Serving the Wicked Read online

  “Raine.” Casey frowned. “Don’t argue.”

  She shrugged, not able to hold back. “It seems strange. They need us, and we’ll help, but it seems like we didn’t have to be here to learn that request.”

  “It’s true,” Rachel said. “We knew you’d work with is us, and you’d welcome being part of the realm.”

  “So?” Raine still didn’t understand.

  Rachel sighed. “We need to be honest. We summoned you here for Atell, for one. We wanted you to know by seeing him in person that he’s okay.”

  “Progressing,” Jon said. “But the second reason we wanted you to be here was that we needed to be positive you’d become mates. You belong together and you needed the push.”

  “We took it without your nudging,” Casey said. “I appreciate your concern, but I knew all along she was mine.”

  “You wanted insurance?” Raine asked. “Why? You’re the prince and don’t you see all?”

  “I don’t.” Jon laughed, then cocked his head. “I wanted to be sure you loved Casey even with his flaws. I had to know he loved you as more than a possession.”

  “Plus, sometimes humans don’t fall wholly in love with paranormals. Once you’re mated and it takes, then we know it’s true,” Rachel said. “I ran the same risk with Jon. He wasn’t sure I’d fall totally in love with him. It’s a risk, but you can’t be half in, just like you can’t be half in when it comes to rescuing paranormals in jeopardy.”

  “You needed to see with your own eyes so you could trust me.” Raine tucked into Casey. “I understand.” They were ensuring they’d welcomed someone worthy into the fold. “He’s mine, and I’m his. I’d show you my mark if you want.”

  “On your leg?” Jon asked. “Don’t need to see it. Just seeing you together proved it.”

  Casey rubbed Raine’s arm. “Let’s go home.”

  “What about Jerome?” Raine asked. “Don’t we need to bring him along?” And Atell. Shouldn’t they take him home, too?

  “I suspect the sprite is having her way with him, and he’s not arguing,” Casey said. “He’s got a thing for sprites.”

  “Oh.” She really needed to think before she spoke. Jerome wasn’t in danger, and she needed to keep her nose out.

  Jon smiled. “I’m smarter than I look.”

  “You are.” The tips of her ears burned, and she wanted to melt into the floor. “Sorry.”

  “Now, let’s go home.” Casey opened the portal. “Call when you need us.”

  “We will,” Rachel called. “Enjoy!”

  Sabra and Alyx waved.

  Jon’s smile widened. “You’ll hear from us.”

  “I hope so.” Casey guided Raine through the portal, then closed it.

  Raine sagged into Casey. She’d never realized how much she loved being home or having a home until she had one. No matter where she was, as long as she was with Casey, she was home.

  “You spoke out and challenged the prince.” Casey sat on the arm of the sofa and folded his arms. “I know you’re finding your confidence, but you can’t just argue with him like that.”

  “I know.” She toyed with the buttons on his shirt. She had to explain herself. “I lived so long in situations where I had no control and was pushed around. I’m finally safe with you and I didn’t want to be abused again. I didn’t want them to use us. We’re only important when they need us? They marched us there, and I wasn’t sure it was necessary. I got scared.”

  “I know.” He tugged her into the vee of his legs. “Jon used to be a goddamn fool. He lived a rough life and denied he was part of the royalty because he thought he wasn’t good enough. He found Rachel, got his head out of his ass and became the ruler we need. He’s not perfect, but he’s trying. He knew you were scared—that’s why he asked for us in person.”

  Now she truly understood. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

  “Casey.”

  “Casey,” she said, repeating him. “I spoke out of turn.”

  “You’re learning your way.” He shrugged out of his suit coat, then enfolded her in his arms. “Trust us.”

  She nodded. He hadn’t steered her wrong yet.

  “Paranormals are a strange class of creatures. We’re loyal, we’re dangerous, we’ll cut you to pieces if you double cross us, and we can be mean as hell. Some of us started out rotten—as you know—and others were handed a rotten lot in life. Some of us have good in us. We have a purpose and while we can still rip you limb from limb, it’s not our style to be destructive. I don’t know many pleasant vampires, but I also didn’t think I knew too many vile Fae, either. Some of us are out to rule the world and others are there to make it better. I can’t make the darkness go away and I’m bound to abide by it to rest, but you’re part of a powerful family now. I still have my magic and my vampire instincts. That’s a nasty combination. Let the Lomaxes of the world come at us. They haven’t seen anything like me.”

  She shivered. His speech turned her on and tingled her nerve endings. This man had the power to rule her in and out of the bedroom. He’d protect her, she’d be happy and she’d live like a queen because he loved her. She loved him, too. “Thank you, Casey.”

  “I need to recharge.” Casey patted her ass. “Sleep with me.”

  “My pleasure.” When he tucked her to his chest and stood, she squealed. He carried her to the bedroom, and she held on tight. He stood her on her feet, then she stripped out of the dress.

  Casey checked the keypad on the wall, then shut the bedroom door. “Damn.” He grinned, and his eyes flashed silver. “Jerome’s getting some, Atell is getting some and you’re here with me looking delicious. The heels and stockings look works for me.” He hoisted her into his arms and held her to his bare chest. “You’re the best five grand I ever spent.”

  The bulge in his trousers rubbed against her pussy. She whimpered. She’d never thought her life would turn out this way and she had no regrets. She had everything she ever wanted, especially her vampire, Casey. “Make love to me.”

  “With pleasure.” He placed her on the bed, beneath him.

  His kisses burned her skin. She ground against him, loving the feel of his body tight to hers. Her nipples ached, and she longed to have him in her.

  He raked his teeth along her throat. She smoothed her fingers over his back as his wings unfurled. His eyes flashed.

  “Casey?” She touched one of his wings. “They’re so beautiful.”

  “I’m on fire.” He nibbled her jaw. “Need you.” He stood long enough to open his pants and shove the pesky clothing out of the way. His cock beckoned to her, and he seemed even more powerful. His nipples peaked and his skin shimmered.

  She sat up and reached for him. “I want you to make love to me, but I’d rather you let loose.”

  He gathered her in his embrace and pinned her between his body and the wall. In seconds, he filled her. No finesse, just raw power and intensity. She felt every ripple of his shaft. He brushed his mouth over hers as he pushed into her. She clawed at his shoulders, needing to hold on to him. Her thoughts blurred, and she couldn’t think straight. All she could do was experience him.

  Casey growled and bared his fangs. Instead of being afraid, she embraced the moment. She tipped her neck and allowed him access to her vein. He sank his teeth into her while he continued to thrust.

  She moaned at the near instant orgasm. The intensity overwhelmed her, and she swore she vibrated. The slap of skin on skin echoed in the room, she smelled his cologne around her, and the pressure of the bite spurred her on.

  Casey pistoned into her and continued to drink. When he pulled his mouth away, he growled. “Fuck.”

  She shuddered, not able to do anything else but hold on. She rode his cock as he surged into her. Her head lolled on her shoulders. “Casey.”

  He bared his teeth again and rested his forehead against hers. Passion and desire burned in his eyes. He slammed into her four more times, then cried out. A bead of sweat slid down his temple and his wings stretched
to their full span. “Fuck.”

  She panted, and her hair tickled her shoulders. One day she and Casey would be able to have sweet, slow sex, but not today. Or maybe she preferred hard and fast. Didn’t matter how they made love as long as she was with him.

  Instead of placing her on her feet, he carried her to the bed. She stretched out beneath him and missed his warmth. She’d need some time to get used to him looking more like a true Fae while still having fangs.

  He braced himself on his forearms and pulled out of her before collapsing beside Raine. “I forgot what it’s like to be out of breath.” He laughed. “Forgot what it’s like to have a racing heart, too.” He rolled onto his side and nuzzled her throat, licking the wound. “I love you, sweet.”

  “I love you, Casey.” She snuggled into him. “My mate.” Saying those words out loud blew her mind. She was a human, a thing to the paranormals, but now she had someone who loved her. She had her vampire.

  “All yours.” He brushed her hair away from her face, then slid his arm across her belly. “Now will you sleep with me? I get more rest when I’m holding you.”

  “I’ll bet you never thought that was possible.” She rolled onto her side to face him. “You thought you’d be alone for the rest of your existence.”

  “I did.” He caressed her hip. “Since you came into my life, I’ve had a whole new outlook. I’m not solo. I have a purpose and the sexiest girl in the world. Some beings will never experience what we have.”

  “No, they won’t.” She sighed, then dragged the blanket over them.

  Casey turned off the light and settled.

  A thought occurred to her as she tangled her legs with his and accepted the bone-deep tiredness in her body. “We’re going to play again, aren’t we?”

  “You want to already?” His laugh vibrated in his body and along her nerve endings. His eyes flashed again and momentarily illuminated his face. “Sweet, you need to rest. You’ve been through a lot in the last few days.”

  “I have.” She stroked his belly, caressing the dips and valleys of his abs. “I meant, we’ll play again, right? Not at this exact moment, but we will?”

  “Yes.” He kissed her, and his breath warmed her cheeks. “We’ll continue to go slow as you get used to being kept. It’ll take time, but we’ve got plenty. You set the tone and tell me what you want to do.” He squeezed her ass. “You might be my girl, but I’m your slave, too. You hold the power.”

  “Thank you.” She closed her eyes and settled against him. “Love you, Casey.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Raine thanked the Goddess and whoever else had helped her find her way to Casey. She had everything she could ever want—stability, safety and the love of the best man in the world. He was her Fae vampire. A unique man who held the keys to her heart. She’d do whatever he asked of her. Serving the wicked was so much fun and just what she wanted to do forever.

  Want to see more from this author? Here’s a taster for you to enjoy!

  Runaway Royal

  Wendi Zwaduk

  Excerpt

  “I can do this.” Princess Catherine shored up her courage. She was a royal. A princess. She could do anything she set her mind to—except stand up to the king and queen.

  She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her parents, the king and queen of Lysianna, wouldn’t allow her to head to another country on her own. They insisted she be an advisor to her brother, the future king. Charlie could handle himself and he’d be a great king—whenever the time came.

  If she didn’t practice what she wanted to say, she’d flounder and this was not the time to lose her nerve. She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Mother, Father, I need to speak with you. I’ve completed two years of online schooling towards a degree in art history and I’m going to Kenton State College in the United States to finish it.” Did she sound convincing enough?

  She’d already completed her application for acceptance on campus, chosen her classes for the first semester and landed a good apartment in a building just across from the main portion of the campus. Her plane ticket had been paid for and she’d packed most of her things. All she needed to do was tell her parents she’d be leaving.

  She abandoned her image in the mirror and resumed packing the last of her things—her brushes, photos and stuffed rabbit in her bag. She’d come back, but she wasn’t sure when. Sadness filled her mind. Change would be hard—she’d only ever lived in the castle—but she needed to move forward with her life. She’d never be happy living as part of the court. Even if she did nothing more than teach an art class or run a portion of a museum back home, she’d be happy and doing something with her life.

  Her lady-in-waiting, Corinne, hurried into the room. “I guess you’re ready to go.” She folded her arms. “Want me to go with you? I should.”

  She had plans for her lady and wasn’t about to disclose them now. Corinne was terrible with secrets and would’ve told her parents before the point of no return. “It’s handled.”

  Corinne sat on the bed. “What am I going to do with myself? I have nothing to do if you’re not here. They might let me go.”

  “They won’t.” She closed her bag. “They like you. If my brother wasn’t gay, they’d have married you off to him by now.”

  “But he is gay.” Corinne groaned. “Sucks.”

  Her lady hadn’t been shy about her crush on Charlie. In the whole of their time together, Corinne had insisted to Catherine she wanted to marry Charlie. The problem? Besides Charlie being gay, he wasn’t going to marry Corinne simply to make an heir. He refused to change just for the royal line.

  “Your parents would rather you marry Duke Elmore. He’s handsome,” Corinne said. “If you’re into older guys.”

  Catherine shivered. “Older isn’t the half of it. He’s almost twenty years older than me, he’s not handsome at all and I don’t like him. I don’t want to be married to someone who sees me as a ticket to the good life. He wants a title beyond duke.” Her stepmother would never understand. She’d married the king, despite their ten-year age difference, just to have a title.

  “So you’re going to America to avoid him?”

  “No.” She simply refused to marry someone out of duty, not love. “I want to finish my degree. Art makes me happy. Him? Not so much.”

  “Well, it’s time to talk to your parents.” Corinne walked with her to the corridor. “Need me to do anything?”

  “Nope. I’ve got this handled.” Catherine gave her bag to the butler. “Thank you.” She shored herself up again and headed down to the throne room. The car was ready and once she reached the airport, the plane would be waiting to whisk her to the States. Even if her parents said no, she’d left nothing to chance.

  “Catherine.” Her stepmother, Eloise, closed her book. “You look determined. Have you made a decision concerning the duke?”

  “I have.” She clasped her hands together. “I refuse to marry him.” She stood tall. “I’ve made a choice about my future, too.”

  “Oh?” Her father finally looked up from his paperwork. “What have you decided?”

  She sucked in a ragged breath, then sighed. “Mother, Father, I’m attending college.”

  Her father tipped his head and said nothing. Her stepmother gasped. “Why? You’re a royal. You don’t have to do schooling. Elmore will take care of you and you can play with your art all you want. Royals don’t dirty their hands with studies.”

  Her stepmother spit the words out like sour candies. Catherine didn’t care. She had to focus. “I want a degree in art history. I’d like to learn about the art here in Lysianna and around the world—like my mother used to know.”

  “Interesting,” her father said. He tapped his pen on the table. “Why do you want to follow in your mother’s footsteps?”

  She’d prepared for this question. “I need to have something that’s mine. I love art and I’m dying to continue my studies.” She had to keep her explanation short and sweet. The more she talked
, the greater the chance her parents would coerce her to change her mind. “I want something to hold on to that reminds me of my mother. I don’t remember her and this is my private link.”

  “She’s gone,” her stepmother snapped.

  “Let her have this, Queen. It’s her choice,” her father said. “She’ll get bored after a year or she’ll find this is the thing she wants to do. As for Elmore, he can wait. Or maybe he can’t and he’ll choose someone else. Doesn’t matter to me. He’s a pest.”

  She wasn’t going to get bored, but if her father thought Elmore was a pest, then why try to palm her off on him?

  “What about Charles?” her stepmother said. “He should be the one to go first. Yes, he deserves a degree.”

  “He already has one.” Catherine gritted her teeth. Their parents didn’t know Charlie well. He hated being referred to as Charles and he wasn’t interested in going to college again. Charlie had attained a degree on his own and had his plan for making his own way without their parents to intervene. Now was her chance to do the same.

  “Anyway, I’m leaving.” She turned on her heel and left the room. If she looked back, she risked changing her mind. Only forward now.

  “You’re what?” Her stepmother chased after her. “You cannot. We need to arrange lodgings and security and everything else. You’ll need handlers and Elmore should accompany you for protection. Or he should set up a security detail so he can keep you safe, but stay here to run his businesses.”

  God, no. Catherine headed through the foyer to the waiting car. “Goodbye, Mother.” The idea of calling her stepmother Mother annoyed her. She’d had a mother and the queen wasn’t a very good substitute.

  “Catherine.” Her stepmother caught up to her. “We’ll summon Elmore. You cannot make the flight unprotected.”

  She sighed. “He’s old enough to be my father and he’s not attractive, so no.” She tossed her bag onto the seat. “I’ll be fine. No one in the United States knows me, so I won’t need the huge protection you’re planning.” She’d have her roommate in her new apartment and a few transplanted palace security guards around, but out of sight.