Obsession Untamed (Feral Warriors #2)(85)

“Brown eyes.”

She smiled at him. “Yours are green again.”

Emotion caught in his throat and he hauled her up until he could bury his face in her hair. “We did it, D. We did it.”

“Is he dead?”

“He is.” He blinked back the moisture blurring his vision and raised his head to meet her gaze as his brothers gathered around him, their hands slapping his now-healed shoulders in an outpouring of joyous relief.

Lyon stood at his elbow, his hand glued to Tighe’s shoulder, his eyes gleaming. “Damn, that was close. But you pulled it off. Brilliantly.”

Tighe just grinned.

Delaney wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled herself up in his arms, looking down at herself. “Uh, I know you can’t see a lot through the blanket of blood, but I need a shirt.”

Hawke tossed Lyon his own black silk shirt. As Lyon helped her into it, Delaney groaned.

“I can really do this myself. And I’m pretty sure I can stand. I feel fine.”

“I’m not letting you go,” Tighe growled. Ever. He met Lyon’s gaze. “I want the Shaman to look her over.”

“I was thinking the same.” Lyon turned. “Hawke, if you’ve still got a cell phone, call Wulfe and have him bring clothes, then call the Shaman and ask him to meet Tighe back at the house. We’ve got to get out of here before the humans come to investigate the gunshots.”

“What about the blood?” Delaney asked.

Lyon nodded. “I’ll call a Feral Circle. They’ll never see it. Then the rest of us are going draden hunting.” He turned to the others. “We’ve got to get that menace under control!”

As Lyon called a Feral Circle, and the others shifted back into their animals before any humans arrived, Tighe held Delaney against his heart.

He kissed her hair. “How do you feel?”

“Fine. Which makes no sense. I should be dead after what he did to me.”

Tighe smiled into her eyes, falling into the love shining in those dark depths, a love that stretched between them like an unbreakable cord. “When my soul returned to me, it passed through you, healing you.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It was the tiger’s idea. A damn fine spirit, that one.”

Delaney smiled. “I love you both.”

The tiger positively purred.

“It’s mutual, brown eyes. Both ways.” He brushed his forehead against hers.

“It’s really over?” she asked softly.

The rush of grief he felt rise in her nearly brought him to his knees.

She still meant to leave him.

He felt as if she were cutting out his heart. His excuses for keeping her here were all but gone. If the Shaman gave her a clean bill of health, he’d have no more reason not to cloud her mind, as he should easily be able to do now that the clone’s hold over her was gone. Taking her memories of this whole ordeal.

Taking her memories of him.

“D,” he said softly. He needed her. But somehow he had to convince her she needed him.

Chapter Thirty

“Tighe, I can walk.” Delaney tightened her hold on Tighe’s neck as he swung her through the front door of Feral House. “I feel fine.”

He’d been carrying her constantly since he lifted her off that pentagram, as if he were afraid to let her go.

“Not until the Shaman gives you a clean bill of health.”

“Stubborn man,” she muttered, loud enough for him to hear. But she kissed his cheek, softly, loving that he cherished her so.

Loving him.

How am I ever going to live without him?

A glad cry rang from high up the stairs, and Delaney looked up to see Kara running toward them, her face wreathed in joy. “You did it!” She wrapped them both in a big hug. “Lyon said you’d gotten him, but I had to see for myself.” Kara’s gaze swung to her. “Are you okay?” The uncomplicated friendliness in Kara’s eyes warmed her all over again.

“As I keep telling Tighe, I feel fine. But he refuses to let me down.”

Kara stepped back, a knowing smile lighting her eyes.

The sudden tightening of Tighe’s grip on her had her looking at him with question.

“What’s the matter?”

“Have you met Pink?”

“No, but Kara’s told me about her.” She knew Pink was their cook and housekeeper. And half-flamingo.

She felt the stiffness go out of his hands. “Good. Pink, come join us.”

Delaney turned to look down the hall, where the extraordinary creature walked slowly toward them. The size of a woman, she possessed a human-looking face and hands, but her legs were those of a flamingo. In place of skin, she was covered in pink feathers.

Kara had told her that Pink should have been a Feral many centuries ago, but the animal spirit had flown to her in the womb, just before the egg split, creating twins. And possibly destroying the animal spirit. Pink’s twin had been killed in an attempt to free the animal, but it hadn’t worked. So Pink kept house and cooked for the Ferals, safe from the prying eyes of humans.

“Let me down, Tighe. I want to greet her properly.”

With a grumble, he did, and Delaney turned to the unusual woman. “Hi, Pink. I’m Delaney.” She held out her hand. “Do you shake?”