A Demon's Wrath
Authors: Alexia Praks
Tags: #sexy romance, #paranormal fantasy romance, #paranormal romance series, #sexy warriors, #sword and magic, #multicultural and interracial romance, #royalty and aristocrats, #paranormal romance action adventure, #paranormal romance demon, #historical paranormal romnance
A Demon’s Wrath
(A Nine Kingdoms Novel)
Alexia Praks
SMASHWORDS EDITION
*****
Smashwords Edition License Notes
PRACHAN PRESS
A Demon’s Wrath
(A Nine Kingdoms Novel)
Alexia Praks
Copyright © 2015 by Alexia Praks
All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual
persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or
locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. This book was
self-published by the author Alexia Praks under Prachan Press. No
part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any
printed or electronic form without agreement and written permission
of the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of
copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase
only authorized editions.
The author can be reached
at:
www.alexiapraks.com
Published worldwide by Prachan Press
A Demon’s Wrath
A Nine Kingdoms
Novel
Alexia Praks
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
WELCOME TO THE NINE KINGDOMS, a world where
humans, angels, and demons lived side by side. A realm where
revenge passed on from one generation to another, wars between
kingdoms raged for centuries, treachery and loyalty merged into one
gray line, and love could heal the wound of hatred.
Humans ruled seven of the kingdoms: Niveus
to the north, Virdis to the northeast, Oriens at the east, Bellaria
in the mainland, Meridianus in the south, Dardania to the west, and
Unda in the middle, surrounded by sea.
Humans were the weakest of the creatures,
though they were the majority. Yet those weakest in strength were
also the most cunning, twisted, and evil of all. For centuries,
they waged wars amongst their own kind, their hunger for more land
and wealth never satisfied. They plotted and killed their own
bloodline to claim the throne.
The angels ruled and lived upon the Sky
Kingdom, residing on the floating islands above the air, and were
highly respected and honored for their beauty, wealth, and
power.
The demons ruled and lived in the prosperous
and fertile island to the southwest and were both feared and hated
for their limitless wealth and power.
Alas, they lived amongst one another as
friends and as foes, and here, one of their many stories began.
Oakley House, Demon Kingdom
WHEN CECELIA VAN ZANDT FLUTTERED her eyes
open, the first thing she saw was the bright blue sky through the
enormous window on the east. Beautiful was the first word that came
to her mind as she lay there marveling at the exquisite scenery of
green woods and wildflowers, the smell of ripe fruits and blossoms,
and the feel of the warm sunlight on her skin. In the distance, she
could hear birds and crickets chirping, and instantly, her mind
flashed back to those wonderful summer days years ago when she’d
been back in Rosevalley Island, her home, with her family. Just as
quickly, reality hit her like a splash of ice-cold water. Her heart
raced. Her body became alert, and she was very much aware of what
had transpired last night in this very large bed.
She was still a little sore, particularly
down there where—
She shut her eyes again and gritted her
teeth. She didn’t want to think of last night, but the images of
the ruggedly handsome demon Drake McNamara refused to leave her
mind.
She heard a chuckle and instantly knew he
was there in the room with her. She had thought he’d left her alone
after his successful, ardent seduction last night. But it appeared
she was wrong.
A blush spread across her cheeks, and
Cecelia clutched the blanket tighter against her naked body as she
heard his light footsteps moving toward her. A moment later, she
felt him sitting on the bed behind her.
Breathe, Celia, breathe,
she told
herself.
Her heart was still pounding madly when he
said, “You’re finally awake, little thief?”
His voice, the deep timbre, did nothing to
ease her awareness of him. She flashed her eyes open and turned her
head, sucking in her breath once she saw him. He was wearing a
white cotton shirt, unbuttoned and revealing his muscular chest.
His dark breeches hung loosely about his long legs and waist, as if
he’d just put them on in haste simply to cover himself as he went
about the room. His chestnut-brown hair, a bit too long, was styled
in a disheveled crop about his head and his face. He watched her,
his gray eyes scrutinizing, pinning her where she was.
Cecelia thought about feigning sleep but
knew it would be to no avail, as he’d already seen her looking at
him.
“Yes, sire? What is it you want with me in
such early hours of the morning?”
“Not early hours. Rather, ’tis nearly noon.”
He grabbed ahold of the thin linen and pulled it off her
person.
Cecelia gasped. “Sire!” she uttered, rushing
off the bed to retrieve her cover.
Drake caught her wrist before she had the
chance to touch the white material and pulled her to him.
Totally and utterly naked as a newborn baby,
Cecelia found herself sitting on the demon’s lap, her long dark
hair in disarray about her person and her eyes large as she gazed
at him. She squirmed a little in his tight embrace as the warmth of
his large body and his scent—pure male and spice and woods—did
nothing to ease her fascination toward him.
He pulled her closer, his strong hand
resting at the small of her back. She could feel him against her,
the hardness and warmness of his lean body touching her soft one.
Instantly, she felt her core heat up in response and became weak,
as if she’d already surrendered to him.
Drake Oswald McNamara, demon king, gazed at
the human woman who had stolen his precious jewel, the Pearl of
Life. For thirty years, since the seed came to life when he was
born, no one had even dared to think about stealing it. For to
commit such an unthinkable crime, the punishment was death. And
this slip of a female had disregarded the penalty, stolen the
jewel, and used it for her own selfish reason. Now she had to pay
the price. Death, however, was not on the agenda, and Drake had
other plans for her yet.
He ran his fingers through her long hair,
stroking the strands gently and then flipping them over her slender
shoulder. Under the bright daylight, she was even more alluring,
and it made his blood run hot with lust. He flicked his gaze to her
flat belly, the belly that would soon be swollen with his jewel,
his son, a future demon king. He noted the scar there to her right
side just beneath her breast was quite prominent under the light.
He brushed his finger across it, caressing the mark of a healed
wound from long ago.
Cecelia involuntarily gasped at his feathery
touch as a delicious tremor coursed through her being.
He flicked his gaze to her and smiled.
“You’re as sensitive as ever.”
Cecelia didn’t like his arrogant remark, nor
did she like the smug expression on his face. “’Tis broad daylight,
sire. Are you planning to—”
“Aye,” he said, touching her chin.
“I refuse,” she said abruptly, brushing off
his hand. Then before she lost all self-control under his masterful
seduction, she shoved him back and rushed off his lap.
She wasn’t fast enough, and he caught her
wrist again. With one fluid motion, he had her on her back and him
on top of her. He chuckled, rather pleased at her retaliation.
“Playing hard to get again, are we? We both
know where you’ll end up.”
Cecelia made an attempt to wriggle herself
free. It was no use, as he was stronger, and the harder she
struggled beneath him, the tighter he held on to her. It was made
worse by the fact that he seemed to be rather enjoying toying with
her.
She could feel him watching her, his hot,
intense gaze burning her as he waited for her next move. Again, she
struggled, letting out little grunting noises at the same time.
He tightened his grip on her small wrists.
He suggested, “Fight harder.”
This drew a glare from Cecelia, and he
laughed. “Go on. Fight me.”
To encourage her retaliation, he tightened
his grip on her even more, which shot pain through Cecelia, and she
gritted her teeth. She responded with a growl. Then quick as
lightning, surprising even Drake, she moved, opened her mouth, and
snapped her teeth onto one of his hands that held her captive.
Drake watched, fascinated, as her small
teeth sank deeper into his skin. Odd that he should enjoy the pain
she was inflicting on him. He felt his heart pumping harder and
faster, and his body—which was usually calm, collected, methodical,
and to be sure, utterly immune to pain—buzzed with excitement.
Blood began to ooze from his skin as he watched her, a smile
creeping across his face, enjoying the moment tremendously.
Finally, he released her by pulling back his hand.
One hand freed, Cecelia made a move, her
lips wet with his blood. She lifted her head and attacked Drake’s
shoulder, sinking her teeth into his skin.
Drake was shell-shocked for a split second
and then laughed softly. And here he thought she would have taken
the opportunity to run off. Ah, but she really did surprise him,
this mite of a human woman.
Cecelia didn’t know this demon king was
enjoying her battle with him, and he was now gently embracing her,
his large hand holding her at the nape of her neck as she ardently
attacked him with her teeth.
Cecelia could taste his blood, salty and
wet, in her mouth. She felt quite pleased with her small victory.
Finally, very sure he would be begging for mercy now, she moved
back. What she saw in his eyes the moment she faced him was nothing
less than passion and hunger. Instantly, she felt her heart skip a
beat and knew she was in trouble.
“My turn,” he said softly and crushed his
lips against hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth.
Cecelia whimpered under his fervent kiss.
She could taste his salty blood between them as their lips locked.
Her body trembled weakly as he became wilder, thrusting and
stroking his tongue vehemently inside her mouth, drawing her deeper
into the darkness of his seduction. When he finally lifted his
head, she was breathless and lightheaded from the experience.
He watched her as she tried to regain her
sense.
“Don’t disobey your king again,” he said,
fondly stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Before she
could respond to his arrogant remark, telling him he was not her
king, he kissed her again.
He was softer this time, his lips warm and
firm against hers, and suddenly, Cecelia felt herself lost. She
couldn’t think. All she could feel was him—his warmth, his male
scent, and his taste. She groaned, and Drake plunged his tongue
deeper into her mouth.
Cecelia felt her core bursting as he played
with her, wildly stroking her and exploring her. When he moved his
head back, he continued his way down her throat. As he trailed
lower to her breasts, Cecelia closed her eyes, losing herself once
again to the seduction of the demon king.
Chapter I
Two moons prior…
Van Zandt Palace, Dardania Kingdom
LADY CECELIA VAN ZANDT STARED at her king
sprawled back in his mahogany and golden chair, his plump hands
resting atop his prominent belly. He was contemplating his giant
ruby ring on his porky finger, ignoring her speech of plea.