by Franca Storm
“You want answers, don’t you?”
She hesitated. She didn’t want to be pulled back into the supernatural world. But, then again, it was a bit too late now. Things seemed to have reached a tipping point. Better she know exactly what was going on. Until she understood, she’d be in danger. “Yes. Fine.”
“I will take you to my estate.”
“Excuse me? I don’t fucking think so,” Ryan protested.
“The library, Ryan? It contains all the answers that she needs.”
“Fine,” Ryan reluctantly agreed. “I’ll join you.”
“The Council resides at my estate,” Luca warned.
“You mean your nest?”
“Council,” Luca insisted.
“Vampires don’t tend to like Seekers. It probably doesn’t matter that I’m retired either,” Cora informed Luca.
Ryan nodded. “Exactly.”
“I can guarantee your safety. You were a Seeker, but you are also my bride. They will not harm you.”
Ryan scoffed. “Bride?”
Cora cut in quickly, before they got into it again. “What about Ryan? Vamps and wolves don’t tend to get along.”
“He will be fine, my princess. I give you my word.”
“Saves me from having to rip their heads off their damned undead bodies,” Ryan muttered.
Luca snarled, but Cora stepped between them quickly and held up her hands. “Stop it. Let’s just go,” she said, heading through the apartment.
She smiled as she heard their footsteps at her back.
CHAPTER 6
Cora followed along beside Luca, purposely keeping a good few feet between them. She was still pissed at him for forcing that dream upon her. But her desperate need for answers superseded her anger and her wariness of him
She glanced over her shoulder. Ryan was hanging back, talking on his cell phone in the distance. He was checking in on his pack.
Turning back, she told Luca, “Sunrise is in less than an hour.”
“I know. I can feel it.”
“Feel it?”
“It makes me tired. Daylight is when my kind is at their weakest.”
“Oh, I thought that was just a myth.”
“There is much you don’t know, my princess.”
“As I keep hearing,” she muttered.
“It won’t be long until you know everything,” he assured her.
“I see the clearing up ahead. We’re almost there,” Ryan called, coming up on her other side. “Did you contact them and tell them to drop the wards, Luca?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Neither of us will fry then.”
“Fry?” Cora asked, concerned.
“Magical wards protect the mansion. Anyone who is not vampire who tries to approach will be assaulted with powerful magic. Or, fried, as Ryan so bluntly puts it.”
“Wards? Is that why I can’t see anything?”
“Yes. Neither can Ryan. Only those within the Council can.”
Cora turned her attention to Ryan. “How’s your pack?”
He smiled, clearly liking her concern. “They’re fine. They’re enjoying themselves right now.”
Luca scoffed. “Wolves never change.”
“Excuse me?” Ryan snapped.
“All about instant gratification. Reacting purely on instinct and engaging in mindless acts of violence and sex.”
“Like vampires are any different. Oh, accept for the fact that my boys don’t kill those they fuck. Vampires get off on having a life in their hands, the power of draining their victim’s life force. Wolves revel in life. You are death and you breed only death.”
“You always did only see the dark side of vampiric nature, Ryan. You never cared to try to understand the other side of it.”
“Oh right, your so-called power? Your obsession with amassing riches?” He got in Luca’s face, forcing them all to come to a jolting stop. “Tell me, brother, is that how you plan to seduce her? With your money and the lavish luxury you surround yourself with? It won’t work. She’s not that kind of woman.”
“You barely know her.”
“Instinct.”
Cora listened to the argument between them, the exchange of fierce words that they each uttered. It had her realizing that there was far more to the story than the recent complication of her and merely sibling rivalry. “Why do you hate one another so much?”
Ryan didn’t take his eyes off Luca as he told her, “The simple answer? Betrayal.”
Luca released a heavy sigh. “It was more complicated than that.”
Ryan stepped back from him and softened his gaze before addressing her. “Vampires always betray those they claim to care about. If I can teach you anything, darlin’, it’s not to give any of them your trust. They use and manipulate. It’s all they know.”
Incensed, Luca shot out his hand and gripped Ryan’s neck. “Watch your mouth.”
Ryan laughed and broke Luca’s grip with a mere slap to his arm. “Getting tired, are you? I barely felt that. Praise the sunrise, huh?”
Cora moved between them and held her hands out either side of her, pressing her palms to their chests. “Stop,” she willed them. “You’re giving me another migraine.”
She looked at each of them in turn and that was when she realized how foolish her impulsive action had been. Both their eyes were glowing with fire as they looked upon her. Shit. She dropped her arms to her sides quickly and stepped back. “No, no, no. I’m not that kind of girl,” she warned them.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched them both shake their heads, as if both willing away the overwhelming feeling. Their eyes cleared.
A mammoth wave of dark energy enveloped the area, jolting them all.
“Where?” Cora asked aloud, scanning the wide expanse of fields all around them.
“I can’t see anything,” Luca said.
“Wolves and vamps,” Ryan reported. “I can smell them.” He readied his fighting stance.
“They must be cloaked. How close are they?”
“Twenty feet. Sunrise is coming, Luca. Go on ahead. I’ll hold them back.”
“No, we’re not leaving you,” Cora said.
Ryan smiled at her and brushed his hand against hers. “I love your concern for my safety, darlin’, but it’s unfounded. Trust me.”
“No, we’re staying,” she insisted.
Luca and Ryan exchanged a look. “Fine by me,” Luca agreed. “We’ll just have to make it quick.”
“Now, where’s the fun in that?” an eerie voice spoke suddenly.
They all cocked their heads towards the sound.
Moments later, the source of the voice was revealed, emerging from a cloud of magic. An army flanked him.
“Michael,” Luca snarled.
Cora remembered his name from Ryan and Luca’s argument. Apparently, he was the guy who commanded the wolves possessing poison in their claws. She frowned in surprise, because she was sensing a vampire, not a wolf. How was a vampire leading wolves?
She studied him. He was tall, but his build was far less intimidating than that of the two men standing either side of her. His spiky hair was a striking shade of ivory, almost blinding in its intensity. His eyes were menacing pools of black. He was donning a tailored suit with a wool coat that brushed the floor as he moved.
“Escorting the princess, are you, boys?”
“She is not your concern,” Luca snapped.
“Oh, but she is.” His eyes wandered over her lewdly, making her shudder. “She is the bridge between the light and dark. That makes her my chief concern.”
What?
Ryan growled. He moved to take a step forward, but Luca threw out his arm and held him back.
Michael laughed. “That’s right. Be a good boy and heel, wolf.”
Cora saw Ryan’s eyes flare with fury at Michael’s derogatory comment. She grasped his hand to try to calm him. He eyed her in surprise. She felt him relax at her touch almost instantly. Phew.
“You really take me for a fool, Luca? Don’t forget how well I know you. You would never put your brethren at risk by summoning them this close to sunrise.”
Cora stepped forward, demanding, “What do you want?”
Michael’s gaze snapped to hers. “My, my. The rumors are true. You really are a feisty thing, aren’t you?” He took a step closer to her. “I’m going to enjoy taming you.”
And as soon as the words had left his mouth, all bets were off.
Ryan and Luca lost control.
They both leapt forward, attacking him and his army of four vampires and two wolves.
As the boys jumped into the fight, Cora watched as Michael stepped back. His eyes met hers. “Soon, princess. I will destroy the bridge that you are.” A split second later, he disappeared in a whirlwind of black smoke.
She scanned the scene of battle. Two brown wolves were engaged in a furious battle with a massive white wolf that was almost twice their size. Ryan. She watched in shock as he swiped one of them with his claws, ripping its head clean from its body. Blood spurted everywhere, dousing his beautiful coat. It seemed to fire him up even more as he lunged at the remaining wolf, howling furiously.
He clearly had that under control.
Her eyes landed on Luca in the distance. Only three vampires remained. Wow. She was impressed by the fluidity and speed of his movements in battle. He was clearly a seasoned warrior. She watched as he kicked back the vampire behind him and then turned his attention to the two in front of him. But the vamp behind him recovered really quickly and lunged for him.
Cora reacted on instinct, ripping a stake from one of the holsters at her left hip. She spun it around in her hand, readying her aim, and then she lobbed it at the vampire. The speed with which it cut through the air told her that she hadn’t lost her edge, since her retirement. She watched it drive through the vampire’s chest and hit its desired target. His heart. An explosion of dust erupted.
As Luca disposed of one of the vamps in front of him, his eyes met hers and the surprise was evident on his face. He nodded his thanks and then quickly took care of the final vampire. Just as he did, a pained cry alerted both him and Cora to the fact that the final enemy wolf had also met his demise.
The white wolf bounded over to her. He cocked his head at her, his eyes blazing gold.
“Be careful. His control might be limited. The full moon is so close,” Luca warned, suddenly at her side, pulling her to him protectively.
The wolf growled, not liking his hands on her.
Luca pulled back quickly. Cora couldn’t blame him. It definitely wasn’t advisable to anger a wolf right after a bloodthirsty battle and so close to the full moon. Also, sunrise was almost upon them, so Luca was weakened, whilst Ryan was at full strength, especially in his current animal form.
Cora watched in amazement then, as the wolf sat down at her feet.
He looked up at her and growled softly, invitingly.
She smiled and cautiously knelt in front of him.
Wow, he’s so cute.
She heard Luca chuckle. He must’ve read her thoughts.
She reached out and touched his fur. It was so soft. She couldn’t believe it.
As she began to stroke him, a strange sound came from him, one that she couldn’t place.
“What is that?” she asked Luca, eyeing him over her shoulder.
Luca grinned. “It sounds like he’s purring.”
“What?” she cried, excitedly. “I didn’t know werewolves could do that.”
“Trust me, it’s the first time I’ve ever heard a wolf purr as well.” He shook his head with disappointment at Ryan as he added, “Especially an Alpha.”
Cora continued to stroke him for a few moments until Luca suddenly grabbed her arm and told her, “Step back and turn away.”
“What?”
“He’s going to shift back. His eyes are no longer glowing.”
Cora hesitated.
Luca murmured an incantation under his breath. Red magic streamed from his hands.
Cora jolted in surprise as a pile of neatly folded clothes appeared in front of the huge white wolf. “Whoa. That’s a neat trick.”
He winked. And then he warned, “He’ll be naked. Are you ready for that?”
She blushed and heeded his warning, turning around.
Moments later, she heard Ryan telling Luca, “It wasn’t a purr. Wolves aren’t cats.”
“What was it then?” Luca challenged.
“A growl of contentment.”
“Sure.”
She heard the rustling of clothing. And then Ryan called out to her, “Cora, you can turn around now. Your virgin eyes won’t be offended any longer.”
She cringed.
“Could you be less of a gentleman?” Luca chastised him.
Cora turned back around, feeling her cheeks heating with embarrassment.
“I’m just saying.” He turned his gaze on Cora as he asked, “Twenty-five years old, right? How have you never seen a guy naked?”
“I… uh… it’s not your business.”
He shook his head with disbelief. “My God, woman. We’ll have to fix this. Real soon.”
“You won’t be fixing anything,” Luca snapped. “The reason she’s so innocent is due to the failsafe.”
Ryan cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
“It was part of the agreement of the betrothal.”
“Can we not discuss this?” Cora asked. It was majorly embarrassing.
“No. Wait. I want to know,” Ryan insisted. “Cuz, I have this strange fucking feeling that it’s something majorly fucked up.”
Luca shifted his weight, seeming nervous.
“Luca!” Ryan yelled. “Spill it.”
“The failsafe stopped her from experiencing sexual desire.”
“It did what?”
“To be clear, it wasn’t actually me who put it in place.”
Ryan scrubbed his hand over his face, his distress obvious. He was upset for her. “She is not a toy! Jesus fucking Christ! No wonder it took her so long to come to me. She couldn’t feel anything. You sick bastards!”
Luca held up his hands. “As I said, I am not responsible.”
“But it was done to appease you.”
“Yes.”
Ryan started forward.
“Don’t start this again. Please,” Cora called out.
“Darlin’, I can’t just let this slide.”
“Do you think I want to keep discussing something so screwed up? Something that messed so significantly with my life all these years? No, I really don’t. So, please, if you really do care about me at all, just drop it.”
Ryan squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. Then he blew out a harsh breath and said through gritted teeth, “Fine.”
“Thank you.” She eyed Luca harshly and strolled on past him. “Let’s get to this damned mansion before you burn.”
CHAPTER 7
“Your majesty.”
Two guards greeted Luca as they reached the huge, double entrance doors of his mansion. They were dressed in hefty tactical gear and armed with machine guns.
Ryan rolled his eyes at the airs and graces that Luca was being treated to. The asshole reveled in all the perks that his royal birthright afforded him.
He looked at Cora as the two of them followed Luca inside. Her eyes were wide with fear. “It’ll be okay,” he assured her.
“Don’t leave me.”
He was struck by her vulnerability.
Her abrasive, tough, no-nonsense attitude was nowhere to be found.
It was clear that the vampire species itself made her nervous. Was it because of her stint as a Seeker? Had she pissed a lot of their kind off? Did she think she would face repercussions inside the mansion? He wanted to ask her, but they’d already entered the mansion. It would have to wait.
“I’m here,”
he whispered, giving her hand a squeeze.
As soon as they crossed the threshold and walked into the lobby, Ryan heard low snarls all around him. The vamps were sensing the presence of an Alpha wolf. Instinct took over and he found himself growling low in his throat, the powerful sound resonating through the place.
“Relax!” Luca bellowed. “It is Ryan!”
At his command, the snarls ceased.
Luca spun around to Ryan and glared, because he hadn’t stopped. “Ryan!”
He let up, but remained on high alert. He didn’t trust Luca and he certainly didn’t trust his brethren. Betray me once, shame on you. But, betray me twice, shame on me.
Luca nodded his appreciation and then continued leading them through the lobby, deeper into the mansion.
Ryan glanced at Cora. She was staring, wide-eyed, through an open door into one of the mansion’s many salons. He followed her line of sight and immediately saw what had her so shocked. Whoa.
More than a dozen vampires were sprawled out across the expensive furniture engaging in one hell of a fuck-and-feed with several humans.
Judging by the moans of pleasure coming from them, they were more than willing. It was like one big orgy with blood thrown into the mix. He watched as two vampire vixens wearing nothing but black, silk robes, which were open and exposing everything they had to offer, tended to a human female. One had her fangs buried in the blonde’s neck. The other was between her legs, her fangs buried there while her fingers flicked her clit, bringing her to orgasm.
The visual was abruptly obstructed by Luca blocking the door.
“Sorry,” he told Cora. “Let’s continue on to the library, shall we?”
Sorry? Really? That was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to Luca’s predilections.
He was surprised that none of the vampire vixens, as he liked to refer to them, had accosted Luca the moment he’d walked in the door. That was the usual greeting he received from them upon returning to his mansion. His nest. Ryan figured that when Luca had called ahead to ask them to drop the wards to allow him and Cora passage, he’d also warned them to be on their best behaviour around Cora.
There was no way Luca could keep it up. It wouldn’t last. Something would slip through the cracks. Cora would discover the truth of his lifestyle. And she wouldn’t like it. She wouldn’t want to share. It wasn’t in her nature.
