“What?”Ravikasked and both of them looked at her through the clear barrier.
She took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that threatened just behind her eyes.
“I said, would you do it for me,Ravik?”she repeated.“Becausethe need inside me is…is tearing me apart.”Sheput a hand to her heart, unable to stop the tears from coming now.“Youdon’t know what it’s been like, being separated from the two of you,” she said, and her voice came out sounding broken.“Ifeel soemptyinside…sothirsty…”
She stopped then, because she couldn’t go on.Thesobs overtook her, tearing out of her chest from the deepest, loneliest place inside her.
“I just…just want to feel the two of you holding me again,” she managed to get out at last.“Please,Ineed you…need youboth.”
She buried her face in her hands, hating to be so weak in front of them.Butshe couldn’t help herself.Theneed was riding her hard—like a cruel master with a whip.Shehadn’t known how much she needed both of the bigKindredon the other side of the clear barrier until she was separated from their touch…from their scents.
All this time she’d been holding out hope that they would be released from quarantine and allowed to be together again but nowRavikwas saying it was never going to happen and she just couldn’t take it!
“Gods, sweetheart—I’mso sorry,” she heardSeverinsay.Ravikwas silent, though.
He probably got up and left,Cassiethought, sobbing harder.Hedoesn’t want anything to do with this because he’s so damn scared of looking gay or sharing or whatever the problem is!
The thought made her mad—mad enough to look up and she saw, to her surprise, that the bigBeastKindredwas still there, sitting on a stool besideSeverinon the other side of the barrier.
“You know,Idon’t know why you won’t eventry,”she snapped at him.“Areyouthatafraid of being anywhere near another guy—even your own best friend?”
“It’s not just being near me sexually that’s bothering him,”Severinsaid in a low voice.“Youdon’t understand the stigma around sharing a mate—especially in theBeastKindredculture.It’seven worse than being a lover of males—though it carries that connotation too,” he added.
She shook her head.
“ButTwinKindredshare mates all the time.”
“Because they are biologically programmed to—they can’t physically reproduce otherwise,”Severinsaid.“Also, because they’re brothers, they don’t touch each other sexually—they only tend to their mate.”
“Oh, so no one thinks they’re gay,Iguess,”Cassiesaid dully.Sheglared atRavik.“It’sthe twenty-first century, you know.Peopleare fine with other people being gay now.Well,mostpeople are, anyway,” she amended.“Andif you’re so afraid of sharing me withSeverinthat you’ll let me suffer and refuse to help make the vaccine?—”
“I’ll do it.”Hisvoice was so low it barely registered in her brain.
“I mean,I’mthe one who’s going to be a real-life hucow, you know!”she went on, her sorrow turning to rage.Sheswiped at her eyes.“They’regoing to hook me up to a freaking milking machine but oh, no—you’rethe injured party because you andSeverinrubbed pee-pees together one time and you might have to do it again!Youcan’t even?—”
“I said,I’llfucking do it!”Ravikraised his voice to a roar and it finally broke through to her.
She stopped talking abruptly and stared at him.
“What?”she asked at last, afraid she hadn’t heard him right.
He frowned at her, his golden eyes blazing.
“I’ll do it.I’llgo with you toCherubinThree.I’lleven share you withSevif you need me to.Hell,I’llsuck his cock or let him suck mine, if that’s what it takes to cure you.BecauseIcare about you—because you’re my mate.Atleast in here.”Hepounded himself on the chest.
Cassie’s mouth went dry.
“Ravik,Idon’t know what to say.”
“Don’t fucking say anything, becauseI’mnot done yet.”Hepointed a finger at her through the glass.“Becauseafter that—after the vaccine is made and everybody’s cured—the three of us are going our separate ways.”
Severin looked troubled.
“Ravik—” he began but theBeastKindredheld up a hand to stop him.
“No—Idon’t to hear it.Idon’t want to hear another fucking word about it.Don’ttry to talk to me orImight change my mind.”
He got off the stool and stalked away, his broad shoulders tight with anger.
