Hunger Untamed (Feral Warriors #5)(47)

Lyon frowned but said nothing more. After half a minute, he rose slowly, dropped the pickaxes, and walked over to Melisande, the sledgehammer at his side. His gaze dropped to her missing feet, then back to her face. "I'm not entirely sure this isn't a good place for you." His tone, though dry, possessed a bite.

Melisande met his gaze, her chin lifting. A chin that dripped with tears. "I deserve that for attacking you in your home. But I thought Ariana was in trouble. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her. Nothing."

Lyon eyed her assessingly, then gave a brief nod. "Cover your face." Lifting the sledgehammer, he brought it down hard, slamming it onto the tile near Melisande's ankles. Chunks of crystal flew in every direction.

Ariana ducked her head against her knees against the flying debris.

Over and over, Lyon attacked the temple floor while Kougar and Jag continued to fight. While the poison inside Ariana fed.

Finally, the darkness inside her slunk back into the shadows, and she was able to draw a shaky breath of relief.

"It's enough," she said between strikes of Lyon's hammer.

Kougar and Jag pulled apart, Jag grinning as if he'd thoroughly enjoyed the fight. Kougar clasped the jaguar shifter's bloody, nearly healed shoulder, and together they strode to where Lyon worked. While Jag grabbed one of the pickaxes, Kougar continued to Ariana. He was a mess, flesh hanging from his cheek and shoulder, his chest and beard covered in blood. But in his eyes, she saw only concern for her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, squatting beside her.

"Yes. Are you?" She reached out, placing her hand on his bleeding chest, directly over his heart. "The poison . . ." What must this renewed attack, the flood of new poison, be doing to him?

He covered her hand and squeezed gently. "The pain in my chest isn't any worse than before. If anything, it's less."

"Why?" The pain should be worse, shouldn't it? More poison would just be eating away at his heart faster. Unless . . . "It's changed. Maybe this isn't the same poison he used before."

"You may be right. It may attack in another way this time. Or more silently." He studied her, pale eyes lingering on her mouth, his thumb tracing her lower lip, and she wondered if he'd wiped away a splatter of blood. "Either way, the original poison is still there, still eating away at my heart. I can feel it."

"Nothing's changed."

"Not in a good way, no." With a brush of her cheek, he rose and grabbed the last pickax.

Over and over, the three huge men broke away bits of the floor until finally Lyon was able to lift Melisande bodily, the solid ball of stone, crystals, and jewels still encasing her feet. He set her on the floor, holding her by one arm to steady her, and turned to Getrill.

"Are you the only ride out of here?"

"I'll call another."

A moment later, Brielle appeared beside her. Brielle's worried gaze took in Ariana's appearance, the bloody cuts that had yet to heal completely.

"I'm fine, Brie. I've suffered the punishment, but only a few of the memories have returned. I'm going back down there until I've retrieved the rest."

"We're going," Kougar corrected.

She met his gaze. "We're going." He refused to let her handle this alone, and yet, did she really want him to? If she were honest with herself, no. She turned back to Brielle. "I'll let you know when it's done."

Lyon grunted. "If you need help of any kind, the full might of the Feral Warriors is at your disposal, Queen of the Ilinas. Nothing is as important right now as helping you save our warriors."

"I understand."

Melisande eyed Kougar with a hard challenge. "If you let any harm come to her . . ."

"I won't."

Lyon picked up Melisande and slung her over his shoulder, ending the discussion.

Getrill took Lyon's arm as Brielle crossed to Jag and took his.

Jag grimaced. "Here goes nothing."

A moment later, the five were gone. In the sudden silence, sounds once more carried faintly through the newly sealed door. A dull pounding. A muffled shout. The hand caught in the door hung lifelessly, either severed by her magic or by the owner's own sword. She felt a moment's regret for catching the man in such a trap. But only a moment's. Not only did immortal hands regrow; but the sentinel would have killed any of them in a heartbeat if given the chance.

Kougar turned to her, his wounds all but healed, though he was still covered in blood. In his eyes, she saw concern and a fierce determination. "Are you ready to go back down there?" He bent and grabbed the shirt he'd discarded, hooking it over his shoulder.

"Yes." But as she pushed to her feet, she swayed, her strength all but gone.

Kougar swept her into his arms without discussion, and she didn't object. While the others' pain had fed the poison, it had done nothing to nourish her. She needed pleasure for that, her own or another's. If she were back in the human world, she'd dream hop, walking into men's dreams, stripping for them, playing with her own body as their hormones skyrocketed and their bodies grew hard and needy. Then she'd urge them to take themselves in hand and pleasure themselves as she siphoned off that sexual pleasure and grew stronger and stronger.

Long ago, she'd performed the acts on them herself, riding them in their dreams, drinking in their passion. But once she'd mated with Kougar, sexual acts with other men had ceased to bring her much pleasure. Kougar was the only one she'd wanted.