TherianPrey (7 page)

Quinn’s cat growled and tossed his head as possessive fury
surged. He had to find her. Had to—

His phone rang, jarring him from his agitated thoughts. He
glanced at the display, saw Kyle’s name and sighed. “It’s about time. You’re an
hour and a half late.”

“Sorry. We cornered one of the dogs in Idaho Springs. After
much persuasion, he still claims Osric only hired wolves.”

“All that proves is the dog didn’t know about the bird.”

“Maybe. But the possibility took me in another direction. If
we aren’t dealing with a merc, then the raptor is probably local.”

“Which means Ian Douglas.”

“Damn. You are surly as hell when you’re asked to wait.”

“It’s been almost two hours! A lot can happen in two hours.”

“I agree, which is why I went straight to the source. As you
know, my mother has an in with the raptors. I called to ask if she had any
ideas. She didn’t answer, so I called the head of her security team. He said
she’d already gone to bed. I told him to go wake her up.”

“And?” Quinn rubbed his eyes, wishing he could reach through
the phone and shake the information out of his talkative friend.

“She gave him the slip,” Kyle informed.

“Which only confirms my conclusion. I know Ian lives in or
around Snowmass. So where can I find him?”

“I’d send someone else if I could spare them. I know there’s
no love lost between you two.”

“That’s the past. This is business. Text me his location.
I’m already on my way.”

* * * * *

Gage Seaton lay on his belly in the bed of his truck,
peering through the scope of his M40A3. A rustic house nestled against the side
of a pine-covered hill, the access road steep and winding. Beyond the wide,
railed deck, in a deceptively normal-looking living room, his target was
sipping tea while a female shifter indoctrinated her new recruit. And not just
any recruit. He’d known Carissa since she was a child, and seeing her with
these creatures had his finger itching for the trigger.

But he’d taken a vow. He only used his skills to protect
now. And indulging his hate would be cold-blooded murder. He closed his eyes
and eased his finger away from the trigger, waiting for the urge to mellow.
Then dread jerked his eyelids open and forced his attention back to the
disquieting scene. What if they intended to awaken her demon nature? As long as
she was latent, she could be rescued. He could not allow the eagle-shifter to
feed her his blood! As soon as one drop of his tainted blood passed her lips,
Carissa would be beyond redemption.

The tall blond moved closer, his gaze narrowed and intense.
He was eyeing her like prey! Gage fidgeted on the truck’s bed, the situation
making him more uncomfortable than the cold metal.

“Team Leader to Gama. Come in, Gama.”

Gage touched his transceiver, seating the tiny device more
securely in his ear. “Gama copy. Go ahead.”

“Your check-in is overdue. What’s your situation?”

“Sorry, sir.” His instincts had led him to this location,
warned him that something important was about to take place. Still, he’d been
shocked to find innocent Carissa in the clutches of a Therian hunter. He’d yet
to regain his composure. “Target located. Waiting for an opening.”

“If your target is located, what’s the hold up?”

Therian males were the source of the pestilence. They
infected females, creating breeders to perpetuate their demonic species. Males
were always fair game, but females, even transformed females, were considered
innocent. The rescue teams didn’t bother with transformed females, but
according to Abolitionist standards, they didn’t deserve to die.

“She’s not alone, sir. Do I have permission to—”

“No. Collateral damage is not approved. Stick to original
parameters.”

“Understood.” He wasn’t pleased by the decision, but it didn’t
surprise him. Team Leader often lacked the stomach to do what must be done. If
the Abolitionist founders would allow their workers to be a bit more
aggressive, the movement would be far more effective in the long run.

“Keep me apprised.”

“Copy that.”

“Team Leader out.”

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Gage rolled his shoulders then
shifted back into his earlier position and waited for an opening.

* * * * *

Carissa edged toward the fire as she waited for the next
shoe to drop. If Therian law allowed women to be defined against their will, it
only stood to reason that arranged marriages would follow.

“According to Therian law, the council can appoint a life
mate for a female on her twenty-fifth birthday if she has failed to select one
for herself,” Erin admitted.

Planting her fists on her hips, Carissa glared at Erin. “I
will not bow to these rules just because that’s the way it has always been.
There are laws against kidnapping and rape. I’ll have all of these fools
arrested.”

“You’re not human,” Erin persisted. “You need to start
thinking like a Therian.”

Carissa stilled, eyes narrowing on Erin’s face. “If you
agree with these ridiculous concepts, why did you send Ian after me?”

“I don’t agree with the old ways and neither does Ian or
Kyle, but Kyle has only led the feline network for a few months. He’ll do what
he can to protect you and Ava. I’m just afraid he won’t be able to control the
older members of the council. Most of them see nothing wrong with coercing
stubborn females.”

“Tell her the rest,” Ian prompted. “She deserves the whole
truth.”

Erin looked decidedly uncomfortable, but she complied. “Kyle
is my son, and my husband was head of the network when your mother chose to
leave us.” She paused for a sigh then went on in an embarrassed rush, “My
husband and Osric contracted a match between Ava and Kyle shortly after Ava was
born. Your mother objected. It wasn’t that she disapproved of Kyle. How could
she? He was still a child. But she wanted Ava to have the freedom to choose her
own mate.”

“Why Ava? Is Osric rich or something?” As Erin answered the
questions, Carissa’s gaze shifted to Ian. Her nostrils flared and she nervously
wet her lower lip. Could he sense the restlessness rising within her? What the
hell would she do if it became as demanding as it had before?

“Females in your bloodline have a rare ability. They’re able
to imprint more than one male.”

Carissa absently touched her lips, her gaze focused on Ian’s
mouth. She needed Quinn! Needed…needed to pay attention to what Erin was
saying! “I have no idea what that means.”

Erin looked from Carissa to Ian, understanding widening her
eyes. “Is she in heat?”

“Oh yeah.” Ian shifted position, the bulge in the front of
his jeans undeniable.

“Can you calm her down? She really needs to understand
this.”

“Let’s find out.” He strode to Carissa and pulled her into
his arms. For just a moment she melted into the embrace, and then his scent
filled her head and she went wild. She shoved against his chest and violently
arched away. “Settle down. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I am not doing this again!”

He stilled at her last word, his gaze narrowed and intense.
“Again?”

“When did it start?” Erin asked, suspicion creeping into her
expression.

“This morning.” Carissa turned around, but he kept one arm
wrapped around her waist. “Quinn came into our store and… It felt as if an
electric current passed between us. I’ve been edgy ever since.”

“All he did was talk to you?” Erin glanced at Ian as she
waited for the answer. “He didn’t touch you or kiss you?”

“Why is this important?” Carissa evaded, trying to minimize
her contact with Ian’s restraining arm.

His fingers splayed against her side, firm yet careful.
“Quinn can intentionally trigger Therian heat. The council banned him from all
network functions until he bonds with a mate.”

“What does this have to do with me?” She was missing
something obvious, but rising desire kept her mind muddled.

“A female in heat is simple to track. Her scent is
unmistakable.”

She turned back around and looked up at him. “Quinn did this
to me?”

“It’s possible.”

“It’s probable,” Erin countered, bitterness hardening her
characteristically mellow tone.

Anger cleared Carissa’s mind for a moment and she wiggled
out of his arms. “Kyle sent Quinn after me. He had to know what Quinn would do.
And Kyle isn’t doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He’s trying to
recapture his betrothed.”

Erin reluctantly nodded. “When my husband died, Osric
informed Kyle that the contract was null and void. Osric has begun negotiations
with several other leaders, but Kyle is determined to—”

“Wait a minute. Osric thought we were dead. My mother made
sure of it.”

“Your mother was fooling herself. The familial bond between
Therians is strong. Osric sensed your mother’s passing and he’s known all along
that his daughter was still alive.”

“‘His
daughter
was still alive’? Don’t you mean
daughters?”

Ian shot Erin a cautionary look. “Slip of the tongue,” he
dismissed. But Carissa wasn’t buying it. “Osric is just focused on Ava right
now.”

With so many other knots needing to be untied, she let the
inconsistency slide and tucked it away in the back of her mind. After a short
pause she asked, “Why now? If he wanted us so badly, wouldn’t it have been
easier to track us down as children?”

“He had no interest in children.” Ian watched her closely as
if he feared she’d run. “You both turn twenty-five next week. If you don’t name
your mates, Osric can make the decision for you.”

“Erin said
the council
selects mates for reluctant
females.” She turned toward the fire, not wanting the warmth but needing a
moment away from their perceptive gazes.

“The female’s father is allowed to make suggestions to the
council. The council isn’t required to accept the father’s choice, but they
often work together. Because of the contract dispute over Ava, the council
approved Osric’s choice and sanctioned his actions.”

“Much to Kyle’s chagrin,” Erin added.

Carissa watched the dancing flames as she absorbed what
she’d learned so far and allowed her mind to accept the implications. “And I’m
next. Aren’t I?” She turned back around, too keyed up to remain still. “As soon
as Osric finalizes the sale on Ava, he’ll open the bidding on me.” She rubbed
her upper arms, trying to hide her hardened nipples. How much longer could she
pretend this wasn’t happening? She raked a hand through her hair and started
pacing. “I need to think. Why can’t I focus?”

“Ian, give us a few minutes. I need to talk with
Carissa—alone.”

He looked as if he would argue then he nodded and left the
room.

Erin unzipped the overnight bag at her feet and dug through
its contents as she explained. “I wasn’t sure where you’d be staying or which
challenges we’d be facing, so I tried to plan for everything. I brought a
change of clothes, basic toiletries…and this.” She pulled out a plastic case
and opened it across her knees. “Spray this up your nose. It should settle
things down. If that doesn’t work, the vaginal cream will do the trick.”

Carissa took the nasal spray from her outstretched hand and
looked it over dubiously. There was no label, no directions. “Where did you get
this? What’s in it?”

“A synthetic version of what you’d get from a man. It’s not
a cure. Therian heat won’t be denied, but this makes the cravings manageable.
Many of us stopped being slaves to our hormones—and our men—a long time ago.”

“Do your men know about this?”

“Of course they do.” Erin laughed. “That’s why it’s
forbidden. Most men enjoy the challenge of winning a mate, but there are still
some who prefer women powerless. We were tired of ‘being treated like chattel’.
Isn’t that how you put it?”

“So you kept producing it despite the ban?”

“Discreetly,” Erin stressed with a smile.

Desperate for any relief from the ache, Carissa placed the
nozzle in her nostril and pulled down on the tabs, dispensing an odd-smelling
mist into her nose. She sniffed, sneezed, and then sniffed some more.

“Do you feel any different?” Erin sounded hopeful.

“Not really.”

“Try the other side.”

She repeated the process and gradually her head began to
clear. The ringing in her ears lessened and her temperature slowly lowered.
“It’s working.” She no longer felt edgy, and the ache between her thighs
subsided.

“Good. You can use it every few hours, but hold out as long
as you can. Your body will eventually compensate for the chemicals and you’ll
need the real thing, but this should buy you some time.”

“Do people really go insane from this or did Quinn just say
that to frighten me?”

“It’s extremely rare, but it has happened. Our physiology is
stubborn, our species determined to survive. The mist slows down the entire
process, but again let me stress that it’s not a cure. You’ll need to find a
sexual partner eventually. The cream works best at night or when the cravings
are especially intense.” Carissa handed the nasal spray back to Erin and she
returned it to the plastic case, then tucked the case back inside the overnight
bag. After zipping the bag, Erin crossed to Carissa and gave her an encouraging
hug. “Get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning. More yourself.”

“Myself?” She laughed. “I don’t even know who that is
anymore.”

Carissa sensed an undercurrent swirling around her as Ian
walked Erin to the front door a few minutes later. The same electric sensation
had prickled Carissa’s skin when the wolves lapsed into silence. Were all
Therians telepathic? Could she learn to send and receive thoughts?

Had she just thought of herself as a Therian?

She didn’t want to buy in to this madness, but there was too
much tangible proof that what they were saying was real. Her reaction to Quinn.
The memories released by Erin’s scent. Not to mention the wolves’
transformation and Ian’s wings!