Pulling open the drain, she maneuvered her legs beneath her and carefully stood. She pulled the shower curtain closed then looked at the faucet assembly. It took a moment of fiddling to figure out how to trigger the sprayer but she soon had warm water streaming out. She slipped the sprayer back into the wall bracket and soaped her body with renewed determination. Dirt, sweat and manure coated her skin. The hunters had effortlessly followed her scent. She’d managed to stay ahead of them but she hadn’t been able to lose them. Until she spotted the fertilizer truck.
She shampooed her hair twice then stood beneath the spray, enjoying the warm water as it flowed across her aching limbs. She couldn’t believe she was still alive. When she shifted the first time, the transformation had been spontaneous. Though she wasn’t sure how she’d done it this time, it hadn’t just happened. She’d searched within herself and found the strength to escape an impossible situation.
What in the world should she tell Jake? How could she explain something she didn’t understand herself? She’d been trying to survive, desperate to avoid capture and the degradation of being raped. Somehow her body had just cooperated with her frantic determination.
Someone tapped on the door.
“You okay in there?” Jake asked.
“Almost done.”
“No hurry. I just wanted to make sure you were still with us.”
She wasn’t fooled by his easy manner. Once he realized she’d brought danger to his door, he’d shove her back out into the night. And how could she convince him otherwise when the hunters were out there searching for her?
Finally feeling clean again, she turned off the water and slid the curtain open. After drying her body, she wrapped the towel around her hair and slipped on the bathrobe. She pushed the bathroom door open and squinted into the light. Jake stood in the narrow hallway, arms folded across his broad chest. His knee was cocked, one boot heel resting against the wall.
He was every bit as attractive as she remembered and just as dangerous. His jaw was shadowed with stubble, accenting his high cheekbones. Silky black lashes framed his eyes, making the color hard to determine. At times she’d thought his eyes were brown. Right now they looked dark-green. His hair was night-black, thick and shiny, ready for her fingers. And his mouth could only be termed sensual, with the distinctly arched upper and generously full lower lip.
Standing here gawking at him like a lovesick schoolgirl was not going to help her case. “Do you have a comb or brush? I’ll never get the tangles out unless I do it while my hair’s still wet.”
“Try the drawers.”
He hadn’t given her a specific location. Wasn’t this his house? And if this wasn’t his house, then who was the female? Heather had presumed she was Jake’s significant other.
She opened the drawers until she located a wide-toothed comb. Then she followed him into the living room and sat in the chair he indicated. He sat facing her on a matching sofa. The female was nowhere in sight. Though rather small, the apartment was nicely furnished, cozy, charming. Female touches were evident in the decorating. If this was the female’s home, then where did Jake live?
Dragging her gaze back to her host, she found him watching her. “I know this is Aspen, but where am I exactly? How did you find me?”
“I didn’t. One of my employees spotted you in the alley behind Toulouse Tavern. This is the owner’s apartment above the bar. My sister Enya lives here.”
His sister. So he wasn’t romantically attached to the prickly female. Heather accepted his explanation with a nod and unwrapped her hair. The thick mass fell down around her shoulders and streamed across her face. She finger-combed the front back then drew the strands forward and went to work with the comb.
Her thoughts and emotions were too chaotic to unravel at the moment. Her only hope of remaining outwardly calm was to focus on some menial task, like combing out her hair.
“Did you arrive in animal form? Is that why you were naked or is this about something else?” He watched her closely. Curiosity and compassion made his eyes appear liquid and endless. Damn, the man was gorgeous. All sleek black hair and angular grace. Even in human form he was undeniably feline.
She dragged her gaze away from his and tried to find the words to explain. What could she say that wouldn’t land her back in the alley?
“Tell me what’s going on and tell me the truth. If I sense that you’re lying, I’ll turn you out without a thought.”
“He means every word,” Enya warned as she emerged from the bedroom. “Jake has a soft spot for strays but he won’t tolerate being lied to.” She had an overnight bag in her hand. She crossed the room and handed it to Jake. “Here’s some stuff for your new puppy. You can’t parade her around in my bathrobe.”
“Thank you.” He took the bag and kissed her on the cheek.
Enya retraced her steps and disappeared back inside the bedroom, not sparing Heather so much as a glance.
“She’s not fond of wolves, I take it.”
“Most cats can’t stand dogs. Why does it surprise you?”
“It doesn’t.”
“So back to you. What brought you to my back door in the middle of the night? Or wasn’t I your target?”
He made it sound as if she’d been trying to kill him or something. The situation was more complicated, but she had endangered him and those he loved by seeking him out. He’d asked for truth so she gave it to him. “I have nowhere else to go. I wouldn’t be here if there was any other option.”
“What about Landon?”
“That’s the first place they’ll look. I’m hoping you’ll be the last.”
“Who are ‘they’ and why are they looking for you?”
If she explained about the challenge would he be appalled by her father’s behavior or would he think the competition was just another Therian tradition? He’d demanded truth so she really had no choice. “My father invited alphas and hunters from numerous packs to participate in a challenge. Do you know what that is?” He shook his head. “It’s a competition where the participants beat each other senseless for the right to claim a female as their mate.”
“And you were the female who would have been given to the victor?”
“Yes, I was the prize. Once the victor was declared he would have wrestled me to the ground and raped me as the others cheered him on. A ceremonial claiming is the highlight of every challenge.”
“So you ran?”
Shuddering violently, she turned her face away. “I wanted no part of such savagery. Hell yes, I ran.”
She could feel his gaze upon her yet he said nothing. Time paused as tension coiled around her heart. He was a cat, her enemy. Why should he endanger himself for her? She was expecting the impossible. Would he return her to her father or just send her back out into the dark?
Unable to bear the silence, she turned her head and looked into his eyes. His features were expressionless, yet his eyes smoldered with anger and something more, something complex and convoluted.
“I understand why you ran, but why did you run to me?”
Chapter Two
Zophiel stood before a full-length mirror, studying her reflection with cool objectivity. The charred flesh had peeled off, layer by disgusting layer, leaving smooth red patches on her ivory skin. Her hip-length silver hair had returned as soon as she gathered enough strength to feed but the burns had required weeks in healing hibernation. Thankfully the worst of the injuries were scattered across her body. Her face remained untouched by Therian treachery.
The foolish shifters believed she was dead. The fact made her laugh. Did Ian Douglas honestly think she could be destroyed by fire? Her father was quite comfortable in the flames of hell. She wasn’t as adept at manipulating the element as her father but she certainly couldn’t be consumed by it.
Satisfied with the progress of her regeneration, she conjured clothes and crossed to the sliding-glass door leading out onto her balcony. The high-rise condo belonged to one of her victims. She didn�
��t routinely scan their minds as she drained their energy but she’d needed a place to stay. The sole occupant was an investment banker for an international firm. He traveled extensively and had no family and few friends. Every day or so she sent a text message to his office from his cell phone, so it was unlikely anyone would miss him until long after she’d moved on. Still, she had much to do before she relocated.
Endless days in idle hibernation had given her time to assess her situation. She stood at a crossroads. She could follow her instincts and wreak havoc on Ian Douglas and his furry friends or she could exploit their misconception that she was dead and advance her long-term goals.
Not only had Ian tried to kill her, he’d succeeded with Nehema, her cherished sister. It didn’t matter that Nehema had gone mad, that Zophiel would likely have ended her life eventually if the merciless raptor hadn’t beaten her to it. Ian had taken the life of someone Zophiel loved and now he would die. The timing of his death, however, was up for debate. She had much to accomplish before she revealed to the Therians that Ian had failed.
Nehema had been a crusader, a pious lunatic bent on the destruction of Therians. She had founded a paramilitary organization called the Abolitionists. Nehema and her network of soldiers “rescued” Therian females, spiriting them away from their families before their animal-demonic natures could be defined. Most of the females didn’t want to be rescued but Nehema was deaf to their pleas. Zophiel had always found the Abolitionists absurd, but she loved her sister so she neither helped nor hindered Nehema’s pet cause.
Well, Nehema was dead now, so Zophiel would ensure that the Abolitionists disbanded. They were a distraction she could no longer tolerate.
The backers, on the other hand, had become progressively more interesting since Zophiel discovered their existence four years ago. The international “program” had been studying and experimenting on Therians for at least thirty years, though specific information had been extremely hard to find.
The organization was jointly controlled by three leaders—James Milliner, a semi-retired American general; Roberto, an Italian financier; and Tias, a Japanese scientist with ties to several Asian crime families.
Zophiel had no interest in working with the backers. She wanted the backers to work for her. Despite the fact that her mother had been Therian, Zophiel felt nothing but hatred and mistrust for the entire nation. Her bitterness was deep-seated and justified. And with the distraction of her volatile sister behind her, it was time to rebuild her strength and set her plans in motion.
She slid open the door and stepped out onto the balcony. Denver spread out before her but few lights still burned. It must be later than she’d realized. Unlike New York, Denver slept for a few hours every night. The downtown towers to her left created interesting shadows against the darkness. Off to her right she could barely make out the distinct shapes of Elitch Gardens. She loved the colorful lights of the amusement park but right now nothing moved and the lights had been turned off.
All the teenagers had gone home, but what about the bar hoppers? LoDo’s club scene provided her with a ready supply of energy whenever she grew tired of the drug-tainted vagrants milling about on Park Avenue West.
Tonight she was in the mood for something young and fresh, brimming with untapped potential. She walked back into the condo and closed the door. The cable box’s tiny screen read 2:36 a.m. Damn. She’d missed last call at the bars but maybe she could find a couple of stragglers. Her latest hibernation had lasted two days and she was famished.
Unwilling to risk detection, she returned to the balcony. She spread her arms and closed her eyes, meticulously constructing an invisibility shield before she unfurled her wings. It was unlikely that anyone would notice her at this hour of morning anyway, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
She leapt from the balcony and soared in a lazy circle, visually sweeping the narrow streets of LoDo. The bars were closed, most of the parking lots empty. The streets looked deserted. She wouldn’t give up, couldn’t afford to move farther from her hideout. She didn’t want to waste a good portion of the energy she ingested returning to the condo undetected.
A muffled laugh and a metallic clatter drew her attention to an alley off Larimer Street. She descended slowly, searching the shadows for the source of the disruption. Two young men, one blond, one dark-haired, both wobbly, staggered about in the alley.
“Way to go, asshole.” The blond tried to guide his friend away from the cluster of trash cans but the dark-haired man waved him away. “Wake up the whole neighborhood.”
“Everyone’s gone back to the suburbs where they belong.” He appeared to be looking for something on the ground. “They should check addresses at the door. I know that jerk was a spoiled suburban brat.”
“Losing your wallet sucks, man, but we’ve been at this for hours. If it were here, we’d have found it by now.”
“He ran down this alley. We both saw him.”
“But I didn’t see him toss the damn thing.” The blond was starting to sound seriously impatient.
“I did. Now keep looking or take off. I never asked you to stay anyway.”
The blond crossed his arms and shook his head. “And how are you gonna get home without money or a credit card?”
The dark-haired one just glared.
“Give it up, Matt. It’s gone.”
Zophiel landed at the far end of the alley. She folded her wings and conjured an appropriate costume before dissolving her invisibility shield. “Well, what do we have here?” She sauntered forward, hips swaying, silver hair bouncing around her bare shoulders.
The blond turned around and Matt, the dark-haired one, paused in his searching. She walked up to the blond, smiling as his gaze drifted from her face to her scantily clad body. Her outfit was meant to leave no doubt about her profession—cropped tank top without a bra underneath and a minuscule spandex skirt.
“It’s been really slow tonight.” She walked her fingers up the blond’s chest and smiled. “You two wanna party?”
“You’re out of luck, sweetheart.” He moved her hand away. “I’m broke and he lost his wallet.”
“Now that’s just unacceptable.” She cocked her head and licked her cherry-red lips. “You two are exactly what I was hoping for and I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“We’d be happy to oblige you in any way you want, as long as you know up front that neither of us can pay.” Matt moved closer, wallet forgotten as he boldly eyed her curves.
“Well, handsome, you’re in luck.” She pulled her top up, exposing her breasts. “I’m so sick of sucking off fat old men, I’m gonna do you both for free.”
“We’ve got a car.” The blond motioned toward the other end of the alley. “Or we can—”
“Right here. Hard and fast against the wall.”
They were on her in an instant, squeezing her breasts and ripping off her thong. Their lust thrilled her, made her feel powerful, and she reveled in the rush. Matt tried to kiss her but she turned her face away. This wasn’t about intimacy. She needed primal emotions, savage desires, to enrich their energy.
“What happened?” Matt traced one of her burn marks with his fingertips. “Slow down, Sean.” Then to her, “Does this still hurt?”
“Not at all,” she assured him. “Just ignore it.”
“I can do that.” Sean grinned then leaned down and sucked hard on her right nipple.
Sex wasn’t necessary for her to feed. She could sit in a crowded room and siphon energy off so subtly that no one realized what she was doing. But this was much more fun.
They pressed her against the grimy wall and sucked on her nipples together. Matt had his hand between her thighs, and Sean moved her leg up and out so his friend could finger her more rapidly.
“You can go first,” Sean told Matt. “Maybe it will make your shitty night a little better.”
“I have a better idea.” Zophiel grinned. She pushed them both aside and moved away from the wall then knelt on the f
ilthy pavement. The stench and depravity of the act sent excitement spiraling through her body. They didn’t care where they were or who might see them. They were both desperate to get inside her. She raised her skirt to her waist and wiggled her bare ass. “I’ll suck one while the other takes me from behind.”
A wave of lust so strong it made her tingle blasted from the friends. Sean let Matt choose and Matt moved in front of her. Indifferent to the grunge, Sean knelt behind her and squeezed her exposed cheeks. “You are way too fine to be walking the streets. Want me to set you up a website? With the right clothes and a classy hotel room, you could charge whatever you want.”
“Hard and fast, remember. I want to be taken with enough force it makes me forget everything.”
“Hard and fast it is.” He paused long enough to put on a condom then thrust into her waiting heat.
She closed her eyes and savored the firm slide of his hard shaft for several moments. He was nicely shaped for a human, reasonably long and surprisingly thick. Then she opened her eyes and smiled at Matt. “Got something for me?”
He unzipped his pants and took out his cock, stroking it twice before he slipped it into her mouth. He seemed reluctant to touch her, as if he could sense something wasn’t quite right. She was a hooker who was giving it away. Why wouldn’t he be suspicious?
She tightened her lips around Matt and slid her mouth forward and back. He started to touch her face then reached lower and pinched her nipples instead. She sucked him deeper. He groaned and pinched harder. She tilted her head back and took him into her throat, not stopping until her nose was pressed tight against his abdomen.
“Oh God. Oh God!” He repeated the phase like a mantra as she started to feed. She drew energy into her chest as she sucked his cock deep into her throat.
Therian Prize Page 3
