Bloodright (17 page)

“But the wolf is harmlessly contained in the ring,” Lucien challenged.

“He is now, but he howls to the Gods for release.”

“The lore says he can be released only by one pure of heart.”

Sharia nodded, and speared Lucien with a knowing stare. “And so he shall be.”

“I must go to Rafael,” Falon said pulling away from Lucien. “I can pull him back from the darkness.”

“No,” Lucien said emphatically.

Furious, Falon turned to him. “Why not?”

“Because you love him!”
Lucien raged.

“Don’t be so thickheaded! This is beyond our personal feelings, Lucien! This is about survival,” Falon screamed, finally losing her patience. Yes, she would do anything for Rafael out of love. It would tear her apart to see him again, to touch him, to hold him in her arms knowing she could not return to him. But she would do it. Endure that pain because she did love him and damn it, she cared for Lucien, more than she would admit even to herself.

His vehemence matched hers. “I forbid it.”

Falon’s fury soared beyond the stratosphere. How dare he tell her what she could and could not do? She was not a prisoner here nor was she a slave! Fighting with Lucien would do no good. It would only force him to dig in deeper. So she forced herself to an emotional place where she could release her frustration and try a different approach. Holding his stare, she blew several short cleansing breaths, then said, “Do the honorable thing, Lucien.”

“Honor is for fools!”

Fisting her hands to keep from smacking some sense into him, Falon lowered her voice and pleaded, “Then do it for the love you once had for your brother, your only living blood.”

“Love is for the weak,” he spat.

She moved into him, fighting her urge to punch him and her need to wrap her arms around him and soothe his wounded heart. “You are wrong.”

“Am I?” He grabbed her to him. His anger swirled in red tidal waves around him. “What has love gotten you but heartache?”

Her heart cracked a little more for this tormented man. His heart had been broken just as hers had. Even now, though he pretended not to care about her, he did. She felt it in everything he did, but especially in the way he touched her. And now, in the way he protested—because he feared she would not return to him. “Love has freed me, Lucien.”

“It holds you captive! Everything you do is for
him
!”

Falon nodded, admitting the truth. At least part of it. “I am here because of him. I submitted to you because of him. I stayed for—” You.

“You did not submit to me! I forced you the first time. And last night?” He laughed angrily. “Last night was—” He swiped his hand across his face and stared at Falon. “What
was
last night?”

Her heart cracked a little more. The turmoil etched on his face was tragic.

The truth did not lie. Falon’s belly quivered. No, the truth did not lie, and if she were honest with herself, last night had nothing to do with Rafael; it had everything to do with Lucien. She had wanted him. For herself. God help her, but she had. She owed Lucien that part of the truth.

“Last night was amazing, Lucien. I would not give it back for anything or anyone.” She touched his arm. “Blood does not lie. By bloodright I belong to you.”

She saw the hesitation in his eyes, felt it in his body. He wanted her, but would not settle for just a part of her. Deliberately, he removed her hand from his arm as if he could not stand her touch. “But your heart belongs to Rafael.”

“I will always love Rafael.” It was the simple truth. “But that does not mean I don’t care for you.”

His anger was terrifying. Falon stepped away from him as his fiery red aura blasted her and everyone around her. He turned from her and stalked to the front door.

“I stayed for
you
, Lucien!” Falon screamed, running after him. “Doesn’t that count for something?”

He yanked open the door and slammed it shut loudly behind him.

Stunned by her outburst, Falon stopped in her tracks. What had just happened? Why did she feel as if her heart was going through the shredder again, this time for Lucien? How could she have feelings for him when she loved his brother?

She turned and looked solemnly at Mondragon. She expected to see a refection of Lucien’s anger in their eyes, and while there was some, mostly she saw compassion. “I cannot unlove Rafael any more than Lucien could accept me loving them both.”

Talia stepped from behind Dax and approached Falon. “Lucien refuses to accept his heart is not as hard as he proclaims it to be.”

Falon’s anger spiked when she thought how Lucien’s anger infected not just his own heart but everyone’s. He was going to drive her to drink. Just when she started to believe Lucien had a heart, he shut down. Falon shook her head, wanting desperately to understand him. To comfort him. But she was beginning to wonder if he was capable of love at all. Not the love of lust, but the deep, all-encompassing love she shared with Rafa. The kind of love where if you had to, you would make the ultimate sacrifice. The sacrifice Rafael had made.

Falon looked at Lucien’s cousin. A piece of her heart crumbled as she foresaw Lucien’s future. “Lucien is filled with too much hatred. His bloodlust for vengeance eats at him like maggots on roadkill. They will devour his soul until there is nothing left.” Lucien, not Rafael, would be the lone wolf howling at the moon.

“He needs time to come to the realization that he must make peace with his brother,” Talia said softly. “Until he does, he will never accept your feelings for Rafa, because his anger will drive everything he does.”

“Lord only knows he won’t listen to reason from me,” Falon said. But that would not stop her from going after him. She wanted Lucien to know she cared even if he pushed her away again.

“His kind of anger is a by-product of traumatic pain,” Talia continued.

“He must have loved Mara very much,” Falon reflected aloud. The thought of Lucien loving another woman, Slayer or not, prickled her heart.

“Lucien’s pain began the day his parents were slain by Thomas Corbet. It flared out of control the day Rafael slew his chosen one, and then became unbearable when he and his brother fought to the brink of death.”

Falon’s heart cracked a little more for the troubled brother. She could not imagine the horror of what he had witnessed. His troubled heart cried out for relief. Falon took a step toward the door but stopped when warm hands grasped hers. Falon looked down into Sharia’s watery brown eyes. “His anger will destroy him if his pride does not. Only you can soothe his beast, Falon. Go to him and ease his pain before he does something he cannot recover from.”

“I will not soothe him with lies.” Though part of her wanted to soothe him at any cost. Even lies. She hated seeing Lucien hurt so. But she could not, would not change how she felt about Rafael.

“He was always the stubborn son. He could never see past his brother’s glory to recognize his own.” She squeezed Falon’s hands. “Only in truth is there freedom. Search for the truth in your heart for Lucien. When you discover it, tell him. Show him. Do not let him push you away.” She smiled a bittersweet smile. “He will try to push. Each time he does, hold on to him tighter, prove to him you will not abandon him, Falon. In the meantime, go to him, run with him, fight beside him.” Sharia gave Falon a little shove. “Hurry, there is no time to waste.”

As soon as Falon walked out the front door, she picked up Lucien’s wolf scent. He had shifted. She did the same and followed his scent northeast, toward Vulkasin.

Lucien was running hard. Much faster than Falon could run. His stride was longer and more powerful.

Lucien!

Leave me alone.

Talk to me!

Nothing to discuss.

Then slow down so that I can run with you.

I want to be alone.

She continued her reckless pace after him. Though Mondragon was in the middle of civilization, there was a trail through the back fence of the compound against the hill. There was no chance even in broad daylight for a human to be startled by the wolves. Even so, Falon was not familiar with the trail. Which really didn’t matter. As long as she had Lucien’s scent, she could find him anywhere.

After more than an hour chasing Lucien into the timberline, dodging Viper and Slayer scents, Falon caught up to him. He stood naked in his human form on the edge of a huge granite boulder overlooking the roaring rapids of the American River. Even at a distance, anger radiated off him. But she would have her say, then see her will done.

Falon shifted beside him.

“It’s dangerous out here,” he said.

“It’s dangerous everywhere.”

He turned and looked at her. “This area is crawling with Vipers, Falon. You shouldn’t have followed me.”

“You shouldn’t have run.”

He smiled tightly.

“Lucien, I need to speak with Rafael.”

His lips tightened to a thin line, before he said, “About what?”

Well, that was a little progress, he did not flat-out say no. Falon swallowed hard and picked her words carefully. “I think I can help him through this thing that has ahold of his mind. But I feel as if I have to explain—”

“Explain what?” He grabbed her, digging his fingers into her shoulders. “That you want me? That you want me like a drug?” He shook her. “That you want me so much it scares you?”

Vehemently, Falon shook her head. “I want to reassure him of my love!”

Lucien’s eyes darkened dangerously. “So that he can be more miserable?”

“So he will come out of his dark place!”

Lucien nodded setting her from him. “Sure, go tell him how much you like my dick in you, then tell him how much you love him.”

Falon slapped him hard across the cheek. “Do not speak so crudely to me.”

He grabbed her to him, and again, despite his rage, his wounded pride, and the hour-long sprint, he was rock hard against her belly. “You infuriate me with your declarations of love. When will you get it through your head, you are Mondragon now!”

“I have gotten it through my head! When will you get it through your damn head that while I can love Rafael, I can also have feelings for you?”

He flung his hands from hers and stepped to the edge of the boulder. “Fuck feelings! I have had enough of feelings!” He slowly turned and levelly said, “You are mine, Falon.
Mine!
That is never going to change.
Ever
.”

“Lucien, I accept I am Mondragon now. I am simply saying, for Rafael’s sake, and for my peace of mind, I want to go to him. And I’m not asking.”

“You would defy me for another man?”

“I would defy you for myself.”

For what seemed like an endless hour, Lucien stood ramrod straight and stared at her. The afternoon sunshine speared through the high pine, repelling off his golden skin. A slight film of sweat covered his body, emphasizing the definition of his muscles and the detail of his wolf and dragon tattoo. Falon did not dare look down. She knew his dragon was primed and ready.

She was not unaffected by the magnificent sight of him in all his naked glory standing in a halo of sunshine. Lucien was as male as male could be, and her female was as aware of that fact as it was that the sun rose every day.

He pointed to the smooth granite beneath their feet. “Lay down.”

“No,” she said defiantly. Her nipples were as equally defiant. They hardened.

“I want to fuck you. Then you can go to my brother.”

Her body shook with rage. “So that he can smell your scent all over me?”

“Yes.”

“Are you that insecure, Lucien?”

“I am that vengeful.”

“You’ve had your revenge! I am with
you
! Because of your vengeance, your brother, your o
nly
brother, the only blood relative you have is suffering to the point of madness. I’ll be damned if I’m going to be part of that.” She moved into him, pressing into his erection. He hissed in a breath. “End it now, or I swear to God, Lucien, you will never touch me again.”

“You cannot resist me.”

“You are a pompous ass to think so. So let me be crystal clear: I can resist a man who refuses to grow the fuck up! I can resist a man who is so selfish and self-serving he cannot see past his own petty hurt feelings to the greater good of his pack.” She looked down at his raging hard-on and grabbed it. He hissed. “I can resist this, Lucien Mondragon, when it is fueled by hatred.” She flung herself away from him. “The choice is yours: drop the revenge card or go fuck yourself.”

“You have not walked in my shoes, Falon!”

“Don’t make this about the Blood Law, Lucien. It has been avenged! What more do you want?”

“I want what Rafe has.”

“You have taken me from him, what more is there?”

“I only took from him what he took from me!”

“Then what else is there, Lucien? His motorcycle? His house?”

His eyes flashed. “I want what you gave him!”

He had her stumped there. The only thing she had to give to Rafael was her love. Her eyes widened as his narrowed. “My love?”

Lucien stood stone-faced, refusing to admit that was exactly what he wanted.

“I gave him my love unconditionally.”

“Give me the same.”

Shocked, Falon stepped back, shaking her head. He didn’t understand. Love wasn’t something you just handed over like the keys to a car. “You don’t know the first thing about love!”

He grabbed her shoulders. “Show me, Falon, teach me!”

She shook her head again and moved his hands from her. “You put conditions on everything, Lucien.”

“It is my guarantee.”

“But don’t you see? Nothing in life is guaranteed except death.”

“I’m not as obtuse as I come across, Falon. Give me a chance.”

“The first step to unconditional love is forgiveness.”

Immediately, Lucien’s dark brows slammed together.

She smiled and touched his cheek. “I never said it would be easy.”

“I don’t know how to forgive.”

Her fingers dropped to his petulant lips. Lightly she traced her thumb along his full bottom lip. “Rome was not built in a day.”