but caught the thick poster, as her world tilted right then left. She slowly shook the clouds from her head, still feeling as if she were going to faint. Looking down at her naked body, her vision blurred, then focused. Her eyes widened in shock. There was no trace of even the slightest wound. Her skin was as smooth and unblemished as a baby’s. All of her skin! Her mons was shaved smooth, no vestige of the downy shield that used to be there. Heat rose in her cheeks. She was going to kill Lucien!
The heat intensified in her cheeks as her gaze locked with Talia’s. The Lycan smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Lucien likes his women unfettered.”
“How dare he touch me! How dare he—” Falon’s knees wobbled. Her blood loss would take time to regenerate, but her temper was as volatile as ever. She scooted back onto the bed before she fell to the floor.
Talia shrugged. “The sooner you accept Lucien as lord and master over everything you see here, the sooner you will find peace.”
“I will never accept him! I cannot!” Rafael would never forgive her. “If he touches me, I will kill him.”
Talia tsked, shaking her head. “To kill an alpha is punishable by death.”
“They’d have to catch me first.”
“Lucien is many things, some of which I strongly disapprove of, but he is alpha. His word is law. That he accepted you as his true mate was not a decision he made lightly. In accepting you, he forfeited his right to pick the mate of his choice. Instead of sullen, you should feel honored.”
“Honored? How can I feel honored when the man I have unwillingly been given to does not know the meaning of the word honor ?”
“There is honor in the simple fact he is alpha.”
“Lucien has taken his title through force and coercion. He will never be half the alpha Rafael is. He is a joke among the Lycan nation.”
Talia’s eyes flashed angrily. She stepped to the edge of the bed and leaned into Falon. Chin to chin she spoke slowly but concisely. “Do not ever say such things about Lucien. Until you have walked a mile in his shoes, keep your judgments to yourself.”
“He has brainwashed you. You are obviously a victim of his coercion tactics.”
“I have been free to leave here from the moment I arrived.”
Falon’s brows wrinkled in confusion. It was common knowledge Lucien had kidnapped Talia and forced her to stay here. “But—”
“It’s true,” Talia reiterated.
“Then why have you allowed Rafa to think you were being forced to stay here?”
“He never asked, he, as the rest of the Lycan nation, assumed the worst of Lucien.”
“Yet you did nothing to school them?”
“Lucien forbade it. He stands by his actions. He does not require anyone to champion his cause.”
“If Lucien was such a noble alpha, he would have long ago made peace with his brother.”
“Peace between the brothers can only come when there is peace with their true mate.”
“But I am Rafa’s true mate! We are at peace!” Or at least they were.
“You belong to Lucien now.”
“I am not his true mate!”
“You are because you both accepted the council’s judgment. Be glad your life was spared.”
“Lucien would have preferred they signed my death warrant.”
“He would not have done it.”
“The hell he wouldn’t have! He despises his brother. He despises me.” Falon swallowed and wondered had she known what her other options were when she agreed to abide by the council’s verdict if she would have agreed or run. She rubbed her throbbing temples. How could she have agreed to such a ridiculous verdict?
“If he despised you, when your heart stopped beating after you shot yourself, he would have laid you down on the road and walked away.” Talia’s voice lowered dangerously. “Make no mistake; Lucien saved your life because he chose to. The Blood Law had no hand in it, not even fate. It was Lucien’s decision alone to make—be grateful for your second chance.”
Falon shook her head,
The heat intensified in her cheeks as her gaze locked with Talia’s. The Lycan smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Lucien likes his women unfettered.”
“How dare he touch me! How dare he—” Falon’s knees wobbled. Her blood loss would take time to regenerate, but her temper was as volatile as ever. She scooted back onto the bed before she fell to the floor.
Talia shrugged. “The sooner you accept Lucien as lord and master over everything you see here, the sooner you will find peace.”
“I will never accept him! I cannot!” Rafael would never forgive her. “If he touches me, I will kill him.”
Talia tsked, shaking her head. “To kill an alpha is punishable by death.”
“They’d have to catch me first.”
“Lucien is many things, some of which I strongly disapprove of, but he is alpha. His word is law. That he accepted you as his true mate was not a decision he made lightly. In accepting you, he forfeited his right to pick the mate of his choice. Instead of sullen, you should feel honored.”
“Honored? How can I feel honored when the man I have unwillingly been given to does not know the meaning of the word honor ?”
“There is honor in the simple fact he is alpha.”
“Lucien has taken his title through force and coercion. He will never be half the alpha Rafael is. He is a joke among the Lycan nation.”
Talia’s eyes flashed angrily. She stepped to the edge of the bed and leaned into Falon. Chin to chin she spoke slowly but concisely. “Do not ever say such things about Lucien. Until you have walked a mile in his shoes, keep your judgments to yourself.”
“He has brainwashed you. You are obviously a victim of his coercion tactics.”
“I have been free to leave here from the moment I arrived.”
Falon’s brows wrinkled in confusion. It was common knowledge Lucien had kidnapped Talia and forced her to stay here. “But—”
“It’s true,” Talia reiterated.
“Then why have you allowed Rafa to think you were being forced to stay here?”
“He never asked, he, as the rest of the Lycan nation, assumed the worst of Lucien.”
“Yet you did nothing to school them?”
“Lucien forbade it. He stands by his actions. He does not require anyone to champion his cause.”
“If Lucien was such a noble alpha, he would have long ago made peace with his brother.”
“Peace between the brothers can only come when there is peace with their true mate.”
“But I am Rafa’s true mate! We are at peace!” Or at least they were.
“You belong to Lucien now.”
“I am not his true mate!”
“You are because you both accepted the council’s judgment. Be glad your life was spared.”
“Lucien would have preferred they signed my death warrant.”
“He would not have done it.”
“The hell he wouldn’t have! He despises his brother. He despises me.” Falon swallowed and wondered had she known what her other options were when she agreed to abide by the council’s verdict if she would have agreed or run. She rubbed her throbbing temples. How could she have agreed to such a ridiculous verdict?
“If he despised you, when your heart stopped beating after you shot yourself, he would have laid you down on the road and walked away.” Talia’s voice lowered dangerously. “Make no mistake; Lucien saved your life because he chose to. The Blood Law had no hand in it, not even fate. It was Lucien’s decision alone to make—be grateful for your second chance.”
Falon shook her head,