Blood Law (35 page)

BEING
TAKEN BY Rafael was mind-meltingly incredible in itself, but the way he reacted
to Falon when she touched him, his body firing up, stringing taut to the limit
because of what she did, instilled a deep sense of pride, possessiveness, and
power in her.

His
long fingers tangled in her hair. His big, powerful body was hers to command at
will. She reveled in it. As she took all of him into her mouth, she gently
cupped his balls. Rafael hissed in a sharp breath. She tightened her grip on
him, swirling her tongue around the head of his cock. No, her cock. He. Was.
Hers. He belonged to her. And only her.

She
would destroy anyone who stood between them.

And
she realized with vivid clarity that no matter what the council decreed, she
would fight Lucien for her life, even if it meant taking his.

She’d
have to. Rafael could not challenge the council if they refused to believe that
Lucien’s chosen one was Slayer. He could not challenge their decision to uphold
the Blood Law. Rafael was an important alpha; to remain alpha, he was sworn to
uphold the law. As yet, she had made no such declaration. Her loyalty was to
her mate first, the pack second. The council last. It would be her, and her
alone, who would have to redirect the winds of fate. God help any Lycan who
stood in her way.

To
even suggest she would go willingly with Lucien to die was ludicrous.

Ferocious
thoughts reverberated in her head. She growled.

“Easy,
my love,” Rafael hoarsely said.

Immediately,
she realized she was about to maul her man! Her body loosened, as did her lips
and hands. She slowed down, and then, with excruciating care, she slid her
hands to the base of his shaft and sucked deeply, moving in perfect cadence to
his hips.

She
felt his quickening. She swirled her tongue around him, slightly moving her
head in a circular motion. She cupped his balls with one hand while she continued
to slowly pump him with her other. Perfectly synchronized, she brought him to
the surface as he wildly thrashed beneath her. Tensing, Rafael grasped her
head, minimizing her movements. In a long, suspended thrust, he released. She
held him steady and slowed her sucking, bringing him back to earth.

His
body collapsed back into the damp, rumpled sheets. His eyes closed, his chest
heaved, and he lay in a sated sprawl. She wiped her mouth on the sheet and slid
up his slick body, snuggling against him. They lay quiet, their emotional and
physical bonds forged and unbreakable. No matter what their future held, Falon
was confident the bond created here would stand the test of time, war, and, God
willing, the Blood Law.

He
stroked her cheek with his fingertips. “The sun rises, my love. Prepare to
shift with me, and I will show you a whole new world.”

She
looked up at his smiling eyes. “How do I make it happen?”

“Think
it, see it, feel it, then be it. Soon it will happen, even before you realize
you wanted it to happen.” He kissed her quickly on the lips, and an instant
later, Rafael, the great golden wolf, stood on the bed beside her. He licked
her face.

Falon
smiled, digging her fingers in his thick mane. She closed her eyes. She could
do this. Think wolf. See herself as sleek, black, and ferocious. Feel the
essence of primal. Run with the wind . . .

Moments
later, Falon was running beside Rafael through the dense forests. No beast
dared challenge them. Not the black bear and her two cubs or the humans. Every
sense was wide open. The scents of flora and fauna were crisp, clear, and
distinct, some distracting but most pleasant. The human scents made her nose
twitch. Perfumes, deodorants, and other man-made smells clung to them. They
were easy to detect. Their cloying smell would hang like pesticide in the air
for days after their passing. With amazing clarity, Falon realized how easy it
was to let the human in her go. To be wild and free, at one with nature and her
mate, was incredibly satisfying. She could let go of the human world entirely.
And never regret it.

The
air was brisk, but the sun was high and warm. They splashed through a stream,
along fallen logs and protruding boulders. Rafael showed her how to hunt
rabbits, deer, and birds. Her reluctance to eat them was momentary. She was
famished. He licked the blood and stains from her fur, and she him. They napped
along the riverbank, the sun warming them. When the sun finally began its
descent over the western mountains, they made their way back to the cabin. As
they ran up the steps, they both shifted at the same time.

Rafael
grabbed her hand, led her into the large bathroom, and turned the shower on.
Warm water sprayed her face, washing her free of all scents.

Her
hunger for him had only grown in her wolf form. His thick erection nudged her
hip. He was as voracious for her as she for him. He lathered her up, his big
hands sliding along her slick skin. He pressed her against the tile wall and
took her from behind. His teeth grazed her neck, obliterating Lucien’s mark,
replacing it with his own. His ferocity when he did it shook her to her
foundation. His possessive nature instilled not fear but understanding; he
would allow no man or Lycan to trespass ever again.

As he
thrust into her, he slid his fingers into hers, pulling her arms over her head
and against the wall. “You are mine, Falon,” he roughly said against her ear.
“If Lucien dares to come to you again, kill him.” His hips thrust hard into her
as if he had to make his point by hurting her. But she enjoyed his raw,
possessive nature. It was, after all, the nature of the beast. As his female,
she understood it and would want it no other way. “I will.”

She
spread her legs wider. He bent his knees behind her to accommodate her new
position. But he did not gentle his touch. She cried out in bittersweet pain as
his big body pressed her harder into the tile. His fingers tightened to painful
around hers. He stretched her body by pulling her arms higher over her head.
His deep thrusts forced her sensitive pussy against the tile with each
undulation. Her body flamed.

She
leaned back into him, exposing her neck. He growled so ferociously she cried
out in real fear. His body swelled behind her, his cock long and thick inside
her. He bit her from behind, and as he did, her world exploded into a thousand
tiny pieces.

Rafael
came in a harsh, violent rush, lifting her off the shower floor. She cried out,
reveling in his furious passion.

The
water turned cold before they were able to separate. Her legs felt like Jell-O;
her skin still burned as if someone had set a match to it. Her heavy breasts
tingled, as if Rafael still nipped her. But it was her swollen nether lips and
her womb that still called for him.

Falon
shook her head. What was wrong with her?

“Rafa,”
she said, barely able to speak, her energy spent. “My body is possessed by
yours.”

“Do
you still ache for me?” he asked finally, gentling as he nuzzled her neck
before carefully helping her from the shower. He sat her down on the stool and
knelt beside her and lovingly began to dry her.

She
dug her fingers in his damp hair. “I burn for you.”

“You
always will, but especially until you conceive.”

“What?”
This news startled her. She was not ready to become a mother!

He rubbed
the towel over her head, playfully keeping her in the dark. “Your burn is
confirmation our bond took. It doesn’t always happen so quickly.” He pulled the
towel from her head and dropped it to the floor. He pulled her up into his arms
and strode with her into the bedroom. He tossed her onto the rumpled sheets and
followed her there. She lay back as he crawled over her, opening her thighs. He
filled her in one slick dive. She rose to meet him, wanting nothing more than
to stay connected to him like this for the rest of her life.

We
must return to the compound, Rafael said.

I
don’t want to go. Not yet.

He
gathered her up into his arms and gently rocked into her. His body, just like
hers, had only one design. To join. Lycans had a sex drive like no other
creature on earth. Even when not bent on procreation, they were highly sexual.

Her
orgasm reverberated from her body into his own, shaking him to his foundation.
He fought back the beast that clawed for release. It had become increasingly
determined to destroy the one thing that stood between his and Falon’s
happiness: his brother.

THEY
DROVE HOME in the van, Anton having taken Rafe’s bike. It was still early when
the gates opened. But what awaited them was as much a surprise to Rafael as to
Falon. The entire pack was there to greet them, clapping and cheering; the
faces that had so recently been drawn tight with fear and angst smiled
brightly.

“It
seems the pack has accepted you with open arms, Falon,” Rafael said. He reached
over and took her hand and looked meaningfully at her. “Do you know what that
means?”

She
was too overcome with emotion to answer, so she shook her head.

“It
means they will die for you. My mother was the last female that received such
an honor.”

Hot
tears stung her eyes. “Rafa, I am truly honored, but I don’t want anyone to
lose their life because of me.”

He
leaned over and kissed her. “It is their honor. It will be mine as well.”

“No!
Don’t say that! We will find a way, Rafael, we will find a way!”

“I
will call for the council meeting tomorrow night.”

She
swallowed hard. “So soon? Can’t we have another few nights together?”

He
shook his head. “There’s treachery about, Falon. The entire Slayer nation is
preparing a final defining battle with the coming of the Blood Moon. In two
months’ time, if all Lycans do not come together as one to fight, we will lose
all. And I mean all. We will fail to exist as a nation.”

“What
of your brother?” she spit. “Will he insist, regardless of what the council
decides, to seek his own vengeance?”

“It
doesn’t matter what Lucien plans. I will make sure he will not stand in the way
of the packs uniting. United we have a chance; divided we fall.”

“But
that means—”

He
kissed her to silence. “My loyalty is to the Lycan nation as a whole. I will do
everything and anything in my power to preserve it.”

The
van had come to a stop, and the pack had begun to gently rock it, calling for
their alphas to emerge.

Rafael
squeezed her hand and smiled. “I think they want us to come out.” He looked out
at the sea of happy faces then back to Falon. “Shall we, Madame Vulkasin?”

Falon
smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

To
say the pack was happy was an understatement. They were ecstatic. Even Lana,
who had been shaved, wore rags, and had been relegated to the lowest rung of
the pecking order, smiled when Rafael lifted Falon up. He proclaimed her master
Slayer slayer! The house reverberated with loud cheers and hearty hoorays.
Music piped in from hidden speakers, mass quantities of food covered tables,
beer and wine flowed. The party was on.

Minutes
later, Falon found a private moment with Rafael. “I understand everyone being
excited about Edward’s death. But”—she looked around at the laughing crowd that
acted more like mischievous teenagers than mature adults who were at their core
warriors and had seen more than a seasoned veteran—“why are they so happy?”

“I
have much to teach you about your people. But, if I had to hazard a guess, I’d
say their joy stems from the fact that we have marked each other, and now, when
you conceive, so, too, will the other females.”

It
suddenly dawned on her that there were no children and didn’t appear to be
anyone younger than herself.

Rafe
read her thoughts. “When the alpha female dies, reproduction stops until the
alpha male takes another mate. Or a new alpha comes in and either has a mate or
chooses one. When the alpha female conceives, the rest of the pack conceives
almost immediately as well. Since my mother’s murder, there has been no
accepted alpha female.” He tipped her chin up with his finger and kissed her.
“Until now.”

And
it explained why she was a walking sex addict—her body wanted her to conceive
as soon as possible so the pack could flourish. She pressed against her alpha.
She felt his erection against her belly. “Well, I think, for the sake of the
pack, we should go upstairs and get on it.”