Destiny Unchained (20 page)

“A fae? Queen of the Underworld?” The world had gone
mad.

“Not her sister by blood. They shared a foster home.
Queen Eirian is the Dark King’s daughter.”

Natalia blanched then shook her head. Not just mad,
turned upside down and shaken like an etch-a-sketch.

“She’s half sorceress, half witch and –”

An irritated grunt cut him off. “You know I don’t
like when you do that,” the young woman said to Marcelo, scowling.
“I know you’re talking about Sage but I can’t understand what
you’re saying!”

He smiled down at her. “
Lo siento, querida
– ah! Sorry,
love.” He turned to Natalia. “This is my mate, Aila. Aila, this is
my wife…er…wife when I was human, Natalia.”

Aila smiled slightly, but didn’t look surprised.
Marcelo must’ve explained things already. Natalia watched them gaze
at each other sweetly. He used to gaze at her that way. A lump
formed in her throat. “So…uh…what are you doing in Las Vegas?”

Marcelo answered. “Settling up a favor for a dragon.
You?”

She sighed. “Favor. Dragon. But really I came to
apologize for…” She gulped and stared down at the floor. Gods, this
was harder than she thought.

Marcelo spoke, spared her dignity. “For running away
eight hundred years ago then leading me on a wild goose chase for
centuries?”

She smiled faintly. “Yes. That. I was…scared. And
ashamed.” She exhaled a breath and sucked up her pride. “I planned
to end myself but didn’t know how. If it makes you feel any better,
I’ve been miserable too.”

After a long, drawn out sigh, he said, “It doesn’t
make me feel better. I harbor no resentment toward you, Natalia.
When you were turned…it surprised me. I just needed a little bit of
time to process it. I came back for you. I would have accepted
you.”

She closed her eyes. “I know. There are so many
things I regret.” Her voice wavered. “That was one of the biggest.
I’m trying to make atonement. It’s difficult. I’ve hurt so many
people –”

“Natalia.” His deep voice pulled her away from her
pain. “I forgive you.”

She nodded. He was always a gracious man. “Thank
you.”

He smiled in return. “Besides, if you hadn’t have
left me, I wouldn’t have found my true mate.” He hugged Aila
tighter and she beamed.

A thought occurred to her. She had one more task
before she was ready to find Cristian. One that would go much
faster with Marcelo’s help.

“Marcelo.” She took a deep breath.
Humility, it’s time to make your
acquaintance.
“I hurt another man. Someone I care deeply
about. Can you help me repair things?” At his wary expression, she
added, “It won’t harm you and will take less than five minutes of
your time.”

He looked at Aila, who nodded slightly. “What do you
need?”

“That teleporting gift of yours, can you transport
another person?”

“Yes, but I can only teleport to places I’ve
been.”

She arched a brow. “Ever been to Albany?”

Natalia stood outside the stone cottage, watching
Moira tuck her children into bed through the window. The last time
she’d been here, more than a decade ago, it was to re-sign the
blood contract between her and the witches. Rose, Moira’s
grandmother, passed down the power that held Natalia’s gift, to
Moira. The witch had only been twenty years old.

Natalia stepped forward as soon as Moira headed
toward the study. The front door opened, stopping her in her
tracks. A young woman slammed it shut then stormed across the yard.
Natalia stepped back into the trees. The girl’s curly orange hair
flared under the moonlight.

Moira’s husband opened the door and called out,
“Samantha! Where do you think you’re going?”

Samantha spun around to face him. “You won’t help me
so I’m going after Nikki by myself!” She made a sound of disgust
and looked him over. “I thought you were different, Uncle Jasper.
But you’re just like my dad!”

Jasper sighed. “Come back inside, Sam. I didn’t say I
wouldn’t help you but there are certain steps we are legally
required to take. You can’t just storm into the Underworld and
demand your sister be released.”

Her fists clenched. “That’s exactly what I intend to
do.”

He made a move toward her. Lightening quick, she
withdrew an impressive sword from a sheath on her back. With a
challenging smile she said, “Just try to stop me.”

Jasper froze. His eyes darted around the yard,
looking uncertain of what to do with her. Samantha grabbed a pouch
from her coat pocket, sprinkled something in her hand then threw it
up in the air. Jasper lunged for her, but she disappeared.

“Son of a –” Jasper kicked a rock across the yard.
Rubbing his hand over his face, he paced the yard a few times. With
another muttered curse, he walked back into the house.

That was strange. Natalia blinked several times then
shook her head and walked to the front door. She knocked.

Moira opened the door. “Natalia?” Her brows furrowed.
“What are you –”

Ignoring her, Natalia pushed her way in and walked
straight to the study.

Moira was on her heels. “What are you doing here? You
can’t just storm into my house without calling –”

“I quit,” she threw over her shoulder.

Moira froze, speechless in the hallway. Natalia
opened the door to the study.

“What do you mean, you quit?” Moira’s footsteps
hurried down the hall. “You can’t just quit.”

Natalia scanned the study, filled with filing
cabinets, bookcases, and boxes of junk. “I
can
quit. In fact, I just did. Now
I want the contract.”

Moira stepped in front of her, her eyes wide and on
the verge of panic. “Now wait just a minute! If you quit, I’ll have
to take away your gift.”

Natalia inhaled a big whiff of the dusty air. The
subtle scent of her blood came from the filing cabinet on the far
right. She sidestepped Moira. The cabinet lock broke easily.
Natalia yanked the drawer open and pulled out the faded parchment,
splattered with a few drops of her blood. A smile touched her lips.
Moira stood by the door, her mouth hanging open, her eyes glazed
over with shock.

Decades of obligation disappeared and Natalia’s
shoulders sagged in relief. “Moira, you can take your gift and
shove it.”

She walked out the door and didn’t look back.

Even the smell of Chinese food wasn’t enough to
overpower Cristian’s heady scent. Natalia stood under the street
light across from the shoddy Chinese restaurant. Her belly
fluttered with nervous anticipation. Nerves? She couldn’t remember
the last time she’d been nervous. But determination won over fear
and she forced her feet to remain in place and her hands to fist at
her sides.

Cristian stepped out onto the sidewalk and his
nostrils flared. Their gazes locked. Gods, she even missed him.

If he was surprised to see her, he didn’t show it. He
turned to the male werewolf next to him and whispered something.
The werewolf went on without him and Cristian set his gaze on her.
They stared at each other from a distance. Natalia’s belly exploded
in a wave of flutters under his scrutinizing glare. The normally
passionate and emotional Cristian was blank faced. Unreadable.
Finally, he jerked his head toward the line of trees across the
street. She followed him.

They walked silently until the main road was out of
sight then he spun around to face her, his arms crossed over his
chest.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded.

Well,
hello to you too.
“Um…” She cleared her throat. “I came to
give you something.” The ring suddenly felt like lead in her hand.
She tossed it to Cristian and he swiped it from the air. His brow
furrowed as he studied it.

“It’s the ring Eli gave to me.” At his questioning
glare, she admitted, “I…was going to make him eat it before I
killed him.”

He didn’t look impressed. “Mm. Interesting. Why
–”

“I wanted you to know that I followed your advice.
Forgiveness. No more plans for revenge.”

His hand closed around the ring and when he opened
it, the ring was warped. Then he threw it deep into the woods.
“Good for you. Is that all?”

She pulled an envelope from her back pocket and held
it out to him. He had to move closer to take it from her hand. Her
eyes closed when his scent wrapped around her. How she longed to be
in his arms again. “It’s the contract I made with the witches.” It
was really more symbolic since she could’ve left anytime and they
could’ve taken away her gift anytime. But he didn’t know that. “I
want you to rip it up.”

He gave her a long look then tore the contract into
four pieces and handed them back. She let them flutter to the
ground. She waited for a response but he gave none. With a sigh,
she unsheathed a small silver knife at her waist, and keeping her
gaze on him, she pressed the point on the skin of her forearm.

Hissing in a breath, she left it there as it burned
through layers of skin, smoke tendrils rising into the air. She bit
back a scream. Finally, Cristian’s hard mask fell away. He reached
out and grabbed the knife from her hand.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he scolded, tucking the
knife back in its sheath. She couldn’t help leaning into his body
just a bit. His eyes softened when he looked at her again. With a
deep sigh he said, “Natalia, I’m glad you’re taking control of your
life, but I meant what I said. It’s too late.”

“I have one more thing.”

He pursed his lips, but nodded.

She pulled the last thing from her pocket. If this
didn’t work, there was nothing more she could do. She’d have to say
goodbye. Her stomach dropped as she placed the item in his
hand.

He looked down. “A prism?”

Her hands trembled, her lip quivered, but she steeled
herself and said, “You told me that love requires courage. Like a
prism, we have to allow another to view our flaws. So,” – she
swallowed the lump in her throat – “here I am. I hold nothing back.
I want to be yours, mind, body, and soul.”

He stared at the prism for what felt like forever.
Gods, I was so
stupid to think this would work
. Heat spread across her
cheeks and she fought the urge to flee.

No, she didn’t go through all of this to let him go
that easily. If she had to beg for a second chance, she would.

Finally, he exhaled a sigh. With a grim expression,
he commanded, “Take off your shirt.”

What?
She remained in place, waiting for an
explanation. He gave none. When she opened her mouth to question
him, he arched a brow. Then it hit her. This was a test. He wanted
her to prove herself – her devotion – by submitting to him. Just
the thought of it chaffed. She lifted her chin and looked him in
the eye. His expression remained unmovable. He was dead set on his
course. Damn her feminine pride. If he thought this would scare her
away, he was about to be schooled.

Maintaining eye contact, she stripped off her
shirt.

His gaze swept over her yet he showed no approval of
her obedience. “And the pants.”

With a deep breath, she took off her boots then
shimmied out of her leather pants. Goose bumps covered her skin. It
couldn’t have been more than forty-five degrees and she stood
barefoot, clothed only in black panties and a bra, awaiting the
next command.
By
the gods, this better not be a joke.

“Turn around,” he ordered. “Put your hands on the
tree.”

She closed her eyes and did as he told her. The
seconds that passed, cold and alone, felt like hours. His footsteps
across the leaves made her tense in anticipation. The heat from his
body behind her sent a shiver down her spine.

His breath was at her ear, warm and inviting. “Are
you sure you want to do this? There’ll be no going back. You’ll be
mine. Forever.”

His. Did she really want that? To belong to a man?
Last time she took that leap, she’d been hurt – not only beaten,
but betrayed. An emotional beating. Could she handle another if
Cristian betrayed her too?

His cheek rubbed against hers, coarse on her skin.
Her eyes drifted shut. Breathe in, breathe out. He smelled like
earth and fire and…home. She sighed. “Yes,” she answered, feeling
the weight of it to the depths of her soul. She wanted this more
than anything.

He exhaled then stepped away. She remained against
the tree, shaking, fighting the urge to turn around and throw her
arms around his neck. But if this was a test of her commitment, she
would pass it.

Something hard and smooth touched the inside of her
ankle then glided up past her knee. Not metal. Not his hand.
Smelled like leather. His whip handle? It tapped the inside of her
thigh twice.

“Open,” he commanded. She took a step out. He tapped
again. “Wider.” Trembling, she took another step.

The air felt cooler on her skin, sensitive with
arousal and anticipation. She wanted him wrapped around her body
like a blanket. His hand slid between her legs and grabbed her
mound. Her cheeks heated. She was wet. Naked, being ordered around
and she was turned on?

“Ah,
draga
Natalia, you respond beautifully.” The words
dripped off his tongue like syrup.

His fingers slipped under her panties and moved in
slow circles around her clit. She relaxed into his hand. A rush of
liquid heat flooded her core. She ached for more. More touch. More
him
. She
needed his cock buried deep inside her, taking her fast and hard.
Her legs turned to jello but she forced herself to remain upright.
She was nothing if not self-disciplined – except when it came to
this man. Her head lolled to the side and he used the opportunity
to kiss her neck.

A groan freed itself as every nerve awakened to his
touch. He bit down hard at the spot between her shoulder and neck.
She hissed in a breath.