Intending to shift, she slid the dress from her shoulders and let it drop to the floor.
The heat in the room rose exponentially.
“Falon,” Lucien said roughly, reaching out to her, “I cannot live without you.”
Rafe stepped toward her. “I
will
not live without you,” he said.
Oh, why did this have to be so hard? Her heart was torn in half, bleeding for these two men she loved above her own life. “Neither of you will have to. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, I just will not be intimate with either of you.” She raised her chin and looked at each of them. “I release you both.” As she said the words she never imagined she would say to one of them, much less to both, her heart and soul imploded with the force of a wrecking ball. But there was no other way.
“I do not accept your release!” Lucien growled.
“There is no other way!” she cried angrily. “I know what I have asked of you two is selfish and humiliating to you as alphas. The last thing I want is to degrade you in front of your packs. I don’t want you to suffer with jealousy or break your heart each time I lay with the other. Truly, I’m sorry for even asking. But please, understand, I cannot choose between you. And I won’t.” Moist heat stung her eyes. “Please, don’t force me to.”
“Falon!” Rafe yelled as she backed away from them. “You cannot do this!”
Tears blinded her vision. “I already have.”
She shifted then, and leapt past them through the open door and ran to clear the heat in her blood and the ache in her broken heart.
Emotions stormed within. Frustration, longing, and anger. Why could they not see that the power of three meant unified on every level, heart, body, soul? Was it really so terrible what she asked? It was so clear to her, the rightness of it. With each long stride she took, her anger intensified. She was angry at Rafe and Lucien! Why did they have to be so stubborn and possessive? Her mood darkened. Was sex so important that they couldn’t look past their own lust to the greater good of the nation? They loved one another; she could see it in everything they did. Why couldn’t they allow her to love them, too?
The darkness in Falon sparked. Then caught fire as her frustration mounted. She was spitting mad. Furious at Rafael and Lucien. They were selfish, arrogant, and mean! How dare they tease her like they just did? Did they enjoy her pain? Did they care how she felt? That was a Lycan for you. No wonder the Slayers were bent on destroying them—she gasped at the turn of her thoughts, but more alarming was her rising bloodlust for revenge.
She growled as she picked up a familiar scent.
Anja.
That silver-haired bitch, she wasn’t good enough for Rafa! How dare she even think she was? Falon lifted her nose and howled. Lust for a fight infused her. And she would have her fight.
Unaccustomed to such black rage, especially directed at a Lycan, Falon fought to control it. Its insidiousness terrified her, because while she knew what she was going to do was against the Blood Law, she could not redirect it.
Anja never saw what hit her. Falon caught sight of her and as the she-wolf ran north, Falon leapt over a wide wooded ravine and landed behind the Siberian wolf. She snapped at her hindquarters, severing the main tendon in her right hind leg. Anja howled in pain and turned to fight, but snarled defiantly when she realized her attacker was Falon.
“Jealous are you?” Anja sneered as she shifted to human, and faced Falon head-on. “You’re a selfish bitch, Falon. Wanting them both. Mark my words, your selfishness will destroy the brothers and in so doing, destroy the nation.”
Falon lowered her head and flattened her ears. Snarling, she moved around Anja, who had the good sense to shift back to wolf. As human, she would die; as wolf—she might survive. If Falon allowed her to. For all of Anja’s bravado her quaking flanks and wobbly front legs belied her bravery. She was
The heat in the room rose exponentially.
“Falon,” Lucien said roughly, reaching out to her, “I cannot live without you.”
Rafe stepped toward her. “I
will
not live without you,” he said.
Oh, why did this have to be so hard? Her heart was torn in half, bleeding for these two men she loved above her own life. “Neither of you will have to. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, I just will not be intimate with either of you.” She raised her chin and looked at each of them. “I release you both.” As she said the words she never imagined she would say to one of them, much less to both, her heart and soul imploded with the force of a wrecking ball. But there was no other way.
“I do not accept your release!” Lucien growled.
“There is no other way!” she cried angrily. “I know what I have asked of you two is selfish and humiliating to you as alphas. The last thing I want is to degrade you in front of your packs. I don’t want you to suffer with jealousy or break your heart each time I lay with the other. Truly, I’m sorry for even asking. But please, understand, I cannot choose between you. And I won’t.” Moist heat stung her eyes. “Please, don’t force me to.”
“Falon!” Rafe yelled as she backed away from them. “You cannot do this!”
Tears blinded her vision. “I already have.”
She shifted then, and leapt past them through the open door and ran to clear the heat in her blood and the ache in her broken heart.
Emotions stormed within. Frustration, longing, and anger. Why could they not see that the power of three meant unified on every level, heart, body, soul? Was it really so terrible what she asked? It was so clear to her, the rightness of it. With each long stride she took, her anger intensified. She was angry at Rafe and Lucien! Why did they have to be so stubborn and possessive? Her mood darkened. Was sex so important that they couldn’t look past their own lust to the greater good of the nation? They loved one another; she could see it in everything they did. Why couldn’t they allow her to love them, too?
The darkness in Falon sparked. Then caught fire as her frustration mounted. She was spitting mad. Furious at Rafael and Lucien. They were selfish, arrogant, and mean! How dare they tease her like they just did? Did they enjoy her pain? Did they care how she felt? That was a Lycan for you. No wonder the Slayers were bent on destroying them—she gasped at the turn of her thoughts, but more alarming was her rising bloodlust for revenge.
She growled as she picked up a familiar scent.
Anja.
That silver-haired bitch, she wasn’t good enough for Rafa! How dare she even think she was? Falon lifted her nose and howled. Lust for a fight infused her. And she would have her fight.
Unaccustomed to such black rage, especially directed at a Lycan, Falon fought to control it. Its insidiousness terrified her, because while she knew what she was going to do was against the Blood Law, she could not redirect it.
Anja never saw what hit her. Falon caught sight of her and as the she-wolf ran north, Falon leapt over a wide wooded ravine and landed behind the Siberian wolf. She snapped at her hindquarters, severing the main tendon in her right hind leg. Anja howled in pain and turned to fight, but snarled defiantly when she realized her attacker was Falon.
“Jealous are you?” Anja sneered as she shifted to human, and faced Falon head-on. “You’re a selfish bitch, Falon. Wanting them both. Mark my words, your selfishness will destroy the brothers and in so doing, destroy the nation.”
Falon lowered her head and flattened her ears. Snarling, she moved around Anja, who had the good sense to shift back to wolf. As human, she would die; as wolf—she might survive. If Falon allowed her to. For all of Anja’s bravado her quaking flanks and wobbly front legs belied her bravery. She was
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