Ecstasy Untamed (Feral Warriors #6)(46)

"I'm sorry I told you not to touch me earlier," she said softly. "Those weren't my words. I wanted nothing more than to throw myself into your arms." She swallowed. "But he wouldn't let me."

"My arms are always open to you." His words were low, soft, as his gaze caressed her sweet face.

As he watched, a soft smile curved her mouth even as her eyes began to glitter with unshed tears. They reached for one another simultaneously, Faith launching herself at him and he sweeping her up until she was eye level. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck, and pressed her cheek to his.

"I've needed this." Her voice was thick with tears. "I've needed you."

Hawke closed his eyes against the pummeling emotions - the fierce tenderness, the terrible protectiveness. The breath-stealing joy of holding her without guilt, at last.

Her mouth brushed his cheek, a soft kiss that sent heat spiraling through his blood. She kissed his cheekbone, then pulled back until their gazes caught, sparks igniting.

They met halfway, their mouths colliding in a savagely gentle, passionate melding that sent his senses spinning and his body hardening. Her scent intoxicated, her lips tasted like sweet berries. With one hand, he held her to him while the other dove into her soft-as-silk hair, curving around her small, precious head, claiming her. His pulse raced, the kiss grew frantic as he caressed, licked, nipped at her mouth, reveling in the feel of those soft lips, drowning in the passion that rushed over him.

With a sweep of his tongue, he parted her lips, then slid inside, pulling a moan from her throat that only inflamed him more. She tasted like raspberries as their tongues slid against one another in a sensuous dance that had his blood pounding. Never had anything felt as right as holding Faith. As kissing Faith.

He pulled back a fraction, delighting in her low sound of distress until he brushed his lips over her cheek, her eye, her temple, tasting her, drinking in the sweet scent of her. But it was her kiss he needed, her mouth he would die for.

"Olivia!"

The pounding on the door had them breaking apart, pulses races, breaths coming hard and fast. He set Faith down, but held her against him, shaking his head, trying to clear it of the wool. Goddess, the house could have burned, and he wasn't sure he'd have noticed.

"Open up or we're going to break the door down!"

Shit. They were going to let the damned draden in. He grabbed Faith's hand and ran for Lyon's office and the closest stash of full-sized swords. The draden would be drawn to Kara, and while she could go radiant and save herself, Faith would be in terrible danger. Possibly Delaney, too. So far, the draden had had little interest in the ex - FBI agent since she wasn't Therian. But she carried a Therian babe in her womb. He wasn't risking it. Paenther had gotten Skye and her Mage eyes out of there a couple of days ago. Smart man. If only they'd sent the rest of the women with her.

Unless he shifted, he, too, was going to be a sitting duck for those life-sucking fiends. He glanced at Faith, releasing her to grab a pair of short swords. "Can you wield a weapon?"

A half smile, half grimace met him. "No. But I'm pretty good with my fists. Against humans."

"Too bad these aren't humans." He handed her one of the short swords anyway. "I want you out of the way when the fighting starts. But you have a weapon in case you need it."

"You're pretty sure they're going to get in."

"I'm positive they'll get in. This house was never built to defend against Feral Warriors." When they were back in the foyer, he kissed her again, a quick peck this time, and released her at the base of the stairs. "Wait here."

He returned to the peephole just as Polaris put his head down and ran at the door, slamming into it shoulder first. The entire front of the house rattled with the force of the blow. The steel-reinforced door held. For the moment. He needed to get the women in one of the cars, but that meant leaving through the back door. With their superior hearing, the new Ferals would be on them long before they could reach the cars to make a clean getaway.

Polaris made another run at the door, rattling the windows and sending the chandelier into an awkward sway.

Olivia returned from the dining room, pain creasing her features. "Is that Polaris?"

"Yes. Any sign of others?"

"No, none. Why are they here instead of fighting the other Ferals? To kill you?"

"They're not here for me. Certainly not just me." Hawke's jaw clenched. "They're Ferals. There's only one thing they absolutely need to survive."

Olivia grimaced. "Radiance. Kara."

Hawke nodded. "That's not to say they don't also want to kill me and steal Feral House. But, yes. They're going to need Kara. Sooner or later, they're going to break in, and the draden will follow. We've got to get out."

Xavier strode into the hallway. "Dude. Are we under attack or something?"

Hawke nodded before catching himself. The kid couldn't see a nod. "We are. I need you and Pink to hide. She'll know where. Now, Xavier. Quickly." The two would be safe from the draden. Pink was, for all practical purposes, always in her animal. And Xavier was human. Neither attracted the draden, and both should be safe enough from the new Ferals. Hawke's jaw clenched. He and Kara were likely the only targets, if for different reasons. Remove Kara from the equation, and even if they overpowered him or sent him shifting and flying away, the attackers wouldn't stay long.