Passion Untamed (Feral Warriors #3)(46)

"What happened?"

"She would have been a Feral Warrior, though a decidedly nonpredatory one. The flamingos were always a weak line. When the last of the warriors died, the animal leaped to the strongest of that line. Unfortunately, he entered the fetus of a baby girl. A fetus that was about to split into twins."

"The animal became trapped?"

"Apparently. The girls were born half-flamingo, half-human. Pink's twin was killed in hopes the animal would be free to rejoin within Pink, but it didn't work. She's never believed any animal lived inside her. Apparently she's right."

"She can't shift?"

"No. She is as she's always been. She lives with the Ferals because even without her animal, she needs radiance to thrive."

"And she needs a safe place to live out of the sight of others."

Paenther nodded. "Yes."

A movement in the doorway had them both looking up. Tighe and his new mate strolled into the room. Delaney wore black pants and a white shirt, a gun strapped to her waist. Her sharp, dark gaze lit on Skye with interest.

Tighe's expression turned into a scowl. His arm slid around Delaney's waist. "Let's grab our breakfast and eat outside. It's a nice morning."

Skye looked down at her empty plate as if she'd been slapped. Again, Paenther found himself feeling bad for her. Whether or not the animosity was deserved, living with it so constantly had to be getting on her nerves. It was sure as hell getting on his.

Delaney turned to Tighe, her gaze utterly serious. "Is she that dangerous? Do you think she'll hurt me if I sit at the table with her?"

Tighe growled low in his throat. "If I thought she'd hurt you, she'd already be dead."

The woman's serious expression dissolved into a smile. "Then I'll eat in here. I'm curious about her."

Tighe frowned. "D...you're too damned curious about everything." But as Delaney slipped out of his hold, he let her go. "Don't touch her. They usually enchant through touch."

Paenther rose as he watched the woman approach, her manner forthright and fearless, interest to the point of excitement glittering in her eyes. She reached for the chair directly across from Skye, but Tighe nudged her down one. With a roll of her eyes, she turned to Paenther and thrust out her hand.

"Good morning, Paenther."

With amusement, he shook her hand. "Good morning, Delaney."

As Paenther greeted Tighe in the traditional manner, Delaney took her seat, leaning forward with her arms folded in front of her. The gaze she leveled on Skye was neither friendly nor antagonistic but purely assessing.

"We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Delaney Randall."

Paenther watched Skye meet the other woman's gaze with wariness and a touch of vulnerability that tugged at him. No doubt, she expected more animosity. But she lifted her chin and met Delaney's gaze head-on.

"I'm Skye."

"Do you have a last name?"

Skye shook her head. "There aren't enough Mage to warrant two names unless we live among the humans."

Delaney nodded, glancing at Tighe and Paenther as they took their seats. "Same with the Therians, right?"

Tighe's wary gaze moved between the two women, clearly reluctant to be drawn into this discussion.

Delaney's none-too-subtle jab of her elbow to his arm elicited a grunt from the warrior and a stiff reply. "Most Therians take two names because they do live and work among the humans. The Ferals don't."

Delaney's gaze swung to Tighe. "Then why does your driver's license say you're John Tighe?"

Tighe lifted a brow. "You've been in my wallet?"

She grinned at him. "I'm FBI. You know full well I'm snooping around every chance I get."

Tighe hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her close for a quick kiss to her temple.

"And I'm going to have to put up with this for eternity?" His voice was low, the look in his eyes full of such love that Paenther lost the last of his doubts about why his friend had taken the woman as his mate. Tighe had clearly found his match.

"We've all taken John as a first name for the purposes of the licenses. Among other aliases."

Delaney rolled her eyes. "It's a good thing I'm on your side, now. I'm learning way too much." She turned to Skye. "So, you're really a witch?"

"I'm a Mage, although female Mages are often called witches." Her mouth turned rueful. "Few of us have hooked noses with warts on the ends, though."

The touch of wry humor in her voice surprised him.

Delaney's eyes lit. "So you don't fly around on a broomstick?"

To his amazement, an answering smile twitched at the corners of Skye's mouth. "No broomsticks. Unfortunately, no flying. I wish I could fly."

"Me, too. What about that..." Delaney lifted her finger to the end of her nose and wiggled it.

The small burst of laughter, sweet and genuine, that erupted from Skye's throat almost seemed to startle her as much as it did Paenther.

"Bewitched!" The delight in Skye's eyes entranced him. "I loved that show when I was a little girl. The way Samantha could make things appear and disappear with the click of her fingers or a wiggle of her nose. Even Tabitha could do it!"