Desire Untamed (Feral Warriors #1)(81)

"Kara." The sound of her name from Lyon's lips was the sweetest she'd ever heard.

"You're alive," Kara gasped. She was glowing too brightly to be able to see him.

She felt his hands sliding up her hips, their grip weak. "Passion and pain," he whispered. "Blood and sex."

"Sex." My God, how was she to do it with him when he was barely alive? But as she tried to scoot past his loins, she came upon a massive, hard erection. "Gotcha."

She rose onto her knees, pulled the dress to her waist, and took him deep inside her again. As she rode him, she grabbed the knife, cut her palms and reached for his chest, clasping her hands to his own still-open cuts.

Mind spinning, she remembered how he'd had her pull the radiance as she came. With an effort, she released the glow and let her skin go dark as she pressed down on him, released him, then pressed down again. Lyon's hands fell from her hips.

Her heart clutched. She shouldn't have released the radiance. He needed the power and now he was too weak.

"Lyon, kiss me. Make me come." She leaned low and covered his mouth with hers, sliding her tongue between his lips.

She felt him stir, felt the gentle slide of his tongue and the almost instantaneous face of fire to her core. She kissed him, rode him, pressed her bloody hands to his open chest and rose, gasping with the growing pressure between her legs. Cresting.

As the orgasm exploded, she reared up, pulling the power harder than she ever had before. Light flared, lighting the entire backyard, turning night today.

Strong hands gripped her hips. "Kara," Lyon groaned, taking over, pushing hard inside her. "Goddess, but I love you." He thrust into her until she came again, screaming. And suddenly the man beneath her began to change.

With a gasp, Kara dove sideways into the grass and watched as the man she loved turned into the king of beasts, an exquisite, full-maned lion. He rolled onto his feet and shook, then looked at her, joy and love shining in the amber eyes she'd come to know so well. She scrambled to her feet and ran her hands through his mane.

"We're going in together."

He shook his massive head, but she ignored him and climbed onto his back. "You told me you were never leaving me behind again. I'm taking you at your word. Besides, I'm not helpless, in case you hadn't noticed. This is my fight, too. And your men may need my help."

The lion beneath her lifted his head and gave a roar that shook the ground and could have crumbled less sturdy buildings, but when his emotions washed over her, she felt the strength and warmth of his pride in her. And his love.

Kara patted his lion's shoulder. "Let's kill us a witch, my heart." Grabbing tight hold of his mane, she held on as he bounded forward and leaped through the mangled remains of the doors, to the deep bowels of Feral House. And into the heart of the battle.

Kara took in the scene of devastation in the dim, smoky dungeon. Horror ripped along her spine at the sight of three strong Feral bodies littering the floor, headless.

Bloodless.

Not Ferals. Clones. Thank God.

Zaphene stood back from the action, dressed much as she'd been the first time Kara saw her, in a slinky dress and high, strappy heels, her red hair loose and stylish, her gaze locked on Kara with malice and dismay. A chill rippled over Kara's flesh, the icy shadow of remembered terror as she met the witch's copper-ringed eyes.

Her pulse skittered, her body flushed cold, then hot as fury slowly overtook the fear. This woman, this… thing… threatened everything she'd come to hold dear. Lyon. The other Ferals. The world.

And Kara wasn't helpless anymore.

"Get them!" Zaphene shrieked at the clones. "I want them alive."

Kara's quick gaze scanned the room, looking for Vhyper, remembering now, all too well, how he'd strung her up and stripped her down, then directed the clones to shove the blades deep inside her. Her courage steadied as she saw no sign of him.

Jag and Paenther were engaged in battle with two clones each. Tighe was nowhere to be seen. But at the sight of their leader returned, the two great cats let out long, feral cries.

Kara could almost feel their gladness and the leaping of their spirits.

As she watched, Paenther flew at one of the clones, taking a blade deep in his gut as the second clone rushed him.

Beneath her, Lyon's muscles bunched. Get down, little one. Lyon's voice sounded in her head. Be safe.

She slid quickly off his back and watched him join Paenther. With a single, massive paw, he knocked Kougar back, then leaped on him, grabbing the Feral's head with his massive jaws and ripped it clean off his body.

The violence of the act sent shock jangling along her nerve endings until the startling absence of blood jerked her back to her senses. Not Kougar. Draden clone.

As the Wulfe clone beat off Lyon with a sword, Kara saw a flash of blue and turned to see Zaphene hurrying toward the door.

"The witch! She's escaping."

Paenther lunged after her, leaving Lyon to battle the Wulfe clone.

Kara turned to find Jag battling valiantly, but the two clones were getting the better of him, Jag's fur was matted with blood, one hip partly cleaved from his body. He needed help.

While one clone, a draden who looked exactly like Lyon, hacked at the sleek animal, the other attempted to avoid Jag's raking claws and tie him with a thick rope. Her heart fought with her mind as she watched the twin of the man she loved attacking this animal she knew to be a friend. When a vicious swipe of the Sword nearly took off Jag's other hind leg, she moved, fury sweeping caution to the winds. That cat was hers. They weren't going to harm him.