Free Hunger Untamed by Pamela Palmer Page B

the door behind them, two large men strode into the foyer, each eyeing her with surprise and no small amount of curiosity. One was badly scarred and huge. The other, a man with a tawny mane and nice clothes, gave off an air of command that made her suspect he was one of the leaders of the warriors. And they were definitely Feral Warriors. Even if she weren't in Feral House, she'd know that the men were shifters by the sheer, raw power they exuded.
    Jag descended one of the twin stairs, a petite redheaded woman at his side. He gave a grunt as his gaze landed on Ariana. "Already bringing her home to meet the family?" His brows drew together as he stared at her. "What's with the neon baby blues? I'd have noticed eyes like that."
    Kougar ignored him, ushering her toward the nearest hallway. The men followed, the one she'd nailed as one of the leaders calling out, "War room. Now!"
    Moments later, Kougar propelled her into a large wood-paneled room with a huge conference table ringed by upholstered executive-type chairs. The rips in the cushions of a couple of the chairs and the occasional cracks and dents in the wall paneling gave telling evidence that this particular office space belonged to men who were not quite civilized.
    Kougar pulled out a chair for her, then shoved her into it, reminding her that his anger was alive and well. She felt his anger like a physical ache that lodged itself between her shoulder blades, right where she imagined he'd like to stab her.
    When Kougar took the seat beside her, she glanced at him in surprise. She would have thought the chief would stand at the front of the room, but perhaps their ways were different. As the others followed them into the room, she saw it was the man with the tawny mane and rust silk shirt who took that place. A man who wore the mantle of leadership like a comfortable cloak.
    Her palms were sweating, but there was nothing she could do about it with her wrists bound together. Nothing but wait for Kougar to rip her world to shreds.
    She glanced at him stonily. "When did you stop being chief?"
    Kougar's eyes were cold when he met her gaze. "The day I lost my mate."
    Ariana stared at him, his words sinking in slowly. The death of one's mate was known to cripple many an immortal, but because of Melisande's intervention, she'd never suffered unduly from the severing of the mating bond. She'd assumed Kougar hadn't either. He'd been a strong, natural leader back in those days. What must she have done to him, for him to have been unable to continue? Her stomach gave an involuntary cramp. She'd never considered she might have injured him like that.
    Goddess, they'd hurt one another in so many ways.
    And he was about to hurt her all over again.
    She leaned toward him, gritting her teeth. "Don't do this, Kougar. Let me go."
    He met her gaze, his eyes like flint, then turned away.
    "Damn you." She clenched her hands into fists, watching as others filed into the room, recognizing none of them from the old days. Jag and the redhead entered first, followed by a bald Feral with what appeared to be a snake earring hanging from one lobe and a viper's head armband curving around his upper arm.
    As a tall, dark-haired woman walked in, grief and battle in her eyes, the chief greeted her, compassion in his voice. "Delaney."
    The woman gave a nod. "Lyon."
    All took their seats around the table, each eyeing her with avid curiosity. Was it so unusual for them to bring a stranger into their midst?
    "Where are the others?" she asked Kougar softly.
    "Paenther's the only one not here."
    Goddess, no wonder they were so desperate to retrieve the two from the spirit trap. He'd said their numbers had dwindled, but the evidence was shocking. Five Feral Warriors in this room when once there had been more than two dozen.
    "The Wind?"
    "Dead. His son is one of those in the spirit trap."
    The breath went out of her with the unwelcome ache at the losses he'd suffered. "I'm sorry."
    When everyone had taken a