“Of course not, but what choice is there? I won’t be the cause of a blood feud or worse. No one is going to lose their life because of me.”
“Does your father know Dhane has been rescued?”
Heather looked at Devon, unsure what Dhane had to do with anything. “I don’t know. I didn’t tell him and Landon hasn’t talked to him in months. Dad could have found out some other way, but… Why do you ask?”
“Your father’s hunters have been everywhere, intimidating people and making threats. Mom wondered why they were still at it when Dhane was safe and sound with Landon.”
“Then you realized no one had bothered to tell Dad about Dhane’s rescue?”
Devon’s calm expression didn’t change. “Why didn’t you tell him?”
“What does this have to do with me?”
Their gazes locked for a moment as Heather’s resentment grew then Devon’s expression softened. “It has to do with trust. Do you trust your father and can we trust you.” Heather said nothing so Devon asked, “Was your father right? Are you still undefined?”
Heather just stared at the cat. How the hell did one of the rebels know her most closely guarded secret?
“Lexxie mentioned your father’s claim when she spoke with Landon.” Devon answered her unspoken question.
Jake returned with a mug of coffee and sat beside Ian. Either Jake had eaten earlier or the conversation had killed his appetite along with Heather’s. “You told me you were defined. Didn’t you transform when you escaped?”
He didn’t sound angry, just confused. Heather looked at him for a moment then shifted her gaze back to Devon. “My definition was a nightmare. The man who was supposed to define me turned feral and… I transformed that night even though he hadn’t given me his blood yet. He was trying to kill me at the time, so I think it was a survival mechanism.”
“Is that what happened last night as well?” Devon’s tone was light, non-confrontational.
Heather struggled to explain something she didn’t fully understand. “Last night was different. It was as if a path had been opened when I first transformed. I knew I was in serious trouble if I didn’t escape, so I sort of willed myself to transform.”
“It sounds like what happened to Ava,” Ian said. “She thought the wolves had found her and she spontaneously teleported. She didn’t even know she was Therian at the time.”
“As long as you haven’t been defined, there might be another option. But it’s risky so you have to be sure you want to try it.” Devon had been nibbling at her food. Now she laid down her fork and picked up her mug.
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Jake looked at Heather for a long, concerned moment then shifted his gaze back to Devon.
Devon shrugged, a smile tugging on one corner of her mouth. “It’s not your choice to make.” She angled toward Heather and set down her mug. “How much do you know about Dhane’s condition?”
Heather glanced at Jake. How well did he know Devon? Could she trust what Devon told her or were they working together to…to what? What could they possibly gain by deceiving her? They were both at risk just being in the same room as her.
“I know he was found at a lab and whatever he was injected with left him desperate for energy.” She knew a lot more than that, but she wanted to see how closely what Devon was about to say matched what she already knew.
“Do you know about the backers?” Jake asked. He watched her closely, apparently knowing her well enough to doubt her complete lack of information.
She knew exactly what he meant but again she wanted to hear their version of the events. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Devon and Jake exchanged skeptical glances then Devon said, “I doubt your father has kept you completely in the dark, but we’ll play along. The backers are a group of scientist who have been studying and experimenting on Therians. We stumbled across them while we were searching for one of the Abolitionists. Are you going to pretend you don’t know what an Abolitionist is?”
“Every Therian female knows about the Abolitionists.” Their crusade to “rescue” female Therians had taught her to be leery of anyone not of her pack.
“The Abolitionists have finally been neutralized but the backers are more of a threat than ever,” Devon told her.
She’d heard rumors that the rebels had killed the Abolitionist leader. Apparently the rumors were true. “Then it was the backers who experimented on Dhane?”
Devon nodded and paused for another drink of coffee. “Dhane and I were given the same formula.”
“Are you all right? The delightful ‘formula’ nearly killed my brother.”
“I’m fine.” Devon looked at Ian and smiled. Her eyes took on an unmistakably sensuous warmth. “In fact I’m better than ever. The gen three formula didn’t have the same side effects for me that it did for Dhane.”
“Gen three? What does that mean?”
“Third generation. The formula has been reworked and refined numerous times. Each major overhaul was designated by a new generation.”
“Then the latest formula didn’t drain your energy or leave you unable to control your shifts?”
Devon chuckled, her gaze swinging back to Heather. “I thought you didn’t know anything about this.”
“I don’t know you.” She refused to apologize for her caution. These were cats. She had good reason to be wary. “I wanted to see if you’d stick to the truth. I needed to see if I could trust you.”
“Fair enough. The formula was engineered for undefined Therian females. That’s why Dhane’s body isn’t sure what to do with it.”
“I haven’t spoken to Landon in a couple of days. Is Dhane still shifting uncontrollably?” Devon’s information was probably more current than Landon’s anyway.
“He was given the antidote this morning and he hasn’t shifted since. The doctors want him to wait a few days before he tries a controlled shift.”
Heather glanced at Ian. He’d been watching the conversation closely, eyes narrowed and intense. If he’d scanned her mind she would have felt it, but what if one of the other rumors were true? “Are you empathic?”
A slow smile parted his lips. “Why’d you ask?”
“I feel like you’re analyzing me.”
“Not intentionally, but your emotions are rather overt right now.”
“Wonderful.” She pushed back from the table and stood. “I refuse to be analyzed.”
“We’re here to help you.” Devon caught her wrist before Heather could escape entirely. “Have you heard about the Omni Prime?”
Heather pulled her hand free and shoved in her chair. She didn’t leave. Instead she rested her hands on the back of the chair and asked, “Has your mother really found someone capable of absorbing multiple animal natures?”
“Two someones, actually. Carissa and Ava Seymour. They’re half sisters. Carissa was defined with the blood of six men. It’s only been a matter of weeks and she can already manifest all sorts of animals.”
Curiosity eroded her anger. Still, she wasn’t ready to relent. Her fascination with the Omni Prime legend didn’t give them permission to manipulate her. “What about Ava? Has she been defined as well?”
“Not yet. Carissa’s willingness to dive right in took the pressure off Ava. We have no reason to doubt that she’ll eventually go through the binding ceremony. She just has the luxury of time.”
“Isn’t she vulnerable until her nature has been defined? What if someone tries to define her by force?” It was a possibility Heather had lived with for the past six years.
“That’s still a real danger,” Devon admitted, “but the two people most interested in controlling her definition are dead.”
“Besides, she’s in sync with Kyle,” Ian interjected. “Any danger to Ava immediately triggers their connection.”
Heather nodded, not sure what else to say on the subject. “What does the Omni Prime have to do with me?”
“The formula I was given created the same
potential in me.”
That snapped Heather out of her annoyance. She looked at Devon, searching her eyes for any hint of deception or insincerity. “You have more than one animal nature?”
“At the moment I have three. A true Omni Prime only has one shot at it. All of her animals must be incorporated during her definition. The formula works a bit differently. I’m locked in acquisition mode until I take the antidote.”
“So you can keep adding animals indefinitely?” This all sounded too bizarre to be true. If she hadn’t seen Dhane for herself, she might have dismissed the entire story as some sort of hoax.
“Remaining in this mode is hard on my body and it intensifies certain desires.” Ian chuckled and Devon blushed.
“I thought there were no side effects.” Dhane had been nearly crazed with his need for sex thanks to the formula Devon had been given.
“Unlike the frenzy it created in your brother, it creeps up on me gradually. Unfortunately each episode lasts longer and is more intense. I’ll need the antidote soon.”
Suddenly the underlying implication of all these facts snapped into place. Heather felt her eyes widen and pressed her hand over her chest. “You want to give the formula to me?”
Devon stood and pushed her chair in. “Once you’ve been defined you lose the option forever. Do you understand how powerful this could make you? No one—not your father, not a prospective mate, not an Alpha Council—would have power over you again. You would be strong enough to choose your own future. I know how rare that is for a Therian woman.”
Excitement and fear tugged Heather in opposite directions. Generally when something sounded too good to be true it was, so how was she supposed to believe this was possible? “What do we really know about this formula? You’re presuming it’s safe because it hasn’t killed you yet, but there could be long-term side effects that won’t show up until months or years from now.”
“I was in captivity longer than your brother. I was given several versions of the formula. That’s how they refined it. Each version became less…damaging, more tolerable. Even at its worst, my life wasn’t in danger. The formula emulates a natural process in every Therian female’s body. It just allows us to control the timing.”
“Is there any possibility that your father has been contacted by the backers?” Ian asked.
Heather slipped her hands into the pockets of her jeans to keep them from clenching into fists. “Why do you ask?” Defensiveness welled within her and the reaction made her furious. After all her father had done to her, why did she still feel the need to defend him?
“Jake mentioned an injection that might have caused a reaction in—”
“Why would you tell them about that?” She swung toward Jake, hands shifting to her hips. “I told you what the injection was for. It had nothing to do with any of this.” Hurt and anger tore away what little remained of her defenses. She felt surrounded and attacked, isolated and vulnerable.
“The backers have been at this for years, likely decades.” Devon moved closer but didn’t touch her. “Dhane’s kidnapping wasn’t a random act. We know for a fact that they’ve been watching your family.”
“Even if that’s true, it doesn’t mean my father is working with them.” Again her need to defend her father only added to her frustration. He didn’t deserve her loyalty. “We don’t even know that the injection was responsible for what happened to Carlos.”
“Okay.” Devon held up her hands. “Let’s focus on the future rather than the past. We’re not trying to pressure you into anything. I just wanted to present the option.”
Heather shook her head as her emotions began to recede. “I don’t know. This seems so extreme.”
“Compared to running for the rest of your life?” Jake didn’t soften the challenge in his tone but his gaze retained its caressing quality.
“Wouldn’t a traditional definition accomplish the same thing? It would back off my father and disqualify me from becoming the backers’ next test subject.”
“It would,” Devon admitted, “but it would also prevent you from changing your mind. Once you’re defined the formula becomes toxic.” She moved away from the table, encouraging Heather to rotate until her back was to the men. “May I ask a personal question?”
Even without seeing the men, Heather could feel them behind her, listening, judging. “Ask. It doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”
“You obviously knew it would protect you, so why didn’t you let someone else define you in the past six years?”
She licked her lips and searched her mind. It was a good question. Why had she pretended for so long? “I’m not sure.”
“My mother is a firm believer in fate. She’s documented too many extraordinary events to accept that there is not a guiding hand at work in the universe. I believe you kept your nature undefined because you were destined for more than being some pack alpha’s mate.”
A strange tingle dove down her spine, making her shiver. “I need to think this over.”
Devon nodded. “Of course. This is just one option. I happen to think it’s the best option, but the choice is yours.”
Heather smiled and shook her head. “Do you own stock in the company or something? Why do you even care?”
“I know what it’s like to be helpless. No one should have to live like that.” Devon spoke the words with enough conviction to make Heather believe her.
Heather didn’t like to think of herself as helpless but recent events made it hard to deny. “If I decided to take the formula—and I’m not saying I will—what’s the next step?”
“Meet with Dr. Garran,” Ian said from behind her.
“Isn’t that who’s treating Dhane?” She didn’t turn around so Devon responded.
“Yes. He has a team of scientists analyzing everything that was rescued from the mountain lab. I know what I’ve experienced but he can likely explain how and why it all works.”
Ian moved around to the other side of the table but stayed a few steps back. “We can protect you until you’ve decided what you want to do.” Then he turned to Jake and said, “You’ll need backup, even you have to sleep occasionally.”
“Enya won’t be happy about it but she can handle things at the tavern for a few days. And I’ll have Natasha double the usual coverage.”
“Who’s Natasha?” The question was out before Heather realized the implication. If her only interest in Jake was as protector, she wouldn’t care about the other females in his life.
“Head of security for all my properties.” Amusement made his eyes sparkle as he pushed to his feet and walked around to her side of the table. “And I have no interest in sleeping with her.”
Heather’s cheeks burned but she managed to smile. “Good to know.”
“I packed a bag for you,” Devon said. “I wasn’t sure how long you’d be staying but it didn’t sound like you’d had time to plan.”
“Enya sent her with a couple of outfits,” Jake told her.
“Which is why she’s wearing one of your shirts?”
Jake smiled. “You know Enya. She never wastes an opportunity to rattle my cage.”
“Enya likes to rattle everyone’s cage,” Devon grumbled. “She is the most provoking female I’ve ever met.”
“And who’s the most provoking male?” Ian’s eyes gleamed with hunger and affection every time he looked at Devon.
“I think you and Kyle are tied.”
“Then I’m not trying hard enough.” Ian pulled her into his arms and kissed the corners of her mouth.
“Now who needs to find a room?” Jake laughed. “It’s been two weeks. Aren’t you two sick of each other by now?”
Ian leaned down and nipped Devon’s lower lip. “Are you sick of me yet?”
“Maybe a little,” Devon teased.
Ian gasped in playful outrage and pinched her behind. “Then I’ll have to do something about that.” He bent and lifted Devon to his shoulder. She laughed and kicked her legs. “It was nice to m
eet you, Miss Fitzroy. If you need anything, call.”
It was hard to take him seriously with a wiggling woman slung over his shoulder, but Heather played along. “Thank you, Mr. Douglas. I appreciate the offer.”
Jake opened the front door for Ian then returned to the dining room. Before Heather could decipher his expression, he took her hand and said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything to them without asking you first. It was rude and it won’t happen again.”
Chapter Five
Nate paused outside the grungy diner and calmed himself with a deep breath. A meeting with General Milliner was the last thing he needed today. General. Nate sneered. If James Milliner had ever belonged to a branch of the armed forces, those days were long past. Still, Milliner retained the calm expectancy of someone used to command. Well, Nate had authority too and more importantly he had something Milliner wanted. Or he had until that something spontaneously shifted and ran away.
And thanks to Heather’s impulsiveness he was under pressure from every direction. His hunters were restless, the other wolf alphas sensed discontent within Nate’s pack and Milliner grew bolder with each passing hour.
Heaving a frustrated sigh, Nate put on his game face and walked into the diner. The semi-repulsive smell of fried food and layers of grime assaulted his nose as he visually scanned the red-and-white-striped booths. The waitresses wore poufed poodle skirts and saddle oxfords, with their hair pulled back into ponytails. Sixty years ago this place might have been charming. Now it was a sad reminder of how much the world had changed.
Milliner sat in a corner booth, devouring a massive hamburger. Nate crossed the diner and slipped into the booth facing the human. Dressed casually in jeans and a Western shirt, Milliner was easy to overlook at first glance. He was of medium height and average build, with close-clipped gray hair. But his light-blue eyes held both wisdom and ruthlessness. One long look into those eyes had convinced Nate that Milliner was not a man to screw with, despite his ordinary appearance.
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