Fated Betrayal: A Paranormal Erotic Romance (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 2) (7 page)

CHAPTER 9

Vazra watched as Cora thrust her magic at the twenty-foot-high mountain of stone slabs that he and several white witches had assembled in the courtyard of the palace. The stone slabs were the same material that the palace was made of and impenetrable by any forged weapon across all the realms. He’d asked Cora to try to blow a hole through it with her magic. He expected her to be able to chip a couple of the slabs on her first go and he planned to work up to her being able to disintegrate the mountain entirely with a couple of shots eventually.

But, as he watched the silver magic leave her palms and reach the formidable mountain that had needed his power and that of four other white witches to create, his eyes widened in shock.

Her magic hit and the entire mountain disintegrated in a blinding flash of light and a thick cloud of white smoke.

“Impossible,” he choked out.

Even he could not accomplish such a task in one bolt of magic.
No
one could. She turned to him, smiling excitedly at her achievement.

“My goodness,” Marella’s voice came from beside him suddenly.

He turned to her, his eyes wide in shock. He’d been in such a state that he hadn’t even felt her teleport beside him. “She’s…surpassed all of us.”

“The daughter of the most powerful sorceress who ever lived and the most powerful warlock, the King of the White Realm. It is to be expected,” Marella said.

“But this quickly?”

“It is natural for her, your majesty. Whereas many of us must study for months, she is not bound by such things. A couple of days and already her strength has surpassed ours.”

“Where did it go?” Cora called to them as she approached the steps leading up to the palace entrance where the two of them stood. “I thought nothing could be created or destroyed only…changed.”

Vazra chuckled. “That will always be true, my child. The white smoke—that is what it transitioned to. It has gone with the wind now.”

As she reached them, Vazra held his palm out and conjured a tiny orb. “Move this in a circle. Clockwise and then counter clockwise,” he told her. “Use only your mind—your will. No hands.” With her demonstration of incredible power just now, he was concerned. He had been teaching her control exercises, but he needed to test her right now to ensure that she had learned his lessons properly, because a sorceress without control was dangerous. And one possessing the great power that she did? There was nothing more dangerous.

She nodded and followed his instructions. She drew the orb from his palm using only her will, as he had instructed her. Her eyes bore into it and he watched her concentrate, blocking out everything else around her, as she moved the orb slowly in a clockwise motion. She stopped on the second turn and reversed its movements, forcing it into a counter-clockwise motion.

“Good. Very good,” Vazra said.

He waved his hand over the ball and it disappeared as he reabsorbed the magic into himself.

“Marella,” Cora greeted her politely.

“Princess,” Marella returned with a polite curtsey. “I am very impressed.”

Cora smiled shyly. “I’m learning.”

Vazra chuckled. “Don’t be so modest. You are almost ready.”

“Already?”

“Indeed. It is a shock to me as well.”

He reached for her hand, but she drew back suddenly, screaming.

She collapsed to her knees, her hands trembling.

Vazra dropped down beside her and Marella joined him.

“What is it, my child? What is causing you pain?” he asked frantically. He couldn’t bear to see his daughter in so much agony.

“I…don’t…know,” Cora choked out, struggling to breathe against the intense pain.

Marella pressed her hand to Cora’s forehead and closed her eyes. “Ryan!” she gasped, her eyes snapping open as she drew back.

“He is in pain?” Vazra asked.

“Agony,” Marella clarified. “I couldn’t determine how or where. It was too intense.”

Vazra nodded. “I will find out. Find David. Tell him to bring one of his elixirs to soothe her pain. She is pregnant. She cannot withstand this agony for very long without it harming the child.”

Marella nodded and teleported away.

“My child, you and Ryan are linked through the bonding ritual
and
now your child as well. You are feeling
his
pain right now,” he told her gently.

“He…needs…help,” Cora choked out.

“I know. I will find him,” he said as he placed his hands either side of her head. “I need you to allow me access.”

“Okay,” she rasped.

Vazra felt no resistance from her as he tapped into the link between her and Ryan. She had heeded his words well. A sudden flash assaulted him, along with a searing pain that mirrored what she was experiencing. He fought against the agony and pushed further.
Where are you, wolf?

And then he saw it. Ryan cuffed and draped in a net of silver, being carried through the doors of the Vampire Prince’s estate. He appeared unconscious but it didn’t stop his body from feeling the unbearable pain from so much silver burning through his flesh. Vazra pushed harder, knowing that where he was right now wasn’t the present. He was experienced enough to know that immediately. Another flash assaulted him and he saw Ryan in what looked like a bedchamber of some sort, his arms suspended above him, his wrists cuffed in silver, his ankles as well. A man watched him with pure hatred in his eyes. Luca, the Vampire Prince.

Vazra cursed as he broke the connection and looked into Cora’s concerned eyes. Before he could tell her what he’d seen, David arrived.

He held a vial of luminous green liquid to Cora’s lips. “You must drink, princess. It will ease your pain.”

She opened her mouth weakly and let him pour it. She cringed at the nasty taste, but let him continue until she swallowed all of it. Barely a second passed before she said, “The pain’s gone.” She looked up at David and smiled sweetly at him as she said, “Thank you.”

“Of course, princess.”

She looked at her father and her eyes widened in fear. “Ryan is in trouble. Tell me what you saw. I need to go to him. Now,” she said, trying to get to her feet. She struggled and found that she couldn’t. The agony that had racked her body had clearly weakened her.

“You need to rest,” Vazra told her.

“No, father. He is in trouble.”

“I will let you go once you are able to stand on your own. I promise,” Vazra said as he and David helped her to her feet.

She nodded weakly. “Okay.”

“I will put her to bed,” David offered.

Vazra looked at David, but something about the look in his eyes unnerved him, and he shook his head. “No,
I
will take care of my daughter. You are dismissed. Thank you for the elixir.”

CHAPTER 10

Shaye stood outside the wolf compound, leaning against the gates and watching the thousands of people gathered in the field a few feet away. All wolves in human form. She couldn’t believe how many Ryan had under his care. They all looked well—incredibly well and strong. Ryan had taken good care of them, protecting them in the impenetrable wolf compound. She had never seen so many wolves in one place.

When she’d first arrived at the compound, they had all been on edge, fretting about the coming of the full moon and the possibility of being attacked during their monthly
run of the wolves
ritual. But, as soon as she’d put up the powerful shimmering barrier, which extended from the compound to the entire forest flanking the base, they had relaxed.

Ryan’s pack stood off to the side, watching the other wolves and keeping an eye on them. They hadn’t questioned her when she’d told them that Ryan had given her orders to come here and protect them. She knew it was because they could smell him on her. They’d been walking close together for the entirety of their journey out of the White Realm. His scent was all over her. She’d told them that Ryan was dealing with another issue and would be along shortly. The only person who had seen through her lie—a lie that Ryan had pleaded with her to tell them—was Josh. As Ryan’s second-in-command, he knew Ryan better than anyone. He’d understood the subtext in the lie Shaye had told the rest of the pack. He stood beside her now. She’d just told him the truth about what had happened to his Alpha and he’d been silent for a long while, trying to absorb the horrors of what she’d told him.

“I can’t leave him in that bloodsucker’s nest, Shaye,” he finally spoke.

“You have to. The full moon will rise in less than an hour. You won’t be in control of your wolf. I have the ability to assist with that, but I must remain here to hold the protection barrier over the other wolves. We must wait.”

“They’ll torture him.”

“He’s strong.”

“Do you have any idea what vampires do to torture wolves on the night of the full moon?”

Shaye’s gaze snapped to his. “No,” she said warily, suddenly afraid of the look in his eyes. Terror. It was an extremely rare emotion to see in the eyes of any wolf. As a rule, they didn’t really possess the fear gene.

Josh hesitated and then looked away. “Never mind.”

“You must stay here. It was his will.”

Josh rolled his eyes. “Sometimes Ryan’s instinct to protect his pack puts him in too much danger. Once, he let Michael’s wolves rip his flesh apart with their poisoned claws to protect us. I won’t let him be a martyr for us tonight.”

He broke from her and stormed towards the barrier a few feet away.

“You won’t be able to control your wolf!” Shaye called after him.

“An advantage when breaking into a vampire mansion!” he shot back. “The wolf will let me rip them to shreds without any hesitation!”

“Josh!”

“As soon as I’m with Ryan, the wolf will remain in check. An Alpha has the power to control his pack, even during the full moon!”

But before he reached the barrier, a bright flash of white light ripped through the area. Shaye gasped in surprise.

She watched as Cora and Davidas started to pass through the barrier, her magic having no effect on them at all. Well, it was Cora who was immune to it, not Davidas. Shaye noticed his tight grip on Cora’s hand and she knew Cora was protecting him from suffering the burn of the barrier. If he let go before they passed through, he would feel it.

As soon as the two of them were beyond it, Cora bounded over to Josh and threw her arms around him tightly.

“I’ve missed you and the pack!” she exclaimed.

He pulled her close and returned her hug for a few long moments, before finally pulling back.

“Where were you going?”

“To help Ryan.”

“He wouldn’t have been able to pass through the barrier,” Shaye said, as she approached the three of them.

“Cora did,” Josh pointed out.

Shaye winked at Cora and then told Josh, “Her power is stronger than mine. That is why.”

Josh turned his attention to Davidas, who was standing beside Cora. He clearly didn’t like just how close he was to her, as his eyes narrowed. A throaty warning growl left him and he said, “She is married to my Alpha.”

“I am well aware,” Davidas responded.

“Josh. He is here as my
protector
,” Cora explained. “His name is David. He’s a faerie and a member of my father’s Royal Court. My father insisted that he accompany me.”

“Accompany you?” Shaye queried. “Your training has only just begun.”

“I felt Ryan’s pain. It weakened me for a while and my father was
overly
concerned.”

“His pain? From the silver cuffs?” Shaye asked, hoping that was all.

Cora shook her head sadly. “Agony.”

“They are torturing him! I knew it!” Josh exclaimed.

“That’s why I’m here.”

Davidas’s fingers brushed Cora’s arm. Josh growled and took Cora’s hand, pulling her away from him. Shaye’s eyes narrowed, not at all pleased with Davidas’s overt display of affection. What on earth was he thinking?

“Josh, it’s okay,” Cora assured him, trying to calm him down. “He’s only a friend.”

Josh drew her to him protectively, his arm snaking around her waist. He gasped in surprise as his hand brushed her stomach. “What? Are you—?”

Cora smiled up at him and nodded. “Pregnant.”

Josh gazed at her stomach and he sniffed her for a few moments. “A wolf.”

“Wolf-hybrid. And a boy,” she told him.

Josh smiled happily. “Congratulations, Wolf Queen.”

“Thanks,” she said, smiling.

“We must move now, before the full moon rises,” Davidas said, impatiently.

Cora nodded and addressed Shaye, “I will take Ryan’s pack with me to the compound. The others must stay here, with you, under your protection barrier.”

“If the full moon rises before you get to Ryan—” Shaye began.

“I’m their Alpha’s mate. They’ll listen to me, even under the full moon.”

Shaye looked to Josh for his confirmation. He nodded.

“It’s true.”

“You and the pack will take out the vampires in our path.
I
will deal with Michael. David will watch my back,” Cora commanded.

“Got it,” Josh agreed.

“As you wish,” Davidas said.

“Be careful,” Shaye warned. “Michael doesn’t respect the laws of magic, Cora. He is unpredictable and this will be your first time using your magic in an uncontrolled situation—in battle.”

“I know, but I can’t leave Ryan there, Shaye. I need him. Our child needs his father.”

Shaye nodded sadly and drew Cora to her. She whispered in her ear, “Don’t let him get under your skin. He will try to make you lose control, as you are still very new at this. Center yourself by focusing on your love for Ryan. It will stabilize your magic. Good luck, princess. Bring him back to us.”

“I will,” she vowed.