Taming Kiera (Therian Agents Book 3) (4 page)

Kiera stood, paralyzed with fear.

Jacob let out a terrifying roar. His clothes tore from his body as he shifted, his limbs distorting in odd angles. Golden fur appeared where tanned skin had been, and his perfectly sculpted features elongated into a terrifying snout. It happened so quickly that, if she’d blinked, she would have missed the transformation.

In animal form, Jacob was twice the size of any lion she’d ever seen in the zoo or on TV. His dark mane framed his face, and his golden eyes locked on his victims with dangerous intent.

No matter how many times people told her that shifters existed, nothing had prepared her to see it happen.

The lion crouched, then leapt at the man closest to him, going straight for his throat.

A gunshot sounded, and Kiera screamed, struggling against her captor.

“Don’t move,” the man who held her hissed in her ear, tightening his viselike grip around her chest.

Kiera fought, unable to get free.

The second man let out an ear-piercing howl as his body contorted into a wolf. His transformation wasn’t as smooth as Jacob’s, the beast not as large, but it was vicious, with sharp fangs.

“You’re werewolves?” She blinked hard, trying to get her brain to catch up to the events around her.

“Smart girl.” The man hit her hard across the temple, then flung her into the van. “Stay in there.”

Kiera fell against the cold metal floor, head pounding.

Just outside the van, the animals growled and snapped. One of the wolves yelped in pain, as the lion sank its teeth into the creature’s neck. The wolf seized, thrashing wildly, then went limp.

The last wolf attacked, but it was no match for the fierce strength of the lion. Kiera heard something break within the animal, and it collapsed, lifeless on the cement.

Her chest heaved and her hands balled in fists at her side, unable to process everything that happened. Her life had turned into one bad episode of
The Vampire Diaries.

The lion shook its mane, lifted its head and looked at her.

Kiera sobbed in relief. “Jacob?”

More slowly than before, Jacob shifted into human form. He stood unsteadily. There were scratches and bite marks all over him, but despite the injuries, she couldn’t look away.

Holy hell, the man was built. Despite the pounding in her head and the ringing in her ears, she couldn’t control the response she had to him. Arousal didn’t even begin to describe it.

His clothes lay scattered and torn on the ground, nothing left of them to hide his nakedness. Not that Kiera minded, but she figured his neighbors wouldn’t be as impressed.

Luckily, there wasn’t anyone around.

She crawled out of the van and threw her hand over her mouth when she got a closer look at the damage Jacob had done to the wolves. Lifeless, the wolves had transformed back into human form. Thick, dark blood coated the bodies and pooled on the sidewalk where they had fallen. She felt herself pale and the world started to spin.

“Are you okay?” Jacob’s voice was tight.

“They were werewolves.” She swallowed hard. “Why were they after me?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” He dragged his hand through his hair and winced. “I need to clean this up. Go back to the house. Call Chase and Turner. Tell them I need them here ASAP.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Find whoever’s responsible. But first, I need to get the bodies off the street, and make sure no one saw what happened.” Jacob strode across the lawn to where Balor sat. The dog whimpered when Jacob placed his hand on his head.

“And if they did?”

“Then Turner will take care of them.”

She narrowed her eyes, not liking the sound of that. “What do you mean,
he’ll take care of them
?”

“Oh dear.” A woman’s shocked voice carried across the lawn.

White-haired with thick-rimmed glasses, an elderly woman stared wide-eyed at them. From her spot on the porch, the bodies were hidden behind a row of bushes, but Jacob stood fully visible in all of his naked glory.

“Jacob? What’s going on?”

“Everything’s fine Mrs. McCumbers. Go back inside.”

“Where are your clothes?”

Kiera held her breath. How the hell was he going to explain his way out of this?

“Balor got out when I was in the shower. He hurt his leg. Just need to get him home.”

“Do you need me to call someone?” The woman moved further out onto the porch.

Kiera looked over her shoulder. Jacob did the same. The bodies were hidden from the woman’s view, but only barely. If she took another few steps towards them, she’d be able to see the carnage.

“I’ll distract her,” Kiera said, placing a hand on Jacob’s shoulder when he started to stand. “You do what you need to do.”

He gave a curt nod and lifted the dog in his arms.

“Mrs. McCumbers?” she said, walking up the pathway. “I’m Jacob’s friend, Kiera.”

The woman raised an eyebrow, then looked back at Jacob just in time to see his bare back disappear around the fence.

“Well now,” the woman breathed out heavily, fanning herself. “You don’t see that every day.”

Despite everything, Kiera laughed. “No. You certainly don’t.”

Mrs. McCumbers shuffled towards the porch steps.

Kiera moved in front of her, blocking her view. She took deep breaths and tried to think clearly, to come up with some way to get the woman back inside her house.

“I was wondering if I could use your phone? I need to call my sister. She’s a…a vet.”

“Of course, dear. Come in.” The older woman opened the screen door and led Kiera into the kitchen, nodding at an old rotary phone that hung on the wall.

“Thank you.”

Kiera clutched the headset and spun the numbers, trying to keep her fingers from shaking.

“Hello?” Riley’s melodic voice echoed on the other end.

“I need your help.”

“Kiera?” Riley’s tone raised an octave. “What’s going on?”

Mrs. McCumbers watched intently from across the room.

“Jacob’s dog was injured and he needs to be looked at. He’s a big dog so you’ll need to bring Chase and Turner with you. It’s urgent.”

“Is someone listening? Are you in trouble?”

“Yes, that’s right. Please hurry.”

“Kiera–”

She hung up.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” The woman pulled out a bag of peas from the freezer and wrapped it in a dishtowel. “That’s a nasty cut on your lip.”

Kiera touched her mouth gingerly and winced.
Was she all right?
No, not even close. Werewolves had just mauled her, tried to abduct her. There was nothing
all right
about any of it. She needed to get out of there before she burst into tears.

“I’m sorry. I have to get back to Jacob.” She rushed out of the house and tore across the lawn.

For a moment, she contemplated running in the opposite direction. But where would she go?

As crazy as it was, this was her life now.

She felt a gentle tug inside her, calling her back to the house, back to Jacob. The lion within her stirred, but for once it was calm, nudging at the back of her mind, with gentle urgency.

Jacob needs you.

Jacob pulled the van into the garage. He gripped the steering wheel and took a steadying breath. Already, the wolves’ venom was starting to take effect. His limbs grew heavy, and his vision blurred, but at least he’d made it home. Now he just had to get Balor and himself into the house, before he passed out.

On shaky legs, he opened the side of the van. The stench of death stung his nostrils. Balor whined and smacked his tail on the van floor.

“I know, buddy. We’ll get you fixed up.” Jacob was certain the dog had fractured his front leg, as well as a couple of ribs. He lifted Balor carefully, taking all one-hundred-and-twenty pounds against his chest.

Numbness crawled up his arms and down his legs. He stumbled inside the house and placed Balor on the couch in the living room.

When he straightened, flashes of light blurred his vision and pain tore through his chest.

A wave of terror raced through him. The scrapes and gashes on his body were already starting to heal, but the poison in his blood was making him sick. He’d been bitten too many times and the venom was spreading quickly.

Fucking wolves.
And not just any wolves, but feral ones. Their bites were more lethal. If he was lucky, he had five minutes before the venom took full effect.

“Shit.” He leaned against the wall when then the room began to spin. He needed the antidote. One agonizing step at a time, he made his way down the long hall.

Cold sweat dripped down the side of his face. He tried to breathe, but his throat had constricted, making each breath excruciating. The lack of oxygen had turned his fingers and nails blue.

This was what his father must have felt right before the end. Jacob squeezed the painful memory from his mind. He wouldn’t die like this. Not today.

He made it to the kitchen, opened the cabinet, and pulled out the first aid kit.

Once he held the case in his grip, his knees buckled beneath him. He slowly slid down to the floor. Leaning against the cupboards, he pulled a syringe from the case, and said a silent prayer that it would be enough. His entire body shook uncontrollably as darkness crept along the peripheral of his vision. He grit his teeth and managed to get the cap off the needle.

He tried to move his hand, to inject the antidote, but it lay limp at his side.

It was too late. His body had become too weak. No matter how hard he pushed, his body wouldn’t respond.

Death.
He felt it on the back of his neck and deep in his bones. He’d die from the wolves’ venom, just as his father had. But there’d be no mate to mourn his loss, no children to grieve his absence. No one would suffer because of his passing. For that, he was grateful.

A biting cold seeped through his veins. He didn’t have much time left.

“Jacob?” Kiera’s panicked voice echoed through the house.

Kiera.
His heart lurched. She made him want more than the hollow shell his life had become. He survived day to day. Empty. Alone. But, part of him had always hoped for more. He realized that now.

He opened his mouth to call out, but the words stuck in his throat.

Her heady scent wafted into the room. A fresh spike of adrenaline surged through his body. It was just enough to give him the strength to plunge the needle into his thigh and press the release. His head fell back against the floor and his body began to seize violently.

“Oh my god.” Kiera rushed to him, her eyes huge, filled with fear. She knelt beside him and placed her hands on the sides of his face. “What do I do?” She looked around the room desperately. “I’ll call Riley again. Chase and Turner should be here soon.”

“St-stay.” His muscles went rigid and he clenched his teeth against the pain.

“I’m here.” She stroked his cheek and moved so his head could rest in her lap. “I won’t leave.”

He lay helpless in her arms. Naked and exposed, all control gone. But her presence stilled the fear.

“Don’t die,” she whispered. But there was something unspoken in her words, a claim that he had only begun to recognize. Her lion called to him, and his animal responded in turn.

Mine.

Brilliant blue eyes, filled with tears, gazed down at him. She was his, even if only for that brief moment.

He sucked in her scent, closed his eyes, and let the darkness claim him.

Where were Jacob’s men? Hadn’t she made it clear to Riley that it was an emergency?

She should call them again, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave Jacob’s side. His skin grew so cold, his breathing shallow, almost nonexistent. He was going to die, and it would be her fault. She shouldn’t have insisted to go for a run by herself.

“Jacob?” A man’s voice called from the entrance.

“Help,” Kiera choked out. “In here.”

“What the hell happened?” Chase, the older of the two brothers, fell to the floor beside her, and placed his fingers on the side of Jacob’s neck, checking for a pulse.

“I went for a run. There were…men in a black van. Jacob must have…he…he shifted and–” She knew her words didn’t make sense, but she couldn’t form a complete thought, let alone a sentence.

“Wolves,” Turner sneered, picking up the empty vial and examining it. “He shot himself with the antidote.”

“Feral by the looks of it.” Chase ran his hands through his hair, and the brothers exchanged a look that Kiera couldn’t interpret.

“Is he going to be okay?” Kiera asked, cradling Jacob’s head in her lap.

“Once we give him another dose, he should be,” Chase said gently. He tilted his head and studied her. “Do you know what they were after?”

“Me.” She licked her lips and looked down at Jacob’s pale face. “They wanted me. Jacob fought them off.”

Turner cursed and stormed out of the room. He returned a moment later with a blanket and placed it over Jacob.

“What the hell was Jacob thinking, bringing her here?”

Chase gave his brother a hard look, but when he glanced back, his gaze softened.

“He has his reasons.” Chase stood and exhaled. “It’s not our place to question him.”

Turner huffed in response.

“Help me carry him upstairs.” Chase turned to Kiera and handed her his keys. “There’s a black bag in the trunk of my car. Can you get it for me?”

She nodded and took the keys.

“Riley didn’t come?” she asked softly. For the first time since she woke up in the Therian labs, she really wanted her sister.

“She’s been under enough stress.” Turner didn’t look at her, but kept his silvery-blue gaze focused on Jacob. “We need to move him.”

“Right.” Kiera swallowed hard and left the men to tend to Jacob.

Chase’s SUV was parked in the driveway. She grabbed the black bag and brought it into the house.

She found them upstairs in Jacob’s room. Chase grabbed the bag from her when she entered, and gave her a small, strained smile. Turner was on his cell, staring out the window, his back to her. By the softness in his tone, she figured he was talking to her sister.

“Here.” Chase rummaged through the bag, then handed her two needles. “Help me.”

They had Jacob laid out on the king sized bed, his body covered by a thin blanket. The wounds had stopped weeping blood and appeared to be healing already.

“The bruises are fading.” She ran a hand over his shoulder, where a large purple bruise had been only moments before.

“We heal quickly.”

Turner shoved his phone in his pocket and joined them. “Ready?”

“I need you to hold him down,” Chase said to Turner. “It’s important that he stays in human form when the adrenaline kicks in. Do whatever you need to keep him calm.”

Turner nodded and a small smile played on his lips. “With pleasure.”

Chase narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

“What do you want me to do?” Kiera asked, fidgeting with the syringes.

“Just get out of the way when we tell you to,” Turner bit out.

“Take the lids off.” Chase nodded to the syringes. “I’m going to give him an extra dose of the antidote, then a shot of adrenaline.”

Kiera chewed on her bottom lip and handed Chase the first needle. He administered it quickly, then held out his hand for the second.

“You need to stay back,” Turner growled.

Kiera gave a small nod.

“All right, my friend. This is going to hurt.” Chase shoved the needle into Jacob’s thigh and pressed the release.

Jacob gasped on a sharp intake of breath and his eyes opened wide. The muscles in his shoulders tensed and bulged, and it took both men to hold him down. Jacob glanced franticly around the room.

“Goddammit, hold him down,” Chase snapped.

“I’m trying,” Turner bit back.

Jacob’s body began to contort and the muscles and bones stretched and elongated, then shrunk back to normal size. Her stomach cramped and twisted, knowing the pain Jacob was in.

“Fuck. He’s going to shift.” Turner pressed his weight onto Jacob’s chest.

“Hey.” Chase gripped Jacob’s jaw tightly, forcing him to meet his gaze. “Focus buddy. You need to calm down. Breathe. You shift and it’s going to be a hell of a lot harder to help you.”

There was clear affection in Chase’s voice. She hadn’t realized how close the two men were, but it was obvious that Chase cared deeply for him.

The muscles in Jacob’s body went rigid and his eyes rolled back in his head.

“It’s not working.” Her own chest constricted to the point that she found it difficult to breathe.

“Be patient,” Turner growled.

“Kiera.” Her name sounded torn from Jacob’s throat.

“She’s here.” Chase nodded for her to approach.

She sat down on the bed and placed a hand on his cheek. The tension in his face eased and his body slowly relaxed.

“Are you okay?” His deep voice sounded more like a rough rumble than words. He winced as a small spasm racked his body.

“Better than you.” She held his hand until the spasm stopped.

The shadows in his eyes seemed to lighten and corners of his lips twitched up. He lifted his hand and touched her cheek with the back of his fingers in a gentle caress.

Kiera’s heart fluttered in her chest.

Chase coughed and Jacob dropped his hand.

“He’s going to be fine.”

“Did you find Balor?” Jacob strained to sit up. “I left him on the couch downstairs.”

Turner stood. “I’ll check on him.”

“You’re one lucky son of a bitch,” Chase said, shaking his head.

Jacob grunted, holding his head.

“What kind of damage are we looking at?”

“The van and bodies are in the garage.” Jacob leaned against the headboard, a faint sheen of sweat on his brow, but his color had returned. “The street needs to be cleaned, but I don’t think there were any witnesses, except–” He glanced at Kiera, eyebrows raised. “Did Mrs. McCumbers see anything?”

“She’s perfectly harmless.” She wasn’t sure what they’d do to the poor woman if she had.

Jacob frowned at her. “I can send Turner over if she did.”

“She’s an old woman. How can you even think about hurting her?”

Jacob glanced at Chase, then back at her, clearly confused. “Wiping a person’s memories doesn’t hurt.”

“You were going to wipe her memories?”

“Yes. What did you think we were going to do?” Jacob watched her intently.

“Nothing,” Kiera muttered, warmth infusing her cheeks. Clearly she’d misunderstood, but how was she supposed to know they had the ability to wipe people’s memories?

Jacob turned back to Chase. “I want to know who the bastards were working for and what they wanted with Kiera.”

“You think Circe’s behind it?” Chase folded his arms over his burly chest and clenched his jaw.  

“I don’t know.” He scrubbed his hands down his face. “Why would she want Kiera?”

“Who’s Circe?” Kiera asked.

“Fuck.” Chase ignored her and began pacing the room. “If it is, Turner is going to have a meltdown.”

“Who is Circe?” she asked again, this time louder.

“Our mother,” Turner said from the door, his face dark with anger.

“Why would your mother want to abduct me?”

“Circe was working with your father.” Chase stopped pacing and placed his hands on the footboard, leaning forward, shoulders hunched. “If she’s after you, she has a reason.”

“Yeah, to piss me off,” Turner muttered.

Chase shook his head. “Until we figure it out, you’re going to have to return to the agency.”

“I’m not going back,” she said.

“It’s not safe here.” Turner’s eyes were hard when he glanced at her.

“I don’t care.” She crossed her arms over her chest, undaunted by the anger that flashed in Turner’s gray eyes. “You can’t make me.”

Turner growled. “Do you have any idea what we’ve gone through to keep you safe?”

Back to that. She rolled her eyes.

“I’m not leaving.”

Turner took a step towards her and Chase put a hand on his brother’s chest to stop him. 

“She stays with me,” Jacob said evenly.

Kiera blinked in surprise.

He stood slowly, wrapping the blanket around his waist.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Turner threw his hands up.

Even Chase looked shocked. “Once the Council finds out what happened, they won’t let her stay.”

“I’ll deal with the Council.” The confidence in Jacob’s tone left no doubt that he would. He moved into the walk-in closet.

“Look.” Turner raked his fingers through his dark hair, making it stand on end. “I’m all for breaking the rules and everything. But I promised Riley that nothing else would happen to Kiera.”

“And nothing will.” Jacob came back into the room wearing a pair of dark slacks and a gray button down. His face was still pale, but he no longer looked like he was at death’s door. “The house is secure.” He narrowed his golden eyes on her, and she shivered under his intense gaze. “As long as you stay in the house you’ll be safe.”

Kiera swallowed hard. “I won’t leave again.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise.” The moment she said the words, panic began to crawl up her throat.

“Good.” He nodded abruptly, then turned back to the other men. “We have work to do.”

Turner mumbled something under his breath, and Chase continued to frown.

The men moved out of the room, but Kiera stayed. She sat down heavily on the bed.

What had she just promised?

She’d just traded one cage for another.

But at least this cage contained Jacob Oliver.

She could work with that.