The Mating (The original Law of the Lycans story)

Chapter 34

"Kane!" Elise ceased her struggles against Ryne and stared at her mate. He snarled and lowered his head, lips drawn back to reveal an impressive set of teeth. Slowly he stalked towards them, the fur on his back rising. With surprise, she realized that the door to his mind had been opened to her and she had some idea of what he was thinking and feeling. Unfortunately, it was still a bit hard to interpret, but she knew he was incredibly angry. She hastened to offer reassurance, trying to project her thoughts while speaking. "I'm all right. Ryne was just carrying me because of my leg. He accidentally squeezed it, but didn't mean me any harm."

Her efforts had some effect, since Kane stopped in his tracks, but he still didn't back down.

Ryne kept his eyes locked on Kane and a low rumble emitted from his chest. Elise felt his muscles tensing around her and her head snapped to look at the man holding her. What was he doing? Was it an instinctive reaction to the threat Kane posed? Deliberately, Ryne sniffed her, then let her slowly slide out of his arms, her body brushing against the length of his.

"Ryne!" Elise gasped at his audacity, her face flushing at the suggestiveness of Ryne's move. Well, wasn't this just great! Apparently, her close proximity during her stupid heat cycle was no doubt affecting him, but really, they didn't have time for this right now!

Anxious to move away from Ryne in order to keep the peace, she tried to step back as soon as her feet touched the ground, while still sending good thoughts Kane's way. Unfortunately, she discovered she wasn't that good at doing two things at once. Forgetting to balance her weight on one leg, her injured limb gave way. With a cry, she automatically grabbed onto the nearest object that could provide some stability. Unfortunately, it was Ryne's arm and that was just enough to send Kane over the edge.

What happened next was a blur of movement. Elise pushed herself away from Ryne and gave a sideways hop, shifting her grip to a nearby tree trunk. Kane leapt towards his half brother and Ryne jumped back, phasing into his wolf form even as he moved. In the blink of an eye, the two males were engaged in combat, growling and biting each other, while Elise clung to a tree trunk, watching in horror as the situation dissolved into a primitive battle.

It was a terrifying sight, yet some ancient part of her thrilled at the idea of the powerful males fighting over her. Her heart was pounding, blood rushed through her body, raising her temperature and stimulating her desire. Shaking her head, she tried to suppress the erotic feelings inside her and clear her thinking. She wasn't some animal waiting to mate the strongest male! This was barbaric and she had to stop it. Frantically, she looked around for something that could be used to separate the two, but of course there was nothing to be found. Returning her gaze to the scene in front of her, she stood transfixed.

Snarls filled the air as teeth flashed and claws slashed. The two were equally matched, with first one and then the other seeming to be ahead. Ryne grabbed Kane's back leg, but Kane whipped around and grabbed his brother's neck. Rolling over Ryne freed himself and regained his footing, then charged his opponent again. Kane yipped in pain as teeth slashed his side, but he pulled away and swiped his claws across Ryne's face, narrowly missing his eye. Blood was freely streaming from their wounds and their fur was matted with dirt and saliva. Around them, the trampled snow was stained with a combination of mud and blood. Drawing back, they circled each other panting heavily, each looking for an opening that would allow them to get past the other's guard.

"Stop it!" Elise knew she had to get through to them. The thoughts coming at her from Kane were frighteningly violent and primitive. Had his wolf taken over completely? Had he lost touch with his human side? Did either of them even understand what she was saying?

"Listen! You both have to listen to me! Please! There's no need for this." She projected her thoughts towards Kane, but had no idea if he was sensing her. There was no break in his movement as he slowly circled Ryne, his gaze locked on those of his opponent. His step never faltered, his ear didn't even twitch in her direction. Knowing it was useless, Elise still felt compelled to try again, since there was little else she could do. "Kane! Ryne isn't trying to take me away from you and he isn't the bad guy in all of this! I know what's going on. It's all M—"