by Leia King
Cora chuckled. “The best part was the look on Michael’s face when he landed on his ass, after I shot him with a bolt of power.”
“It has been too long since he has come up against magic stronger than his,” he said, watching her rest the mug on her lap. “Drink up, Cora. You need to relax for the baby.”
“I know. You’re right. I promised Ryan I’d take care of our son while he was away.” She brought the cup to her lips, drinking the liquid quickly.
“Cora?” he spoke, his tone of voice changed.
She turned to him in surprise. A warm haze washed over her. It took her over quickly. Her conscious mind began to fade away, pulling her into some sort of strange dream-like state.
David watched Cora’s eyes glaze over with that familiar haze.
“Everything okay, my sweet?” he asked softly. He made sure to keep his gaze steady when he gently took the mug from her and placed it down on the floor.
She nodded placidly. “Wonderful.”
He tucked her silky, black hair behind her right ear and leaned into her, his lips just inches from hers. “Would you like me to kiss you now?”
“Yes. I would like that.”
His lips brushed hers.
As soon as she responded, he deepened the kiss. Her mouth opened for him and he thrust his tongue inside, taking her ravenously.
He pulled back and commanded, “Let me see your stunning breasts.”
She lifted her tank top over her head. As soon as her breasts came into view, his mouth was on her, tasting her left peak. She moaned in pleasure, his tongue lapping at her nipple and coaxing it to a stiff point of arousal, as his hands kneaded her sensitive flesh.
“Good girl. I love your sweet little moans. You want me to take you, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me, Cora. Say the words.”
“I want you to take me, David.”
“Mmm. I want that too.” He drew back. “But, first, I have a gift for you.”
“What is it?” she asked, excitedly.
“A mark. In the human realm, you call it a tattoo. It’s imbued with powerful faery magic. It will protect your child, my sweet.”
He pressed his hand gently to her pregnant belly, surprised to find that she was already so far along. It had to be her power. It was bringing the baby to term quickly. He had to act fast, because, from the looks of it, she could give birth to the accursed hybrid child any day.
“Stay still,” he commanded, calling on his magic. She hissed and flinched as he burned the mark into her. But she made no move to pull away. She couldn’t. He had ordered her to remain still. “Good girl.”
As he worked his spell on her, he tried hard to resist the urge to lick her gorgeous breasts that were just inches from his mouth, tempting him, taunting him. There would be plenty of time for that.
He pulled back after a few moments and gazed triumphantly at the glowing, silver star etched into her skin. He watched the glow fade, the magic absorbing into her. Sitting back, he told her, “You will not remember me anointing you with this gift, princess. Do you understand?”
“Yes. I understand.”
“Good girl.” He cupped both her breasts in his hands. “Now, where were we?”
A sudden, aggressive knock on the door startled him.
He pulled back abruptly and shot a bolt of magic at the door, locking it.
“Cora, why is this door locked? Open it! It’s Josh!”
David rolled his eyes at the aggravating interruption. He took Cora’s hand in his. “Get dressed, my sweet. I sat with you and we talked. That is all. Repeat it back to me.”
“You sat with me and we talked. That’s all.”
“Yes. Very good.”
He watched her get dressed and then sit back down on the edge of the bed.
He stood up and snapped his fingers at her. She came out of his trance.
As she shook her head to dispel her disorientation, he used the opportunity to release the magical locked he’d placed on the door.
It came flying open a second later. Josh burst in, looking anxious. Stupid wolf.
“What’s wrong, wolf?” David asked.
Josh growled at him and turned his attention to Cora. “Everything okay in here, sweetheart?”
“Yes, fine,” she said, smiling.
“You’re sure?”
“She just told you as much. You are paranoid, wolf.”
Josh’s eyes narrowed at David.
The goddamn faery was asking for it. He should rip his fucking head from his body.
Unfortunately, he knew he couldn’t. The asshole was connected to the King of the White Realm. Killing him would be a huge deal and it would come back on all of them, especially Ryan. There was something off about the asshole. He was sure of it. He just couldn’t figure out what. Yet.
“I need to talk with Cora,” he told the prissy bastard.
“Don’t let me stop you.”
“In private.”
The faery looked to Cora. “Princess?”
“Yes. Please leave us.”
Much to Josh’s satisfaction, the faery’s surprise and irritation was all over his face at being asked to leave. He glared at him fiercely as he strolled by and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Josh stayed rooted to the door.
“You can come a little closer, Josh. I’m not going to hurt you,” Cora teased him.
He shook his head. “Only Ryan can be close to you in your bedroom. That day when you were in pain from your migraine attack and a bunch of us rushed in here? It took him hours to get over it, and that had been an emergency.”
“I see. Wow. Okay, then.”
“You shouldn’t let that faery into your bedroom.”
“Excuse me?”
“I trust you. Ryan trusts you. It’s the faery who can’t be trusted.”
“He’s tasked with protecting me right now because of my father’s aggravating stubbornness. That’s all, Josh. But I know how wolves are. I won’t let him inside here again. Okay?”
“Good. Yeah. That’ll go a long way to putting my mind at ease.”
“You’re a good friend to Ryan.”
“He’s a brother to me. And, as his mate, you’re like my sister. To the entire pack, actually. I’m saying this for your protection.”
Cora smiled. “I’ve missed all of you.” She looked down sadly. “And I miss him, Josh.”
“I know. Me too.”
She let out a tired yawn.
“You okay? Are you getting enough sleep? I can keep the boys quieter, if they’re keeping you awake. I know we’re loud sometimes.”
“No. You guys are fine. Sorry, I don’t know why I’m so tired again already. I’ve slept a ton.” She shrugged. “I guess, it’s just the pregnancy.”
Josh studied her with concern. No, it seemed like it was more than that. She had a lot of power, which should be offsetting a lot of the normal wolf pregnancy symptoms that he’d witnessed in others over the years. He needed to speak to Shaye. Dammit. Why had she left so quickly? He remembered her saying something about running an errand for Ryan? What goddamn errand?
“All right. Get some rest, sweetheart. I need to leave the compound for a few hours. I’ll leave Roy and Ben in charge. If you need anything, let them know.”
“Okay,” she said, settling herself in the bed. “I’m just going to sleep for a little while.”
Josh watched worriedly as she fell asleep immediately.
He left the room and closed the door behind him. Shit. He had to reach Shaye ASAP.
14
Luca ripped his fangs from the neck of the sexy, blonde human who was now nothing more than another corpse that he’d drained dry. He pushed her off the bed and her limp body fell among the three others littering the bedroom floor.
“Better now?”
Luca’s gaze snapped to the door. Michael stood in the doorway, eyeing him curiously.
“No,” Luca snarled. “I need
more.”
After fleeing the vampire mansion, Michael had taken Luca to his home. Luca had passed out several times on the way over. When they’d arrived, he’d needed Michael to force-feed him his first human. He'd had to drain several more to recover from his father’s brutal attack. Since recovering his strength, he’d been in a state of barely-contained rage. Even brutally murdering several humans had done little to subdue his anger over what his father had done to him. Draining him of his blood? Another vampire? His son, even? It was the ultimate disrespect.
“I have Vivian here, if you would like to take her now.”
“I am not in the mood to fuck, Michael. I need to hunt. I need to kill.”
All he could think about was his murderous bloodlust, the overwhelming need to kill and destroy everything in his path. He would leave a trail of bodies in his wake, making his murderous rampage as public as possible. How would his father like that? He would abhor it. The risk of exposure would drive him to distraction. He deserved it. He deserved to suffer for what he’d done.
Not only had he viciously attacked him, but he’d also rescued his enemy. He’d actually chosen Ryan’s wellbeing over his own son’s.
“We must be cautious right now, Luca. A hunt will expose us. You must satisfy your rage with the ones I bring you. They are carefully selected to avoid drawing attention.”
Luca let out a frustrated snarl. “You try my patience, Michael!”
“And you try mine with your lack of self-control. If we keep our eye on the prize, we will have our revenge soon enough. You need to take comfort in that.
“Fine,” Luca muttered. “You are right.” All the while Nathanial remained in the human realm, they were under threat, because there was no vampire more powerful than him.
“I have my wolves out searching for Ryan and your father, as we speak. When Nathanial grows weak enough for us to stand a chance of besting him, we will strike. As you know, the longer the Vampire King is away from the Dark Realm, the more it will wear on his strength and formidable abilities. Keep in mind that Ryan will not suffer the same fate. He will still remain a significant threat.”
Luca scoffed. “I can take Ryan.”
“Don’t be so impetuous. His strength only grows, Luca. And, as long as he remains in such close proximity Nathanial, that will continue to be the case. They are both the rightful rulers of the Dark Realm and, as such, they are stronger together. Fortunately for us, Nathanial is not used to the human realm, so he will still become weaker in spite of his proximity to Ryan.”
Luca growled. “I will not wait too long, Michael.”
“We won’t need to. Nathanial has already expended a great deal of power when he teleported all the way from the Dark Realm, into this one, to rescue the wolf. Be patient. I promise you, Nathanial and Ryan will fall. And then, you and I will take the Dark Realm.”
15
Shaye approached the cavern carved into the edge of the cliff down by the beach.
It was a place only visible to supernatural beings. To the human eye, there was no cavern, the cliff appearing wholly solid.
Just behind her, the waves crashed against the shore with a thunderous roar. The sun was high in the sky and it beat down on her mercilessly. Fortunately, the White Realm robes she wore were helping her to withstand the sweltering heat.
The moment she arrived at the cavern entrance, she felt a mammoth surge of magic. She stopped in front of a shimmering magical barrier before her. She knew she could pass through it with ease, but doing so would be disrespectful to the beings within. It was their home, not hers. She needed to wait for their invitation.
Two beings stepped forward, their faces hidden by the oversized hoods of their golden robes. Warlocks. They nodded at her in greeting.
“Do you have what I seek?”
They each held out a palm.
Shaye smiled when she saw the two rings.
They were a bright golden shade with dark brown lines encircling them. The marks of the earth itself.
“Perfect,” she breathed in awe. “Let us discuss payment.”
They shook their heads. The taller of the two spoke. “Gifts for the Wolf King and the White Realm Princess to celebrate the imminent birth of the bridge.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking the rings. “Wait. Imminent birth?”
“A matter of days,” the smaller man responded.
Before Shaye could utter another word, they disappeared back inside the dark cavern.
She sighed and turned on her heel, stowing the rings in the pocket of her robes.
As she made her way back across the beach, she felt a rush of dark energy.
“Shaye!”
She spun around to see Josh running towards her, coming from the other side of the beach. “Josh? What is it? Is it Ryan?” she asked, surprised to see him so far from the wolf compound.
The instant he reached her, she sensed the extreme anxiety radiating off him.
“Josh?” she pressed, worriedly.
“It’s Cora.”
“The baby?”
“David. He’s doing something to her. I’m not sure exactly what, but my instincts are never wrong. Plus, I sensed a strong sexual energy coming from the bedroom. David had been right there with her at the time.”
“Cora is devoted to Ryan. I really don’t think—”
“Against her will, Shaye!” Josh cried. “She was fine a few minutes before she went to her room. But, when I went to check on her and found him with her, she was suddenly exhausted. Even pregnant, she shouldn’t be tired. She’s carrying a wolf child. She should be energized.”
Shaye felt sick at the suggestion that David was possibly taking Cora against her will. Sick for Cora and for Ryan. She took a moment and racked her brain, trying to determine how it could be possible, if it was truly possible. If Josh had sensed sexual energy, she didn’t doubt that something had happened between Cora and David. A wolf was never wrong about that sort of thing. “If he’s spelling her, someone with her power, he would need—oh!”
“What? What is it?”
“The tea!”
“Tea? Yeah, I remember seeing a cup on the bedroom floor with leaves in it. What about it?”
“When we were in the White Realm, he made her the same tea. Ryan asked me to check out one of the leaves. He was suspicious of David. With everything that has been happening, I haven’t been home yet to check in with my coven to see if they’ve figured out what the leaf is.”
“Then let’s head there now.”
“I can teleport us there, but it will make you sick.”
Josh offered her his hand. “I’ve been through a hell of a lot worse.”
Shaye took his hand. “As you wish. Don’t let go.”
“Got it.”
She heard a buzzing sound and he pulled back.
“Sorry. One second,” he said, fishing his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans. She saw him glance at the call display. “It’s one of the wolves. They’re under my care right now. I need to take this.”
“Yes. Of course.”
He answered, barking, “Yeah?” She saw him frown. “What? Roy, relax. I’m not Ryan. Just spill it. What’s wrong? Say that again. Cora’s gone? Shit! She must’ve teleported. Ryan’s gonna kill us all! No! Don’t move. Just keep that faery fucker there. What? He went after her?” He scrubbed his hand over his face and took a deep breath. “Look, she probably left to find Ryan. She’s carrying his child. Because it’s a wolf, the need to be near him right now will be overwhelming. The wolf will demand it and she will be feeling its cravings to be near its father. We’ve seen it before with other wolf pregnancies. Stay where you are. Keep the wolves safe in my absence. I’m with Shaye. We’ll find Cora.”
He hung up and turned back to her. “Shit. This is bad.”
“I’ll see if I can tap into her essence and locate her,” Shaye offered.
“Hurry. Every second she’s outside the wolf compound, she’s in danger. Michael and Luca
are all gunning for her. Plus, if we don’t find her before Ryan gets back, he’ll rip my head off.”
16
Cora strode into Ryan’s bar.
It seemed so different. It was deserted and deathly quiet. Little had she known the turn that her life had been about to take when her eyes had met Ryan’s across the room that night. She smiled to herself, as she recalled their first conversation. Full of tension and antagonism. They’d come a long way since then.
“Ryan!” she called out, walking the length of the bar.
There was no answer. Her heart sank.
She’d woken up a couple of hours ago with an overwhelming need to be near him. She’d felt that need growing before he’d left the White Realm a few days ago. But it’d become unbearable.
She didn’t understand it.
She loved Ryan, but she wasn’t a needy person. She liked her independence.
It was like some sort of addiction, or obsessive dependence. A craving. She couldn’t control it. She’d tried for an entire hour before it had finally become too much and she’d willed herself out of the wolf compound so that she could look for him. To her surprise, her will had become reality and she’d actually teleported herself to the forest flanking the wolf compound. It was yet another ability she’d discovered.
As she opened the door to Ryan’s apartment, an awful, sharp pain shot through her belly.
“Shit,” she rasped, throwing out her hand and grabbing the doorframe to steady herself.
It stopped after a few seconds and she breathed a sigh of relief. She made her way over to the couch.
And then it happened again.
Worse than before. Excruciating.
She collapsed onto the couch and lifted her tank top to get a look at her belly.
What the hell?
A glowing, silver mark was etched into her skin. It look like some sort of weird tattoo. A star?
She touched it and it burned like a bitch. Hissing, she pulled her hand away and lowered her top.
Brutal pain shot through her belly again. It escalated rapidly, continuing on and on, until she was screaming out in agony. “Help! Help me! Ryan!”
