Fated Love: A Vampire Paranormal Romance Novel (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 4) (5 page)

CHAPTER 8

Ryan sat on a hill overlooking the camp, his knees drawn up and his face resting in his hands as he tried to figure things out.

He’d spent the past few hours conversing with the wolves, laying out their plan of attack for storming the castle. They all understood what was required of each of them now.

Damon had shown him the shields that each wolf would carry. They were spelled with a magical deflector, meaning that if Oriana assaulted them with her magic, it would bounce off the special metal and fire right back at her. Ryan had been concerned about the durability of them against the physical strength of Nathanial’s royal guards. Nathanial had warned him that they could be under Oriana’s control, so he had to assume that they were. He’d assaulted one of the shields with his full strength and it’d barely shuddered under the impact. Aside from Nathanial, no vampire could match his strength now that he’d come into his full power as Wolf King, so he’d been satisfied that the shields would fare well in their coming battle.

As he’d talked with the wolves, he’d avoided making direct eye contact with Jada or treating her any differently than the rest. A couple of times he’d accidentally caught her eye and had seen the hurt there. He knew he needed to talk to her and he knew he was being an asshole for having not done so already. But the problem was he didn’t know what to say. When she’d walked into his tent last night and offered herself to him, it’d never crossed his mind that it would be anything more than a one-nighter. But even before her eyes had scared the shit out of him when they’d glowed, signifying her as his mate, he’d felt something for her that he hadn’t expected.

The way they’d fucked, it hadn’t been empty like he’d expected. There’d been a deep, primal connection that he’d never felt before. And he’d fucked plenty of wolves before. It wasn’t the supposed
destined mate
thing, either. It was…there was just a deep understanding. She knew what he needed and vice-versa.

And that was why he’d avoided talking to her. He’d needed to figure out what the hell he was going to do, because he couldn’t just turn her away. He couldn’t just cast her aside. He
felt
something for her.

“Hey. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

He lifted his head from his hands to see her standing before him. The sun beat down on her head, illuminating her soft, golden hair like a halo. She was dressed in those cock-teasing, tiny brown shorts of hers. Thigh-high leather boots covered her legs and a golden bustier pushed her ample tits together like an offering—a most delicious one at that. He found himself staring at the brown tattoos all over her arms and her exposed stomach. They were really prominent in the light of day. Pack markings.

“Sit,” he said, patting the ground beside him.

She did as he commanded and sat down next to him. He watched her fiddling nervously with her hands in her lap. And then she pulled her knees up to her chin in a defensive gesture.

“You didn’t tell me, Jada,” he said softly, shifting his weight so he was facing her. He saw by the look in her eyes that she knew exactly what he was talking about.

She looked away shyly. “I didn’t know how. You’re….”

“I’m what?”

“Experienced. I thought you might not want me if I’d told you.”

He lifted her chin with his index finger, forcing her to look at him. “I would’ve been a lot gentler if I’d known. Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze raking over her body slowly, studying her.

She shrugged. “Yeah.”

You’re lying.
“You’re sure?” he pressed. “I was
really
rough, Jada.”

“I’m…a little sore,” she admitted with a little giggle.

The sweet sound of her tiny little laugh affected him and before he could stop himself, he was wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against him. “I’m sorry I hurt you,” he breathed into her hair.

“I liked it,” she protested. “It’s how I always imagined wolf sex to be.”

Ryan chuckled. “Normally, there’s a build up to what we did last night. I would never have taken you like that if I’d known it was your first time. You’re a tough little thing, though.”

“Tough enough even for the Wolf King,” she said proudly.

“You certainly were last night.”

“After we storm the castle, you’re going back, aren’t you? To the human realm? To her?” she asked, pulling free of his embrace.

“I’m going back for my
son
. It’s difficult being without him.”

She cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “Not to her, your wife?”

“She and I aren’t…together right now.”

She nodded her understanding and didn’t seem at all surprised.

“What?” Ryan asked.

Her eyes bore into his as she said, “She’s not wolf.”

“Jada. Listen, I—”

Before he could get his words out, she pounced on him suddenly. His back hit the grass as she pinned him to the ground with her hands and knees, straddling him on all fours. She growled in challenge and he growled right back at her, rolling them to the side so that he straddled her. She fought him and rolled them over again. She was strong. Stronger than any of the human realm wolves he’d been with.

“You’re strong, baby,” he said, grinning at her. He gripped her hips and growled, “But I’m stronger.”

She yelped as he pushed her off him.

And then he was on her, wrestling her beneath him. They continued to play fight until they were rolling down the hill, laughing and growling like a couple of wolf-pups.

When they finally came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, Ryan looked down at her giggling beneath him. Her cheeks were flushed from exertion. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she fought to catch her breath. And her eyes were full of joy and reverence as she looked up at him.

He felt a freedom he hadn’t felt for a long time—a freedom where he could be himself without having to worry about his animalistic predilections. He didn’t need to worry about where his claws were, his teeth, how tight his grip was. No, with her, he could be every part of the animal that he was. She loved it as much as he did.

A primal sensation rose within him then and he howled up at the sky, a ferocious call to the moon. She joined him, her call fusing with his.

They both shifted. He growled in appreciation as he took in the sight of her golden wolf.
Breathtaking.
He curled his paw around her back with ease—he was three times her wolf size. He pulled her to him and they lay with one another, growling agreeably as they communicated in wolf tongue.

CHAPTER 9

Nathanial shook his head as he watched Cora hit the ground painfully. She frantically grabbed at her arm and healed the deep, bloodied scratch along the length of her forearm. It was a scratch
he’d
inflicted upon her when she’d failed to deflect his magical blow.

“Fuck, Nathanial,” she grumbled at him as she climbed back to her feet.

“That was nowhere near my full strength, Cora,” he told her, standing with his hands at the ready and his feet shoulder-width apart. He was poised for battle. He had been for the last two hours. He eyed Michael and they exchanged a weary glance. The two of them had been training Cora, teaching her how to unleash her power whilst still maintaining control over her inner
demon
. Well,
trying
to teach her.

“You’re not concentrating,” Michael accused, lowering his palms as he released an exasperated sigh.

“I’m doing my best! I don’t have centuries’ worth of experience at my back like you two do!”

“You’re not doing your best. And our
experience
is irrelevant. You are a
natural
sorceress. You already have the abilities but you are squandering it on your fucking emotions!”

Nathanial stepped in between them. “All right. Both of you calm yourselves.” He looked between them and saw them both take a threatening step forward. “Immediately!” he thundered.

They both froze at his words.

He grabbed their hands and teleported them outside the wolf compound. They materialized on the other side of the gates.

“Luca!” Nathanial bellowed out into the night suddenly.

He saw Cora jump in surprise as Luca suddenly materialized in front of them.

“Father, you called?”

Nathanial spoke to Michael first. “Join Haraz now.”

Michael nodded and teleported off to fulfill his King’s orders.

And then he turned his attention to Luca. “Michael is too easily frustrated. His hatred for Cora assures that. At this stage of her training, she now needs a
friendly
face. You.”

Luca smiled warmly at Cora. “That I can provide.”

He reached for her hand, but Nathanial pushed him back before he could make contact. “Full concentration, Luca,” he snarled. “She needs to be ready or your mother will kill her! Do you understand the severity of the situation?”

As he expected, his words affected Luca and he immediately snapped into focus. “Yes. What do you need from me?”

“With Michael’s help I have already taught her how to deflect black magic. But her biggest problem is that when she wields a certain level of power, a dark element calls to her.”

Luca nodded. “Yes, not uncommon.”

“It’s not?” Cora asked them.

Luca shook his head. “I’ve dealt with it too.”

“Not very successfully,” Nathanial chastised him.

“That was by choice,” Luca protested. “I mastered the ability to control it centuries ago. I can whenever I want to. Just like you, father.”

“You have never told me this.”

Luca smiled. “Is that
pride
in your eyes?”

“Perhaps.”

A look passed between them, a silent hope that perhaps one day they might be able to find some common ground after all.

Low growls rumbled beneath their feet. The wolves.

“They can sense me,” Luca said.

“You tortured their Alpha. They hate you and Nathanial didn’t give me time to warn them before he called you here,” Cora said.

“Sorry,” Nathanial offered.

“It’ll be okay. Josh will calm them down. Let’s just get started.”

“Prepare yourself how I showed you,” Nathanial commanded Cora.

She did as he asked and moved her feet shoulder-width apart. She shook out her arms and then held them both before her with her palms facing outwards.

“Good,” Nathanial praised. He nodded to Luca. “You take right. I’ll take left.”

Luca positioned himself a few feet back from Cora at her right side. Nathanial took position opposite him with her between them.

“Cora, I want you to unleash the full force of your power at both of us. In two directions. If you can control the dark unstable element within, you will succeed. If not, then you will only be able to strike one of us. Remember, the key is to maintain a clear mind, focusing only on the task at hand. You must transcend your emotions,” Nathanial instructed her.

“Okay.”

“Luca,” Nathanial called.

“Got it,” Luca said, raising his palms before him in a defensive gesture. A red glow shone before him, a shimmering wall of protection. “Shields up.”

Nathanial followed suit, erecting his own wall of protection with a shimmering, black glow. “Now, Cora!” he commanded.

She steadied herself and then both her hands shot out either side of her. Silver light burst from them, firing at both Nathanial’s and Luca’s walls of protection.

“Shit!” Luca hissed. “Father, I can’t hold it. There’s too much power,” he cried.

Nathanial saw his hands shaking from the weight of Cora’s magic. He moved slowly towards him, forcing Cora to refocus her power as he approached Luca, all the while holding his barrier steady. Well,
struggling
to hold his barrier steady. She was so strong. He’d never felt such power before. When he was close enough, he took Luca’s hand. “Join with me.”

Luca accepted and they both grunted as a surge of power ripped through both of them.

And then Nathanial yelled, “Now, Cora! Unleash all of it until I command you to stop! As soon as I command you, you must stop immediately! Understood?”

“Yes!” she called back.

“Now!”

Nathanial and Luca stumbled back as she hit them with the full force of her magical strength. The rays of her silver light shook their magic to its breaking point, threatening to consume it.

“Fuck!” Luca breathed. “I…stop her, father.”

“Even combined, she is far stronger than us,” Nathanial exclaimed in shock. He’d known she was strong, but this was something else. He couldn’t believe it.

It had only been a few seconds and already her silver fire was consuming his and Luca’s joined magic, devouring the walls they held before them
so
quickly.

“Cora! Pull back!” he called.

Nothing happened. He and Luca exchanged a worried glance.

“Cora! Now!” Nathanial bellowed.

Still she didn’t pull back. Instead she cried out in agony.

“She’s lost control. It’s engulfing her,” Luca said. “Can you hold it without me for a few seconds?”

“Yes. Go to her.”

In a flash of vampire speed, Luca stood directly in front of Cora, in between her rays of silver light. Nathanial’s eyes narrowed as he watched Luca cup her face in a far-too-intimate gesture. And, if that wasn’t concerning enough, his next words to her were, “I love you, princess. You mean the world to me.”

But she responded to them.

Instantly, she retracted her power. She blinked hard and shook her head, before noticing Luca standing in front of her. “Oh my God,” she murmured. She looked past him and called to Nathanial, “I’m sorry!”

Nathanial reabsorbed his magic and approached the two of them. He regarded Luca with suspicion. But he didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t in front of the princess.

He looked away and told Cora, “You were only able to pull your power back then, because Luca anchored you. You need to concentrate on your own anchor. Luca will not always be there. You failed to do so and that is why you lost control. What or who is your current anchor?”

“It was Ryan and my son,” she said sadly.

“I see. Well, your relationship with Ryan is unstable at the moment. You must remove him from the equation and concentrate solely on your son.”

“Or wherever else your love may lie,” Luca cut in.

Nathanial growled at him and shook his head. “Now is not the time.”

“Father, I was just—”

“Flirt with the princess on your own time. But know that I will not tolerate it around me.”

Luca scoffed. “Oh right, because your loyalty lies with the Wolf King and your duty to
him
, rather than your own son.”

“No, because Cora is already mated, Luca! You need to accept that!”

“There is a way to break that bond and you know it!”

“Is that true?” Cora demanded, gripping Luca’s arm fervently. “Is it true?” she pressed when he hesitated on his answer and looked to Nathanial.

Nathanial released a heavy sigh and admitted, “Yes, there is a way.”

“Oh,” she murmured.

“Is that what you want?” he asked. Much to his annoyance, he saw Luca waiting with bated breath for her answer. Clearly breaking the betrothal bond had done little to cure his obsession with the White Realm Princess.
He really does love her. Wholly. And, it appears, unconditionally. I had never thought he would be capable of it. But his near-death experience must have brought forth the epiphany.

“I…I’m not sure. All I ever wanted was a choice. I’ve never had that.”

“You are the White Realm Princess, Cora. No one can control you now that you have come into your full powers. You are free to make your choices as you see fit,” Luca said.

Nathanial cleared his throat and told Cora, “We will take a ten-minute break. But then we must continue. You must master this tonight. Ryan can only hold Oriana at bay for so long.”

He watched her nod at him and head back into the compound. He knew she was going to visit with her son again. Not living with him was taking a toll on her.

When she was out of sight, he rounded on Luca and hissed, “What are you doing?”

Luca met his intense fiery glare and said, “I love her, father.”

“You are sure that it is love? It has only ever been lust with you.”

“I’m different now. I regret what I’ve done. And I am sure of it. I love her.”

“Has she shown you any encouragement?”

Luca shook his head. “We’ve graduated from hatred to tolerance.”

Nathanial couldn’t suppress a small chuckle. “I see.” And then his tone became sober as he said, “You must let
her
make the choice, Luca. Do not interfere or attempt to wedge yourself between her and Ryan. You know I cannot support that. You must not go against the Wolf King over your love for her. This is very important. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I know. I want it to be her choice anyway. Anything less is…not enough for me.”

Nathanial laid his hand on his shoulder and said kindly, “You have learned what I’d hoped you would one day. Keep it up and you may just see true pride in my eyes.”