Fated Blood: A paranormal erotic romance series (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 5) (7 page)

It was purely Cora. Her blood, her power. Because it was clear now that Cora bore the same abilities. She’d risen above death itself. She’d shattered all the rules of vampirism.

It was a heavy revelation to absorb. He wanted to stay, to speak with her about it, but his son’s pain was calling to him. He needed him now. He had to go to him.

“The vampire is gone, Ryan. I will leave you to your reunion.” He gripped his shoulders and told him urgently, “You must restore the bond. It is imperative.”

* * * * *

Before Ryan could utter a response, Nathanial teleported away. He turned his attention back to Cora and his heart leapt. Her body stirred and her eyes fluttered open. As soon as her big, blue eyes looked his way, he knew it was her. He dove onto the bed and lunged at her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her up onto his lap. He kissed her all over and cried
I love you
over and over again.

“Ryan,” she breathed, clutching him tightly to her.

He pulled back and brushed her hair away from her face. Tears pricked his eyes, emotion threatening to overwhelm him. “I thought I’d lost you. I…I can’t believe you’re here. You’re back, Cora. You’re back with me.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I left you,” she murmured in his ear.

He held the back of her head and she nestled against his chest as she started to sob. Her body shuddered with the force of her raw emotion. When he felt her warm tears on his skin, he lost it. He joined her, letting all the weeks of pent-up pain, grief, and absolute agony loose.

“I’m so sorry for everything,” he choked out between sobs.

“Me too,” she cried. “I love you so much.”

“Oh, darlin’. I love
you
.”

#

Ryan walked to the bed with a glass of water in hand. He smiled at his gorgeous wife sitting up in his bed, the sheets clutched tightly to her naked body.
She’s so sweet with all her good girl modesty. I’ve missed this side of her, the real, stripped-down Cora. It’s her as a woman without all the baggage that her powers bring to the mix. It’s my girl in all her glory.

“Here, my love,” he said, handing her the glass.

“Thanks,” she said, taking it and gulping it down. “I guess coming back from the dead really dehydrates a person.”

He smiled as he crossed to his chest of drawers. He pulled out a pile of clothes and placed them down on the duvet cover in front of her. She eyed him in surprise.

“You kept my clothes here? I saw you, Ryan. You were adamant that I was dead. You told Luca to bury me. But you kept my clothes?” she said, her eyes flickering with amusement.

“Yeah, well. What we tell ourselves to believe and what we actually believe are sometimes two different things.”

She leaned into him and brushed her lips over his. He pulled away awkwardly.

“What?” she asked.

“You have no idea how badly I want to take you right now, but…can you take a shower and…brush your teeth…or possibly wash your mouth out with soap or something stronger?”

She brought her hand to her mouth with embarrassment. “Oh God, you can smell him on me?”

“Taste. Smell. Whatever. And
them
, you slut,” he jested. “
Them
.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I watched the whole thing. Quite the performance.”

Ryan held up his hand. “I don’t want to know. It was bad enough walking in at the end of the performance. It might’ve been the vampire version of you, but it was still your body lying on that bed.”

She looked away sheepishly and climbed off the bed, clutching the duvet to her shyly.

Ryan shook his head. “Uh uh,” he said before ripping it from her with one rough tug.

She gasped as it pooled at her feet.

His gaze raked over her slowly, appreciatively drinking in every inch of her sexy little body. His cock stirred at the delicious sight. “God, you’re beautiful.”

She smiled shyly.

“Don’t hide this perfect body from me.” He swallowed hard and forced his eyes back to hers. He held out his hand. “Come.”

She weaved her fingers in his and he led her into the ensuite bathroom. He turned on the shower, pulled the curtain aside, and then folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the sink.

“You’re gonna watch me shower?” she asked nervously.

“You bet. I’m gonna enjoy the entire fucking show. Watching your wet, naked body moving under the shower as you soap yourself up.”

“You’re such a pervert.”

“Pervert?” he laughed. “I’m your husband. It’s my prerogative.”

He winked at her and watched as she stepped into the shower. He opened the cupboard above the sink and pulled out a tube of toothpaste and a purple toothbrush. “Here. This is a spare toothbrush that I kept in case we ever slept here together. You know, before we had to move to the compound and everything.”

“Really?” she asked as she took them from him.

“Yes,” he said. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

She laughed and pulled the curtain closed. Ryan rolled his eyes.
So cute. I’ve seen her naked how many times and she hides from me as she takes a shower? Adorable.

“So, you and Luca?”

“Uh huh?” she responded warily.

“Before you…died…you slept with him.”

“You already know about it, Ryan. We were separated at the time.
You
had an entire relationship with another woman.”

“I know. We both fucked up. We let things get in the way. Let everyone else affect
us
. I want to put it behind us, but I just need to know
why
. Why him, Cora? Was it some sort of residual thing from the betrothal bond? Or did you do it just to hurt me? If you did it’s okay. I get it, believe me. I was a fucking asshole. I pushed you away.”

“I…it was solace, Ryan.”

Wow.
“Okay, my love.” He moved closer to the shower and said, “Listen, what I said about Jada and me that night at the wolf compound? I was upset. I didn’t mean it.”

“So she wasn’t the best sex of your life then?” she asked with amusement.

Ryan chuckled. “No, I’m sorry I said that. I love
you
, Cora. It’s always been you.”

“I know. I watched you with her recently.”

“What?”

“You were kinda mean to her.”

“I know. I’ll talk to her.”

“Good. It’s not her fault.”

“Really?”

“What?”

“I dunno. I thought you’d be jealous or something?”

“I was…before I died. But I saw a lot of things, being dead and all.”

“Like what?”

“It was Oriana, Ryan. She did this. Sure, we had some issues between us, but it was her and Vazra that escalated them with their magic and their manipulations. The bond between you and Jada, which, in turn, pushed me towards Luca, left our son unguarded when he and I were
together
, and ultimately succeeded in getting me out of the way.”

“But why? She didn’t succeed. The Dark Realm still stands. Nathanial and Marella are fine.”

“Because she underestimated my power. I didn’t die completely. My magic still holds over the Dark Realm. She can’t breach it.”

She fell silent for a few moments and then he heard her spitting and he realized she was brushing her teeth. He crept towards the shower and pulled the curtain aside suddenly.

She shrieked in surprise and brought her hands up to shield her tits from him.

“Please, I’ve seen you naked countless times.”

“It’s different in the shower. I feel more…exposed.”

He laughed. “You’re so damn cute.”

She stepped towards him and held her arms to her sides. “Can you smell anything now?”

He sniffed her. “Nope. Just you.” He pulled her to him and thrust his tongue into her mouth, tasting her. As he felt her responding and getting caught up in it, he pulled back, grinning at her. “We’re all clear.”

“You’re such a tease,” she said, stepping out of the shower.

He snatched a towel off the back of the door and patted her dry before wrapping it tightly around her. “
Now
tell me I’m not a gentleman.”

He took her hand and led her out of the bathroom. He drew her towards the overturned couch.

“Oh my God. I didn’t notice the state of this place before.”

“Yeah, I was a little upset,” he said as he returned the couch to its rightful position with one hand. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. “You know, the first time we realized we were mates was on this very couch.”

She leaned her head back against him and murmured peacefully, “Yeah, I know.”

He fell silent as emotion started to well in his eyes. Before he could even attempt to hide it, she craned her neck, looking at him.
Dammit.

“Baby?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just, I really thought you were gone, Cora. I couldn’t fucking breathe without you.”

She cupped his face in her hands and told him softly, “I’m here, Ryan. I’m here now.”

He tightened his hold around her and held her close, burying his face in her neck as he let out all the pain he’d been feeling for the last few weeks, all the hurt and agony.

They sat that way for a long time until he felt her shifting around on his lap. Assuming she was just trying to get comfortable, he was shocked when he felt her tight little pussy slide onto his cock.

He grunted in surprise. “Cora?” he asked, shocked that she was taking the lead for the first time.

“We need to restore the bond…do the ritual again.”

Nathanial’s words rang in Ryan’s head. “I know. But, are you sure? After what I did?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

“Cora—”

“Ryan, I had weeks of being trapped in death to get over it and to
understand
it. Do
you
want to do this? To officially get back together?”

“Yes. More than anything.”

She smiled. “Then relax.”

He studied her closely. Her big, blue eyes were wide and intense as she started to ride him slowly, teasingly. He smiled and pulled her towel off.

“Do you want to…?” she asked, hesitantly.

He knew what she was asking him. Did he want to take control as usual? He shook his head. “It’s all you this time.”

He saw the surprise in her eyes that he was relinquishing control after all their issues with it. And there was something else there also: excitement. He smirked at her as he lowered his mouth to her tits. He flicked her right nipple with his tongue and she yelped and arched her back, pushing her tits into his waiting hands.

He released them as she reached for his chest, allowing her to take the lead. The sensation of her soft, gentle hands running all over his skin was absolutely mind-blowing. He moaned and cupped her face in his hands as he captured her mouth in a soft kiss.

He took his time with her, relishing the taste of her lips, exploring every inch of her mouth as she parted her lips and granted his tongue access.

He was caught up in the slow, hypnotic rhythm of their lovemaking. He’d never taken it slow with anyone before, but he loved every second of it with her. He could feel her, every part of her. She was giving him everything and he was offering her all of him.

He broke their kiss and saw her eyes were glowing gold for him. He could feel his were too—he could feel the heat there. He held her gaze as he reached between them and dragged his finger through her soaking wet pussy. She bucked against him and let out a tiny cry. He called one of his claws forth and drew it across the top of his chest. And then he gently did the same to her, drawing a scratch across the top of her right tit, just enough to break the skin.

He gripped the back of her head as she leaned into him and lapped at the blood trickling down his chest. As he suckled at hers, he teased her clit with his free hand and she screamed against his chest. As soon as he felt her pussy contracting around him, he was done. He grunted and emptied himself inside her.

A surge of warmth enveloped him and Cora gasped, “Do you feel that?”

He nodded. “The bond is mended.”

She smiled and then moved to lift herself off his cock, but he gripped her hips, holding her still.

“Not yet,” he breathed. “I need you.”

“Okay, baby,” she said, leaning into him and resting her head against his chest.

He held her against him and stroked her hair.

“You let me take control,” she said after a few moments.

He chuckled. “I know.”

“And?”

“
And
now I know I was just being a fucking idiot with all my control crap, because
that
was incredible.”