Fated Desire: A Paranormal Romance Novel (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 1) by Franca Storm Page B

princess.”
    Ryan struggled to break the spell enveloping him, to go to her aid. But brute strength couldn’t combat powerful magic. Fuck!
    “I am leaving here,” Cora told Luca.
    “Not yet.” As if to demonstrate how serious he was, he told her, “Look up.”
    She followed his line of sight and Ryan watched her eyes go wide as she saw a shimmering red film covering the room.
    “That is a barrier that one as inexperienced as you cannot hope to breach. I have put it in place around the entire property. You’re not leaving here until I decide.”
    She struggled against him. “Release me!”
    His gaze snapped to the door and he called, “Thomas, come!”
    In a flash, another vampire stood beside Luca, gazing at the struggling princess in Luca’s arms.
    “Compel her. She needs to sleep now.”
    “Luca! No!” Ryan roared.
    Luca turned his head and smirked maliciously, triumph flashing in his eyes.
    The vampire named Thomas drew Cora’s gaze to his.
    “Aren’t you tired now, princess? You need to sleep,” he spoke softly, his voice reassuring and hypnotizing.
    Ryan snarled and growled as he watched her eyes glaze over as Thomas continued to speak to her. He resumed his struggles against Luca’s magic, but it was no use.
    In seconds, her eyes closed and her legs buckled as she drifted off to sleep. Luca caught her before she fell and scooped her up in his arms.
    “Good work, Thomas.”
    “Is there anything else you need, your majesty?”
    “No, I will take it from here.” He gazed down at Cora in his arms and told her, “Sweet dreams, my princess.”
    “Fuck! Luca!”
    The last thing he saw was Luca glaring at him.
    And then the spell took him away from the mansion against his will. There was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.

 
     
    CHAPTER 9
    Ryan roared as he ripped both stools from the breakfast bar and flung them across his apartment in a fit of rage. The power behind it had them ripping through a good chunk of the drywall in the living room.
    “Ry!” Josh yelled from the door.
    “Not a good time,” Ryan replied, seething, his chest rising and falling rapidly as adrenaline and fury coursed through his body.
    “You’ve been at it for a good couple of hours now. We can all hear you from the bar downstairs. Come and have a drink to take the edge off.”
    Ryan took his words in and glanced around at his apartment. It was a mess. It looked like it had been ransacked by mad men. He struggled to find a piece of furniture that wasn’t destroyed or ripped to shreds. Damn, I lost control of my temper big time.
    He drew in a calming breath and met Josh’s concerned gaze. “It’s all right. Come in.”
    “What happened?” Josh asked as he shut the door behind him and cautiously stepped into the apartment. “Is this about that Seeker from earlier? What happened, you try to fuck her? Their kind doesn’t tend to screw around with supes like us, Ry. You know that.”
    “She didn’t say “no” to me,” Ryan snarled.
    “What?” Josh asked, shocked.
    “She’s the one .”
    “Excuse me?”
    “She’s my mate.”
    Josh scoffed. “Dude, come on. How good a fuck was she for you to be spouting this shit?”
    Ryan stormed into the kitchen and said over his shoulder, “I didn’t fuck her.”
    He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from a cupboard and set them down heavily on the kitchen island.
    “What? The full moon is close. You had her alone in your apartment. Impossible,” Josh said as he joined him by the bar as he poured the whiskey into the two glasses.
    Ryan handed him a glass and then snatched up his and downed it quickly. “We were interrupted by Luca.”
    Josh almost choked on his drink. “He was here?”
    “Yep.” He knocked back another glass.
    “Why? What the hell did that traitor want?”
    “He wanted her. She’s Vazra’s daughter.”
    Josh’s eyes went wide with shock. “You’re sure? His bride-to-be?”
    “All the signs were there.”
    “Then