TherianPrey

by Cyndi Friberg

  A bit of her amusement ebbed. “I don’t understand.”

  “Therian females can be ‘defined’ as any of the subcategories regardless of her parents.” He glanced at her then fixed his gaze on the road. “If one of the wolves had defined you—”

  “I’d turn into a wolf rather than a cat?”

  “Yes.” He sighed. She seemed to be listening, even if she wasn’t accepting what she heard.

  For a long time she said nothing. He thought she might have dismissed the story outright, and then she said, “Even if all this is true, which I seriously doubt. How does it explain Ava’s abduction?”

  “We’re almost there.” He turned off the highway onto an unmarked dirt road. “Let me prove to you that I’m not full of shit then we’ll get into all the details.”

  “Are you going to turn into a panther for me?”

  “Panther is a generic term for any black cat. I’m either a black jaguar or a yellow cougar. I’ll let you pick, but I’m wasting my breath until you believe the fundamental truth of our existence.”

  She smiled, though wariness crept into her gaze. “This should be fun.”

  His cabin was set back from the dirt road, a gravel drive leading to a detached garage. The steep A-frame design of both buildings kept snow from piling up on the roof as well as providing rustic charm. He activated the door opener and pulled into the crowded garage. With a trail bike, street bike and a wide selection of sports equipment, there was barely enough room left for his truck.

  She shoved her door open as soon as he killed the engine. “My shoes are still behind the seat.”

  After retrieving her shoes, he led her out the side door and motioned her toward the cabin. She paused to look around then reluctantly obeyed. Even with a three-quarter moon, all she could see was the silhouette of the buildings and a shadowy impression of the surrounding trees.

  A sharp, unfamiliar cry drew her attention skyward. Something massive passed over the moon then swooped toward them in a perilous dive. She ducked and covered her head with her arms, her shrill scream radiating into the darkness.

  Quinn reached for the gun tucked into the back of his pants, but a booted foot kicked him squarely in the chest, knocking him backward. The winged creature turned on Carissa, spinning her to face him as he wrapped his arms around her struggling body. The intruder turned his head and offered Quinn a mock nod before launching himself into the sky.

  Quinn watched in helpless disbelief as the woman he was supposed to protect disappeared beyond the treetops. “Unbelievable!” He dragged his phone out of his pocket and called Kyle. “He hired a freaking raptor! Did you know about this?”

  “A raptor? Where are you? Do you still have Carissa?”

  “I’m at my cabin. We stepped out of the garage and the fucking bird attacked us.”

  “Are you sure it was—”

  “Six foot six with a twelve-foot wingspan. Yeah, I’m sure it was a Therian raptor.”

  “Is Carissa all right?”

  He hated to admit his failure, but this was no time to guard his ego. “The raptor flew off with her.”

  “Seriously?”

  “No. I thought the story would amuse you.”

  “Shit. Just shit!” The phone picked up a distinct crash, and Quinn wondered what Kyle had thrown. “I knew nothing about a raptor. There aren’t that many of them left. I’ll see what I can find out.”

  Quinn blew out a ragged breath, needing an outlet for his own frustration. “They headed southeast, but even I can’t track a raptor.”

  “Just hang out for a few. Let me see what I can learn.”

  He didn’t doubt Kyle’s connections. He just hated being idle, even temporarily. “You have fifteen minutes then I’m out of here. Have you caught up with Osric yet?”

  “I’m not having much better luck than you are.” Kyle’s laugh was harsh and humorless. “Ava gave his men the slip. Now it’s a race to see who can find her first, my team or the wolf trackers.”

  “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 wing
s 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.

  A soft, faintly floral scent crept into Carissa’s nose. Instinctively she turned her face into the touch and inhaled. “I know you,” she murmured, shocking herself with the admission. “I remember your scent.”

  “Of course you do.” Erin pressed a quick kiss to Carissa’s forehead then sat beside her, settling the overnight bag at her feet. “I was there when you were born. Your mother was my closest friend.”