by Franca Storm
But that wasn’t what really shocked her.
It was the sudden wave of desire that’d taken hold of her the moment he had.
“What… what’s happening?” she choked out, barely able to handle the intensity.
“I didn’t just awaken your power. I removed the failsafe.”
“Stop with the cryptic responses!”
“Your inability to find another desirable.”
Cora was dumbfounded. She couldn’t find the words to respond.
“You are twenty-five. Ripe now. The failsafe is no longer necessary now that the time has come.”
“What are you talking about? You’re saying that my sexual… issues… are a result of some overarching plan? My God, that’s sick. Demented.”
“It was the only way to ensure you remained pure, until the time came.”
He kept saying that. “What time?”
“The time for me to take you as my bride.”
“Excuse me?”
“You are betrothed to me,” he said, pushing against her.
Just that slight touch had her reacting intensely. Her nipples hardened, chafing against her tank top. Warm heat pooled between her legs. She was new to the sensations—now she knew why—and it overwhelmed her with ease, making her putty in his hands.
His breath was hot on her neck as he whispered, “You are mine.”
Instead of pushing him away, she let out a breathy moan and sank against the wall.
“Your body wants me, Cora,” he said, adjusting his weight and grinding against her.
She swallowed hard when she felt the length of his rock-hard dick between her legs, rubbing against that perfect spot. It had her thrusting her hips up to meet him, to create more of that delicious friction.
He licked her neck.
That act sparked a warning in her brain. An instinctual alert.
Vampire!
She thrust her hands out at him. He snarled and careened backwards several feet. What on earth?
Looking down at her hands, she was startled to see shimmering silver balls of magic emanating from both upturned palms.
“Your shields,” he said, beaming at her. “You see now? You see what you truly are? Who you truly are? So much more than what you’ve been led to believe.”
She stepped forward and he jerked back. Huh. He’s afraid? How powerful am I to be able to scare a vampire?”
“Very powerful, my princess.”
Her eyes shot to his. “You heard that? I was thinking it.”
Smiling with amusement at her clear naivety, he explained, “You are bound to me. It enables a mind-link between us. I can read your thoughts, if I so choose.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
“Luca, Vampire Prince.”
“Prince? You’re serious?”
“As serious as I am that you are mine.” His gaze became molten. “Princess.”
No way. “Uh uh. This is insane. Awakenings. Betrothals. Now you’re saying I’m some sort of princess? Come on, vampire.”
“Luca,” he ground out, getting his back up.
She threw up her hands. “I can’t… this is fucked.”
“It’s a lot to absorb. I understand that. But you know it is all true. Listen to your instincts, princess.”
“Stop calling me that!”
He tried to reach out, but she thrust her palm out, threatening him with her newfound magic. To her dismay, it merely sputtered.
“Fine. You may take your leave of me. For now. I will give you space to find acceptance with all that I have revealed to you. And then I will come to you and take you with me, where you belong.”
“I belong to no one, vampire!”
He shook his head sadly and said, “There is so much you do not know.”
His words unnerved her, and it had her missing a step as she backed away from him towards her bike.
She took one last look at him, then gunned her Harley and sped away.
CHAPTER 2
Cora couldn’t sleep.
The vampire was in her head. His revelations were haunting her.
Not just that, though.
The feelings he’d supposedly awakened in her. For so long she’d thought there’d been something majorly wrong with her. To never have desired anyone? To have remained a virgin for so long was one thing, but to have never had the urge to embark on any sort of sexual exploration with anyone? Yeah, that hadn’t been normal.
Now she knew that it hadn’t been.
She’d been under a spell of some sort.
God, it sickened her on so many levels.
If that hadn’t been enough of a shock, she’d also discovered she possessed some sort of magical ability.
Part of her wanted to go to him, to discover everything he knew about her, to obtain all the answers he seemed to have. But the self-preservationist part of her held her at bay.
If she chose to find out more, she feared she’d never be able to go back. Her mundane life would be lost forever. Getting involved in the supernatural world had got her mom killed. It was inevitable in the long run. Humans didn’t belong with the supernatural. It would always lead to death. It wasn’t just her mom who she’d lost to it. When she’d first started out training as a Seeker, her mom had been overwhelmed with expanding the movement, so she’d assigned someone else to train her daughter. She hadn’t had time herself. Her mentor had been one of her mom’s top Seekers, David Mills. Their relationship had developed beyond mere training, and Cora had considered him a dear friend. And then he’d perished one night during a vampire ambush. It had been brutal. It always was when humans got mixed up in the supernatural world.
But, was she actually human?
Her strange ability to sense magical energy had always given her an edge, but she’d never really thought about it being more than an odd gift. Definitely not that it made her more than human. But, now, with the magical ability Luca had sparked to life in her, combined with all his cryptic talk, it had her wondering.
Drawing in a calming breath, she willed herself to put it out of her mind. She needed to rest. It’d been a hell of a day.
She’d just settled herself into a more comfortable position in bed when an odd sensation coursed through her. It felt like the effect of taking a sedative, pulling her under incredibly quickly, willing her to sleep.
She was too beat to fight it.
She let it take her, welcoming the rest.
***
Cora awoke with a jolt.
An air of foreboding washed over her. She scanned her surrounding anxiously, finding herself in an unfamiliar room, on an unfamiliar four-poster bed. What was happening?
Golden serpent effigies snaked around each of the posts. She shifted beneath the blood-red silky sheets and realized that she was naked. The room was dark, aside from the soft glow of candles positioned sporadically around the room.
A sudden rush of dark energy washed over her.
“Relax, princess.”
That smooth, sensual voice. She knew it.
“Luca?” she called out to the dark room.
He stepped forward at the sound of her call.
She swallowed hard at the sight of him. He was half-naked, wearing only a pair of silk boxers. His body was a sight to behold. He was majorly ripped, his abs incredibly defined, his biceps and legs all hard, toned muscle. She bit her lip to stifle a reaction.
“Like what you see, princess?” he asked, with a smirk.
“Very much,” she found herself responding. Where had that come from? It wasn’t like her to be so brazen. Where had her inhibitions gone?
Something was… off.
He crawled up the bed towards her and reached for the sheet that she’d been holding to her chest. “May I?”
She found herself nodding and dropping her hands to her sides submissively.
Slowly, he pulled down the sheet, exposing her breasts.
He growled low in his throat.
And then his lips were on h
er right breast, kissing her. His tongue flicked her nipple, quickly coaxing it to a hard, stiff point of arousal. By the time he turned his attention to the left one, Cora was squirming beneath him in a state of barely-contained need.
“You belong to me, princess,” he breathed against her neck.
She shook her head.
He wasn’t the least bit deterred. He licked her neck, tasting her skin.
“Soon,” he spoke.
“Soon?” she asked.
He cupped her face in his hands. “Soon, we will bond.”
His mouth crashed down on hers, taking her in a forceful kiss. She parted her lips, granting him access to what he desired, and his tongue delved into her mouth with a passionate fury.
A primal hunger rose within her and she responded wildly, her tongue dueling with his, tasting him. She fisted her hands in his long hair and jerked him closer. Her body ruled her head.
Arching her back, she pushed her breasts into his waiting hands, needing more. But he pulled back, making her whimper at the loss of his touch.
“Say it,” he urged her. “Beg me.”
“I… don’t stop touching me. Please, Luca.”
“What do you need?” he pushed her.
“Your… hands… on me.”
“More,” he growled.
Desperate, she blurted out, “I need it! Please make me come!”
He smiled with satisfaction. “There it is. Very nice.”
The fact that he hadn’t seemed surprised by her omissions, given her prior resistance, gave her pause.
But that thought dissolved into serene acceptance a mere moment after it’d arisen. It wasn’t a conscious decision on her part. No, it had been seemingly forced away somehow. Yeah, something was off, for sure.
“Luca, what’s happening?” she said, panic begin to set it. “What is this place?”
He was looming over her in the next moment, his eyes locking with hers. They were glowing a vibrant red. The instant they looked upon her, all panic and concern evaporated.
She sank back against the sheets, sighing peacefully.
“Good girl.” Luca ripped away the sheet covering her lower half and issued a sensual command, “Open your legs.”
She complied without hesitation, without thinking. It was automatic.
He dragged his fingers through her slick folds, sending shocks of pleasure through her.
“So ready for me. So wet,” he crooned, as he began to rub his dick up and down the length of her pussy.
“Oh God,” she gasped.
“I know you are not familiar with such pleasure, Cora.” Stroking her hair, he told her reassuringly, “Just relax into it. Savor it.”
He pushed into her, his cock sinking deep, inch by inch.
“Tell me you want me,” he commanded.
“I…”
“Princess?” he pressed, with an edge of frustration in his voice.
She blinked hard, finding it hard to focus. “Yeah?”
He cursed to himself and muttered something about her being difficult.
“Luca?”
She cried out in surprise when he abruptly grasped the sides of her face, forcing her to look at him. That vibrant red glow returned, flashing almost violently this time.
“Now, princess, tell me you want me,” he ground out, the glow dissipating and his eyes returning to their normal hue.
A peaceful serenity betook her, just like before. No worries plagued her. All that mattered was the immediate and the need she had for him.
“Yes. I want you.”
He growled with satisfaction and pounded into her without mercy. His dick rubbed her slick walls in the most delicious way, eliciting breathless moans of ecstasy from her. His thrusts were brutal, powerful, relentless. It was amazing.
His mouth smothered her neck.
“You are mine, my bride, my princess.”
His fangs pierced her neck.
She screamed.
Her peaceful reverie shattered. Reality came flooding back to her.
Cora’s eyes snapped open and she shot up in bed.
She slapped her hand to her neck.
There was no abrasion. It wasn’t sore. Thank goodness.
It’d just been a dream then.
Hadn’t it?
She wasn’t entirely sure. Never in her life had she experienced a dream like that. Such depth of detail, such intense sensations.
“Fuck.” Running her hand through her hair, she fought to calm herself down, her mind and her body. She was really worked up and it wasn’t something she was used to experiencing, so it was more than a little difficult to get a handle on.
Hell, it wasn’t just sexual desire that was permeating her being. As soon as she’d awoken, she’d felt that old sensation that she’d entertained during her Seeker days.
Wired. Hyper-alert. Antsy.
It was the primal-like need for the hunt.
Fuck it. There was no way she was sleeping now anyway. That dream had put the kibosh on any hopes of that happening.
She threw the covers aside and climbed out of bed.
***
Cora slowed her bike to a crawl.
She’d been riding for the last hour.
Every now and then her former Seeker persona crept up on her, the impulse to get back into the fight rising up. It was a hard thing to walk away from. Like an adrenaline-junky addiction, really. She’d thought she’d kicked it, but earlier she’d figured it’d come back again. Given all the craziness that’d happened to her in the last day, she wouldn’t have been that surprised.
But, it’d turned out to be something else altogether, not the urge for a quick hunt.
She just didn’t know what.
So, she’d just let the inexplicable pull guide her, and ridden towards it.
And it’d brought her to the industrial district.
A piercing scream cut through the still night.
Reacting instinctively, she dismounted her Harley and ran towards the source of the fearful cry.
It sounded again, coming from around the corner of an abandoned warehouse.
Sprinting around the corner, she stopped short at the sight before her.
Two hulking males had a woman pinned against the concrete wall. They were tearing at her clothes and uttering despicable threats.
Dark energy!
Striding closer, the potency of their energy infiltrated her being, and she realized what they were.
“Wolves,” she ground out.
They turned at the sound of her voice. Snarling, their eyes were afire, letting her know they were moments away from shifting into animal form.
She needed to end it before that happened. Wolves were a hell of a lot harder to take down once they shifted. Almost impossible for humans.
Normally, wolves weren’t an issue. They co-existed perfectly well with humans.
This was unprecedented.
Studying them, they didn’t seem normal. Their fur was mangy, their eyes wild. Oh no. She’d heard of such a thing, but she’d never encountered it. They were rabid. Unhinged. They needed to be put down. There was no other way, no other solution for wolves who’d reached that state.
Cora cringed as one of them tossed the woman aside like a ragdoll. She crashed to the floor, breaking her fall with her hands, then fought to get to her feet as fast as she could, given her dazed state.
“Go!” Cora yelled, when the woman hesitated at the sight of her.
“But, you—”
“Fucking go!”
Jolted by her ferociousness, the woman frantically scurried off.
And then the wolves turned on Cora.
“We’d rather taste you anyway. You smell delicious,” the larger of the men told her as they both advanced on her. He sniffed the air. “Mmm. What is that? What are you?”
“No idea what you’re talking about.” She braced herself for what she had to do. And then she crooked her finger. “Come, dogs.”
Roaring in fu
ry, they lunged at her.
She drew the pistol concealed in her right hip holster and fired without hesitation.
The smaller of the wolves went down instantly, screaming in agony as the bullet ripped through his heart.
Silver.
The wolf killer.
The larger one struck her, swiping at her with his deathly sharp claws. They ripped through the arm of her leather jacket, shredding right through it and into her flesh. She hissed. Push it down, rise above the pain. Life, or death situation here.
Grunting, she thrust her fist into his throat. As she did, she felt fur, not skin.
He leapt on top of her, driving her to the ground. His auburn fur surrounded her, suffocating her as he mauled her.
A fresh wave of adrenaline flooded through her.
Her palms heated. Silver fire sparked.
The wolf yelped and flew back several feet. He landed with a brutal thud on the dirtied ground, his fur singed, his body unmoving.
Holy crap. He was dead.
Cora looked down at her hands. Silver sparks were coming from her upturned palms. She closed them into fists, and it put the magic out.
“Shit,” she murmured, climbing to her feet.
That had been far too close. If her magic hadn’t suddenly come to life of its own accord, that would would’ve very likely killed her. She grimaced as she took in her bloodied arm.
Why were the wolves attacking humans? Why were they rabid? What had happened?
She knew the Alpha who ruled the pack in the city, and he normally had iron-fisted control over his wolves. Had he slipped up? Had something awful happened?
They needed to have words. ASAP.
CHAPTER 3
The place was jam-packed. Rambunctious laughter, rowdy shouts and the rumble of conversation reverberated through the old biker bar.
Ryan Winters leaned back in his chair and let loose a powerful howl that cut through the noise.
Recognizing their Alpha’s call, his boys fell instantly silent, giving him their undivided attention.
