Fated Blood: A paranormal erotic romance series (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 5) (8 page)

She kissed him chastely on his forehead. “May I?” she asked, gesturing between her legs.

“If you really must.”

She chuckled and lifted herself off his cock. He grunted at the sudden withdrawal. She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around herself. “There’s something I need to do,” she said as she walked away into the bathroom.

He called over his shoulder to her, “Well, if you’re going anywhere, I’m coming with you.”

“Ryan, I don’t think—”

“Do you really think I’m ready to let you out of my sight right now? I just got you back, my love.”

He heard her mumble her agreement but he didn’t hear exactly what she said because he was preoccupied as he glanced down at his cock and realized what they’d just done.
Oh shit!
He hurriedly pulled on his boxers and walked into the bathroom.

“I’m sorry, Cora.”

Her hands on the zipper of her leather pants, she froze at his grave tone. “For what?” she asked nervously.

“I…in all our
excitement
…I didn’t…we didn’t…I fucked you without a damn condom!”

Her eyes were wide with shock. She was speechless.

“Both our eyes were glowing. There’s a good chance I may have just got you pregnant…again.”

She shook her head. “Oh no. No way. I said no more excruciating wolf-baby births.”

“I know. I’m sorry, my love. Shit!”

“No, it’s both our faults. Well…maybe now that I’m stronger than I was the first time around, it might not be so bad, right?”

“True. Very true. You could just teleport the baby out.”

She laughed. “Hilarious.”

He crossed to her and pulled her against him. “I want Orion back. I miss him so much.”

“I know. I do too. We will.”

“After whatever you have to do tonight, I want to go to Nathanial. He met with this vampire, Kristoff, earlier. He knows how to get our son back, Cora.”

She pulled back and continued getting dressed as she told him. “Even if I have to rip through every realm, I’ll get Orion back, Ryan.”

Ryan smiled. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“So am I.”

“Don’t ever leave me again.”

“Never.”

CHAPTER 12

“
This
is where you wanted to go?” Ryan complained as they approached the gates of the vampire mansion.

“You can wait outside if you want.”

Ryan scoffed. “I don’t think so. I’m not letting you be in the same room with him without me there.”

“That’s all over now, Ryan,” she said, cupping his face in her hands. “Just like it is with you and Jada. Do you believe me and trust me?”

He sighed. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“Okay, then let me do this. Trust me, it will benefit you as well.”

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

“You’ll see.”

Ryan growled at her cryptic response but let it slide. He’d just got her back. He didn’t want to argue with her.

As they reached the doors to the mansion, he gripped her hand tightly. To his surprise they opened for her, welcoming her inside.

They’d barely made it down the hall when Luca stepped out of a room into the corridor.

“I thought I sensed you,” he said to Cora only.

“Hi,” she said kindly.

“I see the vampire is gone,” he said sadly as he approached them.

She nodded. “It’s the real me now.”

He looked between them. “And you two are back together? I can feel the bond.”

“Yes,” she answered.

He stopped in front of them and folded his arms across his chest. “I see.”

“Thank you,” Cora said.

Ryan watched the surprise dancing in Luca’s eyes. “For what?”

“For taking care of the vampire version of me. I saw how you were with her, how much you loved her.”

“Cora—”

Ryan could see the pain in his eyes; it was the same pain that
he’d
felt when he’d thought he’d lost Cora. He looked away, released Cora, and stepped back, allowing them to have their moment. He might hate the guy, but how could he deny him that much?

“I have a gift to thank you,” Cora told him.

“A gift? I do not need anything, princess.”

“Yes you do,” she insisted. She moved closer and whispered, “Aerona.”

Luca looked at her in question. “I don’t understand. A woman’s name?”

“She is
yours
…the one meant for you.”

What the fuck?
Ryan caught Luca’s eye and saw the same look of disbelief all over his face that he was feeling.

“How do you know that?”

“Being dead, you get to see a lot. She’ll come into your life sooner than you think.”

“Why now?”

“Because her father has kept her hidden for decades from you.”

“I must know him then,” Luca said wryly.

“You do.”

She smiled and then turned away.

“Where are you going?”

“To the Dark Realm to figure out how to get our son back,” Ryan answered as he wrapped his arm around Cora.

“I’ll go with you. I’m due to meet with my father.”

“You are?” Ryan asked in surprise.

“He wants me to shadow him, learn the ways of a ruler.”

Ryan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Cora slapped him across the back of his head. “Ryan.”

“Well, good,” he forced himself to say. “Just keep away from my wife from now on and you and I will be fine.”

“I can work with that.”

As Luca moved to walk beside Cora, Ryan cleared his throat noisily. “My side.”

Luca snarled with agitation but did as he asked.

“You’re so possessive,” Cora whispered in his ear.

“You know it,” Ryan whispered back. “Always, my love.”

CHAPTER 13

“You were right. The bond is false. Created by black magic, courtesy of Oriana,” Kristoff reported as he leaned against the wall of the corridor outside Jada’s room.

“Can you break it?” Nathanial asked.

“Yes, but it will be painful for her as she will still remember everything that happened between her and the Wolf King. I need a sorceress of white light to dull the ache.”

“You mean, to make her forget?”

Kristoff nodded. “Marella, perhaps? She has enough power.”

Nathanial shook his head. “No, she is with
my
child. Her magic isn’t pure at the moment.”

“Then who?”

“Cora has returned.”

Kristoff choked in surprise. “Amazing. I’d expected that to take a lot longer.”

“Her power is greater than either of us truly realized.”

“Let me know when she is here and I will break the bond,” Kristoff said, turning to go.

Nathanial gripped his arm, stopping him. “You have kept something from me, Kristoff.”

Kristoff turned back to him in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“I saw it when I read you the other night. I had hoped that you would reveal it to me yourself, but you have not. Even after you brought her to the Dark Realm gates.”

“Nathanial—”

“Your daughter is of royal blood. She is not Amelia’s child at all. She is a pureblood, courtesy of
your
heritage as former ruler of the Dark Realm.”

“Yes, when I was ruler prior to your conquest centuries ago,” Kristoff said bitterly. “Where you took my throne
and
stripped me of my powers.”

“Which you made up for by turning to black magic. You already took your revenge when you schooled Oriana in the arts of it.”

“Hiding my daughter was not an act of revenge, Nathanial. I was trying to protect her from your son.”

“He has changed, Kristoff. I am sure that you know this. You have your spies, after all.”

“Yes,” Kristoff admitted. “I have seen it.”

“Then you will not keep her from him any longer.”

“Is that a suggestion or a threat?”

Nathanial stepped into him and glowered down at him. Before he could answer, he sensed a sudden approach. He stepped back quickly and turned to see Cora, Ryan, and Luca walking down the hall towards them.

“Princess, it is a pleasure to meet you,” Kristoff said, smoothly moving around Nathanial and holding his hand out to Cora.

Nathanial watched Ryan tighten his grip on her right hand possessively. She reached out with her left to meet his handshake. As soon as their hands touched, he saw her eyes flash and then she gasped, “Black magic.”

Kristoff smiled proudly. “Yes.”

“You’re stronger than Oriana.”

He chuckled. “I should hope so. I was the one who taught her how to wield it.”

Cora looked to Nathanial.

“He can be trusted,” Nathanial confirmed. “I’m glad you are here. Kristoff can break the bond between Ryan and Jada. It
was
falsified. By Oriana.”

Ryan growled.

“Then what do you need me for?” Cora asked.

“To make her forget,” Luca interjected. “When a bond is broken, the memories still remain intact. It will be painful for her.”

As Luca spoke, Nathanial could see the raw pain in his eyes. The subtext of his comment wasn’t lost on him. Luca was referring to him and Cora, more so than Ryan and Jada.

Cora noticed it, too, and told him in that gentle way of hers, “I’m sorry, Luca.”

“As am I,” Luca responded, before breaking away from her and Ryan and moving to stand beside Nathanial.

I have something that will raise your spirits
, Nathanial told him telepathically.

Luca looked at him in question.

Nathanial smiled and addressed Kristoff as he said, “While the three of you deal with this, I will take Luca to the courtyard. Summon her.”

Kristoff released a heavy sigh and closed his eyes tightly for a moment. “It is done. She will be waiting.”

“She?” Luca asked.

Nathanial wrapped his arm around him. “You will see,” he said as he led him away.

CHAPTER 14

Luca stood with his father on the castle roof, looking down at the courtyard below.

“There she is,” Nathanial said, pointing to a woman walking around down there.

Luca employed his vampiric vision to get a closer look at her. Chestnut-brown curls framed her face and cascaded down her back all the way to her waist. She had the most striking, hazel eyes he had ever seen. Her cheeks were flush with her obvious haste to get to the courtyard at her father’s request. She wore a red, silk gown that kissed the ground as she sauntered through the courtyard, glancing around shyly.

“Aerona.”

“How did you know?” Nathanial asked him, clearly surprised that he knew.

“Cora told me that was the name of my destined mate.”

“She is Kristoff’s daughter.”

Luca spun around. “What?” he choked. “You know that his wife, Amelia, and I—”

“Yes, I am well aware of your history with her and, no, Aerona is not
her
daughter. Her mother perished in
The War
centuries ago.”

Luca was well-educated in the history of
The War
—it was the war that had led to his father staking his claim to the Dark Realm throne. He had been a fearsome warrior and managed to overrun the king at the time. That King being Kristoff. “Kristoff’s wife while he was King of the Dark Realm? A Queen? So that would make Aerona—”

“Yes. Aerona is of royal blood—a princess. Just like you always wanted, my son.”

Luca watched the young woman closely. “She seems so shy, so unsure of herself. That is not a typical quality for a princess.”

“It is because Kristoff has kept her in the shadows all these years.”

“So I wouldn’t find her.”

“So she wouldn’t find
you
,” Nathanial corrected.

“She knows about me then?”

“Yes. He has told her. I read it in his thoughts.”

Luca breathed a sigh. “If you hadn’t read his thoughts, we may never have known, father. I can’t believe it. All these years.”

“I know, Luca. I am sorry that I didn’t discover this sooner. I was too preoccupied with my rule over the realm. I neglected my duties to
you
.”

Luca smiled. “I didn’t deserve your attentions back then anyway,” he jested.

Nathanial laid his hands on his shoulders. “I am glad we are past our darker days.”

“Me too.” He turned back around and continued to watch her and then something occurred to him. “Is she…has another man taken her?”

“No. She is pure.”

“Good.”

“Go to her then. She is waiting.”

Luca hesitated. “I…what should I say?”

Nathanial chuckled. “Are you not the infamous seducer of women?”

“Normally, but this is…different. I—”

“Just introduce yourself. The conversation will progress naturally from there. Besides, she is your mate. The connection is already there. You needn’t worry.”

“Right,” Luca said. “Okay. Yes, I can do this.”

And with that, he teleported away.

A moment later, he reappeared in the courtyard below. He called softly to her.

She turned around and, as soon as she saw him, she grinned from ear to ear. Before Luca could utter another word she bounded towards him and flung her arms around his neck.

Caught off guard, he hesitated briefly.

And then he returned her affections and wrapped his arms around her. A warmth coursed through him, the likes of which he had never felt before. It was the connection between them; the bond between destined mates. He’d finally found her—the one woman he was truly meant to be with.

He looked up at the castle roof where his father watched them.

He smiled happily, overcome with joy.
Thank you, father.