"Now," Lyon said, and lifted Kara's too-light body to his mouth, closing his lips around the nearest wound. As he'd done before, deep in the dungeons of Feral House, he stroked the gash with his tongue. Working frantically, he felt the flesh knitting beneath his tongue. He was nearly done with the first of the gashes when the blood-bath resumed.

He pulled back and eyed the wound with knee-weakening relief. "It worked." Only a trickle of blood broke through. He wiped his chin and looked at Esmeria. "Whenever you're ready."

Paenther moved to the side of the tub and took the seat the Shaman had vacated. His hand fell heavily on Lyon's shoulder. Their gazes met for an instant, long enough for Lyon to know that the full force of Paenther's will was behind him.

One after another, Lyon healed the gashes ringing Kara's slender waist. He'd just started licking the last of the eight when he felt Kara stir, felt her fingers slide into the hair at the back of his head.

His body sagged with relief. Thank the goddess.

"Lyon…" she breathed.

With shock, he felt the faint stirring of her passion. Relief flowed through him sharp enough to burn his eyes, tightening his chest until he thought it would crack. If he was able to awaken her passion, she was going to be fine.

"Hold on, Warrior," Esmeria said. "I need to take the stitches out of that last one." Stitches that had been useless.

Once the stitches were removed, Lyon lifted Kara's waist to this mouth once more, his arms shaking from the force of his emotions. He took exquisite pleasure healing this last of her wounds, feeling her own pleasure rise with every stroke of his tongue.

He squeezed his eyes closed against the burn of moisture, reveling in the rising strength of her life's energy, feeling the constriction around his heart ease with every tiny gasp that left her throat.

When her fingers fisted in his hair, and her body arched and trembled gently against his mouth, his beast purred with satisfaction. And a drop of moisture leaked from his eye.

Tighe whistled behind him. "Damn, Roar. I wish you'd teach me that trick."

He wiped his cheek and his chin on his bare shoulder as he lowered Kara onto his lap and cradled her precious body against him.

Kara reached for him, curling her arms around his neck, and melted against him, melting his heart.

"I'll take it from here, Warrior," Esmeria said. "I'll get her cleaned up and into bed."

"No," his beast said, before he could think it through. He wasn't letting Kara out of his arms, let alone his sight, anytime soon. "I'll tend her."

Esmeria nodded. "I'll put clothes on the bed for her, then. And for you."

The healer rose and left, but his men remained. Silence blanketed the room. In his arms, Kara slept.

Tighe sat on the edge of the tub, his gaze on Kara. "Damn."

Jag moved behind Tighe. "Guess it's a good thing we didn't vote to kill her off." But his tone lacked its usual rank attitude. In his voice, Lyon heard the same chill he suspected was going through all of them.

Paenther made a sound of pain deep in his throat. "If it had been up to me, she'd be dead."

"Who could have put it in her?" Tighe asked.

Paenther growled. "Whoever did it is dead."

"I'm with you, panther-man," Jag said.

Tighe reached out and put his hand on her head. "She's been through hell. Great bunch of protectors we turned out to be."

"There was no way we could have known," Lyon said. But Kara had told him almost from the start something was wrong, and he hadn't paid enough attention until nearly too late.

Lyon sighed. "You heard the Shaman. Go find yourselves some sex. As soon as the Shaman's found that dark charm, we'll go home."

"You need help?" Tighe asked him.

"No. I've got her."

Tighe nodded. "Yeah, I hate these tough assignments, but I guess I'd better get at it."

Jag headed for the door. "Dibs on Lily."

Tighe lunged after him. "Only if I can't talk her into taking me instead."

Paenther remained behind after the others left.

"What about you, B.P.?"

But Paenther shook his head, the concern in his dark eyes still running deep. "I'll go later. For now, I'll be right outside the bathroom door, if you need anything." His gaze dipped to Kara. "If she needs anything."

Lyon nodded. If the bleeding spell broke through again, he'd need help. Paenther's guilt was nearly as thick as his own. And Lyon had virtually no ability to sense his emotions as he did Kara's.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Paenther. You thought she was Mage."

"I'm sworn to protect our Radiant. I would have destroyed her."

"But you didn't."

Paenther nodded once and left.

As Paenther closed the door behind him, Lyon leaned back against the tub, in no hurry to move. He couldn't have let go of Kara in that minute if his life depended on it. And once he let go of her, he might never have her in his arms again. Because it had occurred to him, in that stunned instant when the Shaman pronounced her not Mage, that the Pairing might have been right after all.

Kara, conscious now, if dozing, clung to him sweetly, her body slowly warming. Beneath the blanket, he stroked her back as he marveled at the trust she'd gifted him with. Despite all the ways he'd failed her, he felt her unconditional belief in him like a soft stroke to his heart.

He had been holding her like that for close to an hour when she finally stirred, rubbing her cheek against his collarbone. "Where are we?"

He stroked her silken head and pressed a kiss to her hair. "Safe, Kara. We're safe."

"It looks like a bathtub." She stretched and tried to shift her legs, then melted back against him. He could tell every movement was an effort, requiring more strength than she possessed. "Why do we have blankets in the bath?"

"You bled for hours, little one. This was the only place where it didn't ruin the carpets."

"Sorry."

Her apology, so out of place, made him smile.

"I feel gross," she murmured. "Sticky."

"If you're awake, we should get you cleaned up and into bed."

Her grip on him tightened. "Stay with me. Please."

Always, his beast cried. But the man wasn't at all sure the fates would allow it.

"Of course." He kissed her temple, then called for Paenther's help. As much as he hated to release her, it was time he got her clean and warm.

Paenther took her from him while he climbed out, removed the blood-soaked blankets, and rinsed the tub. Filling it again with warm, clear water, he stripped off the rest of his clothes and took Kara back into his arms.

As Paenther gathered up the soiled linens and left, Lyon sank into the warm water with Kara in his arms and bathed them both, Kara more asleep than awake. He loved touching her, loved the feel of her curled against him, and though his body stirred as it always did whenever she was near, no real need built. Both he and his beast were more than content simply to hold her. To protect her. To cherish her.

When he felt her shiver, he knew he'd squeezed every moment he could out of the bath. He dried them both, then wrapped her in an oversized towel and carried her into the bedroom, where Paenther waited.

"Go, B.P. Get yourself cleared. This battle's won."

Paenther nodded and left.

Lyon dressed Kara in the pajamas Esmeria had left for her, then tucked her into bed already asleep. He pulled on the sweat pants and tee shirt that had been left for him and hesitated, suddenly uncertain where his honor lay. He'd pushed Vhyper aside and claimed Kara for his own when he thought her Mage. Now that he knew better, he should back off. Stay away from her.

Yet he wondered now. Had that cantric, and the dark charm still inside Feral House, fouled the Pairing anyway? That was a question for later. For now, he would watch over Kara and keep her safe as he'd failed to do before. As he slid under the covers and pulled her against him, he told himself he was just taking logical precautions. What if the bleeding broke through again, and he didn't realize it? She could bleed to death without him knowing.

He rubbed his chin against her damp, clean hair and told himself he was just being careful.

But deep inside, his beast shook his maned head, telling him he was a fool if he thought he'd ever allow him to let her go.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

Kara woke with a jerk, terror lingering in the crevices of her mind.

"Shh, little one. You're safe, now. No one's going to hurt you."

Strong, gentle arms went around her, pressing her against a warm, hard body. Without opening her eyes, she knew she was lying on her side on a bed, Lyon's warm scent surrounding her. She tried to move closer to his warmth, but her strength was gone. The hazy memory of something awful lingered still, but she couldn't remember.

As Lyon's strong hand stroked her hair, she opened her eyes and blinked, but all she could see was the dark tee shirt that covered his chest.

She lifted her head to see him. "What happened?"

Her throat felt dry as sand, the words little more than a rasp. Her head was too heavy, and she let it fall back to his arm.

"I rescued you." A deep shudder went through him as his hold on her tightened. "We locked up Vhyper again and brought you to the healer, at the Georgetown Therian enclave."

His words made no sense. Exhaustion overtook her, and she slept again.

"You going to stay with me, this time?"

Kara blinked and looked up into Lyon's worried face as she woke for the second time. He was still holding her, as before, but. she felt different. Stronger, as if that awful weakness had finally left her.

"Did I fall asleep?"

"You did. You lost a lot of blood. Your body needed time to heal."

"What happened, Lyon? I don't remember. All I remember is pain." The memory of it echoed like screams in her head. With a hard shudder, she pressed her face to his chest.

He pulled her tighter and stroked her back, holding her for a long time, until the chill slowly subsided within the warmth of his arms.

Kara finally pulled back. Lyon released her, and she rolled onto her back.

Lyon propped his head on his elbow and looked down at her, hooking his free arm around her waist and pulling her close. She turned toward him, meeting his gaze, his eyes warm and soft.

With a gentle finger, he pushed her hair behind her ear. "How do you feel?"

"Okay. Fine, I think." Her gaze moved outward to take in the simply furnished bedroom. "Where are we?"

"Georgetown. Down in D.C. In one of the Therian enclaves."

"Why?"

His eyes grew more concerned. "What's the last thing you remember?" His thumb brushed her cheek.

"The prison. You took me down to the prison and locked me. up. The next thing I remember I was in horrible pain. And you were there. You saved me."

"I did. You don't remember anything in between?"

Did she? There was something teasing her mind, but she couldn't get a grasp on it.

"I feel like there's something I should remember, but it's not coming."

"That's good. It's nothing you want to remember."

"Why?" By the look on his face and the pain in his eyes, she knew it was bad. "I think I need you to tell me."

He brushed her cheek again. "I'd rather not. But if I don't, someone else probably will." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Vhyper escaped from his prison cell and broke you out, too. He took you down to the dungeons deep below the house, tied you up and… punished you…for being Mage."

She shivered, his words teasing the memory in her head. "How did he punish me?"

"He stabbed you. Multiple times. You bled." His eyes turned bleak and he looked away, his jaw going rigid. "I didn't think you were going to stop bleeding." He turned back to her, his gaze stroking hers softly. "But you're okay, now. It's over. You're safe."

"Why didn't I stop bleeding?"

His brows flicked up. "Interesting story there. Apparently the cantric I took out of your hip wasn't there to increase your magic. It was causing you all kinds of problems. Because you're not Mage."

Kara blinked at him. Then made a sound of disbelief. "You've got to be kidding. After all that, I'm not Mage?"

His mouth twisted sheepishly. If a lion could look sheepish. "It was a cantric. Even the Shaman's never heard of one being implanted in a Therian before. It shouldn't have done anything to you, and probably didn't until you arrived at Feral House. The Shaman's fairly sure we have a dark charm in the house somewhere that worked with the cantric to make you afraid."

"At least I know it wasn't my imagination."

Lyon's expression turned rueful. "Can you ever forgive me? For doubting you?" His eyes flinched with pain. "For taking the cantric as I did? I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for that."

Kara reached up and ran her fingers through a thick lock of his golden hair. "You came after me when I ran and saved me from certain death. Then you saved me again when, Vhyper hurt me. I'm thinking you're on the right path to forgiveness."

His eyes crinkled at the corners. "But I have a way to go?"

She smiled. "We'll see." His revelations continued to ping-pong through her head, and she dropped her palm onto her own forehead. "First I'm human, then I'm Therian, then I'm Mage. Now I'm Therian again? Are you sure?"