Regally Bitten (Blood Alliance Book 3)

by Lexi C. Foss

  They’d taken the strength trial too far.

  And my father demanding the location of my mate? Yeah, that was the icing on the cake. I knew why he wanted her, and it had nothing to do with pack loyalty.

  My mother was barren after all the trials she’d endured beneath his rule. She barely even opened her eyes anymore. Making a new heir would be impossible. But with Luna? Oh, he could create one.

  Fucking monster.

  I spent so many years of my life trying to gain his favor, only to fail. Well, that was done. I no longer craved his acceptance or advice. I would become the alpha I intended to be at the next full moon, and my poor excuse for a father would be the first lycan I banned. His cronies would be next.

  My entire body ached, especially my rib cage where my bones slowly mended back together. They’d shattered my insides beneath thousands of kicks; it was honestly a wonder I’d survived.

  No.

  Not a wonder.

  My grandfather had stepped in, threatening to go to the Blood Alliance about my father’s behavior. Killing an heir unjustly was frowned upon, and my father couldn’t use a strength exercise as an excuse. Not unless I tried to fight back, which I hadn’t. I’d taken their beating, as the alpha ritual required, and he had chosen to take it too far.

  Well, he and my fucking packmates who had far too eagerly participated.

  Hence, my list.

  Another growl vibrated my chest, my anger thriving through my veins. I wanted to smash their—

  My senses piqued as someone responded to my sound of ire.

  Not vocally, but with another growl. A sexier one.

  Luna.

  Her supple form was stretched out beside me, her palm a pleasant weight over my heart. It took significant effort to peel my eyes open, but I was thankful for trying because I found a gorgeous sight staring down at me—waves of brown hair tousled over one shoulder, head resting on her opposite hand, and honey-brown irises gazing at me with a fierceness that caused my breath to hitch.

  “About fucking time,” she said, causing my eyebrows to lift.

  My lips parted on a reply that lacked sound. Not that it mattered, though. Because her mouth settled over mine before I could even try again.

  Shock coursed through me, followed swiftly by heat and intense longing.

  Shit. Luna was kissing me. Eagerly. Dominantly. It took half a beat for me to register why she acted so impulsively. She wanted me to activate our mating link and absorb her strength.

  Not happening.

  I refused to use her in that manner. Nor did I need the boost. My energy reserves were healing me just fine.

  But her company?

  Yeah, now that I’d accept.

  Except I couldn’t move without flinching. Nor was my mouth working right.

  She palmed my jaw, causing me to wince. “It’s broken,” she whispered, her nose nuzzling mine. “Let me help you, Edon. Please.” Another kiss, this one followed by a nip to my lower lip when I didn’t do as she requested. “Why are you fighting me?”

  Oh, the ways I could answer that if my mouth worked. I would tell her: You fought me first, sweetheart. Maybe I consider it foreplay. Delayed gratification, little mate.

  However, the truth of it was, I didn’t want to hurt her. I also didn’t know her true intent. While I appreciated her being here for me, I also knew it was her obligation—one society had demanded of her. And I refused to force her. Especially when I didn’t need her strength to heal. Would it restore me to full health faster? Yes. But she deserved better than me sucking the life from her like some vampire.

  Luna pulled back, her gaze shadowing over. “Why are you rejecting me?”

  My eyes actually widened. What? This wasn’t about rejection.

  “Is it… I mean, do you…?” She bit her lip, glancing away, then back at me again with a sadness that hurt far more than my fractured rib cage. “Do you want me to get Silas?” she asked softly, her expression radiating an emotion I couldn’t name. Not quite sadness, but definitely spasmed with pain. “I don’t know if the sire bond can help, but if you prefer him, I’ll understand. And I’ll get him for you.”

  Where are you? I asked Silas through the bond.

  Doing a perimeter check with Jolene before he goes to sleep, he replied. Why? Is something wrong?

  Yeah. Luna seems to think I’d prefer you playing nursemaid instead of her. While I wouldn’t mind Silas lying beside me now, I didn’t exactly favor him over Luna. Something tells me her touch will be a bit more tender and what I need right now.

  He snorted in my head. You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who enjoys tender, Edon.

  I wouldn’t mind if from a certain female wolf, I thought, gazing up at her. Except she seems pretty upset.

  Because she thinks you would prefer me there? He sounded as confused as I felt. What did you say to her?

  Nothing. My jaw is broken.

  Still? I could almost see him scratching his head. Jolene said you would heal faster because of your mating bond with Luna.

  Yeah, only if I take energy from her, but I’m not.

  Why the hell not?

  Because I don’t want to force her.

  You don’t want…? He started laughing, causing me to frown.

  That wasn’t meant to be funny, Omega.

  Oh, but it’s rich, Alpha, he returned. You’ll command me to fuck her, but you won’t accept the bond she’s offering now? Really?

  Seriously? We’re going there again? You can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy—

  “Edon?” Luna whispered, the earlier annoyance in her tone completely gone now and replaced by something akin to disappointment. “I know you probably can’t speak, but can you at least nod?”

  I lifted my chin an inch, testing my neck movement. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but it worked.

  If you would let the woman in and absorb some of her strength, maybe it wouldn’t hurt, Silas taunted in my head.

  Fuck off.

  I swore the jackass blew me kisses in reply, his amusement palpable. But the look on Luna’s face ruined my inclination to smile.

  “Do you want me to get Silas for you?” she asked softly.

  I didn’t nod.

  Her brow furrowed. “I don’t… I don’t know what you want, Edon. I’m trying to help, but you don’t want me. Clearly. So I’m going to get Silas, okay? Maybe you’ll let him help, or, I don’t know.” She shook her head, but I saw it in her eyes before she shuttered them.

  Rejection, I realized. She thinks I’m rejecting our mating.

  Because you are rejecting it, Silas replied.

  No, I’m not. I’m just not sucking on her life source, I thought back at him, irritated.

  But does she know that?

  Apparently not, I said, noting the way her lower lip wobbled before she sucked it in. Ah, little mate…

  She’d been so strong, lying beside me, wanting me to take from her. The lack of blood on my skin told me she’d bathed me, too.

  She’s accepting her place by your side, Silas murmured. I saw it in her earlier.

  And I felt it now.

  Luna started to roll off the bed, causing me to reach for her. Which ended in a grimace and a groan that had her looking back at me in alarm.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you more. I was just trying to, uh, move.” She cringed. “You need some pain medicine or something.”

  No, what I needed was a brand-new body. One that I could use to kill my father and his idiotic cronies.

  “Look, with you rejecting me, I obviously can’t help you,” she said, some of her spine seeming to return. “So I’m going to get up real fast and find Silas. Since you and he are, well, closer.”

  Shit. That wasn’t it at all.

  I growled because it seemed to be the only response I could make, and it caused her to freeze in place.

  Then she narrowed her eyes at me. “Did you just growl at me?”

  This time, I nodded.

  �
�Why?” she demanded.

  Because you just accused me of rejecting our mating bond, I thought at her.

  Of course, it was Silas who replied. Then maybe you should do whatever it is you need to do to accept her.

  You make it sound easy, Omega.

  Because it is, Alpha.

  I wanted to argue that point, but I couldn’t. Because I’d clearly accepted the sire bond to him without hesitation. But Luna was a bit more complex. I’d already initiated our mating against her will. If I took from her now, it would finalize our destinies.

  Of course, she didn’t have a choice regardless. And neither, really, did I.

  Luna released a noise of frustration. “You’re a stubborn wolf, you know that?”

  My lips threatened to twitch—which hurt and sort of ruined the moment.

  Her eyes narrowed. “You’re amused?”

  My chin tilted in the affirmative, which only had her glowering more.

  “Rejecting me entertains you?” She scoffed, the mood between us chilling in a heartbeat. “Wow. Okay. I get that I wasn’t exactly favorable to our mateship in the beginning, but I thought last night changed things. Which was really naïve of me, and I see that now.”

  Whoa, hold on. That’s not—

  “God, you know, I was actually worried about you?” She laughed, but the sound was tinged with sadness. “Never mind. I’ll leave you here to your amusement. Because hell if I’m going to sit and enjoy it with you at my own personal expense.”

  She rolled off the bed, leaving me snarling at her back.

  How dare she run off when I had no voice to defend myself!

  Get back here, I demanded.

  But she couldn’t hear me, nor did she adhere to the command radiating from my chest. She kept moving, her spine straight even as her dejection soured the air.

  Alpha female through and through, refusing to allow others to see her pain. But her scent belied her bravado.

  When she reached the door, something inside me snapped.

  No way in hell was I allowing her to walk away from me like this.

  She staggered beneath the weight of our sudden connection, her breath puffing out of her in a gasp as I dug my mental claws into her and coerced her to stay. My wolf didn’t want to play; it wanted to dominate.

  This female belonged to me.

  And she thought I meant to reject her?

  Fuck. That.

  Every wall constructed between us came tumbling down as I yanked forcefully on the mating link—the connection that began to form the first time I bit her. Neither of us had explored the bond, mostly because it was more of a formality than a desire. But now? Now I wanted to know everything about it.

  Because if she believed for one second that I didn’t want her, she had another think coming.

  You. Are. My. Mate. The words were from my mental wolf, a growl into her heart and mind at the same time as he circled her like prey. You will not walk away from me.

  She turned and swallowed, her eyes wide. “I… I…”

  Get back here, I told her. Now.

  But she didn’t. Instead, the impudent little female glared at me. “No. You were laughing at me, Edon. Just because you engaged the bond now does not mean I have to accept it.”

  And she did the unthinkable, her mind swiftly rebuilding the blocks I’d just knocked down.

  It was bad enough that our bond wasn’t complete and I only had a one-way ticket into her mind. With the connection open, I could push things at her—like words and feelings—and take whatever she willingly offered, but that was it.

  And now she wanted to shove me out completely?

  Not fucking happening.

  I wasn’t laughing at you, Luna, I said quickly, needing her to hear me before she finished reconstructing that wall of hers. I was amused by you calling me stubborn. And I didn’t reject our mating bond. I just didn’t want to use you.

  She stilled, her lips curling downward. “Explain.”

  Rather than explain, I recapped the entire conversation from my point of view. I even clued her in on my discussion with Silas by providing an overview. Once I finished, her frown no longer existed.

  “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” she accused. “The whole point of a mating bond is to help each other, Edon. You’re not the only one with reserves of strength, and frankly, I’m insulted that you don’t think I can handle a little vampirism. I’m not an omega or beta wolf, but a born alpha. It’s in my blood, you dick.”

  My eyebrows rose. Careful, little mate. You might be alpha born, but I’m still your alpha.

  “Are you?” she taunted. “Because all I see is a broken wolf who has refused to do what he needs to do under some misguided attempt to protect his female. A female, mind you, who can more than hold her own.” Those beautiful eyes narrowed once more. “How would you feel if I rejected your strength? If I assumed you to be too weak to help me?”

  That’s not—

  “No, that’s exactly what this is, so don’t try to play it another way. You don’t think I’m strong enough to help you.” She folded her arms, my shirt hitting her at her thighs. It was a very sexy look on her. Not that this was the time to consider it. “Why did you mate me, Edon? To make pups? To fuck your progeny? What purpose do I serve for you if you don’t find my strength worthy to suit an alpha?”

  My blood heated at her accusations, my heart racing in my chest. Get. Over. Here.

  “No.”

  Now who is being stubborn? I asked, irritated as fuck. You want to prove you’re strong enough? Then march that sweet ass back to this bed and lie down.

  “I don’t have to lie—” She gripped the wall for support as her knees buckled beneath my wolf’s hungry demand. One pull on her reserves had my rib cage sighing in relief and the rest of me begging for more, but I only meant for it to be a demonstration, not an actual solution.

  Yet, now I didn’t want to stop.

  Now, Luna, I demanded, holding off on my desire to take more from her. Unless you’re suddenly too scared?

  An unflattering noise came from her throat, one that told me exactly how she felt about that. “I fucking hate you,” she said as she moved toward the bed.

  Liar, I whispered.

  She scoffed but stretched out beside me again. “This doesn’t mean I forgive you.”

  I indulged myself in another taste of her vitality, my wolf stretching in contentment beneath her beautiful warmth. She sighed beside me, her pleasure heating our link and encouraging me to take more. So I did, allowing her energy to tingle through my veins, down my limbs, into my bones, and to my very soul.

  Fuck, but it was arousing and incredibly intimate. Like my own personal pain-relieving drug, only in a feminine, supple form with curves for days.

  I needed to get hurt more often if this was my reward.

  “Don’t you dare,” she said, either because I spoke those words through the bond or she picked them up, I wasn’t sure.

  Thank you, little mate, I murmured, meaning it.

  She said nothing for a while, her focus on the ceiling, but eventually, she rolled onto her side to face me. “You’re welcome.”

  28

  Luna

  My body tingled from Edon’s intrusion. Not in a bad way, but a good one, leaving me a little breathless beside him. And needy.

  He remained utterly still, his eyes closed as if in slumber, but I felt his alertness. Our bond wasn’t yet complete, but I felt it lingering, the call from his wolf to mine to finish our link at the next full moon.

  All it would take was a single bite—of my teeth into his skin.

  Not all alphas required it, their initial claim enough to force a female into the mating link. But I knew Edon wanted more, could hear it now that he’d opened the gate and allowed me inside.

  Every part of him was free for me to explore, while my own emotions and thoughts remained locked up behind a wall of steel that he couldn’t access without the completion of our bond.


  But his mind was now mine, and what a fascinating place to be.

  I could sense Silas there, his sire bond strong and thriving.

  I also picked up notes of his confused feelings, how he desired us both on a painfully equal level. Edon questioned it, wondering how to make it work, and my overreaction only added to his overall confusion.

  He thought I was jealous of Silas. And maybe, to an extent, I was, but not entirely. When I thought he preferred his progeny, I felt left out more than anything else. Worthless, too, as if my entire purpose to him was soiled and wrong.

  Then he’d explained his intentions.

  Such a waste of time and energy.

  In roughly thirty minutes, his body appeared healed—at least on the outside—because of our link. So take that, stubborn wolf. Thinking I couldn’t handle it, or didn’t want to help. Idiot.

  His lips curled. “I may not be able to hear you, Luna, but I can sense your emotions.” His voice sounded clear, his throat and jaw fully mended. And when he glanced at me, I noticed the lack of swelling in his facial features, his handsome face completely unmarred. “You’re feeling smug.”

  “With good reason.” I lifted my head onto my palm while remaining on my side and facing him without touching. “How are you feeling, Edon?”

  “Relaxed.” He rotated his head on the pillow, his eyes holding mine. “Warm.”

  We stared at each other like that for a long moment, peace floating between us. Everything just felt so right. The way my vitality hummed through my veins to his in effortless silence, lulling us into a state of perpetual tranquility.

  “Kiss me,” he whispered.

  Not a request so much as a demand.

  He was an alpha, after all.

  I smiled. “You want me? Come get me.”

  His pupils flared with interest. “You going to make me run, little mate?”

  I nearly laughed. “Another day, maybe. Right now, I’ll settle for you shifting off your back.” Seemed like a good place to start since he hadn’t moved in what felt like hours.

  “Are you doubting my ability to fuck you, Luna?” he asked, one eyebrow lifting. “Because I assure you, that won’t be a problem.”

  “Who said anything about fucking? All you wanted is a kiss.”