Free Rage to Adore by Cara Lake Page A

convinced of his anger. But his eyes—oh Gaia—his eyes! She would never
forget the beauty of those silver mercury eyes and the desire sparking to
intensity the indigo darkness surrounding those molten irises. There had to be
a reason for his actions.
    She remembered his confession in the gardens, that his
passions ran deep and he feared to lose control. Maybe that was it. Hope
bubbled in her chest. Maybe all was not lost after all. Lorcan was a gentleman
and there was no way he would have taken her in the damp squalor of a back
alley. Her cheeks heated at the thought that she wouldn’t have cared. At that
moment she had been lost and the connection Irina had described, the intensity
of it, the overwhelming strength of desire had been the only sensations
controlling her brain. What brain? Instinct had taken over, her body dancing to
the rhythm of their beating hearts. She could hear the pounding beat even now,
the echoes of those brief moments vibrating through every cell in her body.
Energy thrummed beneath her skin. A tingling sensation, raw and crackling,
pinpricks of heat burning into the skin of her hip.
    Tani yelped and jumped out of the bed. She hardly dared to
look but as the sensation intensified, Tani realized the truth. A wave of
ecstatic joy washed over her and trembling fingers moved to peel back the
fabric of soft silk at her waist. Creamy tan skin gave way to a dark circular
design etched right beside the pelvic bone on her left hip. The Taijitu mark!
Finally! There was no doubt about it. Lorcan was her Esseni partner, her
duality—her Hate.
    A sharp rap on the door brought Tani’s brain back to ground
level. Heart still soaring with wonder, she opened the door to find Morana
outside, dressed and ready to go out. “Tanith!” she exclaimed, pushing her way
into the room. “Have you forgotten our day at the spa? We are late as it is!”
Tani groaned but hid her frustration. Morana had indeed organized a day of
pampering, saying it would be just the thing expected of a rich heiress in
search of a husband.
    Personally Tani would rather have spent the day in the pits
of Choronzon’s abyss, a lava-filled cesspit of sulfurous acid, than spend her
time being waxed, primped and polished. She had also planned to visit Antares
with a progress update and assuage her curiosity by seeking out the little boy,
Sami, and his mother to glean a more personal insight into Lorcan’s association
with them. She realized it would have to wait. Morana did not look as if she
would take no for an answer. “We have to prepare ourselves for this evening’s
entertainment,” continued Morana. “It’s a surprise that I think you will enjoy.
Oh, and I have a message for you, from Lorcan Rodach.”
    “Oh yes.” Tani tried to keep her tone measured and even,
wondering what he could possibly say.
     
    Morana D’Ath’s eyes narrowed at her lovely guest’s attempt
to feign disinterest. She knew the truth. She had sources who had confirmed
sightings of Tani and the other Rodach in the alley but for now she would let
nature take its course. “He came by earlier and apologized for leaving you so
abruptly last night. He seemed very happy when I told him you would be present
at tonight’s gathering and requested the pleasure of your company.”
    Tani’s expression didn’t change but Morana caught the ghost
of a smile cross her lips as she turned back inside to dress for their outing.
This was turning into a very stimulating assignment. Who knew Esseni could be
such fun, particularly when twins were involved!
    Hours later, Morana had the confirmation she had expected.
Tanith Laska was an Esseni. The proof sat squarely above her hipbone. Morana
had finally spotted the circular design as Tani exited the steam room. She was
conscious that Tani had been very careful to keep her body covered. Anyone
spotting the mark would have been an idiot not to have informed Phenex of its
existence, thereby earning his thanks and a hefty purse. But