Embrace Me At Dawn by Shayla Black Page A

He’d been reduced to something near an animal, with no rational thought left. Only his sense of smell and taste remained. I washed with your soap and shampoo. I wore your clothes. I did everything I could to make him believe that I was you. Eventually, he accepted me.”
    Eventually, Lucan had covered Sabelle with his body, sunk his cock inside her, and taken her with the same passion he would his mate. On the one hand, Anka knew she had her friend to thank for Lucan being alive. Sabelle was the kind of selfless person who would put herself at risk to save another.
    On the other hand, she had a vivid image of Lucan and Sabelle entwined in bed, Lucan’s fingers in her hair, his body between her long, spread legs, taking her with force and need until she cried out in ecstasy beneath him and took every bit of his seed inside her womb. God, she was going to vomit.
    “ It wasn’t like that.” Sabelle reached for Anka’s hand in reassurance.
    She pulled away. “Are you going to tell me that you never found pleasure with him?”
    The other woman hesitated, looked down. “No.”
    “ Or that he never found pleasure in you?”
    “ No.” Sabelle looked at her, desperate to explain and helpless. “But Lucan finding pleasure—and more importantly, energy—was the point. If he hadn’t, I would have failed him.”
    And heaven forbid the perfect Sabelle Rion Rykard ever fail at anything .
    “ He would have died!” the beautiful blonde almost pleaded.
    Anka felt immediately small and petty for her thought. It might be wrong of her, given her relationship with Shock and that she continued to live with the wizard and share his bed, but she couldn’t help the feelings of impotent upset and jealousy plaguing her. Then her logic kicked in. Lucan was alive because Sabelle had given of herself to help him. She would be mourning her former mate in a completely different way if her friend hadn’t sacrificed to save him.
    “ I understand.” Anka dragged in a shaky breath. “I’m sure Ice does, too. He’ll eventually let go of his anger.”
    “ If that were the extent of the situation, perhaps.” Sabelle rose and paced. “You haven’t been here and so much has happened… You’re aware that several members of the Council were murdered?”
    Anka frowned, wondering what that had to do with Ice and Lucan. “Of course. Even if I haven’t been here with you, I haven’t been living under a rock, Belle. I know Clifden O’Shea and Thomas MacKinnett were killed.”
    “ Carlisle Blackbourne knows Mathias was responsible.”
    “ And he’s done nothing about it?”
    Sabelle shrugged. “Well, I suspect he knows that Mathias had them killed. I can’t prove it. And no, Blackbourne did nothing. In fact, he tried to help Mathias win a seat on the Council.”
    The idea of a madman making rules that govern magickind sent fear tearing through her bloodstream. “So Blackbourne is either crooked, afraid of Mathias, or both. Bram and Ice have their work cut out for them.”
    “ They do, but Ice’s election to the Council was by no means easy.”
    “ I’m sure not, being Deprived and…whatnot.” Anka didn’t mean it as an insult, and hoped that Sabelle wouldn’t take it that way.
    “ And being considered a lunatic? Of course I know you’re not insulting Ice, dear. He’s a good man and he earned that spot. Tynan, God rest him, slipped into his grandfather’s seat at the time, so Clifden’s vacancy was no issue. MacKinnett had no heirs, however. Bram and the others plotted to fill the seat with someone who would vote with the Doomsday Brethren and give them more sway over the Council decisions.”
    “ How did Ice get elected? The Council hasn’t seated any member of the Deprived in forever. Bram would have had to sponsor him, and I’m sure your brother would have preferred to get behind someone easier to elect. Someone from a good family. Someone he knows well and can trust. Someone the Council would look favorably upon. Why