Page 10 (1/2)

"How about I yank out your liver? Maybe that will teach you so back the red haze begin to slip away

"Go, Wings" Wulfe’s quiet cheer penetrated the bloodlust, re him he had an audience An audience that included Faith Hell But when he looked up, he couldn’t see her

"Hawke"

At Lyon’s prompt, he realized that Maxi it, and if he didn’tto do precisely what he’d threatened - yank out the bastard’s liver, then rip his heart out so that he never touched Faith again Killing the man she cared about

He couldn’t do that to her He pushed off Maxis and claws The red haze had begun to rush in, and he was losing control As Maxi his shoulders, tethering him After the sensory deprivation of the spirit trap, touch was often the one thing that cals," Wulfe said "Easy Deep breaths"

"You were doing so well," Tighe muttered, suddenly beside him, too Hawke hadn’t seen hirabbed Maxiainst the wall "I don’t knoho you were in your former life, and I don’t care Here you are one ofmore You will do as I order, when I order, or I will personally clear the way for your replacement Is that understood?"

"Go, Roar," Wulfe said quietly

For long seconds, Maxihtened, his claws erupting and sinking deep until blood ran in strea his chest and the remnants of his shirt "Is that understood?"

"Yes," Maxi otherwise

Lyon growled low in his throat, a sound of warning Maxim would do well to heed "It better be" Lyon released hi"

Maxirabbed hiainst the wall "Now Paenther, Wulfe, Vhyper, you will acco him into his animal before sunrise I don’t want him out of the basement until it’s time to walk out the door"

Maxirabbed his arms and propelled him toward the basement door

Maxim’s humiliation helped calm the red haze Slowly, Hawke pulled hiing squeeze, then left to join the others

Lyon caht and didn’t shift You’re getting better"

"I was For a while"

"I’ll send Kara to you tonight for otten in all the commotion" Their chief shook his head "I don’t knohat I’h to hihe joined the hiot to believe he’ll get better Half of you started out nearly as bad"

Hawke growled low in his throat "If he hurts Faith again, I’ll solve your problehe said

"She barely knows hih his hair "They only met yesterday She says there was an instant connection She kneas the one"

"It happens," Lyon said

"It does" Tighe shrugged "I saw Delaney for the first tiht she was already dead, and I mourned I hadn’t even met the woman, but on soave a cry of frustration deep in Hawke’s mind, a frustration the man shared because for the first tiot it Trouble was, the woaze at once hard and sympathetic "For your sakefor all our sakesyou need to give Maxim a wide berth for a while And Faith Especially Faith"

The hawk cried out in anger Hawke bit down hard on the need to knock Lyon’s hand away and tell hiht Maxi anywhere, and neither was Faith They were about to become a constant and permanent part of his life And one another’s

Faith was never going to be his

And he had no choice but to live with it

As Faith and Kara reached the foyer, theydown the stairs

"What’s happening?" Olivia asked The petite redhead frowned "Did Hawke lose it again?"

"Surprisingly, no This one was all Maxiaze "Sorry"

Faith smiled at her "Don’t be" She wasn’t about to bla the truth "Maxim’s been a first-class jerk since the moment we arrived at Feral House I don’t think he likes not being the one in charge"

Delaney grunted "You can say that again"

Kara took Faith’s hand "Come on We’ll continue this discussion upstairs Any objection to our using your room, Faith? The Radiant’s rooout"

"No, not at all"

Kara looked at Delaney "Where’s Skye?"

"With the runted "Does anyone ever know? Ariana," she called, as if the wo nearby "If you’re here, we’d love for you to join us"

Faith frowned

Olivia shot her a rueful smile "Have you ever heard of the Ilinas?"

"No"

"We’ll explain later You have enough to deal with right now"

Faith wasn’t about to argue

Five e bed in the rooging, decrepit one in the little apartment in which she’d sat with Paulina and Maria just a few short days ago She wondered how the girls were doing Hopefully, Stanislov had kept his word and kept Maria away from the man who’d beaten her If only she had some way to check on them

Kara hopped onto the bed and motioned the others to follow Skye slipped into the room, a small kitten curled in one arm