A Crown of Blood and Bone: Paranormal Romance (The Shadow Walkers Saga Book 1)

by Sloane Murphy

  "You don't get to ask that of me. If you're here, then you know. You know that Ben was killed, who he was to me. My family. Lycans and Dracul banded together to attack us at my family home, Roman. It cannot go unanswered."

  "I know that, I've spent the last three days looking into what the hell is going on. They are the pack deserters, banding together with the rogue Dracul. Something is being planned, but the secret’s kept so hidden, I haven't unraveled it yet, but my instincts are screaming that something is going to go wrong. You need to stay home. Or come with me. But you cannot join the hunt tonight."

  "No, Roman. That isn't who I am. I'm not going to let my family walk into this without me. Especially if it’s an organized thing like you suggest."

  "I said no, Remy," he roars. I slam the mug down on the counter, and it falls to the floor, shattering as I turn to him, my rage rising.

  “You knew who I was, what I was when you took me as your mate. Bond or not, I’m not going to change. This is who I am Roman. You either love me as I am, or you reject me. We have not renewed the blood bond in this life. You do not have to stay if you cannot accept the life I choose.”

  “And what of the others. Have they accepted you as you are? Do they not object to you throwing yourself into this mess?”

  “Kain respects my decisions. He never asked me not to go, because he knows who I am and would never ask me to change. And Creek might not be happy with my choice, but he would not tell me what to do as you are trying to."

  "And they accept sharing you?"

  “You know they do. Kain was always aware, and now so is Creek. You saw it for yourself. I love them both, just as I love you despite our bond not having been sealed. The choice is yours, if you can accept me as I am, with them, I will not force it. Just as you cannot force my decision here”

  “And if I want you to myself? My wolf doesn’t share well. He also doesn't like the thought of you in danger.”

  “Then you and your wolf need to have a talk and sort your shit out. This is my life, Roman. I will not have it dictated to me. Not anymore. I have made my decision.”

  “Those decisions could get you killed!” he roars, but I refuse to back down.

  “They could, but if that happens, I know that I died being true to myself, not bending to the wills of others. I want you in my life, Roman. You just have to decide if you want to be a part of it.”

  He growls and paces in front of me. “Fucking woman. I should bend you over my god damn knee.”

  I throw my hands in the air, because I swear to god this domineering, alpha asshole is pushing me to my limit, though I won’t lie. The thought of him spanking me doesn’t exactly turn me off.

  “I’d like to see you try it,” I taunt him, playing with his control and knowing damn well I’m going to lose and end up with an ass as red as my blood.

  Roman stops dead in his tracks, his body goes eerily still but for his chest heaving with the exertion of retaining his dominion over me and over himself.

  “What did you just say to me, princess?” he asks rhetorically, I think. His devastatingly handsome face slowly turns to face me, eyes boring into mine as though my taunting him is inconceivable.

  “You heard me, Roman,” I tell him, pushing the pieces of the shattered mug to the side with my foot and stepping over the spilled coffee, “I said,” taking two more steps closer to his humming body, fists clenched as his sides, a snarl inching up the side of his lip, “I’d like to see you tr—" I don’t get chance to finish my phrase, of course, and in an instant I’m shoved up against the wall, his body flush with my now naked chest. Looking down at where my shirt has completely flown open, he grins like the killer I know he is, like a predator about to devour his prey. Like an alpha about to exert his control.

  And I just might let him.

  “Do you know what happens when you play with my wolf, princess?” he asks and I know for a fact that’s rhetorical but screw it, I want his beast to come out and play. “I get bitten?” I ask, leaning in and licking the seam of his mouth.

  That’s all it takes for him to pick me up and walk us the few steps to the sofa where he sits with me across his lap, my ass high in the air, my head practically hanging by his thigh. My ass is bare, no underwear, no bra, just a billowy shirt that offers zero protection from his large, calloused hands.

  “What are you doing?” I squeal as I try, though not very hard, to get out of his grasp.

  Gathering a handful of hair in one hand, he pulls it to side and tells me, “Watch me punish you,” and memories of Kain punishing me with his tongue flash across my mind. My males love to think that making me come is a punishment. Silly, boys.

  With his other hand, he pulls down my shirt until my arms are held prisoner by the cuffs. Making quick work of the material, he knots my wrists together and warns me, “That’s because you defy me.”

  I can feel my wetness crawling down my thighs. His voice, the low baritone of his desire for me caressing my skin with each syllable.

  Taking a deep breath in, he chuckles. “You’re wet, princess. My little warrior likes to be tied up and helpless,” he taunts, firing me up with words that paint me as weak. I’ll show him, weak.

  Arching my back to jump off his lap, I feel the first sting of his large calloused hand. Slap. And it hurts so good. My ass cheek aflame with the sudden, harsh contact.

  “That’s because you dare talk back to me when all I want is to protect you.” I’m panting, fighting my natural urge to demolish the threat and my sudden desire to beg for more.

  Roman slides his palm across my burning cheek, down between my globes and dips a finger inside my pussy, growling when all he finds is my warm juices. I’m so turned on, right now, I couldn’t hide it even if I wanted to. And I don’t ever want to hide my need from Roman.

  I’m practically purring as his finger thrusts deep inside me that I don’t register the second contact. Slap.

  Oh, mother of all that is carnal, I want to rub myself on his thigh, brand him with my scent but mostly get some friction on my clit. I want to come so badly already; I can almost feel the pain of it. Roman chuckles widening his stance, so my pussy is no longer touching him.

  I growl, turning my head to look at him, my eyes warning him that I can only take so much before I fight back. “That’s because you taunt my inner wolf when I’m trying

  to be reasonable,” he says, two fingers sliding inside my pussy, curling until he finds that sweet spot that makes me jump, makes me want to cry out.

  And I do, cry out. I scream from the lack of friction. From the need to come. From the loss of sanity every time he touches me so briefly.

  When his fingers slip out, he makes eye contact with me and brings his dripping wet fingers to his mouth, sucking on them and lapping up every drop of my juices.

  “That’s because I love the way you taste.”

  Next thing I know, he alternates cheeks as he spanks me like an errant child, fueling my cries and rubbing his palm on the sore spots for his punishing pleasure.

  When he stops, I’m a blubbering, fidgety mess with only one need. To come. Now. I need the release of my sanity will forever escape me.

  “I believe you owe me an apology, princess,” he whispers, his hands deadly still.

  “For what?” I breathe out but he doesn’t answer me. Sliding one finger up the slit of my pussy he doesn’t stop until he reaches the crease of my ass and circles the puckered hole of my ass.

  Did I say I was losing my mind back there?

  No, this was going to put me over the edge of sanity. “Apologize and I’ll let you come,” he murmurs, almost

  crooning like I’m a wayward child that needs to be chastised.

  But I really want to come so I give in to his demands. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so…oh my god!” Pushing his thumb

  into my ass and hooking two fingers inside my pussy, he brings his thigh back underneath my clit and allows me to rub myself to orgasm as he fucks me with his fingers.

>   “That’s my princess, come for me. Give me your pleasure,” he croaks, his voice telling me he’s just as affected by this little scene as I am.

  Within seconds, my back arches and I throw my head back on a scream that can be heard miles around us. Roman doesn’t relent, he fucks me harder, plunges deeper until he can no longer take the sight before him. He picks me up, throws me on sofa, my wrists still tied behind me and in one smooth move discards his clothes so he’s completely naked and hard as a fucking hammer.

  I lick my lips at the sight of him. Big and thick. Tall and wide. He’s the epitome of maleness, the reason females desire alphas. And he’s all mine.

  With my lip trapped between my teeth, I watch as Roman kneels on the sofa and then picks me up, facing me away from and impales me on his steel-hard cock from behind. His arm wraps around me, and he puts his hand against my throat, pulling me back up so my back is against his chest while he fucks me.

  With every thrust inside me, he tells me a story. Of a man who loves a woman. Thrust.

  Of a man who will die protecting the woman he loves.

  Thrust in, pull out.

  Of a man who slay all others if his love is in danger.

  Thrust in and…

  “Fuck!” we both cry out as he fucks me to within an inch of my life.

  When we both come down from our life altering orgasm, he releases my wrists from their bonds and wraps my arms around his neck.

  “I have lived without you for long enough, Remy. I do not know what I would do if something were to happen to you tonight, and I hadn’t at least tried to stop you.” The sincerity in his voice, a rare show of vulnerability, is like a knife to my heart. As much as being a Hunter is in my blood, being a protector is in his. I hurt him; I see that now.

  “I’ll do my best to make sure nothing does, so long as you promise to do that again,” I tell him, resting my head on his shoulder as he lays us both down on the couch, a blanket suddenly covering us both.

  “Deal,” he whispers, tightening his hold and placing a tender kiss on my forehead.

  Twenty-Nine

  After spending the day wrapped up in Roman, I’m sore in the best ways, and I can still feel him on me, but now, I’m geared up and ready to go avenge my friends.

  The faction has been able to pull so little information about what is going on, and how its staying so under wraps is beyond me, it has everyone more than a little on edge. What we did discover, thanks to Colt, is where the rogues disappeared to when they ran after the attack. A warehouse, so close to where we were that first night, I went out with him and Creek hunting. It feels like a lifetime ago.

  I pace in the hall of my dad’s house while I wait for the others, with Creek watching me silently. Stillness is not something I feel right now. We’re meant to be meeting the others in less than ten minutes, and this lot are fucking about, making last minute changes, probably making sure to keep me on the sidelines as much as they can.

  “Let’s go,” my dad’s voice booms as he storms from the kitchen, it’s so strange seeing him geared up. It’s not something I’ll ever get used to. Bauer and Colt follow him, so Creek and I bring up the rear, all piling into Bauer’s, now modified, truck. He spent all day replacing the glass and paneling to essentially make this thing a tank. A bulletproof tank.

  He starts it as we belt in, and we head out in silence. We meet the others at the rendezvous with seconds to go, and then head up the envoy out of town. A few other Hunter families who were close by made it in time for the hunt, but less than Dad was hoping for.

  Regardless, no-one was willing to wait any longer.

  The trip is silent, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Creek takes my hand and squeezes it. I squeeze his back and give him a tight smile before I slip into that place inside me, the one where I’m not really myself. I haven’t dared reach into that pit of darkness before now, but not knowing what we’re facing, I brace myself for the fall into whoever that Remy is. The cold, calm brutality of the pit washes over me. I feel as my body stiffens, and emotion drains from me. I watch the darkness pass us by, nothing but black, broken up by the light of the trucks.

  We take a sharp turn, and I realize we’re here. I climb down from the truck and join with the others. We’re still about a mile from the warehouse but approaching on foot is more discreet.

  “We had chance to scope this place out a few weeks ago,” Colt says, his tone commanding, and it startles me that my carefree, cheeky brother is the same person in front of me. I guess I’m not the only one with a darkness inside of them. He rolls out a blueprint of the warehouse on the hood of the car so that we can all see.

  “Exits are here, here and here. There are only a few windows, and I’m thinking they’re too high to assist anyone. However, there are three levels to the place, with stairwells here, here and here. We’ll move in three’s. With three people remaining outside should anyone try to bolt and in case anyone calls in the cavalry. Understood?”

  He barks out commands, and people break off into groups, double checking their gear before we start the hunt. I hear my name and pay attention.

  “Remy, Creek, Bauer. You guys will take the back entrance that leads straight to a stairwell. Kody will cover the door.” I nod and take a deep breath. Creek and Bauer can look out for themselves; I have faith that everyone here can, but I still worry that not everyone is making it out of here.

  “Let’s go!” We move as one, merging with the shadows, steps silent as we cross the distance to our objective. There’s no moon tonight, so the darkness is thick, and I’m grateful for Hunter sight. I can see just as clearly in the darkness as I can in the day.

  Bauer taps my shoulder, and we branch off towards the back exit, following his lead. I only met Kody today, he’s not much older than me, but he seems like he’s a bit of a liability. I clear the thought from my mind and focus as the warehouse comes into view. I crouch beside Creek, hidden by the bushes that surround the warehouse, making sure the coast is clear.

  I close my eyes and will my hearing to extend, but the warehouse seems silent, as if empty, or warded so that it seems that way. With no-one in sight, Bauer motions for us to move closer. We reach the door, and he points to the rune symbol on the frame.

  I was right, it’s been warded, which means there could be Witches here too. Just fucking great. What the hell is this?

  Bauer looks to his watch, and as the hands move into place, we breach the door. No-one waits on the other side, so we move in, like a well-oiled machine. Bauer takes the lead, gun at the ready, with Creek behind me. We move in the darkness as if we belong to it. Gun fire sounds in the distance, and I try not to let it in, to not think if that’s our shots or theirs. We reach the first floor, entering the room that spans almost half of the entire warehouse size, slowly. Once Bauer confirms its clear, we move in further, when I hear the footsteps above us, rushing towards where we stand.

  We separate, moving for cover, making sure to have eyes on the only other door in the space, the stairwell to the next floor.

  Dracul and Lycans flood the space, and we move forward, separating as we move into the onslaught. I lose track of the others, as I work my way through the Lycans and Dracul. I hate to think how many Kody has had to deal with, but the bottle neck should help him.

  I pant as I shoot and slice, trying to clear the path, but it feels as if they’re never ending. How did so many of them congregate here without anyone knowing? I cut through the obstacles in front of me, not paying attention to the amount of blood covering me, until I reach the stair way to the second floor. I look behind me and my eyes go wide.

  Kain

  I rush to him, my heart racing. “Why are you here?” I ask, looking around to make sure Bauer doesn’t see him.

  “I came to help, to keep you safe. I didn’t mean to come in here, but I smelt your blood, and getting to you overrode all sense,” he says, eyes taking me in.

  “None of it is mine, well not much” I say, and I
see him loosen a little. “But you can’t be here.”

  “Remy, be careful!” Bauer roars and runs towards us. The last of the rogues in the room put down. I spin to face him and move to cover Kain as Creek watches on in horror as Bauer raises his gun.

  “Bauer no!” I shout, but the gun shot rings out as I leap in front of Kain.

  I hit the floor with a thud, Bauer still as a statue, looking at me like he doesn’t know who I am. “Run!” I tell Kain, who looks at me, pain and devastation covering his features, but he does as I ask and flashes away. I only hope he gets far from here, far from the Hunters who would end him without hesitation, as the burning in my chest grows.

  “What the fuck was that?” Bauer roars as Creek appears at my side, applying pressure to the wound.

  “We need to get the bullet out,” Creek says, panic lacing his words. I nod at him and bite down as he pulls out a knife, opening the wound before reaching in for the bullet. The pain overwhelms me, so much so that I nearly pass out, but I hold on, because fuck. Bauer.

  “Bauer, you don’t understand,” I groan. “He’s not who you think he is.”

  “He is the head of the fucking Dracul, Remy. He is our enemy, and you just stopped me from killing him. Do you know how fucking long we have been hunting him? And then he just shows his face here, he must be a part of this, why else would he be here!”

  “He was here for me. To try and keep me safe. To help us.”

  “You’re out of your god damn mind.” He paces the space, gunfire still sounds in the distance, but I can tell he’s not focused on that anymore.

  “Please, Bauer,” I rasp, as Creek lifts my top to put a tourniquet bandage on the wound until I can get back to a witch.

  “You fucking betrayed us, Remy! How could you!” He storms off, up the stairs to the second floor and a tear runs down my face.

  “It’s going to be okay, Remy.” Creek tries to sooth me and scoops me up into his arms. I don’t say a word, and let the tears fall because I know he doesn’t believe his words any more than I do.