Fated Blood: A paranormal erotic romance series (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 5) (13 page)

“I’m keeping it from everyone.”

“Except for the three most untrustworthy beings in all the realms.”

Damn, he’s got me there.
“All three of which only respond to
power
, which is something I have a great deal of and something that ensures their loyalty to me and, thus, their discretion.”

“Davidas supplied you with faerie magic. The other two…both wielders of black magic….” Nathanial mused aloud. His eyes flashed with realization. “This is about Oriana!”

Dammit! Why does he have the ability to outsmart everyone?
She didn’t respond. She watched him step back and begin to pace up and down in front of her.

“You have not made your peace with the events that led up to your death as you have led Ryan and the others to believe,” he accused.

As much as Cora tried to tell herself to shut the hell up, she couldn’t contain the rage bubbling up inside her at Nathanial’s mention of her death. “She took my
life
!”

Nathanial’s gaze snapped to hers. “Vengeance is fury fueled by pain and fear. Once you allow it to seep into your consciousness, it grows and grows. You believe you will destroy the source of it, Oriana herself, but that is not how the world works, Cora. You will only destroy yourself. You must let it go. It will twist your thoughts. The fact that you met with the three of
them
only supports my claim. They are all dangerous men, driven only by their own selfish agendas. And Davidas? He took you against your will, yet you are so desperate to get back at Oriana that you allowed him back into your life.”

“You want her dead as much as I do. It wasn’t long ago that you were training me to kill her.”

“With a clear mind, Cora. Not like this. Rage and notions of vengeance will destabilize your magic, just like they did with Vazra. That is why your murdered him, your
father
. You lost control. You cannot deny it to me. I watched you that night. I saw the look in your eyes.”

“I’m beyond that now. I can maintain control no matter what I am feeling.”

Nathanial cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “Is that so?”

“Yes, it’s true. I learned a lot being dead and all. I see everything now. I know where Oriana is. And I will kill her. You know my secret now, so this discussion is over.”

She moved to pass him but his hand shot out suddenly and swept across her belly.

“You would risk
this
?”

She looked up at him, startled. “What?”

“You are with child.”

“How did you—?”

“Oriana used this exact spell to keep her pregnancy with Ryan secret from me. I know it well and I can see through it with the greatest of ease. I see the swell of your belly while everyone else sees nothing. A girl. You are already quite far along. You need a significant amount of magic to sustain her, Cora, given that she is part wolf, just like Orion. Taking on Oriana is a risk. Is that why you have not told Ryan of your plans?”

Cora breathed a sigh of defeat. “Yes. And I know how close you are to him, so it’s why I kept it from you too. Nothing to do with politics, Nathanial.”

He smiled. “Well, I am relieved of that.
But
you cannot do this without telling him. What if you lose the child?”

She pulled away, offended by the suggestion. “I won’t. I’m no longer the naïve little woman I was when I first met Ryan.”

“Oh, I am well aware of that, Cora. I noticed the change in you immediately when you returned.”

She took his words in, startled by his perceptiveness. But she recovered quickly and said, “Oriana will die tonight. And we’ll all be celebrating by morning.”

Before Nathanial could utter another word, she teleported away.

CHAPTER 21

“You’re sure about this?” Cora asked him as she straddled him on their bed.

Ryan was shirtless, wearing only a pair of black boxers. His wrists were cuffed to the bed frame above his head.

“It’s what I promised you.”

“I know, but—”

“You wanted to take control in bed, didn’t you?”

She nodded.

Ryan grinned at her. “Then have at it, darlin’,” he told her, releasing a calming breath in an effort to relax. He’d
never
given up control like this before, not to any woman. He was more than a little nervous and he knew Cora was picking up on it and that was what was making her so hesitant now.

Despite his reservations, he wanted to give this to her. They’d fought long and hard over this very issue and he wanted to show her that she was his equal, that she could take control just as much as he could. He understood how important it was to their marriage that he did this for her. He just had to keep reminding himself to let her continue, no matter what, and to not break the cuffs, which he’d be able to do with the greatest of ease. No restraints could hold him now—his strength as Wolf King was such that he could even break
silver
restraints if he needed to. And the cuffs Cora was using were flimsy at best—they were actually his play things.

He watched as she lifted her white tank top over her head, freeing her gorgeous tits. Immediately, he pulled against his restraints, wanting to touch them, to put his mouth on them.
Fuck.
She smiled with amusement and leaned down to kiss him. There was nothing sweet or gentle about it as she took his mouth in a hard, brutal kiss. She didn’t give him a chance to catch his breath as her tongue forced its entry, tasting him, devouring.

When she finally pulled back, he was panting with desperation at her teasing. He wanted her so badly, needed to touch her and take her as his. But he resisted.
She
was in control right now, not him.
Fuck, this is difficult.

She smiled slyly at him, causing him to wonder what the hell she was about to do. He’d never seen such a fiery, dangerous look from her before.

And then she did something that he’d never expected.

She raked her sharp nails along his skin, starting with his neck, then his collarbone, his chest, pressing down hard, almost enough to draw blood at a slow, torturous pace. He couldn’t help himself. He writhed beneath her as she set every fucking nerve ending on fire, triggering so many delicious sensations that he couldn’t hold still. She was playing with him like a wolf would. He knew she was demonstrating that she could give him exactly what he wanted—that she could fuck just like a wolf; that she could be everything he needed.

She stopped at the waistband of his boxers. And then she crawled back up his body. Her mouth and tongue traced her earlier path, soothing the sting of the blood-red marks that her nails had etched into his skin. He moaned in pleasure at the feel of her hot, wet tongue all over his upper body. Fuck, he wanted her tongue, her mouth on his cock.
Now!
He had to fight every instinct he had not to break the cuffs and make it happen.

“Patience, baby,” she teased, sensing his need.

“Cora—” he tried to protest.

She smiled with amusement. “Tell me what you want,” she commanded.

So that’s how it is, is it? Fine, we’ll play.
“I want that talented mouth of yours wrapped around my fucking cock,” he said, his words escaping in a breathless, desperate groan.

Her eyes flashed with a sense of victory, knowing that she had him at her complete mercy. She hooked her fingers into the waistband of his boxers and tugged hard, drawing them down just enough to free his throbbing cock, but not enough to free his legs.

Her tongue swirled around his head. Once. Twice.

And then she stopped and looked at him. “Is this what you want?”

He nodded.

“I didn’t hear you.”

“Yes. I want your mouth,” he panted.

She still didn’t move. Instead she continued to stare at him expectantly.

It took him a moment to realize what she wanted: to hear him beg. “I need your mouth.
Please
. Take my cock, darlin’.”

“Mmm…that’s better,” she said, stroking his shaft up and down.

And then her mouth was on him, her moist lips smothering his cock as she took him all the way to the back of her throat, swallowing the entire length of him.

“Oh fuck!” he cried out. “Yes, darlin’.”

She found her rhythm quickly, massaging his balls as she sucked him off. He was so turned on by the sight of her mouth sliding up and down his cock, at being unable to do anything but lie there and take it, that he felt his imminent release building already.
Fucking hell.
She didn’t stop. He couldn’t take it anymore and he thrust his hips up, driving his cock deep. He was so close, so fucking close.

And then she pulled back.

He growled in protest.

“You’re gonna kill me, darlin’,” he gasped.

She responded with a little chuckle and then straddled him. He watched her push the scrap of material passing for panties aside. And then she lowered herself onto his cock and took him in one sudden motion, driving him deep within her, which was quite a feat, given his size. They both grunted at the sensation. He expected her to still for a while to adjust to his invasion. But she didn’t.

She started to ride him hard and fast, lifting almost all the way off his cock and slamming back down again. It was exquisite torture and he growled with her every brutal thrust.

“Fucking hell,” he rasped, throwing his head back.

She dug her nails into his chest and he relished the sweet burn against the incredible pleasure of her slick walls milking his cock.

Leaning forward, she flipped open the latches on both his cuffs, freeing his hands. He lowered them to his sides and eyed her expectantly, knowing better by now than to touch her without her permission. It was
her
way. And he was enjoying this game of hers immensely. Fuck, she was so damn good at it.

“Touch me,” she commanded. “Make me come.”

With pleasure.
He snaked one arm around her waist, steadying her on his cock as she continued to fuck him like an animal. His free hand slid down to her clit. She cried out as his expert fingers tended to her. He teased her tits with his tongue and teeth, driving her into a frenzy. She ground down harder on his cock and it took everything he had to hold back his release. He wanted her to come first. He stepped up his torture on her pussy.

It wasn’t long before he felt her clench around him. She screamed wildly as her orgasm hit. The pressure of her intense grip was such that he couldn’t hold back any longer. He roared as he came with her, pumping his release deep inside her.

She lifted herself off his cock and collapsed on top of him.

“Fuck, Cora. I didn’t know you had that in you,” he choked out as he wrapped his arms around her.

She looked up at him and grinned. “You like me taking control,” she accused.

“Any time you want. Any fucking time.”

Her expression changed, becoming serious as she said, “You know how much I love you, right?”

“Yes, of course.”
What’s this about?
“What’s wrong, my love?”

“Nothing, I—”

“I know you haven’t forgiven me for Jada.”

“What?” she asked, taken aback.

“It’s okay. I get it. It’ll take time.”

She climbed off him and pulled the covers up to her chest protectively. “It’s not…you. It’s her. Oriana. She did this.
She’s
the one I can’t forgive.”

He sat up with her and pulled her into his embrace. “I know. I feel the same way. I’m sorry, Cora. I wish more than anything that none of that had ever happened. But it did and we can’t take it back.”

She nodded sadly. “I know. You’re right. I’m sorry too. About Luca.”

“It wasn’t you. It was the effect of the betrothal bond. He told me the other day.”

Her gaze snapped to his. “He did?”

“Yeah. His attempt at a peace offering.”

“I see. Well I’m still sorry.”

He tightened his hold around her. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t care about any of it, Cora. I just care about you, Orion, and this little one,” he said, rubbing her belly gently. “I have something for you. Something you asked me for a long time ago. With everything that happened, I never got to give it to you.”

He leaned over her and opened the drawer of his bedside table. He withdrew something in his closed palm and returned to her. He smiled excitedly and opened his hand. She gasped as she saw the two rings there. They were a bright, glowing gold with little flecks of brown running through the metal.

“Shaye picked these up for me. Wedding bands. They’re made from the earth itself. They’re eternal. Once we put them on they can’t be removed. Only in death.”

“They’re gorgeous.”

He took the lead and slid his on his wedding finger, demonstrating his commitment to her. Before she could reach for hers, he took her left hand gently in his. “Let me,” he said. He slid it slowly onto her finger, wanting to savor this poignant moment between them. “You are mine,” he said. “I love you. Always, Cora.”

She smiled and relaxed into him. “I love
you
. Always,” she seconded.