TWISTED DESTINY: The Complete Saga

by Leia King

  “If I were truly hurting you, you would know it.” He released her. “I want you gone. Now.” He stepped back from her, putting some much-needed distance between them, unable to endure being so close to her any longer. It was threatening his self-control. The monster was desperate to break free. “You should never have come here. You could not even do me the decency of quietly teleporting here. Instead, you expended as much magical energy as possible by ripping through the very fabric of the realm!”

  “I was in a rush, Nathanial! You were seconds away from killing our son!”

  “A fate that he had brought upon himself!”

  She scoffed, dismissing his remark. “Where did your guards take him?”

  “The Mountains of Exspes at the edge of the realm.”

  She gasped. “The prison of purgatory?”

  He rolled his eyes at her use of such a term. It was what the commoners called it. Such a term should have been beneath the former queen. It was yet further evidence of her complete lack of class.

  “I could not risk detaining Michael inside the castle. As you are well aware, there is potent dark magic running through the castle. My power. He violates the rules of magic without concerning himself with the consequences. He could have attempted to call some of the dark power unto himself, putting everyone here in jeopardy. And, as for Luca, I do not wish to look upon him. I do not want him anywhere near my home. Or, the thrones.”

  “The reputation of the Exspes prison is notorious, Nathanial. Prisoners are sent there to be broken.”

  “He is fortunate that I did not kill him. I showed him mercy that he did not deserve, because of you! The shock of your reappearance sent everything off course.”

  “He is my son, too! You do not decide for the both of us!”

  “You are wasting your energy on the wrong son, Oriana!”

  “Ryan does not need my help.”

  “No, he does not. Because, unlike Luca, he is nothing like you.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Ryan does not possess your temperament, your flawed decision-making. He is very much his father’s son. He has Cornelius’s wisdom. Luca was not so fortunate. He is all you.”

  She fisted her hand in his silk shirt. “Do not mention Cornelius! His name should never cross your lips, Nathanial! How dare you?”

  Nathanial snarled down at her. “I will give you one chance to release me. If you do not, I will break every bone in your hand, whore.”

  Nathanial felt her power rising. Her hands warmed quickly. She was right on the edge of releasing the full furor of her magic upon him.

  They locked eyes and he stared her down.

  He doubted she would actually strike him. She was strong, but she was also very well aware of how great his power was, especially when he was riled up. Furthermore, he was faster and physically stronger.

  She released him with a curse. He watched her turn and start stomping towards the lounge.

  “You do not turn your back on me!”

  But she ignored him and continued on.

  He stood in front of her in a burst of vampire speed, blocking her way to Ryan and Marella at the door into the lounge. But it was too late. The one person Nathanial had wanted to keep her away from spotted her.

  “Mom!” Ryan breathed.

  “Step aside, Nathanial. I wish to greet my son.”

  Nathanial didn’t move. He stood glaring down at her, refusing to give into her demands.

  “Nathanial,” Ryan growled.

  He looked at Ryan and saw he was making a clear demand with a prevalent warning.

  Marella caught his eye. Her soothing voice sounded in his head. I share your concerns, but she has you over a barrel. If you do not allow her access to Ryan, it will prove detrimental to the relationship you are trying so hard to build with him. I am sorry.

  He knew she was right. But he hated it. He hated the entire situation.

  Against all his instincts, he stepped aside.

  The devil woman bounded over to Ryan and threw her arms around him. She held him tightly for a long while. “I have missed you so much, my son.”

  The wolf pup began to emit a low, warning growl.

  Nathanial and Marella exchanged a look. What was he sensing from her?

  “He’s just on edge,” Ryan told his mother.

  “May I?” she asked, gesturing to the pup. “I would love to hold my grandson.”

  Ryan smiled and handed him over carefully.

  “He is only a few days old, yes? How has he shifted into wolf form?”

  “We think it was Luca and Michael’s attack. It must’ve unsettled him.”

  As Nathanial looked on at the scene in front of him, his instincts roared a warning. It was the look in Oriana’s eyes as she held the wolf pup in her arms. She was scrutinizing him, studying him. It was not the look of familial love. Not at all.

  The wolf pup’s growls became ferocious within moments. He swiped at her with his little claws. Despite the size of them, he managed to inflict a deep scratch along her upper arm.

  Ryan rushed forward and took him from her. “Sorry. That’s the first time he’s reacted like that.”

  “No problem. I understand.” Her eyes fell on Marella and she looked her up and down. “You look well, so I can assume you’re not here under duress.”

  “Don’t start,” Marella told her.

  But she did, yelling, “After everything he did to me, you would tolerate his company? My own sister?”

  Marella scoffed. “You and I haven’t been sisters for a long time. You never knew the meaning of family, Oriana. None of this is your business.”

  “You think I don’t know? I know!” Oriana shrieked. “I know you always coveted my husband! Did you finally get your hands on my sloppy seconds, Marella? Is that why you’re here?”

  Nathanial snarled and sped in front of Oriana. “Get. Out.”

  “You do not command me, Nathanial!” she thundered, calling her magic. Both her palms flashed with silver light. Silver light tinged with black slivers.

  “You do not use black magic in my realm, Oriana!” He grasped her wrists, forcing her palms downward, away from everyone within her vicinity.

  Ryan forced his way between them. “Mom, stop. Calm the fuck down,” he urged. He looked at her as he held Nathanial at bay behind him. “We can’t keep reliving the past, or we’re just gonna keep making the same mistakes over and over again.”

  “He killed your father, Ryan!”

  “I know, Mom. I know. But we have to move forward. There’s too much at stake.”

  “How can you say—?”

  “Because my son is the bridge.”

  “I am well aware,” she said tersely, her glare fixed on the wolf pup.

  “Mom?”

  “Your majesty!”

  A call coming from the Great Hall, startled them all.

  Nathanial recognized the voice. His chief advisor, Haraz. “They are here,” he told Oriana.

  She reached for Ryan and ran her hand tenderly along his cheek. “There is so much you do not know, my son.” She shifted her attention to the wolf pup. “I am sorry, but I must do what needs to be done.”

  She enveloped herself in a silver light, teleporting away.

  Nathanial sensed Ryan’s spike of anxiety, following his mother’s ominous words. He looked between him and Marella, asking, “Was that a threat? It sure as fuck sounded like one, right? You know her better than me, though. So?”

  “I—” Nathanial began.

  He was interrupted by Haraz and his three other advisors rushing into the lounge. Haraz fixed him with an intense, expectant stare.

  Nathanial eyed Marella and Ryan. “I must deal with this.”

  Sighing, he ushered his advisors into the Great Hall, bracing himself for the fallout of Oriana’s return.

  He suspected it was just the beginning.

  2

  Marella stood in between the stacks on the second level of the Great Hall.

/>   She held a mammoth volume suspended before her with her magic, as she deftly scanned the pages. She flicked her wrist and the page turned at her command.

  After more than an hour of searching, she’d finally found the book she’d been looking for. Unification: The Bridge.

  Following Oriana’s unsettling parting words to Ryan, she’d realized she needed to know more about the bridge, in order to try to figure out the significance of her sister’s comments. What had they truly meant? What was her end game?

  “Avoiding me, angel?”

  She jumped at the sound of Nathanial’s voice. She lost control of her magic.

  The book started to fall.

  In a burst of vampire speed, Nathanial shot forward and caught it in his strong arms, before it hit the ground and she lost her page.

  Nathanial eyed the title of the huge, leather-bound book. He cocked an eyebrow. “The bridge?”

  “I’m trying to understand more about the significance of Ryan’s son, given what happened earlier. Oriana doesn’t make idle threats.”

  “No. She does not.” He gave the book a light tap and it rose once again, floating before her.

  “Thank you.”

  An awkward silence fell between them.

  It had been an entire day since Oriana had shown up in the Dark Realm so unceremoniously and the two of them had barely spoken. The air was thick with the tension between them.

  Something on the page caught Marella’s eye and she inadvertently broke through the silence in her excitement at finally having found something of note. “Look!” she cried, pressing her finger to the passage in question.

  Nathanial peered over her shoulder and read the passage aloud.

  “Born of both the dark and the white and being a hybrid wolf, the bridge possesses instincts more attuned than any supernatural creature. He possesses the ability to communicate with beings across all realms. The bridge is eternal, not bound by the laws of nature, nor mortality.”

  Nathanial stepped back, shock all over his face. “He cannot be killed.”

  “Given the way he reacted to her, it seems he was recognizing the threat in her. And, like the book says, he picked up on it before any of us, shifting in response. He hasn’t shifted back either. She must still be nearby then. Still in the Dark Realm,” Marella mused.

  Nathanial hastily ripped the book from his own magical hold and held his right palm up to it. He closed his eyes briefly as his palm emanated a black glow.

  The book vanished.

  “Nathanial?”

  “Oriana cannot know any of this. The fact that he cannot be killed. His special abilities. I have hidden the book where she will never find it. I will send my hunters out to locate her. She cannot remain in the realm.”

  As he turned to go, Marella gripped his arm, stopping him. “Wait.”

  He turned back. She must have given herself away, because, he frowned. “What is the matter, angel?”

  “I… I think it best if we… take a step back. For now. Until she’s no longer around.”

  “No,” Nathanial growled. “I will not agree to that.”

  “It is too dangerous right now.”

  “You underestimate both of our abilities, Marella. You give your sister too much credit.”

  “She is using black magic now, Nathanial. That power brings nothing but destruction. The people who wield it are driven by the need to inflict pain, misery, and death.”

  He took her hands and said softly, “Stop this negative talk, angel. I will not allow anything to happen to you.”

  “I’m not worried about me.”

  He chuckled. “While I love you caring about my wellbeing, I am not an easy man to kill.”

  “Nathanial—”

  He silenced her with a deep kiss.

  When they pulled back, she gave his shoulder a slap. “That is cheating!”

  He chuckled. “Perhaps, it is.” His gaze raked over her. “I see you took my advice about the comfortable pants.”

  “It was very good advice,” she said, running her hands over the soft material. They fit her shapely figure perfectly. Not too tight, or too baggy. She’d paired them with a silver, strappy tank that had white flowers adorning the straps. She was dressed a great deal more casual than normal and it had her a great deal more relaxed than normal.

  Nathanial slipped his arms around her waist. “Even dressed down, you are incredibly beautiful,” he whispered in her ear. “So unbelievably sexy.” He licked her neck, causing her to shiver from the sensation. “I can barely be within a few feet of you without needing to take you.”

  “We can’t. Not out here in the open,” she started to protest. “No—oh!” His hand slid inside her pants, making her protests die a quick death.

  His gaze snapped to hers and he grinned wickedly. “No panties, angel? You expect me to walk away now?”

  “Stop changing the subject. I know what you’re trying to do.”

  “And what is that?”

  She thrust both her hands at him, pushing him back. “You’re trying to seduce me into forgetting all about my reservations.”

  “Actually, currently, I am struggling to hold back the desire to play rough with you, after you just laid your hands on me like that. And, I must say, I am so glad to hear that I have so much power over your body and your mind.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Please. You’ve known that since the first time we made love.”

  He winked. “Longer.”

  She grabbed at his shirt and jerked him to her. “It works both ways, Vampire King.”

  “It does, angel.” He looked at her imploringly. “No more holding back, yes?”

  Grasping the sides of his handsome face, she gazed into his eyes. Eyes that held so much adoration for her. And so much hope for what they could be together.

  He had been so incredibly patient, so respectful and gentle with her.

  It transcended all of her reservations, all external influence. Everything.

  He was all that mattered.

  She let her passion for him run wild, smothering his mouth with hers in a rough, frenzied kiss. Summoning just enough of her power, she tore his shirt from his body. She felt him smile against her lips, clearly delighting in her bold move. It had him deepening the kiss, his tongue massaging hers with a desperate fervor.

  She pulled back to trail her tongue slowly down his neck, to his collarbone, his chest. He moaned out. Spurred on, she scraped her teeth over his torso, nipping gently at his pecs, his tone abs. He grunted as she bit down harder, breaking skin.

  “Amazing,” he breathed. “Yes. Bite me.”

  He slapped his hands to the stack behind her, either side of her head, boxing her in. “You bring me to the edge so incredibly quickly, angel. My control shatters.”

  He slipped his fingers into the waistband of her pants, tugging hard and forcing them down to her knees, baring her to him. He slid a finger along her pussy lips, gathering her juices, teasing her entrance. She smiled to herself. Even in his haste to take her, he still made sure she was all right, ready to receive him.

  “Your body craves me, angel. So wet, so eager for my cock to fill you.”

  He slid a thick finger inside her, driving deep.

  She bucked against him. “Yes! More. Please, Nathanial.”

  Her voice was so desperate that she barely recognized it. Her need to have him was almost painful. In that moment, he had complete control over her body and her mind.

  “Beg me again,” he whispered, easing his finger in and out of her excruciatingly slowly, teasing her.

  She threw her head back, whimpering against his torture. “Please! Take me now!”

  He withdrew his finger, making her cry out at the loss.

  Drawing it along her bottom lip, he prodded between them, willing her to open her mouth.

  “Open,” he commanded. “Taste yourself.”

  She parted her lips and he slid his finger inside her mouth. She sucked hard, grinning when she saw what i
t was doing to him. It was all over his face. Dark, fiery eyes flashed at her. He was about to lose control.

  A moment later, he confirmed just that, as he pulled away to rip open his pants. He freed himself, gripped her hips and hoisted her up, driving her down onto his hard cock.

  She cried out at his roughness.

  His gaze snapped to hers and she saw his concern. He was worried he’d hurt her. She’d never been with anyone who even came close to matching his strength and she knew he was aware of that.

  “Fine. I’m fine,” she panted.

  “Angel.”

  “Really. Please. Don’t stop, Nathanial. Fuck me. Give me everything!” she screamed at him. Having him inside her, unmoving, was driving her out of her mind.

  Her words did something to him and, the next thing she knew, he was snarling and vamping out. He was releasing his inner demon. A thrill ran through her as she watched it rise to the surface, watched his features contort and his fangs drop.

  And then he unleashed himself on her.

  He pounded into her furiously, frantically. The stacks shook around them from the force of his strength. He shielded her with his body as books began to fall from the shelves, tumbling down around them. They smacked hard into his back, many massive volumes, yet, he didn’t even react. He was focused solely on her.

  He stilled abruptly. One of his hands, gripping her thighs, left her. She looked up to see him pushing against the stack behind them as it threatened to topple over onto them. It had to weigh more than a ton, yet, he eased it back into place with just one hand, his bicep rippling.

  “Your strength is….” she gasped.

  He lowered them to the floor.

  “What, angel?”

  “A turn-on,” she choked out. She used her power to push him onto his back. She straddled him quickly. “So fucking hot,” she breathed as she eased herself down onto his impressive length. She cried out as the tip of his cock hit that sweet spot deep within. “Yes! Yes!”

  To her surprise, he didn’t try to flip her to regain control. Instead, he leaned forward and clawed at her tank top, shredding through it. Her bra suffered the same fate a second later. His experienced fingers didn’t so much as scratch her flesh at all.