Therian Prisoner: 3 (Therian Heat) (9 page)

Her foreign chant changed, the words different yet still unfamiliar. She finally removed her wrist from his mouth, but his relief was short-lived. She grabbed his arm and pulled his wrist to her mouth. Her teeth jabbed into his wrist and her lips latched on with hungry insistency. Pain shot up his arm and he screamed while heat pulsed through his entire body. He could feel her spreading through him, burrowing deeper until his heartbeat took on the rhythm of hers.

She drifted through his mind like smog, dense and cloying. Suffocating. Images flashed and flickered as she accessed memories and knowledge. She was searching for something. He could feel her ambition, her determination, yet her purpose remained unclear.

Blinding lust seared away all other emotions. With a surge of unexplained strength, he rolled her beneath him and thrust into her with animalistic need. She met each of his forceful drives with a frantic lift of her pelvis as her hands clasped his ass and urged him on.

Then she pushed deeper into his mind and a sharp sting made him cry out. He wasn’t sure what she’d done, but he could feel her flowing through the very center of his being. She gathered energy like a bee flitting from one flower to the next before she pulled back across their mental tether, taking his energy with her. He groaned as the steady withdrawal sapped the strength from his limbs, but somehow his hips kept up their determined thrusting.

“That should be enough for now,” she whispered into his ear, and his body responded with an instantaneous climax. He drove into her and shuddered as he came. The last of his strength bled from his body and he collapsed on top of her. She easily flipped him over and resumed her pose straddling his hips. “You did well for a first time. My blood will give you more endurance from now on.”

“What the hell are you?”

She grinned. “You’re in the right general area.” Golden light had completely taken over her eyes and her features seemed to blur and undulate. He blinked, trying to bring her face back into focus, but his lids drooped and his body gradually numbed. “Don’t panic. It only slows the process and makes the transformation more painful.” She separated their bodies and crawled off the bed. “I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

For one blissful moment he felt nothing and then pain exploded in every cell of his body. He tried to move, to jerk away from the torturous sensations shooting up his arms and down his legs. His body wouldn’t move, not even his vocal cords responded to his need to cry out. He lay perfectly still—though his body felt as if it was tearing itself apart—and his mind echoed with silent screams.

Chapter Five

Erin angled the manuscript to better catch the light as she read the passage for the third time. Energy hummed around her and flowed through her, silent yet tangible. The vault was her refuge from the world, an oasis where she relaxed and unraveled conflicting thoughts and feelings. The small armored room was part of the underground warren that branched out from beneath the big cat sanctuary. The sanctuary itself was part research facility, part disguise designed to conceal the Therian rebels’ base of operations.

Artifacts and treasures carefully collected down through the centuries lined the floor-to-ceiling shelves. It was the residual energy pulsing from the artifacts that soothed Erin and allowed her to concentrate. As Historian, it was Erin’s responsibility to record current events without allowing her personal feelings to taint the information. But recent developments had tested her objectivity and forced her to step back and examine her choices. The Historian was to observe and record, never interfere, yet she had become a driving force behind the rebellion. It was damn hard to remain neutral and objective when one’s children were directly involved.

A soft knock drew Erin’s attention to the open doorway and she found Ava standing there. The lovely blonde smiled though she seemed hesitant to enter Erin’s private domain. “Kyle said you’d be down here. Do you mind if I intrude?”

Pivoting on her stool, Erin motioned Ava closer. “You could never be intrusive. You’re much too polite.”

Ava’s smile finally reached her eyes, making the blue sparkle. “Tell that to your son. Kyle considers me many things, but never ‘too polite’.”

“Kyle loves every aspect of your personality. He would never be content with a passive female.” She pulled out the stool beside her and waited until Ava sat. “It’s dreadfully late. Why aren’t you in bed?”

“Kyle’s still working with Eli to figure out where Ian took Devon. They’re both too stubborn to admit defeat.”

Eli was a brilliant programmer and the rebel compound’s head of security. He would easily find an electronic trail if Ian was foolish enough to leave one. Unfortunately for Eli, Ian would never be so careless. The wily raptor knew what it took to disappear.

“I know where they are.” Erin waved away the concern. “That’s not the problem.”

Ava’s brow furrowed and she glanced toward the door. “Are you sure? Have you told Kyle?”

“I’m not speaking to my son at the moment, so let them spin their wheels.”

Silence stretched on for a moment as Ava dealt with her obvious confusion. “Why are you angry with Kyle?”

Erin closed the manuscript and pushed it aside then centered her laptop in front of her and turned it on. “I was led to believe that Devon took off after a pointless argument with Kyle. According to him she was acting out because of her grief over losing her father.”

“That’s not what happened?”

It would be cruel to draw Ava into the middle of the conflict, so Erin debated what to tell her. Ava and Kyle’s relationship was still new. Erin had no intention of causing trouble between them. Still, facts were facts. “Devon did take off after arguing with Kyle, but her actions were not unprovoked.”

Ava licked her lips, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was headed. “How was Devon provoked?”

“Kyle is under tremendous pressure. Not only is he quite young to be named network Prime, but he supports the rebels where his father was true to the ancient customs.”

“I understand all that. What does it have to do with Devon?”

“Lokesh, the most powerful jaguar alpha offered to support the rebels if Kyle would sanction a match between him and Devon. Most of the jaguars have remained neutral until now. Landing their support would be very beneficial to the rebel cause. And all it would cost Kyle is his sister’s happiness.”

Color slowly drained from Ava’s cheeks. She had been faced with an arranged marriage not long ago, so she understood how powerless it made the female feel. “Did Kyle sanction the match?”

“Not outright, but he made it clear to Devon that he would be grateful if she agreed to the union.”

Ava shook her head, conflicting emotions clouding her eyes. “Why would he… Are you sure about this?”

“I spoke with Lokesh this afternoon. He’d heard about Devon’s rescue and wanted to know if the contract had been finalized.” Erin took a deep breath, determined not to take out her frustrations on Ava. “Needless to say, I was shocked and horrified by the call. I confronted Kyle with what I’d learned, expecting him to deny it. All I got from my son was an awkward apology. He insisted that he wouldn’t have finalized the contract without Devon’s consent, but he admitted that he’d put the good of the network above his sister’s happiness.”

“May I play devil’s advocate?”

“Don’t bother saying that protecting the good of the network is the Prime’s job, because I understand that. However, Devon had just lost her father. It was cruel of her brother to even consider the match. Kyle should have told Lokesh that Devon was still in mourning. Period.”

Ava didn’t argue, nor did she agree. She likely didn’t know what to think. Therian customs were still new to Ava. “If you know where Devon is, you should tell Kyle. It’s not right to make him worry like this.”

“He knows she’s with Ian. That should be enough. Ian won’t allow anything to happen to her.”

“You have a very high opinion of Ian.”

Erin paused and searched Ava’s gaze. She saw only honest curiosity and flickers of worry, so she chose to elaborate. “My opinion of Ian has been reinforced over many years. He’ll protect her as no one else can.”

“Why is that?”

“He is the oldest and most powerful Therian still alive.” She allowed herself to smile before she added, “Except your sister, of course. But Carissa is still learning how to control her power.”

Ava glanced around, gaze widening as she took in the artifacts. “What is all of this?”

“These are objects owned by or influential in the lives of various Omni Primes.”

“All of them?” Ava stood and moved toward the nearest bank of shelves, her fascination obvious.

“It’s the Historian’s responsibility to collect and protect these artifacts. That’s part of the reason I spend so much time down here.”

To Ava’s credit, she looked without touching and took her time with each object. “Are you sure Ian is the best person to help Devon process her captivity? What is the nature of their relationship?”

“Damn good question,” Erin muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Ava turned from the shelves and returned to the stool beside Erin. “They aren’t…romantic, are they?”

“Yesterday I would have told you no, but I had the most confusing conversation with Payne this morning.”

“The lion-shifter?”

“Yes.” Generally Erin would talk these things out with Kyle, especially with Devon involved. Unfortunately she was still pissed at Kyle, so his mate would have to do. “Payne is what I like to call sensitive.”

“Sensitive? Payne?” Ava laughed. “Are we talking about the same person? Of all the Therians I’ve met, Payne is the most primal.”

“And his primal nature might well be where his sensitivity comes from. Don’t let the word confuse you. Payne is aware of things others cannot perceive. I guess humans would call him clairvoyant. He senses conflicts and connections long before anyone else is aware of them.”

“He sensed a connection between Devon and Ian?”

“He did and I’m not sure how I feel about it.”

“I thought you like Ian.”

“I do. But liking him, even trusting him, and wanting him as my daughter’s mate are two very different things. And to complicate matters even more, Devon has had a crush on Ian longer than I can remember. All he’ll have to do is smile at her and Devon will…” Erin’s thoughts trailed away as the possibilities became too upsetting to consider. “Ian has been through so much and Devon is so young. I’m not comfortable with the idea of them as a couple.”

“Then tell Kyle where she is and we’ll go get her.”

“It’s not that simple. Devon is obviously still upset about Kyle’s betrayal. She has chosen to confide in Ian and, regardless of my personal preferences, I have to honor her choice.”

“Is she emotionally stable enough right now to make her own decisions?”

“Payne told me to back off and let things unfold.” Erin sighed. It was not in her nature to stand idly by and allow events to happen. “If it weren’t important, he wouldn’t have meddled in another family’s business.”

“I only understand about half of this, so I’m not going to argue. I know you love Devon with all your heart and want only the best for her. That will have to be enough for me and my mate.” Ava motioned toward the journal Erin had been reading when she arrived. “Were you looking for something in particular?”

“Actually I was. I’ve been putting together a sort of index to make finding things easier and a phrase kept coming up. Guardian of the Ancients. At first I thought it was another way of referring to the Historians, but that seems unlikely now.”

“What do you think it means?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I’ve found eight of Ian’s family members who were referred to by the title. My bloodline hosts the Historians, so this position is something else.”

“Ian has never mentioned it to you?”

Erin smiled and shook her head. “There are a great many things Ian has failed to mention to me if Payne’s premonition is accurate.” Erin reached over and squeezed Ava’s hand. “Tell Kyle to stop wasting Eli’s time and take you to bed.”

Ava returned the squeeze and whispered, “Gladly.”

* * * * *

Heather sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair back from Dhane’s pale face. She’d always been closest to Landon, but she loved each of her brothers dearly. “Who did this to him?” He moved restlessly, muttering under his breath as if he were trapped in a nightmare.

“Let Lexxie feed him and I’ll explain as well as I can.” Landon drew her away from the bed then out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Two Therian males were in the living room. Their conversation stopped abruptly when Landon led her into view. She didn’t recognize the burly, bearded man, but Jake was no stranger to her. “You’re a long way from home,” she said to the tiger-shifter. He owned an upscale restaurant and bar in the heart of Aspen. “What brings you so far from your territory?”

He just grinned, refusing to indulge her curiosity. “How’s Dhane?”

“Hopefully Lexxie can turn this around,” Landon replied, even though Jake had been looking at her when he’d asked the question.

“So who’s going to explain what the hell’s going on?” Heather shifted her gaze from her brother to Jake and back to the handsome tiger-shifter. “Where did you find Dhane and who screwed him up like this?”

“The cats raided a lab high in the mountains a few days ago,” Landon began. “They thought it was an Abolitionist outpost, but what they discovered was much more advanced and more dangerous.”

“I’ll bite. What did they discover?”

“A high-tech lab, complete with Therian test subjects.” Jake scooted to the edge of the couch, his dark gaze gleaming in the lamplight. She shouldn’t find his sleek good looks appealing, but this wasn’t the first time he’d caught her eye or ignited her imagination. He was so different from the hunters in her pack, more complex and mysterious. “The lab was liberated and then destroyed, but one of the doctors has provided us with information.”

“Ian and Payne were checking out one of those leads when they found Dhane,” Landon added.

“That’s all very ambiguous. Who’s running these labs and why haven’t we heard about them before now? Are the two labs you discovered all there are or are they peppered all over the country?”

“Our information is sketchy at best.” The challenge in Jake’s eyes told her he was full of shit. He’d told her all he was willing to share, but he knew a whole hell of a lot more than he was saying.

Rather than starting a fight with the cat, she turned to her brother. “When will Dhane be well enough to travel?”

“I’m not sure he wants to return.”

She took a deep breath and counted to three before answering. She’d known this was coming. Landon had given up on their older brother a long time ago, but he’d never stopped hoping that he could recruit Dhane.

“Dhane is loyal to our pack. He can’t stay here.” She tried not to raise her voice, but frustration and resentment boiled within her. She’d always looked up to Landon, which made his betrayal even more painful.

“Dhane will make up his own mind once he recovers. I won’t have you bullying him.”

“Me, bully him? Pa-lease.” She planted her fists on her hips and glared right into Landon’s eyes. “You’re the one who’s determined to convert the whole freaking world!”

“They murdered Bruce.” Landon didn’t raise his voice, but his tone snapped with bitterness. “Doesn’t that bother you? I know he was a pain in the ass, but he was our brother. And he was mauled by his own pack. There is no place in a modern world for that sort of brutality.”

She couldn’t defend practices she abhorred, so she just turned away. “I’ll come back for Lexxie
and Dhane
tomorrow.”