Passion Untamed (Feral Warriors #3)(51)

Son of a bitch.

His line of sight dropped as he shifted into his animal form, a large, full-maned African lion.

One of the Guards crowed. "Brilliant!"

What the hell? Tighe's voice roared in his head. I just shifted. And I can't shift back!

Lyon growled angrily from his lion's throat. That witch has got to go.

"Tighe!" Delaney's voice rang down the stairs. As the huge tiger ran into the foyer, his mate raced toward them.

"I just saw Paenther and Skye out our window. He's carrying her off through the backyard, his hand over her mouth. She's struggling."

Something's seriously screwed up here, Tighe muttered.

Lyon had to agree. Olivia, I'd appreciate it if you'd stick around. We may need you. To Tighe he said, Let's go.

Delaney ran for the back door and threw it open, then stood back as Lyon ran through, the tiger close behind him. As he ran into the yard, he called to his mate.

Kara, lock the doors and stay in the house. We've got a problem.

He heard her groan. I wish I could say that's a surprise. Be careful, Lyon.

Always, little Radiant.

Through the trees, he caught a flash of color. Paenther and the witch. As Delaney said, it appeared Paenther was dragging her against her will.

The little witch bitch is at it again, Jag drawled, joining them in his jaguar form.

Where's Foxx?

He left for the store a little while ago. Hopefully, he was out of reach of that blast.

Lyon had to agree.

The cats ran on all fours, their sleek animal bodies eating up the distance in a handful of seconds. It was rare for Lyon to run free in his full lion form, and the power of its body filled him with a rush rivaled only by the joy he found in Kara's arms.

The cats circled around the fleeing pair and cut them off. Stop, B.P., Lyon demanded, but the Feral only tried to push around him. Paenther!

His eyes don't look right, Roar, Tighe said.

And they didn't. They were unfocused. Paenther was almost certainly enthralled. Yet the witch wasn't leading him away. Instead, she seemed to be fighting him with every ounce of strength she possessed. When had his well-ordered world turned into such a mire of chaos?

We're going to have to take him down, he told Tighe. Don't kill her until I know what she's done to him.

Agreed.

As Tighe blocked Paenther's escape, snapping and growling, Lyon circled around. Bunching his powerful lion's muscles, he took a running leap, hitting Paenther full in the back with his forepaws, then flinging himself sideways before he could injure his friend.

The witch rolled free.

Kara, love, we need rope. Olivia, we're going to need your help.

As Paenther hit the ground, the massive tiger leaped on him, pressing him down with his weight.

The witch rose and backed away.

Delaney, don't let her escape. Shoot her if you have to. Lyon speared the witch with his lion's gaze. What have you done? Why can't we shift back?

The Mage shook her dark head, her blue eyes wide and confused. "I don't know."

You're failing the test, witch. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now.

Tears glittered in her eyes as her hands lifted in a helpless gesture, then dropped to her sides. "I can't."

The wrenching honesty of her whispered words combined with her courage in the face of his threat stayed his hand and saved her life.

But for how long, he didn't know.

Skye stood at the door of her cage, her temple resting against the cold steel as she watched Paenther in the cage across from hers with pained eyes. He was standing in the middle of the cell, vibrating with fury.

"Release me!" he shouted, but in his eyes she could still see the fog of Birik's enthrallment.

It had taken all three of the Therians, Delaney and Kara, and the four shape-shifters in their animal forms to wrestle Paenther into the house, back to the prisons, and into his cage. His clothes were torn and bloody, though the wounds from the cats' teeth and claws had already healed.

Outside the prison cells, the huge cats paced.

The Therians had left a short while ago when Wulfe, Hawke, and Kougar returned. Now the three Ferals stood eyeing the scene with grim expressions.

Lyon came to stand in front of her, his magnificent, maned head shaking back and forth, the anger rolling off him in waves.

If you value your life or his, tell me everything that happened, witch.

Skye straightened, meeting the lion's amber gaze and did as he asked, telling him all she knew. "All I could think to do was call to your animals."

"So that's why the yard suddenly filled with birds," Delaney said. She was standing beside the tiger, stroking his fur. "It looked like something out of a creeper movie."

Skye looked at the lion. "I'd hoped your animals would hear me so you could stop him. I don't know why calling you would make you shift."

Delaney released the tiger and started toward her, but the tiger swung his head, blocking her way.

"Tighe." Delaney groaned. "Can't you reverse it, Skye?"

"I've tried everything I know to do. I sent the other animals away, but doing so had no effect on the Ferals."

Even her gift had turned on her.

Paenther heard the voices as if from a distance interspersed with the growls and roars of the Ferals' animals.