Severed Read online

  “It’s hard to understand if you haven’t been born into it,” I admitted grudgingly.

  “I’m trying to wrap my head around it.” She stared at us. “So is this why everyone on the beach was giving us such nasty looks? Because they could smell that both of you were Alphas and they thought you were doing things together that only an Alpha and a Beta should do?”

  “That and the fact that they were probably wondering which of us played the role of Beta,” Lucian said dryly.

  “But why does either of you have to play that role?” Rylee asked.

  “We don’t and we don’t want anyone thinking we do,” I growled. “Why do you think we need to be separated?”

  “But—”

  “Drace is right—we can’t go on like this.” Lucian sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Tomorrow I’ll contact Lord Mandrex and ask for a private meeting to see if he’ll sell or loan me the key.”

  “Fuck tomorrow—call him tonight,” I snapped. “The sooner we get free of each other the better.”

  “All right.” Lucian’s face went cold. “I’ll place the call. But I’d ask that the two of you remain out of sight of the viewscreen.”

  “Why is that, bond-mate—are you ashamed of us? Afraid the rest of the city will find out your dirty secret?” It was a fucking low blow and I knew it but I was still so angry with him for treating me like a Beta the words came out before I could stop them. Hell—I didn’t even try.

  “No,” Lucian said stiffly. “I am not ashamed. But Mandrex has a sharp business sense. If he gets even an inkling of our desperation to get the key from him the price will be more than any of us can afford.”

  “I think Lucian is right—we should let him do the talking.” Rylee crossed her arms over her chest. “But first I want the two of you to make up.”

  “Make up?” I frowned at her. “What are you saying? You want me to forgive what he did?”

  “In light of the fact that he saved your life? That’s exactly what I want.”

  “You’re wasting your time,” Lucian said coldly. “Any Alpha—especially one from a primitive group like the Claw Clan—would hate another Alpha who penetrated and injected him.”

  “You think I’m primitive?” I snarled. “Why? Because I used my second nature to save your sorry ass? Or because your mother doesn’t approve of me?”

  “Pick one,” Lucian snapped. “And leave my mother out of it. She just wants what’s right for me.”

  “Like condemning you to a life of loneliness and desperation because none of the available Betas was good enough for your family?” I asked. “Yeah, Lucian, sounds like she really gives a huge fuck about you. Congratulations.”

  The minute the words left my mouth, I knew I had gone too far. Lucian’s face went pale with rage and his lips thinned down to a narrow line.

  “That,” he said in a voice colder than a night on the dark side of the farthest moon, “Is none of your fucking business.” He stepped up to me and poked one hard finger in my chest. “Don’t talk about my mother or my family and stay out of my life!”

  “I’m trying!” I roared, leaning in towards him to get right in his face. “Trying like hell to get out of your fucking life, you Fang Clan bastard!”

  I think we would have come to blows if it wasn’t for Rylee.

  “Guys…guys!” She stepped between us again, putting a hand on each of our chests. Immediately, I felt a current of peace and love flowing from her. The feeling that I wanted to forgive Lucian—that I had to forgive him—suffused me like a drug.

  No—it’s a trick—a trap! She’s a Binder, I reminded myself. Lucian offered me the greatest insult one Alpha can give another—it can never be forgiven.

  I stepped away from her touch, breaking the current and all my rage returned. Across from me, Lucian stepped away too.

  “Guys…” Rylee sounded near tears now. I hated to make her so upset—it tore me up inside. But I couldn’t let go of my wounded pride.

  Apparently, neither could Lucian.

  “There are guest rooms along the central hallway,” he said, still using that voice that could freeze boiling mercury. “Please feel free to make yourselves at home—both of you.”

  “So…” Rylee bit her lip, a look of uncertainty coming over her face. “So we’re not all going to, uh, sleep together tonight?”

  “I don’t think that would be advisable,” Lucian said. “After all, we want to be free of each other. Every time we have any kind of intimacy between us, it only binds us closer together.”

  “He’s right,” I made myself say, even though the thought of sleeping by myself instead of across from my bond-mate with our female between us gave me a bleak, empty feeling inside. “The closer we get, the more we bond. We need some distance,” I said.

  “Fine.” Rylee swiped at her eyes which looked suspiciously bright. Her normally vibrant feminine scent was muted and sad. “Fine,” she said again. “I guess I’ll go find myself a room and take a hot bath.”

  “There’s a clothing sim in the utility room,” Lucian told her. “Perhaps Drace can show you how to use it while I’m placing the call to Mandrex.”

  Then he turned away, leaving Rylee and me to stand alone, looking at each other. Only Rylee wouldn’t look at me—she just turned her face away and swiped at her eyes.

  “Come on,” her voice was muffled. “Show me how to make something to sleep in. I need some rest.”

  I privately agreed with her and I noticed, even as we wandered down the long central hallway of the apartment that Lucian was already calling up the coordinates for Lord Mandrex.

  Soon, I thought to myself. We’ll be free of each other soon.

  And wondered why the thought didn’t bring me any joy.

  * * * * *

  Lucian

  “Ah, Mr. Nx’xis. Of the Fang Clan, isn’t it?” Lord Mandrex asked when his personal attendant ushered him to the viewer and he appeared on my screen.

  “It is.” I struggled to keep my demeanor calm, despite what I’d just been through. I could still hear my bond-mate’s voice ringing in my ears, “I’m trying—trying like hell to get out of your life, you Fang Clan bastard!”

  Of course, what had I expected Drace to do? Thank me for treating him like a Beta? In the time we’d been together, despite our mutual distrust and dislike, neither of us had offered such a serious affront to the other.

  Rylee, of course, didn’t understand—she thought Drace ought to be grateful that I’d saved his life and not worry about anything else. But I had known what a grave insult I was offering my bond-mate, had known that he would hate me for penetrating and injecting him, and yet I had done it anyway. Even though, as my mother had so coldly pointed out, allowing him to die would have severed our bond and taken care of all my problems.

  But I couldn’t do that—couldn’t let him die. It wasn’t just my sense of honor that prevented me, either. There was…something else.

  What? Why? Why had I saved Drace, even knowing he would hate me for it and that it would complicate my life even more? Why—

  “…asked why you called me so late, Mr. Nx’xis. Is there a bad connection on your end?” Lord Mandrex’s voice cut into my private misery and I jerked my head up to see he was watching me with a quizzical look on his face.

  Like all Cantors he had sharp, aquiline features, bronze-sheened skin, and wide, jewel-like blue eyes that seemed to spin and shift. Some said they had hypnotic powers but I had never cared to stare long enough into a Cantor’s eyes to find out for myself. Unlike most of the rest of his people, Mandrex had long black hair. Most Cantors had fine blond tresses like spun gold.

  Mandrex did have the most important attribute of the Cantors though—a set of huge, feathery wings, vast enough to support a male and, some said, a female as well, the rumor being that Cantors mated in flight. The feathers of Lord Mandrex’s wings were black instead of white or silver—another anomaly—and he kept them folded neatly at his back, wearing them rather like a