Therian Prize: 5 (Therian Heat) (20 page)

The freedom didn’t last long, however. Her awkward position soon became too much of a distraction. He pulled both arms out from under her legs and urged her back on to the bed. He followed her down, his chest rubbing against her breasts. Her legs caressed his sides as he moved with frantic urgency.

He tilted his head and fit his mouth over hers then his tongue took on the rhythm of his hips. She could no longer move, could only accept and surrender. Her core squeezed him, clinging to him as he slid in and out.

Sensations rushed up through her, frightening and intense. She cried out into his mouth as she came in strong, rippling waves. He shuddered against her and jerked inside her, his seed escaping in rhythmic spurts. They clung to each other, kissing wildly, lost to everything but the shattering pleasure.

She finally turned her head, separating their mouths so she could catch her breath. Tingling echoes still zinged through her body but a hollow ache remained within her soul. This was what she’d wanted, all she’d allowed. So why did she feel so sad?

* * * * *

Burning pain jarred Zophiel out of unconsciousness. For one horrifying moment she’d been back in the barn, surrounding by flames, listening to her sister’s helpless screams. Then darkness consumed the fire and she woke up here. But where was here?

Tigers. She’d learned that Heather Fitzroy was consorting with tigers, so she’d decided to capture the wayward wolf. The backers were searching for Heather and her own pack was hunting her. Zophiel decided to find out what all the fuss was about.

But Jake’s security had been impressive. The only way to sneak past his guards had been to possess one of them. Controlling that stupid tigress had been much harder than Zophiel expected. Natasha fought so hard Zophiel had nearly lost control. She’d meant to linger long enough to muddle Natasha’s mind, but the tigress had poured the last of her energy into her mental shields then slipped into a coma. The tigress was so depleted it was likely she’d die, but the possibility that she’d recover made Zophiel restless. She hated loose ends.

And speaking of depleted, she was so weak she could barely move. She slowly lifted her head. It was a struggle to think past the ringing in her ears. Where the hell was she? The last thing she remembered was flying away from Aspen as fast as she could. She wasn’t ready for Ian to realize he’d failed to kill her and the nosy raptor often swooped in at the first sign of trouble.

Ian. Just his name made her want to smash things, preferably his smug face. She couldn’t wait to see his reaction when he realized she was still alive. This was the second time arrogant Therians had failed to kill her. The first time Ian’s best friend had been to blame. Payne. She shuddered and ground her teeth. She hated that name even more than Ian. She hated to be bested and both Ian and Payne had won battles against her. Still, the war was far from over.

Shaking away the past, she paused to look around. She was surrounded by pine trees, which was no clue. As weak as she was, it was unlikely she’d left Colorado. She needed energy and needed it fast. If she’d landed in the middle of a wilderness area, she was seriously screwed.

She folded her legs beneath her and struggled to her feet. The night was cool and dark. Treetops obscured the moon but her demonic blood allowed her to see well with very little light. She heard a rumble in the distance and thought it was thunder until she heard it again. No, that was some sort of engine and engines meant people.

She focused on the sound and wended her way through the trees. Leaves and pine needles crunched beneath her shoes and a cool night wind rippled through her hair. There was no discernible path so she followed the sound. Bursts of laughter and the muffled chatter of boisterous conversations reached her next and then she saw a light.

As soon as she saw the compact building, she knew her exact location. Nate Fitzroy was her fiercest competitor even though he likely had no clue she existed. She must have been thinking about him as she blacked out. This was his Clubhouse, safe haven for his mangy pack. Had Eli contacted him yet? If Nate knew his precious daughter had taken up with cats, Zophiel could only imagine how he’d react. He might disown Heather and leave her to her fate or he might go after her and punish her severely. Then again, he might have her murdered in her bed. Murder had been Nate’s solution when his oldest son disappointed him one too many times.

Nate had fascinated her for a long time. He reminded her of the warlord kings of old, ruthlessly ambitious yet oddly protective of those things he considered his.

Well, Zophiel desperately needed energy, so her scheming would have to wait. She crept between two cars in the back corner of the parking lot and waited for someone to exit the bar. She couldn’t go inside without disguising her appearance and she was too weak for an illusion right now.

Two giggling females staggered out the side door, clinging to each other. They were either extremely inebriated or lovers. Perhaps a bit of both. They paused beside a car on the other side of the lot and continued their long goodbye. One finally got into the car and the other wove toward the back of the lot.

Zophiel watched the straggler, easily figuring out her destination. After the first female drove away, the straggler fumbled with her keys. Not in the mood to play with her food, Zophiel lunged for her prey. She sealed her mouth over the wolf’s and strangled her terrified cry. Then she drew energy out of the wolf’s body and dispersed it through her own. She didn’t always kill when she fed, that was wasteful, but she was extremely hungry right now. The wolf went limp and her heart stuttered then stopped. Zophiel tore her mouth away and looked around. No one had seen a thing. Good.

She held the body against the side of the car as she opened the door. Then she shoved her victim onto the front seat and quickly found her purse. She tossed the purse inside then rolled the wolf onto the floor before closing the door. Unless someone specifically looked into the car, the body shouldn’t be found until morning.

This had been an appetizer. It would take more than one Therian to sate her hunger and she knew just how to attract them.

She and Nate Fitzroy had never met but Ian Douglas might have passed around her image. Unwilling to take the chance of being recognized, she made herself look, smell and scan entirely human. Therian males, especially wolves, liked their females soft and obedient, so she shaped the illusion with their preferences in mind. Blondes generally drew more attention than brunettes and they were more often underestimated. Zophiel formed an image in her mind, tall and thin with plenty of cleavage. Once the basic image came together she focused on details—a short-sleeved sweater that zipped up the front, flirty boots and a snug miniskirt. She needed to appear sexy without looking totally trashy. She closed her eyes and pushed the illusion outward. Unlike shapeshifters, her actual form only changed when her demonic half took over and her demonic appearance was anything but sexy. For situations like this, she utilized illusions so powerful others saw, heard and felt what she wanted them to perceive.

If Nate was already out chasing after his wayward daughter then she’d simply eat and leave. But if the alpha was inside, she might yet find some amusement in this frustrating night.

Sending her hair flying with a sharp toss of her head, she strode across the parking lot. The door was pushed open as she neared and a massive bouncer blocked her way. “Sorry, gorgeous. This is a private club. Members only.”

She looked up at him, trying to appear helpless without seeming insipid. “I just need a phone and maybe a beer. My car broke down about two miles up that road. I am exhausted. Can you imagine hiking in these heels?” She angled her leg to best advantage.

He looked her over then glanced inside. “It’s against the rules. I’ll have to ask the owner.”

The owner was here? Oh goody. “I’d really appreciate it.” She offered him her best flirtatious smile.

“Hang tight. I’ll be right back.” He ducked inside and pulled the door shut behind him.

How rude. She looked around the empty lot and debated the wisdom of ignoring his order and just going inside.

The door opened again before she could work herself into a proper snit.

“He said to bring you to him.”

Better not make this too easy for them. She took a step back. “Why? I just need a phone. In fact don’t you have a cell? I don’t think I want to—”

“Come inside or move on. I’ve got a job to do.” He sounded bored but male interest glowed in his dark eyes. Like most wolves he was tall and burly, but he had the biggest arms she’d ever seen. The bulging muscles threatened the confines of his black t-shirt and made her want to reach over and give them a firm squeeze.

“What kind of club is this? Are there women inside?”

“It’s just a bar.” The bouncer motioned her inside. “Now or never. Didn’t mean to spook you.”

She hesitated another minute then brushed past him and into the bar. The interior was dark and crowded. Rock music blared from the speakers, making the floor vibrate. There was a tiny dance floor but most of the revelers were crowded around tables or playing pool. A row of booths along the back wall attracted couples eager to do more than flirt. The raw, primitive energy made her almost giddy.

The bouncer flagged down one of the waitresses and told her to escort Zophiel to “the boss”. Apparently the waitress knew where to take her because after giving her a suspicious sniff, she headed off across the room. Zophiel hurried after her. Heads turned and she had to slap away more than a few bold hands. The waitress knocked on a door labeled “office” then left without saying a word.

Were all wolves this rude?

Nate opened the door and pulled her inside the small, cluttered room. Without giving her the opportunity to flirt, he grabbed her chin and tilted her head back. “There are only three things on this road and I own them all. Who are you really?”

He looked exactly as she’d imagined him, almost handsome in a rustic sort of way. His hair was neither blond nor brunet but a fascinating mixture of colors that no human could claim without the help of a clever stylist. The ruthlessness in his gaze made her insides quiver and the sensation had nothing to do with fear. Oh he was so delightfully savage.

“Who do you think I am?” She pressed her teeth into her lower lip to keep from smiling. This was already more fun than she’d had in days.

“I think the general sent you to check up on me.”

The general? She carefully masked her surprise. Did he mean Milliner? It couldn’t be a coincidence. She’d been lurking in the shadows of the Therian nation too long to believe in happenstance. She knew Eli had been selling Nate information about other Therians, but she’d had no idea Nate was involved with the backers.

Hate welled within her, momentarily cooling her desire. Creating conflict between the networks was one thing but selling out one’s own people was reprehensible, even to her. Having been betrayed by a member of her own family, she considered disloyalty among the worst offenses. The last time she’d discovered a Therian working for the backers, she’d turned him into a mindless blood slave. His name was Osric and she compelled such obsessive loyalty in him that he’d died in agony rather than risk endangering her.

Was Nate just as traitorous or did he have a valid reason for interacting with the enemy? There was a slim chance the backers sought out Nate and coerced his participation. There was only one way to find out which was true.

“The general doesn’t play the fool for anyone,” she improvised, “and you are trying his patience.” Knowing Nate’s reputation, it was a safe bet.

Nate’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. Was he scenting her? He was a dog. Of course he’d want to sniff. Her earlier excitement had left her sex ripe and creamy. How sensitive was his nose?

The corners of his mouth quirked and he looked into her eyes. “What’s the general’s first name?”

A test? She nearly laughed. “James.” She twisted out of his grasp then squared her shoulders, suddenly interested in more than just energy. Did Tias know about this or was Milliner working something on the side? Fractures in the existing power structure meant opportunities for her. “Why aren’t you out searching for your daughter?” Was it possible Eli hadn’t gotten in touch with Nate? It was rather curious that he was wasting time in his bar while Heather made a fool out of him.

“Pounding the pavement hasn’t accomplished anything, so I’ve chosen a different strategy.”

“Which is?”

“Heather’s best friend is going to motivate my stubborn daughter to come home where she belongs.”

Zophiel smiled. It was easy to read between the lines. “And is this best friend willing motivation or is this going to get messy?”

Nate’s chin went up a notch. He obviously wasn’t used to justifying his actions. “She’s a member of my pack so it doesn’t matter how messy it gets. I wasn’t given a specific deadline so why are you harassing me?”

She needed to be careful. He couldn’t guess that she wasn’t a simple human messenger or this game could become a lot more dangerous than she intended. “Do you need a deadline?” She planted her fists on her hips and tilted her head. “Perhaps you’re one of those people who work better under pressure.”

“And perhaps you’re one of those women who work better under a man.” He grabbed her upper arms and lifted her to the desk, forcing her legs apart as he stepped between them. “Are you as wet as you smell?”