TherianPrey (15 page)

Piling his clothes to one side of the door, he grabbed a
blanket off the couch and ambled back to her. “Get those wet panties off and
I’ll warm you up.”

She didn’t hesitate. He held the blanket up behind her,
creating a mini changing room. Tossing the beach towel aside, she wiggled out
of her panties then kicked them onto the towel. She wrapped her arms around him
and moaned at the pleasure. His body was warm and solid against her chilled
skin. Heat sank into her muscles and a violent shiver shook her shoulders. She
snuggled closer and he closed his arms around her, cocooning her between the
blanket and his chest.

“You were out there too,” she murmured. “How do you stay so
warm?”

“Cats are naturally hot-blooded, or Therians can control
energy. Take your pick.”

She heard muffled footsteps behind her and the sudden
tension in Quinn’s body told her it was Ian.

“I gathered her stuff while you were outside. Everything is
by the door.”

Quinn’s chuckle sounded forced. “Damn. You are in a hurry to
get rid of us.”

“As soon as you’re gone, I’m going to close up the house and
join the others at the sanctuary. We’re being pulled in too many directions
right now. I’m going to make sure Erin is safe while Kyle is hunting Ava.”

She didn’t like to think of Ava as being hunted, but that’s
what they were doing. Kyle’s men and the wolves were stalking the same prey,
trying to beat each other to the takedown. She turned within the circle of
Quinn’s arms and looked at Ian.

“Thanks for all your help.”

“Not a problem.” He didn’t quite meet her gaze, seemed
uncomfortable with her now. He’d just seen her having sex with another man.
That was bound to be a bit awkward.

So why did she feel more secure than ever before?

“Please tell Erin I’m sorry I lost my temper with her.”

“She knows what you’re going through. There’s no need to
apologize.”

“Will you anyway?”

He finally met her gaze, a smile curving his lips. “As
milady commands.”

“Then we’ll get out of your hair.” Quinn scooped her up,
blanket and all. “We’ve obviously overstayed our welcome.”

* * * * *

Gage leaned his elbow against the tabletop and stroked his
chin. Team Leader might have sidelined him for the time being, but that didn’t
mean he was ready to forfeit the game. It wasn’t in Gage’s nature to give up on
anything.

According to his mother, tenacity had been part of his
nature since birth. The Marines had shaped his stubbornness with discipline and
routine. He’d mastered skills that served him well now, but the battles he’d
fought in Grenada and Kuwait hadn’t satisfied his need for glory. The
motivations of his superiors had been too convoluted for true heroism. He was
determined to find a role that would allow him to shelter and protect as the
knights of old had defended those less fortunate than themselves.

Team Leader had approached him nineteen years ago while he
was still in the Marines. Gage had been attracted to purity of the Abolitionist
cause, but regular paychecks and full benefits were hard to let go. Still,
rescuing helpless females and preventing these demonic abominations from
reproducing was a reward far more valuable than material comforts. There was no
moral ambiguity in salvation. Without his assistance, these females would not
only suffer in this world, they’d be damned to an eternity of hell’s fire after
they died. So, Gage had left the Marines and sworn allegiance to the
Abolitionist cause.

Willona’s lovely image fueled his determination, still vivid
after four and a half years. She’d pushed him away long before her death, but
he’d kept tabs on her, watching from afar as she struggled to rear her daughters
alone. If his lifestyle had been more conducive to a permanent relationship, he
might have tried harder to resolve their differences. No, it was better that
he’d just let her go, let her enjoy the life she’d purchased with blood, sweat
and tears.

After Willona had fulfilled her contract with the
Abolitionists, Nehema had ordered that Willona be left alone. It was surgically
impossible for her to reproduce and the girls were no danger to anyone as long
as Willona kept them away from Therian males.

But Willona had died and the demons had returned to claim
their lost females. Nehema had dispatched a rescue team as soon as she learned
of Osric’s plans, but the demons had arrived first.

Gage had promised Willona he’d keep her daughters safe. Even
after they went their separate ways, he’d been determined to keep that promise.
But he’d failed. There was no way for him to escape that fact. And now, if he
didn’t act quickly, Carissa and Ava would be dragged back into the savage world
Willona had fought so hard to escape.

Gage didn’t know the identity of Team Leader’s contact, but
it didn’t matter now. Gage had no intention of sitting on his hands while the
girls slipped farther from his grasp. The raptor’s defenses had been breached.
The location was compromised. The creatures had no choice but to relocate
Carissa. But where would they take her?

Knowing their twenty-fifth birthday was approaching, Gage
had been gathering intel for months. He spread out the photos, considering each
location. The Wildlife Sanctuary was the most defensible setting, but it was
also the least discreet. The raptor’s house had been his first choice and his
instincts had been correct.

Irritation surged through his focus. This hadn’t been the
first time his instincts had salvaged a floundering mission. Why wouldn’t Team
Leader acknowledge his value? If Gage hadn’t been two steps ahead of the other
operatives, the jaguar would have defiled Carissa. No one else was even close!
Yet he was the one Team Leader chastised. He was the one sent home.

With a deep, calming breath, he cleared his mind and
stabilized his emotions. Team Leader’s incompetence would have to wait. The
only thing that mattered now was saving Carissa. The only reason he’d followed
Team Leader’s order in the first place was because sleep deprivation had
affected his aim. His shot should have taken out the raptor, even with their
unexpected gyrations!

Well, four hours of sleep had steadied his hands and cleared
his vision. His friend had warned him that they appeared to be preparing to
leave. Even the raptor was deserting the nest. Now Gage needed to choose his
next target.

He picked up the picture of an unassuming cabin, nearly
concealed in the trees. This was the jaguar’s home, and it would take several
hours to drive there. He’d already spent seven hours attempting to sleep. He
wasn’t willing to squander any more time. His instincts were telling him to go
to that cabin, and he intended to listen.

* * * * *

Quinn’s cabin was smaller than Ian’s house, and even less
coordinated. Ian’s vaguely Southwestern décor would never earn industry
accolades, but at least the furniture had matched. Carissa looked around
Quinn’s rustic living room, trying to decide if it deserved a groan or a
giggle. The deep-cushioned sofa was black while the wood-framed chair and
ottoman were burgundy. A wood-burning stove nestled in the far corner of the
room, adjacent to an ultramodern entertainment center. It was all
rather…eclectic.

“I don’t spend a lot of time here,” he muttered as she
continued to stare.

Rather than irritate him further, she asked, “How is your
security better than Ian’s? His house seemed more secluded.”

“Secluded doesn’t always equate with security.” He motioned
her toward the loft situated above the small kitchen. A curtain obscured her view,
so she climbed the ladder and pushed the material aside. His large, warm palm
cupped her rear and gave her a playful push. “Keep going.” He’d moved up behind
her, his breath teasing the small of her back. “I’m losing interest in the
tour.”

His arm wrapped around her thighs and he started to pull her
against him, so she scrambled up into the loft. Two and a half hours on the
road had given them plenty of time for small talk and wistful smiles. They both
liked classic rock and action flicks. He didn’t share her fascination with the
paranormal, but she pointed out that paranormal was passé for a Therian. The
light, stress-free mood had been so welcome she hadn’t asked any of the
questions lingering in the back of her mind. But her curiosity wouldn’t be denied
any longer.

Quinn pulled out one of the chairs from the wraparound desk
and offered it to her. She sat back and watched as he activated the
multi-screen computer system. It seemed rather elaborate for a home office. The
monitors flickered to life with images from popular online games and she
couldn’t help but smile.

“Is this how you spend your days?”

“No, but it makes a convincing cover for this.” He entered
several commands into the keyboard and the computer shifted modes. The animated
warriors and busty fantasy heroines were replaced by real-time images of the
cabin and a data access screen.

“Holy shit.” She rolled closer to the desk. “Why do you need
this sort of security?” One monitor was divided into four smaller sections,
each one displaying an interior shot of the cabin. The other three monitors
displayed external shots. Even the access road, which was a deterrent in
itself, was covered by surveillance cameras. He unlocked a drawer on his right
and withdrew several small black objects. They were about the size of nine-volt
batteries, and had no obvious controls. “What are those?”

“Proximity transceivers. I need to give them to Landon and
his men or they’ll set off the alarms.” He put the transceivers in his pocket
as she took it all in. “It’s easy to make enemies in my line of work.”

“Which is?” She swiveled toward him as she waited for his
answer.

He paused, hands resting lightly on his thighs. “I’m a
hunter, hellion. You know that.”

“But what do you hunt? Bounties?”

“At times.”

“Fugitives?”

“Yes.”

“Criminals?”

“Yes.”

“Helpless women?”

He snickered. “Are you really going to

Heat crept up her neck and try and convince me you’re
helpless? I have the scratches on my back that prove otherwise.”onto her cheeks
as their escapade in the hot tub rolled through her memory. Never before had
she been so uninhibited, so demanding, so…ready to have sex with a veritable
stranger while others watched! “Did I really scratch you?” Or had he brought up
sex to derail her curiosity?

“I’ve been thinking about last night and this morning.” He
pushed back from the desk and swiveled to face her. His gaze fixed on her mouth
and he spread his legs, pulling her toward him chair and all. “Did Erin do
something creative while she healed you? Did she accelerate the end of your heat
cycle or… Why do you suddenly have more control over your body than I do? And
in the hot tub, I was screaming for release, but I couldn’t come.”

What was he talking about? Last night she’d had no more
control than he’d had. She’d been wild for his touch, ready to let him define
her if it meant he’d stay in her bed. For long hours after he’d left, she lay
there picturing what it would have been like if he’d stayed.

As for the other, all she knew was she’d never been so
turned-on in her life as she’d been in the hot tub. Her hormones might have
been tamed by the nasal spray, but her emotions and fundamental desires had
been immune to the chemical harness. She wanted Quinn. It was as simple as
that.

“You liked it better when I was so desperate I hardly knew
what we were doing?” Did he know about the nasal spray? Erin had warned her
that it was forbidden. “Therian heat is like a date rape drug.”

He shoved her chair back and stood, gaze narrowing to
glistening slits. “Except I didn’t give it to you, and I made damn sure you
were willing before I ever touched you even once!”

“You’re right. That wasn’t fair.” She stood as well, rolling
her chair out of the way. Their bodies were already in sync. If she didn’t
defuse this fast, she’d be facing the longest three months of her life. “I was
frightened. I’d never been that out of control before. I didn’t want to sleep
with you because my hormones left me no choice.”

His brow knitted as he considered her words, and then his
jaw dropped and he shook his head. “Did she give you a Heat kit?” He raked his
hand through his hair, creating adorable spikes. “Of course she did! Why didn’t
I see this coming?” He snorted. “Or
not
coming.” He was seriously
pissed, but she wasn’t sure if she had garnered his wrath or if he was focused
entirely on Erin. “No wonder I lost control. Those chemicals are forbidden for
a reason.”

“My entire world has been thrown into chaos. I had to regain
control over some small aspect of the situation.” She crossed her arms, wishing
he’d sit down. Having him glare down at her wasn’t making her confession any
easier. “Besides… I wanted to know I’d chosen my lover, not just accepted the
first Therian who crossed my path.”

He hooked her belt loop and pulled her toward him, his
expression still unreadable. “You have to stop using that kit. I’ll give you as
much time as I can, but those chemicals throw everything off balance.”

“I thought the mist just slowed things down, backed off the
urgency.” She’d used the mist that morning and her hunger had simmered ever
since. She’d been aware of the slumbering urgency, but the craving had been
easily managed. Even in the hot tub she’d felt far more in control than she had
in the truck. He rested his hands on her hips, allowing a cushion of space
between them.

His gaze lowered to her mouth and his thumbs stroked her
sides, the caress light, almost unconscious. Their gazes locked and his hands
tensed. “You keep revving me up, but your body isn’t giving me what I need to
finish the job. That’s why I started to shift last night. My desire built and
built without a chemical response from you.”