TherianPrey (26 page)

The images surged, eroding what was left of her rational.
Erin had said this wouldn’t hurt her, so why had she sounded so frantic?

* * * * *

Quinn ran behind Ian, heart thundering in his chest. Kyle
often spoke of the mysterious vault, had even gone so far as to show Quinn the
metal door. But Quinn had never been allowed inside. “Erin didn’t say what was
wrong?”

“No. But Eli said it sounded urgent.”

Erin held the door open as they approached. She motioned
Quinn inside, but blocked Ian’s way as he tried to enter. “I’ll catch you up
once we have her stabilized,” she told Ian then left him standing in the
corridor.

Not sparing Ian another thought, Quinn rushed to Carissa and
knelt at her side. She was curled up on the floor, but a visual sweep didn’t
identify her injury. “What did you do to her?” Accusation snapped through his
tone.

“The journal describes this transfer, but neither Maggie nor
Willona reacted this way to the artifacts.”

“What transfer? What’s happening to her?” He pulled her into
his lap, cradling her against his chest. She looked so fragile, so helpless.
Fear squeezed his chest, making it hard to breathe.

“She’s being prepared for her definition. All the wisdom of
the other Omni Primes is being transferred into her mind. This is why I’ve
refused to sell even one of these artifacts. She is absorbing the ancient
energy.”

Quinn brushed her hair back from her pale face as he drew
air into his burning lungs. Beneath her eyelids, her eyes moved quickly back
and forth and her muscles twitched from time to time as if she were trapped in
a nightmare.

“If the descriptions are true, she won’t be herself when she
wakes up. The condition is temporary, so don’t be alarmed. She will need
reassurance and…she’ll need you.” He looked up in time to see Erin’s secretive
smile. “Reinforce your bond with her. She will need all your strength when she
attempts the transformation.”

Erin slipped from the room, leaving him alone with Carissa.

The energy transfer went on and on. Quinn rocked her in his
arms, whispering reassurances and endearments. Erin seemed excited by the
development, but fear for Carissa’s well-being wouldn’t let him share Erin’s
enthusiasm.

She wouldn’t be herself? What the hell did that mean? He was
willing to give Carissa whatever she needed, energy, sex, his blood, his life.

The fleeting thought brought his mind screeching to a halt.
Was he willing to lay down his life for a woman he hardly knew? He buried his
face in her hair, surrounding himself with her unique scent. Their acquaintance
might be short and intense, but he’d flowed through her mind and sensed her
unguarded emotions. He knew her.

She’d trusted him with her body, her emotions and her mind.
She’d believed in him while the rest of the world turned away. Yes, his soul
cried out. He would lay down his life for this woman.

An especially violent shudder racked her body. She moaned
and then whimpered.

Instinctively, Quinn reached for her mind, ready to supply
anything she needed. Heat stabbed into his brain, driving the breath from his
lungs. He gasped in a frantic breath then screamed, terrified all over again.
No one could survive this intensity. No one could—

Be still. We are almost done.

Clear as a bell, the words sounded within his mind then he
was thrust out of Carissa’s mind. He rocked back, stunned and in awe.

This was real.

He’d grown up with Erin’s fantastical stories about the
omnipotent female who would restore order to the Therian nation. He knew she
believed every word, but he’d always harbored doubt.

Carissa stirred in his arms. Tension flowed from her head to
her toes and then released. Her eyelids fluttered as they opened and he looked
into her bright-blue eyes. “Well, hello there,” she murmured, a dreamy smile
parted her lips. Then her head lulled back against his arm and her eyes drifted
shut again.

“Carissa.” He gently shook her, unsure what to expect. Was
the transfer over or had she been drawn back into the vision? “Come on,
hellion. Come back to me.”

A strange vibration erupted deep in her body, building and spreading
until he could feel it everywhere they touched. Her eyes flew open and Therian
light blinded him. He blinked and the light receded until he met her
molten-gold gaze.

“Are you all right?”

Her only response was a sexy growl. His cat barreled to the
surface, more than ready to play. With firm determination, he pulled his cat
back. He had to protect her, provide for her needs without losing control.

She twisted out of his arms then knelt astride his thighs,
her golden gaze burning into his. “I want you inside me. Now!”

He spotted fangs as she spoke, but her features didn’t
fluctuate. She was primed and ready to transform. All she needed was a
template, a pattern on which to base her shift. If he offered her his blood,
wouldn’t that undo everything Erin had accomplished?

Carissa wasn’t waiting for him to figure it out. She took
her shirt off and threw it aside then went right for the fly of his jeans. He
caught her wrists and she snarled, her head tossing, eyes wild.

“Take your pants off, love. I can’t fill you unless I have
access to your sweet pussy.”

His words launched her into action. She tore her shoes off
with frantic determination then stood and wiggled out of her jeans. Before she
could kneel again, he grabbed her hips and pulled her toward him.

He pressed his face into the juncture of her thighs and
inhaled deeply. She wiggled and pulled at his fingers, but he ignored her
silent struggles. The only way he would maintain control is if he took this
nice and slow. He let the scent of her arousal sink into his nose, his lungs,
his head. So sweet. So evocative. So…
his
. Even Erin recognized that his
connection with Carissa was more than a temporary heat-induced bond. Now all he
had to do was convince Carissa.

His hands squeezed her ass cheeks as his tongue began a
tender exploration of her slit. The first taste of her passion sent lust
spiraling through his body. His cock hardened painfully, but he refused to be
rushed.

He reached for her mind, shocked again by the untamed
impulses he sensed within her. She was ravenous, desperate for his seed and the
stabilizing balm of his energy.

Her hands moved to his head, fingers threading through his
hair. She was still tense and restless, but she allowed his mouth to have its
way. He licked and gently sucked until her thighs trembled and her cream flowed
freely. He wanted to lay her down and spread her thighs, so he could savor her
at his leisure, but her need was too raw, her instincts too unpredictable.

Circling her clit with the tip of his tongue, he brought her
right to the brink of orgasm then looked up at her and grinned.

“You’re cruel.” Her voice sounded rough and raspy, and
Therian light shimmered in her eyes.

“Not true.” He unfastened his jeans and pushed them down far
enough so he could free his aching cock. “For you.” He stroked the erect length
from stem to tip then guided her back down over his lap.

Her legs framed his thighs as she positioned herself above
him. “I need you now.”

With his hands on her hips, he drove into her snug heat.
They groaned in unison as he sank deeper and deeper. “I need you always,” he
countered when her face was on a level with his.

Her eyes widened then she braced herself against his
shoulders and lifted, dragging herself nearly off him before sinking down
again. He let her set the pace, let her control the movements.

They stared into each other’s eyes, lost to everything but
the pleasure. Her head dropped back on her shoulders and she gasped in a deep
breath. Her fangs were sharp and ready to pierce flesh. He had to remain alert,
had to anticipate her aggression.

She hadn’t removed her bra, but her lunges were strong
enough to jostle her breasts. He bent to one soft mound and then the other,
enjoying her silky flesh against his lips. She arched her back, moving her
hands behind her so she could establish a fast, rocking motion with her hips.
The new angle felt so damn good it threatened Quinn’s control.

Suspecting he wouldn’t last much longer, he slipped his hand
between their bodies and found her clit with his middle finger. She gasped, her
rhythm momentarily disrupted by the sensations his finger triggered. He was
still in her mind, sharing her emotions and her pleasure.

Suddenly she lunged, mouth open wide as she went for his
throat. He twisted his fist in the back of her hair and abruptly ended her
advance. She cried out, tugging against his firm hold on her hair.

“No biting.”

Her nails raked down his chest and she jerked her face to
the side, trying to free her hair.

Seeing no other choice, he lifted her off him and turned her
around, setting her down on her hands and knees. He pushed her shoulders toward
the floor and drove into her from behind, covering her as his cat would cover
his mate.

She tossed her head and tried to buck him off, but the
scorching desire blasting across their link assured him she was testing his
strength, not honestly trying to avoid him. “Be still,” he commanded. “Feel me
move inside you. Feel me and only me.”

To his amazement, she stilled. She remained tense for a
moment as he glided in and out of her wet heat then she moved her legs even
farther apart and tilted her hips upward.

“Yes.” He reached beneath her and fondled her breasts,
loving the weighty feel of her resilient flesh against his fingers.

Her mind calmed as she focused on the steady surge of his
body inside hers. He rubbed her shoulders and back, reaching down from time to
time to squeeze her nipples.

“More,” she whispered. “Please, more.”

He sped his pace, moving his hands to her hips as he
shuttled in and out. Her hot flesh tightened as her orgasm neared. He thrust
faster and sank deeper into her mind and her body. He shared his pleasure with
her and absorbed hers into himself.

Unable to resist the bliss a moment longer, he buried
himself to the hilt and let go. Sensation contracted his balls and rolled along
his shaft, expelling his seed deep inside her. She cried out and her inner
walls rippled with telltale spasms.

He shuddered, wrapping his arms around her as she went limp
beneath him. Quickly rolling them to their sides, he snuggled against her back
as she floated down from the staggering pleasure.

“Let me see your eyes.” She turned her head sharply and met
his gaze. Her eyes were blue again, though passion bright and slightly
bloodshot. “Feel better?”

She made a sound suspiciously like a purr. “I’ve never felt
better.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “We better put ourselves back
together and find Erin.” He eased away from her and righted his pants. “I have
no idea how long this calm will last.”

* * * * *

Gage climbed into the cab of his truck and set down his
binoculars. Something was going on at the cat sanctuary. He could almost feel
the excitement, yet he had little proof. Should he wait to see what developed
or alert Nehema now?

He didn’t want to tip his hand to the other Abolitionists.
It wasn’t that he wished them ill—he just wasn’t willing to share the spotlight
any longer. He’d been shuffled to the bottom of the deck one too many times. He
wasn’t going to let it happen again.

If he waited too long one of the others might catch up to
him and steal his thunder, but if he called Nehema and nothing came of his
suspicions, he would look like a fool—again!

With a frustrated sigh, he reached into his pocket and
pulled out his phone. There wasn’t a clear path, so he’d err on the side of
caution.

Nehema picked up the call and anticipation curled his toes.
Having direct access to Nehema was a privilege. He couldn’t afford to misuse
it.

“Tell me something I don’t already know.”

For a moment he thought she was talking to someone else then
he realized it was a challenge, not sarcasm. “The cats are preparing for
something big.”

“Details, Mr. Seaton. Don’t waste my time with suspicions. I
need facts.”

“I’ve watched alphas from all over the region come and go
all day. And it’s not just cats. I spotted a bear, several wolves and a
raptor.”

“Interesting lineup. What do you think it means?”

“I’m not sure, but it has to be big or they—”

“Stick with it and only call me back when you have something
specific. I’ll put the others on alert.”

She ended the call before he could say anything else, but
Gage felt somewhat vindicated. She hadn’t laughed in his face and he had been
the first to report the odd activities. Even if the others became involved,
Nehema would know who led the charge.

Chapter Eleven

Carissa carefully ran her tongue over her newly formed
fangs. “Will I always have these? People will think I’m a vampire groupie.”

Erin smiled, looking ridiculously pleased with herself.
“You’re trapped mid-shift because your body isn’t sure what it’s supposed to
become. As soon as your animal natures are established, you’ll be able to shift
back to your original appearance.”

Animal
natures
, as in more than one. A shiver slid
down Carissa’s spine, but she couldn’t tell if excitement or fear had launched
the sensation. It was happening. All of Erin’s wild promises were starting to
come true.

“Who has agreed to participate in the ritual?” Quinn sat
beside her in the classroom above the visitors’ center in the main building of
the cat sanctuary. He looked as tense as Erin was relaxed. His reticence seemed
odd after the way he’d commanded her in the vault less than an hour ago.

Another shiver teased her spine, only this time she knew
exactly what had caused the sensation. Each time she made love with Quinn, it
was unique and wonderful. She’d been wild, driven by forces she didn’t quite
understand, and still he’d known exactly how to approach her, what she needed,
how to control her without compromising the trust forming between them. The
longer they were together, the more she was captivated by his multifaceted
personality.