you.”
Sorin and Lucian shared a look. What passed
between them was inscrutable, but a quiver of disquiet worked its way up
Starr’s spine. She resisted the urge to prod their minds for more information.
“What?”
Sorin straightened to his full height. “By
rights, we now invoke a claim on you. We have one moon-cycle to convince you to
accept us as your mates.”
Her eyes widened. “What? You can’t do
that.”
“It’s our way. The Pack has followed this
tradition for hundreds of years.”
She glowered at Sorin, who sounded so
arrogant. “You have turned your back on the Pack and their ways.”
“Not in this,” Lucian said. He crooked his
finger. “Come to us, so we can complete the ceremony.”
Her feet propelled her forward. Common
sense tried to reassert itself, but the force of her desire muted its sensible
urgings. Starr stopped within inches of them and waited, wondering what would
come next. She didn’t expect Sorin to untie the sash from her waist, nor for
Lucian to hold out her arm and place his hand atop hers. When Sorin put his
hand under hers, she watched with fascination as the two men worked together to
bind the sash around their hands, joining them.
“At the next full moon, you will have to
give us an answer, Starr.”
“I have my answer—“
Lucian put his finger to her lips. “You
didn’t let Sorin finish. You can accept us before the moon-cycle ends, but you
can’t reject us for the duration of the claim.”
She glowered at him. “Who makes these
rules?”
“Men,” Lucian said, and then laughed. “Our
ancestors, I suppose, who liked being able to claim the women they had their
sights on.”
“Things were simpler once,” Sorin said
softly, with a gleam in his eyes. “A man saw the woman he wanted and claimed
her.”
She frowned at him, feeling a tad
disgruntled. “How have things changed?”
He grinned a long moment before answering.
“She couldn’t reject him back then.”
“Lucky times have changed,” she said
sarcastically.
They both laughed. Lucian drew her back
into his arms. “They haven’t changed that much, dragostia . You won’t
refuse us.”
She nodded to emphasize her resolve. “I
will.”
A throaty chuckle escaped Sorin. “No, you
won’t. By the time we’ve finished with you, you won’t want to.”
She held her tongue, knowing she couldn’t
refute his statement. She already knew she didn’t want to refuse to accept them
as mates. It was only because she was duty-bound to do so that she had summoned
enough willpower not to agree as soon as they presented the Mating Moon
Ceremony. How would she maintain her determination for a month, with the two of
them doing everything in their power to weaken her resolve?
Chapter 6
She was still in a state of bemusement when
they brought her inside and led her to the bed. She stood passively as they
untied the sash and dropped it on the floor. Starr let Lucian lay her back, as
she stared up at Sorin, enjoying the heat of desire in his eyes. Tonight, he
would be her lover too. She shivered with anticipation, but wondered at the
change of scenery. She started to ask, but her voice emerged as a husky croak.
She had to clear her throat before she could speak. “You told me earlier that
we wouldn’t be using the bed.”
“We were optimistic,” Sorin said. “If you
had accepted us, we would have had the Consummation Ceremony. Since we had to
invoke the claim, we will not make love under the light of the full moon this
month.”
“Instead, we’ll spend the next four weeks
seducing you senseless,” said Lucian, before lifting her leg around the calf
and bringing her foot to his mouth. He kissed her ankle gently before lowering
her limb to the bed.
When they rose, Starr tried to sit up.
Sorin pushed her carefully back against the pillows. “Lie here and wait for us
to return.”
With a long-suffering sigh, Starr slowly
relaxed and watched them walk into the kitchen. What were they
Sorin and Lucian shared a look. What passed
between them was inscrutable, but a quiver of disquiet worked its way up
Starr’s spine. She resisted the urge to prod their minds for more information.
“What?”
Sorin straightened to his full height. “By
rights, we now invoke a claim on you. We have one moon-cycle to convince you to
accept us as your mates.”
Her eyes widened. “What? You can’t do
that.”
“It’s our way. The Pack has followed this
tradition for hundreds of years.”
She glowered at Sorin, who sounded so
arrogant. “You have turned your back on the Pack and their ways.”
“Not in this,” Lucian said. He crooked his
finger. “Come to us, so we can complete the ceremony.”
Her feet propelled her forward. Common
sense tried to reassert itself, but the force of her desire muted its sensible
urgings. Starr stopped within inches of them and waited, wondering what would
come next. She didn’t expect Sorin to untie the sash from her waist, nor for
Lucian to hold out her arm and place his hand atop hers. When Sorin put his
hand under hers, she watched with fascination as the two men worked together to
bind the sash around their hands, joining them.
“At the next full moon, you will have to
give us an answer, Starr.”
“I have my answer—“
Lucian put his finger to her lips. “You
didn’t let Sorin finish. You can accept us before the moon-cycle ends, but you
can’t reject us for the duration of the claim.”
She glowered at him. “Who makes these
rules?”
“Men,” Lucian said, and then laughed. “Our
ancestors, I suppose, who liked being able to claim the women they had their
sights on.”
“Things were simpler once,” Sorin said
softly, with a gleam in his eyes. “A man saw the woman he wanted and claimed
her.”
She frowned at him, feeling a tad
disgruntled. “How have things changed?”
He grinned a long moment before answering.
“She couldn’t reject him back then.”
“Lucky times have changed,” she said
sarcastically.
They both laughed. Lucian drew her back
into his arms. “They haven’t changed that much, dragostia . You won’t
refuse us.”
She nodded to emphasize her resolve. “I
will.”
A throaty chuckle escaped Sorin. “No, you
won’t. By the time we’ve finished with you, you won’t want to.”
She held her tongue, knowing she couldn’t
refute his statement. She already knew she didn’t want to refuse to accept them
as mates. It was only because she was duty-bound to do so that she had summoned
enough willpower not to agree as soon as they presented the Mating Moon
Ceremony. How would she maintain her determination for a month, with the two of
them doing everything in their power to weaken her resolve?
Chapter 6
She was still in a state of bemusement when
they brought her inside and led her to the bed. She stood passively as they
untied the sash and dropped it on the floor. Starr let Lucian lay her back, as
she stared up at Sorin, enjoying the heat of desire in his eyes. Tonight, he
would be her lover too. She shivered with anticipation, but wondered at the
change of scenery. She started to ask, but her voice emerged as a husky croak.
She had to clear her throat before she could speak. “You told me earlier that
we wouldn’t be using the bed.”
“We were optimistic,” Sorin said. “If you
had accepted us, we would have had the Consummation Ceremony. Since we had to
invoke the claim, we will not make love under the light of the full moon this
month.”
“Instead, we’ll spend the next four weeks
seducing you senseless,” said Lucian, before lifting her leg around the calf
and bringing her foot to his mouth. He kissed her ankle gently before lowering
her limb to the bed.
When they rose, Starr tried to sit up.
Sorin pushed her carefully back against the pillows. “Lie here and wait for us
to return.”
With a long-suffering sigh, Starr slowly
relaxed and watched them walk into the kitchen. What were they
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