Page 41 of Alpha Queen
The door to the kitchen swung inward, and Kane burst in. He took in the dining room, and then his gaze landed on her.
"What did you do?"
"I'm ready to go back to my cell."
He stared at her intently and then sniffed the air; his eyes drifted to her arm. Blood trickled down her arm where Titan had gripped her. And because of the blockers, she wasn't healing immediately. Even as the wounds burned and stuck to her sweater, she ignored them to focus on Kane.
He didn't move.
"Or you could let me go," she said. "It's what you want, isn't it? To get me out of here? Now's your opportunity. He's gone. He probably hates me. You can see he already injured me. Let me leave. Then you can have him back all to yourself."
Kane prowled toward her, his eyes hard, calculating. "I would love nothing more than to kick your pampered ass out of this house and out of his life. Unfortunately, if I did, he would do something reckless and stupid to try to bring you back, getting all of us killed, including himself. And I care for him more than I hate you."
She detested admitting it, but she understood Kane's feelings. They were the same feelings she had for her sister. She loved Bianca even more than she hated Titan. And if she were in Kane's position, she would do the same thing to save Bianca.
"Let's go."
River didn't move as she tried to find something to say.
"Don't make me pick you up," he threatened.
"Put your hands on me," she said. "And you'll find out why your master bolted out of this house so fast."
"Try anything with me and you'll find out just what I did to receive the scar I have."
River bared her teeth, and Kane pointed to the door, unfazed.
"I'm going to kill you one day," she said.
Kane leaned into her and bared his teeth. "Not if I kill you first."
TITAN
Titan stopped a mile from the house and forced himself back into human form. His wolf howled in anger, but Titan pushed him away. He couldn't believe it. He'd done it again. He'd lost it, and he'd almost hurt River… again.
No. He had hurt River. Titan looked down at his hands. Small flecks of her blood tinged his fingertips.
Mine. Take. Submit.
Now she'll never trust us.
Take.
Titan turned and slammed his fist into a tree, splitting the skin open. Blood trickled down his hand, mingling with beads of sweat.
NO! No take. No submit asshole!
His wolf snapped his jaws and roared to be freed.
Titan battled his wolf. Trying the techniques he'd taught himself to stave off the shift.
Memories bombarded him. Times of running with Kane. Killing. Fighting. Screwing anyone he wanted.
But not her. Why not her? He'd bitten her, claimed her almost four and a half years ago. He'd fought to change, fought to become stronger. To prove what he could offer her. To make penance and have her see him for who he was meant to be- King of the Lycans. Yet still he wasn't good enough. His work wasn't good enough. He went against every instinct of his nature to be better for her. To win her. But it hadn't worked. None of it had worked. Even now, with his giving her everything he possessed, she didn't want it. Didn't want him.
His anger shifted. He thought, with enough time away from his bastard half-brothers, she would feel the bond he'd started with her, and she would return to it. Embrace it even. But that would never happen. Not as long as Ares and Apollo lived.
Steps crunched up behind him, and he sniffed the air.
