Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance (Legacy, #3)

by Melissa K. Roehrich

Only two tear tracks down her face that she quickly wiped away. “We’re meant to destroy each other,” she whispered, the words pained and agonized. “Then destroy me, little storm.”

Kissing Luka was willingly giving him a piece of her. Kissing Theon was willingly letting him possess her, and that was exactly what he did.

The bond was elated. Her magic was elated. Her entire being was elated. Because she needed them both, and gods, she wished she understood why.

“You know what I want to hear, Tessa,” he said, his voice a dark rumble she felt vibrate through her. She shook her head in refusal. A soft, dark smile curled on his lips. “One day you will say it.” “How can you still possibly believe that?” she gasped when he circled his thumb again. “Because it’s more than a bond.” Then she was crying out as he sank two fingers inside her, but it was quickly muffled by his hand sliding over her mouth. “I love hearing you, beautiful, but we have to keep it down.”

The addition of a third finger kept her from answering as his hand muffled another cry. “I’ve come to collect what is mine. Give it to me, Tessa.”

“You are my source of everything I hate about this realm, but you are also my source of the things I crave. You are the source of what broke me, but you are also the source of what saved me. You are the source of my fury, but you are also the source of every dark desire. You are the source of what I have become, but you are also a source of complete acceptance of who that person is. You are the source of my own self-discovery, and how twisted is that, Theon?”

“It’s more than a bond,” she interrupted, her frustration climbing as she said those words, knowing they would damn her. Her next words were a whisper. “It’s always been more than a bond.”

“I don’t understand it,” she said, the words raw and agonized. “I don’t understand any of it.” “I know, Tessa,” he murmured. “I’m trying to find the answers for you.” “You mean for you,” she panted when he rocked into her again. “No, little storm. I mean exactly what I said. For you.” “Why?” “Because I know you want them. Need them. And I will always give you what you need,” he answered, easily holding her up with one hand while the other reached up to smooth a strand of hair out of her face.

Her lineage made her one of the most powerful beings in Devram, but this? Having the source of so much…everything at her mercy? Having control over him with the mere touch of her hand? The barest brush of her lips? That made her feel more powerful than anything. Taking power back from someone who had taken so much from her. A part of her recognized that was twisted and wrong, and it made her just as terrible as him. A bigger part of her didn’t care. Because she had become his villain, and he still kept coming back for her. Again and again and again. Just like he’d promised.

“Still not mine,” Tessa whispered, running her fingers through Theon’s hair as he reached for her other shoe. He stilled, looking up at her. “I am yours, Tessa. Every piece of me.” Her smile was grim. “No, Theon. You are hers.” “I will never be hers,” he retorted,

But she was cut off by Tessa’s hand wrapping around her throat and squeezing. A glow emitted from between her fingers as her power appeared, Oralia gasping under her hold. The female’s hands came up, clawing at Tessa’s wrist, but Tessa only smiled. “Dexter does not need to fix anything, and I do not require anyone to watch me anymore. That is what you can report back to Rordan,” Tessa said, an icy calm settling over her.

“What if it is both of you?” She felt his smile as he pressed his lips to the top of her head. “We’ll wait for you to figure it out.”

Her magic flared, lashing out, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as it should be. When had death last taken?

“Akira is in my home world where she belongs.” “You promised to take me to her.” “No, child,” he said, slowly shaking his head. “I promised to take you from this world. I never said where or how.”

The power he drank was soothing and mighty, a sense of peace and calming coming over him. But more than that were flashes of images he didn’t recognize. A female with red-brown hair and violet eyes. Another female with dark skin that glowed with a silver aura and raven black hair floating around her. A kiss beneath the moonlight. Swords clashing. A panther prowling. “That’s enough,” Tristyn growled, yanking his arm back. Axel’s fangs tore his flesh, but the male didn’t seem to care.

He leaned back enough to tilt her chin up, swiping a tear away with his thumb. “I still choose you, Katya. Bond or not, I still choose you.”

“Your tears are red,” Kat whispered. “And yours are heartbreaking,” he replied, pressing a kiss to her temple before he pulled her back into his chest.

Rordan had done this. From the very beginning, it had been him, and if Cressida knew then… “You are aiding the Achaz Lord,” Tessa said in utter shock. “But you are married to the Arius Lord.”

“Nith Legacy are known for their creativity, and yet we are still always underestimated.

“We will eliminate the threats,” he replied, more and more Hunters appearing.

Cressida and Mother Cordelia came closer, the leader of the Hunters stepping in front of Tessa, but Cressida just waved him off. “I know the rules,” she scoffed, a vindictive smile on her full lips as she stared at Tessa. “Rordan will be thrilled she is finally fulfilling her purpose.” “What are you—” Tessa started, but she was cut off by the howling that filled the air. Not one wolf, but two. Nylah and Roan.

Where are you? Tessa demanded. But there was no response, only their own emotions of fury and wrath and…fear? She’d never felt that from them before. Where were they?

Then again, the Hunters truly weren’t focused on them as much as they were on certain Legacy. Arius Legacy. It was their purpose. It was her purpose. She wanted them all dead. If they were slaughtering all the Augury members, she wouldn’t have cared, but this was…not what she had told them to do.

Auryon’s hand had closed around the grip of her bow that she was now shoving towards Tessa. “You need to take this.” Tessa shook her head, only then realizing her cheeks were wet. Everything was wet. The ground. Her clothing. Cloaks and fur. She was crying, and so was the sky. “It is your birthright,” Auryon said, shoving the bow at her again. “No,” Tessa said, shaking her head again so violently her hair whipped around her with the denial. “Tessalyn!” Auryon snapped. “You are wild and fury, light and dark. Once lost, you were found. The only one who hasn’t realized that is you.”

And Auryon smiled up at her. “It is in your blood. The life you seek. What you desperately want. Many have sacrificed to give you a choice, Tessalyn. The costs have been great because of love for you. You only need to accept that you are worthy of such a thing, then take what is yours to claim.”

“And when you see your father, tell him I never served out of purpose or duty, but out of honor and friendship. Tell him—” She sucked in a sharp breath. “Tell him thank you for allowing me the privilege.”

“I don’t take orders from you,” she sneered. “Not anymore.” A dark smirk curled on one corner of his mouth. “Beautiful, you took orders from me just a few weeks ago when you crawled across the floor.” “Only because I knew it would hurt you to know I was sucking off your best friend when I never did that for you,” she snarled back. Theon shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. “I’ve always said I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give me, and I got off to all the lust flooding down the bond between the two of you. There was nothing painful about that, clever tempest.”

And the dragon beneath his skin had had enough. She stumbled back as a gasp of surprise fell from her lips when his wings appeared, shredding through his shirt. He was prowling towards her, and with each step he took, she took another back until she was pressing against the wall. He didn’t stop until his boots were touching the tips of hers. His wings flaring behind him, he planted one palm above her head and gripped her chin with the other, forcing her face up to meet his gaze.

He loosened his grip on her chin, instead cupping her jaw. “My place is in Arius Kingdom with Theon and Axel,” he went on, not letting her turn away at the words. “But it isn’t home unless you are there with us.” “Please don’t give me pretty words right now,” she said, her tone so defeated it made his chest hurt. “If you would fucking listen for once, you’d know they aren’t just pretty words, baby girl,” he chided. “Do you know how jealous I was when Theon Selected you?”

Godsdammit, Tessa. It was always you. For both of us, and he may be a brother to me, but I hated that he was the one who would get to have you. For the years leading up to the Selection Ceremony, I forced myself to be indifferent, but I couldn’t help trying to convince him to Select someone else. I constantly told him you weren’t the one for this. Not because I had any inkling you weren’t Fae or were the grandchild of the most powerful gods, but because dragons are jealous creatures, temptress. If I couldn’t have you, I didn’t want anyone else to have you either.”

I shouldn’t have cared that you wanted flip-flops.

but I did care because some part of me claimed you as mine from the moment I saw your photo.” “But you’re too loyal,” she said in quiet acceptance. “And he is your family.” “He is my family,” he agreed. “But you? You are my light.”

His hand slid along her jaw, slipping into the golden hair she so often abused. “Baby girl, I’ve always been yours. I just didn’t understand it.”

Finally giving himself permission to understand it had always been her.

Because she needed something, and he could give it to her.

“Gods, I love it when you’re vicious,” he said, his voice nothing but gravel. Dropping to his knees,

He still towered over her small frame splayed out before him. Naked in his nest of blankets and pillows. Completely at his mercy and squirming under his gaze. “What are you doing?” she asked, an uncertainty in her tone he didn’t like. “Looking,” he answered immediately. “Looking at a goddess. So let me look.”

A rumble sounded from his chest, his palms landing on her knees and nudging them. “Spread your legs, temptress. Let me see you.” “You and Theon have dirty mouths,” she said, her voice sultry and erotic as she dropped her knees to the sides and spread herself wide for him. All for him.

His tongue darted out, wetting his lips as he stared at her. “You love our mouths,” he replied distractedly. “I can only imagine what you’ll do when we’re both worshipping you.”

“Do you… The two of you… Do that?” His gaze flicked to hers, finding her eyes heavy-lidded and full of heated lust at the idea. And he smirked. “You like the sound of that, don’t you, temptress?” he crooned, sliding his palms up the inside of her thighs. She gasped as he climbed higher. “Both of us on our knees before you, giving you pleasure. Serving you. Letting you take whatever you want.”

Suddenly, she sat up, shifting onto all fours and crawling closer. “Fuck me, temptress,” he growled. “What the fuck are you doing?” “Looking,” she said again. She came to the end of the bed, reaching out and tugging him closer by the waist of his pants as she sat up on her knees. Her eyes darted over his shoulder, and he suddenly realized what she was studying so hard. “You can touch them,” he said, his stomach sinking in when her fingers glided along the ridges of his abdomen. Her eyes widened. “What?” He gently took her wrist, bringing one wing around them. Guiding her hand, he said, “You can touch them.”

“Do they get in the way?” His brows knit together. “Did they get in the way of me feasting on your cunt?” Her cheeks flushed. “You can’t just say things like that, Luka.”

“We just don’t have to be broken alone anymore,” he replied, pushing stray hair off her brow. “Never alone again,” she agreed.

“And what do you want?” he asked against her flesh. “You,” she said on a breath, and those words undid him.

“You like watching?” she asked in a tone that told him she liked him watching. “Do I like watching my cock inside of you?” he asked with a huff of disbelief. “Yeah, temptress. I like watching how well your cunt takes my cock.”

His cock jerked, emptying into her, and his dragon was finally satisfied…for now.

Knowing the words would mean more to her than any declaration of feeling or love, Luka said, “My loyalty is to you, Tessa.” Two tears immediately slipped from her eyes as she rose up, her arms wrapping around his neck and hauling him back to her.

Theon had felt all of it. Every whispered word and conflicting thought. And his friend hadn’t said a single word.

Not for a kingdom or for her master. But for a little girl named Priya.

Eviana almost huffed a laugh. She would have if she could feel anything. The truth was she’d gone mad long ago.