Therian Prize

by Cyndi Friberg

  “You won’t have a lot of control at first. I don’t want you to trash the furniture.”

  Each step they descended retied the knots in her belly. She’d dreamed about this day, longing for the freedom yet terrified of the man her father would ultimately choose. Then she’d forced herself to accept Carlos and the situation had gone from bad to worse. By the time they reached the basement she was shaking and her mouth was so dry she could barely swallow.

  Jake turned around and pulled her into his arms. “Lower your shields, angel. We’re going to do this together.”

  She buried her face in his throat and inhaled his scent, letting his familiar smell surround her. It took a moment for her to calm down enough to open her mind to him. Then his fiery strength flowed into her and melted her inhibitions. She felt secure within his arms, protected and safe. She took a deep breath and lifted her head.

  “I’m ready.”

  He kept one of his arms around her waist and caressed her face with his other hand. “I’m honored that you chose me as your first.”

  She chuckled and turned her head, biting the heel of his hand. “You make me sound like a virgin.”

  “This will be more intense than losing your virginity.” He paused and blanketed her mind with encouragement and energy. “But you’re safe with me. I won’t let anything harm you.”

  Her skin tingled and the room swelled then contracted. She blinked, trying to focus through the dizziness. Blood seemed to rush through her ears, sounding almost like the wind. Had he started the ritual or was she reacting to the injection?

  “It will feel natural to resist but don’t fight it. The more you struggle, the more painful this will be.” He began a rhythmic chant under his breath and her vertigo intensified. He guided her to her knees and knelt as well, still facing her. “Your body knows what to do. Surrender to your Therian self.”

  He released his tiger just enough to transform his teeth then pricked the pad of his thumb. Blood beaded on his skin and he quickly pressed his thumb against her lips. She parted for him, gently sucking as she waited for a sickening gush. A faint metallic taste was all she received.

  Jake chuckled and pulled his thumb out of her mouth. “We’re not vampires. It only takes a few drops to trigger the change.”

  She leaned against him, accepting the support of his strong arms. The room gradually stopped spinning and the rushing in her ears faded to silence. Darkness closed in all around her until she saw nothing, felt nothing. She hung suspended in blackness, surrounded by the vast emptiness of time and space.

  Am I dead?

  As if to answer her question a wild surge of power shot out from deep within her chest. Every muscle in her body flexed and her body arched. Then she sensed her animal self, stretching, stirring, awakening as never before. For just a moment she recognized her ancestral wolf, the blood of long-dead generations. The spirit that had saved her twice.

  Thank you. She had no way of knowing if the animal would understand but she had to try to communicate her appreciation.

  The wolf lowered its head and she sensed acceptance and encouragement.

  Suddenly a tigress surged past the wolf, not suppressing or devouring the other animal, just becoming much more powerful.

  With ruthless focus the tigress shredded its metaphysical confinement and rocketed toward the surface. Heather braced for impact, knowing pain was inevitable.

  Don’t tense up, love. Let it come. Give yourself over to your tigress.

  She tried to relax, tried not to fight the change, but survival instincts were strong. Energy hit her first, blasting through her with excruciating intensity. She soared for a moment, sailing along until pain burned away her good intentions. She screamed and turned like a salmon struggling against the overwhelming current.

  Heat gave way to tearing pain then the tearing morphed into crushing pressure. She felt as if her body were being ripped apart. Probably because it was. Joints popped, bones snapped and muscles stretched as her body literally reformed. Her anguished cry started out as a scream and ended as a feline roar.

  She tossed her head and blinked repeatedly, confused by the distortion in her vision. Smells exploded in her nose—grass, damp earth, a cowering mouse, even the dank hint of mold were easily identified. The house creaked and her ears twitched, automatically shifting toward the sound. Everything felt different, strange.

  “You are so beautiful.” Jake ran his hand from her neck to her shoulder then along her back. The sensation felt muted, as if…a thick fur coat were in the way?

  Turning her head sharply, she looked at herself. Her long, lean body was curled into a ball, legs tucked up close against her belly. Her fur was rich orange-yellow with vivid black stripes. She was looking at her tigress self and still her brain fought against the reality.

  They’d done it. Her animal nature was defined.

  You did incredibly well, love. Can you send your thoughts to me?

  Easily locating the link he’d used, she replied. Does it always hurt that badly?

  There’s always pain. I won’t lie. But you’ll learn to transform faster and block the worst of the pain. This is the common link shared by all tigers. I’m going to switch to our private link. See if you can follow me. He paused and when his thoughts came again she immediately felt the difference. She could sense emotions threaded through his thoughts, feel all the things his words failed to convey. I’m really proud of you. This couldn’t have been easy, but you met the challenge head-on.

  Love swelled within her. She’d waited her entire life for someone to feel pride in her accomplishments. She knew her father loved her in his own twisted way, but he’d never valued her input or found joy in who she was or what she’d done.

  Are you okay? Jake knelt beside her and stroked her back.

  How do I switch back? I want to devour you and I don’t think you’ll enjoy it if I’m like this.

  The path should still be visible. Just turn around and walk back.

  That sounded ridiculously easy but as she turned her perception inward, she saw what he meant. Getting her tigress to cooperate, however, was easier said than done. As soon as she moved toward the “path”, her tigress dug in her claws and refused to budge.

  You are in command. Always, Jake instructed. Regardless of their size, our animal selves are part of us. They must bow to our wishes.

  Emboldened by his encouragement, she ignored the tigress’ struggles and charged toward the path. An infuriated roar echoed through the basement, the sound even louder in her mind.

  Behave yourself. She infused the words with displeasure and the resistance eased—somewhat.

  Each sensation was the same yet less shocking now that she knew what to expect. As he had warned, the process was still painful. But she surrendered completely to the shift and the discomfort was quickly over.

  She was smiling when her human form returned. “My tigress is stubborn.”

  Jake laughed and helped her to her feet. “Can’t imagine why that would be.”

  He had her t-shirt draped over his shoulder like a bar towel, but she was pretty sure she hadn’t taken it off before the shift hit her. “Is that still in one piece?”

  “Nope. You shredded it. Aren’t you glad you took off your jeans?”

  All she could do was nod. Despite her grand intentions to lick every inch of Jake’s body, she was shaking like a newborn. “Wow. That took more out of me than I thought.”

  “It’s expected. Let’s get you into bed so you can sleep it off.”

  * * * * *

  Zophiel crouched in the shadows beside the basement window, stunned by what she’d just seen. Shapeshifting wasn’t new to her but this had been different. Heather hadn’t instantaneously flowed from one form into another. She’d fought and struggled as bones cracked and muscles stretched. It had been grotesque. Yet fascinating. It was like watching birth. Without the miracle of a new life factored into the equation, birth was messy, disgusting and painful.

 
After her latest conversation with Nate, she’d realized it was probably a good idea to figure out exactly where Heather was hiding. She knew the wayward wolf had left Aspen with Jake but she didn’t know where they’d landed.

  The sanctuary seemed to be where all the cats headed whenever there was trouble. One of these days she needed to figure out what made the location so much safer than any other. There had to be more to it than the comfort of a maternal figure. Even one as charismatic as Erin Lashton.

  She hadn’t seen Jake or Heather at the actual sanctuary but she also knew that the rebels owned most of the houses surrounding the wildlife complex. She started with Erin’s house. Devon had been visiting with her mother but there was no sign of Heather and Jake.

  One by one, Zophiel checked the properties surrounding the sanctuary. She was about to abandon the strategy when she landed in the backyard of the house farthest from the animal reserve. No sooner had she regained her footing than she heard a shrill scream.

  Unsure what she would find, she crouched beside one of the basement windows and was rewarded with a fascinating show.

  The real question was, what should she do with this information? Tias would want to know that Heather was beyond their reach, but then, so would Nate.

  Nate’s harshly handsome image formed within her mind. Why did just the thought of him make her all warm and tingly? He was a self-serving asshole with the manners of a dockworker. And somehow he had anticipated her needs better than any lover she’d had in years. Make that decades.

  She blew out a shaky breath and gazed up at the cloudless sky. It would take a ridiculous amount of energy to maintain her shields and fly all the way back to Silverthorne. And what did she gain by telling him about his daughter’s definition?

  Beyond mind-blowing sex? Even her inner voice mocked her. Heather’s definition was just an excuse to see him. She needed to be honest with herself. She wanted Nate and there was nothing wrong with desire as long as she didn’t let it control her.

  She’d show up with the pretext of sharing the news and then spend several hours in his bed. Or bent over his desk. The wicked thought made her smile as she accepted the inevitable. She saturated her shields with energy and then launched herself into the sky.

  * * * * *

  While Heather slept Jake called Devon and let her know the definition was successful. He tried to reach Enya but she was still declining his calls. He knew he shouldn’t rush her, that she’d likely calm down on her own. But she also cared deeply for Natasha and he hated that Enya was dealing with yet another tragedy on her own. Well, not entirely on her own. Erin was with her, which was the only fact that made the situation bearable.

  He watched television for a couple of hours then checked on Heather. She was still sleeping soundly so he returned to the living room. He was halfway through a spy thriller when Ian knocked on the back door. Jake slid the glass door open and smiled. There was only one reason Ian would come to the back door.

  “Did you fly here?”

  “It’s dark.” He glanced at the deepening twilight then shrugged. “Mostly.”

  Rather than invite Ian inside, Jake joined him on the patio. He slid the screen door closed but left the glass door open. “Have you ever been caught? Everyone has a camera on their phone and most people live with their phone in their hand.”

  “There are lots of pictures of me on the internet, even a few videos. But no one believes they’re real. What human is going to believe that a man can sprout wings and fly?”

  “The same ones who watch the skies for UFOs.”

  “Hey, I believe in aliens. Don’t you?”

  They laughed and Jake motioned toward the kitchen. “Would you like a beer?”

  “Thanks, but I’m not going to be here that long. I just met with Payne and wanted to fill you in on what he’d said. Payne wasn’t convinced I’d killed her in the fire, so he wasn’t surprised that she reemerged.”

  Jake just nodded and waited for more information.

  “She’s a crafty bitch and utterly ruthless. She feeds on energy like a vampire sucks blood. She can also drain a person of information as well as energy.”

  Tension coiled around Jake as the implication sank in. “If she fed on Roberto then she knows everything Roberto knew?”

  Ian nodded. “And Natasha.”

  “Shit,” he muttered, glaring out into the darkness. “I have to change all my passwords and security codes. Even guard rotations.”

  “And not just at your house, at all your properties.” Ian paused before he said, “If you ever want to feel safe again, you’re going to have to start over. New personnel and new procedures.”

  Jake rubbed the bridge of his nose as pressure erupted behind his eyes. “Some of my men were with Dad in Desert Storm. I can’t do that to them.”

  “Well, new procedures then. But take this seriously. Anything Natasha knew is compromised.”

  “I understand.”

  Ian nodded then peered into the house. “Where’s the wolf?”

  There was enough warmth in Ian’s tone to keep Jake from taking offense. “She’s sleeping.”

  “Finally wore her out?” Ian grinned.

  “We just started her definition.”

  “Did she go through with the formula or is this the one and only? Devon thought she’d agree but I hadn’t heard for sure.”

  “She agreed.” Jake hesitated over his next question. It wasn’t really his place to ask. “You’re the oldest Therian alive, which means you’re the most powerful. She wants to maintain her wolf heritage by including Landon, but are you willing to add your blood to her definition?”

  “That’s a conversation for me and Heather.” He walked to the edge of the patio then paused. “It’s your basic nature to rescue people. You’ve been doing it all your life. Be careful with Heather. She needs support, not shelter.”

  “She’s my mate. It’s my job to protect her.”

  “I understand that, but it’s also important for her to learn to protect herself. She has to stand up to her father or she’ll never be truly free.”

  Jake sighed. He knew Ian was right, yet Heather had been through so much already. He wanted to spare her any more pain and misery.

  “Have her call me when she’s up and around. We’ll talk about options.”

  Jake watched as Ian’s wings shot through the vertical slits in his clothing and gracefully unfurled. No matter how many times he saw the transformation, the sight always gave him chills. Ian leapt into the air and flew away.

  Jake went back inside and secured the sliding glass door with a broom handle. The antiquated technique made him smile. Then he called Ron and told him to reset all the passwords and codes. “Use whatever you like. It’s probably best if I don’t choose them.”

  “Will do, boss.”

  “And shift guard rotations. Shuffle the deck completely. You’re the only one who keeps his old position.”

  “I’ve already started on it. No one wants to say it, but we all know Natasha was compromised.”

  “She did nothing wrong, but yes, she was compromised.”

  “Understood. I’ll take care of it.”

  “I know you will.” He ended the call then put the phone in his pocket, tempted to turn it off again.

  Heather had slept for six and a half hours. That should have been enough to recharge her batteries. He made a sandwich and filled a glass with milk then he carried the casual meal into the bedroom. Even if she went right back to sleep, the calories would help her recover. He set the plate and the glass on the nightstand then sat on the edge of the bed.

  He paused for a moment, mesmerized by her beauty. With her curly hair spread across the pillow and her features at rest, she looked like a masterful painting. But knowing she was naked beneath the covers sent his imagination far away from cold, impersonal art galleries.

  With a guilty smile he touched her shoulder, giving her a little shake. “Wake up, sweetheart. You need to eat something.”

/>   He had to shake her again then she stretched and wiggled, revealing the upper curve of her breasts. “I know what I want to eat.” She smiled without opening her eyes.

  “Eat this sandwich first and then we’ll see if you’re still hungry.” He stacked some pillows behind her as she scooted back against the headboard. She tucked the covers under her arms and he handed her the sandwich. “How do you feel?”

  “Why don’t you get naked and find out?”

  He laughed, thrilled by her playfulness. Still, her full recovery was his top priority. “Eat! You burned about a million calories during that shift.”

  “Yes, sir.” She lifted the sandwich to her mouth and took a bite. “So what have you been doing while I slept?”

  “Watching TV, mostly. Ian stopped by.”

  “What did he have to say?” Her chattiness didn’t subside but she kept munching so he indulged her curiosity.

  “Payne wasn’t surprised that Zophiel is still alive. He was never convinced she’d died in the fire.” He went on to explain the rest of what Ian had told him.

  “So how do we kill a mind-sucking leech that doesn’t even burn?”

  “That’s what Payne and Ian are trying to figure out.”

  She wiped her mouth on the napkin he’d provided and drained the rest of the milk. Then she held out the dishes with a sexy smile. “I’m going to go use the bathroom. I expect you to be naked and on this bed when I get back.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Excitement spread through Heather’s blood as she returned to the bedroom. This had been the most amazing day of her life. She felt powerful and in control for the first time ever and she was damn sure going to enjoy herself.

  For the past six years she’d been aware of her inner self, that part of Therians that made them unlike humans. But Jake’s blood had taken that vague awareness and turned it into something distinct and powerful. She could feel her tigress’s thoughts and emotions separately from her own. They didn’t have traditional conversations. Words weren’t necessary with this sort of blending. She’d never imagined that her animal self would have her own personality.