by Aline Hunter
If she thought he was pissed before, he was steaming now. His jaw ticked, and he grasped her hips, forcing her still. “Don’t ever talk of former lovers to me.”
“Why not? Can’t take it?”
He lowered his torso until they were nose to nose. “I can take everything you have to dish out and more. I’d just hate for you to say something you’ll regret later.”
“I won’t regret a fucking thing I say.” Staring directly into those steely orbs, she reminded him flatly. “I am not Aislynn.”
“No,” he spoke softly, with a trace of sadness, and the anger in his gaze evaporated. “You are not. But you share the soul she once carried. There is a part of her somewhere inside of you.”
“You can’t know that for certain.” She slapped the fingers he had wrapped around her wrist.
“But I can.” He smiled, displaying his slightly pointed fangs. “Aislynn sacrificed herself for her people. She was unwilling to see others suffer in her stead. It was the same as what you did for your friend and her child. I saw the compassion you carry for others in that moment. It revealed more about you and your connection to Aislynn than anything else could have.”
Desperate, she attempted to reason with him. She stopped hitting his hand and became totally serious. “Bridon, you can’t want this. Think about it. We are completely separate races—enemies. Our people would never accept a union between us. You are going to bring about a war.”
“Wrong again, love,” he said and kissed her neck. “My people have already accepted you as their queen. They have faith in my decision and complete trust in the will of the Fates.”
She refrained from reminding him that his kind were responsible for killing her brother and his sister for a similar union in the first place. “Well…” Her mind went momentarily blank as he dipped his head and flicked his tongue across her areola. “Mine don’t. Our oracles foretell that a pairing with you will bring forth the downfall of my father and our pack.”
He continued adoring her breasts with his tongue. “And like Aislynn, you want to spare your people that future. Don’t you? Not so very different, as I said.”
“That’s it,” she snarled angrily, passion forgotten. She clawed at the hand keeping her wrist trapped. “Get off me!”
Instead of being offended, he threw back his head and laughed, eyes sparkling in amusement. He let her go, lifted away and thrust aside the blanket, and bared his gloriously naked physique to her appreciative gaze. He was perfect in every possible way, as well as totally heedless of the massive erection jutting proudly from his hairless body.
“Your wish is my command, little love. I have to prepare this morn for our departure on the gloaming.” At her puzzled frown, he informed her, “We’re taking a trip. Upon journey’s end, you will have changed your views on your father and your race.” His voice was laced with sexual promise when he added, “And of us.”
“It will never happen,” she told him dismissively and rose from the bed, naked and unashamed. She was a shifter, and nudity was a part of the norm. “You can forget all about those foolish notions, vampire.”
His gaze roamed over her slowly, appreciatively. Then he made three long strides, crossed the distance, and wrapped his arms around her. Skin met skin, and the contact caused them to moan in unison. She knew the attraction was something neither could control and would only get worse over time. They were twin souls, separated when the Fates decided man had become too lax with the gift of his other half. The need to come together would only intensify, especially if she continued to deny it.
“I can smell your delicious heat, little wolf.” Bridon bent slightly, pushing his hips forward until his full length slid between her thighs and against her sensitive folds, making her knees go weak. “You can forget your foolish notions of denying what exists between us. I will have you, and it won’t be by force. You want me too, Willow. Whether you want to or not.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” She resisted the overwhelming compulsion to reach down and palm his cock, eager to learn if it was as hard and thick as it looked. “I’m not going anywhere with you. And I sure as hell will not fuck you like the village whore.”
“Oh, you’ll go with me, and it won’t be because of this.” He glided his hips back and forth, sliding the wide head along her labia, coating it in her arousal. “Although I’m sure if I tried, I could persuade you.”
She was forced to grab on to his shoulders to keep from falling. Her legs felt as stable as water. He’s as arrogant and conceited as the most dominant alpha. Damn, if that wasn’t a dangerous thing. If she was drawn to him before, she was attracted to him now. A vampire who had the traits of a Lycae—proud, strong, and determined.
“What makes you so certain?” she asked when she managed to find her voice, off-balance by the way the vampire handled her, as if he knew the ways and logic of her kind.
“Because, love”—he pressed a fleeting kiss to her slightly parted lips, ground gently against her, and reached down to cup her bottom in his hands—“it’s a trip to introduce you to your long-lost nephew.” He released her abruptly and stepped back. “There is clothing for you inside the armoire, and more is packed for our journey. If you’d like a shower, the bathroom is stocked with all the things you’ll need. We depart within the hour. You’ve napped away a majority of the day.”
She stood—confused, aching, and empty—as he walked out of an adjoining door and closed it behind him.
Bridon walked into the adjacent bedroom. His cock was aching, and his balls felt like lead weights. Taking on the role of a dominant was easier than he thought, control and confidence exuding from him naturally. With Aislynn, he’d always had to play the gentleman. With Willow, he could allow the animalistic side of himself free rein. Despite his best intentions to detest being so brash and demanding with his Fated, he discovered he enjoyed it. Even more importantly, so did she.
Fates, but she smelled amazing. She was so beautiful as she woke, framed on the pillows by her long strawberry blonde hair, her full pink lips soft and eager against his. It took all of his control not to slide farther down the bed and bury his cock inside her. She was so wet, hot, and needy. He probably could have taken her if he tried. Or in the very least, he could have tasted her…
“By the smile on your face, I’d say it went well,” Ian chided mockingly, turning to face Bridon instead of the fireplace.
Instead of scowling, Bridon’s smile went wide, and Ian’s eyes bulged in shock. “She’s exceptional, Ian. More than I ever could have hoped for.”
“Did you consummate the bond and speak the words?” Ian glanced down at Bridon’s neglected arousal and cleared his throat. “I suppose not.”
He shook his head but retained the grin. “When she woke, we were…indisposed. My mind was elsewhere.”
Ian chuckled and turned away to face the fireplace as Bridon made his way to the armoire across the room. There was much to reveal to Willow, but the time and place were not of his choosing. There were others of her kind who were due the honor of explaining things to his Fated. He had already given his oath on the matter. Soon, she would meet Deacon, the baby boy who would unite two different and warring races—vampire and wolf. Sadly, it wasn’t going to be a happy family reunion. Too many factors prohibited it.
“Don’t you fear that she will flee during the daylight hours of your journey?” Ian questioned in concern. “You won’t reach the barrier for at least a week, and you have the full moon well before that.”
“Lycae are devoted creatures when it comes to family. Willow will want to see her nephew. She never would have stepped into the entrapment otherwise. If nothing else, the promise of meeting him will keep her at my side.” He hesitated when broaching the subject of the full moon. If the bond between them wasn’t consummated sexually before then, it would soon be. Fated Lycae couldn’t resist the pull of the moon when in the presence of their mates. He chose to answer evasively, sliding into his most comfortable and worn pair of lea
ther pants. “I’ll handle the heat of the moon when the time comes.”
Ian chuckled. “I’m sure you will.”
Bridon pulled a thin shirt over his head, followed by an expensive sweater. He wore the added material not for himself but for Willow. The nights in the Otherworld were often cold, especially in the fall, and his Chosen might not care for the chill, being an abnormally warm-blooded creature. The problem was, as a vampire, his skin was naturally inclined to be brisk.
He had fed hours before he had taken his Fated to bed, needing to appear as normal as possible. Soon the deception would be revealed, and she would learn how his body was constructed and worked. It was something that always happened after a feeding. The body became warm from sustenance and slowly grew cool.
Ian couldn’t have timed his next question better, considering where his mind was. “What do you plan on eating while you’re in the wild? I’m sure your Fated won’t relish the thought of donating blood for the cause, and you’ll grow weak if you attempt to sustain yourself on animals.”
“If she won’t allow me to drink from her, I will use charms to transport back to feed,” he answered uncomfortably, knowing the direction Ian was headed. “I’ve already discussed the possibility with Lucian.”
“And when you hit the enchanted barrier? What then?”
The enchanted barrier—a magikally shaded and mostly uninhabited area that kept the child and the secret of his whereabouts hidden. It was necessary so none could find him. It was also the reason Bridon couldn’t simply warp from here to there with Willow, making travel on foot mandatory. The barrier sensed any magik or magikal ability, including transporting. Once that happened, the portal would move, and they’d have to make a longer journey to their destination.
“By the time we reach the masked area, the moon will be full in the sky. She won’t be able to deny me, even if she wants to.” He lifted his face, met Ian’s shining blue eyes, and stated, “She’ll be too far gone.”
* * *
“Damn him!” Willow snarled. Her body felt entirely wrong, keyed up but not in a “let’s wrestle” kind of way.
Eager to distract herself, she went to the armoire and snatched the first pair of jeans in sight, along with a clean white T-shirt. She didn’t bother with the simple questions, like how in the hell Bridon knew her size or when he had time to go shopping, as she snagged a black lace bra and a matching pair of panties. With the garments in hand, she went to the wadded pile of clothing Bridon had stripped her of. She found what she was looking for and quickly slid the small capsule into the pocket of the jeans.
She wasn’t supposed to want Bridon this much; it wasn’t natural. Damn the Fates.
Many times in the past when she decided to wallow in self-pity, she thought of her brother, Micah. If he wasn’t strong enough to resist the Fated compulsion, how the hell was she supposed to? Everyone knew Micah would overthrow their father before the alpha passed down the throne. It was only a matter of time. The old man was too power hungry and far too controlling with his people. If only Micah had never fallen in love with that filthy blood drinker. Things would have been so different.
“Yeah, right,” she muttered. Once she walked into the bathroom, she tossed the clothing onto a nearby counter and came to terms with the fact she was little different from her sibling. “Like you have any right to judge!”
She turned the water in the shower to extra hot before stepping inside and retrieving a plush washcloth and a bar of lavender soap. After making sure the cloth was good and soapy, she scrubbed the material roughly across her skin. She focused on all the areas Bridon had touched, until the punished flesh was almost raw and burned. The oracles were right. She would betray her kind, giving herself over to a fucking vampire of all things.
She closed her eyes, confused and torn. She never expected to feel this way or to ache for him so terribly. Even with the damned collar, she felt an inner part of her yearning for the same thing. Her wolf might not come to the surface to aid her in escaping, but it had no such qualms about allowing her to know it approved of Bridon.
The damned bitch!
Snatching the rag once more to punish her skin, she tried to accept there was little else she could do. Her father’s plan had failed. Not only had he not arrived in time to rescue her, but with the pendant now gone, he couldn’t locate her either. That meant one thing, the last resort and a final promise to her alpha.
She let the rag fall to the floor and rested her head against the tiles. She didn’t understand why Bridon had kept her nephew alive. Now her main source of regret was that she would never meet Deacon or save him from what she was sure would be death. Standing beneath the water spray until it grew cold, she accepted the finality of the way things were and what she had to do. Her father made himself clear about the sacrifices for her kind that had to be made.
Bridon may have gained what he wanted, and she hoped he enjoyed their time together while it lasted. In the end, nothing would change.
The vampire king was doomed to lose his Fated.
Only this time it would be forever.
* * *
The Otherworld
Province of Fenrir and the Kingdom of Norvallen
“You have to stop this, Dom.” Amber groaned in exasperation. “I’m fine—the baby is fine.”
“I wouldn’t recommend going there with me,” he grumbled, returning her stare, brown irises flashing gold. “I’m still furious with you.”
She sighed, relaxed, and reclined in the multitude of pillows at her back along the headboard of their bed. Dom returned to his task, situating things around their bedroom so she wouldn’t have to wander far in the event he wasn’t nearby to assist her. If she had another eight months of this to face, she wasn’t sure she could endure it. Dominic was domineering enough as it was. Like this, he would be unbearable.
“The doctor said I was fine. Bed rest isn’t necessary.”
He stopped and turned. He was magnificent, even when furious, and not in the least bit threatening to her, though he stood well over six and a half feet. His short brown hair matched the thick brows that arched slightly over his glistening eyes.
“You will stay exactly where you are, sweetheart. No more unnecessary risks.”
“But Willow—”
“No, Amber.” Dom’s tone brooked no tolerance for argument.
“We owe it to Micah.” Amber tried to keep her composure, walking a precariously thin line. “We gave him our word to watch over Willow. You know what her father intends to do. It’s no better than what he did to his son!”
“Shh!” He growled and rushed to her side. “Do you want someone to overhear you?”
Scoffing at him, she motioned toward the magikally enchanted bedroom walls. “No one can hear our conversations here.”
“Still.” He kissed her softly and pulled away, the scent of concern and fear coming off his skin. “It’s not worth the risk. We are still being monitored, keirah.”
She smiled, adoring the rare occasion when he spoke to her in Wolven tongue and called her the love of his life. It was an endearment reserved for the most intimate of moments—when they made love or conversed in private.
Dominic was a powerful beta and would have been Micah’s second if things hadn’t taken such a tragic turn. Watching as her Fated was forced to submit to the king was heartbreaking. She knew if it hadn’t been for his vow to protect Willow or his love for her, he would have left the pack and gone rogue long ago.
“We have to do something,” she said softly, meeting his gaze. “Willow sacrificed herself for our child. We are in her debt.”
Dominic’s hand came down, curving around her still-flat abdomen. “I can make a trip to Mathilda’s and attempt to speak with Trace Locke. Everyone knows he’s close to Bridon. Perhaps he’d be willing to share information.”
“What if she’s hurt?” she whispered as tears came to her eyes.
“That’s not possible, keirah. You have to stop listening to t
he rumors spread by the pack and remember something. The way that we feel about each other is the way it is for all Fated mates. Bridon would never harm Willow. It goes against everything he is as a male.”
“But he’s a vampire.”
“So?” Dom shrugged and lifted his hand, brushing a strand of her thick black hair behind her shoulder. “Savannah was a vampire, and you saw her devotion to Micah. We may be different, but our hearts functions exactly the same. Willow is safer with Bridon than she is among her own people.”
“That’s why we have to stop her before it’s too late. There is so little time—”
She started to protest further when Dominic silenced her with a deep kiss. She forgot what she wanted to say then, tugging at his shirt. Instead of protesting, he helped, ripping the obstructive garment from his torso. Then she realized he needed the intimacy of being with her just as much as she did. She allowed herself to forget about the ongoing war between Lycae and vampire, pushing aside horrible thoughts about what could happen to her best friend if they didn’t intercede on her behalf in time.
At that moment, there was only Dominic.
Chapter Six
Bridon started to become concerned for his Chosen midway through their first night of travel. Staring over his shoulder, he observed her closely.
Willow was quiet…too quiet.
It began the moment he returned to their bedroom and discovered her sitting on a tapestry lounge chair, dressed in blue jeans and a formfitting white cotton T-shirt, ready for travel. He assumed she would ask questions.
She didn’t.
Instead, she adhered to his requests without speaking, followed him dutifully down the hallway and staircase, and strode past his servants and kindred with her head held high. She didn’t speak to any of them—though they addressed her in friendly and curious gestures—nor did she acknowledge anyone in any other fashion. She simply did as instructed, grunted when asked questions, or answered with a simple yes or no when prodded for more information.