TherianPromise

by Cyndi Friberg

  His gaze remained on her injured shoulder, despite the plunging angle of her lace-trimmed bra. She braced her hand against the ground as the world swayed. The throbbing had become a burning ache as soon as she sat up. Her stomach heaved and closing her eyes only made the nausea worse. Please don’t let me throw up on him! She couldn’t imagine anything more humiliating.

  Infuriated by her helplessness, she allowed him to shift her body away from the tree. “You gonna be okay like this? You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?”

  “I guess we’ll find out.”

  His hands were strong, yet each motion was surprisingly gentle. He supported the center of her chest with one hand while the other swept up and down, across her shoulder and down her arm. Despite the mundane nature of his task, awareness arced between them.

  The forest was cool, the ground rough beneath her, which made the heat of his hands all the more apparent. He shifted position, carefully supporting her shoulders as his hand splayed directly over the bruise. His lids lowered and his expression tensed.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered, half afraid of disrupting his concentration.

  “Scanning.” After a pause, he added, “Healing isn’t my primary ability. I can usually sense what’s wrong, but my healing pulses aren’t strong enough to mend bone. I was able to stabilize your cracked ribs and ease the pain, but you’ll need to be treated by one of our real healers once we arrive at the sanctuary.” He looked up and Ava gasped. The golden flecks in his eyes were glowing. “Your shoulder is slightly out of place, but the rest is an impact contusion.”

  “Which means?”

  “It’s a really nasty bruise, but we’re in luck. I should be able to ease it back into place and make you more comfortable.”

  He sounded so casual, as if healing pulses and glowing eyes were nothing out of the ordinary. His hand lowered, palm barely grazing her skin. Heat erupted and spread, dragging another gasp from her dry throat.

  “Relax,” he coaxed. “Try not to fight it.”

  After one searing burst of sensation, the pain receded, but the heat remained. Waves of soothing warmth rippled across her chest, tightening her nipples before pooling between her thighs. Her core tightened and her clit tingled, the feeling unmistakable and intense. She squirmed, desperately trying to ignore the unwanted side effect of his touch.

  “That’s…enough.” If he didn’t stop soon, she’d come, and the thought of moaning and shivering was nearly as humiliating as throwing up would have been. He moved his hand away and the heat slowly fizzled, leaving her stunned and tingling.

  “Better?” Their gazes locked and time paused. Awareness hot and electric hung between them, humid and full of promise. His eyes narrowed, the golden light even more intense than it had been before. His nostrils flared and he leaned toward her, lips slowly parting.

  Not ready to add sexual conquest to his list of accomplishments, she turned to the side then pushed to her knees, quickly reaching for her shirt.

  He’d done it. Her shoulder was still discolored, but the pain was gone. “Thank you.” She kept her back turned as she pulled the t-shirt into place. Even so, it was too easy to imagine his lips pressed over hers, moving and parting as his tongue explored.

  “If there’s aspirin in that backpack, it might be a good idea to take some, just in case. As I said, healing isn’t my primary ability.”

  She nodded and reached for the backpack, half expecting the pain to return as soon as she moved. “If healing is more or less a hobby, what is your ‘primary ability’?” The pack had landed a short distance away, but she was able to pull it toward her without leaving her knees. She unzipped one small compartment and then another as she searched for a pain reliever.

  “I’ve had men watching your house and your store, so where’d that come from anyway?”

  Her hands froze and she looked into his eyes. Not only had he sidestepped her question, he’d just admitted he’d been spying on her. “I thought you didn’t work for Osric.”

  “I don’t.” He stood and brushed leaves and pine needles off his jeans. Then he slipped his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket, looking anything but relaxed. His gaze alternated between visual scans of their surroundings and assessing sweeps of her.

  She shifted back to her seat and folded her legs in front of her. “Then why were you stalking me?” Despite her attempt to seem calm, her voice sounded sharp and thin.

  “I’ve been trying to protect you, but you’re one slippery female.”

  Her mother would have been pleased by the description. All Ava felt was tired. She was tired of being afraid and tired of avoiding relationships. Even lasting friendships could be dangerous. Carissa was the only one— Carissa! “Do you know where my sister is? I haven’t seen her since this nightmare started.”

  “Carissa’s fine. She’s safe and she’s with my people. Now tell me where you got the supplies.”

  If her visions hadn’t confirmed his casual statements, she wouldn’t have allowed him to shift the conversation so easily. Give a little to get a little. She could play nice until she found a better option. At least figured out where the hell she was! “I got the supplies from the man who owns the cabin. I told him Carissa and I had a terrible fight and I needed some time on my own. He’s never been one to ask questions and this is his off season, so he gathered what I’d asked for from my store and told me I could stay as long as I liked.”

  “Nice guy.”

  “He is. And there are damn few left in this screwed-up world.”

  A beam of sunlight touched his eyes and gleamed in his hair, making him appear more hunk-next-door and less stalker-in-the-alley. He definitely seemed less tense yet still watchful. “Your mother obviously taught you how to hide. How much did she tell you about your people?”

  “My people?” She watched him closely, hoping to determine which impression was the real Kyle. “As in the nationality of my ancestors?”

  “In a way. Have you ever heard of the Therian nation?”

  She found a small packet containing two pills and ripped it open with her teeth. Then she dug out a water bottle before tossing the pills into her mouth. After swallowing the pills, she held up the bottle. “Do you want some?”

  “Not right now.” He kept his distance, calm and still. Like a cat with a cornered mouse. The lion’s roar echoed through her memory. Why was she fixated on felines? “We should be careful with all of our resources until we have a better understanding of where we are.”

  She looked around, not that she could see much from her position on the ground. “Pine and aspen trees on steep, rocky slopes, cool clean air. I don’t think we’ve gone far.”

  “Hopefully.” He pulled out the phone again, holding it at various levels as he slowly turned around. “But Colorado doesn’t hold the patent on pine-covered mountains. This could be Wyoming or Montana, even Canada.”

  “And you think we teleported here?” How else could she explain suddenly being in a different location? She’d been having visions for weeks. Was this really so much different? Yes! Her visions were nothing more than souped-up dreams. Teleportation was an entirely different scientific discipline.

  “If we didn’t teleport, how’d we get here?” He echoed her thoughts as he returned the phone to his pocket.

  “You’re the one with magic powers.” She gestured toward her shoulder. “You tell me.”

  “I think your Therian energy spiked when I touched you. You felt threatened and your body attempted to remove you from the danger. It was a defense mechanism.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” But his explanation fit her strange symptoms a little too well. Therian nation. Therian energy. Was that word supposed to mean something to her?

  “Why were you screaming right before this happened?”

  Annoyed by his persistence, she sat a bit straighter and said, “Gee, let me think. I was dragged out of my house by armed men claiming to work for my father. I managed to
outsmart them, but before I could relocate you showed up. Makes a girl jumpy.”

  “You weren’t jumpy, sunshine. You were in pain, serious pain by the sound of it.”

  Sunshine? She’d never had a nickname before, had always thought they were childish, so she tried not to like it. Besides, he was right about the pain and they both knew it, so she abandoned her pointless denials. “Okay, so I felt like my brain was going to explode out my eye sockets. What does that have to do with us ending up here?”

  “A spontaneous energy spike strong enough to flash two people would hurt like hell. Especially in someone untrained to deal with the intensity.” His brows arched, accenting the challenge in his words. “I might be a second-rate healer, but I can’t teleport at all.”

  “But I have only your word for that.” She pushed to her feet and planted her fists on her hips. “Maybe this was the only way you could get me away from the others.”

  “Then wouldn’t I have a car waiting or at least a couple of horses?”

  “Why didn’t this ‘defense mechanism’ teleport me away from Osric’s men? I’ve been in danger since this mess began.”

  “It might have taken awhile for your energy levels to build up or… I don’t honestly know. Teleportation is a rare gift. I don’t know that much about it.”

  He’d healed her! She could barely absorb the reality. With nothing more than the touch of his hand, he’d eased her pain and realigned her shoulder. And addled her brain.

  Pressing her hand over her rapidly thumping heart, she took a deep breath and then another. This day just got weirder and weirder.

  “How we got here is really irrelevant,” he went on. “We need to figure out where we are.”

  She looked at him then nodded. His eyes were no longer shining with the strange, inhuman light, but no one could misinterpret his hot, hungry expression. She wasn’t the only one who had been affected by the exchange of energy.

  Not yet ready to deal with his obvious arousal, she automatically lowered her gaze. Which only took her on a visual tour of his body. His well-worn brown leather jacket encased broad shoulders and hinted at muscular arms. It was way too easy to remember how those arms felt wrapped around her, supporting her. Restraining her.

  She could not be taken in by a handsome face and strong body. He could be one of Osric’s goons, for all she knew. Brute force had failed, so they were trying a subtler approach? Her mother had taught her never to trust anyone at face value and to independently verify everything she was told.

  Well, standing here glaring at each other wasn’t accomplishing anything. “If we hike to the top of one of these peaks, maybe you can find a signal for your phone.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” His gaze lingered on her mouth, hinting at thoughts that had nothing to do with hiking. “Even if I can’t get a signal, we’ll have a better view of our surroundings.”

  She glanced to where she’d left her backpack then noticed that Kyle was wearing it. “I can carry that myself.”

  He grinned. “If your pain returns, I’ll be carrying you and your pack. There’s no shame in accepting help.”

  Acknowledging his opinion with a nod, she said, “Lead on.”

  They started up the nearest slope, wending their way through pine trees and around rocky outcroppings on their way to the summit. There was no obvious trail, no sign of human infringement on the wilderness. Ordinarily she’d have enjoyed the pristine beauty, but today it made her feel isolated and wary. Though an avid hiker, she was no survivalist.

  “If our mothers were such good friends, why did my mother never mention yours?” Without the pain distracting her, she became more and more aware of her companion. His jacket ended at his waist, leaving her an unobstructed view of his denim-covered ass and muscular thighs.

  “Did your mother ever talk about her past, what life was like before she married Osric?” He glanced back at her then paused to help her past an especially steep rock formation.

  His fingers wrapped around her wrist and he effortlessly pulled her up to the small ledge on which he’d paused. “She told us that both her parents were dead and she was an only child, but that was about all.” They stood so close his body heat sank through her clothing. It wasn’t unpleasant, just a bit intrusive.

  “Then why does it surprise you that she never mentioned my mother?”

  “You mentioned a name before. Something nation.”

  “Therian nation?” His hand remained on hers, but he made no other move to touch her.

  “What is the Therian nation?”

  An enigmatic smile curved his lips and he shook his head. “I better not get into all that until our footing is more secure.”

  They continued the climb in silence, Ava doing her best to keep up with his long strides. His legs were powerful and he moved with sure-footed agility, obviously at home in the challenging terrain. “You said Carissa is with your people. What does that mean? Where is she?” Her visions had given her a unique perspective of Carissa’s situation. She was relatively certain Carissa was safe, but she wanted to see if Kyle’s information would correspond with the images in her visions.

  “I promise you, she’s fine. Your father’s men never touched her. She’s with a good friend of mine. His name is Quinton Jenaro and he’ll keep her safe.”

  “What does he look like?”

  He glanced back, clearly surprised by the question. “Tall and burly, dark hair and eyes. Why do you ask?”

  “I dreamed about her last night.” It was more or less true. “She was with a dark-haired man. He looked sort of like a lumberjack.” He’d looked more like someone who would have been featured on the lumberjack edition of the hunk-of-the-month calendar, but that was beside the point.

  Kyle chuckled and turned back to the mountain. “Lumberjack fits Quinn as well as anything, but don’t worry. He isn’t nearly as mean as he looks.”

  Kyle hadn’t seemed at all surprised that she’d dreamed about her sister. Were psychic powers common among Therians? “Where did Quinn take her? How do you know they’re safe?”

  “Last I heard they were out at the sanctuary, which is where I’ll eventually take you. We have electrified fences and video surveillance, as well as physical guards.”

  She wasn’t sure if his list made her feel more or less secure. “Why do you need all that security? Are kidnappings common among your people?”

  “You need to stop saying ‘your’ people.” Another chuckle rumbled in his chest, but this time he didn’t turn around. “We’re the same, sunshine. My people are your people. We’re both part of the Therian nation.”

  * * * * *

  Nehema ushered “Team Leader” into her neat suburban two-story and directed him toward the living room. Masquerading as a soccer mom had worked remarkably well as she gradually allowed her appearance to mature, but circumstances had changed. Too many in the Front Range knew too much. It was time for a new strategy.

  “The cats captured Gage,” she told her companion. He crossed the room with three long strides and sat in the middle of the flower-print sofa, each movement illustrating his impatience.

  “I heard.” Though he was dressed in jeans and a pullover shirt, his bearing was unmistakably militant.

  The illusion of anonymity amused Nehema so she allowed it to continue. In truth, she’d learned his name and much of his background hours after their “chance” encounter in 1979. And their relationship hadn’t changed much in all the years that followed. Similar goals kept them on parallel paths, yet they both knew they weren’t actually working together. She kept hoping he’d trust her enough to tell her his true identity. Instead, he hid behind a nameless mask and treated her like a fool.

  He tapped his thumb against his thigh as his expression turned thoughtful. “Anything Gage knew is compromised. A mind sweep from any of the cats and that coward will piss his pants.”

  “I was never overly confident in Gage, so he knows very little.” She waved away his concerns and sat in the armch
air facing him.

  “He knows your name.”

  She shrugged. “If the cats don’t know my name by now, I’ve given them far more credit than they deserve. What Gage has done is focus attention on me and I can’t tolerate that.”

  “I’m not sure I understand.” He scooted to the edge of the sofa, blue gaze searching hers. “If the shifters know who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish, why don’t they just shut you down?”

  “Because—up until now—they haven’t known where to find me.”

  “Gage knows where you live?” One of his gray brows arched, accenting the question.

  She rolled her eyes. Was he going out of his way to annoy her today? “Would we be sitting here if he did?”

  “But he knows enough to predict your next attack?”

  “I don’t attack. I liberate. I save helpless females from the demonic nature forced upon them by ruthless men! The females are innocent and the evil practices of the Therian elders must be abolished.”

  “Their practices become pointless if I find a cure.” Though he didn’t raise his voice, there was steel in the statement. “I haven’t given up on my program.”

  “I’m less convinced that a chemical can permanently bind their demons, but I’m still willing to let you try.” She pushed to her feet and motioned toward the stairs. “That’s why I asked you here today.”

  He looked a bit leery, but he followed her up the stairs and to the second bedroom down the hallway. She pushed the door open but didn’t enter. Warning him to remain quiet, she nodded toward the bed across the room. Three female Therians rested side by side, sleeping soundly, thanks to a strong sedative. She wasn’t sure if they were sisters, but similar features and coloring identified them with a common clan. The youngest was perhaps eight the oldest in her late teens or early twenties.