“It won’t be that simple,” Gael’s voice was tired.
He wasn’t completely healed, but he held the weapon that had injured him in his hand.
It was still dripping blood.
It was the first time Fergus had seen misery in Gael’s eyes. “She may be the leader, but there are factions out there in the world that we cannot eradicate. I told you, Morbus is like a Hydra. You cut off one head, two more grow back.”
Fergus stepped in front of Diana and broke the neck of the man who had just rushed toward him. “So, what do we do?”
“Destroy what we can,” Diana murmured. “And the Council will deal with this problem together.”
“There is one thing.” Gael said, his eyes trained on Diana. “If you can get close enough to her to extract her essence, we can have the location of each and every member of Morbus.”
Nina’s voice echoed in their heads, “I’ll help you, Diana. If someone can convince Kevin to let me do this, I can plant a disease in each member through Hill.”
“That sounds impossible.” Fergus raised his eyebrows.
“Like you’d know even know what I was talking about. Butt out, wolf boy.”
“She’s just trying to pick a fight with you because she’s annoyed I’m not letting her onto the field,” Kevin apologized.
“Shut up, Kevin. I’m not talking to you. Every member of Morbus is injected with an enhancement potion. I say ‘potion,’ because it was concocted by a witch. Whoever she was, she was pretty pissed off at them, because she linked them to each other. Before killing Hill, we need to plant that disease in her body, so that it infects every member.”
A pause.
“I’m truly sorry, Gael.”
Gael didn’t say anything, but Diana could feel the pain pulsing from him, and it was agonizing. His voice was still calm as he said, “I’ll help distract her, and then you do what Nina tells you to.”
They nodded to each other, and Fergus’ jaw tightened.
The fighting was still going on. Vampires had joined the shifters, helping equal the flow of balance. It allowed Diana and Gael to get to work.
Hill’s eyes widened when she saw the master vampire approach her.
Even from here, Fergus could see the tremble in the hand that held the weapon.
“You’re alive,” Hill murmured.
Gael’s smile was self-deprecating. “You never meant to kill me. You, of all people, know where my weakness lies. Could have finished me off in one blow.”
Hill’s eyes flickered. “Yes, well, I’ll do a better job this time.”
“Are you sure?” There was no taunt in Gael’s voice. It was quiet in its intensity. Both of them shared a look that held grief and misery, and yet stubbornness.
Hill’s hand tightened on her weapon, and the conviction in her voice was lacking. “I won’t be seen as weak.”
“I never saw you as weak.”
Diana approached from behind and glimpsed the silver bracelet that Hill had told her had been a gift from Gael. She had changed everything but that bracelet.
Nina’s voice in her head was low, “She had a choice, Diana. She chose this. She could have abandoned Morbus for him, but she chose not to. What she feels is irrelevant. If she doesn’t die, then countless others will at the hands of Morbus.”
Diana’s hands moved involuntarily, and Hill froze as Nina and Diana waded through her mind.
The human woman’s back bowed at an unnatural angle, and when her underlings tried to attack Diana, Fergus appeared, dispatching them with effortless ease.
Gael’s figure was taut with tension, as he watched the woman he loved suffering as her mind was ripped open.
Diana saw the cruelty that lived inside of her, the anger at the injustice of being treated like a lowly figure, because she was a woman. She saw how Hill had been ‘trained’ by her mentor, the previous head of Morbus. Hill had broken and chosen to be just as cruel as her mentor had been.
Nina was right. This human enjoyed the pain of others. The only light in her soul was the feelings she had for Gael. The only person she didn’t want to hurt was the master vampire. Diana could feel as Nina borrowed her power to plant something so deadly inside Hill’s mind that it even made her shudder.
“This is justice for all the pain they doled out, for all the packs they destroyed. THIS IS THEIR JUSTICE!”
Diana’s feet buckled under Nina’s power, and she realized that what she had just felt was the tip of the iceberg. For all her brash attitude and her clumsy nature, Nina was a force of nature itself.
Hill’s cry was a muffled whisper, as Gael pierced her with the same weapon she had used on him.
Only, he didn’t miss.
As she collapsed onto the ground, he kneeled by her, holding her. Her eyes shimmered, but not a tear escaped. Even in death, she did not want to appear weak.
Gael lowered his head and whispered something.
Diana saw Hill’s lips move, and then her eyes became vacant.
Gael didn’t move. He just stood there, holding her, her head buried in his chest. He did not cry. He did not say anything. He just held her broken form in his arms.
Diana watched him, even as Fergus put his arms around her.
“It’s not fair,” she said, trying her hardest not to cry. “He loved her so much.”
Fergus just tightened his hold on her. “Let’s give him some privacy.”
They watched as the shifters rounded up the members of the organization. Most of them were already looking like they were in pain. It seemed the disease was working faster than they had anticipated.
Kevin appeared, followed by Nina who ran toward Gael.
She said something to him, and he released Hill’s body. Nina stepped toward him and flung her arms around him. Gael stood there, his face looking like it was carved from stone.
“He knew. Somewhere, deep inside, he knew about Hill,” Kevin said.
Raoul approached from behind, his expression angry. “Payton is dead. Once the elders found out that he had planned to give up the pups, they executed him. Pack justice.”
Fergus shrugged. “That’s your business. The pack is safe. I don’t–”
Seeing Raoul’s expression, Diana tugged at her mate. “No. He doesn’t mean that.”
Natalie stepped up from behind Raoul, “I think he does. I’m sorry, Diana. Your father was sowing the seeds of poison within us, and we failed to recognize the traitor.”
Diana had her arms around her mate. “We’re not going to leave, I promise. Just give us some time.”
Natalie walked toward them, until she was directly in front of her alpha. “I’ve raised you like my own son. One mistake. That’s all I made. Is it that hard for you to forgive me?”
Fergus wouldn’t look at her, and she sighed. Reaching out, she kissed him gently on the cheek. “I hope you find it in you to–”
Fergus drew her toward him and held onto her tight.
When Natalie’s shoulders shook, Raoul sighed, “We screwed up, man. We all did. Don’t walk away from us.”
“Fine. I always knew you were an asshole anyway.”
The two of them smiled at each other, but Diana could see that the trust would have to be rebuilt. And it would take time.
Chapter 17
Gael returned to the mansion, and Nina and Kevin went with him. Although the master vampire betrayed none of his emotions, Nina told Luke that she would be staying there for the duration of her pregnancy. Kevin warned her that Gael would go overboard with pampering her, but the witch just gave him a knowing look.
Of course, Heather refused to stay behind.
She also declared that Gael would be a terrible caretaker, and that she was the only one who knew how to help Nina in her pregnancy.
Of course, that sparked an argument between the master vampire and the shifter. Gael was just insulted that she would even insinuate that. What was odd was that no matter how much the two personalities clashed, it didn’t take too many
days for Heather to start ordering him about.
Nina found it quite funny to see the vampire glare at Heather as she told him off. She would often comment that the two of them argued like an old married couple, and whenever she made that offhand remark, the two of them would turn red in the face.
Diana found that she was settling into the pack quite comfortably. She still found some of the members a little wary, but not of her. Her position as a Council member was something they could not quite grasp, and she would often practice her powers outside and would draw quite an audience.
The entire pack was starting to heal, and Diana felt grateful. However, the huge absence that Fergus had filled in had buried him in a mountain of paperwork. He would drag himself to bed every night, and as the days went by, Diana was growing more and more frustrated.
Until one morning, when the wolf alpha woke up, he found his wrists were tied to the bed posts, and his very naked mate sat on top of him, looking annoyed.
“Your job,” she said, “is not your paperwork, but me.”
Fergus raised a brow. “Oh?”
“Don’t ‘Oh’ me.” Diana scowled. “You haven’t…I need…” She stopped, glaring at him.
Her mate grinned. “No, go on. I love it when you talk dirty.”
Diana looked down at his hard cock, which was standing proudly, and she tilted her head. “I can see that. What should I do with this now?”
Fergus loved the fact that the one thing his mate was not shy about was her sexuality. That was one part of her that he was glad hadn’t changed.
“You could lick it,” Fergus suggested.
She gave him a sweet smile. “Oh, you would like that, wouldn’t you? If I were to give you a blow job. No.” She leaned behind her and picked up a small ribbon.
She delicately tied it at the base of his cock, “Cassie was very informative about some things. Especially, when you want to punish your mate.”
“That looks kinky.”
Diana tightened the knot, and Fergus winced. “Isn’t that a bit…”
She sat down on his cock, and the wolf alpha threw his head back as he groaned at the tight, wet hole that sheathed his throbbing cock. “Oh, fuck!”
Diana moved on him as if she was riding a horse, moving up and down with the rhythm. She kept slamming herself on the thick rod that was making her lose her mind slowly. Fergus pushed up, trying to get his own pleasure as well, but he realized she had also bound his feet.
No matter how hot that made him feel, he was a dominant. He needed his hands on his woman, and he needed to control how he fucked her. He felt the buildup in his balls, but the fucking ribbon wouldn’t let him cum.
“Is there a problem?” Diana said, her breathing fast as her chest heaved with exertion. Her face was flushed, and Fergus felt his wolf come to his eyes.
It wanted its mate, and fuck sweet and slow, he wanted her screaming his name.
It didn’t take much effort to rip out of his bindings.
Tossing Diana onto the bed, he pulled her bottom half off until she was half standing and her upper body was pressed against the bed. He tore off the ribbon off his red and angry cock and thrust inside of her from behind.
Her long moan was quickly became gasps, as he pumped her pussy hard and fast. She was clawing at the bed sheets as he fucked her hard and fast, and then as soon as he felt her tighten, he slowed his pace down, making her scream in frustration.
“Come on.” He leaned over to lick her ear. “Can’t you feel me inside of you? Let’s see who can hold on the longest.”
Diana glared over her shoulder at him. “Hell no!”
“Are you saying you can’t?” her mate asked innocently as he drew out his cock from her dripping pussy until the blunt edge of it remained lodged inside.
“I’m not…oomph…saying that!” her words broke as he pushed into her in a harsh movement, the pain and pleasure nearly making her see stars.
“Excellent.”
What Diana hadn’t counted on was how Fergus’ dirty whispers in her ear would make her grow wilder. She could feel every inch of his cock as it scraped inside of her, and she was becoming mindless as he kept that slow pace. She could feel the orgasm build up. Losing awareness of her position, or the bet, she found herself begging him to fuck her hard.
But, he refused, and he gave her a charming grin, sweat lacing his brow. “But, this is so much fun. Next time you decide to tie me up, just remember, I’m the one in charge of fucking you, not the other way around.”
Diana felt his fingers pluck at her nipples, and she trembled. When those fingers dipped inside her pussy, even as it was so full of his cock, she found herself screaming his name.
The orgasm that raged inside her dragged out as he fingered her clit and pressed against it, making her see white. Mindlessly begging him, she felt amazing as he picked up speed, and she exploded in another orgasm. The hot liquid that streamed inside of her, felt like it would burn her.
Her mate didn’t collapse on her. He rolled her onto the bed and then climbed on and kissed her senseless. “We should do this again.”
Letting her body come down from its high, Diana grinned. “Cassie said it always worked.”
Fergus propped up on one elbow to study her. “Did you just con me into going all dominant on you?”
“Did I?” Diana asked him, her eyes wide, as she claimed innocence.
Another hard kiss on her mouth. “You’re trouble, just so you know.”
He looked at the clock and decided to sleep in today. After all, it was a Sunday.
“I hear Nina walked in on Gael and Heather,” Diana told him.
Fergus blinked. “What?”
“I was with Cassie, and she called and Cassie put her on speaker.”
“That’s just…it’s wrong,” Fergus decided.
“I think it’s sweet. At first, Nina was worried that Gael might not actually be in love with Heather, but then Kevin said that Hill and Gael never really used to fight or exchange hot words. They were nice to each other all the time. So this might be more real than we thought.”
She rolled over until she was sprawled on her mate’s chest. “Also, Kevin said that Gael knew Heather a long time ago, and that she was his old flame.”
“You’re making that up,” her mate accused her.
“No! I swear. That’s what he said.” Diana laughed.
Fergus shuddered and his mate hit him in the arm. “Don’t be an ass. Be happy for them. They still fight all the time.”
Fergus grinned. “You like Cassie, don’t you? And Nina.”
Diana blushed, and admitted, “Everyone here at the pack, they see me as something special and rare. Cassie and Nina make me feel like I’m one of them.”
“You mean they call you and gossip.”
His mate made a face at him.
Fergus laughed and dragged her over to him and kissed her on the mouth.
Far away, in the heart of fairy territory, under the tree where Kalen was asleep, a woman sighed as her eyes opened after centuries of sleep.
***THE END***
Cole (Bonus)
Dragons of Umora Book 1
Sarah J. Stone
Chapter 1
You are not my son.
Those were the most devastating words he could think of. He would rather hear that his parents were dead, that his older brothers, the Crown Prince and the Duke, had disowned him. Anything but the fact that he was not who he thought he was.
His blood boiled in his veins as he stood in the middle of the grand hall, the gleaming thrones mocking him. Cole had been born the third Prince of Umora, a planet so advanced in civilization that there was no pain, no suffering, and virtual immortality through science. Everyone on Umora was some sort of shifter, some sort of magical creature – whether it be wolf, lion, or otherwise. The dragon shifters, however, had always been the royal family, ruling over those beneath them. The witches, the werewolves, and the lions all bowed down to the dragon shifters.
>
Cole always believed his place in the world was at the top with everyone bowing down to him. He knew that his magic was better than the rest of his family's, but he never thought anything of it. It was a gift, after all.
What he didn’t know, however, was that he was a half-breed witch and dragon shifter – a bastard orphan left on the door steps. He claimed potential royal blood from both sides or neither. He was everything and nothing at the same time.
He should have inherited the richness of the witches and the power of the dragons.
Instead, he lost it all when his father admitted the truth.
There would be no throne for Cole on Umora, no happy ending here. He had been cheated out of everything by matters of his birth.
Cole saw only red as he spun around, looking at the murals on the walls.
This explained so much about his life, about his feelings, and about why he felt like he never fit in. Growing up, it became apparent that he was different than the rest of his family. His magic did not come in the same way theirs did. He could not focus in the same way, could not create the same things. Cole needed to eat more than the rest of them, and more frequently. Alexander seemed to only nibble twice a week, and Nicholas took great pride in large feasts and social meals. But Cole was always ravenous, always strong, and always a moment away from rage.
His rage was so different than Nicholas's rage. Nicholas was simply a kind soul and fiercely loyal, but also ready to destroy anyone who came near those whom he loved. Cole seemed to rage out for no reason, and he himself admitted that he threw tantrums when he didn't get his way.
Everyone was unfair to him. His brothers were allowed to do things that he wasn't. His parents let them lead wars and lash out. But Cole was punished unfairly, even by his brothers. They always treated him like a mischievous child who didn't know how to handle himself.
Death was nothing to him. Feeding for the sake of something to do was nothing to him. He loved the attention, loved the power, but hated how they scolded him.
And now, it was clear that this was not the place he belonged. All these years of trying to fit in, and he wasn't really one of them anyways. They didn't want him; that much was clear.
Loved by Alpha Wolf Page 13
