TherianPromise (4 page)

She disappeared behind him again then returned with a small
flashlight. Before he could remind her what she’d been looking for, she flipped
it around and showed him the compass recessed in the flashlight’s handle.

“Very clever.” Another hunger pain cramped his gut and he
quickly turned away, not wanting her to witness his distress. He breathed in
through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth, consciously controlling
his reaction to the pain. She touched his arm and he had no choice but to turn
around or heighten her suspicion.

“Are you sure you’re just hungry? You look sort of pale.”

He tried to smile and failed. “Too much sun and not enough
food.” He tossed the flashlight from hand to hand as the spasm gradually
receded. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but I need you to promise you
won’t run away. No matter what happens. I can’t keep you safe if you take off
on me.”

“‘No matter what happens’? What does that mean?”

“I’ll answer all your questions, do whatever it takes to
earn your trust, but I need your promise now.”

She searched his gaze, glanced away then looked at him
again. “I take promises seriously. I’m not sure I can say that and mean it.”

“All right. How about this, as long as you have no reason to
doubt me personally, regardless of how insane the situation seems, promise you
will not run away.”

“What are you afraid will happen?” He hadn’t meant to
agitate her, but she was clearly upset. “Just tell me.”

“Trust me just this far and I’ll earn the rest.”

She huffed out a breath and crossed her arms over her chest.
“You’re insane. You want me to trust a crazy person.” She paused and he was
scrambling for a better justification when she said, “Fine. As long as you
haven’t given me a reason to mistrust you personally, no matter how crazy
things get—though I can’t imagine things getting any crazier than they are
right now—I promise I will not run away from you.”

“Thank you. You won’t regret it.” He glanced at the compass
then headed toward the smell of the water, which was more or less west.

“So what’s a Therian?” she prompted, obviously anxious to
begin her orientation.

They descended single file, which put them at eye level when
he looked back. “We’re shapeshifters, Ava. Most Therians can only shift into
one animal. A select few can shift into several, if all their manifestations
are similar. Like Quinn, the man protecting your sister, he can shift into a
black jaguar and a cougar.”

“My sister’s lover is a feline shapeshifter?” She stopped
walking and gaped at him.

“I never said they were lovers. What did you see in your
dream?”

She ignored his question and started walking again. Her
features hadn’t yet registered her reaction to his claim. “What do you change
into?”

“A mountain lion,” he said, not in the mood for cougar
jokes.

“Show me.” He glanced back and she grinned. “Turn into a
mountain lion.” It was obvious from the sparkle in her eyes that she thought
she was calling his bluff.

“I’m going to shift for you, but I can’t do so right now.”

“Of course not.” She dismissed the possibility and brushed
past him, continuing down the mountain in the lead.

“When I healed you, because I’m not a trained healer, it
sapped my energy. If I shift right now, it’s likely I’d be trapped in cat form
until my levels regenerate. I can protect you in cat form, but I’m not much for
conversation.”

“How long will it take for your ‘levels’ to ‘regenerate’
enough for you to shift safely?” Her tone was clipped and cool, and she didn’t
spare him so much as a backward glance.

“A couple of hours. If we had plenty of food and weren’t
mountain climbing in the midday sun.”

They reached a stone ledge wide enough for them to stand
side by side and she stopped again. “So what’s the alternative? Am I supposed
to believe your ridiculous claim just because…”

“Because I took away your pain and you have psychic dreams
and we spontaneously teleported to an unknown destination? Therian energy fuels
all of these abilities. We
are not
human. Is that really so hard to
believe?”

She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t know what
to believe anymore. You’re right. I can’t explain how we got here or where the
hell here is, but shapeshifting? Even if it’s true, I don’t see how one leads
to the other.”

“Ending up here was an exaggeration of your fight-or-flight
response. You’ve been isolated from Therian males, so when I touched you, your
energy spiked.”

“Osric’s men grabbed me and shoved me into the backseat of a
car. Why didn’t that trigger my fight-or-flight response?”

“I’m not sure. There had to have been something different
about this morning, but I don’t know what it was. Give me twenty-four hours and
I’ll prove that what I’m telling you is fact not fantasy. Listen with an open
mind and I’ll—”

“You mean there’s more?” She looked out over the verdant
valley that stretched off to their left. They were halfway down, but the view
was still spectacular. “What could be more fantastic than teleporting feline
shapeshifters?”

He wasn’t sure if she had accepted his offer or if she was
just passing time, but hopefully her attitude would change once she saw him
shift. Which meant he needed to feed ASAP. “Feline shifters are the most common
kind, but the Therian nation is made up of all sorts of clans, wolves, bears,
even raptors.”

She chuckled and motioned for him to take the lead. “People
shift into dinosaurs? Must be popular at birthday parties.”

He ignored her sarcasm and continued their descent. “Not
dinosaurs, birds of prey. And to my knowledge, Ian isn’t popular with anyone.
Except maybe my mother.”

“You said we’re both part of the Therian nation. Are you
going to try and convince me that I’m one of these shapeshifters too? If I
could turn into a leopard or a lioness, I’m pretty sure I’d know about it.”

His response was interrupted as a section of the mountain
required their undivided attention. They faced the rock wall and chose each
foothold and grip with utmost care. Kyle reached the bottom first and steadied
her as she completed the final few steps. She was agile and strong, just like a
Therian female should be. A faint smile curved his lips as he reluctantly
released her waist and stepped back.

The last section of the descent appeared gradual and hilly,
far more hike than climb. Trees shaded them again, the coolness welcome after
hours in the blazing sun. Hopefully he could keep his mind on her orientation
rather than imagining all the erotic things he’d rather be teaching her. But
her jeans rode low enough on her hips to reveal a teasing inch of bare midriff.
Not to mention the way they hugged her nicely rounded ass.

Forcing his attention away from her body, he resumed his
explanation. “Female Therians are born latent. The ability to shift is within
them, but the specific animal into which they’ll shift has yet to be defined.”

Her steps slowed and her eyes widened. “In my last vision,
Carissa…” She shuddered, unable to complete the thought.

“When a female is ready for her nature to be defined, she
drinks the blood of the male she has chosen. His DNA becomes the pattern her
body uses to define her animal nature. Is that what you saw? Was Carissa
drinking blood?”

“I’d hoped it was just a dream, but… Carissa is a
shapeshifter?” She shook her head and hurried on ahead as if she could outrun
the truth. He kept pace with her anxious strides but allowed her time to absorb
the information. Suddenly, she stopped short and faced him, her expression a
tense mixture of confusion and dread. “If Quinn is her lover, why did she
choose the blond man for her transformation?”

“I wasn’t there. You’ll have to ask Carissa to explain her
decision. Still, you need to remember one important fact. Defining a female is
not a sexual act. The ritual often stirs emotions that lead to sex, but sex is
not necessary for the ritual’s success. Many females are defined by their
lovers, but many are also defined by prominent members of their parents’ clan.
It depends if the clan alpha wants to create a bond with another clan or
increase his clan’s numbers.” He knew more about Carissa’s situation than he
was letting on, but Ava would accept the complexities more easily if her sister
explained.

Speculation narrowed Ava’s gaze and she moved closer,
managing to appear fierce despite the difference in their sizes. “What does the
clan alpha have to do with it? You said the woman decides who defines her.”

Damn, she was perceptive. This was the part he’d been
dreading the most, the part she would find the most offensive. “According to
the Charter, the set of rules governing the Therian nation, a female has until
her twenty-first birthday to name her guide, that’s the male she wishes to participate
in her definition.”

“And if she hasn’t decided by her twenty-first birthday?”

“Her father or her clan alpha can petition the council for
permission to define her by force. I don’t agree with the practice and I’m
leading the push to have the policy changed.”

“Glad to hear it.” She started walking again, her steps
stiff and purposeful. She might not know where she was going, but she intended
to get there fast.

“Ava.” A pause in her marching stride was her only response.
“There’s another policy you need to understand.”

“I’m listening,” she assured him even though she didn’t turn
around.

They wove their way between trees and around rock
formations, following the gentle undulation of the ground. He ignored the
persistent tightening in his belly and the pain intensifying with each step. He
could not give in to his hunger until she understood the conflict surrounding
them. “Once a female has been defined, she has until her twenty-fifth birthday
to choose a mate.”

“And if she refuses to name her mate, her father or the clan
alpha can petition the council for permission to mate her by force?” Bitterness
made her tone brittle and she suddenly stopped and faced him again. “Osric was
forced on my mother, wasn’t he? That’s why she ran away from your precious Therian
nation. She was protecting us from…all of this bullshit!”

“I already told you I don’t agree with the practice, but we
are not human. Our biological needs are different, more demanding than anything
you’ve experienced before. Females need to be claimed for their own safety.
Once a male and a female bond, their bodies synchronize and her heat cycles
will no longer affect other males. But until she’s in sync with one man, she is
fair game for any unbound male.”

“Oh that sounds delightful. Where do I sign up?” All of her
feisty heat suddenly sputtered out and the color drained from her face. “This
is why Osric is after us. We just turned twenty-five.”

“The Alpha Council granted Osric’s petition for an official
intervention.” They’d reached the crux of the conflict and his cat surged in
response, hungry and demanding. He’d hoped to give her a little more time, to
approach her with more finesse. But he was out of options. He needed energy
now. “I don’t know who he’s chosen as your mate, but if the wolves had caught
up with you instead of me, you’d be on your way to the Therian version of a
shotgun wedding.”

* * * * *

Carly Ides stared through the double eyepiece of the
microscope, too frustrated to analyze the newest sample. Osric had entered the
lab twenty minutes ago and casually sat down at the small round table. He
didn’t say a word, but she could feel his eyes roaming over her body and knew
it was only a matter of time before he made his next sexual demand.

Submitting to him had seemed like the only way to learn what
the backers expected her to learn. In fact, they had suggested she make herself
available to Osric, hoping he would open up to a lover. The problem was they
weren’t really lovers. She was a toy, an amusing object for him to position,
ogle and manipulate.

Under ordinary circumstances… She didn’t let the thought go
any further. There was nothing ordinary about this situation. She was locked in
a secret research facility somewhere in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. At least
she thought she was still in Colorado. She’d arrived by helicopter, so it was
hard to determine exactly how far they’d flown.

She was a willing captive, however, having agreed to the
unusual arrangement in exchange for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Along
with a select group of other scientists, she studied a species the vast
majority of humanity didn’t know existed. Shapeshifters. Therians, as they
preferred to be called, were not only real, they were utterly amazing. So, if
she had to put up with the lecherous behavior of one of her supervisors, it was
a small price to pay to participate in the program.

Besides, if she were brutally honest with herself, once her
pride was silenced, she enjoyed their little games.

“Turn around and lift your lab coat. I want to see if you’re
still in compliance.”

Her hands clutched the edge of the workspace and she took a
deep breath. The challenge was not responding to his touch, it was concealing
the true depth of her pleasure as her body came alive. He’d insisted she wear
only skirts with nothing underneath. It left her vulnerable,
accessible
for
whatever he chose to do.

She’d encouraged Osric’s advances at the direction of the
backers, the mysterious three who oversaw and funded the Therian project. They
expected her to slip beneath Osric’s defenses and learn his true motivations.
But Osric would never confide in her. She was a mere human and he was Therian.
He was an invaluable resource, even if the backers didn’t trust him, and she
was expendable.

Pausing for a moment, she considered her next move. She was
getting nowhere with her current strategy. He thought she was weak and
malleable, which meant there was no reason to respect her. She’d observed the
mating habits of predators often enough to know females frequently challenged
males, forcing him to prove his strength before she submitted to his demands.