Dacia Wolf & the Fallen Prince Read online

  Book 3

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  Copyright ©2019 by Mandi Oyster

  Cover Illustration by Mandi Oyster

  Typography and formatting by Mandi Oyster

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book is dedicated to everyone

  who dared to follow their dreams.

  And to those who haven’t yet,

  there’s no time like now.

  Chapter 1

  Panther Paws

  Fireflies danced across the black velvet sky, lighting up, then disappearing like will-o’-wisps. Stars shone like diamonds, and a tiny moon smiled down at me. I lifted my face to the breeze and inhaled deeply, clearing the cobwebs from my head. The night air smelled fresh and clean.

  Feeling more invigorated than I had for days, I strolled down the gravel road. Trees lined the sides, encroaching on the ditches. Rocks crunched under my feet, and the buzz of insects filled the air. For the first time in almost a year, I wasn’t worried about demons, dragons, or mad sorcerers, but curfew was another story. I picked up my pace.

  A twig cracked. I stopped and stared into the trees.

  Not long ago, I would have been terrified that a dragon was about to jump out and attack me, but I had freed the dragons—and this was Bittersweet. Monsters had never followed me here before. I squeezed my eyes shut and sent up a silent prayer. Not here. Please, not here … not now.

  Another twig snapped. I sped up. Keeping my head still, my eyes darted from side to side. It was too dark to see more than a few feet, but I felt something watching me.

  The breeze picked up, rustling leaves. I broke into a jog. Ten more minutes and I’d be home.

  A burning smell filled the air. I slowed, turning toward the scent.

  Fiery eyes blazed at me. A hollow space opened up inside my chest. A black hole that sucked all my happiness and hope into it. My hands trembled at my sides.

  I took a step down the road, looking toward home. A soft growl halted my feet.

  Slowly, I turned back to the trees. An enormous black panther stalked out of the shadows. Muscles rippled under ebony fur.

  “No.” The word escaped on a breath. I stumbled backward, slipping on the gravel. My ankle twisted, and I landed on my butt with my legs splayed out in front of me.

  The panther lowered into a crouch. Its tail swished from side to side.

  Power sizzled inside of me, heating my stomach, filling the abyss in my chest with warmth. I raised my hand. Blue sparks danced across my fingertips, igniting a fireball in my palm. The panther snarled, and blue flames shot through the air, striking the beast in the chest. They extinguished, absorbing into its body.

  My stomach plummeted, dragging my spirit down with it. Shallow, quick breaths did little to ease my rising panic. A frantic beat pounded in my ears, drowning out all other sounds. I stared at the beast, my mind utterly blank.

  The panther stood eerily still. Its eyes flared. Flames rippled within them, burning red, orange and yellow.

  I scooted back, and the beast pounced. Its claws dug into my skin, knocking me down. It glared into my eyes. A soft growl rumbled through its body, pulling its lips back and exposing its teeth.

  Fear crept up my spine. My thoughts jumbled together.

  Hot breath scraped over my face. Fangs sank into my shoulder at the base of my neck.

  I screamed, but the sound was muffled by the beast’s body. Pain crashed over me like a tsunami, then disappeared like the tide receding. My breath faltered, gurgling in my throat. Darkness surrounded me.

  i

  The sun was just beginning to spread its rays over the horizon. Pink and purple clouds filled the sky. I lay sprawled out on the side of the road. My shoulder throbbed. Pain stole my breath and muddled my thoughts.

  I crossed my injured arm over my stomach and pressed my other hand to the ground, struggling to my feet, fighting dizziness.

  Blood stuck my gray t-shirt to my body. I tugged on it, peeling the fabric from my flesh. Deep wounds punctured my skin. My shoulder throbbed.

  Why? I let go of my shirt and hung my head. Why haven’t I healed?

  I took a couple of clumsy steps before realizing I couldn’t go home like this. Instead, I teleported to Cody’s house. Standing in the bushes, I rapped on his bedroom window, hoping not to wake anybody else.

  He stumbled out of bed, wearing only black shorts. Rubbing his eyes, he staggered toward me. His blond hair poked up in all directions. He looked through the glass, and his shoulders slumped. He pushed the frame up. “Oh, Dacia, what happened?” Cody’s hand trembled as he brushed the hair from his eyes.

  I tugged the collar of my shirt back, revealing my shoulder to him. “I’m not—” my voice caught “—I’m not healing.”

  Cody pushed his screen out and reached down to pull me in. His fingers brushed against my arm, and I whimpered. He jerked his hands back. “Want me to try again? I’ll be gentle.”

  “No, I’ll get in.” I floated off the ground and flew in through the window.

  Carefully, he drew me against him. “What happened?”

  I wrapped my good arm around his waist and lay my face against his chest. “A panther.” I squeezed my eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath. “With fire in its eyes.”

  He stepped back, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward his bed. Sitting on the edge of it, he said, “Take my strength. Heal yourself.”

  “Are you sure?” I sat next to him. “If I heal myself completely, you’ll be worthless all day.”

  He cupped my face and stared into my eyes. “Please.” His thumb tenderly caressed my cheek.

  “Lie back.” I stretched out beside him, closing my eyes to fight back the nausea and agony, and prayed his parents wouldn’t walk in.

  Cool, healing energy spread through my body. My breathing evened out.

  Cody’s fingers traced my skin, slowing as he drifted off. I lay next to him until my pain was a dull throb.

  I kissed his cheek, and his eyes slitted open. “Can I borrow a shirt?”

  “Yeah.” His voice was gravelly. “Tell me about the panther.”

  I crawled over him and grabbed a shirt out of his drawer. With my back to him, I pulled my bloodied one off, sucking in a breath as it rubbed against the wounds.

  The bed groaned, and Cody’s hands brushed over my arms. “Why aren’t you healed?”

  I looked over my shoulder at him, resting my fingers over his. “I didn’t think I should take any more.”

  He sighed. “I’ll get bandages.”

  I felt awkward standing there holding his shirt in front of me. His doorknob turned, and I closed my eyes, scared it would be one of Cody’s parents.

  “I’ll be gentle.” It was a relief to hear Cody’s voice.

  I nodded, lowering his shirt. I stood in front of Cody in nothing but my bra and shorts, cove
red in dried blood. Heat flooded my cheeks. I tucked a strand of red hair behind my ear.

  “The panther.” He wiped the blood off my shoulder with a wet cloth, careful not to cause any undue harm.

  “It was tall.” I held my hand even with my waist. “And …”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know how to say it.” I turned toward him.

  His gaze lowered for an instant before meeting mine.

  I bit my bottom lip while I searched for the words. “It was a monster, not a cat. Its eyes were flames, and it absorbed my magic.”

  He spread some kind of cream on my wound before taping gauze pads over the punctures. Then he took his shirt out of my hands and tugged it over my head, lifting my hair out from under the collar while I pulled my arms through the sleeves. His fingers lingered on my neck. I raised my good arm, placing my hand on his shoulder, and touched my lips to his.

  He held my head, crushing his mouth against mine. Warmth spread through my body, but I pulled away. “I have to go before your parents find me here. They wouldn’t believe the truth.”

  “No.” He laughed. “They wouldn’t.”

  “Get some sleep.” I squeezed his hand and started to pull away.

  He held onto me, staring into my eyes. “Don’t shut me out.”

  “I won’t.”

  He leaned his forehead against mine. “Be careful.”

  Stepping back, I teleported home, expecting my parents’ full wrath or at the very least, their concern. Instead, they slept soundly in their bed.

  Maybe they’d gotten used to me being at college, or maybe they just didn’t care.

  Chapter 2

  Freak

  I lay in bed with my back to the door, pretending to sleep until Mom and Dad left for work. Then I got up, cleaned my room, unloaded the dishwasher, and vacuumed.

  Close to lunchtime, Cody called me. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” I flipped through the channels, but there wasn’t anything worth watching on TV. “Did you just get up?” I clicked the power button on the remote.

  There was a long pause, and I knew he was thinking about lying to me. “Yes.” The word was so soft I wouldn’t have heard it if the TV was still on.

  My stomach twisted. I took too much. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  I scrubbed my hand down my face. “I thought I stopped in time. I shouldn’t have taken so much.”

  “You healed?”

  I glanced down at my shoulder. The throbbing had been persistent. The only other time I’d had a wound that wouldn’t heal was when the demon, Nefarious, had attacked me. “No.”

  “Didn’t take enough then.”

  I didn’t answer. We’d had this argument before.

  “If you need me, I’ll ditch.”

  As much as I wanted to be with him, I wouldn’t let him skip out on his siblings. “I’ll be all right. I’m going to go to the park. I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  i

  The town park was a quiet and secluded wooded area. There were a few RVs and campers in the modern campground and some tents set up in the primitive campground, but since it was a Tuesday, the picnic areas were all but empty. I chose a table away from the road that was surrounded by trees on three sides. Taking a swig of my pop, I opened up my book and began reading.

  The main character had just been rescued when something caught my attention. I set my book down and stood to watch a black mist swirl through the air. It weaved and twirled, drifting toward me. Its dance was hypnotic.

  Terror clenched my heart, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t look away. Evil emanated from the haze.

  I knew I should run from it, but instead, I found myself stepping forward in a trance-like state, moving close enough to touch it. The mist undulated around me until I was surrounded. Terror rose inside me, but I was paralyzed.

  The cloud merged together. As it did, it caressed the outline of my body with a tenderness that belied its appearance. It felt substantial, not at all like vapor. One tendril lingered against my face the way Cody’s hand did before he leaned in to kiss me. I shivered in anticipation.

  When the last wisp connected with the rest of the haze, a solid shape materialized in front of me. Once the transformation was complete, I looked into the face of the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. He was taller than Cody with hair as black as a raven’s feathers and an olive complexion. His eyes were cold, and I sucked in a stunned breath as I stared into them. They were almost black, with an incredible depth to them. His face and body were chiseled perfection. My eyes widened, and my lips fell apart.

  He lifted his hand, inching it toward my face, giving me a chance to pull away, but I stepped closer to him.

  His fingers stroked my cheek, soft and smooth against my skin. I leaned into his touch, wanting him to pull me closer, to hold me against his body, to press his lips to mine.

  I blinked, and Cody’s face flashed before my eyes—golden blond hair and sapphire irises—and the desire that had come over me was gone. This man had no right to touch me. I didn’t know him from Adam. Only Cody should caress my face; only Cody should hold me. I wanted to pull away from him, but I couldn’t move.

  “Dacia Wolf,” the beautiful man said in a deep voice that was as smooth as silk. His other hand moved to the small of my back, drawing me against him. “It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.” His fingers slid from my face to my shoulder. I winced, but he didn’t move his hand. He leaned down and brushed his lips against my cheek. My heart galloped. I wanted to get away from him, but I wanted him to pull me closer at the same time.

  “I’ve waited a long time for this,” he whispered in my ear. His hot breath on my neck sent shivers down my spine.

  I didn’t say anything in response; I couldn’t. I stood there staring into his fathomless eyes, mesmerized.

  “Cat got your tongue?” He chuckled, and a wicked grin spread over his lips.

  “Who are you?” Color rose to my cheeks when I heard the husky timbre of my voice. I shouldn’t sound like this with him. What is wrong with me?

  “Mavros Malkin at your service.” He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips—never looking away from my eyes.

  “What do you want with me?” I hated myself for sounding so breathless.

  “That depends.”

  “On what?” I felt more like myself now. I knew what I wanted, and it wasn’t him. Somehow, he was messing with my mind. I needed to concentrate to keep my feelings true.

  “On what you want me to be.” He squeezed my shoulder, and the pain nearly dropped me to my knees. “I can be your worst enemy, or I can be your best friend and even more. The choice is yours. I will give you some time to decide. But, let me warn you; if you choose to be my enemy, I will destroy you.” His voice was flat, emotionless, and I had no doubt he meant what he said.

  “So, what does being your friend entail?” I didn’t need another enemy, but I was positive I didn’t want this man’s idea of friendship either.

  “Eternity.”

  “Wow”—my voice sounded more like my own, dry and sarcastic—“you take friendship seriously.”

  “Yes.” His lips brushed against mine, and I lost myself again. “An eternity of this, Dacia,” he whispered, pulling my body against his. Then his lips pressed against mine forcefully.

  My defenses melted, and without my inhibitions holding me back, I returned his kiss, clinging to him. I felt alive and passionate. When Mavros pulled away, I was breathless and disappointed. I wanted more … I wanted forever.

  I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air. It was cool and crisp. My head cleared, and I gasped. My hand covered my mouth, and I stepped backward, banging my hip against the picnic table.

  “Don’t b
other pretending like you didn’t enjoy that. You know you felt the earth move.” He chuckled. “The choice is yours, Dacia. Eternity is a good option.”

  My eyes were still locked on his when he turned. I watched him dissipate, becoming vapor once again. As soon as he was gone, I was in control of myself—mind and body. I turned and ran to my truck as fast as I could. I sat behind the steering wheel trembling with fear and self-loathing. How could I have given in without restraint? What had I been thinking? The only thing I knew for certain was—whatever else this beautiful man was—he was nothing to be trifled with.

  “Get a grip, Dacia,” I said in a wavering voice.

  Lifting my hand to put the key in the ignition, I realized my shoulder no longer bothered me. I pulled Cody’s shirt back just to be sure I wasn’t imagining things. Under the bandages, my skin was smooth and unblemished. “What in the world?”

  Driving to Cody’s house, I took the curves too fast. I couldn’t wait to see him, but at the same time, I was terrified of what he would think of me.

  When I got there, I couldn’t muster the courage to go to his door. Instead, I sat in my truck in his driveway with my head on the steering wheel. Tears pooled in my eyes until they overflowed and cascaded down my cheeks. I wasn’t ready for this. I didn’t expect this to happen in my hometown, or for it to happen this soon. Aurelia told me it could be weeks, months, or years before I would be in danger again. I had hoped for years, but I should have known my luck wouldn’t hold out for long.

  Bang, bang, bang. The sound of Cody’s knuckles rapping on my window caused my heart to jump into my throat. When it settled back in place, it was racing.

  “You okay?” Even with my window up, I heard the alarm in Cody’s voice. “Unlock the door.”