Therian Promise

by Cyndi Friberg

  “You bastard,” she sneered as the last soldier headed down the stairs. He’d won this round, there was no way she could salvage the situation, but she knew who he was, knew the location of his precious compound and the identities of his partners. “Enjoy it while it lasts, Milliner. This is far from over.”

  Chapter Two

  Kyle stood on the summit of the nondescript mountain and scented the cool, crisp air. The smells were familiar—pine, damp earth, grass, deer, elk, prey… He paused and fought back a smile. He was hungry and his Therian nature was making damn sure he acknowledged the fact. The mountain had been steeper than it appeared from the base, but Ava kept up without complaint and minimal assistance. She’d marched along like a tough little soldier, all focused determination and confidence.

  He’d been chasing Ava for the past six days. Well, to be more accurate, he’d been chasing the men who’d been chasing Ava. His primary concern was her safety, but he’d also needed a better understanding of Osric’s strategy and the true scope of his influence. Ava was a crucial piece to the puzzle, but she wasn’t the only element of this conflict requiring Kyle’s attention. So, he’d watched from the shadows for the first few days, ready to swoop in if the others got too close. Instead, she took them through a twisting maze of false trails and backtracking leads until Kyle began to wonder if her escape had been a ruse and his rivals were having fun with him.

  Then three days ago, Ava simply disappeared. Kyle’s grand ambition to become her savior evaporated and he felt the first tingle of fear. His one advantage in this mess had been Osric’s inflated ego. Osric had been so confident in his power that he’d trusted wolves to do his dirty work for him. Delegation was becoming a Therian weakness. Too many alphas didn’t want to be directly involved in enforcing the decisions they made, which left them at the mercy of their muscle.

  Locating someone who didn’t want to be found was infinitely harder than trailing a frightened woman as she frantically outran her pursuers, but Kyle had learned all he needed to know about Osric’s “organization” and he’d been determined to reach her before the wolves. In the end, Carissa had pointed him in the right direction. He’d been relieved to finally have control over the situation, but apparently fate wasn’t finished screwing with him.

  He turned to Ava and paused. He’d meant to ask if she had anything edible in her backpack, but her eyes were wide and bluer than the sky. Her face was flushed and an unmistakable combination of panic and dread tensed her lovely features. Protectiveness surged within him, drawing him closer, preparing his body for a physical confrontation should anything threaten this female.

  He glanced at the panorama, trying to understand her reaction. Mountains stretched into the distance, some rolling and graceful, others starkly etched and rugged. This was home for his cougar, the sort of setting his cat craved when Kyle was too inundated with network business to shift and run free.

  But Ava couldn’t shift yet. She was still bound by human limitations. “Does anything look familiar?”

  “As you said, it could be Colorado, but it could just as easily be half a dozen other places.” She squared her shoulders and straightened her spine as determination pushed through the weaker emotions. “We better keep moving. Unless your phone picked up a signal, we’re seriously screwed.”

  He shook his head, hating to deflate what little remained of her hope. “No such luck. I already tried it twice.” It was more like twice in the last ten minutes. He’d been checking it off and on all morning.

  “Then pick a direction.” She turned in a slow circle. “Looks like we’re a long way from anywhere.”

  “Which means we need to be smart with our supplies.” There was another option available to them, but she wasn’t ready to consider a Therian alternative to hours, perhaps days of arduous hiking. Besides, it was a long shot at best. He’d let the reality of their isolation sink in a bit longer then he’d offer the creative solution. “What all do you have stuffed in that backpack?”

  “Trail mix, protein bars, change of clothes, a mini first-aid kit, flashlight, lighter.” She shrugged. “The usual. I expected to be on a motorcycle, not an extended hiking trip.”

  “Well, our expectations have obviously changed.” He paused and smiled at her. “I’m presuming you intend to share your supplies with me. Technically, I’m the one who’s completely unprepared for this.”

  She looked at him through her lashes, the expression inadvertently flirtatious. At least he thought the flirting was inadvertent. She’d been anything but approachable before. “I suppose it’s a reasonable presumption after healing me.”

  Damn. Did she practice that not-quite-a-smile expression? His entire body reacted with heat and…hunger. No, it wasn’t her. Well, she was the focus of his spiking instincts, but she didn’t realize she was the cause. Healing her had left him drained, and Therians became progressively more predatory when their needs, or the needs of one under their protection, were neglected. Patience might not be an option, but he had to find a better location than this mountaintop.

  “Good.” The word struggled past his dry throat. “I’m starving.”

  “What would you like? Trail mix or a protein bar?”

  He pictured her naked on her back with trail mix sprinkled all over her ivory skin. He’d start at her knees and nibble his way to her neck… “Protein bar.”

  She went behind him and rummaged through the backpack until she produced a foil-wrapped bar. “You better have a drink of water too.” She handed him the water bottle. “Your voice sounds sort of scratchy.”

  He quickly took a sip of water, hiding his guilty smile. He could think of something warm and slick and luscious that would coat his tongue and soothe this scratchy throat. He’d have her straddle his face and he’d—

  “Are you all right?” She crossed her arms over her chest, staying carefully out of reach. “Your eyes are starting to glow again.”

  He rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat, knowing neither was likely to ease the ache rapidly spreading through his body. “Healing you left me hungry, but I’ll be fine.”

  For a long, tense moment she stared at him, speculation narrowing her eyes, then she muttered, “He’s standing there in the midday sun, so he can’t be a vampire. But why was she drinking their blood?”

  “You said that out loud,” he revealed as gently as possible.

  “I know.” But the bright red flush on her cheeks said otherwise. “In my dream Carissa…”

  “It was just a dream.” She needed to understand the fundamental truths of her existence before she focused on details like a blood ritual. He didn’t want to intentionally mislead her, so he quickly guided the conversation in a safer direction. “Let’s head back down and I’ll start at the beginning. Deal?”

  “Deal, but let’s go a different direction than we came up. We already know what’s down there. Trees.”

  “Fair enough.” He swept his hand in a semicircle. “Any preference?” Therian dreamers were generally clairvoyant in other ways as well, but she was still latent. It was surprising that any of her abilities had manifested before her animal nature was defined. More proof that Ava was no ordinary Therian. He inhaled deeply when she offered no opinion. The air smelled slightly fresher to his right, which likely meant water. Rather than explain his hunch, he provided a more conventional suggestion. “If we head west, we’ll have the sun at our backs for most of the day. It’s easier to see that way. Do you have a compass stashed in one of those compartments?” He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb.

  She disappeared behind him again then returned with a small flashlight. Before he could remind her what she’d been looking for, she flipped it around and showed him the compass recessed in the flashlight’s handle.

  “Very clever.” Another hunger pain cramped his gut and he quickly turned away, not wanting her to witness his distress. He breathed in through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth, consciously controlling his reaction to the pain. She
touched his arm and he had no choice but to turn around or heighten her suspicion.

  “Are you sure you’re just hungry? You look sort of pale.”

  He tried to smile and failed. “Too much sun and not enough food.” He tossed the flashlight from hand to hand as the spasm gradually receded. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but I need you to promise you won’t run away. No matter what happens. I can’t keep you safe if you take off on me.”

  “‘No matter what happens’? What does that mean?”

  “I’ll answer all your questions, do whatever it takes to earn your trust, but I need your promise now.”

  She searched his gaze, glanced away then looked at him again. “I take promises seriously. I’m not sure I can say that and mean it.”

  “All right. How about this, as long as you have no reason to doubt me personally, regardless of how insane the situation seems, promise you will not run away.”

  “What are you afraid will happen?” He hadn’t meant to agitate her, but she was clearly upset. “Just tell me.”

  “Trust me just this far and I’ll earn the rest.”

  She huffed out a breath and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re insane. You want me to trust a crazy person.” She paused and he was scrambling for a better justification when she said, “Fine. As long as you haven’t given me a reason to mistrust you personally, no matter how crazy things get—though I can’t imagine things getting any crazier than they are right now—I promise I will not run away from you.”

  “Thank you. You won’t regret it.” He glanced at the compass then headed toward the smell of the water, which was more or less west.

  “So what’s a Therian?” she prompted, obviously anxious to begin her orientation.

  They descended single file, which put them at eye level when he looked back. “We’re shapeshifters, Ava. Most Therians can only shift into one animal. A select few can shift into several, if all their manifestations are similar. Like Quinn, the man protecting your sister, he can shift into a black jaguar and a cougar.”

  “My sister’s lover is a feline shapeshifter?” She stopped walking and gaped at him.

  “I never said they were lovers. What did you see in your dream?”

  She ignored his question and started walking again. Her features hadn’t yet registered her reaction to his claim. “What do you change into?”

  “A mountain lion,” he said, not in the mood for cougar jokes.

  “Show me.” He glanced back and she grinned. “Turn into a mountain lion.” It was obvious from the sparkle in her eyes that she thought she was calling his bluff.

  “I’m going to shift for you, but I can’t do so right now.”

  “Of course not.” She dismissed the possibility and brushed past him, continuing down the mountain in the lead.

  “When I healed you, because I’m not a trained healer, it sapped my energy. If I shift right now, it’s likely I’d be trapped in cat form until my levels regenerate. I can protect you in cat form, but I’m not much for conversation.”

  “How long will it take for your ‘levels’ to ‘regenerate’ enough for you to shift safely?” Her tone was clipped and cool, and she didn’t spare him so much as a backward glance.

  “A couple of hours. If we had plenty of food and weren’t mountain climbing in the midday sun.”

  They reached a stone ledge wide enough for them to stand side by side and she stopped again. “So what’s the alternative? Am I supposed to believe your ridiculous claim just because…”

  “Because I took away your pain and you have psychic dreams and we spontaneously teleported to an unknown destination? Therian energy fuels all of these abilities. We are not human. Is that really so hard to believe?”

  She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t know what to believe anymore. You’re right. I can’t explain how we got here or where the hell here is, but shapeshifting? Even if it’s true, I don’t see how one leads to the other.”

  “Ending up here was an exaggeration of your fight-or-flight response. You’ve been isolated from Therian males, so when I touched you, your energy spiked.”

  “Osric’s men grabbed me and shoved me into the backseat of a car. Why didn’t that trigger my fight-or-flight response?”

  “I’m not sure. There had to have been something different about this morning, but I don’t know what it was. Give me twenty-four hours and I’ll prove that what I’m telling you is fact not fantasy. Listen with an open mind and I’ll—”

  “You mean there’s more?” She looked out over the verdant valley that stretched off to their left. They were halfway down, but the view was still spectacular. “What could be more fantastic than teleporting feline shapeshifters?”

  He wasn’t sure if she had accepted his offer or if she was just passing time, but hopefully her attitude would change once she saw him shift. Which meant he needed to feed ASAP. “Feline shifters are the most common kind, but the Therian nation is made up of all sorts of clans, wolves, bears, even raptors.”

  She chuckled and motioned for him to take the lead. “People shift into dinosaurs? Must be popular at birthday parties.”

  He ignored her sarcasm and continued their descent. “Not dinosaurs, birds of prey. And to my knowledge, Ian isn’t popular with anyone. Except maybe my mother.”

  “You said we’re both part of the Therian nation. Are you going to try and convince me that I’m one of these shapeshifters too? If I could turn into a leopard or a lioness, I’m pretty sure I’d know about it.”

  His response was interrupted as a section of the mountain required their undivided attention. They faced the rock wall and chose each foothold and grip with utmost care. Kyle reached the bottom first and steadied her as she completed the final few steps. She was agile and strong, just like a Therian female should be. A faint smile curved his lips as he reluctantly released her waist and stepped back.

  The last section of the descent appeared gradual and hilly, far more hike than climb. Trees shaded them again, the coolness welcome after hours in the blazing sun. Hopefully he could keep his mind on her orientation rather than imagining all the erotic things he’d rather be teaching her. But her jeans rode low enough on her hips to reveal a teasing inch of bare midriff. Not to mention the way they hugged her nicely rounded ass.

  Forcing his attention away from her body, he resumed his explanation. “Female Therians are born latent. The ability to shift is within them, but the specific animal into which they’ll shift has yet to be defined.”

  Her steps slowed and her eyes widened. “In my last vision, Carissa…” She shuddered, unable to complete the thought.

  “When a female is ready for her nature to be defined, she drinks the blood of the male she has chosen. His DNA becomes the pattern her body uses to define her animal nature. Is that what you saw? Was Carissa drinking blood?”

  “I’d hoped it was just a dream, but… Carissa is a shapeshifter?” She shook her head and hurried on ahead as if she could outrun the truth. He kept pace with her anxious strides but allowed her time to absorb the information. Suddenly, she stopped short and faced him, her expression a tense mixture of confusion and dread. “If Quinn is her lover, why did she choose the blond man for her transformation?”

  “I wasn’t there. You’ll have to ask Carissa to explain her decision. Still, you need to remember one important fact. Defining a female is not a sexual act. The ritual often stirs emotions that lead to sex, but sex is not necessary for the ritual’s success. Many females are defined by their lovers, but many are also defined by prominent members of their parents’ clan. It depends if the clan alpha wants to create a bond with another clan or increase his clan’s numbers.” He knew more about Carissa’s situation than he was letting on, but Ava would accept the complexities more easily if her sister explained.

  Speculation narrowed Ava’s gaze and she moved closer, managing to appear fierce despite the difference in their sizes. “What does the clan alpha have to do with it? You s
aid the woman decides who defines her.”

  Damn, she was perceptive. This was the part he’d been dreading the most, the part she would find the most offensive. “According to the Charter, the set of rules governing the Therian nation, a female has until her twenty-first birthday to name her guide, that’s the male she wishes to participate in her definition.”

  “And if she hasn’t decided by her twenty-first birthday?”

  “Her father or her clan alpha can petition the council for permission to define her by force. I don’t agree with the practice and I’m leading the push to have the policy changed.”

  “Glad to hear it.” She started walking again, her steps stiff and purposeful. She might not know where she was going, but she intended to get there fast.

  “Ava.” A pause in her marching stride was her only response. “There’s another policy you need to understand.”

  “I’m listening,” she assured him even though she didn’t turn around.

  They wove their way between trees and around rock formations, following the gentle undulation of the ground. He ignored the persistent tightening in his belly and the pain intensifying with each step. He could not give in to his hunger until she understood the conflict surrounding them. “Once a female has been defined, she has until her twenty-fifth birthday to choose a mate.”

  “And if she refuses to name her mate, her father or the clan alpha can petition the council for permission to mate her by force?” Bitterness made her tone brittle and she suddenly stopped and faced him again. “Osric was forced on my mother, wasn’t he? That’s why she ran away from your precious Therian nation. She was protecting us from…all of this bullshit!”

  “I already told you I don’t agree with the practice, but we are not human. Our biological needs are different, more demanding than anything you’ve experienced before. Females need to be claimed for their own safety. Once a male and a female bond, their bodies synchronize and her heat cycles will no longer affect other males. But until she’s in sync with one man, she is fair game for any unbound male.”