Blood Vow (Blood Moon Rising)

by Tabke, Karin

Sasha’s crystal eyes glittered in the afternoon sun as they raked her from head to toe. His men moved anxiously behind him. Their testosterone levels were high, and she suspected many of them had hopes of finding a mate here amongst the entire nation. She knew from her own constant arousal around Rafe and Lucien, Lycan were highly primal. It was the cause of much infighting.

  “You have the body of a whore and the heart of witch!” He sneered. “You have disrespected my name and my daughter’s chance of greatness!” He shook with uncontrolled rage. “Your presence is a blight to the great Lycan nation.”

  He stepped toward her, allowing his pack to form a half circle around him. “Before you die the true death, whore, you will experience the terror my daughter experienced at the hands of that deformed wolf Fenrir.”

  “Why not get a piece of me first, Sasha,” she cajoled. Falon lifted her chin a notch and held his glittering stare. When he refused to take the bait, she tossed out more. “Or aren’t you alpha enough?”

  He snarled taking a step toward her then another. “I am more than alpha enough to make you scream,” he boasted. The instant he reached for her, Falon brought her knee up, and viciously caught him under the chin straightening him. She shoved him so hard with her hands, he bowled back into his pack. They scattered like bowling pins as she shifted and leapt into the bulk of them, ripping and shredding skin, crushing bones, and drawing blood. Leaving a swath of shredded Lycan, Falon leapt from the fray, not stopping to admire her handiwork, and ran for home.

  As she looked over her shoulder to see if they gave pursuit, she stumbled and fell. There, standing on the rise of the foothill, was her father. Would he have come to her aide had she been overcome?

  She doubted it. He raised his sword as if saluting her job well done. Shaking her head, she slowly rose, not wanting to feel anything for him except contempt. When he would not break his stare, Falon turned and ran.

  Halfway back to the camp she was met by Lucien and Rafael and—her heart swelled. Angor? And behind him, more of the three-hundred-pound Berserkers! Rafael’s mutant superwolves. Had her packs arrived?

  Did they know about the arrangement? Would they embrace the power of the three or reject it?

  Falon shifted to human just before Rafe and Lucien did, but it was Angor, the protective Berserker who’d tried to kill her the first time they met who she threw her arms around and hugged.

  But her joy was short-lived.

  Lucien grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. “You smell like wolf,” he said dangerously.

  Twenty-six

  “I CAME ACROSS a pack while I was out running,” Falon hurried to assure him. She reached down and grabbed her clothes from where she had left them and hurried to dress, hoping that would mask some of the scents. She didn’t want to involve either of her alphas in something she considered handled.

  Lucien was having none of it. He grabbed her hand and held it up. “Where did the blood come from?” He sniffed it and snarled. “Fucking Ivanov!”

  “What happened?” Rafael asked, softly but deadly.

  Falon yanked her hand from Lucien and dressed. She didn’t want to make an issue out of what happened. Not because she was afraid for Rafe or Lucien, but because she knew what they would do to the alpha and they needed every Lycan if they were going to survive the rising. Besides, she’d handled him.

  “It’s nothing.”

  Rafael’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t lie to me, Falon.”

  She avoided both of their angry stares as she pulled on her boots. “I’m not lying.” It was nothing. And now it was over.

  Lucien shoved his hands through his hair, and turned toward the direction she had just come from. His nostrils flared as he picked up more scents. “I’m going to fucking tear him apart.” He shifted and took off.

  “Lucien! No!” she screamed as the wind caught her plea, carrying it away.

  “Stay here, Falon,” Rafael said furiously, then shifted and went after his brother.

  As if she were going to let them go without her. She shucked her clothes and looked to Angor. “Come, my friend, let’s make sure they don’t get into trouble.”

  With the mighty Berserker at her heels and the rest of his pack closely following, they took off after Rafe and Lucien.

  But it was over when she arrived. Sasha Ivanov lay torn in pieces at Lucien’s feet. His remaining pack circled anxiously, whining and sniffing at their dead alpha. As Lycan do when their alpha has died a true death, the others revert to their human form. One by one, the pack shifted to human and each one lowered their head and haunches in submission to Lucien.

  He was magnificent, like a gladiator of yore. Tall, muscular, naked, and proud. Falon caught her breath when he turned those blazing golden eyes on her. She stopped in her tracks, unable to tear her eyes away from him. He threw his head back and howled triumphantly. Her body flared with heat as his beast called to her. He stepped over Sasha’s body, and strode toward her. Her breath hitched high in her throat as she stared at his blood-smeared body glistening in the afternoon sun.

  His eyes never once wavered from hers. Not even when he caught her up in his arms and yanked her hard against his chest and kissed her. Her head swirled and her body shook with emotion.

  He was claiming her for the world to see, and God help any one of them if they disrespected her. They would end up like the Siberian alpha.

  Caught up in the primal moment, Falon dug her nails into Lucien’s back, pulling him harder against her. Her beast snarled for release, wanting to mate, to mark and reestablish that this man belonged to her and she to him.

  “Ivanov!” Rafe’s voice thundered behind them. “Your alpha has paid the ultimate price for his transgression against my chosen one! You now belong to Vulkasin!”

  Falon turned in Lucien’s arms as Rafael and the Berserkers herded pack Ivanov past them back to the camp.

  When they had passed she looked up into Lucien’s blazing eyes. His beast lurked just behind the flames. “Lucien—” she breathed.

  “Don’t ever lie to me or Rafe again,” he snarled, then pushed her to the ground. She fell on all fours. He was behind her, grasping her hips and plunging deeply into her before she realized his intent.

  Breath locked in her lungs as energy blasted through her. Falon threw her head back as Lucien withdrew, then slammed into her again. She cried out in unadulterated pleasure, wanting him harder, faster, deeper. He did this to her. Made her crazy for more. Her wild, wicked, out of control, Lucien.

  The raging beast within him broke free.

  Her beast snarled in response. Her sweltering cunt fisted his cock, and in the most primal way a man could take a woman, they fucked.

  And when it was over, their bodies refused to unlock.

  * * *

  ON HIS KNEES, balls buried deep inside of Falon, Lucien fought to control his enraged beast. He wanted to hurt Falon for lying, for scaring the shit out of him, for having the power to wreck him heart, body, and soul.

  Her sweaty body twitched and contorted beneath his as waves of energy continued to spark after their climax. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted her again, then again after that. He wanted to get so deep inside of her she would fall apart from too much cock, too much sensation, too much fear, pain and the same gut-wrenching ache he experienced each time he touched her.

  He moved against her. She moaned. He threw his head back as his cock swelled inside of her. God she was hot, tight, and so wet.

  “I’m sorry, Luca,” she sobbed. “I didn’t want to cause a problem.”

  Slowly, he withdrew, mindful of her cries for him to stay. He smiled triumphantly. For all that she loved his brother, Lucien knew when it came to fucking, he was the one who made her weep. He slammed back into her. He was the one who obliterated her mind. He withdrew.

  “Luca!” she screamed. />
  He slammed back into her, pulling her hips so hard against him she cried out in pain. He was the one she screamed for.

  “Do you like that?” he demanded, withdrawing.

  “Yesss,” she hissed.

  He thrust into her. “Does that feel good?”

  Her body constricted around him. “God, yes.”

  He bent over her back and bit her shoulder drawing blood. “More, Luca,” she begged. “More.”

  He pulled completely out of her and rolled her over onto her back and stood. Her dazed blue eyes flickered as she licked her dry lips. A smug smile twisted her lips.

  “You like it when I’m rough with you?” he hoarsely asked.

  Arching her back, she spread her legs just enough to give him a peek of her glistening pussy lips. His mouth watered, he wanted to devour her.

  “I love the way we fuck.” She undulated, spreading her thighs a little more. “I love the way you take control of my body.” She slid her hand slowly down her belly to her soaked pussy and slid a finger into herself. She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. “I love when you’re inside me, and Rafa is watching.”

  His cock throbbed painfully.

  Her eyes fluttered open. “I love it when you watch Rafe fuck me.”

  He dropped to his knees. She had him. She knew it, he knew it, the entire Lycan nation knew it. “There is nothing I would not do for you,” he whispered.

  Moving her hand way from her pussy he licked a long slow swath of her creamy honey. She moaned loudly. “This is mine,” he said, nipping the inside of her thigh. “And this,” he slid deeply into her. “Is yours.”

  And she took him there. To that place he had dreamed about the first time he laid eyes on her. The place he never thought he would go with her. The place only she could take him. There was no other for him. In this world or the next.

  She quite simply completed him.

  Later, when Lucien and Falon strolled hand in hand back into camp, they walked into mayhem. Word had spread about Sasha. Along with the news that Anja had run. Tension was so thick in the air you could cut it with a sword.

  Along with pack Ivanov’s tragedies of the day, packs Vulkasin and Mondragon had arrived and were setting up their camp while many of the Ivanov pack sat sullenly at the trestle tables in front of their lodge. One of the council members was just walking away when Falon and Lucien came around to the front of their dwelling.

  Lucien scowled and looked beyond the elder’s retreating back to at least one hundred other Lycan who mulled along the sidelines hoping to catch some good action.

  “Looks like all hell has broken loose,” Lucien said casually, not wanting to worry Falon. But he’d suspected by the time they returned the entire encampment would be in an uproar. And he was right.

  “You slew an alpha, Lucien, and they want to know why,” Falon said, acknowledging the white elephant in the room.

  He squeezed her hand. “Rafe has spoken with the council, but I’ll explain myself.”

  “Luca,” Falon started. “I forgot something Sasha said before I attacked him. He said he had been secretly ordered by the council to kill me.”

  Lucien stopped, shocked by her words, and looked down at her, his eyes searching her clear blue ones. “He said that?”

  “Yes. I didn’t believe him, but what if he was telling the truth?”

  He nodded, not wanting to believe Sharia would agree to such a thing. “Let’s inform Rafe of this and then decide what to do.”

  Moments later in the privacy of their lodge, the three of them discussed exactly what had happened between Falon and Sasha, what followed when Lucien went after him and where they stood now.

  Rafael nodded and said quietly, “Two things are happening outside. Ivanov wants to pick an alpha from within and not join with Vulkasin, and the council is insisting on trying Lucien for killing Sasha.”

  “What if Ivanov lies about what really happened?” Falon asked, suddenly afraid for Lucien.

  Rafe’s face tightened. “I spoke with Yuri, the sergeant at arms, on our way back. He told me exactly what happened, and it was just as you said, but he never mentioned the council taking out a hit on you.”

  “Did he say why Sasha came after me?”

  “Vengeance pure and simple.”

  “What of Anja?”

  “She’s gone. Back to Fenrir no doubt.”

  Lucien shook his head not understanding that at all. “That monster will kill her.”

  Rafael looked hard at his brother. “I hate to say it, but her death would save us future grief.”

  “If she gave birth?” Falon asked.

  “If she gives birth to that miscreant’s child, then our children will have to live with what that brings,” Lucien said. “Those who sacrifice their lives at the rising will have sacrificed them for naught if Fenrir lives on through his child.”

  He walked over to one of the coolers and grabbed two beers. He tossed one to Rafe, then grabbed a water bottle, took the lid off, and handed it to Falon.

  “Thank you,” she said, and drank.

  After downing half his beer, Lucien asked his brother, “Has Yuri spoken with the council?”

  “He was leaving to, right before you came back.”

  “I don’t like it. Yuri has had time to think about what he wants out of this deal.” Lucien shook his head. “I don’t trust Yuri to tell the truth now, not if he can become alpha by lying.”

  “But Luca,” Falon said, her voice trembling. “The Blood Law is clear: to kill an alpha is to kill yourself.”

  Lucien shoved his fingers through his hair and looked at Rafe then Falon. “I’m getting to the point of no return with the Blood Law! Sasha deliberately went hunting for you, Falon! To kill you, an alpha! He got his due. It’s that simple and if the council has a problem with that, fuck them.”

  “I want to know if the council gave Ivanov the kill order,” Rafael said. “If they’re no longer looking out for the greater good of the nation then they are obsolete and need to be banished.”

  Lucien downed the rest of his beer and tossed it in the nearby trash can. “Let’s get this bullshit over with.”

  For the second time that day, united as one, they walked to the council dome. This time all of Vulkasin and Mondragon followed with Rafael’s Berserkers pulling up the rear.

  Twenty-seven

  IF THE DOME had been crowded before, now it was wall-to-wall, shoulder-to-shoulder Lycan. Most of the packs had arrived in preparation of the rising. Rafael and Lucien with Falon between them pushed and shoved their way to the dais. Immediately Rafe saw that one seat was vacant. Maleek’s, the council spokesman. Rafe glanced at Lucien.

  I smell a rat.

  “Where is Maleek?” Lucien shouted above the din of the crowd. Sharia raised her shaking arms for silence. Slowly the din subsided.

  “He was summoned but has not appeared,” she said, her voice frail.

  “Did someone go look for him?” Rafe asked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

  Sharia nodded but said, “The convened council has agreed to proceed without his presence.”

  “Maybe I haven’t,” Rafael said, stepping on the first step of the repaired dais.

  “It is not you who deem what makes a quorum, Rafael,” Sharia said angrily.

  “In this case, since I have an accusation to make against the council it’s only fitting that the entire council be present to hear it. It is only fitting that when I make the charge, I can see the reaction of every one of your faces and smell the truth or lies as you say your piece.”

  “The council is above reproach!” she shrieked. “How dare you insinuate otherwise.”

  “I dare because my chosen one was attacked today by an alpha claiming he was secretly sent by the council
to destroy her!” Rafe growled, stepping toward her. Several Amorak moved out from behind the dais as if they could stop him.

  “Do you think your goon squad is any match for me?” Rafael sneered.

  Sharia’s old brown eyes widened in fear. He lowered his voice, not wanting to scare her because in his heart Rafe knew if there was backhanded dealing among the council the stoic elder was not part of it. “I would never harm you, Sharia. You are the only one here I trust.”

  Her brown eyes softened as tears moistened them.

  He took a step back and faced the gathered packs. “In three weeks our very existence will be challenged. Only one of us will survive, Lycan or Slayer!” Growls reverberated in the crowded space.

  “Our old enemy Thomas Corbet has risen from the dead. The traitorous wolf Fenrir runs free, has marked one of our own and even now cavorts with her! He has only one goal: to aid the Slayers in destroying every Lycan on the planet so that he can begin his own dynasty.”

  More growls, louder this time.

  “It has been foretold that the power of three is essential to our victory!” Rafael reached down and took Falon by the hand, and brought her up to stand beside him. He motioned to Lucien to take her other hand and step up. As one they faced the crowd. “We!” Rafael said triumphantly. “Are the power of three!” He raised his hand, and the cheers were deafening.

  He saw some doubtful eyes and to prove his point he turned to Sharia. “Are we not the power of three as it was foretold?” he shouted over the noise.

  Sharia struggled to rise but shooed off any attempt to help her. She made her way slowly to Rafael, and placed her hands on his shoulders. The cheering died down. “Vulkasin, Mondragon, and their chosen one Falon are the power of the three! Combined with the power of the Eye of Fenrir, they are our only hope for survival.” The crowd kept silent, as her voice was weak.

  “Even the power of the three cannot defeat Fenrir!” a voice shouted.

  Rafael drew the Cross of Caus from the scabbard across his back, and held it up for all to see. “I possess the Cross of Caus, the sword of the original Slayer, Peter the Wolf Corbet, the only weapon capable of cutting that wretched wolf’s heart out.” He sheathed the sword and turned to Sharia, and taking her hand he motioned for one of the elders to bring a chair to him. When it was produced, he carefully set her down in it.