Hunger Untamed (Feral Warriors #5)(13)

She strode through the parking lot, her gaze skimming for movement, noting only a pair of young parents hurrying toward the Emergency Room with a feverish-looking toddler in arms. Ariana's inner radar had long ago become finely tuned to threats of any kind, but she sensed none. Not even the Feral who'd become the biggest threat of all. He wasn't anywhere near. Yet.

As she'd dressed for work two days ago, she'd discovered her name badge missing, and she was all too afraid she'd lost it in the Crystal Realm when Kougar attacked her. If she had, he'd found it. All she could do was hope that he wouldn't be able to use it to track her down since the hospital's name wasn't on it. But she felt far from safe.

Kougar was nothing if not determined.

For the past two days, she'd monitored the mating bond, seeking any sense of his drawing closer than normal, but she'd felt nothing. That didn't mean he wouldn't find her, only that he hadn't yet.

If she could just avoid him for the next week or two, until his friends caught in the spirit trap had died, she felt almost certain he'd go away and leave her alone again. Something inside her twisted at the callousness of that thought. The loss of so many Feral Warriors since she and Kougar had last been together was a tragedy. She'd known none of the shifters well, but Horse and the Wind had always treated her with kindness and even gratitude for the happiness she'd brought their friend. She was sorry she hadn't been there to save Horse when he'd been caught in that spirit trap with the others. Sadly, it was the very fact that she'd come into Kougar's life that had ensured she couldn't save his friends. The Mage would never have attacked the Ilinas if they hadn't feared that the Ilinas might join forces with the Ferals against them.

She unlocked the door of her ten-year-old beige sedan, climbed in, and tipped her head back against the seat. Slowly, she unwrapped the bandage that covered her right wrist and the silver cuff set with six blood red moonstones, a cuff that she'd worn since that day she'd tried too hard to save her maidens and taken too much poison, then lost it all. The moonstones shored up her defenses, keeping her from accidentally turning to mist. Her boss wasn't fond of the bandage but preferred it to her flashing the jewelry. It was a compromise they could both live with.

With the bandage off, she pulled on the cardigan she'd left on the front passenger seat against the night's chill, started the car, and headed home. Over the years, she'd purchased three different homes in the D.C. area, rotating between them, careful to change her home and identity every fifteen to twenty years so the humans wouldn't notice that she never aged.

Each of her houses was situated at the outer edge of where she could sense Kougar and draw strength from the bond that had never entirely been severed between them, at least on her side. She was careful to stay away from the Therian enclaves, where another immortal might spot her, though she doubted any would ever recognize her. Few Therians still lived who were over a thousand years old.

The drive to her current home, her favorite of the three, a small three-bedroom Cape Cod located in downtown Baltimore, took only ten minutes. She drove into the narrow drive and turned off the ignition, the sweet scent of spring flowers welcoming her as she stepped out of the car and made her way up the pavers to the front door.

Kougar's presence remained at a distance, not as far, perhaps, as Feral House in Northern Virginia, but a good distance, nonetheless.

All that mattered was that he wasn't here.

With another shrug, trying to loosen some of the tension in her neck and shoulders, she inserted the key into the lock and let herself into the dark living room. The streetlights illuminated furniture and shadows, revealing nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing moved. No sound carried to her ears. But as she closed the door behind her, a faint tingle pricked her skin, tripping her pulse. Telling her she was being watched.

Her breath caught. She wasn't alone.

But even as the adrenaline surged, her mind calmed. Even without her Ilina's energy, she was stronger than a human woman, equal in strength to any human male. And after a thousand years, her hand-to-hand combat skills were excellent. She could handle him, whoever he was. Because he wasn't Kougar.

The intruder moved, faster than any human.

Shit.

She grabbed for her bracelet, to escape back to the Crystal Realm. Before she could reach it, an iron-strong hand clamped around her wrist, yanking it away from her body as a second snagged her other wrist.

He was too strong. Too fast. Too big.

Feral Warrior.

Crap, crap, crap. Damn Kougar. He'd known she'd be able to sense him and had sent another in his place.

With a swift backward kick, she slammed her heel into her assailant's knee and might as well have hit a brick wall.

"Do your worst, Sugar."

She slammed her head back, hoping to hit his nose, but he was too tall and she barely clipped his chin. "Where's Kougar?"

"On his way."

Double shit. She tried to twist out of his grasp, and for a moment thought she was succeeding until she realized he'd used her own momentum against her. Before she could stop him, he picked her up and pushed her against the nearest wall, wrenching one hand wide from her body. She'd forgotten how strong the Ferals were!

The cold bite of steel snicked around the wrist of her outstretched arm. And though she struggled, her second wrist quickly met the same fate. And then he was gone.