Fated Ties: A Werewolf Paranormal Romance Novel (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 3) (14 page)

CHAPTER 21

“Yes, just like that, whore,” Haraz commanded as he wound his fingers in the curly, blonde hair of the woman kneeling at his feet, his cock shoved down her throat.

As Chief Advisor to the King of the Dark Realm, he had no trouble getting pussy or having his cock serviced. His position was one step down from Nathanial himself. He was renowned and respected throughout the realm. Everyone knew who he was and he reveled in his celebrity status and the perks it afforded him.

He sat in the lounge of the castle, awaiting contact from Nathanial via telepathy. His King had advised him that he would check in tonight with him to ensure that everything was copacetic in his absence. Whenever Nathanial was away, it was Haraz who watched over the kingdom. He had his own room set aside in the castle for such eventualities. It was late—the day was almost upon them now, so the lounge was empty as per usual, all the vampires having retired to their quarters. He’d called one of the gorgeous vixens over to him. He’d barely had to seduce her at all to get her on her knees before him, topless, with her tongue swirling around his cock.

“Lick my balls,” he commanded. “And do it well,” he said, pinching both her nipples as an incentive.

She squealed and lapped at him eagerly.

He jerked in surprise as she started to suck, drawing one into her mouth.

“Oh, fuck. That’s it, baby. Yeah,” he rasped.

She started to work his shaft, her small hand gripping him tightly while her mouth continued to work his balls.
Shit, she’s good. Damn.

“You’re gonna make me come if you keep that up.”

Haraz!

Haraz almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of Nathanial’s voice suddenly invading his head. Damn, the king had bad timing sometimes.

Here…uh…here, your majesty.

Lose the girl.

How did you know?

I know all, Haraz.

Haraz heaved an exasperated sigh and told the woman, “Leave me.”

“What?” she asked, offended and surprised at the same time.

“Leave me,” he repeated.

“Fine,” she whined before snatching her top off the floor and running out of the room.

She’s gone.

Good. I am ready to hear your report on the realm.

Everything is as you left it, aside from one change. The wolves no longer riot. They have fallen quiet.

As I had anticipated. Excellent.

This is the Wolf King’s doing, I take it?

Yes.

Well, please thank him for me. That is a great weight off our shoulders. You will need to complete the ritual soon, Nathanial, so he can officially take his place as king.

Yes, I am aware. It will occur soon enough. You and the others can take comfort in that.

When are you returning?

Once Marella is strong enough to travel.

How is the child?

Healthy. Strong.

Good. We should host a celebration to announce your new heir.

I will consider it. No promises. My priority is stabilizing the realm.

I understand. I—

Haraz stopped short at the sound of a disturbance coming from the Great Hall. A moment later, the wall between the Great Hall and the lounge was blown apart by a flash of red-and-white magic. Hundreds of guards were thrown through the gaping hole in the castle.

And that was when he saw her.

A face he would never forget.

Oriana.

She stepped through the rubble, both her hands outstretched with shimmering magic emanating from her palms.

Haraz? What is it?

Oriana has breached the castle. The guards are…down.

Leave.

What?

Leave now.

I will not abandon the castle. It is my duty to protect it and you, my king.

As your king, I am giving you a direct command. Leave now. I need you alive. Come to the human realm. I will meet you at the gates. Use the teleportation ability that I bestowed on you. You will not escape otherwise. Wait for me by the gates and I will come to you.

Yes, your majesty.

CHAPTER 22

Cora awoke refreshed. She smiled to herself as she felt the power coursing through her veins. She was back to full strength.
I’d forgotten how amazing it feels. Damn, I’m never taking it for granted again.
She glanced around the familiar room—the bedroom of her apartment. She hadn’t set foot in it for ages. It felt good to be somewhere familiar at long last. Since she’d found out the truth about herself, she’d been in one strange place after the other—the White Realm, Luca’s vampire mansion, Ryan’s lodge, the wolf compound. She was happy to be somewhere that was
hers
.

A disturbance in the kitchen caught her attention. She threw the covers aside and climbed out of bed. She looked down at herself and smiled. Finally, she was also wearing her own pajamas instead of one of Ryan’s t-shirts. A pale blue tank and silky pajama pants. She opened the door and walked out into the tiny apartment—the living room and kitchen. They were one entity, the kitchen residing at the back of the tiny living room.

She stopped short at what she saw. Luca.

Is he cooking?

He sensed her presence immediately and spun around, a frying pan in one hand with bacon sizzling on its non-stick surface. “Morning, princess.”

She couldn’t suppress a grin. “I thought you slept during the day, Luca? You know, being a vampire and all? But here you are cooking.”

“Well, after our talk last night I had a little trouble trying to fall asleep.”

Yes, that had been pretty intense.
“I—I don’t—you cook? I thought your servants did everything for you?”

He smirked at her. “There is a lot you don’t know about me,” he said, his gaze raking over her.

She rolled her eyes. “Will you ever stop flirting with me?” she asked, approaching the kitchen.

“Doubtful,” he said. “Especially when you’re standing there dressed like that. Pleased to see me, are you? Or, does a man who can cook turn you on that much?”

What? What is he talking about?
She followed his line of sight. Her nipples were hard, straining against the thin fabric of her tank top. She wrapped her arms around herself quickly. “Shit.”

Luca chuckled. “Please, there’s no need to hide from me. I had my mouth on them yesterday.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“It was
your
body.”

Shocked and suddenly extremely self-conscious, she turned back to the bedroom, intending to retrieve a robe or
something
to cover up better with.

She was stopped by him suddenly standing before her. “Don’t be embarrassed. I won’t mention it again and I will be sure to avert my eyes. Promise.”

She stared at him for a few moments and then she said, “Okay.”

He returned to the kitchen. She followed him and took a seat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar, watching him curiously.

“There’s blood in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

He craned his neck to look at her. “Really?” he asked, amused.

“Yeah. I stocked up before I headed off to save your ass last night.”

He turned back around, smiling to himself. “Human?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Yep. Hospital blood bags.”

“Worried about me, were you?”

She scoffed. “Hardly. Just taking precautions. I didn’t want you getting too hungry around me. We both know how much you crave my blood.”

He laughed. “I don’t crave your blood. Sorry to disappoint you, princess.”

“Right, just the mission.”

“Precisely,” he said, starting to prepare a plate for her. Using his vampire speed, he had the task accomplished within a fraction of a second. He turned around and placed it in front of her. “Voila.”

“Looks good. Smells good.” She took a bite and said, “Tastes…amazing. Wow, you’re talented.”

“Don’t sound so surprised.”

“I didn’t think you did regular
human
things.”

“I’ve lived in the human realm for two hundred years. I’ve picked up a few things.”

He leaned against the wall, watching her eat.

“What?” she asked, between mouthfuls.

“Ryan will not be happy about what we discussed last night.”

“Did you contact Michael?” she queried, sidestepping his comment completely. She didn’t want to think about Ryan right now. She had to remain focused and whenever she let herself think about him, all bets were off.

“He will meet us tonight where we discussed.”

“Good. But if he tries
anything
I will kill him, Luca. No hesitation.”

“I don’t doubt it. I’ve seen you try to kill him before. I know the intention is never far away.”

“What we are doing here….this means that
all
wolves are off limits.”

“I have already lifted the threat as I swore to you that I would.” He leaned across the breakfast counter towards her, his face just inches from hers as he asked, “You don’t trust me?”

She met his gaze head on. “I don’t need to trust you.”

“And why is that?”

Her gaze hardened as she said, “Because
I
hold the power. I don’t need to be worried about you. You need to be worried about me.”

He grinned and ruffled her hair before pulling away. “You are no longer the naïve girl I met all those months ago.”

“You miss her?”

He shook his head. “No. I’ve spent my life around weak women. Sycophants. Women who would do anything to please me.
You
…you’re strong. And now that you’ve grown into your power, you know it, too. You are more powerful now. Freer.”

“Not a trait that sits well with a wolf,” she murmured quietly to herself.

Luca shot her a look. “You forget I am a vampire, princess. I heard that.”

“Yeah, well,” she said, pushing back her chair and getting to her feet.

He glanced at her plate. “You’re not finished.”

“I lost my appetite,” she said, turning away from him.

In a flash of vampire speed, he stood before her. “You are right, you know? About him. He will never be able to relinquish control. It is not in his nature.”

“You don’t know that. You’re just jealous.”

Luca grinned. “As blunt as ever, aren’t you? Yes, I’m jealous. There’s no point me denying it.
But
I am also right about him. If you don’t believe me, test him.”

“Test him?”

“See if he can relinquish control. Sex is always a good gauge.”

“We’re barely speaking.”

Luca scoffed. “That won’t matter.”

“What?”

“He’s male.”

“Luca, I don’t think—”

“Fine, then I’ll guess it will always be nagging at you then.”

She breathed a heavy sigh. “It doesn’t matter. We can’t split up anyway. We are mates.”

Luca winked at her. “There are always ways.”

Cora watched as he turned away from her and strolled over to the couch. He lay down and pulled the blanket she’d given him last night over him, making himself comfortable. “What does that mean?”

“What it sounds like. There’s
always
a choice, Cora. Always. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, because I’d bet my life that they’re only telling you that to control you. Remember what I told you up at the mansion:
everyone
has an agenda.”

“Really?” she said, approaching the couch.

“Yep,” he said, looking up at her as she rounded the couch and stood before him.

“And what is yours?”

He pulled himself up into a sitting position and locked eyes with her as he said, “You.” His hand shot out and he gripped her arm, pulling her down onto the couch beside him. She yelped in surprise.

He laughed at her reaction. “You thought I was gonna do more than that, didn’t you?”

She shook her head and avoided making direct eye contact with him. “What? No.”

“Did you want me to?” he asked softly.

She scoffed and climbed to her feet. Like hell.

CHAPTER 23

Cora strode through the garage of the wolf compound to where she’d parked her bike earlier. She’d spent a few hours with her son, which had eased the ache of being away from him. But she knew as soon as she left it’d be back in full force.
It’s all Ryan’s fault. He won’t let me take my son with me.
She couldn’t stay at the compound, though, not while Ryan was there. She didn’t want to be around him. The way he’d treated her outside the vampire mansion, what he’d done and the awful things he’d said to her weren’t so easy to forgive. And she wasn’t even sure she wanted to. And if that hadn’t been enough to keep her away, what he’d done to keep her from taking Orion had hit a new low. Making him shift like that, knowing that she couldn’t take him in wolf form, because she wasn’t a wolf herself and wouldn’t be able to care for him properly without Ryan, was just cruel.

Ryan had changed. He’d always been controlling, but since he’d accepted his role as Wolf King it had just gotten worse and worse. At the same time, she had become more powerful and she’d detested anyone’s attempt to control her the stronger she’d become. It made for an impossible situation between them. How could they hope to find a middle ground?

She was putting space between them right now. But could she really walk away from him completely? They were destined mates.
Shit, I need to force a compromise between us.
She loved him. There was no denying that. If Ryan could just relinquish some control, maybe she would be all right with that. Maybe. She wasn’t sure. Luca’s words rang in her head.
Test him
. She hated playing games like that, but, perhaps, that was exactly what she needed to do.

“Shit,” she muttered to herself with exasperation as she settled herself on her Harley.

“Cora!”

She craned her neck to see Ryan walking towards her.
Oh fuck. Just what I need.

She’d managed to avoid him her entire visit. She’d spent time with Orion and hung out with Josh and the other wolves. Ryan had been in a meeting with Nathanial and some other guy from the Dark Realm. But now he was here striding towards her.

“Hey,” she said amicably as he stopped beside her bike and folded his arms across his chest as he regarded her.

“I just finished a meeting with Nathanial and Haraz and one of the boys told me you were on your way out. I wanted to catch you before you left.”

“Why?” she demanded. It came out harsher than she’d intended and she saw him flinch at her tone.

“You’re my wife. I want you here.”

“Yeah, well. You made that pretty impossible, Ryan.”

He shifted his weight. “Look, I was upset about you fucking about with Luca. I’m trying to move past it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Good luck with that.”

“Where are you staying?” he asked, moving closer.

“Does it matter?”

“Of course, it matters. I want you safe.”

She scoffed.

“What?” he snapped. “What was that for?”

She released a heavy sigh and adjusted her weight on the bike. “You really don’t
see
me, do you? I’m the most powerful sorceress in all the realms, Ryan. No one can touch me. Is that something you’re just incapable of understanding, because of what you are?”

“What I am?” he hissed.

“A misogynistic Alpha wolf.”

“That’s what you think of me?”

“Yeah. You claim you like strong women, yet you
always
have to be in control.”

“You’re wrong.” His expression softened and he took her hand in his. “Everything I do is to keep you safe. Power, or not, you’re my wife. It’s my duty to protect you.”

“Ryan—” she protested as he closed the distance between them.

“You think I’m all about control, but it’s not that, my love. It’s the danger around us. So many forces are aligned against us right now. I just want you safe.”

Before she could respond, his lips crashed against hers, capturing her in a kiss so intense that she could barely breathe.

They poured all the pent-up frustration between them into it until they both pulled back, gasping for breath.

“Lay back,” Ryan commanded as he climbed onto the bike with her, straddling it.

She shifted and laid her head back against the handle bars. His hands slipped under her white tank. She gasped as he kneaded her breasts. She arched her back, pushing them further into his hands.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” he breathed as he ground his erection between her legs, creating a delicious friction that sent sparks of pleasure straight to her sex.

And then his hands gripped her wrists, holding them over her head as his mouth devoured hers.

This is it. This is my chance to see the truth.
She jerked her head away.

He pulled back in surprise.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.

“I want to switch.”

“What?”

“I want to switch,” she repeated, eyeing her wrists above her head.

Ryan laughed. “I don’t think so, darlin’.”

“Come on, Ryan.”

“You want to hold
me
down?” he asked, incredulous.

“Yeah.”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that.”

“Why not?”

“Just because.”

“That’s not an answer.”

He released her wrists and moved back, blowing out a frustrated breath. “What is this? You never complained about the way we fucked before. In fact, you were out of your mind with pleasure.”

She sat up and adjusted her tank top and leather jacket. “
I
want to be in control sometimes.”

“You are. When you suck my cock, you’re in complete control, aren’t you?”

“Not really. You still control the rhythm.”

“That’s what guys do, Cora.”

“Why are you so against this?”

Her question pushed him over the edge and he snapped, yelling, “Because I’m the dominant one here, Cora! I’m the wolf. It’s how it’ll always be. Understand that!”

Cora adjusted her position on the bike and gripped the handle bars. Without looking at him, she said sadly, “When we first got together I didn’t realize how controlling you really were. Sure, I noticed how you liked to be in charge in the bedroom. At the time I was okay with it, because I didn’t know anything else. But then it extended outside the bedroom. And now that I’ve come into my full powers, now that I wield so much power, so much strength, I can’t accept that anymore. You cannot control
me
, Ryan. I’m not another one of your wolves. I’ve tried to make you see that, but you just don’t. You can’t bring yourself to accept it. You just brush it aside whenever I bring it up. And I can’t live like this. Everything is different.
I’m
different. And now…I…I can’t do this, Ryan. Not anymore.”

Before he could attempt to stop her, the bike roared to life and she sped out of the garage.

Even with the roar of her bike, she could hear him bellowing after her, “Cora! No! Don’t do this! Come back, my love! Cora!”

But she didn’t stop.

“No! No!” he screamed. “Cora!”

But she didn’t turn back around. She couldn’t. What was the point? He’d just proved he couldn’t give her what she wanted. He couldn’t let her just be
her.
He was too controlling.

And so, even as tears filled her eyes, she just kept riding.

Begin book four,
Fated Love
.