by Morgan Fox
“Did I come here just so you could lick us?” Ryder’s voice thundered, the deep tone sending a quiver charging through Bianca’s veins.
Oh, thank god. Ryder would distract Lilly, but that might mean that she would refocus her attention on him instead of Brody. How was this a better idea?
Lilly cocked her head in Ryder’s direction, a warm buttery grin playing at her lips. “So eager for my attention, hybrid?”
“I’m eager to find out why I’m here. My mate tells me you have need of me.”
“Oh, right,” Lilly replied breathlessly. “You and my precious Bianca have mated.” She repositioned herself in front of Ryder. “How was your little mate? Was she as tight as you’d hoped, or had Brody stretched her too much?” She giggled, and arched her brows. “He is big.” She slid her hand down Ryder’s chest and into his pants, cupping him. “Oh, my…you’re bigger.”
Bianca fisted her hands. “My queen?” she called out, but Lilly hissed, the sound like a snake about to strike.
Her gaze returned to Ryder. “What was it like to finally be with your mate? Was it everything you’d hoped it would be?”
Ryder pressed his lips into a tight frown. When he didn’t answer, Lilly squeezed her hand. He gasped, leaning forward.
“I asked you a question, hybrid.” Lilly’s voice was no longer soft and pleasant. Instead, her words were laced with the vampire demon she was.
He sucked in sharp breath. “Yes,” he managed to say.
“Yes, what?”
Ryder groaned. “Bianca was everything I hoped for in a mate.”
Lilly released him. “Good.” She returned to her throne. “Strip,” she ordered, her gaze shifting to Brody. “Both of you.”
“I’m not here to be your sex slave,” Ryder said matter-of-factly. “My clothes will be staying on.”
As if lightning had struck her, Bianca screamed. Her head splitting from sheer agony, her knees buckled out from under her and she hit the ground. She clasped the side of her head, hearing a high-pitched sound that left her blinded by the pain ravaging her body and mind. For several seconds she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe until Ryder collected her into his arms.
“Stop,” he roared, and Bianca finally found peace through the storm of torture. “I’m not here to be your pet, Lilly. I’m not my cousin.”
“No, you’re not, but you will be,” she shouted. “Guards, remove them from my sight.”
Ryder and Brody helped her as she stumbled, her vision blurry. The vampires led them to a cell, one that was pitch black and cold. Tossing them inside, Bianca scraped her knee on something hard. The biting pain forced a hiss from her lips. Quickly, she was lifted up by both Ryder and Brody. They were both sharing the weight of her body, helping to keep her warm and protected.
Her vision finally cleared. The dark of night was nothing to her as her cat eyes focused on her surroundings. A hole in the earth. That was exactly where they were, a hollowed-out place beneath the world above.
“Is this our grave?” Bianca asked, sounding defeated.
“No, it’s a place to break us until Lilly wants to play again,” Ryder said angrily.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she muttered, tears stinging the back of her eyes. “I wish I could’ve stopped her from touching you.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Brody replied.
But it did matter. It was her fault they were here, and it was her fault that they were most likely going to die. She shook herself free of their hold.
“It does matter,” she argued.
Ryder glided his hand over the rocky wall of the prison. “Right now what matters is getting out of here.”
“How?” Brody asked.
Bianca sat on the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest. Her body was warm, but the chill in the room was teasing against her skin. She rested her cheek on her knee, hating how vulnerable she’d been against Lilly. Over and over again, the memory of her hands on her mates burned into her mind. Reminding her how weak she was, how there was nothing she could do to protect her lovers.
What had she been thinking when she’d first set out to destroy Lilly? What had made her think that her efforts would have been anything but fucked up? She was the girl that had been banished from her pack. The panther that wasn’t worth the love of her parents and now wasn’t even able to love the men who wanted her. Now she was imprisoned in a tomb, cold and more alone than she’d ever been.
“You’re wallowing,” Ryder said with a growl. “I’m sick to death of you slipping into that self-pity shit.”
She lifted her head, realizing that the emotions she’d felt he would feel, too. As her mate, he knew her best of all.
“I have to agree,” Brody said. “I’m starting to wonder where that tough-as-nails girl I fell in love with went.” He knelt in front of her. “Maybe you could find her for me and bring her back.”
She met Brody’s gaze, and even in the darkness surrounding them, she could see the soft blue green she’d stared into so many nights. As she sat there, she knew they were right. Her mates had always been right, but that didn’t make her feel any better about their situation. Nor did it change the fact that even if they survived there was no way to know if Ryder and Brody would want her when it was all said and done.
Both men? Yes, that was what she wanted. Ryder and Brody had been her world from the start, and she couldn’t imagine being in this world without either of them.
“I’m sorry I fucked up,” she muttered. “I’m sorry I didn’t just come to you both when I first thought of this dumbass plan.”
Ryder shook his head. “You did what you thought was right, Bianca. I don’t fault you for that.”
“But this mess…this situation…it is my fault.”
“Still based on good intentions,” he replied, stepping beside her, and she craned her neck to look up at him. “What did Lilly do to you?”
“I don’t know, but it felt like my head was going to explode. Maybe it’s the witch in her?”
“She’s using magic,” Brody confirmed. “I saw her use it when you guys were fighting in Germany.”
“I don’t get it. How the hell is a vampire able to use magic?” Ryder barked. “I’ve never heard of anything like it happening.”
Brody shrugged. “I don’t know, but I bet Sebastian McCarthy knows something about it. The lycans were prepared for it. The young blonde—”
“Tiffany?”
“The one you seemed fond of?” Brody asked for clarification.
Ryder nodded.
“She and Lilly fought. Their power was…similar.”
“That doesn’t make sense at all,” Bianca stated, rising to her feet with Brody. “Lilly never used magic in front of me. I knew she was a witch, but I think I would’ve noticed if she had such powers.”
Ryder’s eyes flickered. “Would you have? What if this…you…had always been a trap?”
“What do you mean?”
Ryder cleared his throat. “What if you, Brody, and I are all part of some puzzle that she and Mason devised?”
“What sort of puzzle?” Brody asked impatiently.
“I haven’t figured that part out yet, but I’ve got a nasty feeling that it has everything to do with Mason’s death and Brie’s fey witch connections.”
“What about Brie?” Brody questioned.
“Sebastian told me she’s sick. It seems it happened after Kayla was returned to them.”
Bianca swallowed. “Wait a second,” Bianca blurted out. “You and Mason were both hybrids. What if you are here because of some twisted plan to make you her replacement lover?” She gasped. “What if she’s trying to distract Sebastian and the lycans with some spell she’s using to make Brie sick?”
“Why would she care if Brody’s here then?”
“To fuck with me,” she said plainly. “She wants to torture me by having her way with the men I love.”
Bianca’s eyes widened at her blurted confession. She wished sh
e could rewind time and take back the words that seemed so easy to spill from her lips. Her words didn’t faze Brody. She’d told him she’d loved him before, but Ryder’s gaze filled with liquid heat, and his breathing labored. Had they been alone, she was sure he would’ve torn her clothing from her body and ravaged her thoroughly.
“We’re missing something,” Brody said, pacing the length of the cell.
Ryder stepped closer, his gaze shifting to her lips and back to her eyes. “Think back,” he told her, his breath on her face. “Did she say or do anything that would give you an inclination of what she’s got planned?”
Ryder gripped her arm, sliding down to her elbow. His fingers danced over her skin, sending goose bumps erupting all over her body. She licked her dry lips, wanting to taste the mouth she found incredibly tempting.
She shook her head. “I don’t know.” She ran a stiff hand through her hair. “Let me think.” She gently eased away from Ryder, unable to think while he touched her.
There was no denying that Lilly had been strangely obsessed with Ryder. Her constant need to have Bianca mate with him always struck a nerve. At first, Bianca assumed it was just another way to test her loyalty, but now Bianca wasn’t sure. Was it possible that Lilly somehow thought that because Ryder shared a genetic trait with Mason that Ryder might join forces with her? Could it be that simple?
Bianca shook her head. Nothing made sense. Expect one thing. Ryder and Mason had been the only two people in her pack that shared the lycan panther traits. No other had their strength and speed. Mason had revealed to Lilly Bianca’s banishment and the reason for the banishment. Ryder. The link between them was two hard to overlook. Lilly did want Ryder, but for reasons Bianca couldn’t figure out.
“I’m sorry, Ryder,” Bianca said, her chest tight with regret. “I just don’t know.”
Ryder’s eyes narrowed, glancing away from her. “Then we’re as good as dead.”
Chapter 12
Dominic’s fingers tingled. He wanted to charge inside the lair and start shredding the vampires to bits, but he had to wait for backup. Just as Bianca had told them, the lair had been right under their noses. A few hundred miles southwest of Dallas and practically in their own backyard, Lilly had been hiding close enough to smell.
Against Dominic’s advisement, Ryder and Brody had followed Bianca through the gates of hell and directly into the fire. Outnumbered and cornered, Ryder, Bianca, and Brody had been gone for hours. Dominic feared they would never come out again.
A jolt of energy set his blood heating. A scent on the air had his fingers squeezing into his palms. A deep-seated anger raced through him and his protective beast was instantly set free.
Ignoring his post, he turned toward the aroma that had his body erupting into flames. Careful not to be seen, he rounded the perimeter, coming up behind the spot where he was sure to discover the possessor of the fragrance that had his mouth watering, his heart racing, and his body blazing with heat.
Launching himself through the air, he pounced on his prey. A wild growl ripped from his throat as he came face to face with his unexpected visitor.
“Megan.” Her name tore from his throat. His fingers dug deeper into the soft flesh of her arm. “What are you doing here?”
She gasped, shivering against him. Her red hair flowed around her head as he pressed her into the soft earth beneath them. Instinctively, he adjusted himself, placing his pelvis against hers, pinning her down. Her wide green eyes calmed him, as did the rise of her thighs that clasped his waist.
He cupped her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers. He’d missed her, and once he was through ravishing her mouth, he would spank her ass as red as her hair for disobeying him. He’d told her to stay within the safety of the ranch. He didn’t want to worry that his mate was in danger. Losing her would kill him instantly.
Breaking the kiss, he stared down at her. “Why are you here?”
“I couldn’t stay away,” she confessed.
“Even after I ordered you not to come here?”
She nodded. “I…I thought…I needed to be here with you.”
He lowered his forehead to hers. His heart was like a train chugging in his chest. “It’s too dangerous, baby. You need to return.”
She shook her head. “No. I won’t leave you.”
“Megan?” he growled.
“Don’t bother trying to argue with her, Dominic. She’s got charms that will make you dizzy.” Reyes’s voice filled his ears.
Dominic closed his eyes as frustration filled his chest. He groaned, knowing better than anyone just how determined his mate could be. “I’m well aware of that.” He stood, pulling Megan up against him. He spun her and swatted her ass hard. “That’s for disobeying me.”
Megan grinned.
“Keep smiling, sweetheart. I plan to do far worse to you when we get home.”
She kissed him. “I can’t wait.”
Dominic sensed the others as they came forward. Jonah, Ryken, Luken, Megan, Reyes, Tiffany, and Zane were present and accounted for. Then he picked up on a scent that reminded him of Brody and realized that it was Bryce Sullivan, Brody’s twin. Behind him were a dozen other panthers that had come to play.
Jonah stepped up and gripped Dominic’s arm in a manly “let’s go to battle” shake. “Where’s Sebastian?” Dominic asked, clasping Jonah’s forearm.
“With Brie,” he said, his eyes filled with emotions Dominic couldn’t imagine experiencing.
“Of course,” he said, nodding. He would be unable to leave his mate as well under the circumstances.
Then the power that was only Sebastian slid over him. His eyes refocused and witnessed his alpha stalking toward him, Brie leaning against his side.
“Please tell me you’re a figment of my imagination,” Dominic said, glaring at fragile Brie.
“I’m fine, Dominic,” Brie muttered, but clearly wasn’t a hundred percent. “My daughter is in the care of my people, and they have bound her and her magic. She is not able to draw any of my powers.”
“Which means Lilly can’t get any stronger,” he said, and her nod confirmed his words.
“Exactly,” Brie said, smiling. “I’m getting stronger.”
“Good,” Dominic grunted. “We’ll need all the help we can get.” His gaze darted around the familiar faces around him. Unease consumed him. “There are not enough of us, Sebastian. There were fifty vampires alone that took Ryder into custody. I’d bet she’s got hundreds more hiding in there.”
Brie stood without the support of Sebastian. Her small show of strength forced a renewed confidence to flood his system.
Brie smiled. “We’re not alone, Dominic.” With the wave of her hand, Dominic could see hundreds of robed fey witches hidden in the trees above them.
Dominic arched a brow. “Armed with bows and magic, I assume.”
Brie’s smile broadened. “I will have my full strength back within the hour. Then we will attack.” She paused, placing her hand on his arm. “And we will be victorious.”
He bowed his head, his gaze locked on hers. “You truly are our Lupinari, Brie McCarthy.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I’m honored to fight alongside you.”
* * * *
“Bring me, Ryder O’Laughlin,” Lilly demanded, her shrill voice echoing through the cave.
Following orders, Gregory nodded his head and exited the room. Lilly paced over to the bed that had been stripped and replaced with unsoiled sheets. She would no longer need any other vampires to quench her thirst now that she had Ryder within her grasp. Soon he would possess Mason’s soul, and her lover would finally be returned to her. She had collected all of Brie’s power and felt the hitch in the Lupinari’s breath the moment Lilly had sucked the last drop of magic from her body, ending her life. The moment had been sweet and as succulent to her as the finest meal she’d ever tasted.
Her bed was now a sacrificial altar. Her plan was simple. She would chain Ryder down upon the bed, taste
the flesh she found so tempting, and force him to drink from her. Her blood and magic were the catalyst that would give her the connection she needed to join their world with the afterlife. Then she would begin the incantation to call upon Mason’s soul. As her magic slipped inside Ryder, she would extract his soul and replace it with Mason’s.
“Easy breezy,” she muttered, turning as the scent of her soon to be lover entered her bedchamber.
A smile warmed her face as she studied Ryder. His size was striking, more than six and half feet tall, and his dark, clean-cut hairstyle and deep brown eyes intrigued her. His well-defined muscles begged to be caressed and massaged. An electrical pulse fired inside her as she stepped closer to him. Strangely, he had power, magic. Tiffany. She was the one he’d protected. The one that had helped Lilly claim the energy that was now racing through her veins. Ryder was her guardian and possessed a hint of fey magic.
She grinned, leaning closer to Ryder as her vampires held him still. His scent was mouthwatering, masculine, sexy, and dangerous. All the things she’d loved about Mason.
Ryder had an added bonus. He already had power blazing through him. The hybrid strength coupled with his natural-born magic made him the perfect specimen. Mason would be overjoyed when he returned to her. Mason would reward her and give her the kind of pleasure that only a true lover could offer.
“Why am I here, Lilly? Did you need someone new to lick?” Ryder’s harsh tone made her giggle.
“You are a feisty one,” she told him. Then her expression changed and she slapped him hard across the face.
“Bitch,” he spat, spitting out the blood that filled his mouth.
“The first thing you need to learn, Ryder O’Laughlin, is that you are my bitch.” Her attention shifted to the vampires holding him. “Chain him up.”
The vampires tried to drag him toward the bed, but the second he spotted the chains, knew that he was about to be restrained, he fought against their hold. For a moment, the vampires were able to hold him, but Ryder’s strength was too much for them.