Regally Bitten (Blood Alliance Book 3)

by Lexi C. Foss

  “Yes.” He nibbled my jaw and pressed a kiss to my throat. “He says to make you earn it.” His tongue traced a path up to my ear, his teeth snagging on the lobe. “And to remind you that he has a task for us to complete.”

  “Tell him I don’t follow orders well,” I panted, tightening my thighs around Silas’s waist.

  “Oh, he knows,” Silas replied, his words a whisper against my ear. “But he doesn’t mind, darling Luna. Do you want to know why?”

  The dark provocation in his tone sent a delicious shiver down my spine. “Yes,” I admitted, swallowing.

  “Because he enjoys sensual punishment.” Silas pulled out abruptly, forcing my legs to unwind, and flipped me before I could even begin to react.

  So fast.

  So strong.

  So—oh, dear wolf—mine.

  He slammed back inside me so harshly that I screamed and then moaned beneath the onslaught of pleasure that followed. “Fuck,” I breathed, shocked and incredibly hot.

  “That’s what you want, right?” He growled the words against the back of my neck, his body covering mine as he drove into me with far more force than he did last night. His wolf clearly craved dominance. And mine appeared to adore submission, something I would have claimed to be impossible just a week ago.

  “Silas,” I hissed, shaking beneath him, my body torn between torment and ecstasy. This was a punishment on its own, and one hell of a way to wake up.

  “Edon says to tell you that he plans to take your ass later,” he murmured, his words warm against my sensitive nape. “He wants you writhing and wet and begging between us. Which is why he’s telling me to stop, Luna. To leave you panting and wanting. Should I listen, little moon? Or should I play rebel, too?”

  He didn’t pause but picked up the pace.

  “Don’t,” I said, referring to his threat to halt. “Keep going.” I didn’t care at all that I sounded desperate, because I was. Shit, the way his cock hit my insides, I thought I might combust, and I would if he withdrew again. “Silas…” His name tumbled out of me on a moan, eliciting a deep sound of approval from him.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he replied, threading his fingers through my hair and twisting my head back at an angle that nearly hurt. And kissed me. Hard. His dominance complete as he seated himself inside me over and over, his tongue matching the thrusts below.

  Domineering, all-encompassing, addicting.

  I no longer recognized myself.

  Didn’t understand who I was becoming.

  But I lived for this moment alone.

  The stirring ache tightening my insides, sending liquid lava through my veins, and shooting off stars behind my eyes.

  My orgasm crested but didn’t peak.

  My legs quivered.

  My breaths turned to gasps.

  So, so close.

  Right there.

  “Ohh,” I groaned, shattering on a wave of intensity that shook me to my very soul.

  Silas followed on a snarl, his teeth sharp against my neck, puncturing in a bite neither of us should indulge in. And yet, I accepted it. My wolf bowed down, acknowledging the stronger male and preening from his claim.

  It left me shaking beneath him, my body a mess of rapturous quakes and agonized bliss.

  “Fuck.” The word was a puff of air against my neck from Silas, his heavy mass trembling in time with mine.

  I nearly laughed, the puzzle we’d created with our limbs one that would take some careful untangling. We’d come together in a frenzy, the wolves taking over in the last few moments and driving our coupling.

  Just like last night.

  Only slightly less overwhelming without Edon.

  But still far more amazing than anything I could have expected.

  What are we doing? I wanted to ask. Except Silas probably didn’t know. Just as I doubted Edon did either.

  This was uncharted territory.

  Alphas were destined to mate other alphas. One male and one female. Not a trio. Yet that didn’t feel right. Edon and Silas were too connected, too something. I couldn’t identify exactly what, but the idea of taking one over the other felt wrong.

  Maybe time would fix it.

  Although, I doubted that.

  If anything, time would only deepen this strange link between the three of us.

  Silas twisted and yanked me into him, kissing me thoroughly while gathering me in his arms. “Time for a shower, little moon. We can play more later. With Edon.”

  I shivered as he stood and effortlessly lifted me with him. “Is he mad?”

  He smiled. “Scared?”

  “No.”

  “Neither am I.” He carried me into the oversized marble bathroom and set me on the counter, his arms blocking me in as he gripped the stone on either side of my thighs. “But he’s amused, not angry. He knew we’d defy him. And now he’s eager to punish us both. So thanks for that.”

  I smirked. “Not my fault.”

  “Oh, it was entirely your fault. I was ready for lunch and a run, but now I have to shower again.” He pushed away to turn on the water, then glanced over his shoulder. “Now get your ass in here so I can fuck you again before we eat.”

  “My fault, huh?” I repeated, laughing. “Seems you’re just as hungry as I am.”

  “Or maybe I’m just making sure the experience is worth my while.” He waggled his brows and gave me a playful smile that warmed my insides.

  This was a new side of Silas, a relaxed one.

  I rather liked it.

  “Fucking, food, and a run,” I contemplated aloud. “My kind of day.” Not that I had a lot of experience with the fucking part. But between Edon and Silas, I’d be well educated very, very soon.

  I sort of expected Edon to come barging in at any moment and demand to join us, but he never did. Instead, he remained in mental contact with Silas throughout our shower and spurred us on with a few dark promises of what he intended to do to us later. By the time we finished, we were ready to go again, but Silas insisted on eating and going for a run.

  Once he explained why, I agreed.

  I made us a few quick sandwiches—to replenish our depleted energy reserves—and then led the way to the outside boundaries to see what my nose could detect.

  We went in wolf form because it was faster, and my sense of smell improved on all fours.

  Silas trailed behind me, his much bigger size impressive for a human turned lycan. Mutt seemed too degrading a term for him. And newbie was too soft.

  Maybe changeling would work.

  My nose twitched, drawing me from my musings. Silas joined me, his focus already following the direction of the scent. He must have sensed it before me.

  Another sign of his abnormal strength as a changeling.

  He took off toward the scent with me on his heels, the stench of death growing with each step as we hit the boundary crossing.

  I half expected to find another dead body, like they had last week.

  But there was nothing.

  Silas did a circle, his muzzle in the air, and snorted.

  We’d found the strongest point, but there was no sign of a vampire.

  He took a few steps out into the field, then turned and went the other direction, only to snort again and look at me.

  I shook out my coat, giving him a negative on tracking, and started along the boundary in the opposite direction. But the scent lessened until it disappeared, sending me back the other way to the same spot.

  This doesn’t make any sense.

  I began the shift, which triggered Silas to follow. When he was standing before me in full human form—something that took him slightly longer than it did me—I repeated my words out loud. “Someone, somehow, is fucking with pack and vampire scents,” I added.

  “Like they did with yours at Bianca’s death site.” He glanced around, his palm holding the back of his neck. “And the body we found reeked of pack, not a single culprit.”

  “It has to be his father, or someo
ne high up. But I don’t know how they’re doing it.”

  “Neither does Edon,” he replied, his lips flat. “He was supposed to ask his grandfather about it. Hopefully, he’s learning something useful, because he’s been silent for about an hour now.”

  I frowned. “Silent?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is that normal?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Edon only talks to me when he has something to say, which is more often than not, but I imagine he’s busy right now.”

  Fair enough. I studied the field and then the terrain back to the main camp and pinched my lips to the side. “Why would a vampire play this close to the heart of the clan territory? If we were near the Silvano or Lilith Region borders, I’d understand it. But we’re several hundreds of miles from the closest vampire stronghold. Hanging out here is an invitation for trouble.”

  Vampires and lycans played nice for the Blood Alliance, but they weren’t exactly allies. They merely split everything fifty-fifty and ruled in their own ways within the boundaries of international law. Beyond that, they were not required to be friends or business partners. Instead, the vampires tended to make business arrangements with their fellow undead, while lycans stuck to pack trades.

  “It’s odd,” Silas agreed, walking along the border. “Let me show you where we found the body. Maybe you’ll pick up on something we didn’t.”

  Doubtful, but I agreed anyway.

  We jogged in human form to the spot about two miles away, but the scents were all clear of death.

  “Edon disposed of the remains,” Silas explained.

  “He did a good job, because I can’t pick up even a trace of it.”

  Silas nodded. “Yeah. He made sure of that.”

  We hunted around and found nothing.

  I finally shook my head. “Everything seems fine here. Normal, even.”

  “Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “I guess we’ll—”

  His knees buckled beneath him, sending him crashing to the ground on an agonized cry that rang harshly in my ears.

  “Silas!” I collapsed with him, my hands going to his shoulders as my eyes roamed over him, searching for the source of his pain. But he appeared unmarred, his skin as tan and taut as moments ago.

  But he held his heart as if someone had shot him there and fell to his side, his legs tucking into the fetal position.

  “Fuck…,” he wheezed, tears leaking from the edges of his eyes. “Edon,” he finally managed, his voice hoarse, his body shuddering violently. “Something’s… wrong… with Edon…”

  25

  Silas

  It took far too long to shake off the initial burn in my chest.

  And then I was running on all fours.

  My body ached, my ears vibrated from the intense beating of my heart, and my vision blurred. But I had to get to him, to help him, to save—

  No! he shouted through my mind.

  I ignored him, my instincts pushing me over the earth with Luna hot on my tail. Our paws raced in sequence, her lithe form a strong presence at my back as we hit the outskirts of the main village.

  They’ll kill you, Silas, Edon barked into my thoughts. Stop!

  I shook him off, but something in that command made me trip just behind one of the lodges. Luna landed on top of me, winded and dazed from my misstep.

  It’s another trial, Edon said quickly. If you or Luna interferes, they’ll use it as an excuse to kill you both. This is about allies. I can’t… have… allies.

  The way he broke off at the end had my heart racing all over again. He’d clearly exerted significant effort into yelling at me. Which meant I needed to hear him.

  “What is it?” Luna asked, already in human form again.

  I forced myself to shift, my breaths coming in pants from the harsh run and forced swiftness with which I changed back and forth between wolf and man.

  Edon’s link wavered, his consciousness coming in and out.

  “He doesn’t want us to interfere,” I whispered, swallowing. “Says it’s a test about allies.”

  “What sort of…?” Luna glanced sharply at the trees, taking a defensive position at my side.

  My brow furrowed, my senses on alert, seeking whatever had captured her interest. There, my wolf spotted. A slight flicker of movement in the trees.

  Luna growled low, the sound far more ominous than anything I’d ever heard from her.

  And the intruder responded with a chuckle. “Claudette certainly outdid herself,” a deep voice said as a male with silver hair and dark eyes stepped silently onto the path. “And Edon is right, Silas. This is about allies. If you go to him right now, they’ll expect you to join. Or worse, they’ll see how long you can last.”

  “Until what?” I demanded. I didn’t need to demand his identity. His resemblance to my sire told me his identity—Edon’s grandfather.

  “A strength test,” Luna said, her voice hoarse.

  “Yes,” the old man confirmed.

  “What the hell is a strength test?” I mean, I understood the gist of it by the name. “What does it entail?”

  “They beat the alpha until he’s unconscious, just to see how much he can take,” Luna whispered.

  The elderly lycan nodded. “And knowing my son, he’ll add both of you to the mix, just for fun.”

  “To remove all of Edon’s allies from the board,” Luna added. “Perhaps permanently.” She canted her head, her gaze astute. “You’re Jolene.”

  The elderly male smiled. “No one has called me by that name in many moons, child. But yes, I am.” He glanced sharply to his left, all traces of amusement dying. “You must go before they find you.”

  Luna followed his gaze, her face whitening. “They’ll hunt me.”

  “Silas knows a place.” He arched a brow at me. “Don’t you?”

  The cabin, I realized. “But what about Edon?”

  “Don’t let my looks fool you, boy.” His grin was all teeth, resembling the wolf beneath the skin. “I’m still an alpha, and that’s my grandson in there.”

  Howls from the heart of the village sounded, sending Luna back two paces. “They’re coming.”

  “Go,” Jolene urged. “I’ll distract them.”

  He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a torso that displayed his strength, and dropped his trousers to begin his shift.

  Luna grabbed my arm before I could watch the transformation, power flooding the air.

  Holy shit.

  “Silas!” Luna hissed, tugging on me. “If they find me—”

  Another howl sounded, this one far too close.

  And it didn’t come from Jolene.

  I fell to my knees, transitioning as fast as my body allowed. But it wasn’t quick enough. Three wolves stepped around the corner, their gazes hungry as they locked on Luna midshift. She snarled, her hackles rising, and then Jolene stepped in front of her with a growl, his large size a startling sight.

  His low growl forced the other wolves to heel, their gazes dropping from the clear alpha before them.

  I stood captivated by the show of dominance.

  This is Edon’s future. What he’s capable of even now.

  And yet his pack was beating him to a pulp. To what? Test his endurance?

  I could feel his agony through the bond, his pain a visceral force of nature that called to me to find him and help him. But I also felt his reluctance, the warning in his mind to stay away. To protect Luna at all costs. To let him endure this trial alone.

  Because if we came for him, his father would beat us, too.

  And unlike Edon, we wouldn’t survive.

  A nip to my ear forced my attention to the side where Luna stared at me with an imploring expression. Fear radiated from her, more howls assaulting the air as someone announced our position to the pack.

  Living as a lycan was no better than being a human.

  They were animals, thriving on the pain of others and demanding submission in the cruelest of ways.

  Even the stronges
t among them was punished just for his position. Beat down by his brethren to prove his place at the top.

  Why the fuck would anyone allow that?

  For the same reason I fought in the Immortal Cup. Edon endured their bullshit to secure his place at the top, to ascend to the only position where he could effect change.

  These tests went so far beyond his fate. This was about restructuring the Clemente Clan. And if Edon had to, he’d put that above everyone else in his life—including me and Luna.

  That was why he needed us to run.

  He couldn’t protect us tonight. We were on our own. But he’d left me with the keys to our safety. Such a clever male, always one step ahead.

  My heart warmed with a respect I never expected to feel, one that had me meeting Luna’s gaze and tilting my head in a follow me gesture.

  Her relief was palpable as I took off into the woods, my paws pounding over the earth in a pattern meant to confuse anyone following us. Because no way was I leading them to Edon’s refuge.

  Edon’s approval sang in my blood, his mind filled with gratitude even as his anguish violated our link. Don’t let those bastards kill you, I said.

  It’ll take more than a beating, Omega, he whispered, his mental voice disturbingly soft.

  I mean it, Alpha. We’re not done yet.

  Amusement met my words, but he no longer spoke. He seemed to be reserving his energy. As long as I felt him, I wouldn’t worry.

  Over an hour later, I finally led us to the small cabin outside the borders. Luna panted heavily behind me, her eyes alight with life and wonder and awe. She’d obviously enjoyed the run, or perhaps the adrenaline born from the escape.

  I shifted near the door and opened it for her. “It’s not as nice as his main place, but it’s comfortable.”

  Oddly, the familiar surroundings held a hint of nostalgia for me. I’d barely spent any time here, nor had it been long since my last visit. Yet so much had occurred over the last few days that it felt like ages since I last set foot in this place.

  However, the kitchen was still well stocked, and all the amenities worked.

  Luna ventured into the main bedroom, likely trailing Edon’s scent, and came out a few minutes later wearing an old T-shirt. She tossed me a pair of shorts that I put on while she rummaged through the cupboards.