Desire Untamed (Feral Warriors #1)(31)

Hell yeah. Lyon scowled. "Start acting worthy of her. It won't take much to win her over if you use some kindness and your usual brand of humor. No more barbarian tactics."

"A little hard to win her over when you're pushing her off on other men. I saw Kara leave with Hawke."

"He's going to prep her for the Ascension."

A sharp light entered Vhyper's eyes. Something a little cruel. "You don't think she'd welcome my help right now?"

"No. I don't. And stay away from Zaphene. I don't want a war starting between you and Foxx. I've seen enough fangs the past couple of days. Find your control, Vhyper, and hang on to it."

Vhyper stared at him. "And what about your control, Chief? The control that slipped so badly you couldn't keep your hands off the woman you were preparing to find her mate? Are you staying away from her yourself?"

Lyon's fingers tingled. He clenched his fists harder and nodded. "I am."

* * *

Chapter Nine

Kara stared down at the rushing water far below as the Potomac River pounded over the rocks that littered its path. The falls, they called it. Great Falls. She'd envisioned Niagara or some other 'vertical drop of water. Instead, these falls were horizontal, a rip-roaring rapids ride for any soul brave enough to try.

Great Falls was, she knew now, in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, in heavily populated Fairfax County. Yet out on the rocks like this, she felt nearly isolated but for the smattering of multimillion-dollar homes dotting the woods nearby. The place had a wild, untamed quality to it she wouldn't have expected to find so close to the nation's capital.

The drive from Feral House had taken little more than five minutes along winding, hilly, two-lane roads through dense woods, roads crowded with expensive cars, minivans, and high-dollar SUVs. Hawke had parked his car on an upscale residential street a short walk through the woods from this spot.

Oddly, or maybe not so oddly, her paralyzing fear had slowly ebbed as they'd driven farther from the house. The fear wasn't entirely gone, but had dulled to the level of dread she'd experienced yesterday, leaving her with an inner certainty something was wrong, even if she no longer felt she was in imminent danger.

Something or someone in that house meant her harm.

Lyon insisted otherwise. He said she was perfectly safe, but she wasn't. She hated Feral House. Hated feeling so scared all the time.

Lyon said she had to stay, but she couldn't. And Lyon wasn't here to stop her this time.

Hawke sat cross-legged on the wide, flat rock high above the rushing water he'd led her down to and held out his hand to her.

"Sit, Kara. It's important the Earth learn you."

"Learn me?"

He took her hand and pulled her down to sit facing him. Their knees almost touched. "You are the focal point, if you will, of the Earth's energies. The Radiant is the one through whom the Earth's power flows, the power that strengthens all Therians, particularly the Ferals."

"Are you talking about literal power or something more spiritual?" Her gaze caught on a bald eagle flying high over the water, his white head and tail flashing in the sunlight.

"Literal. You'll be the conduit, once we get you ascended."

But they wouldn't get her ascended. Not if she had any say in it. They were going to have to find another way this time. They were strong. Virtually immortal. There had to be another way.

"You're trembling, Kara."

If he thought this was trembling, he should have seen her last night. But clearly she wasn't as calm as she thought. It was best if he didn't know why.

"I… um… will the Ascension hurt?" As good a reason for her jitters as any, she supposed. At least she hoped he thought so.

"Not much. All our rituals require a little bloodletting from each of us, and the Ascension is no different. But the cuts will be shallow. You'll be fully healed before the ritual is over."

She gave him a wry look. "Easy for you to say." A memory surfaced from one of her nightmares, then disappeared, but not before she felt the stabbing pain of a knife piercing her abdomen. A hard shudder went through her.

Hawke put his hand on her arm. "It won't be bad, Kara. I promise. We'll all be cut right along with you. One of the hazards of being marked by the goddess." Hawke smiled and shrugged. "To tell you the truth, this will be my first Ascension, too. I was marked about the same time as Beatrice, but I didn't find my way to Feral House until after she was ascended."

The cool wind breezed over Kara's face, pulling a lock of hair loose from her ponytail. She tucked it behind her ear. "Then why did Lyon choose you to prepare me if you've never done this before?"

Hawke smiled, but his smile seemed directed inward. "I understand what has to be done. Until Foxx was marked, I was the youngest of the Ferals. I've spent a lot of time learning everything I can about our race, our powers, our rituals. I sometimes think I know more than any of them, even though they've been around much longer. I know what to do." He shrugged, a self-deprecating smile forming on his mouth. "I'm a natural student. I used to be a teacher."

He'd finally caught Kara's full attention. "Me, too. Did you teach children?"

"Yes, but Therian children are rare, so I never had more than one pupil at a time."