Page 52 of Queen Takes Triune

This dress had simple but elegant lines, falling from an empire waist with a hi-lo hem so I didn’t have any issues stepping on the gown in the front, but the train was long enough to drag behind me. The small cap sleeves continued the look of an historic gown.

Though no lady would have gone out in a mostly transparent dress. Certainly not without anything else on beneath it.

Mehen tugged harder on the material and something popped. I narrowed a hard look on him. “I like this dress. It probably cost a fortune.”

“I like it too.” His eyes glittered in the moonlight, spinning green fire. “But I’d like it better if I could shred it off of you with my teeth.”

“Why should you get the fucking honor of ripping our queen’s dress off?” Ezra growled, stepping closer despite the look of malice that Mehen shot him. Xin let out a low, rattling snarl as the other man neared. “I’ve got teeth too, motherfucker.”

“All of us have teeth, you idiots.” Guillaume’s voice rang in the night like a general ordering his troops to war. Usually he was the seasoned voice of reason, but tonight he strode into the fray and actually cracked Mehen’s and Ezra’s heads together so hard that I winced.

“Nobody cares aboutyourteeth, plow horse,” Mehen retorted back, completely unfazed.

Ezra even managed a sneer at him. “I’d love to see you try to get her dress off with hooves instead of claws.”

Mehen snorted. “Me too.”

I stood and planted my hands on my hips, glaring at each of them. “What the fuck is wrong with you guys? You never bicker like this. Well, you don’t, G.”

My Templar knight drew himself up and squared his shoulders. “Fucking full moon madness, my queen. My apologies.”

I looked around at my Blood one by one. They’d all crept closer to me, subtly pushing at each other and jostling for position, though only Xin, Mehen, Ezra, and Rik were close enough for me to touch. “We’ve had full moons before.”

“Sure,” G replied tersely. “But we’ve never been outsidebeneaththe full moon, other than Christmas Eve.”

“And you know how that fucking went,” Mehen added.

Yeah. I sure did.

I reached up behind me and slowly lowered the zipper of my gown. The metallic sound was loud, broken only by my Bloods’ heaving breathing. Slipping from my body, the gown puddled on the ground at my feet.

“Mother of Goddesses,” Mehen whispered, his voice reverent.

“Amen,” Ezra said.

Even Rik, my steady, constant alpha looked like his rock troll had piledrived him into the ground.

I shook my hair back off my shoulders. “Who’s first?”

16

Shara

Iexpected a mad scramble toward me. Some grabbing, slinging me around, and some frantic, hard fucking. Sign me the fuck up for that.

I didn’t expect them to turn on each other.

Mehen seized Ezra and sank his fangs into the man’s arm hard enough my bear roared with fury. He promptly twisted around and swiped his hand across my dragon’s neck. Partially shifted, his claws shredded Mehen’s throat open.

Not to be outdone, Xin shifted fully to his wolf, clamped powerful jaws on the back of Ezra’s neck, and shook him like a rag doll.

My mouth fell open with horror. They’d never fought each other like this. Like they were seriously going to kill each other.

Teeth. Claws. Fur. The thick, raw scent of blood.

The smell of them was thick in the air. Feral and rank and so fucking hot I couldn’t focus enough to draw my power and command them to cease their fights.

It was too fucking incredible. Horrible, but compelling. I couldn’t look away as they rolled and clawed and tore each other to shreds.