TherianPrey (2 page)

Moving as one, the wolves charged. Jenaro batted one aside
with his forearm, sending the creature slamming against the wall. He kicked the
second wolf in the head as it barreled toward him. The wolf yelped then whined,
slinking into the shadows with its tail between its legs.

The first wolf returned with more determination, jumping for
Jenaro’s throat. Jenaro caught the wolf with both hands and slammed it against
the floor. The wolf snapped and growled, but as soon as Jenaro released his
hold on its thick fur, the creature ran toward the front door.

This couldn’t be real. No man was strong enough to wrestle
two wolves barehanded.

Jenaro yanked the door open and the wolves darted past him.

“Stay here!” His gaze flashed through the gloom with a
gold-green intensity she hadn’t noticed before. Shit! If he was one of them,
why hadn’t he transformed? He rushed out after the wolves, not sparing her a
backward glance.

Momentarily paralyzed by confusion and fear, Carissa
mentally scrambled for something to do. “Ava?” The wolf had said he would take
her to her sister, but she had to be sure Ava wasn’t just hiding. When no one
responded to her second shout, she ran across the room and snatched her jacket
off the floor. She rushed to lock the front door while frantically searching
the pockets for her phone.

The door swung inward so abruptly she jumped back to avoid a
collision. “There must have been two teams. They…” Jenaro snatched the phone
out of her hand. “Don’t even think about it. Police will only slow us down.” He
slammed the door and locked it then turned around. The bizarre glow had left
his eyes, but his dark gaze bore into hers. “They’ll get reinforcements and
return. We can’t stay here.”

“What did you mean there were two teams? Where is Ava?” She
glanced at her phone, knowing she wasn’t fast enough to grab it or strong
enough to wrest it from his hand. So what else could she do?
Run like hell!
Not until she understood what was happening, and why they’d been targeted.

“They dove into a car and took off. Ava’s scent faded as
soon as I left the house. I think she was taken out the back by someone else.”

Her heart gave a rebellious lurch. “Why wasn’t someone
protecting her? Why did you follow me?”

“Even I can’t be in two places at one time. At the end of
her shift, I made sure she was locked inside the house then I headed back to
your shop and waited for you to close up. Kyle was supposed to be here by now.”

“And while you were following me, they got Ava!” Guilt and
fear welled within her, gripping her stomach as she struggled to swallow. “We
have to find her! We have to—”

“Get the hell out of here. The wolves will be back.”

Her befuddled brain fought against the implications of what
she’d just seen. “Who are you?
What
are you?” Even the question sounded
ridiculous.

“Quinton Jenaro. Call me Quinn.” He slowly approached, his
dark gaze cautious yet resolute. “Kyle was hoping to defuse the situation before
Osric found you, but Osric was closer than we realized.”

Osric? The name slammed into her mind like a baseball bat,
spiking her anxiety. If her worthless excuse for a father was involved in this
mess, she was in serious trouble. Osric Parlain was more of a threat
than…werewolves?

Instinct engaged and she made a mad dash for the door. Quinn
caught her around the waist then spun her around and pressed her back against
the door.

“We don’t have time for this,” he snapped, his hands
remaining on her upper arms. “I’m here to protect you. You don’t need to be
afraid.”

She laughed, the sound sharp and nervous. “Protect me from
what? Stalkers and thieves?” She banged on the door with her heel.

“This isn’t a joke.”

“I figured that out when people started turning into
animals!” She glared while awareness sped her pulse. He was huge, tall and
heavily muscled. A hot tingle slid down her spine, igniting heat low in her
belly. It had been like this in the store. As soon as she looked into his eyes,
lust erupted, making her restless and hot. Despite her mistrust and his
frustration, desire arced between them. She did her best to ignore the unwanted
distraction and focus on the danger. “Why were you able to toss them around
like toys?”

“I’ll explain everything as soon as we put some distance
between us and the dogs.”

The way he spat the word “dogs” made her pretty sure he
wasn’t one. “Why would Osric kidnap Ava? Every penny we have is tied up in our
business.”

“This isn’t about money.” Quinn shifted his hands to the
door on either side of her head and leaned in close. With his nose just
touching her hair, he inhaled slowly. “When did the burning start?”

He asked the question so softly she thought she’d imagined
it. As if of their own volition, her hips pushed forward, lightly rubbing her
pelvis against his thigh. “This morning, right after
you
came into the
store. What the hell did you do to me?”

“I didn’t do anything to you.” He heaved a frustrated sigh
and raised his face. “You’ve never felt this before?”

Confused by his odd behavior, she shook away the sensual
pull. “What’s your game? I thought my life was in danger. Do we really have
time for
this
?”

“You’re right.” He eased his body away, but his dark gaze
lingered on her mouth. “The harder you fight the hunger, the more insistent
it’ll become. If this is your first season, there’s no way you can control it.”

“Control what?”

He started to say something then shook his head and pushed
off the door. “Let’s get you to safety then I’ll explain.”

“Not a chance. If those things are really coming back, I’ll
stay with friends tonight and have the police waiting for them when they
return.”

“If you care about your friends, you don’t want them
involved in this.”

Quinn was right. She couldn’t intentionally endanger her
friends. Still, she knew little more than his name. And the fact that he was
incredibly strong. She’d learned at a young age how dangerous it could be to
blindly trust the wrong person.

“I appreciate the warning.” Easing her hand down and behind
her, she slowly unlocked the door. “I’ll disappear. Go off the grid. I spent
most of my childhood like that. I know how to do it.” But what about Ava? Could
she hope to find her sister without Quinn’s help?

He just shook his head. “Kyle told me to expect a fight.”

With no other warning, he dragged her away from the door and
pulled her hands behind her back. The cool press of metal sent a jolt of fear
through her system an instant before anger burned through the pause. She jerked
and twisted, screamed and cussed, determined to prevent her other wrist from
being caught. With humiliating ease, he bent her over the back of the couch and
secured the handcuffs.

“This will be as unpleasant as you make it. Remember that.”
He held her in place with the press of his body while he used a bandanna to gag
her.

She continued to cry out, but the gag sufficiently muffled
her voice. Yanking against the cuffs only hurt her wrists. This was happening
and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

He paused to relock the door and grab her purse then lifted her
to his shoulder and headed out through the kitchen. He’d said he wouldn’t hurt
her, that he was here to protect her. Yeah, right. Women weren’t kidnapped for
their own good. They were kidnapped for the depraved pleasure of men!

Yet he stopped to lock the back door as well. Odd behavior
for a deranged killer.

The small yard was edged with mature trees, offering daytime
shade and privacy. Why couldn’t she live in one of the condos, with cardkey
entrances and security cameras?

His truck was blocking the gravel drive where her car and
Ava’s were parked. No one paid attention to what went on back here. He’d
planned this exit well. Though his truck was midsized, it had an extra-large
cab with four doors. He pulled open the door behind the driver’s seat and lowered
her to the ground. His gaze searched hers, the look intense and assessing.

“I’ll pull over and let you up once we’re out of town, but I
can’t risk you causing a scene.”

Was he just being cautious? He acted as if he knew her or
had been warned by someone who understood her contrary nature. He kept
mentioning Kyle, but she didn’t know anyone named Kyle.

His hands were warm and strong, oddly evocative, as he
lifted her into the truck and settled her on her stomach. He pulled off her
shoes and stashed them behind the seat. Then he tied her ankles and bent her
knees, loosely tethering her feet to the handcuffs. The position wasn’t as
uncomfortable as she’d feared, but it was extremely effective. Not to mention
humiliating!

He slipped in behind the wheel and the engine roared to
life. Carissa turned her head and angled her face so she could see Quinn’s
profile. With his shaggy dark hair and rugged features, he looked right at home
in this mountain setting.

“Hey, Kyle, it’s me.” Kyle again. Who the hell was Kyle!
Quinn had a cell phone pressed to his ear with one hand while he maneuvered the
truck with the other. “You were right. Osric is working with wolves. Blue River
pack would be my guess. They know the area.”

He paused while Kyle responded, but she could only hear the
muffled rhythm of Kyle’s voice.

“No. Osric’s scent was still strong in the house. I couldn’t
have missed them by much.”

Osric’s scent? He’d mentioned Ava’s scent too. Humans didn’t
identify each other by scent. Or toss wolves around like stuffed animals. She
ground her teeth into the bandanna and closed her eyes. Apparently the werewolf
craze in Hollywood had spread to Colorado.

“She didn’t give me too much trouble, but she’s mad as hell
right now.” She opened her eyes as he adjusted the rearview mirror so he could
see her. He had the audacity to smile. “I’ll check in when I reach the cabin.
Talk to you then.” He returned the phone to his pocket then asked, “You doing
okay back there?”

She glared at him. She was gagged. How was she supposed to
respond?

He glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. “I guess I
shouldn’t have gagged you if I was going to ask questions. Give me ten more
minutes and I’ll find somewhere to pull over.”

The truck bumped and swayed, her body rubbing against the
cool leather seats. A slow, flowing heat spread from her shoulders to her
knees. Her nipples prickled and tightened, her breasts feeling full and
sensitive. Had he put something on the bandanna? What was triggering these
sensations?

No, she couldn’t blame it on him, at least not directly.
She’d been horny as hell ever since he walked into her store.

A low growl rumbled deep in his throat. He fidgeted, raking
his hair with his fingers then adjusting his position in the seat. “What got
you going again?” His voice was so soft she barely made out the words. “Are you
excited by danger, or do you like being tied up?”

Humiliated by the taunt, she arched and wiggled, releasing
her frustration in an exasperated cry.

The more she struggled, the more intense the heat became.
Her body clenched, focusing the urgency between her thighs. She wasn’t a
virgin. She knew where these impulses led, but she had never experienced
anything faintly similar to this demanding desire. Why now? Was he right? Did
danger excite her?

She tried to lie still, to breathe through the bizarre
craving. Her pulse seemed amplified, pounding in her ears and between her legs.
She groaned and turned her face into the seatback, embarrassed and confused by
her own body.

The tension mounted, compressing with painful intensity.
Each time the truck bounced or swayed, her hips rocked and her pelvis rubbed
against the firm leather seat. Her nails dug into her palms as waves of
tingling need washed over her.

This wasn’t some unexplained itch that disappeared as
quickly as it formed. Something was seriously wrong! Panic joined the emotions
already assailing her composure. She turned her head back around and tried to
capture Quinn’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

The truck dipped violently and her head bumped against the
seat belt housing. Pain curled through her craving, amplifying the heat. Had
they left the pavement?

Her skin felt stretched, stinging, and her blood seemed to
boil. Was she feverish? This had come on so suddenly.

Cool air wafted across her damp skin and the cab light
blinked on. She heard the impatient scrape of metal against metal as he
maneuvered the seats forward. What the hell was he doing? She needed help not
more room! The door slammed and darkness descended again. Then the door beside
her knees opened. Yes! Now he’d untie her and set her free. But free to do
what? She could barely think beyond the roaring in her ears.

He unfastened the rope and tossed it into the bed of the
truck before sliding her across the seat. Guiding her feet to the ground, he
helped her stand then firmly closed the door. She leaned against the side of
the truck as he dug the key out of his pocket and released the handcuffs. Then
she yanked the gag off and rubbed her wrists, conflict raging inside her.

Trembling with uncertainty and want, she turned and glared
into his eyes. “What did you put on the bandanna? This isn’t natural.” Each
ragged breath sent a fresh ping of sensation ricocheting through her body.

“You honestly don’t understand what this is?” He sounded
genuinely incredulous. “How old are you?”

“I’m not a fool. This is lust. But why… I’ve never…” His
arms wrapped around her and slowly drew her toward him. She put her hands on
his chest and arched away. “Stop it! I will not…”

He ignored her protest and applied gradual pressure until
her elbows buckled and she collapsed into his embrace. Her face came to rest
against his throat and Carissa inhaled his scent. Like cool mountain nights
around a campfire, his smell was complex, evocative and so very different from
hers.