited outside, Shaye.”
“You didn’t enjoy the show?” she asked, smiling coyly. “You always used to.”
So, she’d done it on purpose then. Jesus. Ryan slumped onto one of the couches and eyed her as she sank gracefully onto the one opposite him. “That was a long time ago, Shaye.”
“I remember. Neither I, nor any number of my girls, could sate your appetite, Ryan.”
“Like I said, it was a long time ago.”
She leaned back against the couch. “Ah, yes. Now you have found your mate. The White Realm Princess. The only woman who can leave you feeling fully satisfied.” She smiled sweetly. “I am glad, Ryan.”
“Thanks.”
“The supernatural world is rife with talk of you. Your union with Cora Black and the return of the Wolf King. I haven’t heard this much chatter in centuries.”
“Luca threatened the wolves. I had no choice.”
“Are you ready for the dire consequences that such a war between vampires and werewolves will bring? Blood will spill, Ryan. A great deal. It won’t just impact wolves and vampires either. Other supernatural creatures will take sides. Many could become your enemies.”
“And where do you stand?”
“I am a white witch. Normally, I would stay out of it, because vampires and wolves are Dark Realm creatures, not a white witch’s concern. But this war has one significant difference. The White Realm Princess is caught up in it. I must stand where she stands.”
“Then you’ll help me?”
She nodded. “I can cast a field of protection strong enough to withstand an attack from Luca’s vampire army and Michael’s wolves that will protect your wolves during the full moon. But, Michael is powerful, Ryan. Even with me drawing on the entire power of the coven, my magic will only hold for a few hours. You must limit your time outside the base. It will be difficult for me to hold it for the normal length of time encompassing a run of the wolves.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
She nodded and rose to her feet.
“Wait, Shaye. I’m not done.”
She looked at him in surprise and returned to her seat.
“Cora is in pain. I don’t know how to stop it. Her head… the drugs aren’t working.”
She looked more than a little shocked by the emotion he’d failed to hide from his voice. He’d never shown her any vulnerability before. Hell, he’d never had any. But, now, his love for Cora was such that all of that was changing.
Shaye sat forward and took his hands in hers. She closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them and announcing, “Good. Her blood is strong in you.”
“What?”
“I need something of hers to be able to reach her, so I can see what the issue is, what is causing her pain. Her blood coursing through your veins is enough to make a connection. Don’t let go,” she instructed, gripping his hands tighter.
Ryan watched as her eyes glazed over, her pupils dilating to the point where they were solely white. He could feel the powerful energy coursing through her and into him as she channeled her magic, using Cora’s blood in him as a sort of magical compass to find her essence and tap into it.
She gasped and he felt her tense. The warm energy coursing through him became painful, scorching. He grunted from the effort of maintaining contact. Her hands started to shake furiously.
She screamed and pulled back.
“What? What is it?”
Her eyes snapped open. “Her power is great. Beyond mine. I couldn’t connect to her for long. But I felt it.”
“Felt what?”
“Her agony and… something else. Energy. Dark energy. The White Realm princess doesn’t possess such energy. She is purely the light. It’s them, Ryan. They are there with her now. She is too weak with pain right now in reality to cast them out in her dream state.”
“What? Who’s in her dreams? Luca?”
“And Michael.”
“They’re hurting her?”
“Not yet. They have just arrived.”
“What do they want?”
“To take her from you. To weaken you and destroy the very real threat you pose to them.” She grimaced. “And Michael wants her power. He wishes to use it to challenge the Vampire King.”
It all made sense then. “That’s why Luca didn’t kill him that night when he had the chance. They’re working together,” he realized aloud. And then something else occurred to him. Maybe Shaye would have the answer. “As my brother, Luca shouldn’t be able to kill me, Shaye. But he wounded me fatally. I would’ve died if it hadn’t been for Cora. Do you think Michael had a hand in that too?”
“He is strong enough to transcend that law. It could very well be.”
“How do I help my wife?”
“Her pain is the result of her power trying to force its way free. She keeps it buried down deep. She must release it, learn how to use it, and allow it to become a part of her, like it is meant to be.”
“She’s released it before. Against Luca.”
Shaye shook her head. “It could’ve only been a fraction of her true power, because the agony I felt from her tells me she has barely touched it yet.”
“My boys have forced her into a sleep, because she threatened them with her power. The agony she’s in made her lose control. If I wake her now, she could kill all of us at the base. Can you do something?”
Shaye shook her head and got to her feet with a heavy sigh. “I am not strong enough. Her power is far beyond mine.”
“Then, who? Shaye, I need to fucking help her!” Ryan roared, smashing his fist into the arm of the couch.
“Go to King Vazra.”
“You’re serious? How’s that gonna work, huh? I’m a creature of the Dark Realm. Passage through to the White Realm isn’t possible. I can’t even locate the gates. They’re hidden from all those who aren’t Vazra’s subjects.”
“I am a white witch. I can locate the gates.”
“But I can’t enter.”
“It may be possible. Cora’s blood is strong in you. You are her rightful mate and you ha
ve completed the bonding ritual. It might be enough to grant you access to the White Realm.”
“Wow. Okay,” he said, stunned.
With a flash of magic, she was dressed. “Come.”
“Now? We’re going now?”
“This situation is urgent, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, of course. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
She winced. “Ouch.”
“That’s not what I meant, woman. You know that.”
She shoved her hand at him, pushing him towards the door. “Come on. Let’s help your wife, Wolf King.”
CHAPTER 27
Cora stood on top of a snow-covered mountain.
The sky was blanketed in the darkness of the night. A crescent moon rose in the sky, offering only a sliver of light. She looked down, surprised to find herself wearing an over-the-top wedding gown that had her looking like a frigging marshmallow. She felt something on her head and reached out to find a tiara nestled in her hair.
“My bride,” a voice whispered in the wind.
No!
With a burst of speed, Luca stood before her.
“And what a ravishing sight she is,” another voice spoke.
Luca smiled at her smugly, as Michael appeared beside him.
Dread sliced through her, but she bolstered herself, trying to appear unaffected. She knew they could smell fear, and it really wouldn’t do her any favors.
“How are you doing this?” she demanded. No one should be able to breach her dreams anymore. Since she’d bonded with Ryan, it’d erected a block that’d kept all others from her thoughts and subconscious. Only her husband had that privilege now.
“Your pain has left you weaker than normal,” Michael explained. “Making this visit possible.”
“Pain? My attack? How do you know about that?”
“We made it happen. With you weakened, Luca was able to regain his betrothal bond access to you. Combined with my power, we were able to trigger your power. Unnaturally, of course. Hence, your agony. If you’d let it out in the first place, this wouldn’t be possible. So, I thank you for your ignorance of what you truly are, my dear.”
“Why? What do you want?”
“Only what was promised, my princess,” Luca said, his eyes dark with desire.
She raised her palms. “Remember what happened the last time you crossed me.”
“You won’t be doing that today,” Michael told her.
“If either of you lay so much as a finger on me, I’ll do much worse.”
Luca laughed. “So naïve, little princess.” His eyes flashed. “You won’t want to.”
“What?”
“Not after I compel you.”
“You can’t. You admitted that.”
“Ah, but it turns out that I can. When you are weak. Michael is here to ensure that you remain in just enough agony in reality to keep you helpless here.”
“It won’t work.”
Michael told her, “We’ll know soon enough.”
“What the hell does that mean?” She was more than a little worried, because she did feel a great deal weaker than normal. If their theory was correct, then, no, she really wouldn’t be able to stop them.
Luca stepped into her personal space and snarled, “It means that I’m going to make you beg me.”
A rush of terror gripped her. “No. Stay back!” She thrust out her palm. Nothing happened. Not even a spark of magic. “No. What’s happening?”
“I am blocking you, my dear,” Michael told her.
Cora shook her head vehemently. Eyeing Luca, she warned, “I will stop you.”
“You can’t even stop me from doing this,” he said, snapping his fingers.
She felt a sudden chill. She looked down to see that she was no longer wearing a wedding dress. Instead, she stood only in a tiny, black robe that barely covered anything. She shivered and pulled it tight across her chest to conceal her exposed cleavage.
“Mmm. Much better. Feel free to resist me for as long as you can, Cora. It just makes me want to fuck you all the harder.”
“I am Ryan’s wife. He will kill you, if you touch me.”
“Yes, as a rule, wolves are extremely territorial. But Ryan is beyond even that. Especially, when it comes to you, the woman he’s waited centuries for. This will anger him immensely. But it will hurt him even more. And that’s exactly what he deserves.”
“This is old news, Luca. Ryan isn’t responsible for the crimes of his father. Why can’t you just let it go?”
“Because of the shame it has caused me!”
Before she could respond, his hands gripped her arms painfully and he jerked her against him. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away to avoid his gaze.
“Let me tell you a little secret. I don’t require eye contact to compel you. I am no ordinary vampire. I am the Vampire Prince. All I need is close proximity and my voice.”
She shuddered and tried to push him off her, but her strength was next to none, thanks to Michael’s interference. He was blocking her with great success.
“Now, let’s begin, shall we?” He spoke in a velvety smooth tone, “Stop struggling.”
She seized her struggles instantly. She couldn’t stop herself. It was working!
“Good girl. Open your eyes and look at me.”
Her eyes snapped open and met his gaze. She saw the triumphant smirk on his face.
“Respond to me like you mean it,” he ordered, just before his mouth smothered hers.
And she did respond, kissing him back as insistently as he kissed her. She felt his tongue demanding access and she opened her mouth, allowing him inside. He tasted her, his tongue massaging hers with ruthless determination.
Behind the powerful haze of his compulsion, she was screaming out in her head, willing him to stop, to release her. But she couldn’t summon her words to the surface. They were being held back by him, along with her free will.
He pulled back and she gasped, trying to catch her breath.
“Delicious,” he said, licking his lips.
His hands slipped inside her robe and he summoned his talons. He raked them over her breasts and down her stomach, drawing blood and making her scream out inside her head.
And then his tongue was on her, licking the wounds, tasting her blood.
He turned to Michael. “Such powerful blood. I can see why you’ve coveted her power for so long.”
Michael nodded and smiled. “Enjoy her for now, my prince. When I’m done with her, there won’t be a drop of blood left to spill.”
Luca turned back to her and scented her. He frowned, his gaze darting between her thighs. “You are not ready to receive me, princess.”
He seemed shocked. Hurt flashed in his eyes. It quickly morphed to rage, and he lashed out, tossing her across the mountaintop with a roar of fury. She hit the ground hard. The compulsion shattered at the brutal impact.
She scrambled to get back to her feet, to defend herself. Although, what she could do, given the helpless state they’d forced her into, she had no idea. Groaning, she managed to make it to her knees.
She looked up to see Luca storming over, bellowing at her. “You were promised to ME! Not him! The magic of the betrothal bond was created by the most powerful beings in existence! You were to be my bride! You should want that as much as I do! Why, then? Why do you continue to deny me? You would choose a mangy, ill-tempered, trashy wolf over me? He offers you rundown accommodations, a life where he is King, and you are merely the trophy at his side. With me, you would not have been second. We would have been equals. I would have helped you to harness your power, to grow into who you were meant to be. You would have been surrounded by lavish luxury for your eternal life. I would have made love to you, instead of the rough fucking I’m sure my brother subjects you to. He is wolf and it is in his nature, something that can never change.”
He dug his nails into her arms, making her wince, and hauled her back to her feet. “Instead of all of that, you’ve for
ced me to make a deal with Michael! To hand you over to him, just so I can guarantee a short while with you first. He’ll drain you and kill you. You’ve driven me to these extremes, Cora.” He shook her violently. “Why? Tell me why!”
He’d come unhinged. A quick glance behind him to Michael standing in the distance told her even he was shocked by his major outburst.
Luca shook her again, demanding, “How could you favor him over me? Tell me! Now!”
She swallowed hard, because she knew he wouldn’t like the answer. She forced herself to meet his irate glare. “I love him.”
He released her and took a step back, scrubbing his hand over his face. “You think you do.” He shook his head sadly. “You are too young to know what that really means.”
“The betrothal bond was manufactured, Luca. Not real. Ryan is my true mate.”
“By destiny.”
“Yes.”
“Is that not another manufactured joining? By fate’s design? It is still not free will, is it?” His eyes flashed with victory, knowing he’d made a connection that would unsettle her.
“No. That’s not—that’s—”
“You know I’m right.”
A thunderous crack sounded from above. Michael sped to them, cursing. All three of them looked up at the sky to see a rip in the fabric of the dream.
A rush of power shot through Cora.
Her silver fire sparked to life on her palms, letting her know it was back in play. She felt her strength surging.
“Hurry it along, Luca. Take her!” Michael urged.
“Sorry, princess. We’ll have to skip the foreplay,” Luca said, reaching for his belt and stepping closer.
“Never,” she seethed.
She shot out her hand and grasped his neck.
She hauled him off the floor and squeezed hard, making him gag. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at her. She was dressed again, in her own clothes, her signature biker attire.
She felt Michael rush her and she raised her free hand, holding him back with her magic.
“I will kill you here and in the real world,” she warned them both.
An explosion of white light shot through the dark night inside the dream. Something was trying to force itself through. Two shimmering, ivory gates.
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