Marked her as his. As an alpha, it was unconscionable that
another take what was his without a fight to the death. But he could not defy
the Blood Law.
Immediately
after giving his brother the go-ahead to take her, Rafe turned back and,
without thought, moved to stand between the woman and Lucien.
The
girl sat openmouthed, staring at Lucien then Rafael then back to Lucien. Then
she bolted. Straight out the door and down the stairs, her feet practically
flying, despite her injured leg and cast.
Rafe
bounded after her, Lucien’s disdainful laughter following him.
“Maybe
I was wrong,” Lucien called after Rafael. “Your chosen one doesn’t appear to
want anything to do with you let alone to be your mate.”
Rafe
was right behind her, but by the time he got to her, she was surrounded by the
pack, spinning in circles and hissing at them as they pressed in on her.
Rafael
grabbed her arm, wrenching her up to her toes. “You’re not going anywhere,” he
said, even as his eyes leveled with his brother’s amused face.
“No,
she’s not. But I’m suddenly feeling . . . amused. Do you have a name?” Lucien
asked the girl.
At
the question, Rafael jerked around to face her. As he did, he let go of her
arm. He’d marked her, been inside her body, and not once bothered to ask for
her name. He hadn’t cared enough to ask. Hadn’t wanted to know. But now, he
did.
“Screw
you,” she threw at Lucien. She turned to face the entire pack. “When I get out
of here, you’ll all be screwed!”
“You
won’t be leaving here,” Lucien said as he moved closer. “In fact . . .” He
yanked her up to him, lowered his head, and ran his nose down her neck and
inhaled. “You won’t be leaving this house at all. The only question is, how
long will I allow you to live?”
The
girl looked helplessly to Rafael for aid. His instinct to protect what was his
raged. He snarled a warning to his brother.
Lucien
paid no attention. All his attention was on the girl, and it wasn’t because he
was planning where best to inflict a mortal wound. Rafael knew his bother well.
As a race, Lycans were highly sexual creatures, but the alphas were hardwired
to spread their seed far and frequently. Rafael was no exception, nor were the
others.
The
surrounding pack moved restlessly around them now. Their need to mate again was
reaching a fevered pitch.
Rafe
didn’t care. Not about Lucien’s sexual needs, that of his pack’s, or any other person
in the world. At that moment, he didn’t care about the Blood Law, or that he’d
splintered his relationship with his brother for the very thing that was now
overwhelming him—an inexplicable need for a human female. Something foreign and
hot coursed in his blood, flaring hotter the longer he saw the woman in
Lucien’s arms. “She is not yours to take, Lucien.”
Lucien
looked up from the terrified woman, his eyes dark because of his heightened
sexual awareness and his impending night shift. In less than fifteen minutes,
he would be on all fours. If he could just stall him . . .
“She
is mine to kill, though.”
“There’s
a difference,” Rafe said, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with him.
The
girl gasped and tried to twist out of Lucien’s grasp. When his grip increased,
Rafael watched in astonishment as she turned to face his brother and glared at
him. She thrust her hands and then . . . Lucien howled and let go of her,
grabbing his head with both hands.
Stunned
excitement thrummed through Rafe. Is this why Salene wanted her? What power was
this? Where did it come from? Only a few Slayers he knew possessed it. Yet he
sensed no dark magic in her—was he fooled as Lucien had been?
The
girl paled and moaned as if she were in pain. Then her body went limp, dropping
as if she’d lost consciousness. Wolf-quick, Rafael caught her just before she
hit the floor. He set her down and looked up at Lucien, who was slowly lowering
his hands from his head. He didn’t know what the hell had
another take what was his without a fight to the death. But he could not defy
the Blood Law.
Immediately
after giving his brother the go-ahead to take her, Rafe turned back and,
without thought, moved to stand between the woman and Lucien.
The
girl sat openmouthed, staring at Lucien then Rafael then back to Lucien. Then
she bolted. Straight out the door and down the stairs, her feet practically
flying, despite her injured leg and cast.
Rafe
bounded after her, Lucien’s disdainful laughter following him.
“Maybe
I was wrong,” Lucien called after Rafael. “Your chosen one doesn’t appear to
want anything to do with you let alone to be your mate.”
Rafe
was right behind her, but by the time he got to her, she was surrounded by the
pack, spinning in circles and hissing at them as they pressed in on her.
Rafael
grabbed her arm, wrenching her up to her toes. “You’re not going anywhere,” he
said, even as his eyes leveled with his brother’s amused face.
“No,
she’s not. But I’m suddenly feeling . . . amused. Do you have a name?” Lucien
asked the girl.
At
the question, Rafael jerked around to face her. As he did, he let go of her
arm. He’d marked her, been inside her body, and not once bothered to ask for
her name. He hadn’t cared enough to ask. Hadn’t wanted to know. But now, he
did.
“Screw
you,” she threw at Lucien. She turned to face the entire pack. “When I get out
of here, you’ll all be screwed!”
“You
won’t be leaving here,” Lucien said as he moved closer. “In fact . . .” He
yanked her up to him, lowered his head, and ran his nose down her neck and
inhaled. “You won’t be leaving this house at all. The only question is, how
long will I allow you to live?”
The
girl looked helplessly to Rafael for aid. His instinct to protect what was his
raged. He snarled a warning to his brother.
Lucien
paid no attention. All his attention was on the girl, and it wasn’t because he
was planning where best to inflict a mortal wound. Rafael knew his bother well.
As a race, Lycans were highly sexual creatures, but the alphas were hardwired
to spread their seed far and frequently. Rafael was no exception, nor were the
others.
The
surrounding pack moved restlessly around them now. Their need to mate again was
reaching a fevered pitch.
Rafe
didn’t care. Not about Lucien’s sexual needs, that of his pack’s, or any other person
in the world. At that moment, he didn’t care about the Blood Law, or that he’d
splintered his relationship with his brother for the very thing that was now
overwhelming him—an inexplicable need for a human female. Something foreign and
hot coursed in his blood, flaring hotter the longer he saw the woman in
Lucien’s arms. “She is not yours to take, Lucien.”
Lucien
looked up from the terrified woman, his eyes dark because of his heightened
sexual awareness and his impending night shift. In less than fifteen minutes,
he would be on all fours. If he could just stall him . . .
“She
is mine to kill, though.”
“There’s
a difference,” Rafe said, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with him.
The
girl gasped and tried to twist out of Lucien’s grasp. When his grip increased,
Rafael watched in astonishment as she turned to face his brother and glared at
him. She thrust her hands and then . . . Lucien howled and let go of her,
grabbing his head with both hands.
Stunned
excitement thrummed through Rafe. Is this why Salene wanted her? What power was
this? Where did it come from? Only a few Slayers he knew possessed it. Yet he
sensed no dark magic in her—was he fooled as Lucien had been?
The
girl paled and moaned as if she were in pain. Then her body went limp, dropping
as if she’d lost consciousness. Wolf-quick, Rafael caught her just before she
hit the floor. He set her down and looked up at Lucien, who was slowly lowering
his hands from his head. He didn’t know what the hell had
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