-Kira-We donโt even hear the light cheering behind us; weโre too wrapped in each other right now. The moment lasts until we feel a hand placed on my shoulder and our kiss tapers off. Opening my eyes, I see itโs my mother and her lips are down-turned as she tries to hold back her tears.โWeโll now leave for the celebration held inside the mansion. The well-wishing can wait for afterward,โ she says, patting my shoulder and cupping Arkynโs cheek before she turns to my father. We watch them all walk away, remaining quiet and waiting.When we look into each otherโs eyes, the air crackles between us and I feel my eyes shift to silver, while Arkynโs similarly split again. He carefully removes the bind from our wrists and places it back on the altar before taking my hand again and leading me over to the silk sheet laid out for us.We lace our fingers together, and Arkyn claims me with another kiss that heads straight to my core. I can feel the full moon cresting above us and with the way Ark
Elijah Priest and Kaia Volkova thought their lust-filled tryst was a one-time thing, especially after they found out that Kaia was to marry Arkyn Vega. It didn't matter that they were attracted to one another; it didn't matter that it turned out Kaia was actually Arkyn's family. It also didn't matter that their one-time thing turned into a continuous thing. It was just sex, right? Or so Elijah thought. Seeing Kaia meet her mate at the Convergence Ball leads him to realize that he's actually in love with the woman who lit a fire in his soul. He tries to forget her, but seeing her become part of the Vega pack makes it difficult since he goes there often. What happens when he finds out Kaia cannot bond with her mate because of a mistaken bite he left in the middle of a sex-filled haze? Even more so, her bite didn't kill him and his blood didn't kill her... Can a vampire and a werewolf truly be mates?
-Kaia-My body shudders as the scent of oakmoss and whiskey drowns out every other thought from my mind. A moan escapes my lips and I bite my lip to silence it. Slick with desire, my core trembles, and I push my ass out when he slams into me again.How did I end up bent over with my hair twisted around Elijah Priestโs fist? Or more specifically, how did I end up here again?โDonโt stifle those sounds; I need your fucking screams,โ he says in a dark, throaty voice and my body happily complies with his order. I donโt know how he does it, but he speaks to that dark part of me I always try to push down; when Elijah commands, it obeys.I want to stop this. I want to tell him that things canโt keep ending up this way, but when I see him, all that resolve falls away. If I had a weakness, it would be the way Elijah looks at me when no oneโs watching. Itโs the heat in his gaze, the promise in his touch, and the double meaning in his words.Speared on his thick cock again, he slips a hand aroun
-Elijah-Well, that was a rejection if I ever heard of one; Kaia Volkova just basically told me to go fuck myself. Two months of staying away from her, two months of feeling proud of myself for getting her out of my thoughts. Only for me to end up inside her again.Every time we fuck, itโs like Iโm sampling her for the first time again; always tight, always so wet and submissive for me. She comes when sheโs supposed to, her perfect pussy grips my cock tight and lets me know she loves what Iโm doing to her. I canโt get her out of my mind and every other woman pales in comparison.Fuck sakes, what has this woman done to me?I make my way downstairs to tell Arkyn Iโll be leaving when I see her grab a flute of champagne. She shouldnโt look so fucking appetizing or dressed in the color she knows drives me crazy. But she did, and I think it was simply to taunt me. If Iโd known any better, Iโd day Kaia is ignoring me to stop herself from getting hurt. I must admit that I got carried away wh
-Kaia-I look down at my silk pajama shorts and my heart stillsโฆI should be used to this, used to the disappointment, but it never gets easier. Another month of trying, and another month of mother nature telling me Iโm not good enough to be a mother.A tear slips down my cheeks and I hang my head in my hands, stifling a sob threatening to bubble up and spill over my lips. Why canโt I do this? Why canโt I do what normal women do and give my mate a child?Itโs been five years of a blissful marriage, five years of nothing but love and respect from Bjorn, and five long years of struggling to fall pregnant. Sure, heโs understanding, but how long until heโs had enough?โKaia,โ I wipe away the tears when I hear Bjorn on the other side of the bathroom door. โI saw the bedding, my love. Are you okay?โAm I okay? Is he seriously asking if Iโm okay when I canโt even give him the one thing he desires?โIโm fine; Iโll be out in a few,โ I answer and for once my voice doesnโt wobble. I hear him sigh
-Kaia- I take in his spectacular build and my heart picks up its pace. Out of everyone, I never would have thought I would be meeting with the one person Iโve tried to forget. Elijah looks as gorgeous as the last night I saw him, but that fire in his eyes seems to have hardened over time. โWhat are you doing here, Elijah?โ I ask him as I tentatively take a step toward him. โIโm supposed to be meeting with-โ โMe. Arkyn and I had a meeting this morning with regard to a possible merging of our advertising companies. I didnโt expect him to send you in his stead,โ he says, leaning his chin on his fingers. His heirloom ring glints in the light of the morning rays and it occurs to me that heโs out. In the daytime. A vampire walking in the sunlight? What the fuck? โArkyn and Kira had to attend to a family emergency regarding Legacy,โ I say, referring to their son. โHe asked me to take care of his meetings for the next two days.โ His eyes slightly widen and he sits up straight. โAh, I see
-Kaia-I throw my head back and a moan of ecstasy escapes my lips. Falling forward, I slam down on his waiting cock and listen to his erratic heartbeat as I use my scent to lead him over the edge. Faster and faster, harder and harder - he reaches his climax with a growl and I feel him jerk inside of me.The more I fuck him, the more I realize that Bjorn will never be Elijah.โFuck, baby,โ he says, out of breath. โWhatโs gotten into you lately?โTwo weeks since Iโve seen Elijah and I still canโt seem to scratch the itch. The moment my monthlies went away, I grabbed Bjorn, and we fucked for hours. Every night, every morning before work; but even as I reach my peak every time, I still feel unsatisfied.I know why, but I refuse to admit it.โWeโre still trying, arenโt we?โ I say with a coy smile and a shrug. โBest part of falling pregnant is trying.โโI fucking agree with that,โ he says, still out of breath while chuckling and pulling me closer. โBut let's take it easy for now, yeah? Espe
-Kaia-Iโve been staring out of the window of my office for the last few hours, wondering what Iโve gotten myself into. The last few weeks I have been nothing short of anxious, worrying about whether or not Elijah will waltz in here and attempt to seduce me again.Allowing him to get under my skin was a huge mistake. I need to show him that he canโt disrespect my mate like this, nor can he insult his fiancee. His fiancee, who happens to be my biggest client.Heโs my mate as well, I know this, but I refuse to acknowledge that. Bjorn is my life now, everything I do revolves around my happiness with him and Elijah needs to realize Iโm not that pliable girl from five years ago.So Iโll keep trying to fall pregnant. Iโll keep Bjorn happy until our bond severs. Itโs the least I can do since Iโm literally lying to him about everything; no one said atonement would be easy.A knock on my office door snaps me out of my thoughts and I clear my throat before telling them to enter. My PA pops her
Nox and Reyvenne Priest - 100 Years Epilogue (100 Years old in Vampire Years but they're basically eighteen years old in human years) โUgh, can you stop popping that gum for fuckโs sake, Rey,โ I grumble as my sisterโs pop echoes in my ear again and grinding my gears to dust. She looks at me with a grin, then wriggles her eyebrows. โThis is my first piece of gum since we left for CFA; just allow me to chew and be happy,โ she says and sits back with her arms crossed. It never fails to amaze me at how much she looks like our mother; dark hair, bright blue eyes, an affinity for dark lips and always dressing in dark colours. Iโve had to fuck up a few boys who tried their luck with her, assuming sheโs easy to break just because sheโs softly spoken. Thereโs one particular Gorgon Iโve gotten suspended over twice, simply because he wouldnโt fucking leave her alone. My blood still boils at the thought of him and again I wish that I pulled out one of his fucking snakes. Weโll see whoโs bloodi
-Elijah- I get out of my SUV and walk into Arkynโs building where heโs waiting for me. There have been some big developments regarding the recent spate of hunter attacks. Some of the packs under him have been obliterated, while my father nearly missed being assassinated. To say we need that school for our kids is putting it lightly. Carpe Fatum might just save our bloodlines. โGood to see you again, brother,โ Arkyn greets me with a handshake and a hug before we sit down. He breathes out a long sigh, then pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers. โYour mother has been a lot of help throughout all of this, but it seems the hunters have developed new toys after nearly going extinct,โ he says, then slides something across the table towards me. It looks like a playing dart; definitely made out of silver and smells like baobab pulp. When I pick it up, it immediately sears the tips of my fingers nearly to the bone. โWhat the fuck!โ โWhat the fuck indeed,โ he says, picking up
-Kaia-Iโm going over the paperwork for Carpe Fatum Academy when suddenly I feel an overwhelming need to use the bathroom. I should be used to this by now, hell sometimes I donโt even make it to the bathroom in time. But the moment I stand up, it feels like that plan has gone out the window.The first thing I notice when I look down is how the fluid isnโt clear, but blood red. This should freak me out, right? This isnโt normal, right? Wait, did my water justโฆโUhmโฆโ I can feel more fluid sliding down my legs before I decide to let out a blood-curdling scream. Elijah is home as well as our parents and Autumn and Valentine; leave it to all of them to run into my study.โKaia-!โ Elijah trails off when he sees the pool of blood at my feet. He goes pale and almost takes a step backward when our parents rush in. I just had to wear a baby blue dress on my due date. And of course, I forgot itโs my due date too! โSomeone please call Autumn up here and let her know Kaia is ready,โ Katherine s
-Kaia-Elijah holds my hand as we walk into Autumnโs office for my final check-up, kissing the ring on my left ring finger and smiling. My pregnancy has been normal for a Pureblood, even if I am nothing of the sort. Iโve also finally come into my full demonic powers, well my succubus side anyway.My mother has been helping me control that side of me. Itโs so weird what it entails, but itโs so fascinating to learn about something I knew nothing about. Autumn has also been giving me pointers since she has dealt with succubi before.โWhy are you always so worried when we walk in here?โ Elijah asks me as he opens the door for me. โYou know everything will be fine, right?โโItโs a mother thing,โ I say, brushing him off. โIโll always worry.โI never used to get why Alpha Azura faffed over her daughter so much, but now I understand completely. Even if this child gets older than me, Iโll always worry about him or her. I just hope they donโt resent me for being over protective.When I had my f
-Elijah-Out of all the reactions in the world, this one was not what I expected.I watch as Kaia runs out of the restaurant, that wild, uncertain look in her eyes will forever haunt me. Tonight didnโt go as planned; I should have known something was wrong because sheโs been acting odd all evening.My father rushes over to me with a look of disbelief and concern. โWhat happened? Is she okay?โ โI donโt know, but I have to find out,โ I say and run after her. I hope Iโm not too fucking late, I hope I can still fucking fix this. I run out of the place and as soon as I get outside; I spot her standing by my car. She has her arms wrapped around her and I catch the sadness in her scent. Why did I not notice this before? How did I think everything was okay after last night?โKaia,โ I call out her name and watch as her shoulders slump at the sound of my voice. I stride over to her, but she doesnโt turn around, so I wrap my arms around her and kiss her neck gently. โWhatโs wrong, kitten?โShe
-Kaia-How did I let myself get dragged into this? Gods, I may be a woman, but Iโm not the type for pamper sessions, manicures, pedicures, or being waited on hand and foot. This is a Kira thing, not a Kaia thing.โNow, are you gonna tell me why youโre pouting?โ she asks while we sit having brunch in one of the restaurants Arkyn owns. She shoots me an odd stare and scoffs. โYou hate this.โโNo!โ I exclaim, feeling like a piece of shit. โNo, itโs not that. I justโฆhave a lot on my mind, especially after last night.โ She leans over and squeezes my hand, offering me a slight smile. โIโm sorry, I thought this would help you forget a little while but it hasnโt helped at all,โ she says, making me feel even worse than before.Poor Kira, sheโs always trying to make everyone feel better even if her offerings are less than ideal. Sheโs Luna even outside of the estate.โThank you, I really appreciate this, you have no idea. Iโve just been caught up in my head today, itโs nothing anyone has done,โ
-Kaia-Aunty Cat mentioned my bond to Bjorn would sever over the next few days, I just didnโt expect it to be Elijah who would sever it. How the hell did we get here and how am I supposed to feel about this?โName it and itโs yours, kitten,โElijah should not have said that because common sense left my body at those words. I wanted to just take a long bath and go to bed, but now my body might have other things planned. How the hell can I be thinking about sex when Elijah just ripped out Bjornโs heart?Goddess, does this make me cruel?Weโre both quiet as Elijah drives us to one of Arkynโs hotels because no way am I going back to my house and I still think Elijah shares a place with Avanah. I donโt want to ask.โYou still havenโt told me what you want, kitten,โ he suddenly says just as we enter the strip. โI told you that you can have anything you want.โโRight now I just want a hot bath to wash this entire day away, not to mention the jetlag and stress of the entire weekend,โ I say as
-Elijah-The shock has all but dissipated; now silent fury stood in its place. Someone dared to touch what was mine, for that they will die.I pace the floor of Kaiaโs shared home with Bjorn; my arms are in the pockets of my jeans as I try to make sense of this. Arkyn dispatches some of his warriors to look for Kaia and see if they can catch her scent, while we stay here to look for any clues left behind.โHow did he get into the estate without anyone knowing? If he was innocent in everything, then he wouldnโt need to sneak in, right?โ I say mostly to myself, trying to figure something out.โAnd why would he take Kaia against her will? From everything she told me, he treated her extremely well, so why resort to this?โ I gesture to the blood splatter on the walls. โWhy harm his mate?โArkyn gives me an odd look, then he crosses his arms and sighs. โI think I know why he took her,โ he says, looking down at his feet. โFreyja told me something that happened before I arrived in Norway, som
-Kaia-I donโt remember much after Bjorn punched the side of my face, but I recall him throwing me over his shoulder and putting me in the trunk of his car. He hasn't mentioned a word to me the entire time. How did he get onto the estate and where is he taking me?I try to contact Arkyn or Kira over the mind link, but I find I canโt reach them clearly. Then I bang on the inside of the trunk, only for my hands to burn as I punch it. Fucking silver; no wonder I canโt reach them.โBjorn!โ I call out. โBjorn, I know youโre out there. What are you doing? Why am I in here?!โThe car gradually comes to a stop, and I hear him getting out and slamming the car door. If Iโm not too far from the estate, then I can still contact Arkyn or Kira over the mind link. But if not and Bjorn is aggressive, then Iโll have a harder time getting out of this.He pops open the trunk and drags me out; I can still smell the dry air of the desert, so I know weโre not far off from the estate. Itโs still dark, too,