Feral Awakening (The Feral Series-Book 2) (11 page)

 After the ceremony
everyone in both packs were invited to a large reception, celebrating the new
alliance and the newly bonded pair. Huge tables of food lined the walls of the
main hall. Some of the Lykan mingled together but you could still see quite a
division between the two packs. The alliance was very new yet. Both sides would
need time to adjust to the change.

 Ronan sat at a table
drinking with his brother Teagan who was teasing him mercilessly about his new
status as a bonded male.

 Suddenly serious
Teagan watched Ronan closely as he asked his question. “So how are you feeling
brother?”

 Ronan knew exactly
what Teagan was asking. “I’m not sure. Perhaps we could go out back and put it
to the test?” Ronan growled in warning at Teagan.

 Teagan’s eyes sparked
in deviousness. “Hmm. Perhaps you did it wrong. You are as pleasant to be
around as ever.”

 Ronan snorted in
response and took another deep drink from his glass. “You just wait brother. I
hope I am there the day you find your mate and she wraps you around her wee
little finger.”

 Teagan barked out a
laugh. “No woman will ever have that kind of power over me.”

 “We shall see.” Ronan
raised a brow at his brother’s declaration.

 Ronan could see
Katianna skipping through the crowd with her little friends. The little one
seemed to prefer skipping to walking. Every now and then he would see her back
side disappear under a table where she and the other children would hide and
peek out from under the tablecloth. He was relieved to see that she was having
fun and didn’t seemed fazed by the bonding mark that would now permanently mark
her wrist.

 A scream broke through
the revelry of the night. Everyone’s head turned as a crowd gathered around one
of the O’Connell males who stood in the door way of the hall. Blood smeared the
front of his shirt and stained his hands.

 “Donavan O’Connell has
been murdered! I just found him in the temple!”

 Ronan’s chair over
turned behind him as he and Teagan stood and raced out of the hall and to the
temple. Several of the other men ran by his side as they made their way to the
murder scene. The decapitated body of the fallen alpha laid across the McLaren
seal. Blood seeped into the intricate carvings in the stone. Several of
O’Connell’s men stood over his decapitated body as they tried to piece together
what happened. Another man rushed inside the temple, his face grave.   

 “I just found two of
his guards lying outside. Both of them decapitated and they have McLaren blades
imbedded in their hearts! Just like Donavan O’Connell!

 “It’s a trap! They
lured us here to kill our alpha!”

 Ronan’s father’s voice
rang out over the chaos. “The McLaren pack did not lure you here to kill your
alpha. I give you my word. Whoever has done this will be hunted down and made
to pay for this crime. Whoever did this is trying to destroy the alliance
between our two packs.”

 “Why should we believe
the word of a McLaren.” Lorcan, second to the fallen laird stood in front of
his pack. His glowing eyes burned with hatred. Blood smeared his shirt where he
had kneeled beside his fallen alpha. “Our alpha is murdered. On McLaren land,
by a McLaren blade. His death will not go unavenged!”

 Voices rang out in
agreement. The air shimmered with energy as several males began to shift into
their beast form. Snarling and snapping could be heard from outside as the
O’Connells began to engage the McLaren men. Chaos ensued as the men began
fighting in earnest.

 Ronan met his brother’s
eyes for a moment. “Katianna.” Ronan growled low. With a nod of understanding
Teagan joined his brother’s side as they both fought their way out of the
temple.

 Ronan began to
partially shift, he beast roaring to be released so he could protect his little
mate. Eyes glowing and claws extended, Ronan and Teagan fought their way out of
the temple and across the grounds to the door of the meeting hall.

 Pushing his way
through the rush of people trying to get out, he searched for a glimpse of a
little pink dress. Seeing a bit of fabric sticking out from under a table, he
crouched down and pulled the table cloth up. Katianna sat huddled under the
table her face buried in her pulled up knees.

 “Katianna!” The sound
of his voice brought her head up as he reached under the table and pulled her
into his arms. Standing up with her he searched the room for her mother.

 “Moira!” He fought his
way to her through the debris, little Katianna grasped safely in his arms. Spotting
her across the room he hurried to get to her.

 Moira sat propped
against the wall tears running down her face. She stared in front of her but
without seeing anything. She had clearly felt the loss of her mate down through
her soul. The bond broken she sat dazed and lifeless.

 Kneeling down in front
of her, he kept Katianna’s face buried in his collar, not wanting her to see
the condition her mother was in. “Moria! Moria!” Grabbing her shoulder he
gently shook her. Quickly he thought of the one thing that might pull her from
her stupor. “Moria, Katianna needs you. Snap out of it. Katianna is in danger.”
Focus slowly came back into her eyes and he finally saw signs of recognition as
she looked at the child in his arms. Moria sobbed when she spotted him holding
Katianna in his arms.

 “We have to get you
two out of here.” She nodded her agreement as he pulled her to her feet and
carefully put Katianna into her arms. Moria buried her face into her little girl’s
hair and wept. Ronan wrapped his arm around the two of them protectively and
lead them to the door just as Teagan burst through the opening.

 “Come on, let’s get
them out of here.” Teagan said as he lead the way back through the door and out
into the night.

 “Dam it, where is her
guard?” Ronan asked

 “They are all too
busy, fighting with us!” Teagan answered in disgust.

 Making their way cautiously
through the streets they debated on where to take the two females. A dark shape
emerged from one of the buildings in front of them and both brothers were quick
to push the females behind them protectively as they drew their blades.

 “Wait!” Moira’s voice
rang out behind him as she placed her hand on his arm. “That is Jamison, he is
captain of my mates guard. He is only trying to protect us.”

 The O’Connell guard watched
them closely, ready to attack if either brother made any move to harm the females
behind them. “We will be safe with him, he can get us back to O’Connell
territory.”

 “Very well.” Ronan
slid his blade into the sheath at his hip and held his hands out.

 “Send the females over
to me and no one will get hurt.” Jamison barked at them. Teagan snorted at his
arrogance. “He actually thinks he can harm us brother.”

 “Now is not the time.”
Ronan grumbled at Teagan then spoke to the guard.

 “Katianna is still
bonded to me and as such her safety is my responsibility. I only want to see
her safely away from here. We will stay with you until you are out of McLaren
territory. You either work with us or get out of my way.”

 The O’Connell guard
eyed the two brothers up before nodding and putting his blade in its sheath.

 What seemed like hours
later but in reality was only minutes the men finally had the women safely in a
large SUV at the border of McLaren territory. Bringing the truck to a stop,
Ronan prepared to get out. Once they had got the women into the truck Teagan
had returned to the fighting at the town center and Ronan had stayed with them
until they reached the border.

 Ronan looked into
Moria’s tear swollen eyes before leaving the truck. “I know you may not believe
this but I give you my word that we did not lure you here in a trap to kill
your mate. Someone is out to sabotage the alliance. We wanted this alliance
just as much as you did. Katianna is still my bonded mate and I would give my
life to protect her. We will find whoever is responsible for Donavan’s death
and he will be avenged. For now though I think it would be best if the two of
you returned to O’Connell territory. If you or Katianna need anything, send for
me and I will do everything I can.”

 With one last glance
at the little girl sleeping in her mother’s arms Ronan got out of the truck. “You
okay from here?” He looked at Jamison through the lowered window.

 “They will be fine. They
are on O’Connell land now.” Ronan ignored the jab and with a nod to her guard
he shut the door. Watching the truck drive on into O’Connell territory, Ronan
had no idea that it was the last time he would see his little mate.

 Ronan was awakened to
something tickling his nose. Reaching up to brush away whatever it was his hand
tangled in a pile of mahogany hair. Slowly he became aware of the weight of a
warm female body pressed against his chest and the scent of wildflowers filling
his senses. Kat. She must of gotten cold in the night and curled against him
for heat. He was sure she wasn’t conscious of it or she would be halfway across
the truck bed by now. It had gotten cold. Maybe he should have found  them a
hotel room after all, one with two beds. It was dangerous having her this
close. It was easier when she was hissing and scratching at him.

 With a sigh he
realized he had been dreaming of the night he lost his mate. Two nights after
the bonding ceremony Moria and his mate had died in a fiery car accident. He
had felt his bond with little Katianna severed. They had found out later that
Donavan’s second, Lorcan, had assumed the position of alpha as was his right.

 Moria had fled with
her young daughter but they don’t know what had spooked her. Her guard, Jamison
had been helping her escape when their car went off the side of the road and
down a cliff, exploding on impact. Both mother and daughter were killed.

 It was speculated that
they were being chased and were either pushed off the road or simply took the turn
too fast and lost control. They had been at war with the O’Connell’s ever since
that horrible night.

 With a groan, Ronan
realized Kat’s pendant was once again stabbing him in the chest. With a growl
of irritation, he carefully fished for the source of his discomfort. Pulling
the stone out from where it was being ground into their two bodies he looked at
it with annoyance. He didn’t know why she wore the ugly thing.

 Once again he could
feel a prickly buzzing of power coming from the strange stone. The sensation
was almost painful, and it grated on his nerves like fingernails on a chalk
board. That’s it. She could be mad at him later. The dam thing had to go. With
a slight tug he broke the chain that held the offending stone tethered to her
slim neck. Tapping into his best, he clasped the stone in his hand and squeezed
it as tightly as he could. He felt a moment of satisfaction as the stone broke
into several pieces in his palm.

 A blast of power was
suddenly released from the stone. “What the hell?” Heat poured up his arm from
where the stone lay. Quickly he threw the pieces away from him but it was too
late. The energy continued to flow through his body and then to his alarm it
also traveled through Kat’s still sleeping form. It swirled around the two of
them and then traveled back into his body and settled in his core.

 Kat groaned and
burrowed deeper into his chest with a gasp on her lips before relaxing again. Warmth
flooded his senses and heat began to rush through his veins. The scent of
wildflowers seemed to surround him, easing the tension in his body. It was a
sensation he had felt only once before so many years ago. Suddenly… he could
feel her again. His mate… It was the same feeling as before but more complex
this time, deeper… and she was resting peacefully on his chest.

 Ronan’s body tensed in
confusion. No. How was this possible? It had to be some kind of trick. Lifting
the arm that lay across his chest he looked at the braided leather cuff Kat
always wore. He swallowed dryly as he ran his thumb under the snap and popped
it off her wrist. There hidden beneath the leather was his bonding mark. The
one he had put on her twenty four years ago.

 His beast woke with a
low growl. Questions raced through his head. He took in a deep calming breath
only to be filled with Kat’s scent. Now instead of just smelling wildflowers he
recognized her unique scent as his mate.

 The stone, someone had
put it on her deliberately with the intent of hiding his mate from him. They
had faked her death and severed his connection with her. They had taken his
mate from him. The thought filled him with rage and so many unanswered
questions. Had Kat known about this? He doubted she did. She had only been
three when she disappeared. What then had happened to Moria? Kat hadn’t spoken
about any family. Why did he find her alone and unprotected? Dam it! She had
almost been killed by a feral alone in the woods! Hell, she didn’t even believe
that she was a Lykan!