Page 31 of Feral Fates
“Shh.” His thumb strokes my temple. “Feel me through our bond. Let me guide you.”
His presence wraps around me, strong and steady. Through our connection, I can sense his calm certainty, his patient strength. He’s offering himself as an anchor.
“Don’t grasp for your gift,” he instructs softly. “This is not a desperate act, Kitara. It’s already part of you. Like your heartbeat, like your breath.”
I want to argue, to explain that it’s never been like that for me, but I bite my tongue, desperate to try again.
“Watch first,” he murmurs. “Lithia, Dane—demonstrate.”
The two enforcers move until they’re facing each other. Without warning, Lithia strikes—a blur of motion that would have caught me completely off guard. But Dane is already moving, sliding left as her practice blade cuts through empty air. He counters with a low sweep that she leaps over, landing in a crouch before spinning away from his follow-up strike.
They flow like water, each attack shifting into defense, each defense becoming an attack. There’s a rhythm to it, a dance of violence that’s almost beautiful.
“See how they move?” Ryker’s voice is low in my ear. “They’re not thinking about each strike. They’re feeling the flow of combat, letting instinct guide them.”
Lithia feints right, then strikes left, but Dane is already turning, his blade meeting hers with a sharp crack. They separate, circling each other like predators.
“Your turn,” Ryker says. “Let them circle you. Don’t think. Just feel.”
His hands settle on my shoulders, grounding me. He signals to Lithia and Dane, who begin to circle us, their movements predatory and smooth. I close my eyes, trying to do as Ryker instructed, to feel rather than force.
And then... there it is. Not the violent visions I’m used to, but one far gentler. A knowing that encourages me to move.
I open my eyes and shift, as Lithia’s practice blade whistles through the air where my head would have been.
“Excellent,” Ryker murmurs. “Again.”
The knowing feeling comes easier now. I sidestep Dane’s strike, duck under Lithia’s swing, feeling their movements a heartbeat before they happen.
“Better,” Lithia calls out. “But you’ll need to be faster if you want to avoid getting pinned like a fish.”
I successfully avoid three more attacks before falling under Lithia’s fist. My head spins as I lie staring up at the ceiling, wondering how I got there.
“Sorry, Alpha,” she says, laughter in her voice as she helps me up. “Did I scramble your brains?”
I press a hand to the throbbing in my temple. “Maybe a little.”
“That’s enough for today,” Ryker announces, cupping my cheeks in his hands as he examines me.
“I can keep going,” I protest, feeling alive for the first time in my life. The sensation is intoxicating.
“No, you’ve had enough for today,” Ryker announces. “We don’t want to overtax a new muscle.”
The gathered wolves disperse, but not before I catch their evaluating looks.
When we’re alone in the circle of light, Ryker leans down to nuzzle my neck.
“You did well,” he says, dragging his lips over my pulse point.
“Thank you.” I tip my head, surprised that I’m enjoying his attention. “You really helped me.”
His fingers trace the claiming mark on my throat, sending sparks of heat radiating from the touch. “The bond works both ways, little mate. My power flows to you, but your gift adds to mine as well.” His lips trail down to my collarbone. “Together, we are stronger than either of us alone.”
My breath catches. Through our bond, I feel his pride, his satisfaction, and beneath that, a hunger that has nothing to do with training and everything to do with carnal need.
“Is that why you sought a mate?” I ask, needing to know. “For the power a bond creates?”
His laugh is dark honey. “I have no need of a mate. But I saw you, my wolf knew you were ours.” He shifts backward, standing straight as he slides a hand to cup the back of my neck. “The power is a bonus, sure. But make no mistake, Kitara—I would have taken no mate but you.”
