by Leia King
“Name?” Cora asked him.
“Ben.”
“Cora,” she said, smiling. She turned her gaze back to Roy and said, “I should probably know the name of the wolf whose ass I’m about to kick.”
Ryan felt his dick harden at her feisty comment. It was such a fucking turn-on when she brought her ball-busting attitude.
“Roy,” his strongest pack member told her, chuckling.
Ben counted them in. “Three. Two. One. Go!”
Roy jerked his hand to the side. Ryan cocked an eyebrow when nothing happened. Her hand didn’t budge. It was steady, like a rock. How strong was she now that her abilities had come in? He couldn’t wait to find out. He’d had a brief taste of it last night, but she’d been drunk off her ass, so it hadn’t been a reliable gauge.
She started to push against Roy and Ryan saw him grimace, his hand shaking with the effort of resisting the pressure she was applying.
“Fuck!” he exclaimed.
“Roy, come on!” someone shouted.
“She’s a girl!” another yelled.
“Finish it, Roy!”
Ryan watched him struggle to move her hand, to force it down onto the table to win the match. But he just couldn’t. She was too strong.
She slammed his hand down onto the table, in one sudden motion, ending the match.
“Damn,” Roy exclaimed.
She’d won.
She fell back against her seat and raised her hands with triumph. The roars around the room from his wolves were deafening. Excitement. Disbelief.
“Next!” she called out.
Roy leaned across the table and told her, “That’s all. I was the champion. There’s no one left to challenge.”
“I don’t believe that’s entirely true,” she said, her gazing falling on Ryan.
He shook his head.
“Afraid?” she called down the table.
The guys wolf-whistled. Ryan ignored it and kept his gaze steady on her. “I’ll hurt you,” he warned.
“Or, will I hurt you?”
“Fine,” he said, getting to his feet. He shook off his leather jacket and flexed his biceps. “You’re calling out the wolf, darlin’.”
The boys roared in response to his words. As he passed by, making his way towards the middle of the table, they slapped his shoulders. “Go, Ry!”
Roy left his seat and Ryan took his place.
He thrust his elbow onto the middle of the table, the force of it vibrating the metal and causing everyone to take a step back. His eyes flashed at Cora, but she just grinned at him, showing no sign of intimidation.
“You’re sexy when you’re mad,” she told him.
“Be careful.”
“Why?”
His eyes bored into hers. “Because the wolf wants to fuck you right here on this table, my love.”
To her credit, she held her own well and didn’t break his gaze, despite his blunt comment. Her shyness was nowhere to be found. She was too engrossed in the challenge that lay before her.
Her arm joined his in the middle of the table and she gripped his hand tightly.
He returned her grip, breaking her gaze to nod to Ben.
His eyes snapped back to Cora’s and he barely heard Ben as he counted them in. He knew the match had started when he felt her hand pushing against his. Yeah, her strength was impressive. He could feel the full force of it.
But not strong enough to best me.
She pushed harder, but he held steady. She persisted, grunting with the effort. But, still, his hand held steady. She looked at him in surprise. He had tried to warn her.
He made his move and pushed back. The power behind it forced her hand downward, despite her best efforts to stop him.
He held her hand there, just a couple of inches from touching the table and ending the match. He knew if she didn’t loosen her grip he’d break her wrist if he pushed any further.
“Let go. You’re done.”
Her eyes flashed with resolve.
“You can’t win. Accept your defeat.” Stubborn woman.
She shook her head.
Ryan glanced around at his boys. “I think we can call this.”
Ben nodded and called out, “Alpha wins.”
Ryan wiggled his eyebrows at Cora. “Sorry, darlin’.”
She released a frustrated sigh and loosened her grip. He pressed her hand to the table, signaling the end of the match and his victory.
But he didn’t release her hand.
He stared at her.
The heat between them was unbearable.
Her eyes were glowing silver as she looked back at him. He knew his were afire too.
He lunged across the table and his free hand fisted in her hair, forcing her lips to his. His mouth devoured hers and she responded in kind. Her lips parted and he tasted her, hungrily, insistently.
He forced himself to pull back amid the thunderous sound of the roars and hoots from his boys. He knew if he didn’t, then he would end up fucking her right there on the table, in front of them all.
He released her suddenly and fell back against his seat, panting frantically.
Before he could do anything, the pack gathered around Cora and lifted her up. They howled wildly and ruffled her hair.
He grinned as he heard her sweet laugh.
The boys had seen their eyes glowing. They’d seen proof that she was their Alpha’s true mate.
And her little demonstration of strength, her wolf-like attitude, had won them over.
They’d accepted her.
Actually, from the looks of the scene in front of him, it was clear it was more than just acceptance.
It was admiration.
They loved her.
15
Cora gazed around in wonder, taking everything in, as she followed Ryan into the garage.
“Wow.”
It was jampacked with some really impressive vehicles. Cars, trucks, and bikes. The latter was what really drew her attention. Dozens of bikes took up the garage real estate. Cruisers. Off-roaders. Sports bikes. An impressive variety of brands. Harley, Triumph, Suzuki, Yamaha.
She approached one in particular that had caught her eye.
“Harley. Sportster Forty-Eight. XL1200X,” Ryan informed her as she ran her hand along it.
“I know,” she said. “It’s gorgeous.”
He mounted it and patted the spot behind him. “Get on. We’ll take it for a spin. It’s daylight. No vamps to worry about.”
She scoffed. “I’m not getting on the back.”
She felt his eyes on her as she walked over to a silver V TWIN. She liked her Harleys. She mounted it and settled herself.
“You don’t want to ride with me?” Ryan asked.
“I want to race you.”
He smirked. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. It’s like that, darlin’.”
“That’s some big talk, Alpha.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll give you a head start.” He told her arrogantly, “It’s only fair. You’re playing with the big boys now.”
She scoffed. “Maybe you should take your own offer. I don’t need it.”
“Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I tried to play the gentleman.” He kicked his bike into gear. “It’s becoming clear that isn’t what you want.”
She started her engine. “It’s not.”
Without giving him warning, she roared out of the garage, kicking up some major dust in her wake.
A couple of hours later, Ryan came to a stop beside Cora at the top of a steep hill that overlooked the city below.
“Fucking hell, woman.”
She shook out her hair. “I told you.”
“I can’t believe you made that jump.”
“It was in my way.”
“It was a wall. You’re supposed to go around it.”
“Like you, you mean?”
“I was caught off guard and worrying about you.”
She climbed off her bike and leaned against it. He rested against his own, his arms folded, as his gaze raked over her, taking in every delicious inch of her.
“You’re full of surprises, Cora. You know that?”
“So are you.”
“Am I?”
“Yeah. Now I’ve come into my supernatural strength, I’m stronger than wolf, Ryan. I put it to the test with Roy during that arm-wrestling match. Fine, you’re slightly stronger, as Alpha. But what I felt from you seemed much more than that.”
“I tried to warn you when you were calling me out in front of the pack.”
“But, how? How are you so much stronger? What don’t I know?”
Ryan folded his arms across his chest and released a heavy sigh. It was time.
His eyes locked with hers. “I am pure wolf, Cora.”
“Pure wolf?”
“Pureblood.”
“Like pureblood vampires, you mean? They’re born vampires, not made?”
“Yes. The same principle.”
Her eyes were wide with surprise. “Huh. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a pureblood wolf. That makes sense. It’s why you’re so strong. There’s no weak side to you, because you don’t have the part-human, part-wolf combo like the others. You’re wholly wolf.”
“Yep.”
“Don’t you have to be royalty to be a pureblood?”
“Yes.”
Incredulity shone in her eyes. “Whoa. So, you’re royal?”
“Correct.”
“A prince, like Luca?”
He shook his head and grinned. “King.” He watched shock flicker over her face. “Lucky you. You get to be mated to the King of the Wolves. And, here you thought, I was merely a lowly Alpha wolf.”
She rolled her eyes. “Your arrogance knows no bounds.”
“Neither does yours, princess.”
She crossed to him and leaned against his bike beside him. “Tell me more,” she urged, looking up at him in wonder. “The whole story.”
He wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close. “My father was King of the Wolves. He was murdered, so the title passed to me about two hundred years ago.”
“Oh my God. How old are you?”
“It’s coming up to my three-hundredth birthday.”
“What? How is that possible? Wolves only live a few years longer than the average human life expectancy.”
“I’m immortal. It comes with the whole pureblood thing.”
“Wow. Okay. I see. Uh… so… how did your father die? You said he was murdered?”
“Nathanial killed him.”
“Luca’s father? The King of the Dark Realm?”
“Yeah. He and my father once ruled the Dark Realm together. Until Nathanial decided that he no longer liked the idea of sharing power. He manipulated my father. He threatened all the wolves under their rule. And my father gave his life to ensure the survival of his species.”
“I’m sorry, Ryan. He turned against your father, just like that?”
“Once it became known that Luca and I shared a mother. She’d been with both of them. Her name was Oriana, a powerful sorceress who served on your father’s court in the White Realm. She was Nathanial’s bride. By vampire law, anyway. He took her by force. She wasn’t his mate. She was—”
“Your father’s?” Cora gasped, pulling away suddenly.
“Yes. When my father found out, he became obsessed.”
“Oh my God.”
“The pull between destined mates is strong, Cora. It can’t be denied.”
“I know,” she murmured quietly. “That’s why you didn’t want me to go to his mansion. It was like history repeating itself.”
He nodded sadly.
“If you’re King, why are you here and not in the Dark Realm?”
“Because I was banished by Nathanial. If I return, it will be a call to war. Before I was banished, his vampire army outnumbered the wolves ten-to-one. I might be strong, but not even I could’ve taken an entire vamp army. I would’ve faced execution if I hadn’t happened to be Luca’s sibling. We were tight back then. Until he betrayed me a couple of years ago. But that’s a story for another time.”
“Where is your mother now? Did she survive the Vampire King’s wrath?”
“She survived. I would’ve felt it if she’d died. But I have no idea where she is. She disappeared after my father was killed. No one knows her whereabouts.”
“Why was I promised to Luca? The White Realm couldn’t have condoned what Nathanial did to your father. Your mother was a member of Vazra’s court, you said. Nathanial killing her mate must have upset relations between the two realms, right?”
“Vazra’s hands were tied. The White Realm wasn’t ready for war back then. He had to promise you to Luca, or Nathanial would’ve gone to war with him. The betrothal wasn’t part of a peace treaty, like Luca told you. It was pure revenge. For what my father did in taking Nathanial’s wife. With him dead, and Oriana MIA, there was only one person left to punish. His son. Me. The sins of the father, and all that.”
Ryan watched her begin to pace up and down. She was clearly trying to absorb the shocking backstory he’d just told her. He understood her distress. It was a lot to take.
“How is it possible that I don’t know any of this? Up until a few nights ago, the only special thing about me was my ability to sense supernatural energy. Well, and being a former Seeker.”
“It seems like your father hid you among humans.”
“To keep me from Luca?”
“Looks like.”
“But Luca found me.”
“He must’ve stepped up his search for you. It’s getting close to your twenty-fifth birthday. If he doesn’t bond with you and take you as his bride by then, it will be too late. The treaty will be void. You will be free.”
“But war will break out?”
“Doubtful. Both the White Realm and the Dark Realm have another threat to worry about right now. A mutual enemy. Michael.”
“That crazed vamp whose supes attacked us?”
“That’d be him.”
She walked back to him and told him urgently, “He said something to me… he said that I am the bridge between the light and the dark.”
Ryan’s brow furrowed. He remembered Michael saying those words to her. “I don’t know what he meant by that. I’m sorry.”
Suddenly her arms gripped his, shaking him urgently. “We need to bond.”
“I know.”
“You know? You knew all this, how urgent it was for us to bond, and you didn’t tell me?”
“You weren’t ready.”
“I thought a wolf’s mindset was just to take?”
“I’m not just looking at you through the eyes of a wolf, Cora. I’m looking at you through the eyes of your mate. It’s the only thing that’s allowed me to hold back with you. The pull between us is intense.”
She smiled at him, seeming touched by what he’d told her. She kissed his forehead chastely and then pulled back to look at him. “I… love you,” she choked out.
His eyes blazed into hers. “As I do you, my love.”
“I want you to take me.”
He glanced up at the sky. Sunset was coming. “We need to hurry.”
She nodded and climbed back onto her bike. As he did the same, he told her, “Not the base. The sexual energy will drive my boys crazy. I know another place.”
16
Ryan locked the door behind them and turned around to find Cora gazing around the log cabin in wide-eyed wonder.
“This is your place?” she asked.
“Yeah. I come here when I need time to think and when I just need some time alone. Being around over a hundred wolves can get a little much from time to time.”
“Yeah, I can imagine.”
He watched her scan the living room, taking everything in. She nodded her understanding as she stared at the living room around her. Oversized couches and armchairs, warm rugs, and a wood-burning fireplace. I
t all emanated a soothing warmth. Just the way he’d intended it when he’d furnished it.
“Come,” he said, taking her hand in his.
He led her upstairs and down the hallway to the last room on the right. He pushed open the door and gestured for her to go on in. A huge, king-sized sleigh bed rested in the corner. As she stared at it, he smelled her fear.
He wrapped her up in his arms. “Relax.”
She shuddered. “I…”
He breathed in her ear, “I’m not him. I know you want us to bond, but if you need me to stop, I will. At any point, okay?”
He felt her body relax at his words. “Okay,” she murmured, releasing a sigh of relief.
Damn, Luca had really done a number on her. He hoped he could put that out of her mind, at least for the most part, by showing her how things could really be when a man did it right, without the duress and intimidation he was sure Luca had used.
He reached out and ran his hands up and down the arms of her leather jacket, easing her into it, letting her get a feel for his touch. She tensed up initially, but, after a few moments, she calmed, loosening up.
He gently eased her jacket off her shoulders and tossed it aside. She gasped as he brushed her hair aside and kissed her neck, her shoulders.
“Yes,” she murmured. “More.”
He eased her around to face him and then he stepped back, his gaze never leaving hers, as he shed his own leather jacket. He pulled his t-shirt over his head, standing before her naked from the waist up.
He watched, spellbound, as Cora took his cue and gripped the hem of her tank top. She peeled it off her body and dropped it on the floor. He swallowed hard as she took off her bra and treated him to the sight of her perfect, perky tits.
The smoldering look in her eyes told him it was time to kick it up a notch. She was ready.
“They’re just begging to be tasted.”
She yelped as he suddenly lunged at her and drove her onto the bed. Before she could catch her breath, his mouth was on her, suckling her left tit. Kissing, licking, nibbling her sensitive flesh, he drove her to a frenzy. He bit down lightly on her nipple, causing her to yelp in surprise. He tended to her right tit and by then she was panting frantically, her nails digging into his biceps wildly.
He pulled back and reached for the belt of his jeans. As soon as he did, Cora’s lips met his chest. He moaned in pleasure as her tongue lapped at his nipples, while her hands explored his abs. Her touch was so soft, so soothing. It possessed his body and his mind.
