by Leia King
“Where is he?” Cora’s voice suddenly sounded, cutting through the last two hours of silence that had enveloped the library since Luca had left the room.
“Taking a nap. It’s daytime.”
She came to the table before him, asking with concern, “Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m not a vampire.”
“Obviously. I meant—”
“Relax, darlin’. I can go a few nights without sleep. But you should get some rest soon.”
She eased herself onto the edge of the table beside him. “I don’t think I can sleep right now. Not after everything that’s happened, everything I just read.”
“It’s a lot to take.”
“Luca thinks I am King Vazra’s daughter, the Princess of the White Realm.”
“Yup.”
“The White Realm king’s first born was offered to him, the Vampire Prince, as part of a treaty. A peace offering to prevent war.”
“That’s how the story goes.”
“It’s not just a story, is it?”
Ryan didn’t answer. He kept his gaze on anything but her.
“Ryan, please look at me.”
Dammit. He locked eyes with her. “If it’s in those books, it’s fact. And, yeah, if you truly are the Princess of the White Realm, then you are betrothed to Luca.”
Fuck, even saying the words cut into him. The look on her face didn’t help either. Sympathy, it looked like. He rose to his feet, moving away from her.
“So, he is my mate then?”
He shook his head. “The connection is magical. It was created.”
“You mean it’s not natural?”
Ryan spun back to her. “No.”
“The connection is why he can… affect me?”
“You mean why you want to fuck him?” As soon as he’d said the words, he wished he hadn’t. The hurt on her face was painful to witness. “I’m sorry.”
She stepped back and shook her head. “It’s okay. Wolves are known for being blunt.”
“It’s not just that. It’s close to the full moon. The wolf is strong right now. It’s difficult to hold back when something upsets me.”
She took his hand and squeezed it urgently. “Forget it. Let’s get out of here.”
“What? What about the betrothal thing?”
“I don’t give a damn.”
“You will,” a voice boomed from the doorway.
They both spun around to see Luca standing there, his eyes fierce pools of black.
Ryan noticed a chain around his neck. A rectangular pendant hung from it. It looked like a blood diamond of some sort. It was actually glowing red.
“What the fuck is that?”
“A gift from my father. It allows me to channel a fraction of his Dark Realm magic, here in the human realm. That fraction is extremely powerful here.”
“Why is it glowing? What have you done?”
“What needs to be done, brother.” He stepped further into the room. “I need time to explain things to her. A few books are not enough.” He snarled. “And I can’t do that with you around her.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I promised her I’d stay with her.”
Luca’s eyes narrowed at Cora. “You want him here? You are afraid to be alone with me?”
“Yes. I want him here.”
“That is too bad, because I cannot allow it.”
“You’re gonna have to set your entire vamp army on me to stop me. With the full moon so close, that might not even be enough,” Ryan warned.
Luca laughed. “No need, wolf.” Fiery red energy emanated from him. He raised his hand towards Ryan. “Your invitation has been rescinded.”
Ryan grunted and stumbled back, as a white-hot sensation assaulted his body. He recognized it immediately. “No, Luca. Don’t fucking do this! I’m warning you! Don’t cross me!”
“Let her go. She is mine. Forget her.”
“No! Stop, Luca!”
“What are you doing, Luca? Stop it!” Cora yelled. “Now!”
“I am merely sending him back home to his pack.”
“No!” she screamed. She raised her palm. But as she conjured her silver glow of power, Ryan felt his surroundings already quickly fading away. “Stop it!” she demanded, threatening Luca with her palm.
Luca smiled. “Go ahead. Hit me with it.”
She did, lobbing her magic at him. It disintegrated before it could connect. He had some sort of shield up, protecting him.
He rushed her suddenly and, in a burst of vampire speed, he had her pinned against one of the stacks, his hands gripping her arms tightly. “Your magic is too weak right now. You can’t best me. You are still learning.”
Ryan struggled to break the spell enveloping him, to go to her aid. But brute strength couldn’t combat powerful magic. Fuck!
“I’m leaving here,” Cora told Luca.
“Not yet.” As if to demonstrate how serious he was, he told her, “Look up.”
She followed his line of sight and Ryan watched her eyes go wide as she saw a shimmering red film covering the room.
“That is a barrier that one as inexperienced as you cannot hope to breach. I have put it in place around the entire property. You’re not leaving here until I decide.”
She struggled against him. “Let go!”
His gaze snapped to the door and he called, “Thomas!”
In a flash, another vampire stood beside Luca.
“Compel her. She needs to sleep now.”
“Luca! No!” Ryan roared.
Luca turned his head and smirked maliciously, triumph flashing in his eyes.
The vampire named Thomas drew Cora’s gaze to his. “Aren’t you tired now, princess? You need to sleep,” he spoke softly, his voice reassuring and hypnotizing.
Ryan watched her eyes glaze over. He resumed his struggles against Luca’s magic, but it was no use.
In seconds, he saw Cora’s eyes close. Her legs buckled as she drifted off to sleep. Luca caught her before she fell and scooped her up in his arms.
“Good work, Thomas.” He gazed down at Cora in his arms. “Sweet dreams, my princess.”
“Fuck! Luca!” Ryan bellowed. “Stop this!”
The last thing he saw was Luca glaring at him. The spell took him from the mansion. There was nothing he could do to stop it.
9
Roaring in fury, Ryan ripped both stools from the breakfast bar and threw them across his apartment.
“Ry!” Josh yelled from the door.
“Not a good time.”
“You’ve been at it for a good couple of hours now. We can all hear you downstairs. Come and have a drink to take the edge off.”
Ryan took his words in and glanced around at his apartment. It was a mess. It looked like it’d been ransacked by mad men. He couldn’t even locate a piece of furniture that hadn’t been destroyed, or ripped to shreds. Damn. He’d lost control of his temper, big time. His chest rose and fell rapidly as adrenaline and fury coursed through his body.
“Ry, talk to me. What happened?” Josh asked, cautiously stepping into the apartment. “Is this about that babe from earlier? What happened? Did you strike out?”
“The opposite.”
“What does that mean?”
“She’s… the one.”
“Excuse me?”
“She’s my mate, J.”
Josh scoffed. “Come on, Ry. How good a fuck was she for you to be spouting this bull?”
Ryan stormed into the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, “I didn’t fuck her.” He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from a cupboard and set them down heavily on the kitchen island.
“What? The full moon is close. You had her alone in your apartment. Impossible.”
Josh joined him by the bar.
Ryan handed him a glass and then snatched up his and downed it quickly. “We were interrupted by Luca.”
Josh choked. “He was here?”
“Yep.” Ryan knocked back another glas
s.
“Why? What the hell did that traitor want?”
“He wanted her. She’s Vazra’s daughter.”
Josh’s eyes went wide with shock. “You’re sure? His bride-to-be?”
“All the signs were there.”
“Then she’s his, not yours.”
Ryan shook his head. “Her eyes were glowing. Mine were, too.”
“Oh, shit. She’s the one. Your destined one.”
“That’s what I told you. You think I would make a mistake like that?”
“Sorry. It’s just… she’s not wolf, Ry.”
“I’m well aware.”
Ryan knew exactly what Josh was getting at.
Taking Cora as his mate would cause issues with the pack. As Alpha, he was supposed to mate with a wolf to keep the bloodlines pure. But, clearly, the fates had other ideas.
“She touched the wolf, Josh.”
“What? You shifted in front of her?”
“We were attacked by Michael and his misguided followers. I wolfed out and she… liked it.”
Josh smiled. “Really?”
Ryan couldn’t help cracking a smile, too. “Yeah, she… stroked me.”
“And what did you do?”
Ryan looked away quickly. “Nothing.”
“You purred at her, didn’t you?”
“Wolves don’t purr! We are not fucking cats. A slight resemblance to dogs, maybe. Slight.”
Josh laughed heartily. “Shit, Ry. You’re in trouble. This woman has affected the man and the wolf. Despite the weirdness of the situation, she’s clearly your mate. The pack will accept her once you explain things to them.”
“If I can get her back.”
“What? Where is she?”
“Luca has her. He’s keeping her at his mansion. He kicked me out.”
“Kicked you out? How?”
“With his father’s magic.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“What do you mean? What the hell can I do against that shit? It’s Dark Realm magic, Josh.”
“How about that witch you fooled around with a couple of years back?”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “I doubt that one of my exes will want to help me get my future wife back.”
Josh shook his head with disappointment. “Damn. This woman has really done a number on you. Where’s the Alpha that never takes no for an answer, who challenges anyone who disagrees with him, who never lets anyone stand in his way? We’ll make her help.”
Ryan took his words in. “He’ll try to bond with her, Josh. He can be very persuasive.”
“But she’s not his mate, Ry.”
“She’s betrothed to the guy.”
“A forced pairing. Between you and her it’s instinctual. Nothing can override that, not even his bloodsucker mind games. He might fuck her, but she still won’t be his.”
Ryan slammed his fist down on the countertop. “She’s a virgin!”
“Oh, wow. I see.”
“Yeah,” Ryan said, scrubbing his hand over his face. He couldn’t bear the idea of someone else getting there first, not with his future wife.
“Okay, then. Let’s mobilize the pack and track down that witch.”
Ryan shook his head with regret. “No. The full moon rises tomorrow night. It’s too dangerous for any of us to be around any other supernatural beings right now. We need to wait.” He chugged another glass full of whiskey. “Tonight, we head to the base. I’ve already incurred Luca’s wrath. We won’t be safe here at the bar. We need to settle there before the moon rises.”
“As you wish.”
10
Cora woke up in a dark, unfamiliar room.
Dirtied brick walls. No furniture to speak of. A cold, concrete floor. The stench of mold filled her nostrils.
She attempted to move, only to find resistance. It took her a moment to realize she was restrained, her wrists and ankles secured to the wall behind her with metal cuffs.
“Is this what we must do, princess?” Luca’s voice echoed through the room, making her jump.
He appeared before her in a burst of vampire speed.
Standing mere inches from her, his eyes wandered leisurely over her body. She shuddered as he leaned in and licked her neck. “The more I taste you, the sweeter you are.”
“Stop this, Luca,” she demanded, fighting against her restraints.
“Impossible. We must bond.”
“No.”
“It is your destiny.”
“I don’t believe in destiny.”
He gripped her hair roughly and jerked her towards him, forcing her mouth to his. She struggled and tried to turn away, but he was too strong, and he made her accept his ruthless kiss. “I will make you accept it, accept me. You are to be my bride. I will take you as mine either way. You can give yourself to me freely, or I can simply take what is mine.”
He slipped his hands underneath her tank top and fondled her breasts roughly. “If you give yourself to me, I will be gentle. Given your inexperience, that will be best for you. But, if you continue to deny me, I will take you fiercely and ruthlessly. Keep in mind that I can go for hours. You will not like that option, believe me.”
Her eyes narrowed, boring into his with fury. “You forget that I am not human. According to your books, I possess no human blood whatsoever. Knowing that, do you really think you can hurt me?”
He grasped the sides of face, his fingertips digging into her cheeks as he snarled, “Yes.”
He let his demon rise to the surface. His features contorted and he dropped his fangs. She felt his claws digging into her jeans. He raked them slowly up her thighs, eliciting a pained grunt from her as he shredded her pants and skin alike, drawing blood.
She clenched her teeth to keep from crying out. She wasn’t prepared to give him the satisfaction.
“Had enough?” he asked. “Freely, or by force? Pleasure, or pain?”
An odd sensation surged through her body. It took her a moment to realize what it was. She clenched her fist and she felt it trembling with powerful fury. Strength! Supernatural strength!
“I’m beginning to understand a few things, Luca,” she said, holding his gaze.
“Like what, my princess?” he asked, misinterpreting her words to mean something in his favor, she suspected.
“My power.”
Before he could respond, she ripped both her hands free from the cuffs binding her to the wall. She wrapped her hand around his neck and used the brutal hold to haul him across the room.
He skidded, only just managing to keep his balance. He eyed her in shock.
“Don’t force your way into my dreams again!”
Reality came crashing back and Cora shot up in bed. Her heart was thumping in her chest. She was sweating.
It took her several moments to collect herself.
That’d been majorly intense.
How dare he do that to her yet again! The son of a bitch still thought he could push her around. He didn’t know who he was dealing with. She wasn’t one of his vampire whores. How dare he?
She tossed the bed covers aside.
That was when she noticed that she was wearing nothing but a thin, silk robe.
He’d undressed her? Son of a bitch!
Incensed, she climbed out of the king-sized bed and scanned the room rapidly, searching for the exit. She was going to find the bastard and kick his ass, then she’d get the hell out of his fucking mansion that was crawling with vampires.
Locating the bedroom door, she stormed over there and tugged at the doorknob. The damn thing held fast, no matter how much strength she assaulted it with. And she had a lot more at her disposal than usual. Just like in the dream a moment ago. She’d managed to toss Luca across a room. Another one of her abilities had clearly been activated. It seemed to happen whenever she was in jeopardy, the fight or flight instinct fueling their emergence. Ever since Luca had awakened her, they must’ve just needed a jolt to start coming forth.
So, given t
hat, she should’ve been able to open the door.
There had to be more to it then. Magic! He must’ve sealed it shut with his aggravating magic.
She raised her hands and strained to call her silver power forth.
Over and over she tried.
Nothing happened.
She couldn’t do it.
Urgh. What was the point of having magical abilities if she couldn’t use them when she wanted to? She needed help, some sort of training obviously.
Dammit!
She had little choice but to wait. She was sure Luca would come to her soon enough. She’d play it smart and wait for the right opportunity to escape. At least she had some major strength at her disposal now. Maybe, given the right circumstances, that would be enough to free herself.
Her gaze landed on the open door to an ensuite bathroom in the corner of the room. Good. It’d been too long since she’d taken a shower. She felt disgusting. Plus, it would kill some time, so she wasn’t just standing around waiting and driving herself crazy.
She entered the bathroom, forcing herself to ignore how gorgeous and luxurious it was. The last thing she wanted was to find anything comforting or pleasing about the place. It was just more of his manipulation. He was trying to placate her with nice, fancy things. Well, she wouldn’t allow him to suck her in. The bottom line was that he had her held prisoner. Nothing could make that better.
She shed her robe, turned on the shower, and stepped under the warm stream.
“I’m happy you are taking a shower.”
She almost jumped out of her skin. “Get out, Luca,” she seethed.
Ignoring her, he went on, “I could smell wolf all over you when I put you to bed earlier.”
“Earlier? How much earlier?”
“What?” he asked, feigning innocence.
“How long did you force me to sleep with that compulsion?”
“A day and a half.”
“What? How dare you?”
“You needed time to calm.”
“Why didn’t you compel me, huh?”
When he hesitated, she got her answer. “You can’t, can you?”
“No,” he admitted.
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. You… block me.”
