Fated Love: A Vampire Paranormal Romance Novel (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 4) by Franca Storm

belly gently. “I will treat you as such. With respect, angel.”
    “You are such a gentleman. Who knew?” she teased.
    He pulled her close. “I was always a gentleman with you.”
    “Is that so?” she asked, her words muffled against his chest.
    “Definitely. If I hadn’t been, I would have taken you so many times over, centuries ago. As it was, I remained patient, waiting for you to come to me.”
    “It was not your usual approach. Subtle is not a word I would have used to describe you.”
    He pulled back to look at her. “The right woman can, on a rare occasion, affect a man in such a way that he alters his ways.”
    “And even all those centuries ago, I was that woman? You married my sister.”
    “There is nothing I regret more than settling for the woman who merely reminded me of you.”
    “What?” she asked, stunned by his response. “You didn’t want to marry her?”
    “I was under pressure to produce an heir. It had always been you, Marella. From the first time I saw you, I knew. But I was afraid.”
    “Afraid? You?”
    “Yes. Of tainting a woman of such purity, such light. An angel . You were young then. Impressionable. I did not want to affect what you would become with my darkness .”
    She gazed at him as she let his words sink in. He’d been secretly watching over her for most of her very long life, protecting her from others as well as himself. She remembered him telling her that he’d even killed one of her abusive former lovers. He’d loved her so much that he’d watched from the sidelines for centuries, just to allow her to become who she needed to be. She understood why he hadn’t approached her and he had been right. She wouldn’t have been able to handle his power, the pull between them, when she had been that much younger. He would have unintentionally suffocated her.
    “I love you. Thank you, my darling.”
    “For what?” he asked in surprise.
    “For waiting.”
    He smiled into her hair and kissed her chastely. “You are most welcome, angel. Now I will give you everything , like I had always intended. You and our daughter.”
    “I already have it.”
    “Hmm…you are too easy to please.”
    She pulled back with a grin. “I can make it more of a challenge for you if you like.”
    He laughed. “Then I retract my earlier statement.”
    “Father. It is time.”
    They both turned to see Luca standing a couple of feet back. He nodded politely to Marella and then addressed his father. “The princess is waiting for us at the compound gates.”
    “How did you gain access inside the compound?”
    “Cora made it happen. I was told to make it quick. ”
    Nathanial nodded to his son and then bent down to kiss her softly. He lingered for a while, before finally pulling back from her and telling her, “I won’t be long, angel.”
    “Just be careful. Oriana is unpredictable.”
    “She is more predictable than she realizes. There is little she can do that will catch me off guard.”
    “Arrogant as ever,” Luca muttered.
    Nathanial narrowed his eyes at him. “A trait that is clearly hereditary.”
    “Perhaps you and I can get to know one another when we return?” Luca asked Marella.
    “As long as you stay on your current path, I would like that. Otherwise it is my wrath you will have to deal with instead of your father’s.”
    Nathanial winked at her and then warned Luca, “She can be incredibly fierce when provoked.”
    Luca grinned. “I have heard tales.”
    Nathanial looked back at her once more, saying, “Soon, angel,” before grabbing Luca’s arm and teleporting off.

 
     
    CHAPTER 14
    “Hold the line! Shields up!” Ryan bellowed to his wolf troops.
    They complied immediately and raised their shields. A moment later, more of Oriana’s black magic rained down on them only to be deflected immediately. Ryan watched as she pressed her palms together as though she were praying and reabsorbed her deflected magic. Damn, she’s too fast. It needs to hit her.
    “We