by Leia King
Josh approached the bed and grinned. “While you were away the pack took care of some things.”
Ryan smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, come here and learn how to do this.”
“How do you know anything about babies?”
“Before I joined your pack, my old one had a bit of a problem with illegitimate pregnancies. Babies everywhere, Ry. Someone had to step up. I knew you’d be clueless, as soon as Orion shifted back into human form. No one knows how to take care of a wolf better than you. It’s in your damn DNA. But a human form baby? Nope. All bets are off there. Now, watch me. Like this.”
Ryan watched closely as Josh demonstrated how to change his son properly. After, Josh crossed to the cabinet again and took out a tiny, pale blue onesie with a matching hat. He handed them to Ryan and gestured to Orion.
“Dress him. Gently. If you can, with your clumsy, oafish hands.”
“Fuck you, J.”
He stepped up to the task and, a few moments later, he’d conquered it.
“Looks good,” Josh said. “Huh. It seems you’re a natural father after all.”
Ryan gathered Orion up in his arms. “Your mistake was doubting me.”
“By the way, why didn’t you get Cora to show you? Where the hell is she?”
Ryan sighed. “I don’t fucking know. Probably still avoiding me, because I apparently disrespected her in front of you and Nathanial earlier.”
“That was hours ago.”
“Yeah, well. Cora doesn’t take kindly to being ordered around. She’s not wolf. She doesn’t get it. She thinks it’s misogynistic when, really, it’s just the way we do things to keep shit in line and to protect everyone. Even if she were a guy, I would’ve been barking orders.”
“Maybe you should explain that to her.”
Ryan chuckled. “Clearly, I’m never gonna get laid again, if I don’t.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “Really? You’re thinking about your dick right now?”
“It’s been a long-ass time, J. What do you expect?”
“Do you think she… heard us?”
“Heard us?”
“Talking in the mess hall?”
Ryan stopped short. He hoped not, or he was in some major trouble. “Nah, what are the chances?”
An aggressive knock on the door startled them both.
“Yeah?” Ryan called out.
A second later, Roy walked in. His huge, muscle-bound body could barely fit through the door.
“Hey. We… uh… there’s a problem, Ry.” He could barely get the words out. He looked nervous as hell.
“What is it?”
“I was cleaning up a couple of the bikes in the garage and I noticed Cora’s was gone.”
“What? She took her bike out?”
“Looks like.”
“It’s the middle of the fucking night.”
“It seems she is more than just a little pissed at you,” Josh commented. “She must’ve heard us, Ry.”
Ryan growled. “Watch my son,” he said, handing him over gently to Josh. “I’m gonna track her and bring her back here. I’ll drag her ass back here, if I have to. What the hell was she thinking, leaving the compound alone? And this late?”
“You need backup, Ry?” Roy asked.
Ryan shook his head. “No. I’ve got this.”
“Ry, take the vamp with you. His speed might come in handy,” Roy suggested.
Ryan shook his head. “No. I don’t want to involve anyone else in this. This is between me and my wife.”
He couldn’t believe she’d actually snuck out behind his back. Dammit, Cora!
16
Marella kept her gaze steady on Vazra, refusing to show him even a shred of fear.
She was stronger than that, better than that.
He stood before her, threatening her with the ball of magic floating above his palm. He was growing angrier by the second. He’d been at it for hours, trying to torture her. But he’d failed, unable to harm her, because of Cora’s magic. Much to his frustration, he couldn’t breach the protection spell that she’d cast.
She watched him throw the ball of magic her way. It disintegrated before it hit her, a silver, shimmering glow enveloping her. Cora’s protective shield.
Despite her relief at not having to endure any more of Vazra’s sadistic torture, she was fading. She hadn’t had any nourishment for a long while. She couldn’t even remember how long. Her stomach was aching. The baby had to be feeling her weakening state, too. She wanted to sleep. The feeling was overwhelming. But she knew she could not. It was too dangerous in her current state. She might not wake up. The only thing keeping her awake and forcing her to stare down Vazra was the image of Nathanial, her thoughts of him, the man she loved.
“Do you expect to keep me here forever?”
“You will die here, Marella. You have committed treason. You are carrying the Vampire King’s child!”
“How is it treason? We are to unite with the Dark Realm, Vazra.”
Vazra scoffed. “I never intended such a thing.”
“But Cora? Her son?”
“It is not her son who is slated to unite the realms. His destiny is to lead, to unify the people once that has already occurred. My daughter is the one, Marella. Power must be wielded and melded together from both sides. From the Dark Realm, that is Nathanial and Ryan. Nathanial holds the magical ability and Ryan will provide the additional strength required. But on the White Realm side, only one sorceress is powerful enough to wield such magic. Cora. But she will not be doing that.”
“What does that mean? What have you done?”
“Luca will drain her blood tonight.”
“He cannot. She heals too quickly.”
“She has the ability to allow it, if she so wishes.”
Marella felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew exactly what Vazra was saying. It was disgusting. “You will stand by and allow another man to lay hands on her? Your own daughter? After what you did to David, how can you let it happen to her again?”
“That was different. She wasn’t willing. With Luca she will be.”
“The betrothal bond,” Marella realized.
“Yes. She will desire him.”
“It will destroy her marriage to Ryan!”
Vazra looked away briefly, a flash of emotion in his eyes. “You are not in a position to tell me what is right and what is not. You lied to me for centuries. If I had known you were Oriana’s sister—”
“You would have killed me sooner.”
He took her words in and stepped back. He began pacing the dungeon. “Many years ago, I discovered something. A prophecy, if you like. It foretold that the destined mate of my enemy would be the blood kin of one of those closest to me, and that their union would ruin me. Oriana was always my closest advisor, my most trusted ally. But she claimed that she didn’t have a sister. She revealed the truth to me the other day. She’d kept her connection to you a secret, because she’d wanted to wait until Nathanial had found you and fallen for you. She wanted him to feel as she had when he’d ripped her mate from her.”
“You ally yourself with someone who is driven solely by hate and revenge, Vazra. That does not make for a reliable ally. Whatever deal you have struck with her, she will not hold up her end of it. She will betray you.”
Before Vazra could respond, a sudden flash of pure, white light exploded between the two of them. It was blinding. Marella couldn’t see a thing.
She heard Vazra cursing and trying to rip through it.
And then she felt gentle hands on her, freeing her from her restraints.
In a split second, her mysterious rescuer teleported them out of the dungeon.
Unfamiliar surroundings materialized around Marella. She blinked hard and struggled to overcome the effects of teleportation, while in such a weakened state.
She scanned her surroundings quickly. She appeared to be at the edge of a forest somew
here.
“We are in the human realm. The other side of the White Realm gates,” a familiar voice spoke.
She followed the voice and found Shaye on her knees a few feet away. Sweat trickled down her forehead and her hands were shaking.
“Shaye? You rescued me?”
“Yes.”
“How did you overcome Vazra’s magic? It transcends yours tenfold.”
Shaye shakily climbed to her feet and drew in a couple of breaths. “I didn’t overcome it. I went around it.”
Marella was impressed.
She was the Head of the Coven of White Witches and Shaye was a member of that. She knew the extent of the magical abilities of each of her members. Shaye was not in the same class as Cora, the only person who could breach Vazra’s magic. But it appeared that she made up for that with her intelligence and wits. “Well done, indeed. I thank you.”
Shaye smiled. She reached for the collar around her neck, grunting as she gripped it tightly and recited an incantation under her breath. Marella knew it well. Shaye was calling on her own coven and drawing their power to her.
Within a few moments, the collar snapped. Marella gasped as she felt her power being released and reabsorbing into her. It was a heady sensation and she stumbled back, fighting to maintain her footing. Immediately, she felt stronger, rejuvenated.
“Much better.”
“Good. Let’s get going,” Shaye said. “The closer we remain to the White Realm gates, the greater the risk is that Vazra will pull us back in with his burning fire of white light. I really don’t wish to experience the pain of that.”
“Where are we going?” Marella asked, finding herself suddenly ill at ease in a realm that she did not know well at all.
“To the cavalry.”
“By rescuing me, you have committed treason, Shaye.”
“I know.”
“I am sorry.”
“Vazra is not the king I’d thought he was. His rule now jeopardizes the White Realm and our people. It needs new leadership.”
Marella took her words in. “You mean Cora.”
Shaye nodded. “We must hurry. The quicker I get you to the wolf compound and back to Nathanial, the less likely he is to rip apart the very fabric of the realms and force war in his bid to get to you. I know how he is. A lot like Ryan. Once they lose their tempers, all bets are off. And nothing triggers their tempers more than the women they love being in harm’s way.”
“You were in the White Realm this entire time, out of contact with all of us. How did you know?”
Shaye smiled sheepishly. “I have a… connection to Ryan.”
Marella’s brow furrowed. “A connection?”
“He and I were together several times in the past. It enables me to form a one-way connection with him. It was necessary. Please don’t tell him. Or Cora. I doubt very much that she will like the idea of another woman having the same ability to connect telepathically with her husband as she does.”
“I will not breathe a word. I am in your debt, Shaye. If I am ever able to reclaim my place in the White Realm, you will be rewarded for your bravery and loyalty.”
“There is no need. You are revered by all white witches. You are the Head of the Coven of White Witches. It was an honor, Marella.”
Marella nodded. And then she glanced around at their surroundings. Nothing but trees and fields stretching for miles. “How far is Ryan’s wolf compound?”
“Not far. Unfortunately, I cannot teleport us. The new barrier that Vazra has erected over the White Realm is… different. I felt black magic. As soon as we passed through, I had to use all of my strength just to cast the poison out of me. And you can’t assist, because you can’t teleport to a place you don’t know.”
“Black magic,” Marella said, disgusted. It was a violation of the natural laws of magic. “That is Oriana’s doing.”
“It will be her undoing. No one comes back from wielding that type of magic.”
“I fear she has no intention of doing so.”
“What do you mean?”
“This is her last stand. She has come to exact her vengeance and then she will let the black magic consume her in death. Her destined mate is dead. She will never feel complete without him. She welcomes death over an existence plagued by a grief that will never dissipate.”
“She will try to kill you,” Shaye said, the truth dawning on her.
“Yes. To exact her revenge on Nathanial, to have him suffer, as she did.”
“Unfortunately for her, we have the most powerful sorceress in existence on our side.”
“Yes,” Marella breathed. “The White Realm Princess.”
17
“After you, princess.”
She stepped into Luca’s bedchamber, cringing at the sight of the bed, just a few steps away. The red, silk sheets, the drapes hanging down and sweeping the carpet, the over-the-top sensual décor. It was a frigging boudoir, intended for sexual exploits, more than the act of sleep.
She approached one of the erotic statues, a nude woman wrapped in a snake. There were sharp edges to its golden form. With a quick brush of her hand, she managed to cut the palm of her hand.
“Princess?” Luca called out. “You are hurt?”
Of course, he’d smelled her blood. “No. Just a scratch. This statue is sharp.”
“Please be careful.”
The sound of the door closing behind her had her anxiety spiking.
It wasn’t helped by him suddenly bursting forward to stand right in front of her. It was always incredibly jarring when vampires and wolves did that.
“You are nervous?” he asked, gazing down at her.
He’d obviously sensed the racing of her heartbeat.
Fortunately, she could use it to her advantage. To stall him. She was pissed that he’d teleported her away so quickly earlier. Oriana had drawn her blood with her magic, which was what Nathanial needed to track her. But the teleportation would’ve ruined his ability to track the scent. At least, she’d managed to shed blood again.
“Yes. I told you earlier that I’m a little skittish, because of—”
He pressed his finger to her lips. “I remember.” Pain flashed in his eyes. “I cannot bear to hear it again. It was not what I wanted for you. I did not know he would do that. I am sorry. I should’ve had a shorter leash on him.”
She eased his finger off her lips. “It seems to be a pattern. Men think they can just take from me.”
“It is different between us, Cora. You belong to me.”
“I’m a person. Not property.”
He grasped her hand and pressed it to his heart. “I meant, in here.”
“Oh.”
He smiled. “I have wanted you for a very long time.”
“Yeah, you’ve made than abundantly clear.”
Chuckling, he released her hand, telling her, “I have been too aggressive in my pursuit of you.” He fiddled with the zipper of her leather jacket, then slowly began drawing it down. “None of that matters anymore. We are here together now.”
“I am here.”
Nathanial’s voice suddenly sounding in her head startled her. He’d found her! Relief surged through her.
“Princess?” Luca queried, seeing the startled look on her face.
“Brace yourself. This will hurt, but you must not cry out.”
She reacted quickly, fisting her hand in Luca’s shirt and jerking him to her, forcing his mouth to hers. He responded instantly, kissing her aggressively, his hands gripping the back of her head, pulling her closer.
As they kissed, she felt what Nathanial had just warned her about. A searing pain ripped through her entire body. She grunted, trying to hide her agony in the intensity of Luca’s kiss. She cried out a couple of times and Luca ground his dick against her, obviously assuming her cries were cries of excitement.
As she felt his hands on her hips, lifting her off the floor, and carrying her to the bed, everything disappeared.
She rematerialized i
n his ensuite bathroom. It was majorly disorientating. “Shit,” she breathed, looking all around.
Nathanial caught her eye and gestured for her to remain silent. He was leaning against the bathroom door. He peered through the crack.
Following his line of sight, she was more than a little shocked when she saw what he was so focused on.
Luca was making love to… her.
She reached out and mind-linked with Nathanial. “How is this possible?”
“It is an illusion. I created a shadow version of you. I had to tap into your essence, hence the pain.”
Cora cringed as things escalated between Luca and her shadow self. He slipped his hand into her panties and started to work his fingers over her pussy, making her buck against him, and moan out in pleasure.
“Nathanial, can you look away?”
“Rest assured, I am not focusing on the act itself. I am watching for his bite.”
“Why?”
“Back in the Dark Realm, Oriana poisoned Ryan and—.”
“What?”
“I treated him with the antidote, but I kept some of the poison. It was infused with sunlight. I have imbued your shadow self with it. As soon as Luca draws blood, he will become infected. He will believe he has drained the real you and possesses your power. He will return to Oriana and she will use it to try to destroy the Dark Realm. By the time she realizes that she possesses contaminated blood, it will be too late. She will fail and perish at the hands of her own magic.”
Before Cora could respond to his impressive plan, a thunderous roar ripped through the room.
A moment later, Ryan stormed into the bedchamber and ran straight for Luca.
“I will kill you! You think you can force my wife to fuck you?” Ryan thundered, tearing Luca off her shadow self.
“She was more than willing. She wants me. She has grown tired of the rough touch of a wolf!”
Ryan growled a ferocious growl that shook the very room. He hauled Luca to his feet by his neck and slammed him against the wall. “I have the full strength of Wolf King behind me now. I can rip your fucking head from your body without breaking a goddamn sweat!”
Nathanial burst from the bathroom. “Stop!” he shouted.
