Regally Bitten (Blood Alliance Book 3)

by Lexi C. Foss

  I just needed space.

  From my packmates.

  From my father.

  From the trials ahead.

  From Luna.

  There were certain demands that I’d yet to meet, much to my father’s fury. When he found out that I’d left Luna alone after the mating ritual, he’d struck me. Hard. But I wasn’t like him. I wouldn’t force an unwilling female into bed. And rather than hit him back, I’d walked away telling him to mind his position. Because we both knew that in a fight, he’d lose, the traditions be damned.

  My grandfather had met me around the back of the house, where he’d suggested I take a few days away. Given the growing anxieties of the pack and Luna’s chilly welcome, I’d agreed.

  Silas’s scent grew stronger as he caught up to me, his transition to wolf form taking longer than it should. Have you been eating and sleeping regularly? I wondered.

  He didn’t answer right away, but his mind did with a series of images outlined in his memories.

  His first nights—cold and alone.

  Sleeping under a tree in wolf form.

  Learning to hunt on his own after several days without real food.

  Bathing in the creek when he realized he wouldn’t be given access to normal showers.

  Stealing a roll from the mating ceremony, then throwing it up when the rich quality hit his stomach.

  I sighed. I’ve severely neglected you. Mostly to protect him. My father wanted me to kill Silas, not turn him. I’d considered it after observing Silas’s initial transition, but the fight in his gaze when he glowered at me that night had me making another choice. Watching him today confirmed my decision as the right one.

  But if I’d showed him any favors before the pack, they’d definitely use Silas against me in the trials.

  So we would have to be very discreet.

  I’m fine, Silas said after a beat, unwilling to voice the real thought in his head. Which I translated to be, No shit, based on the firing images of his fist meeting my jaw.

  If I were in human form, I would have smirked in amusement. I liked this newbie. He had an impressive set of balls on him. His fighting style wasn’t half-bad either.

  The trials are a difficult time for an alpha heir. With my father leading them, I suspect they’ll be close to unbearable. I picked up our pace to a slight run that Silas held with ease. At least his athleticism had remained in spite of the poor nourishment. Definitely a fighter. I think the vampire was the first test.

  Silas followed me in silence, his mind racing with images of the body and the surroundings. He’d taken stock of every detail, every scent, and all the potential clues.

  With each passing second, this male amazed me more.

  Most of the wolves my age were like Glenn and his idiot minions. Silas was different, his approach thorough and not impulsive.

  My grandfather would probably like him.

  If it’s a test, then you failed, Silas said, surprising me. The Blood Alliance favors order, and you broke the Goddess’s cardinal rule by covering up the murder.

  My ears flicked in irritation. You think I should have reported it?

  Yes. He glanced at me. I mean, I’m thankful you didn’t. But I won’t be surprised if the dead vamp resurfaces in the next few weeks, thereby forcing your hand.

  Then maybe we need to hide it better, I thought.

  The river would carry the remains to the ocean, where the body will eventually decompose in the waves.

  A solid plan, one that would distort the evidence. It would also make it impossible for anyone in the pack to stumble across the remains. I should have suggested it earlier rather than tell him to bury it, but I’d been distracted by Luna’s lingering scent. My desire to chase had overridden reason.

  I’ll handle it, I told him.

  Silas tripped beside me, his shock evident in the tense lines of his limbs. He’d obviously expected me to demand he do it, but I had another task in mind for him.

  I need you to keep an eye on things for me, report back anything and everything that piques your curiosity. If something doesn’t feel right, I want to know about it. If you see pack members acting suspiciously, tell me. I slowed my run and ducked beneath a low willow tree toward a path no one but me ever traveled.

  We were over a mile from the outskirts of the pack’s central zone. Very few bothered to venture this far, the home grounds spanning thirty miles of well-kept acres of land. This area was a pit in comparison.

  But it held a secret.

  One my grandfather had gifted me a decade ago.

  An escape.

  Sure, Silas replied, sounding about as thrilled as a pup getting his first bath.

  It’s not a task to take lightly, Omega. There could be great reward in it for you if you perform well. Having the respect of the clan alpha carried a lot of weight. And considering I planned a complete overhaul of my father’s staff, it would be wise for Silas to remain on my good side.

  Of course, I hadn’t exactly given the newbie cause to trust me.

  Nor did I really trust him.

  Our sire link, however, provided a unique opportunity. One I intended to exploit for my benefit.

  It’s not like I have anything better to do, Silas muttered, his tone edging the line of disrespectful.

  My father would put him in his place with a harsh bite to the nape. Or worse. He believed in ruling with an iron fist, his preference for cruelty well known in Clemente Clan. His advisors approved, as did the elder families of the pack.

  Families like the one Glenn came from.

  Those were the males my father forced me to befriend, the ones he wanted to influence my upbringing and opinions.

  My grandfather had other ideas.

  He taught me about the old ways, customs long dead, thanks to societal laws today. He taught me the value of respect.

  If my father ever found out, he’d oust my grandfather and force him to live with the rogues in no man’s land.

  Fortunately, my father was too busy lording over his kingdom to notice. If anything, he seemed thrilled to not have to deal with me.

  Until now.

  The rules forced him to interact with me for the Alpha Trials.

  And he’d been very clear about his disappointment thus far.

  I think Luna is up to something, Silas said, startling me once more.

  What do you mean?

  She keeps scouting the boundaries, like she’s considering the best escape route. Silas sounded nervous. I’ve watched her cross over a few times just to see if anyone would stop her.

  I snorted. Of course she is. I suspected it after the mating ceremony, and even more so today when I found her creeping near the perimeter.

  She’s an alpha female, I added. Independence is ingrained in her. I’m actually surprised she hasn’t run yet.

  You’re not mad. Not a question, but a statement.

  No. I’m intrigued. I hope she runs. Because then I could catch her. And that would be so incredibly fun. Keep an eye on her. If she makes a break for it, let me know.

  And then what?

  I slowed to a walk, transforming into my human form as I moved. My bones lengthened, the magic of my lycan soul giving way to the male within. And then I rolled my shoulders, cracking my neck and popping my joints into place. “And then I’ll chase her,” I replied out loud, eyeing the property ahead.

  Silas remained in his wolf form, likely because shifting took too much out of him and he didn’t want me to see just how weak he’d become from all his transformations today.

  Smart wolf.

  Showing weakness to the alpha was the fastest way to being dominated.

  “This cabin is mine,” I told him, nodding to the small wooden lodge ahead. “It’s a bit archaic and uses solar technology to keep the utilities fresh, but I keep it well stocked with supplies.” I looked down at him. “And there’s an extra bed inside that’s rarely used.”

  A hopeful note graced the air, one I only caught because I’
d been waiting for it. Silas hid it in the next breath, his stance becoming bored as he searched the area with his nose.

  “You can crash here, but don’t tell anyone.” Not that I expected anyone to notice. My nose never picked up on any pack out here. It was why I used it as a refuge. Only my grandfather seemed to know about it. “Whatever you find inside is fair game. Including the food.” Which I’d try to keep as refreshed for him as I could. If he was going to help me, then I needed him in top shape.

  I also sort of wanted to see what kind of lycan he’d become under the right circumstances, because he was already proving to be stronger and faster than half the purebreds back at the main camp.

  Why are you doing this? he asked, sounding hesitant.

  Because it’s the right thing to do, I admitted. Also, I need an ally, and no one will suspect me of working with you in the Alpha Trials. The clan all thought I’d left Silas to fend for himself, just like my father would have done.

  And, in truth, I had. Not necessarily because I didn’t care, but because I’d been a little preoccupied with the upcoming ascension.

  That changed today.

  How do you know you can trust me to help? he asked, his tone incredulous.

  “I don’t,” I replied out loud.

  Seems like a risk.

  “It is,” I agreed.

  He remained quiet for a beat, then stood and shook out his fur. Is there a shower in there?

  “Yes.”

  All right, he replied. A favor for a favor.

  If that was the way he wanted to look at it, then that worked for me. “Then I’ll let you get acquainted while I go retrieve my pants and handle our headless friend.” I didn’t bother with a goodbye. If Silas needed me, he could tap into my head.

  Although, I suspected he wouldn’t.

  Silas struck me as a wolf who relied only on himself to survive. It was something we had in common.

  Because while I desired his assistance, I wouldn’t depend on it.

  The only one who could win these trials was me. But I’d use every advantage I could to pass, including the sire bond to Silas.

  6

  Luna

  I couldn’t escape Edon’s scent. He returned to his home two days ago—a few hours after our frolic—and only left twice to handle pack business.

  I hated it.

  His presence overwhelmed me, taunted my lady bits, and left me in a writhing pile of need in my sheets.

  And the bastard knew, too.

  It was written all over his amused expression as I entered the living room. He sat lounging in a pair of jeans that he wore like a king, his chest bare, his abs defined, his package—

  Stop, I demanded, focusing on the kitchen and not the very virile wolf on the leather couch.

  “There’s coffee in the pot,” he called. “Just brewed it.”

  Of course he did. Because he sensed me waking up from the dream his nearness caused.

  Or, more likely, my fantasies came from his unwanted bite the other night. I healed almost instantly, but his claim thrived inside me, heating my veins and forcing me to walk down the path of fate. My wolf was attuned to him, curious, hungry, and intrigued.

  I forced her to heel every time he walked into the room. But we all knew he’d win me over eventually. Probably around the time I went into heat.

  He stood behind me now, his stealthy moves barely perceptible to my senses, but I felt his warmth. Like a liquid caress down my spine that culminated between my thighs.

  “Do you want to go for a run?” he asked, his voice deep, seductive, and far too dominant.

  I pointedly poured a cup of coffee—something I meant to do upon entering but couldn’t because my hormones held me frozen in the middle of the room like a damn idiot.

  Hatred at being here rippled through me, the ire overriding my need.

  My family hadn’t even said goodbye after the ceremony. Not that I expected them to. I was raised for this purpose and this purpose alone. It was my brother who had taught me how to fight, who had made sure I was prepared for the trials that lay ahead. Unlike my father, Logan actually cared if I survived. My mother, she would probably care, too, if my father hadn’t degraded her to omega status.

  I saw similar notes of that treatment here in Clemente Clan. Edon’s mother barely looked up from the ground, the alpha female so sickeningly submissive to Walter that I could hardly stand looking at her.

  And the other females were either omegas or betas, all with their tails between their legs when it came to the males of the grounds.

  It was wrong and yet far too common. Our society saw men as the betters and women as serving a single-minded purpose—to provide pleasure and pups.

  Well, I wouldn’t be doing either of those things if I had my way.

  Edon could kiss my alpha ass.

  As if he heard me, he pressed his groin into my ass as he grasped my hips, his lips falling to my ear. “You realize fighting me only makes me want you more, right?”

  A growl rumbled in my chest. I tried to swallow the noise around a mouthful of scalding coffee, but it was already too late. We both heard it.

  He chuckled and pressed a kiss to my neck—the gesture both seductive and holding a hint of command that I loathed. “Run with me later.”

  So we’d escalated from a request stage to a demand stage. I set my cup down and turned in his arms. Big mistake because it put my back to the counter and gave him an opportunity to cage me between his impressively muscled arms. He gripped the counter on either side, his body angling over mine, crowding me.

  “It’s a run,” he said before I could even comment. “I’m not asking you to fuck, even though we both know you want to. I just want—”

  “I do not want to fuck you,” I bit out.

  His lips curled. “No?” He leaned in to run his nose along my cheekbone and then down my neck, the light caress scattering goose bumps down my arms. I shivered, and not because I was cold. “Mmm, your scent determines that to be a lie.”

  “It’s my wolf.” My voice came out gravely, underlined in both frustration and yearning, and I hated the sultry quality to it. “You forced the mating bond. My wolf is responding.”

  “Forced?” he repeated, drawing back slightly, his eyebrow arching. “I forced nothing.”

  “Oh?” I feigned a look of surprise. “So you didn’t bite me the other night in a claiming ceremony? Huh. Didn’t realize I dreamed that.” I tried to return to my coffee, but his knee lodging between mine held me before him, captive.

  “You were mine whether I bit you or not. Be thankful I didn’t do more.” The threat in his tone had my hackles rising.

  “Thankful. Right.” I snorted. “Okay. Thank you, Edon, for not raping me. Yet.”

  His obsidian gaze narrowed. “Most wolves beg me to fuck them.”

  “I’m not most wolves.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re my intended. But something you seem to be ignoring, little mate, is that I had no choice in this either.”

  “You had more of one than I did,” I argued. “You could have denied me.”

  “And what? Subjected you to whatever punishment Niko desired? You realize he would have killed you, right?”

  “He would have been pissed, but not enough to kill me.”

  “No?” He laughed, but it lacked humor. “You really don’t know how our politics work if you believe that for a second. My father would have demanded your life for such disrespect, and Niko would have given it to honor the clan ties. Because he would have had no use for you after my rejection.”

  I opened my mouth to argue that point, then closed it. I knew my father would have beat me for defying his orders. That wouldn’t have been anything new. It was Edon’s comment about Walter that gave me pause. I’d never considered his reaction or what he’d demand, and given what little I’d observed of him over the last week in Clemente territory, I was inclined to believe Edon’s summarization.

  Oh, I would have fought it, but with t
hat many angry wolves? I wouldn’t have stood a chance.

  “Ah, you see it, don’t you?” Edon taunted, his tone holding a hint of menace. “You thought fucking another wolf would save you from a life by my side, but all it did was guarantee it.” He leaned in so close that his breath fanned my lips as he added, “You’re not the only one who enjoys defiance, little mate.”

  I shuddered beneath him, conflicted.

  He wasn’t anything like I envisioned. Alpha, yes. But he didn’t demand my compliance the way my father would command it from my mother. Instead, Edon seemed to want to coax it from me, like we were playing some sort of game. Only, I didn’t understand the rules of this battle between us.

  “You weren’t the only one forced during the ceremony,” he continued, his mouth brushing mine with each word. “Yes, I could have rejected you and chosen to do this all over again in a year with another intended mate. But my pack needs a regime change. I will not fail them.”

  His words surprised me almost as much as the desire pooling in my belly. His nearness, his touch, and his lips so close to mine were all fucking with my head.

  I needed space.

  To breathe.

  To run.

  He nipped my lower lip, not harshly, just a sweet little taste. A taunt. A promise of what could be, if I allowed it.

  Only my wolf was already possessed by his claiming bite. It would never truly be consensual when I submitted, and we both knew it.

  I swallowed and closed my eyes.

  What did he mean by his pack needing a regime change? Did Edon plan to rule them differently? I wanted to ask, to request he clarify his intentions, but my jaw wouldn’t loosen. If I gave in to those queries, I risked giving in to him. And I refused. I’d rather live a life as a rogue than as a glorified alpha pet.

  “Edon?” a feminine voice called from the entryway, disturbing the moment.

  “Mmm, since you don’t seem to want to run, then I guess I’ll go play.” He pressed a quick kiss to my lips before he pushed away to meet the intruder in the hallway. “Bianca,” he greeted, the licentious tone in his voice causing my stomach to clench. There was no question as to what those two intended to do.