It was brutal sex, bone crushing, never walk the same again sex. He pushed and slammed into me. I could feel my muscles burning as he assaulted me and they clenched violently around him. I wasn't prepared for the orgasm that ripped through my body and neither was he; his husky laughter said he'd enjoyed it though. He also used it against me as he pushed in even deeper, finding a rhythm of motion that he knew was hitting me exactly in the right spot.

"I didn't say you could come yet, did I?" he asked, and slapped my ass lightly in warning. He shoved my head, which I had lifted for the orgasm, back down on the bed and lifted my ass up even further, only to use it to move my body to his will. I screamed with a mixture of pleasure and pain as he continued to rock me onto his magnificent cock. It was a weapon, and he knew it. He pierced me with it, penetrating me harshly as he used me for his pleasure.

"You're so wet, and we haven't even gotten started with the night yet," he crooned.

Hadn't we?

He pushed me away from him and I was helpless but to fall since my hands were still bound. He pulled me to the edge of the bed, which was now higher than it had been, and pulled and pushed my legs until they rested on my shoulders. "This is going to be amazing, Pet." He warned as he once again penetrated and filled me. His thumb pushed at my lips until I accepted it and sucked on it as he fucked my pussy.

I moaned and whimpered as I continued to suck on his thumb, but then I felt another sensation, a vibration that ripped through me and it had little to do with the nipple clamps attached to my nipples. I felt it pressing against my ass and then I tightened as a new fullness took root inside of me.

"I may not need toys, but I love the look in those eyes when you think I'm using them to ready this sweet tight hole for me," he smirked, as I moved my head from side to side, unable to dislodge his thumb, his cock, or his magic from my body. I exploded so violently that tears fell from my eyes and I shook uncontrollably.

"There it is...Fuck, you're so beautiful when you come for me," he said as his body tightened; he moved faster as he used my body. I felt his release, and was almost relieved that I hadn't begged for mercy, but even as I thought it, I felt him already growing hard again. "I will never get enough of this; not with you, Pet. You're my perfect match."

Chapter Seven.

It had been less than a week since Ryder had taken me in his dream, and I was beginning to think he would never broach the subject of my parentage again. Life seemed to move in a whirlwind around us, and I'd been having more Braxton Hicks contractions or pre-labor pains as the time grew nearer for delivery.

I was in the now half-empty pavilion, sitting in a sun room with Darynda. She was silent as if she'd been lost in her own mind, which I had feeling was on Zahruk. They'd been tense around one another, and it was getting harder not to meddle in their business with each passing day. I knew he'd taken up a spot just outside one of the sets of doors that led into the sunroom to give us a sense of privacy.

I kept reminding myself that she'd bring up her problems when she was ready. I wasn't the best person for giving advice, either, considering my own precarious relationship right now. I had just closed my eyes as I stretched out on the exquisite softness of the chair when I heard Darynda say she'd be right back.

I was really glad for the grapes Darynda had found for me to indulge in. Along with the privacy, I actually felt Human for a few moments.

I was staring absently at my tummy that was concealed nicely by the pretty, white sun dress, that Darynda had glamoured for me this morning, when I heard Ryder clear his throat. I looked up and found him looking over at me. His eyes were cold; his body seemed tense as he watched me.

He stood for a brief moment before he turned and walked away as if he didn't know I had seen him. I sat up and looked after him, wondering why he was in the pavilion, since he usually didn't want to talk to me until he was sure we were safe from outsiders. Had he changed his mind and decided to seek out another to feed from? Would he go back on his word, or was this a game?

I stood up and looked back towards where Zahruk had stationed himself outside of one of the sets of doors and then back at Ryder and set out following in the direction which he'd taken. I exited the sunroom and stood in the corridor, looking one way and then the other, and took in the sight of Ryder taking Claire in his arms. His eyes looked back at me over her fabulous hair. I watched in horror as his hand curved around her back as he pulled her closer to his body, and kissed her right in front of me.

I moved forward, pissed that he'd be so cruel, but as I moved, so did the two of them as they saw me coming. Someone was having crispy, Kentucky Fried Fairy tonight! I watched them turn a corner at the end of the hall, and as I rounded it, someone grabbed me from behind and as I looked, I could only see Claire, who was directly in front of me. She smiled coldly as she brought up both hands and shoved something through my shoulder, which I felt pop out the other side painfully.

I screamed and gasped for air as Ryder looked down, his lips curved cruelly as he and Claire both watched me. I couldn't speak, my only fear for my unborn infants as I looked down to see a God bolt lodged in my shoulders. Ryder raised a second bolt and impaled my other shoulder, as I shrieked in pain.

These types of bolts had been designed to weaken or immobilize a God. Bolts which I had the horror of being pinned with once before-when I'd watched Larissa being murdered in front of my eyes.

"Good work, my lovely," Ryder whispered lovingly to Claire. "Now go back before they notice you missing. We still need you inside; alert us if he finds anything amiss with her leaving. Remember the plan, and you will be rewarded richly," Ryder said as I watched his face, and then his hand weaved in an intricate design, and a portal was opened.

He reached down, roughly grabbed my useless limbs, and pulled me up into his arms. He whispered a few words as his fingers began to glow; he reached for the necklace Ryder had given me, and removed it effortlessly from my neck. His features shimmered, and his eyes faded from cold, golden eyes to a lifeless dull shade of blue. His shoulder length hair was a light blonde, and he didn't have brands, which made me wonder what kind of Fae he was. I felt a familiar pain shoot down my spine and ripple around my abdomen as a contraction ripped through me.

I tried the mental path I'd shared with Ryder, and found it gone. It was Joseph all over again. I felt myself start to panic, but reminded myself that it wouldn't help me or the babes. Danu would feel my distress; she had to. Ryder would realize I was gone and he'd come for us.

I slowed my breathing as I was picked up and carried through the portal. Faolan was waiting for me on the other side.

"Hello, sister." He smiled evilly. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue, bitch?"

I glared at him as another pain tightened my stomach. I tried to show no fear, but the man behind me pulled me back up from where I'd hunched down. He held me tightly against his frame, and Faolan produced a knife, and he ran the dull edge over my swollen stomach.

We were in what looked to be an abandoned temple, in a deep, dark crypt which was almost completely empty, other than a few stone slabs and candles, which sat on dingy, decrepit shelves that were placed high in the walls.

"My friends will be pleased now that we hold the King's brats along with his whore in our grasp. You see; I knew going in as we did at his coronation was not worth trying again, but by taking you, we've now gained the upper hand. He'll come for you, and when he does, we will kill him, and the rest will fall behind him," Faolan spat; a little spittle hit my face as he grew excited.

Obviously, he hadn't figured out who my mother was, or that Ryder could only be killed by his own heir. I winced as he continued to push the dull edge of the blade over my abdomen. Fear was playing hell on my mind, but I refused to allow it in, to seep into my soul.

The pain in my shoulders was to the point of unbearable, and he wouldn't cut me open-not yet. Or so I hoped. I kept trying to make my mouth work, but nothing would come out. I was going to incinerate Claire as soon as I got free, and I knew I wouldn't waste any time about doing it.

"Hmmm, nothing to say? Nothing sharp and witty?" he taunted as he brought the knife up and ran it over my cheek, poising it beneath my eye. I refused to blink or show a lick of fear as he did so.

His other hand worried me more, because it was slowly tracing down my belly to what the sundress barely hid. "I wonder if you'd like it as your whore of a guardian did; would you beg me to fuck you more, sister? Maybe harder, as she did?"

I felt nausea pushing to come up. He was sick, twisted and so fucking dead. His fingers pushed past my panties and I did it. I threw up on him.

"Fucking bitch!" he growled as he dropped the knife and used his magic to slam my face as if I was being slapped and hit repeatedly. I felt pain but I took it. I could handle it, as long as he didn't punch my stomach, or harm the babes. He dropped me to the floor and pulled off his shirt and started removing his pants; he wasn't using magic, which told me he wanted me to beg him, he wanted me to know what was coming without the quickness of using magic; he was taunting me. "Let's see how you handle a real King," he snapped.

"Isn't she your sister?" the other man asked as he sat on a stool, slicing an apple into small pieces. From where I lay slumped against the wall, I still couldn't tell which type of Fae he was, or if he was of another Caste. He'd been such a convincing Ryder, so he had to be some sort of Fae, and he had to be powerful if he could open a portal. Impersonating Ryder, I knew, would be an automatic death sentence, so this guy had to have giant balls to have done so in the castle with the real beast in it.

"No, she's a traitorous bitch who I plan to ruin. By the time I'm finished with her she will know real pain, and she will beg me for death!" he was spitting. His hands ripped at my dress and he grabbed my arms as he pulled me back up onto my feet, until I stood before him wearing only my bra and panties on.

"Faolan, do not touch her. This wasn't the agreement we made. I trade her to you, you trade her to the Mages, and you give me my sister back," the other man said as his eyes slid over my tummy. He looked like Light Fae, but it was hard to see or concentrate through the pain. "If you try to fuck her, she will give birth to the Horde King's spawn now, and unless you plan on delivering them yourself, I'd stop this very minute. She's in labor, you fucking idiot."

"I'm done waiting! She's bested me at every turn, and I'm through waiting for my revenge. She took my birthright; mine!" he snarled as he slapped me again.

I had blood oozing from my eyebrow, nose, and lip. I coughed up blood, and felt my eyes roll to the back of my skull as he backhanded me yet again. The other man shot out of his chair and grabbed Faolan's arm before he could hit me again.

"Enough!" he growled, daring Faolan to try for one more. "She can't even fucking hit you back," he said calmly. "I will not watch as you fuck your sister, or hurt her anymore. Do you understand me?"

"I'm going to rip your balls out of your throat!" I shouted, surprising both of the men in the room. "Do you have any idea how dead you are?" I snarled as I finally found my voice.

"He won't find you," Faolan said shaking out of the other man's grip as he smiled and picked the knife back up. "They plan to cut you open, sister dear, like this," he said as he pointed the sharp tip of the knife up and cut delicately into the flesh at the top of my collar bone, slowly cutting a thin, fine line down to my pubic bone. It wasn't a deep cut, but it burned like hell. "To here, then after they pull the fucking brats out, I'll take your powers, and then I'll fuck your rotting corpse until it grows cold and even then, I'll use it when the need suits me. You see, I have a way of reanimating the dead, as you found out with Joseph, so I could bring you back at my will, and kill you again and again, sweet sister."

"You seriously need counseling," I whispered and then gasped as he slapped me again.

"That's enough," the other man said as his eyes slid over me with something akin to regret.

"Dyson, I'll fucking tell you when she'd had enough!"

Dyson stood stiffly, and shook his head. "She's in labor, you fool. What you are doing is unnecessary and will only bring on the babes faster," he growled and glanced down swiftly.

I narrowed my eyes through the unmanageable pain and tried to see what they had. My feet were soaked, and unless I'd somehow managed to pee myself, I was pretty sure my water had broken, and I was now out of time. The babies were coming and no one was coming to save them.

Chapter Eight.

*~*Ryder*~*

I wait in my office for Ristan to answer my call, as I weigh and consider my options. It was a delicate situation, one I wasn't prepared for, but one I couldn't ignore either. I watch as Ristan sifts in, his mind elsewhere. He turns and takes in the anger I'm churning with.

"What's up?" he asks, his silver and black pattern eyes narrowing as he watches me.

"Where have you been the past few days?"

"Alden used the link I gave him; he said it was urgent and I tend to believe him," Ristan's tone is even; unaware that he's a few words away from being dead.

"He needed you directly after you sent Synthia to the throne room?" I ask, his eyes watching me as they narrow even further.

"Yes," he continues. "What does it matter? You knew of this agreement, and you know Alden means a lot to Synthia, brother," he says, reminding me of our bond.

"Why did you send her to the throne room?" I ask as my beast watches him for any sign of weakness, willing to rip his throat out if he lies.

"Because you told me to," he says, and then he shakes his head. "I fail to see where this needed immediate response."

"I'm giving you this courtesy because we are blood. You are my brother, and together we've been through a lot," I say and try to word it correctly, since lying is something Ristan can do.

"What am I being accused of?" he growls, directly getting to the point, his silver and black pattern eyes swirl, watching me.

"You sent Synthia to the throne room, where she was attacked by Mages."

I watch as the blood leaves his face and his eyes open wide and then he's moving towards me. "Is she okay? Are the babies okay?" he demands. His voice filled with pain as he watches me. And then he stops. "I didn't set her up, I'd never do that to her," he assures me as his hands comb through his hair and he scrubs his face with worry. "Answer me, please, are they okay?"

"They are fine. She escaped and killed those who attacked her. The question is, why did you send her to the throne room and tell her it was at my request?" he falters for a moment and his throat works.

"Because you asked me to," he says softly, very much afraid. My brother isn't afraid of anything, so his fear is not for himself.

"I did no such thing, Ristan," I say and watch him cautiously.

"You met me in the corridor on my way to see her and requested she join you in the throne room!" His voice is louder this time, as if he is trying to convince himself of what he saw. I reach out and feel his mind. Fear for Synthia and the babes is all I find at the forefront of his mind. I find the memory and it is as he said. He believes he met with me and I asked him to bring her. My brother didn't betray us.

"No, I never asked you to send her there, which means the Mages are both braver and bolder than we had anticipated. The babes are fine; their mother is quite the little warrior Goddess, even pregnant. Thankfully," I say.

"I would never harm Synthia or your children, Ryder. I've grown very fond of her in the time she's been here, and even before. I promise you this now, I will hunt down whoever it was who deceived me and I will kill him for you as a gift."

"That's not our goal right now, but thank you. What makes this so disturbing is if someone could impersonate me well enough to trick you-I need to find Synthia," I growl as I push away from the desk and sift to the women's pavilion.

The sunroom that she likes to relax in is void of her presence. I can feel an emptiness which only comes when she closes herself off to me; it's just like when Joseph had her and I couldn't feel her anymore. I don't like it. I'm beyond pissed. My body shakes with anger and I find a focus point as Darynda comes into the sunroom from one of the entrances and looks around.

"Where is she?" I demand.

"She...uh, she was here. Right there," she stumbles over her words as her slim finger points to the very empty chair.

"She isn't there now; if you've helped her to escape or have agreed to help my enemies, I will end you," I warn her, my voice filled with deadly promise I will keep.

"I swear it! She was right there, I mean, she was when I stepped out a few moments ago. She has to be here!"

She is about to get hysterical and I don't have time for it. I didn't miss Synthia by much. I can smell her sweet scent still. I call the guard violently. Zahruk sifts in, his eyes searching for threat instantly.

"Synthia is missing. Search the entire castle for her," I growl. One by one they sift in and then out. I stand perfectly still, using my magic to search for her, but she's gone. I can feel that the medallion is still here, but she's no longer in possession of it...which means someone has removed it from her neck. I eye the room, sensing for it as I leave the room-because it's not here. It's close, though. Synthia is powerful, and I'm not sure if she can shield both the necklace and the mark.

I turn and walk out of the sunroom, searching the corridor, following her scent even as I change forms. He's better with scents and tracking and he's shaking the fucking cage. Wings unfurl from my back, the pain of the shift brief as I don't fight it.

At the end of the hall is the medallion. I reach down swoop it up, smelling it. It's male. I don't recognize the scent. I growl from deep in my chest and turn to find my men watching me, waiting for me to give them direction. My eyes take in the blood on the floor, and I feel eviscerated as I determine my next move.

I can't feel her connection through the mark either. It's a bad sign, very bad.

"She's with a male," I snarl; the kick to my gut is raw and brutal. The beast growls deadly, the thought of another male touching our woman is un-fucking-thinkable.

"She's no longer in the walls of this Kingdom," Zahruk says as he dares to step closer.

"She left here with another warrior," Claire states as she moves close to me, pushing her way through my men. "I was coming to find you, Ryder," she says as she moves closer and tries to place her hand on my chest. I catch it and twist it painfully.

"What man did she leave with?" I seethe, watching as her pupils dilate.

"I've seen him around a few times; they were practically all over each other, and she doesn't deserve you. Not like I do," she whispers seductively.

For a brief second I hesitate, but the thought of someone impersonating me well enough to fool my own brother burns through my mind, then Syn's eyes full of desire and love flash in my mind, and I know her; she's not deceitful, not with me. She wouldn't leave me without saying something. She isn't like that; she'd come up to me and slap it in my face, but she wouldn't hide it from me. Reason returns and I realize that males aren't permitted in the pavilion unless they have medallion marking them as mine, so this male had to have had help to access this place. My eyes narrow on the simpering beauty before me.

I slam Claire against the wall, my wings pinning her in as I allow the fangs in my mouth to elongate and my eyes to fully change to obsidian, giving the beast full control. "You play with words, wench. I'll give you two seconds to tell me the truth in its entirety before I end you."

She's shaking, her hands visibly so. She's never been this close to the beast and he loves the fear in her eyes, loves the heady scent that wafts from her feeding us both. The beast loves fear, and he's excited for the chance to make a kill.

"Have it your way," I say as I reach out with my magic, watching as Claire feels the blood in her veins as it begins to boil. The pain on her face is priceless as she realizes I'm burning her from the inside, and she can't stop it. No one can except for me.

"No!" she screams and huge tears fill her eyes. "I just wanted her gone!"

"Is that so? And tell me you stupid bitch; did it slip your imbecilic mind that you wanted her gone while she was heavily pregnant with my children?" I say, and it's barely above a whisper. I can feel my men as they relish the excitement of the beast, wanting the kill as much as he does.

Her eyes flick to my men as if she's looking for help. "Zahruk," I growl and he steps up, his eyes gleefully aware of what I want. His clothing changes to his robes and he bares his brands as he whispers words that draw on his mother's powers. He lays his hand on her forehead and projects for all of us what happened in this hall.

He'd used it on Syn before, and she'd hated me for it. I step away as she slides to her knees, as he pulls her past and replays the few minutes she'd had with Synthia. We all watch silently as she pleads for Zahruk to stop, but he continues.

I watch as Synthia follows me, or who she thinks is me, into the hallway and away from her guards. She thought it was me, up until the bolts are shoved through her tender flesh. Only then did she realize her mistake. Too late.

I don't know the man who pretended to be me; don't care, because he's already dead. I watch as a portal is opened in the corridor, and she's carried through it.

"Aodhan, trace and locate where that portal goes. Zahruk, ready the men for war," I say, knowing it will be a dead end.

My men are ready, and as Claire stands up once more, I turn in her direction. "Asrian, take Claire to the lower levels and await me there." I turn to my men who have already glamoured their armor on.