Therian Prize

by Cyndi Friberg

  Nate glared at Braden, unable to hide his impatience. The other alpha had arrived at the Clubhouse a few minutes ago without so much as a bodyguard. Nate had been strategizing with John Risdon at the time, so Risdon slipped into Heather’s office where he could cover Nate without being seen before Nate opened the front door for their uninvited guest. Braden might be too arrogant to perceive Nate as a threat but Braden was dead wrong.

  “Someone tried to kill Jake Parlain,” Braden began, not bothering with a greeting. His strange, pale-blue gaze watched for Nate’s reaction to the news.

  “Is Jake dead?” The Clubhouse wouldn’t open for another hour and half so they had the place to themselves.

  “No. The female assassin failed.”

  “And why the hell do I care about tiger drama?”

  “Because there was an unidentified female in the hot tub with Jake. She had long reddish-blonde hair and bright-blue eyes.”

  “Lots of women have blonde hair and blue eyes.” Nate fought the urge to look at Risdon, not wanting Braden to realize they weren’t alone.

  “Maybe so, but few of them smell like wolf.”

  Fury spread through Nate like poison. He clenched his fists and glared at Braden with icy focus. “Heather hates cats. Those damn rebels brainwashed her brother. There is no way she’d—”

  “I didn’t come here to argue with you.” Braden’s calm indifference stoked Nate’s anger into a brighter blaze. “This is simple courtesy. I was on the fence about all this before. I have no desire to go to war with the cats. I officially withdraw my interest in your daughter.”

  “Coward,” Nate sneered.

  Braden waved away the insult and left the Clubhouse without a backward glance.

  Nate grabbed a mug off the bar and threw it against the wall. The glass shattered with a musical crash so he grabbed the next item on the bar, which happened to be his phone. He watched the phone burst apart on impact and realized he’d just cost himself several hundred dollars. “God damn it!”

  Risdon rushed out of the office as Nate turned his fury on the nearest table. He swiped the table with his arm, sending the upturned chairs flying.

  “Do you believe him?” Risdon asked from across the room.

  Panting harshly, Nate grasped the edge of the table with both hands and looked at the hunter. “Do I believe Heather is fucking a cat? Of course not!”

  “Then why are you so angry?”

  Damn good question. Jake was rich and powerful with the slick sort of appeal that drove females crazy. Had Heather fallen prey to the tiger’s practiced charm? Had she been so desperate she traded her body for—no! He wouldn’t even consider the possibility. “I need to find her today and I’m running out of options.”

  Risdon shook his head. “She’s holed up in some cheap hotel in the middle of nowhere.”

  Nate narrowed his gaze and moved toward Risdon. “You think or you know?”

  “Nothing else makes sense. If she was still in Colorado someone would have seen her.”

  “But she has nothing, no money, no identification, not even clothes.”

  Risdon shrugged. “You’re underestimating her resourcefulness. Supplies can be stolen and a hefty bribe can get around the need for identification, especially in backwater dives.”

  “We can’t search the entire country.” Frustration gradually replaced Nate’s anger and he began to pace.

  “What’s the hurry?” Risdon relaxed enough to pull out a stool and sit at the bar. “I’m willing to wait until she turns up. And she will, you know. She’s never been without her pack before. She’ll get lonely and bored and come home with her tail tucked between her legs. We just need to be patient.”

  “I can’t afford to be patient,” Nate snapped. Most of the others had dropped out of the competition. Should he tell Risdon about Dhane and the backers? Whoever defined Heather would need to know at least the basic facts. Nate had hoped to keep Braden interested. An inter-pack alliance was more beneficial than giving Heather to one of his hunters. But it didn’t look as though Braden was an option anymore. “Dhane was kidnapped two weeks ago. The lunatics who have him want to trade him for Heather.”

  Risdon just stared at him, clearly shocked by the news.

  Nate ignored the hunter’s reaction and continued on with casual calm. “They need undefined females for the experiments they’re running, so Heather must be defined before we make the exchange.”

  “You expect me to define her, create a mating bond and then turn her over to these ‘lunatic’ humans?” Disgust was reflected in every word.

  “We have no other choice!” Nate stopped and took a deep breath. He couldn’t sound as desperate as he really was if he hoped to convince Risdon to cooperate. “A mating bond will allow you to track her. All we have to do is rescue her before they realize she’s been defined.”

  “You’re crazy.” Risdon slipped off the stool and headed for the door. “I want no part of this.”

  Nate’s infuriated cry echoed through the empty bar and caused Risdon to cringe. Nate rushed after him and grabbed his arm. “You’ll have a seat on the Alpha Council and you’ll be next in line after Dhane. Think of all that will mean. If anything happens to Dhane, or if Dhane proves to be as useless as his brothers, you will lead this pack.”

  Risdon’s muscle flexed beneath Nate’s hand but the hunter didn’t pull away. “What happens if they kill her before we’re able to rescue her?”

  The ruthlessness revealed by the question sent hope zinging through Nate. If his biological sons possessed more of Risdon’s ambition, this might not have been necessary. “As Heather’s mate you’ll be number two even if we lose her to the humans.”

  “Then I’d like to question Lexxie.”

  Pleased by the suggestion as well as the cruel gleam in Rison’s eyes, Nate released the hunter’s arm and stepped back. “You think she knows more than she’s told us?”

  “It doesn’t matter what she knows. I’ll interrogate her, rough her up a little and then threaten to do a whole lot worse.”

  “And Heather will come running as soon as she finds out her BFF is in danger.” Nate finally found a reason to smile. “Now why didn’t I think of that?”

  * * * * *

  Heather watched Jake embrace the smiling middle-aged woman, wondering if his friends would ever look at her without suspicion and resentment tainting their expressions. Erin’s short dark hair was arranged in messy curls and welcome shone in her wide green eyes.

  Much to Heather’s surprise the friendliness remained as Erin turned and held out her hand toward Heather. “Erin Lashton. I’m pleased to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Heather Fitzroy.”

  “You’re way more attractive than your brother.”

  Heather smiled despite herself. Erin had an easy, approachable way about her that immediately put her at ease. “Thank you.”

  Erin turned back to Jake. “Go make dinner or start a fight. I need a few minutes alone with our guest.” She waved him away toward the back of the house as if she had every right to do so.

  Jake tensed and looked at Heather. “You okay with this?”

  “I don’t think I need protection from Mrs. Lashton.”

  “Erin, please. Everyone calls me Erin.” Without waiting for Jake to agree, she looped her arm through Heather’s and led her into the cozy living room. The safe house was a two-bedroom ranch that appeared to be at least fifty years old. It had been meticulously maintained yet it retained an air of history.

  Heather had slept for the second half of the trip out of the mountains, so she wasn’t sure exactly where the safe house was located. They were somewhere on the eastern plains of Colorado but she had no way of knowing if they were north or south of Denver.

  “Is the cat sanctuary nearby?” She hoped Erin wouldn’t realize the real reason for the question. “I’d love to see it.”

  “We’re eleven miles from the sanctuary, which is twenty-six miles northeast of Denv
er. Did Jake blindfold you on the way out here?”

  Heather felt heat spread across her cheeks. Were all cats this perceptive? “I fell asleep.”

  “Well, you’re welcome at the sanctuary anytime. If you want a guided tour, call ahead and I’ll make sure someone is free to show you around.”

  They sat on the sofa and Heather pivoted so she could see Erin more easily. It was hard to believe this vivacious woman was Devon’s mother. Erin’s hair was lighter but they had the same rich-green eyes. Erin also had a son, Kyle. Though Heather had heard a lot about him, they had never met.

  “First of all, I wanted to update you on Dhane,” Erin began. “He has successfully shifted several times and he’s arguing with Landon. Whenever brothers start snapping at each other, I stop worrying. There doesn’t appear to be any lasting damage from his exposure to the formula.”

  “Thank you. I’ve been worried about him.”

  “Of course you have. He’s your baby brother. It’s your job to worry about him.”

  “Has Landon succeeded in recruiting Dhane or is he still determined to go home?”

  Erin’s brows arched and challenge sharpened her gaze. “What makes you think Dhane was determined to go home? I didn’t realize you’d spoken to him since all this happened.”

  Heather shifted restlessly on the couch, uncomfortable beneath Erin’s unflinching stare. “Dhane is loyal to pack. He will not betray his alpha.”

  “What do Therian wolves do when they disagree with their alpha? Do they have any recourse or is the alpha’s will law?”

  “You might not understand our customs but they have served us well for thousands of years. Without pack, we are nothing.” Repeating the familiar words made Heather feel empty and alone. It had been so long since she believed what she’d been taught as a child, it felt hypocritical to defend the concepts.

  “If you honestly feel that way, why did you run?”

  Emotion burned in Heathers throat and tears filled her eyes. She stubbornly blinked them back, refusing to reveal weakness in front of another cat. “I have always been loyal to pack. I bowed to my alpha’s will and still…” She turned her head, unable to maintain her composure while looking into Erin’s eyes. Heather saw compassion there, but she also saw pity and she did not want pity from anyone. “It was a personal choice, one that had been building for years.”

  “If people are content and fulfilled within the traditional structure of pack or feline clan, we encourage them to stay. We are not trying to abolish centuries of Therian tradition. But we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to find happiness and contentment.”

  Heather shook her head and corralled her emotions. If Erin wanted a logical debate, Heather would be happy to oblige her. “How can the two coexist when the new concepts countermine the traditions?”

  “We are not asking that everyone adopt our ideas and values. We simply want an opportunity to apply a code of conduct to our lives that is less steeped in ritual than the Therian Charter. If people still want to follow the rules laid out in the Charter, that’s entirely up to them.”

  “As long as they don’t interfere with your new ‘code of conduct’?”

  “Yes. Think about it this way. Laws vary from state to state. At times state laws contradict laws of other states. This doesn’t make either of the laws less valid. They’re just different. That’s what we’re trying to establish. Those who want to continue on beneath the strictures of the Charter can do so. But we want, no, we insist on being allowed to establish a set of rules that makes sense to us.”

  Heather said nothing as she considered the concept. Humans had taken advantage of a similar idea for centuries. The political foundations of California and Texas couldn’t be more different and yet they were both part of the same United States. Was that really what the rebels wanted or was this their way of sneaking in and taking over?

  “Regardless of how you justify the split, the traditionalists will see it as betrayal.”

  Erin reached over and squeezed Heather’s hand. “Your father might see it as betrayal, but what do you gain by remaining loyal to pack? Has your pack protected you from harm? Has your father—”

  “Leave my father out of it.” Heather scooted to the edge of the couch. She’d earned the right to second-guess her father’s choices. The cats had not. “I’m here so I obviously disagree with his approach. I don’t want to dissect his leadership style.”

  “All right.” Erin didn’t release Heather’s hand as she’d expected. Erin’s fingers remained firm and warm, like a miniature hug around Heather’s hand. “Let’s talk about you. What do you want out of life?”

  Heather released a nervous laugh and pulled her hand away. “You sound like Jake.”

  Erin’s smile was gentle yet uncompromising. “Actually Jake sounds like me. The Prime Council likes to blame the male rebels but I’m the real troublemaker. Now answer the question.”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been allowed to think about myself. It was always what would please my father and benefit his pack.”

  “You think of it as ‘his’ pack.” She paused until the implication sank in. “Doesn’t that say it all?”

  Frustration and regret weighed Heather down. She’d known there would be no turning back when she ran away from the contest, but her heritage was harder to let go than she’d expected. “What do you want from me?”

  “Nothing. I want to help you adjust to the concept of freedom, to understand that you have choices you’ve never considered before. There’s an entire world out there waiting to be explored. You can shape the future into anything you want.”

  Heather couldn’t help but snicker. It was obvious Erin believed every word. Unfortunately Heather was a bit too practical to swallow the fantasy. “Without my pack, I have no support system. I have no money, no connections, no way to make a living.”

  “With or without your pack, you’re still Therian. You belong to a wider community.” Erin crossed her legs, her foot bobbing with suppressed energy. “Why do you say you have no way to make a living? What did you do before?”

  “I did accounting and inventory for my father’s bar.”

  “Those are marketable skills. And if you want a completely different vocation, you are certainly young enough to start over.”

  Heaving a sigh, Heather pushed to her feet and walked to the window. Darkness had fallen while she slept so there wasn’t much to see. “Why do you care? You don’t even know me.”

  “It’s my lot in life to mother everyone.” Erin chuckled and stood as well. “Ask anyone. I’m a horrible busybody.”

  Turning around, Heather leaned back against the windowsill and looked closely at Erin. “Devon wants me to take the formula so I can host more than one animal nature. You’re her mother so you’re likely more concerned about her safety than she is. Have there really been no side effects?”

  “It’s Devon’s personality to face any challenge head-on. She was given the formula against her will, so she’s making the most of a dangerous situation. As of right now, the only side effect has been an increased libido. Dr. Garran is following her closely in case that changes.”

  “If you were me, what would you do?”

  Erin shook her head. “I’m not you. This is your decision and yours alone. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. There are significant risks whenever we screw with nature. Still, the benefits could be immeasurable.”

  “Are you finished with your girl talk?” Jake asked from the archway leading to the central hall. “I’m actually the one who asked you here.”

  Erin smiled and motioned him into the room. “Tell me exactly what happened with Natasha and I’ll see if it fits with what I’ve learned.”

  Jake strolled into the room, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. He looked far too lethal to be doing something so utterly domestic. “I’d spoken to her not half an hour before and she seemed perfectly fine.”

  “Did you speak face-to-face or telepathically?”

>   “Face-to-face.”

  “Go on.”

  Jake stood near the couch but remained on his feet. His gaze shifted between Erin and Heather. “Her shot barely missed my head, so I jumped out of the hot tub. We fought, briefly. In fact I shouldn’t have been able to take her down as easily as I did. I could see literal flames flickering within her eyes and her features were shifting beneath her skin as if she were trying to transform.”

  Erin nodded as if she’d been expecting the details. “I’ve never heard of a Therian doing what you described, but there were several entries in the journal that documented similar incidents.”

  “If it wasn’t a Therian, what was it?” Heather asked, moving away from the window.

  “A demon.”

  “Why would a demon want me dead?”

  “To leave Heather unprotected.” Erin looked at Heather as she went on. “Power, even the potential for great power, has been known to draw all sorts of entities.”

  “Wonderful.” Heather crossed her arms over her chest and used anger to drive back her fear. “As if Therians and humans weren’t enough, now demons are after me too?”

  “It’s just a possibility.” Erin’s smile was obviously meant to be encouraging but Heather wasn’t buying it.

  “How do I fight off a demon?”

  “I’m not an expert on evil spirits. I’ll have to do some more research.”

  “If I take the formula and start collecting animal natures does all of this go away?”

  Erin and Jake looked at each other, both clearly conflicted about what they should say.

  This was the last straw. She would not be a helpless victim, regardless of the potential threat. The only way to protect herself was to unleash her Therian abilities. And if one animal nature would give her power, why not absorb two or three? “Set me up with Devon’s doctor.”

  “You have an appointment at nine thirty tomorrow morning,” Jake informed. “I called while you two were talking.”

  Erin crossed to Heather and took hold of both her hands. “Paul can give you everything you need to make an informed decision, so don’t make up your mind until you have all the facts. We can protect you until you decide what you want to do.”