Reign Of The King The Falcon Ridge Series Book 10

I know I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t. But I can’t help myself.

Zander is the fire I must play with. There’s something under the flames that I need to see.

Plus, I’m bored. My vacation hide out, is starting to be mundane. I haven’t seen Zander in over a week. He’s hiding from me. I’m sure of it.

I know he’ll be at the council meeting today, so I’m going. I don’t need to, but any chance to see that sexy, God like face, I’ll take it.

I strut into the council room. It’s full of noise as my boys all talking and are generally their goofy selves. It kind of kills me that Zander makes them act like stiffs when he’s here.

“What’s up, sexy Alphas?!” I grin as I walk in.

“Ricky!” They wave.

“Hey! When are we going for that beer?” Luke points to me.

“When you learn to drink like me, short stuff.” I smirk.

He points to me. “I’m not short.” He growls.

Mica laughs. “Uh. Yeah ya are.”

Luke glares at him and punched his arm.

“When are you hitting the training field, Rick.” River crosses his arms.

I rub my neck. “Come on, G.I. Joe. I’m a lover not a fighter.” I chuckle.

Jayson motions his arm to me. “You can fight. I’ve seen it.”

“Moment of weakness. I don’t need you muscle bound, hunk monsters ruining this hot bod.” I wink and cross my arms as they chuckle.

Grey looks up at me from his chair. “Lots of stuff to do in the woods. We’ve added a bunch of stuff in the trees for when Wren visits. You should check it out.”

“Yeah, that sounds like fun.” I say as I hear Gideon out in the hall.

He walks in with the cutest little kid.

“Hey, ya big lug.” I look down. “Oh my God. It’s a mini you, but cuter!” I smile.

“Hey.” He scowls.

I bend down. “What’s your name?”

“Quinten!” He’s sounds so excited.

“Hey Quinn man. I’m Ricky. A friend of your dad’s.” I smile.

“You know my dad?” his brows go up.

“I do. I can tell you’re just like him too. I bet you like cookies.” I lean to him.

“Yeah!” He says.

“Ok. After this, we’ll get some. How’s that?” I smile.

“Can I dad?” Quinn looks up to his dad.

“Sure.” Gid smiles.

“Alright, little man. It’s a date.” I elbow him.

I excuse myself and head over to the Lunas. “My sexy ladies!”

“Ricky!” My girls all chirp.

“How’s it going, Ricky?” Anna grins.

I smile. “It’s going. Looking good, boss lady. How’s the brats?” I smirk

“They’re 18 year old kids. About as good as we expect.” She shrugs.

“As long as they aren’t raging across the countryside.” I wink to Sarah.

“Haha.” She smirks. “Hi, Ricky.”

“Hey, mama. How’s the babes?” I ask.

“HI!”

I look down. “Chloe? Oh my gosh, you’re so big! You’re pretty just like mom!” I bend down and hug the little, blonde six year old.

“She’s growing like a weed.” Sarah chuckles.

I look around. “Where’s the boys?”

“Oh they’re at home with Uncle Nate. We’re just here for a meet and greet with Quinten. Speaking of which, they just walked in. Better go say hi.” She gathers up Chloe. “Bye, Ricky.”

I give a little wave. “See ya.”

I turn back to the Lunas. “Sammy, are your eyes even pinker today?”

“You know, Bastian said the same thing this morning. I don’t see it.” She smiles.

“Great Phoenix lady. Still smokin’ hot.” I grin.

“Hi, Ricky.” Mia chirped. “I’m not that smoking.” She chuckles.

“Are you kidding? Your on fire, kid!” I laugh.

The booming laugher of the Alphas catches my attention and I look over. Apparently, the munchkins are entertaining.

I watch the kids run off around the room.

I was just turning back to the Lunas when I saw him. My heart skipped a beat, my stomach fluttered and my excitement rose.

His Royal hotness is headed this way up the hall.

My grin spreads ear to ear.

Uh oh. He saw the kids and he doesn’t look happy.

“Why are there children in my council room?!” Zander booms. “Get them out of here now!” He orders.

I cross my arms and kick a foot out as I watch the exchange between him and the kids. I’m in the background laughing as little Quinten looks like a little mini Gideon taking on the big Alpha. The kid has guts, I’ll give him that.

“You’re a meanie king!” Quinten barks in his little five year old voice.

I decide I should save the kids.

I walk up behind the kids and lock eyes with Zander. Instantly his face changes which makes me smile more.

“Don’t worry kids. The King is all bark and no bite.” I smirk. I watch his face fill with all kinds if anger.

I squat down. “Let’s leave the mean king and go find some cookies.” I smile.

“Yeah!” The kids squeal.

I walk to the door with the kids and stop at Zanders side. I’m real close and he looks down at me.

“Maybe you should have a cookie or two. Might sweeten ya up a bit, ya big lug.” I smile.

“I will kill you.” He growls.

“Sure you will.” I eye him up and down. “Catch ya later, King.” I smirk as my words carry a tiny trace of seduction in them.

I get the kids some food, complete with cookies and we eat, play and basically waste time until the meetings over. I drop the kids off and was on my when my Royal obsession just has to stop me.

“I told you to stay away.” He growls.

“You know I can’t do that, Zander. Don’t you know me by now?” I stand in a snarky stance in the halls of the council building.

He steps closer. “You will leave me alone or I will end you.” He points at me and growls.

I squint my eyes and step closer. “see here’s the thing, Zan. You’ve been promising to snuff me out for weeks now and you haven’t done it. Why?”

He steps again. He growls dark. “Don’t test me.” He tilts his head. “I keep you alive because I let you. The minute I change my mind, you’re dead.”

I step even closer. We have a mere foot between us.

“You know what I think? I think you’re addicted. Just like me. You like the rush I give you. It’s the same rush I feel.” I speak low and snarky. “You’re so addicted, you don’t have the balls to kill me.”

I see the fire in his eyes double. He growls large and grabs my throat. I’m choking as he drags me backwards and slams my back on the wall of the council hall. I’m struggling against his grip again. My feet are slipping on the marble floors. I’m instantly sweating. My heart thundering. My body pumping out adrenaline like it’s the last thing it’ll do.

He stares at me with pure fury. He leans into me. “Is this enough rush for you? He snarls in a quiet, but dark tone. “Does this pump your blood?”

I try to answer, but my voice comes out as a squeak. My hands are wrapped around his forearm.

He moves in closer. His lips touch mine. “The only thing I’m addicted to is the thoughts of ways to dismember your body slowly….and painfully.” His eyes look me over as he talks.

His lips mumble on mine as my feet kick and cheeks flush. “The only rush I will receive is from my blade running across your neck.” His lips graze my chin as he eyes my neck.

His fingers pulsate on my throat. “You will bow to me, Ricky. As your King, I will command you on your knees and you will beg me to spare you. Do you understand?”

His lips continued to run circles around my mouth. His hot breath sending shivers down my spine. I’m not exactly fighting for air, but I certainly can’t talk.

My voice squeaked. My arousal was going through the roof as he held me against the wall.

“Do you?!” He yelled under his breath.

I stare into his eyes and he stares into mine as I slightly nod my head Yes.

“Unless you want me to finish this, stay out of my sight.” He growls one last time before letting me go. I drop flat to my feet. My knees bend as I try to catch my breath. My hand rubbing my throat.

He side eyes me. “I will not tolerate your mouth any further.” He puts his hands behind his back and walks off.

Still rubbing my throat, with a hand on my knee, I watch Zander walk off.

I stand straight and put my back on the wall. I watch him dissappear up the street.

“Ok. I may have deserved that one.” I heave a breath and look forward. I lean my hands on my knees as I try to calm the fucking fire he ignited in me.

****

“Where have you been?” Declan holds his hands out as I enter.

I rub my neck. “Uh…just at a council meeting.” I feel my face heat as I think of Zanders huge hands around my throat.

He grabs my arm. “OK, well, while you were off playing politics, we were attacked!” He slams me in a computer chair.

“What?” My eyes shoot up.

Declan covers his mouth with his fingers. His other arm wrapped around his waist. His face full of worry. He points to the screen.

I turn and Aster Locklyn, my head Comms guy and fellow council member, is on the screen.

“Ricky! It’s the Nordics!” His face is full of concern.

“Aster, what’s happening? Is everyone ok.” I lean to the screen.

He rubs his head. “Yes. Minimal damage and no injuries. Ricky, I don’t know how, but they got past the border security. It’s all functioning normally, but its like they never fucking saw them. They just ran past the border like it wasn’t even there!”

“That’s impossible!” I respond.

“We managed to fight them off, but the dome took some damage. The weapons, Rick. I’ve never seen anything like it." He leaned into the screen.

“What weapons?” I ask

He leans back in his chair. “We protected the dome to stand against everything from hammers to nuclear bombs. We never protected it from fucking ice guns. A single 50 caliber bullet freezes the glass and it implodes. Fucking ice based, mini bunker busters!”

My brow goes up. “You’ve got to be shitting me?”

He shakes his head. “Nope. If it wasn’t for the heat guns, they would’ve gotten in.”

I lean back and rub my head. “Ok. Show me the code and the border surveillance.”

Aster pushes a few buttons and everything I asked for pops up on the screen.

I get comfortable and start typing. Going through the code.

“Fuck.” I mutter.

“What?” Declan asks.

“Whatever they’re using for their cold power, it’s making them colder. Our sensors thought they were glitching and ignored it. Motion sensor were offline for about fifteen minutes. There’s a hack signature, but it’s small. They only went after the motion sensors. It’s like they knew the nets wouldn’t go off if they knocked out the motions. How could they know that?”

“We’ve got a mole.” Aster says.

I nod. “Possibly. Get a message to Christian. I need to see him right away. If anyone knows anything, it’s him.”

Aster sighs. “Fuck. It could be him, Ricky.”

“No. I trust Christian.” I shake my head. “He doesn’t like what Gabriel is doing any more than we do. He wouldn’t double cross us.”

“He’s fucking Nordic, Rick. You don’t know that.” Aster scowls at the screen

I arch a brow. “Aster. Send the message. Christian is our only in on these people. We have no choice. Send him to Falcon Ridge.”

“Fine. But when he turns out to be bad, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He clicks a button and the screen goes black.

Declan crosses his arms. “You know you can’t trust Christian right?”

I lean back and swing my chair to him. “Trust me. I don’t trust Christian as far as I can throw him, but so far he’s proven to be on our side. When he turns his ice on us, I’ll be there to shatter him to pieces.”

Declan pulls up a chair. “You need to convince him to let us test him, Rick. Then we can get ahead of this thing.”

I shake my head and cross my arms. “He won’t. He’s the only Nordic that holds the ice power. Because the potion doesn’t wear off after three days, he views it as a gift from his gods. He refuses to let science sully it. It’s some sort of religious thing.”

“Why don’t we just storm in there and wipe them out, Rick. We know their power is gone after three days.” Declan says.

“Because we’d be walking in blind. It’s too cold for our flyers and the mountains are too dangerous for just anyone to climb them. We can’t make a successful attack if we lose half our people just getting to them.” I arch a brow. “If we’re going to beat the Nordics, it has to be done at Phoenix.”

“Ok. You’re the boss.” He throws up his hands.

“Fix the code. Lower the temp sensors. Find the hacker. They won’t be able to do this twice.” I stand. “And find out who made those guns!” I yell as I walk to the door.

“Yes, mam.” I hear Declan say reluctantly to my back.