TherianPrey (5 page)

“Where’re you headed?” Carissa’s deep blue eyes beckoned
from his memory, her scent suddenly clear in his nose. He needed to find her.
The possessive urge was palpable. He wasn’t even sure he could wait fifteen
minutes. Thirteen, he corrected with a smile.

“Golden, but I need you to stick with Carissa.”

“That would be a whole hell of a lot easier if I could
manifest wings.”

“I hear you.” Kyle sighed. “Keep your phone close. I’ll let
you know as soon as I hear anything.”

“Copy that,” Quinn muttered, and ended the call.

* * * * *

For the first few minutes, Carissa couldn’t think beyond her
terror. Then slowly her fear-muddled brain began to function again. She was
flying! Well, actually the man who held her crushed to his chest was flying.
She was hanging on for dear life while her lower body dangled like a ragdoll.

“Wrap your legs around my waist,” her captor advised.
“You’re disrupting my rhythm.”

She bent her knees, but he had to help her maneuver her legs
into position. “Why did you… What do you want with me?”

“Just relax. We’ll talk when we reach my house.”

House? She pictured a large nest tucked into the side of a
steep rock face. Allowing the fanciful image to ease her anxiety, she pressed
her face against the warmth of his chest and refused to look past his shoulder.
He felt solid and warm—undeniably male—but her body didn’t react to him the way
it had to Quinn. Had Quinn’s deep, thorough kisses and skillful caresses sated
her hunger well enough to make her immune to others of his kind, or had her
physiology already started adjusting to Quinn and Quinn alone?

When no definitive answer responded to her speculation,
another thought materialized within her mind. They were real. And it wasn’t
just wolves. Shapeshifters not only existed, they appeared to be scattered all
over the Colorado Rockies!

Cool currents of air washed over her with each flap of his
massive wings, the surreal whooshing hypnotic and unnerving. She shivered,
terrified yet exhilarated. She’d shed her jacket to escape the wolf, and Quinn
had taken her shoes. No wonder she couldn’t stop trembling.

A cat snatched her from a wolf, and a bird took her from the
cat? This was starting to feel like a twisted children’s story.

“We’re almost there.”

Had he felt her shaking? He was surprisingly polite for a
kidnapper.

He glided out of the sky with staggering precision and
landed on a railed wooden deck. She glanced at the large rustic house and the
shadowy mountains surrounding them then turned her attention back to her newest
captor. Light from inside the house provided her first real look at his face.

“You can let go now,” he said with a gentle smile. She
unhooked her ankles and lowered her feet to the deck. A violent shiver
contracted her muscles and her teeth began to chatter. “You’re not even wearing
shoes. No wonder Quinn can’t find a mate. This is no way to treat a female.”

His wings shifted and swayed, gleaming in the moonlight. The
brisk night wind ruffled the dark feathers. Were they brown or black? A section
of white striped the underside of each wing, adding contrast and definition.
“You’re a Therian too?”

He folded his wings around her, drawing her close. “How
could you tell?”

Heat cascaded through her body, stirring the embers of her
desire, but the sensation fizzled out before it caught flame. Was he reacting
to her scent? Holy shit, was that the reason he’d flown away with her? The
wolves had noticed that she was…in heat, and Quinn had warned that she might
“draw a crowd” if he didn’t calm her down. In heat. It was such a degrading
phrase, so primitive, so animalistic.

She wiggled away, brushing against his wings as she
scrambled backward. Though the structure of each wing was strong and obviously
flexible, the feathers were incredibly soft against her forearms and fingers.

“Why’d you bring me here?”

“Let’s go inside. You’re shivering.” With a smooth, rolling
motion, he furled his wings and motioned toward the sliding glass door. His
wings hugged his back for a moment then were absorbed by his body, disappearing
in a shower of sparks.

“How did you do that?” The cold forgotten, she moved behind
him, searching for any hint of the massive wings that had propelled them across
the sky. There were vertical slits in his garments, but overlapping edges made
the openings subtle.

“How does a Therian do anything? I visualize the shape, pour
energy into the area and manifest the change.” He took her elbow and guided her
toward the door. “Come on, little fledgling. Your education has just begun.”

Stunned beyond words and having no idea where she was, she
reluctantly followed him into the house. He guided her into the kitchen then
his hand released her arm. Her skin tingled and her mind whirled, trying to
process the rapid-fire changes.

“Coffee or tea? We’ve got to get you warmed up.”

How could he be so casual? Her entire life was in turmoil
and he was offering her tea? “Whatever. Do you know what happened to my sister?
She was taken from our house by some wolves.”

He shook his head, but the cunning gleam in his eyes made
her suspicious of the denial. “I’m just helping out a friend. She asked me to
go get you, so I went.”

Without the distraction of his wings, Carissa was able to
concentrate on the man. He was tall and lean rather than corded with muscle
like Quinn. His long hair was mostly blond, but dark strands threaded through
the gold, making the overall impression shift from light to dark, depending on
the angle of his head. He was actually better-looking than Quinn, so why did he
fail to elicit the same urgent response from her hormone-laden body?

He held his arms out to his side and grinned. “Shall I turn
around?”

“I want to be able to give the police an accurate
description,” she told him.

“Tall, blond, with large brown wings?” His laughter was warm
and infectious. “They’ll need a graphic novel illustrator, not a police sketch
artist.”

She focused on his face, trying to ascertain his basic
nature. With a wide brow, proud nose and high cheekbones, his features
expressed nobility. Their gazes locked and stark awareness replaced his
amusement. Amber slashed across his light-blue irises, branching out from the
center like strikes of lightning against a midday sky. She needed to be careful
not to encourage him. If Quinn were any indication of what she could expect,
Therian men didn’t back down easily.

He looked so normal now. If she hadn’t seen it for herself,
she never would have believed he could sprout wings and fly away. He was far
less intimidating than Quinn, but she wasn’t nearly ready to obediently follow
his lead. They’d gone to a great deal of trouble to capture her and she needed
to understand why.

“Who’s your friend and why did she ask you to snatch me away
from Quinn?”

“Was my assistance unwelcome?” He tilted his head and arched
his brow. “I thought I was rescuing you.”

“So did Quinn. He swore he was protecting me from the
wolves. In fact, the wolves promised not to hurt me too, so apparently I was
never in any real danger.”

He dismissed her sarcasm with a wave of his hand and grabbed
the tea kettle off the stove. “The wolves are muscle. They only do what they’re
told.”

“Isn’t that the excuse you just used? ‘My friend asked me to
do it.’”

Again he ignored her sarcasm. Instead, he filled a kettle
with water and placed it on one of the burners. “Have a seat. I’ll be right
back.”

Too restless to sit, she crossed to the window and peeked
out between the blinds. All she could see was the shadowy outline of trees and
a distant swath of starry sky. They hadn’t been in the air very long. It was
unlikely they’d left Colorado. Still, running seemed foolish. She didn’t even
have her shoes. She could try to steal a car. Did someone who could sprout
wings even bother with a car?

And what about Ava?

Suspecting it was futile, she pulled her phone out of her
pocket and tried Ava’s number again. The call went straight to voicemail as it
had before, but she left a quick message just in case.

A soft, weighty blanket settled around her shoulders and she
gasped, quickly slipping her phone back into her pocket.

“Easy now.” Her companion lightly squeezed her shoulders,
his long fingers lingering for a moment before he moved away. If he was drawn
by her pheromones, he was far more subtle about it than Quinn had been. He
crossed to one of the cupboards and retrieved two ceramic mugs. “Chai spice,
black or green?”

She turned to face him, amazed at how quietly he moved. He
was big, well over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and long arms and legs.
“Anything hot will be welcome. I’m more interested in answers right now.”

“My friend’s on her way. She’ll tell you anything you want
to know. She should be here shortly.”

For the first time since this nightmare started, Carissa
didn’t feel threatened. Quinn had promised to protect her, had driven away the
wolves, but his aggression and her body’s unexpected reaction to him made her
feel vulnerable and unsure. This man’s laid-back attitude soothed her,
encouraged her to relax and think. She allowed the worst of her anxiety to ease
while remaining watchful and cautious.

“Am I allowed to know your name?”

“I’m Ian Douglas.” He took her hand and drew her away from
the window. “Sit down and try to relax. You’re safe now. There’s nothing to
fear.”

She wanted to believe him, needed to find some hope in this
surreal mess. But even if she were out of danger, Ava was still missing. She
sank onto one of the kitchen chairs and folded the blanket over her legs.

Her mind buzzed with questions and speculation while her
memory replayed the scene in the back of Quinn’s truck. She’d never been kissed
like that before, never come so quickly or so hard. And when it was over for
her, he’d taken a deep breath and reluctantly moved away. He had to have been
in pain. Her condition had affected his body too. So why hadn’t he suggested
she return the favor or pressured her for more than a few heated touches?

In the past it had always taken forever for her passion to
peak. Only one of her past lovers had possessed the stamina and caring to make
sure she’d climaxed before he finished. This had been so different, so intense
and elemental. Every sensation had been amplified by raw emotions, leaving her
stunned.

Yet Quinn had been protective and selfless, focused entirely
on her.

She shook away the sensual muddle and considered the
situation at hand. What little Quinn had told her only made her more confused.
“Do you know why Osric wants Ava so badly?”

“I do, but it’s better if we wait for Erin. She’ll start at
the beginning and take you through everything step by step.” His suggestion
allowed her to relax a little more. She hadn’t believed that anyone would
involve themselves in kidnapping with no better reason than a friend asking for
their help. His true motivation would likely be revealed with everything else
the mysterious Erin was about to tell her.

He dropped a teabag in each of the mugs then filled them
with water from the kettle. Long, lazy strides brought him across the kitchen,
his gaze intent upon her face.

As her emotions gradually stabilized, her curiosity
reengaged. Were all Therian men attractive? All she could remember of the
wolves was shaggy hair and hurtful hands, but Quinn and Ian were certainly
appealing. Well, Quinn more so than… She had to stop thinking about Quinn!

She took the mug from Ian with a wan smile and inhaled the
spicy scent. “Who is Erin?”

Sitting in the chair across from her, Ian dunked his teabag
several times before he answered. “She’s a good friend of your mother’s, or at
least she was until your mother left the network.”

“Rocky Mountain Feline Network?”

“Yes.”

He’d said the word with factual calm, as if the concept was
nothing out of the ordinary. “I thought lions were the only cats that live in
groups. Aren’t the rest solitary by nature?”

“For the most part, they are. But Therians are also human,
and humans are intensely social. Besides, there’s strength in numbers. Cats and
birds are seldom considered allies, but Erin and I managed to find a common
ground.” A doorbell rang and Ian turned his head. “That should be her now.
Let’s go to the living room. It’s warmer in there.” He pushed back his chair
and stood, waiting for her to do the same.

Keeping the blanket wrapped around her like a cape, she
followed him down the hall. He moved with the same rolling stride she’d noticed
before. He had to be at least six foot six, yet there was nothing gangly about
him.

He motioned her toward the sofa as he went to answer the
door. Carissa looked around, curious yet cautious. This was worlds away from a
nest in the treetops or on a cliff face. Massive windows dominated the far
wall, perfectly framed by tasteful drapes. A stone fireplace was centered in
the adjacent wall, a built-in entertainment center surrounding it. The
dark-brown leather sofa had a matching chair and loveseat. Huddled in the
blanket, Carissa sat at one end of the sofa and wrapped both hands around her
mug. She couldn’t bring herself to try the tea. She didn’t trust any of these
people, but the heat felt wonderful against her palms.

Ian returned with a dark-haired woman who appeared to be in
her mid- to late-forties. Dressed in jeans and a baggy sweater, she had an
overnight bag slung over one shoulder and a netbook computer tucked under one
arm. She looked ordinary, the kind of woman seen at a shopping mall or backyard
barbeque. The newcomer paused in the archway, green eyes wide and tear bright.

“Look at you. You’re all grown up.” She rushed across the
room and pressed her hand against the side of Carissa’s face.