by Leia King
She paused to collect herself and her gaze fell on Nathanial as she said, “Nathanial, King of the Dark Realm, has never wished war upon the White Realm. His agenda is to unite the realms, to form a lasting peace. Not only is he not the villain that Vazra made him out to be, but he is a merciful, generous, and wise ruler. And he will be looked upon as such by our people. My father sought to destroy the Dark Realm with the aid of disgraced sorceress, Oriana. He betrayed Nathanial several times over. We are fortunate that Nathanial showed the White Realm so much restraint or we would’ve faced a destructive war several times over as a result of Vazra’s misguided decisions. This realm needs a ruler who has its people’s best interests at heart. A ruler who doesn’t rule with prejudice or with personal gains in mind. And this court needs a ruler who respects them and recognizes the value of their counsel.” She paused briefly to gauge their reaction. Nathanial’s was the one that stood out. He smiled at her with admiration and gratitude at her having taken the time to publicly vindicate him after so many centuries.
“I’m new to this. I’ve never ruled before and I was never groomed to take the throne. My father wanted to rule eternally. I know I have a lot to learn and that’s why I need your support with what I’m about to say. I need your guidance, your experience. This court is an invaluable tool to me, the most valuable tool. And going forward, I would ask that Nathanial and Ryan attend all meetings of this court if it suits their schedules at the time. The Dark Realm is our greatest ally. What we do affects them and vice-versa. We must be as one.”
“Cora, it would be my pleasure. I had suggested such a thing to Vazra,” Nathanial said. He glanced at Ryan for his agreement and Ryan nodded and flashed Cora a wink.
“Thank you. My proclamation? I will take the throne of the White Realm. I will rule as your Queen. But I will only do so with your support. You all know I possess the power to protect the realm, but I plan to do more than that. I will involve myself with every aspect of the realm and serve our people to the fullest extent of my ability.”
She’d barely finished speaking when everyone rose to their feet and starting applauding wildly. She just managed to stifle a laugh when she heard a wolf-whistle of support from Ryan.
She couldn’t believe it. She’d expected some resistance, given how new she was to all of it. But there was nothing but support from every single member of the court.
When the applause finally ceased and they all returned to their seats, Marella told her, “The best way for a ruler to learn is on the job.”
“The throne is your birthright,” Asha said. “You are our rightful Queen, Cora.”
“And she’s the only one who has the power to keep the realm safe,” Shaye added.
“We will arrange the coronation ceremony for one week from now,” Marella said, eyeing Asha.
Asha nodded her agreement.
“Following your official inauguration as Queen, I want us to unite the realms,” Nathanial announced, his confident, commanding baritone filling the room.
“That’ll be my first act as Queen,” Cora assured him. “It’s already been too long coming.”
As Cora fielded a few more questions, she caught Nathanial looking at her intently. It was as though he was scrutinizing her. He wasn’t reading her thoughts. She would’ve felt his intrusion in her head. But it looked as though he wanted to. What was he up to?
It wasn’t long before the meeting was concluded. Everyone was excited about the turn of events. Asha and Shaye were engrossed in conversation. Ryan was chatting away with Marella. And Nathanial had slipped away to God knew where. She wasn’t surprised. Vampires were notorious for being in one place one moment and slipping away the next.
She decided to take the opportunity to get some fresh air and some alone time. She walked out of the room and down the corridor until she reached the steps outside that led down to the gardens below. She leaned against the wall, looking out over the gardens and heaved a sigh.
“Being a ruler is a great responsibility,” a voice came from behind her suddenly.
She spun around to see Nathanial standing there regarding her curiously, his arms folded across his chest.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” she responded a little tersely. She was becoming increasingly aggravated by his intrusive looks.
“You will need help. Marella and Asha have centuries of experience you can use.”
“I know, Nathanial. Thank you for your advice,” she said dismissively. She moved to turn away but, in a sudden rush of vampire speed, his hand gripped her wrist, holding her still as he invaded her personal space.
“I know of your meetings.”
“What?”
“Kristoff. Michael. Davidas.”
Oh shit. “You’ve been spying on me?”
“I keep a close eye on all developing situations. It is both my prerogative and my responsibility as ruler of the Dark Realm.”
She pulled her arm from his grip. “What was discussed in those private meetings isn’t your business.”
He regarded her calmly for a moment before telling her, “Your father kept many secrets, Cora. As such, I was never able to trust him, something that made things very difficult between us and the realms we governed. It was a concern to me. But never a grave concern, because I always knew that his magic could never overpower mine. With you, that is clearly not the case. Your power is beyond mine.” He leaned in close, his fiery, red eyes boring into hers as he added, “So you can imagine the depth of my concern now, to know that you are keeping secrets already.”
Her gaze softened. He was right. She understood where he was coming from. “My secrets are to protect you and Ryan.”
“Secrets protect no one, Cora.”
“In this case they do, Nathanial,” she shot back.
“I could understand if you were only keeping this from Ryan, given his distaste for Davidas, especially, and given his infamous temper. But the fact that you are keeping it from me is concerning. If I didn’t know better, I’d have to assume you were plotting against the Dark Realm.”
“Nathanial—”
“Why else would the soon-to-be Queen of the White Realm be keeping a secret from both the Dark Realm Kings?” he challenged.
“I’m keeping it from everyone.”
“Except for the three most untrustworthy beings in all the realms.”
“All three of which only respond to power, which is something I have a great deal of and something that ensures their loyalty to me and, thus, their discretion.”
“Davidas supplied you with faerie magic. The other two… both wielders of black magic….” Nathanial mused aloud. His eyes flashed with realization. “This is about Oriana!”
Dammit! She didn’t respond. She watched him step back and begin to pace up and down in front of her.
“You have not made your peace with the events that led up to your death as you have led Ryan and the others to believe,” he accused.
As much as Cora tried to tell herself to shut the hell up, she couldn’t contain the rage bubbling up inside her at Nathanial’s mention of her death. “She took my life!”
Nathanial’s gaze snapped to hers. “Vengeance is fury fueled by pain and fear. Once you allow it to seep into your consciousness, it grows and grows. You believe you will destroy the source of it, Oriana herself, but that is not how the world works, Cora. You will only destroy yourself. You must let it go. It will twist your thoughts. The fact that you met with the three of them only supports my claim. They are all dangerous men, driven only by their own selfish agendas. And Davidas? He took you against your will, yet you are so desperate to get back at Oriana that you allowed him back into your life.”
“You want her dead as much as I do. It wasn’t long ago that you were training me to kill her.”
“With a clear mind, Cora. Not like this. Rage and notions of vengeance will destabilize your magic, just like they did with Vazra. That is why your murdered him, your father. You lost control. You cannot deny it to me.
I watched you that night. I saw the look in your eyes.”
“I’m beyond that now. I can maintain control no matter what I am feeling.”
Nathanial cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “Is that so?”
“Yes, it’s true. I learned a lot being dead. I see everything now. I know where Oriana is. And I will kill her. You know my secret now, so this discussion is over.”
She moved to pass him but his hand shot out suddenly and swept across her belly.
“You would risk this?”
She looked up at him, startled. “What?”
“You are with child.”
“How did you—?”
“Oriana used this exact spell to keep her pregnancy with Ryan secret from me. I know it well and I can see through it with the greatest of ease. I see the swell of your belly, while everyone else sees nothing. A baby girl. You are already quite far along. You need a significant amount of magic to sustain her, Cora, given that she is part wolf, just like Orion. Taking on Oriana is a risk. Is that why you have not told Ryan of your plans?”
Cora breathed a sigh of defeat. “Yes. And I know how close you are to him, so it’s why I kept it from you too. Nothing to do with politics, Nathanial.”
He smiled. “Well, I am relieved of that. But you cannot do this without telling him. What if you lose the child?”
She pulled away, offended by the suggestion. “I won’t. I’m no longer the naïve little woman I was when I first met Ryan.”
“Oh, I am well aware of that, Cora. I noticed the change in you immediately when you returned.”
She took his words in, startled by his perceptiveness. But she recovered quickly and said, “Oriana will die tonight. And we’ll all be celebrating by morning.”
Before Nathanial could utter another word, she teleported away.
21
“You’re sure about this?”
Ryan looked up at Cora, smiling at her question.
He was shirtless, only wearing a pair of boxers. His wrists were cuffed to the bedframe above his head with her straddling him.
“It’s what I promised you.”
“I know, but—”
“You wanted to take control in bed, didn’t you?”
She nodded.
“Then have at it,” he told her, releasing a calming breath in an effort to relax. He’d never given up control before, not to any woman. He was more than a little nervous and he knew Cora was picking up on it and that was what was making her so hesitant.
Despite his reservations, he wanted to give this to her. They’d fought long and hard over this very issue and he wanted to show her that she was his equal, that she could take control just as much as he could. He understood how important it was to their marriage that he did it for her. He just had to keep reminding himself to let her continue, no matter what, and to not break the cuffs, which he’d be able to do with the greatest of ease. No restraints could hold him now. His strength as Wolf King was such that he could even break silver restraints if he needed to. And the cuffs Cora was using were flimsy at best, actually his play things.
He watched as she lifted her white tank top over her head, freeing her gorgeous tits. Immediately, he pulled against his restraints, wanting to touch them, to put his mouth on them. Fuck. She smiled with amusement and leaned down to kiss him. There was nothing sweet or gentle about it as she took his mouth in a hard, brutal kiss. She didn’t give him a chance to catch his breath as her tongue forced its entry, tasting him, devouring.
When she finally pulled back, he was panting with desperation at her teasing. He wanted her so badly, needed to touch her and take her as his. He resisted. She was in control, not him. Fuck. It was more difficult than he’d imagined.
She smiled slyly at him, causing him to wonder what the hell she was about to do. He’d never seen such a fiery, dangerous look from her before.
And then she did something that he’d never expected.
She raked her sharp nails along his skin, starting with his neck, then his collarbone, his chest, pressing down hard, almost enough to draw blood, at a slow, torturous pace. He couldn’t help himself. He writhed beneath her as she set every fucking nerve ending on fire, triggering so many delicious sensations that he couldn’t hold still. She was playing with him like a wolf would. He knew she was demonstrating that she could give him exactly what he wanted, that she could fuck just like a wolf. That she could be everything he needed.
She stopped at the waistband of his boxers.
And then she crawled back up his body.
Her mouth and tongue traced her earlier path, soothing the sting of the blood-red marks that her nails had etched into his skin. He moaned in pleasure at the feel of her hot, wet tongue all over his upper body.
He wanted her tongue, her mouth, on his cock. Now! He had to fight every instinct not to break the cuffs and make it happen.
“Patience, baby,” she teased, sensing his need.
“Cora—” he tried to protest.
She smiled with amusement. “Tell me what you want,” she commanded.
So, that’s how it was? Fine, he’d play. “I want that talented mouth of yours wrapped around my fucking cock,” he said, his words escaping in a breathless, desperate groan.
Her eyes flashed with a sense of victory, knowing that she had him at her complete mercy.
She hooked her fingers into the waistband of his boxers and tugged hard, drawing them down just enough to free his throbbing cock, but not enough to free his legs.
Her tongue swirled around his head. Once. Twice.
And then she stopped and looked at him. “Is this what you want?”
He nodded.
“I didn’t hear you.”
“Yes. I want your mouth,” he panted.
She still didn’t move. Instead, she continued to stare at him expectantly.
It took him a moment to realize what she wanted. Him begging her. “I need your mouth. Please. Take my cock.”
“Mmm. That’s better,” she said, stroking his shaft up and down.
And then her mouth was on him, her moist lips smothering his cock as she took him all the way to the back of her throat, swallowing the entire length of him.
“Oh, fuck!” he cried out. “Yes, darlin’.”
She found her rhythm quickly, massaging his balls as she sucked him off. He was so turned on by the sight of her mouth sliding up and down his cock, at being unable to do anything but lie there and take it, that he felt his imminent release building already. Fucking hell. She didn’t stop. He couldn’t take it anymore and he thrust his hips up, driving his cock deep. He was so close, so fucking close.
And then she pulled back.
He growled in protest.
“You’re gonna kill me,” he choked.
She responded with a little chuckle and then straddled him. He watched her push the scrap of material passing for panties aside. And then she lowered herself onto his cock and took him in one sudden motion, driving him deep within her, which was quite a feat, given his size. They both grunted at the sensation. He expected her to still for a while to adjust to his invasion. But she didn’t.
She started to ride him hard and fast, lifting almost all the way off his cock and slamming back down again. It was exquisite torture and he growled with her every brutal thrust.
“Fucking hell,” he rasped, throwing his head back.
She dug her nails into his chest and he relished the sweet burn against the incredible pleasure of her slick walls milking his cock.
Leaning forward, she flipped open the latches on both his cuffs, freeing his hands. He lowered them to his sides and eyed her expectantly, knowing better by now than to touch her without her permission. It was her way. And he was enjoying this game of hers immensely. She was so damn good at it.
“Touch me,” she commanded. “Make me come.”
With pleasure. He snaked one arm around her waist, steadying her on his cock as she continued to fuck him like an animal. His free hand slid do
wn to her clit. She cried out as his expert fingers tended to her. He teased her tits with his tongue and teeth, driving her into a frenzy. She ground down harder on his cock and it took everything he had to hold back his release. He wanted her to come first. He stepped up his torture on her pussy.
It wasn’t long before he felt her clench around him. She screamed wildly as her orgasm hit. The pressure of her intense grip was such that he couldn’t hold back any longer. He roared as he came with her, pumping his release deep inside her.
She lifted herself off his cock and collapsed on top of him.
“Fuck, Cora. I didn’t know you had that in you,” he choked out as he wrapped his arms around her.
She looked up at him and grinned. “You like me taking control,” she accused.
“Any time you want. Any fucking time.”
Her expression changed, becoming serious as she said, “You know how much I love you, right?”
“Yes, of course. What’s wrong, my love?”
“Nothing, I—”
“I know you haven’t forgiven me for Jada.”
“What?” she asked, taken aback.
“It’s okay. I get it. It’ll take time.”
She climbed off him and pulled the covers up to her chest protectively. “It’s not… you. It’s her. Oriana. She did this. She’s the one I can’t forgive.”
He sat up with her and pulled her into his embrace. “I know. I feel the same way. I’m sorry, Cora. I wish more than anything that none of that had ever happened. But it did and we can’t take it back.”
She nodded sadly. “I know. You’re right. I’m sorry too. About Luca.”
“It wasn’t you. It was the effect of the betrothal bond. He told me the other day.”
Her gaze snapped to his. “He did?”
