Therian Prisoner: 3 (Therian Heat) (22 page)

Hailey stopped by with the promised sandwiches and Devon took a quick break to eat with her.

“The lion cubs are so dang cute. I can hardly stand it.” Hailey took a bite out of one of the sandwich halves. “Our tour slots filled up fast when I put pictures of them on the brochure.”

“Well enjoy them while they’re small. They grow incredibly fast.”

Hailey caught Devon up on other sanctuary happenings and then their conversation turned to Hailey’s favorite subject,
men
. “What do you think about Payne?” she asked in a dramatic whisper.

Devon laughed and wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. “I don’t know him well enough to have an opinion. He’s been friends with Ian for a long time, but I don’t know much about him.”

“He has the most amazing eyes. And that accent.” Hailey pressed her hand over her heart and sighed. “He could talk me into anything.”

“Somehow I don’t think he’d have to try very hard. You’re easily persuaded.”

Hailey gasped, eyes wide with feigned outrage. “Are you questioning my honor?” She suddenly had a southern drawl.

Devon just shook her head. “Your talents are wasted here. You should be on the stage.”

“I’m not sure that was meant as a compliment, but thank you.” She tossed the crust of her sandwich in the trash can and stood. “I better get back to work. My boss is a real hard-ass.”

Pausing to savor the tranquility of her ordinary life, Devon finished her sandwich and refilled her mug before settling back in behind her desk. She glanced at the monitor, which was patiently scrolling through a sunset screensaver. Then she picked up the phone and called the Garran clinic.

“Dr. Garran, may I help you?”

The voice belonged to a female, which identified the speaker. “Hi Lenore. It’s Devon. I was calling to check on Dhane.”

“Dhane is much better this morning. The boys located a compound that released him from his transformation and he’s resting comfortably now.” Lenore always referred to her sons as “the boys” even though the youngest was twenty-six.

“Did they locate this compound among the things rescued from the mountain lab?”

“Yes, dear. Eli hacked into one of the laptops and the information has been invaluable. The boys have identified several unique formulas and the corresponding counteragents. They’re still trying to determine exactly what each formula does and so forth, but without the laptop the boys would have been dead in the water.”

“Eli is amazing. And I’m so relieved that Dhane will be okay.” She rubbed her forehead as memories of their escape scrolled through her mind. Ian and Payne had been minutes away when Dhane took out the guards, but Dhane hadn’t known that at the time. The young wolf had been brave and protective. She would always be grateful for his actions.

“How are you feeling? Have there been any residual effects from your injections?”

“Not really. I’m still pretty tired, but I think that’s just stress and not enough sleep.”

“Both are understandable after what you’ve been through.” Lenore hesitated and Devon heard her sigh before she asked, “Do you know which injection you were given? If you know, that will make things much easier.”

“It’s likely I was given them all. They referred to the last one as gen three. That’s also what they gave Dhane, or at least what I was told he was given.”

“I’ll let the boys know. Hopefully what they’ve learned will correspond with this new information.”

“Do I need the counteragent? My symptoms have basically subsided.”

“I’m not sure,” Lenore admitted. “I’ll have Alex call you. He’s spearheading the investigation.”

“There is one other thing he needs to be aware of. I’d like to be defined as soon as possible and I’m not comfortable attempting the transformation until we know for sure what those bastards put in me.”

“A wise precaution. I’ll see what Alex suggests.”

“Thank you, Dr. Garran.” Devon sighed. “We know more than we did two days ago, but we still have more questions than answers.”

“Try not to worry. Hopefully Alex will have answers for you soon. And let your family pamper you for a change. It would be therapeutic for both sides.”

“I will.” She really did need to clear the air with Kyle. Their argument might have given the backers an opportunity to strike, but her abduction wasn’t Kyle’s fault. “Please tell Alex and the others that I appreciate all their hard work.”

“I’ll make sure they know.”

She hung up the phone with another sigh and sank back into her seat. Dhane was on the mend and the Garran brothers were working hard to understand exactly what had been done to her. The rest of the donors could wait until tomorrow. She desperately needed some alone time.

After sending a text to Hailey to let her know Devon was going to be unavailable for a couple of hours, she picked up the journal and headed upstairs. She had a long awaited date with a bubble bath.

Chapter Eleven

Ian rolled his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck then climbed the stairs to Devon’s apartment. The entire day had been a study in futility. They’d focused their search on the silver-haired phantom and Ian still wasn’t sure the image was anything more than a flash from his memory.

The door was locked, as it should have been, so he knocked.

“Coming.” Though muffled, Devon’s voice was still intelligible. She pulled the door open and smiled. “I was just about to grab my phone and find out where you were.”

She’d pulled her dark hair back into a ponytail and her cheeks were deeply flushed. Her eyes gleamed like priceless emeralds, their almond shape giving her an exotic air despite her casual attire. Black yoga pants hung low on her hips, the wide waistband folded down to showcase her toned abdomen. She wore a clingy pink tank with tiny black skulls and crossbones.

His gaze gravitated to the faint outline of her nipples and his body stirred with appreciation. “Did you wear that to work?” He moved into the living room and she closed the door.

“You don’t like my outfit?” Her tone was tinged with playful challenge.

“I like it a little too much.”

“I cut out early and treated myself to a nice long bath.”

He pictured her in a bathtub, naked and rosy, ready to be touched and licked. “Sounds wonderful. I wish you’d have invited me.”

“Maybe next time. I needed some alone time.”

He nodded. Their relationship was still really new and she’d been through so much. Needing a few hours alone to sort her thoughts and feelings was expected. “What smells so good?”

“I wasn’t sure when you’d be here, so I went with something that improves with time. Bison stew. I baked a fresh loaf of bread, or actually the bread machine did. It’s not fancy, but it should be delicious.”

“My mouth started watering at bison.”

She smiled and motioned toward the small square table which was already set for two. “I have wine, beer, lemonade or water.”

“I’d love a beer.” He crossed to the table and sat. He could barely remember the last time a woman cooked for him. In fact it was hard to remember the last time he’d had a home-cooked meal. Unless he counted Dorothy’s leftover chicken. “Was your day more productive than mine?”

She approached the table, a wineglass in one hand and an open beer bottle in the other. “Mine was largely routine, but it felt nice to be back to normal.” She handed him the beer and set down the wine by her plate. “Are you ready to eat or do you need a few minutes to unwind?”

“There’s nothing to unwind from. We chased our tails all day.”

Her smile was warm and engaging. “You have tail feathers, not a tail.”

“Details.” Her cheer was contagious and he started to relax. “Would you like me to grab something?”

“Not until we’ve finished dinner.”

He chuckled.

She brought a cutting board with a loaf of crusty bread to the table first then a small Crock-Pot filled with fragrant stew. While she sliced several pieces of bread, he ladled stew into the bowls. “This smells amazing. I can’t believe you had time to make this today.”

Guilt reshaped her smile. “I made it from scratch, just not today. Today I took it from the freezer to the Crock-Pot and let it simmer while I soaked in the tub.”

“My kind of cook.”

Even reheated, the stew was delicious and Ian felt remarkably comfortable with Devon. Their conversation was effortless, they knew the same people and shared many of the same interests. And their attraction was undeniable. The slightest brush of her fingertips sent his pulse racing and he could stare into her eyes for hours.

“So how did you spend your day?” He paused for a swig of beer as she answered.

“Catching up, mostly. We ran a funding drive right before I was kidnapped, so the sponsors needed to be processed.”

“People can’t donate money online?”

“No, they can and many do. This was different. We asked people to ‘adopt’ a specific animal for a year. Obviously, the cats stay here, but the sponsors are admitted free so they can check on their adopted feline. We also send pictures and progress reports, that sort of thing.”

“Very clever. Was it your idea?”

“Initially, but Hailey helped me work out the details.”

He nodded as he enjoyed a healthy mouthful of stew.

“Alex Garran finally called me back.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin, her expression suddenly distant.

“Have they figured out what was in the injections?” He dreaded the answer, hated the possibility that she might be in for more pain. But she obviously needed to talk or she wouldn’t have told him about the call.

She set down her fork as her gaze returned to his face. “I thought they’d triggered Therian heat, but apparently females don’t actually go into heat until after they’ve been defined.”

He paused as his mind filled with examples that proved the conclusion wrong. “But I’ve witnessed many undefined females struggling with the effects of Therian heat. Carissa was in heat when Quinn found her and she had yet to be defined.”

“The symptoms are basically the same for defined and undefined females. However, what’s going on behind the scenes is completely different. A defined female attracts the strongest, most genetically compatible male and her body creates an environment that maximizes the chances of conception.”

“And an undefined female?”

“An undefined female attracts and then tests males until she finds one aggressive and powerful enough to be a permanent part of her. With me, and others like me, it has nothing to do with procreation.”

“That’s why undefined females never conceive,” he mused.

“Alex called it the acquisition cycle.” She took a deep breath and set her napkin on the table. “The last injection triggered my acquisition cycle and only the counteragent will allow me to lock in my definition.”

“You can’t be defined?” The idea was horrifying. Her captivity had left her feeling vulnerable and helpless. He would do everything in his power to protect her, but he wanted her to feel less…powerless.

Before he could react to the dismal concept, she smiled. “Don’t look so devastated. The counteragent
will
finalize my definition, but it’s up to me how many animal natures I absorb before I take it.”

“What?” He scrubbed a hand over his face as he struggled with his astonishment. “You can absorb multiple animal natures? They’ve made you an Omni Prime?”

“If I want to risk it. And that’s one colossal
if.
The cautious path is to absorb one nature and then take the counteragent. That will basically nullify the changes they made and allow my body to return to normal.”

Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. He could feel tiny pulses of her excitement, so she obviously understood the extraordinary potential. But was it safe? The backers were willing to damage and kill their test subjects without remorse. He would not allow Devon to be so careless with her health and safety.

“What do you want to do?”

“I haven’t decided yet. The possibility of commanding more than one animal nature is thrilling, but I don’t trust the backers.”

“For very good reason.” He set down his fork and rubbed the back of his neck. He wanted to be encouraging and supportive, but his protective instincts would not be silenced. “I think we should take one step at a time. Absorb one nature and see how smoothly your body adjusts to the transformation. If all goes well, then you can decide if you want to try again or leave well enough alone.”

“But that’s so sensible.” Her smile broadened for a moment then faded as she returned her attention to her wine.

They lapsed into companionable silence as he worked his way through a second bowl of stew. She sipped her wine and watched him, her gaze gleaming with secrets.

“What inspired that look?”

She set down the wineglass and shifted to the side so she could cross her legs. “Tell me about the Guardian of the Ancients.”

He stilled. Payne was the only one still alive who knew about the Guardian. “Where did you hear that phrase?”

“My mother is the Historian. Do you really need to ask?”

Though her approach was casual, Ian tensed. “Erin has never mentioned it to me. I didn’t think she knew.”

Devon shrugged as if she hadn’t just mentioned a secret he’d protected his entire life. “All Mom knows is the phrase and that your family is connected to the mystery. For a long time she thought it was just another name for the Historians. The Historians guard the secrets of the ancient bloodline. It sort of made sense. But there’s obviously more to it than that. Are you allowed to tell?”

He pushed his bowl aside and took a long swig of beer. If their attraction was the mating pull—which he was convinced it was—Devon would have to know the truth before she could make her final decision. Still, he’d kept the secret for so long. It felt wrong to share it with anyone.

“Guardians of the Ancients have been around almost as long as the Omni Prime.” He sighed and pushed back his chair. “I don’t know where to start.”

“The beginning is always a good choice.” She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I’ve never seen you nervous before. Whatever you tell me won’t leave this room.”

He wasn’t worried about her spreading the tale. He was worried about her reaction to it. There was so much pain associated with the tale, so much darkness. “My ancestors were chosen to protect the Omni Prime and her descendants, so we were empowered by the most powerful predator on earth.”

“The golden eagle?”

Her confusion was understandable, so he didn’t take offense. “I’m a Therian raptor by birth. I choose to manifest as a golden eagle, but that is one of many shapes I can summon.”

“All right, I’ll bite. What is the most powerful predator on earth?”

“The dragon.”

Her mouth gaped for a moment before she shook away the shock. “You’re a dragon-shifter? Seriously?”

He smiled. “Why would I lie about something like this?”

“You can still do it, shift into a dragon?”

“Modern life has made it a little impractical, but yes. I can still do it.”

“How big are you? Can you breathe fire?”

She was fixating on the dragon and that revelation was a small part of what he needed to explain. “In dragon form, I’m roughly the size of your mother’s house and yes I can breathe fire. I’ll show you the next time we’re at my cabin, but there is a lot more you need to understand.”

“All right. Sorry. It’s just so…unbelievable.”

“Which is why I downplay my abilities.”

Still reeling from his casual revelation, Devon pushed her chair back and stood. Ian was a dragon-shifter. The fact ricocheted around in her brain as she struggled to absorb what that meant. She’d been surrounded by shapeshifters all her life, yet cougars and tigers seemed insignificant when compared to a dragon.

“Go on. I’m listening.” She retrieved the wine bottle from the kitchen counter then motioned toward the refrigerator. “Do you want another beer?”

“Sure.” He waited until she returned to the table with the beverages before he went on. “I told you about Boudicca.”

“She was the reason the amulets were created and Omni Primes are only able to absorb six animal natures.”

“Correct. Her descendants learned from her mistakes and played by the rules. The Omni Prime balanced the male dominated councils until late in the eleventh century. Then a lion-shifter named Audelon resented the Omni Prime and rallied the Prime Council to take back control of the Therian nation.”

He spoke of treason as if it held little consequence. No, that wasn’t fair. He was trying to keep the events compact and clear so she didn’t drift off on tangents. “Did you learn of these events or did you witness them?”

“I was there.” He paused for a drink and tension crept into his voice. “Much to my shame.”

“What happened?”

“Her name was Esmah. She was pure and clever and incredibly beautiful.”

She heard the wistful catch in his voice and narrowed her gaze. “Did you love her?”

“Yes.”

No elaboration, just the single word. Tension banded her chest, making it hard to breathe. “Did she return your affection?”

“My feelings are not the issue. Audelon wanted her and she spurned him, so he vowed to destroy her.”

His evasion hurt even more than an admission, but she chose not to belabor the point. “She was an Omni Prime. Couldn’t she kick his ass?”

“It sounds obscene now, but she was barely thirteen when Audelon began his pursuit of her.” Ian cleared his throat and continued in a stronger tone. “Her parents tried to protect her, as did I. But Audelon was evil and ruthless.” His shoulders squared and his speech became more formal as the story progressed. “Audelon carefully laid his trap and sprang it so well and so quickly that we were powerless to prevent the tragedy. He gathered six cowardly males from minor clans and they defined Esmah by force.”

Devon’s stomach clenched and she tasted bile in the back of her throat. She could imagine a terrified girl of thirteen being forced to drink the blood of six strangers. Cradling her wineglass between her palms, she silently waited for the rest of the story.