Therian Prize: 5 (Therian Heat) (17 page)

Desperately needing a distraction, he accessed the common link shared by Therian tigers and pinged Ron. With Natasha out of commission, Ron was now head of security. Ron responded by opening a private link and Jake reinforced Ron’s shield before using the connection.

Any luck?

No, sir. No tracks of any kind. Whoever we’re dealing with either has incredible range or teleported in and out.

The ability to teleport was extremely rare. But then so was taking over someone else’s mind.
Understood.
I asked Natasha to have Lexxie picked up. Do you know if Natasha followed through?

Lexxie’s tucked away where her pack can’t find her, which is what you should do with her best friend.

Ron’s persistence made Jake smile. Ron was taking his new responsibilities very seriously.
Your objection is noted—again.

Are you on your way to Erin?

I am, but how’d you know?

That’s where I’d go. Anything else?

Not right now.

With characteristic brusqueness, Ron pinched off the link.

“Who were you talking to?” Heather asked.

“Ron.” Jake glanced at her with renewed curiosity. “How’d you know I was talking to someone?”

“Most wolves can sense a surge in psychic energy. Only a few of us can eavesdrop on the actual conversation, but most are aware of telepathic communication.”

“Good to know.”

“Is Ron the huge blond guard who told you to ditch me?”

Jake chuckled. “That’s the one.”

“Did he find anything on the mountainside?”

“No, but they found Lexxie and took her somewhere safe.”

“Thank you for arranging that. I couldn’t live with myself if she was harmed because she tried to help me.”

“It was no big deal and we’ll keep her tucked away until the storm blows over.”

“Thanks,” she murmured as her eyelids drooped. She blinked several times and shook her head.

“Don’t fight it, angel. Neither of us got much sleep last night.” The endearment just slipped out but their gazes locked and awareness pulsed between them. “You’re safe with me.”

* * * * *

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 Denver. 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.”