“You knew her personally?”
“I was sixteen when she died. I don’t know her exact age, but she was at least three hundred.”
“Okay, I’m impressed. But I still don’t see how this…” She pulled the album toward her and studied the image with new interest. If she ignored the clothes and shortened Maggie’s hair… “She looks like my mother.”
“That’s not surprising. Maggie was your grandmother.”
Carissa slumped back in her chair and blew out a shaky breath. “This is why everyone is hunting us. Osric wants… What exactly does Osric want?”
Erin reached across the table and slid the album aside then replaced it with the other one. “Osric has been obsessed with the legends surrounding the Omni Prime. According to some accounts, Cleopatra was not only an Omni Prime, she was a true Therian.
“As opposed to an untrue Therian?” All these convoluted stories were suddenly intersecting at her feet. Carissa wanted to bolt, to lock herself in her bedroom, or better yet, hotwire a car and drive home!
“Don’t panic.” Erin moved around to Carissa’s side of the table and sat beside her. “Information is power. You can’t make productive decisions until you understand all of the forces shaping this conflict.”
“You’re right. I know you are, but it keeps going from bad to worse. An arranged marriage was complicated by a looming definition, and now you tell me my grandmother was some sort of super-shifter. It’s all a little much.”
Erin rested her hand on the back of Carissa’s chair, offering nearness without actually touching her. “Do you want to take a break? I can go find Quinn.”
“No.” She laughed. “Quinn tends to wind me up, not calm me down.”
“Fair enough. Just a stroll along the deck then? I really don’t want to overwhelm you.”
“No. Go on. Tell me the rest.”
Erin opened the album and motioned toward a picture similar to the one with Maggie and her mates. Carissa’s heart fluttered then swelled with a complicated combination of emotions. Willona stood between two men, one blond, one with dark-brown hair. She looked young and carefree, so unlike the ultra-serious, ever-cautious woman Carissa had known. It took her a moment to realize the smiling blond man was Osric. “I didn’t realize he knew how to smile,” she muttered then turned her attention to the other man. “Who is he?”
“That’s Samuel Collins.” Erin waited until Carissa looked up to add, “Your father. He was a wolf clan alpha when your mother mated with him.”
The floor fell out from under Carissa and her mouth gaped. “My mother had two mates?” She shoved the album toward Erin and stood, her chair scraping loudly across the tile floor. “I don’t believe you. She could barely tolerate one. There is no way she would…” But they had hinted that she wasn’t Osric’s daughter. This wasn’t a complete surprise. Her mind just shut down, refusing to process the possibilities.
“I have no reason to lie.” Erin turned her chair and faced Carissa but remained seated. “Osric tried to create an alliance with the most powerful wolf clan through your mother. That’s why the wolves are involved in the hunt. They’re trying to find you.”
“But they’re hunting Ava!”
“Only because they know where you are. Once Ava is secured, they’ll come for you.”
“That’s so damn comforting!” She covered her face with her hands, fighting back an exasperated scream. Every time she thought she was starting to understand, they threw her another curve.
She took a deep breath and lowered her hands, and found Quinn standing in front of her. His expression was both fierce and protective. “What’s going on?”
They were in sync! He’d felt her emotions spike. “Erin’s filling me in on my family history.”
Quinn’s expression didn’t soften. “If you need a break, she can wait.”
His concern pleased her. And despite what she’d told Erin, his intensity calmed her, allowed her to think. “It’s not Erin’s fault. She’s been wonderful.”
He pulled her into his arms and guided her face to the bend of his neck. She wrapped her arms around him and inhaled his scent, letting her lips press against his warm skin. God this felt good.
“Did she tell you about Maggie?”
Carissa nodded, unwilling to move away even far enough to raise her head. Quinn rubbed her back, one hand slipping under her shirt to stroke bare skin. “You’re safe, hellion. You don’t have to face these changes alone.”
“Is my father still alive? Why didn’t he ever try to find me?”
Quinn eased her back and turned her to face Erin. He leaned against the counter and Carissa leaned against him, his arms loosely circling her waist.
“Your father died eight months before your mother took off with you and Ava. If he had survived, things might have been different. Willona might not have turned her back on the Therian nation.”
Carissa tensed. “You make her sound like a traitor. She ran away from an abusive husband. How is that a betrayal to anyone?”
“She did more than that.” Though Erin’s expression was almost serene, Carissa didn’t miss the cutting undertone in her voice. “She carried the blood of the Omni Prime and yet she allowed herself to be sterilized.”
“It was the only way she could escape her psycho husband!” She lunged forward and Quinn gently pulled her back. “Let’s talk about Osric’s abuse. It was sanctioned by the Alpha Council. So who protects the helpless in your precious Therian nation?”
“This is why the Omni Prime is so important. Both councils are made up almost entirely of men. The Omni Prime is meant to be a balance, a feminine perspective threaded through the masculine power. Your mother pinched off the bloodline and ran away with Maggie’s last two descendants. I’m sorry, Carissa, but it was inexcusable.”
Quinn’s arms tightened and he kissed her temple. “Think before you speak,” he whispered into her ear.
Carissa trembled with the effort that it took to calm down. Who the hell did she think she was casting judgment on a battered, terrified woman? Willona had sacrificed everything to keep her daughters safe and this bitch called that “inexcusable”?
“Fuck you!” She twisted out of Quinn’s embrace and ran from the room.
Erin caught Quinn’s arm as he rushed after Carissa. He could feel the pain seething beneath her anger and it made inaction impossible.
“Let her go,” Erin insisted. “She’s internalizing way too much of this. She needs a good cry.”
“Then she can cry on my shoulder.”
She shook her head, fingers digging in to his arm. “She hasn’t had a minute alone since this began. Give her some space.”
“Ten minutes.”
“Fine. Give her ten minutes then let her tell you what an irrational bitch I am. Don’t defend me, she needs someone to vilify.”
“Like Osric isn’t enough.”
“She hasn’t seen Osric in a decade or more. Let her hate me for a while. She needs an outlet for all these emotions.”
Quinn couldn’t hide his grin. “I can think of several ways to work off some steam.”
“No doubt you can.” She finally let go of his arm. “Kyle has always seen something in you that baffled the rest of us. I hope to hell he’s right, because Carissa is incredibly important to our people. You need to help her understand that.”
“I didn’t set out to snag one of Maggie’s granddaughters as my mate.” He narrowed his gaze as familiar resentments rushed past his emotional defenses. “I was just helping out Kyle.”
“Somehow I doubt my son saw it that way. He’s always planning three steps ahead. Which is why I can’t understand how Ava is eluding him.” She pushed back from the table with a sigh. “I’ll leave the albums for Carissa. Once she calms down, she might want to look through them.”
“I’ll make sure we take them with us when we go.”
“Make her soak in the hot tub before you leave. Unless you have one at your cabin.”
“Are
you kidding? My cat throws a fit every time I take a bath. It’s strictly showers for me.”
“Well, she needs to soak her shoulder and that’s easier to do in a hot tub.”
“Yes ma’am.” He offered her a smart salute.
Erin laughed and shook her head. “You and Ian really need to patch things up. You have the same obnoxious sense of humor.”
Ian stepped out into the hall as Quinn saw Erin out. “Is Carissa well enough to travel? I presume you’re not staying here.” Ian had reached the living room by the time Quinn shut and locked the front door.
“Is that your way of asking us to leave?” Quinn folded his arms over his chest and glanced at the sheet of plywood that now covered the hole he’d made when he jumped through the window. A piece of cardboard blocked the bullet hole. The not-so-subtle reminder of Carissa’s pain and how close she’d come to death made Quinn clench his jaw.
“She’s welcome to stay as long as she likes.”
“We both know that’s not going to happen. Erin would like her to soak in the hot tub before we take off.”
“Is that your way of asking if you can use my hot tub?” Ian laughed.
Quinn erased all hint of emotion from his expression and unfolded his arms. “May we please use your hot tub before we leave?”
“We? Are you actually going to climb into a hot tub? Most cats would rather lick themselves than shower.”
“Most cats would rather lick each other than shower, but that’s not really the point.”
Apparently tired of verbal sparring, Ian smirked and headed for the sliding glass door that led to the deck. “I’ll uncover the spa and back off the sentinels. Give you some privacy.”
“Thanks,” Quinn grumbled, shocked by the unexpected courtesy. It had been four and a half years since Ian had spoken to him. The last time they’d seen each other, Ian had been testifying before the Alpha Council, doing his damndest to make sure they banned Quinn for life. If it hadn’t been for Kyle, permanent banishment would likely have been their judgment. But Kyle’s defense of him had been every bit as fervent as Ian’s slander. So now all Quinn had to do to be reinstated was find a woman willing to mate with a man who could create sexual frenzy in any Therian female.
With a frustrated hiss, he pushed his fingers through his hair and headed for Carissa’s bedroom. Her emotions had subsided enough that he couldn’t sense them anymore. That was good, but he missed the connection, the intimacy. Even if it was unintentional.
He tapped on the door. “You okay in there?”
“I’m fine.” Her tone was muffled, but it didn’t sound as if she was still crying.
“Can I come in?”
She pulled the door open and looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed and blurry. “Is she still here? I should probably apologize.”
Unable to resist the impulse, he leaned down and brushed his lips against her temple. “She’s gone, but she understands why you’re upset. This is too much for anyone to take in without erupting.”
She pushed the door wider but loitered in the doorway. She pressed against one side of the frame and he leaned against the other. The emotions swimming in her clear blue eyes twisted his heart in knots. If he wasn’t careful, he could feel a whole lot more than lust for this feisty little hellion.
“Doesn’t Erin want the same thing as Osric?” Her tongue passed over her bottom lip, drawing his attention to her mouth. “They’re both trying to create an Omni Prime.”
He jerked hard on his libido. She obviously needed to talk. “The difference is Erin wants to restore balance while Osric wants ultimate control. But you’re right. Both goals are achieved through the blood that flows in your veins.”
“What if I don’t want a mate, much less a male harem?”
He tensed. The idea of anyone else touching her, regardless of the purpose, was intolerable. “Don’t forget, definition is not a sexual act. That’s where Maggie went off track.”
“And my mother was emulating her?”
He started to speak then paused, not wanting to upset her again.
“Oh, don’t stop now.” She leaned the back of her head against the doorframe and closed her eyes. “I’m getting used to bad news.”
Did she really need to know the specifics? She’d likely piece it together on her own anyway.
She opened her eyes and arched her brows expectantly. “Well?”
“This isn’t anything you don’t already know, I’ll just fill in the details for you.” She nodded and he slipped his hand inside her sleeve, stroking her upper arm. “Your mother wasn’t emulating anyone. She didn’t have a choice. It was obvious she was resisting her calling, so Sam Collins and Osric negotiated an alliance. They waited until her deadlines passed and then they defined her by force.”
She pressed back into the doorframe, rubbing her temples with the heels of her hands. “I swear to God my head is going to explode. She wasn’t just raped? She was tag-teamed with full approval of the Alpha Council? I hate this place! I hate this world!”
He didn’t try to calm her or minimize her rage. He just stayed with her while she worked through her feelings, listening without comment as she railed.
“Men are pigs, and Therian men are the worst! How can this be allowed, much less approved? Why haven’t your women rebelled…or smothered you all in your sleep?” She punched him in the shoulder then swayed as the color drained from her face. “Will they do it to me?” she whispered, anguish in her eyes. “If I refuse to choose a mate, will they…”
“No.” He stepped closer, not sure if she’d tolerate his touch. “I would never allow it, and neither would Kyle. A lot has changed in the past twenty-five years. Most of the old guard has died. Kyle and the younger alphas are working tirelessly to modernize the Charter.”
She stilled, lips trembling as she looked into his eyes. “Is that law still part of this Charter?”
He wasn’t sure what made her ask, but she deserved the truth. “Yes. But Kyle has been very vocal in his opposition.”
“If Kyle brings the issue forward, he doesn’t get a vote!”
Damn. She’d been paying better attention than he realized. “It won’t come to that.” He touched her face, trying to capture her gaze again, but she wouldn’t let him. “I will not let anyone hurt you. Do you understand me?” She finally looked at him and the fear he read in her expression sent determination surging through his being. “I will protect you with my life.”
She blinked, releasing the tears gathered on her lashes. Then she reached up and kissed his mouth. It was the first time she’d instigated a kiss, and Quinn savored the spontaneous affection. His fingers moved into her hair, holding her steady while his lips mirrored her movements.
With a shaky sigh, she tried to pull away, but Quinn was far from satisfied. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her out into the hall, pressing her back against the wall. Her soft breasts flattened against his chest and their legs entwined.
His lips moved over and against hers, but his tongue teased, never venturing into the warm interior of her mouth. She made a soft, frustrated sound and grabbed the back of his head. Oh yeah. He wanted her wild. He wanted her so desperate she’d wrap her legs around his hips and let him take her right here in the hall.
Her tongue pushed past his lips and she explored his mouth. He let her play for a while then slid his tongue along hers and took control again. She rocked against his thigh and greedily sucked his tongue. He groaned into her mouth, imagining those petal-soft lips wrapped around—
“Jesus, you two. I gave you a room!” Ian sounded more amused than angry, but he didn’t walk away.
“Did you need something?” Quinn glared and Carissa hid her face against his chest, her shoulders subtly shaking with silent laughter.
“The hot tub is ready. It’s obvious I’ll need to drain it when you’re done.”
Chapter Six
The brisk mountain air contrasted sharply with the churning water in the hot tub, making the hea
t even more inviting. Carissa sank to her chin and watched Quinn pace the length of the deck, fascinated by the inherent grace of his strong body. Wisps of chlorine threaded through the pine-scented breeze, the combination sharp yet refreshing.
“You’re really not coming in?” she asked as his repetitive trek brought him near her again.
“My cat hates water. Besides, despite Ian’s efforts, we’ve got an audience. If I crawl in there with you, they’re guaranteed to forget what they’re supposed to be watching.” His dark gaze focused on her mouth. “I haven’t been real successful in keeping my hands off you so far.”
He’d been more successful than she had. If it wasn’t for his steely control last night, all of Erin’s lofty goals would be moot. Carissa’s nature would have been defined and the opportunity to create this famed Omni Prime would have been cut in half.
Quinn stared at her for a long moment then resumed his hypnotic march from one end of the deck to the other. Dressed in faded jeans and a black leather jacket, he looked ready to rumble. The phrase made her smile and her memory filled with images of his fighting prowess. He’d tossed enraged wolves around like stuffed animals, and challenged Ian without hesitation. There was no denying he had courage and stamina.
Stamina. The word made her shiver. Could he use all that contained power to make it last for hours or was he more like a flash fire? Scorching hot yet over way too fast?
She had to stop thinking about sex! She was supposed to be relaxing.
Sitting up straighter, she peered out over the fenced yard to the rocky slopes and shadowy trees surrounding Ian’s property. Were there really other Therians out there, ready to attack any perceived threat? “Do you know who’s out there? Can you always sense other Therians?”
“It’s Jake and some of his men, and yes, I can sense them.” He offered the fact without further explanation. Sunlight made his dark hair gleam and the wind accented its tendency to curl.
“Who is Jake and why are the men his?”
Quinn shot her a sidelong look, one corner of his mouth curving. “Jake Parlain is Osric’s nephew, so I guess that makes him Ava’s cousin. And his men have been following his orders since the Korean War. He’s not technically an alpha, but it works for them.”
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