TherianPrey (10 page)

“What’s an abolitionist?” She was being a coward, postponing
the inevitable, but she wasn’t ready to surrender another sliver of her
humanity. Her Therian nature would control her soon enough. “I presume you
weren’t talking about the ‘let’s end slavery’ kind.”

His sigh stirred the hair above her ear and tension rolled
down his body, easing him away from her back. His arms still circled her waist,
but the embrace was looser now, far less intimate. “They’re a group of
religious zealots who ‘rescue’ Therian females. They believe we’re the
descendants of demons who either manifest as animals or have sex with animals.
I’m not sure how they learned that our females are born latent, but they’ve made
it their purpose in life to whisk them away and sterilize them before their
‘demonic’ natures can be activated.”

Revulsion gripped her belly as she thought of all the girls
who had been robbed of the miraculous potential of creating new life. They would
never feel a baby move within their bodies or stand in awe of their babies’
first steps. Then a personal possibility slashed through the general horror.
“Was the man who helped my mother run away from Osric one of these
abolitionists?”

“It’s more than likely.” He turned her around, his hands
settling lightly on her hips. “What do you remember about him?”

“Not much. I was still a child when she threw him out for
the last time.”

“For the last time?”

“They had a sort of love-hate relationship. I think his name
was Gabe or Greg or something like that. He seemed like a knight in shining
armor at first, but he became really possessive, really fast. Mom would run him
off when he started acting like a jerk. But he always managed to show up when
we were in trouble, so she’d take him back, at least for a while.”

“He was probably monitoring her.”

“Yeah, don’t they call that stalking?”

His features revealed nothing, as if he didn’t want to
influence her in any way. “What made her end it for good?”

She searched her memory, trying to recall every detail,
every emotion. “I was so young. Most of it made little sense at the time, but
the scene has replayed in my dreams for years.”

“Don’t try to analyze it, just tell me what they said.”

“Mom refused to fight in front of us, but the apartment was
small and we were curious little girls.” She rushed on, wanting to share the
facts before his bias tainted her memories. “They’d been arguing for weeks, but
that last night was different. Mom was more than just angry. She seemed more focused,
stronger somehow. She told him she’d met the conditions of their contract and
we, Ava and me, had never been part of the deal.”

“Sounds like standard Abolitionist tactics. Females are
considered redeemed once it becomes physically impossible for them to pass on
their animal nature. And with no contact with other Therians, most become too
weak to shift.”

She absorbed the implications, allowing her adult mind to
reshape her childhood memories. “You honestly think my mother agreed to have a
hysterectomy in exchange for this man’s assistance?” Before he could respond,
she widened her new perspective. “That means he wanted Ava and me to be
sterilized too.”

“She was protecting you.” Emotion thickened his voice, but
as usual, she couldn’t decipher his expression. “She might have been a bit
misguided, but every move she made was meant to protect you two.” He shifted
his hands to her shoulders as his gaze began to smolder.

Memories surged to the surface, supporting his conclusion.
“I always wondered why Mom stopped running. We never stayed in one place for
more than a couple of months while Ava and I were kids. Then we reached
Breckenridge, and Mom just stopped. She bought a house and opened a business as
if the danger had passed.”

He slipped his right hand inside her sleeve and stroked her
arm. His touch was light, his fingers warm, and her senses came alive at his
command. “If she’d had the surgery, she would have destroyed what Osric wanted
as well as satisfying the Abolitionists, at least temporarily. The danger
hadn’t passed, but she bought you enough time to grow up and become less
vulnerable.”

“It all makes a sick sort of sense.” She looked into his
eyes and felt awareness arc between them. The nasal mist might have slowed her
body’s cycle, but he was still a ruggedly handsome man. And she was a woman who
hadn’t had sex in a very long time. “If their primary interest is latent
females, why didn’t they come after Ava and me?”

“They might have lost track of you or it could have been
curiosity. You had no interaction with the Therian nation. Perhaps they wanted
to see how long you could go on believing you were human. Or someone could have
been protecting you. All we know for sure is as soon as Osric made his move it
obviously set the abolitionists back in motion.”

“They meant to take out you and Ian so they could ‘rescue’
me?”

“That would be my guess. There’s no way one of Osric’s men
would have taken a shot that close to you.”

He pushed her hair behind her back and pressed a kiss
against the side of her neck, obviously losing interest in conversation.
Another tingle skittered down her spine and her nipples gathered against the
shirt. Perhaps her heat wasn’t as banked as she thought. No. That was a copout,
a convenient excuse. She was an adult faced with an adult decision.—trust her
instincts and spend the night in Quinn’s arms, or listen to gossip and send him
away.

Her body was in full support of a passionate romp, but her
mind was torturing her with uncertainty. “Why did I react so differently to Ian
than I do to you?”

His eyes narrowed to glistening slits. “How did you react to
Ian?”

“He didn’t touch me. I told you that already.”

“That’s not what I asked.” His thumbs dipped and swept the
bend of her elbows as his gaze searched hers.

“The cravings returned right before you crashed through the
window.” He grinned, utterly unrepentant for his brash actions. “Ian realized
what was happening, but his scent made me…combative.”

The corners of his mouth twitched with a smile he couldn’t
quite conceal. “It usually takes a full joining to trigger the process, but
apparently our bodies have already started to sync.”

“Which means?” She licked her lips, her body rapidly winning
the tug-of-war with her mind. “I’ll never want another man as long as I live?”

A sexy smile parted his lips and his teeth gleamed in the
dimness. “We don’t need to be in sync for that. You just need to spend the
night in my bed.”

She shoved against his chest in mock outrage. “You are such
an arrogant jerk!”

He swept her into his arms and carried her back to bed.
“Guilty as charged.” Rather than toss her onto the mattress as she expected, he
carefully set her down on the edge of the bed. His warm hands framed her face
and his dark gaze bore into hers. “I want you so badly my toenails ache, but I
will not hurt you. If anything we do causes you discomfort, tell me
immediately.”

His concern was unexpected and sweet coming from someone so
massive and fierce. “I haven’t decided if I’m going to let you do this.” Heat
cascaded from her head to her toes in a slow, melting rush.

He chuckled, drawing her back to her feet. “That sounds like
a challenge.” Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest. He didn’t seem angry,
but his expressions were so intense, it was sometimes hard to tell. His gaze
swept up and down her body, as if he were deciding how best to begin. Without
saying a word, he bent and tugged off his boots then sent his shirt sailing
across the room. He unfastened his jeans, letting the well-worn denim ride low
on his lean hips. Then he grasped the neckline of her t-shirt and ripped it
open, baring her breasts as he slipped the ruined shirt down her arms.

“Was that necessary?” She tried to scold him, but her
breathless tone ruined the effect.

“I didn’t want to hurt your shoulder.” His half smirk
flashed again then his fingers traced the upper curve of her breast. “Does this
hurt?” he whispered as his fingers spread soothing warmth across her skin.

“I ache, but not where you’re touching.”

“Is that so?” His hand descended along her torso, drawing
tingles deeper into her body. He circled her navel then traced the lacy edge of
her panties. “Take them off. I want you naked.”

“But you’re still dressed.” She tugged on a belt loop to
illustrate her displeasure.

“And I’m going to stay that way until I’m sure you’re ready
for this.”

Emboldened by his care, she wiggled out of her panties and
stepped into his arms. She was naked and breathless with anticipation. How
could he doubt her desire for him? “I’m ready,” she whispered against his chest
as her hands explored his back. He felt every bit as remarkable as he looked,
hot and hard and…savage!

With an overt show of strength, he lifted her and she
wrapped her legs around his waist. Her sex pressed against his rock-hard abs,
creating the most delightful friction. She gasped and arched, rolling her hips
into the unexpected sensations.

One of his hands clasped her bare behind while the other
curved around the nape of her neck. She felt wild and wanton, sexy as she’d
always wanted to be sexy. But she’d never been this daring before. He drew her
mouth to his with a soft growl. The kiss started out slow and tender, as it had
in the truck. But each soft slide of his lips and warm thrust of his tongue
released a new spark into her abdomen. She raised her right hand to his hair
and rubbed against him, increasing their contact skin to skin.

She slid her hand along the side of his face, letting the
stubble on his jaw tease her fingertips. He went right on kissing her, his hand
occasionally stroking her arm. She followed his lead and ran her hand up his
arm, amazed by the heat of his skin. “Are you always this hot?”

He drew her hand to his chest and pressed it over his heart.
“Only when I’m with you.”

His mouth settled over hers, guiding her lips apart. She
pushed her hand back into his hair, enjoying the short, silky strands against
her fingers. The kiss was soft and patient, his tongue brushing her lips
without delving between. She responded, encouraging him to continue as the
hunger inside her built. Their breaths mixed and their tastes melded as she
slid her tongue against his, venturing into his mouth. He groaned and deepened
the kiss, curling his tongue around hers.

With another throaty growl, he put one knee on the bed and
lowered her to her back, then stretched out along her side and continued their
intoxicating kisses. Her nipples tightened, needing attention as badly as the
rest of her body. He cupped her breast a second after the thought formed within
her mind. Was it just the next logical destination, or had he sensed what she
was thinking? She arched into the light caress, wanting the firm suction of his
mouth yet unwilling to separate their lips.

She explored his arms and his chest, reveling in each
discovery. His skin was warm, the dark hair surprisingly soft. She needed to
feel him against her, over her, pressing her down into the mattress. The
emptiness inside her expanded, intensifying the ache. A strangled cry escaped
her throat and she pulled him toward her, urging him on top of her.

He knelt between her thighs and carefully drew her hands
above her head. “Don’t move.” The directive was sharp and commanding. Gold
suddenly sparked within his dark eyes and his features blurred for a second
before coming back into focus.

A sudden spike in her arousal dragged a groan from her throat.
She wrapped her legs around his hips and rubbed her pelvis against him. Fire
surged through her veins and her primal nature heaved, clawing its way toward
the surface.

Through a lust-induced fog, she saw herself pinned beneath
him. His hips pumped furiously as his teeth sank into her shoulder. But she
wasn’t repulsed or frightened by the image. Her being craved the frantic
mating, longed for the savage pleasure hovering just beyond her reach. He
intended to mark her, claim her, bind her to him body and soul—and her body was
more than ready to surrender.

Trembling, eyes tightly closed, he held perfectly still and
inhaled her scent. “We can’t do this.” He ground out the words between clenched
teeth.

“Why?” The sensual cry in her voice brought his eyes open.
“I want this, Quinn. I
need
it.”

He unhooked her ankles and shook his head. “I’m too damn
close to the edge. I’ll define you and we both know it.”

“I don’t care!”

“Yes you do.” He held up his hand, refusing to hear her
argument. “Definition is forever. I won’t force that on you.” Without another
word, he crawled off the bed, gathered his scattered clothes and left.

Her reason applauded his selflessness while her body burned.
She’d never been so relieved and yet so disappointed. Barely able to think past
the ache, she curled up on her side and let the tears flow. Her thoughts were
too chaotic to sort and her emotions were even worse. All she knew for sure was
she hadn’t wanted him to leave.

She spotted the overnight bag on a chair beside the closet
and her mind latched on to the possible goal. A flicker of hope gave her enough
strength to move. She wiped her tears on the back of her hand and eased her
feet to the floor. She gasped then whimpered, refusing to think about how badly
Quinn must be aching. Her fingers shook so hard, she could barely unzip the
bag, but she quickly found the familiar case. Suspecting the nasal spray
wouldn’t be enough to put out this fire, she grabbed the cream and headed for
the bathroom.

Chapter Five

Carissa greeted Erin with a hug the following morning when
the healer arrived to check on her progress. Carissa had been enjoying a hearty
breakfast with the men, and Erin insisted she finish the meal before they went
to Carissa’s bedroom for a quick examination.