A Love Untamed (Feral Warriors #7)(15)

The black-haired male nodded, led him into the empty war room, and closed the door.

“This is probably as useless as a chocolate teapot,” Fox began. “But I’ve always been a bit of an intuitive, and my gut’s offered me a truth.”

Paenther’s eyes sharpened, making Fox feel pressure to give him a gem. If only he had one. “West Virginia,” he blurted. “That’s it. Nothing more specific.”

The male stared at him, his eyes narrowing. “The Cub, your predecessor, had almost the same intuition, only with him it was the mountains of western Virginia. He led me straight into Mage captivity.”

Feck.

“He also led me straight to Vhyper, whom we’d been searching for.”

“The fox line has always been intuitive.”

Paenther nodded. “Sly’s intuition was sporadic, but when it was on, it was dead right.”

“Another of my predecessors?”

“The one before the Cub.” Paenther eyed Fox shrewdly. “Do you think Kara’s in West Virginia?”

“I’ve no idea. Maybe it’s a West Virginia license plate we should be looking for. Or it might be the home of my next girlfriend.” He shrugged. “It’s likely nothing useful at all, but I thought I should let someone know.”

Paenther eyed him shrewdly. “And not create chaos.” Which would surely happen if Lyon thought there was a chance that he knew where Kara was. “I’ll have our allies focus their attention on West Virginia.”

“Paenther . . .” He didn’t want to make too much of this.

Lyon’s second clasped Fox on the shoulder. “At least for now. It’s something, Fox, when we’ve had nothing at all.”

And if it turned out to be the useless fluff it probably was?

They wouldn’t be any closer to finding Kara.

Chapter Four

Three hours later, after an intense workout in the gym beneath the house, Fox strode toward the stairs, sweat soaking his hair, his T-shirt plastered to his chest. Jag and Tighe had been working with him on his shifting, which he still didn’t have under control. He could shift into his fox without much trouble or concentration, but the size he ended up was the problem. While many of the cat Ferals could downsize their animals, making it possible for them to pass themselves off as housecats, Fox tended to shift straight to supersize. A fox the size of a Great Dane wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in battle, but it was a bit problematic if he had to shift anywhere near humans. The bottom line was, he needed to be able to control the shift, to be able to move in and out of his animal form smoothly, in the size he needed, without thought or effort. Especially with them on the verge of war.

And right now he couldn’t.

Wulfe strode in the front door, looking as exhausted as he probably felt. “Any news?” Wulfe was one of the biggest of the Ferals, second only to Grizz, his face a mask of scars.

“Nothing.” Fox wasn’t about to mention West Virginia. “You’ve been searching?”

“Tracking with my nose, yes. I was hoping to pick up a familiar scent, even just a Mage scent, but I found nothing. Lots of humans. I couldn’t even scent the Mage who must have dragged Kara and Lynks into the vehicle.”

“Makes you wonder how much Lynks struggled, doesn’t it?”

Wulfe nodded. “Makes me wonder if he’s the one who took her.”

Fox frowned. “Maybe he was.” He told Wulfe about Hawke’s revelation, that the new Ferals were all the best or the worst. “So even if he was cleared of the dark magic, if he had a black soul . . .”

“Dammit to hell,” Wulfe muttered. “Unfortunately, this doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t help us find her.”

The scent of pine wafted through the foyer, and a moment later, two Ilinas materialized not six feet away. Fox’s wayward pulse lifted, then settled again when he saw that neither was Melisande.

The taller of the two caught sight of Wulfe and gasped, her eyes widening with something akin to revulsion. Wulfe scowled, turned, and started up the stairs.

“Cressida!” the other one hissed.

“Sorry, Phylicia!” Cressida grimaced. “He startled me. How does he have scars like that? Is he not immortal?”

“He’s immortal,” Fox assured them, though he’d wondered the same about Wulfe. He turned on his charmer’s smile. “And what can I do for you lovely ladies?” He’d seen Phylicia in the prisons a couple of mornings ago. Kougar had called her to attempt to clear Grizz of the darkness in the traditional, carnal, way. It had failed, though the attempt had steamed up the underground chambers.

Phylicia had watched Fox hungrily then, as she was now. Sex sirens, Kougar called them. Some, not all. As Fox eyed Phylicia’s sleeveless tunic, which revealed more lush, lovely curves than it hid, he believed it. With her raven hair falling to her waist and her eyes the inhumanly bright blue of most Ilinas, she was a beauty, to be sure.

But it was another Ilina he longed to see. A blonde with sapphire eyes.

Phylicia met his smile with a sultry one of her own and sidled up to him. “I was hoping I’d run into you.” She slid her hand up his damp chest, the invitation in her eyes neon bright.

“Were you now?” He grinned, in his element. “And did you come just to see me, lovely one?”