TherianPromise (11 page)

“Of course I do.” He continued rummaging through the bag as
she asked, “Is it safe to call her cell? I don’t want to reveal her location.”

“Osric knows where she is, but…” He looked up, hesitating
over what he’d been about to say.

“Quinn claimed her so she’s no use to Osric?”

“Basically.” He found the phone and handed it to her. “I’m
not saying she’s no longer in danger. Allowing ourselves to believe that is
foolish.”

“He’s just more interested in me now?”

“He’s always been more interested in you.” Jake set the bag
aside and returned his gaze to her face. “Carissa’s definition just widened the
gap.”

Rather than ask him to explain the strange claim, she
activated the phone and entered Carissa’s number. Still, the comment buzzed
around in the back of her mind. They were fraternal twins. Why would Osric care
more about her than he did about Carissa?

“Hello.” Carissa’s voice sounded hushed and thin.

“It’s me, Car. I’m fine. Are
you
okay?”

“Thank God I answered. I didn’t recognize the number, but
Quinn thought it might be Kyle.”

Ava smiled, soothed by the familiar cadence of her sister’s
voice. “I guess that means you’re all right.”

“I’m wonderful.” She laughed. “But where are you? They found
Kyle’s truck out on Pine Valley Ranch. Are you with him? How did you leave the
cabin?”

“Keep the information general, just in case,” Jake
cautioned. “You’ll be with her tomorrow. You can catch up then.”

Ava nodded. “Jake says to keep it short. I’ll see you
tomorrow.”

“Don’t you dare hang up!”

“I wasn’t going to. It’s just better if we leave the details
until tomorrow.”

Clearly beyond caution, Carissa persisted, “Jake? I thought
you were with Kyle? Where are you?”

“It’s a really long story and Jake’s right. This phone is
disposable, but you’ve had yours for years. Chances are slim that we’re being
recorded, but better safe than sorry. The important thing is we’re both safe
and we’ll be together soon.”

Carissa finally calmed down enough to pause. “I really
missed you. This has been the worst week of my life and yet it’s been the best.
It’s so confusing.”

“I’m right there with you.” Several times literally. Ava
smiled.

“I love you. Please be careful.”

Emotion thickened her sister’s tone and Ava blinked back
tears. “I love you too. And I’m always careful. You’re the reckless one.”

“Tell Jake to be nice or he’ll answer to me.”

Ava looked at the brawny tiger-shifter seated across from
her and smiled again. “I’ll tell him.” She ended the call and handed the phone
back to her host.

“You’ll tell me what?”

“To be nice or Carissa will kick your ass.”

He chuckled as he returned the phone to the bag. “Ordinarily
I’d welcome the challenge, but Quinn’s scent was all over her long before we
defined her.”

“‘
We
defined her’?” She scooted forward and lowered
her voice to a harsh whisper. “You were part of that ritual, weren’t you? You
were in that classroom. Carissa drank your blood.” Images from the vision
flickered through her mind and she shuddered. She only saw Quinn and the blond
man, Ian, clearly, but she’d sensed others in the background waiting to
participate. “How many were there? How many different natures did she absorb?”

“I can’t believe Kyle got into all that with you. He should
have made sure you were safe before he even brought it up. There’s devotion to
the Omni Prime and then there’s outright obsession. He’s moving closer and
closer to obsession.”

Warmed by Jake’s overreaction, she quickly hid her smile
with a sip of water. He was concerned about her, even to the point of being
angry with his friend. But it wasn’t fair to let his misconception stand. “Kyle
didn’t say a word. In fact when I brought up what I’d seen in my dream, he
confirmed that the ritual was real then refused to talk about the specifics.”

Jake stretched his arm out along the back of the booth and
narrowed his eyes. “You saw the ritual in a dream?”

She nodded. “That’s why I decided to run. I knew it wasn’t
happening live. I’ve had enough dreams to know the difference between real time
and memory. But I was left with a sense of dread. Something was horribly wrong
and I needed to get the hell out of there.”

“So you threw your stuff in a backpack and headed for your
motorcycle, but Kyle grabbed you when you ducked around the corner.”

They’d already been through all this, so she just nodded.
She was pretty sure he was thinking out loud anyway.

“What if ‘fight’ engaged rather than ‘flight’. The flash
might have taken you to the source of danger rather than away.”

She scrunched up her forehead as she tried to follow his
logic. “I took Kyle with me, but that wasn’t intentional.”

“I’m not talking about Kyle. The wolves didn’t find the
cabin until after you’d flashed out, so there was no real danger at the time.
Kyle was there to protect you. I have a feeling your Therian side knew that all
along.”

“Where are you going with this?” She rubbed the bridge of
her nose as a dull throb erupted behind her eyes. “What do you think the
teleportation really means?”

His lips parted as if he would tell her and then he shook
his head and chuckled. “I’m not sure yet. I think I’ve read too many spy novels
or something. Just ignore me.”

She seriously doubted Jake had been ignored a day in his
life. He had the kind of personality that would draw people to him even if he
weren’t disgustingly handsome. “What’s an Omni Prime?”

He shifted his forearms to the tabletop. “I can’t believe I
fell into that trap.”

“It wasn’t a trap. But the door’s been opened, so I want to
know more. If it involves my sister, I have a right to know.”

“It’s a long, complicated story and Erin, Kyle’s mother, is
the best person to tell you. She’s our Historian. It’s her job to keep all the
facts straight. You’ll meet her tomorrow.”

“All right. A detailed history can wait, but tell me about
my sister. What did the ritual do to her?” He just stared at her for a moment
and trepidation sent a shiver down her spine. “Kyle told me Osric has the right
to name my mate, but it’s more than that, isn’t it? Will I be expected to
undergo this blood ritual? Am I an Omni Prime too?”

A slow smile curved Jake’s lips while speculation narrowed
his gaze. “I guess we’ll run through the basic facts. The Omni Prime is a line
of gifted females within the Therian nation. Their purpose is to balance the
power of the male-dominated councils. They haven’t existed, at full strength,
for hundreds of years, but the potential exists within your bloodline.”

“And Osric is desperate to control that potential power.”

“It’s not just Osric,” Jake stressed. “There are many who
want to control the Omni Prime. Osric just happens to have the council’s
backing because of the antiquated laws contained within the Charter.”

Even having glimpsed the ritual in her vision, the idea
didn’t seem real. She felt as if they were talking about a movie or a graphic
novel, something wild and unbelievable. “Carissa obviously learned about this
potential and agreed to attempt the ritual.”

“Yes. With Quinn at her side, she felt safe and empowered
enough to reclaim her rightful heritage.”

“Which brings us back to my original questions. How many of
you participated in the ritual and what did it do to Carissa?”

“The ritual requires six.”

“This is why Kyle was so quick to make sure I understood
definition doesn’t require sex. My sister didn’t sleep with anyone but Quinn.”
She paused for a long, shaky breath, needing to remind herself that Carissa was
safe and in the arms of the man she loved. She’d still feel a whole lot better
once she’d seen Carissa for herself. “She just drank your blood.” Ava rubbed
her eyes as her stomach tightened in protest.

“I know it’s hard to imagine, but I want you to know that
Carissa made the decision for herself. Nothing was forced on her.”

Actually it wasn’t hard to imagine at all. She just closed
her eyes and she could see her sister’s face, the passion burning in her eyes
and the wildness in her expression. There had been an elemental hunger, a
primal awareness Ava had shared for a second before her logical brain drew her
back from the smoldering intensity. “Then she can shift into six different
animals?”

“Your sister is still learning how to control her abilities.
It will be years, perhaps decades before her full potential is realized.
Historic Omni Primes could shift at will into anything they desired, but we’re
honestly not sure what Carissa will be able to accomplish. The bloodline hasn’t
been maintained as well as it should have been.”

“Can there be more than one Omni Prime or will I only
undergo the ritual if something happens to Carissa?” Did she even want to
undergo a blood ritual? Ava was firstborn, by all of eleven minutes, but
firstborn nonetheless. Had Carissa… She shook away the doubt before it finished
forming. They had never been competitive like that. For much of her life
Carissa had been Ava’s only friend and vice versa. There was no way Carissa
would have done something so underhanded.

“Generally there is only one, but you two are twins so the
rules are a little different. Besides Erin wants to reestablish…” His head
snapped up and his gaze went blank for a moment then worry darkened his
expression. “Something’s wrong with Kyle. Come on.”

Without further explanation, he scooted out of the booth and
hurried across the restaurant, leaving her little choice but to follow. She had
to jog to keep up with his long strides, but his intense expression or some
telepathic warning sent people scurrying out of their way. He took the stairs
three at a time, a feat her shorter legs wouldn’t accommodate, and reached the
bedroom several seconds ahead of her.

Jake had already crossed the room and was standing beside
the bed by the time Ava reached the doorway. Kyle had returned to his human
form and was sprawled on his back across the bed. The sheet was tangled around
his hips, barely covering his groin as he thrashed and twisted in obvious
delirium. Enya knelt on the edge of the mattress, doing her best to calm Kyle
down. Much to Ava’s relief, the only thing Enya had removed was her high-heeled
boots.

“He won’t accept my energy.” She panted. Her face was pale,
features tense, arms shaking.

“Then how did he shift back?”

She shrugged, straightening enough to glare at her brother.
“I don’t know. He roused long enough to switch, stumbled to the bed and
collapsed. I’ve tried everything. I’ve narrowed the stream to a trickle, tried
to sneak it past his sensors, and he still fights like I’m trying to poison
him.”

“Maybe you are.” Jake’s sharp gaze shot to Ava. “You said he
fed from you right before the soldiers found you. How far did things go?”

Heat suffused her face, but she refused to shy away. “Second
base.” She couldn’t think of a less embarrassing way of explaining the
situation.

Enya crawled off the bed and Kyle quieted. His breathing
grew harsh and irregular, but he gradually stopped thrashing. “It usually takes
more than that for a couple to sync.”

“But he’d healed her a couple of hours before,” Jake
reminded. “His energy would have been all through her already.”

“What are you talking about? Did I do something wrong?” Tears
blurred Ava’s vision and she wasn’t sure why. She was angry and she was
terrified.

Jake placed his hand at the small of her back and Kyle made
a growling sound deep in his throat. Snatching his hand away, Jake quickly
explained, “Your energy mixed when he healed you and then again when you fed
him. This might have triggered synchronization.” Jake motioned Ava closer to
the bed. “What exactly did you feel when he—”

“Don’t be an ass, Jake.” Enya saved her from more
embarrassment. “You know what she felt and this is all new to her. She’s not
going to be able to decipher what did or didn’t happen. There’s only one way to
tell if they’re in sync or not.” She shifted her gaze to Ava. “Get on the bed
and see if he’ll let you touch him.”

Ava crossed her arms over her chest, hiding her hardened
nipples. Just thinking about what she felt when Kyle “fed” from her made her
core melt and her skin tingle.

“He’s not going to bite you.” Enya was starting to sound
impatient. “Didn’t you enjoy it before? Oh Creation, you’re not a virgin, are
you?”

Without responding to Enya’s questions, Ava approached the
bed. She reached for Kyle’s arm. She certainly hadn’t been this tentative in
the woods, but she hadn’t had an audience then. Her fingers brushed Kyle’s
forearm and he moaned. Then he rolled toward her and frantically reached out
for her with both hands.

“Guess that solves the mystery,” Enya muttered. “You’re
definitely in sync.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means you’re the only one who can feed him,” Jake told
her. “At least for the next three months.”

She took a step back. “I don’t mind feeding him, but I’m
still feeling a little woozy myself.”

“She’s right. We should saturate her and then give them some
room,” Enya suggested.

They moved toward her with obvious intent and a weight
dropped into her belly. A surreal haze wrapped around her brain and she
suddenly wanted to scream. Yesterday she’d been curled up in front of a fire
reading a trashy novel and now tiger-shifters were about to “saturate her” so
she could feed the cougar-shifter who had saved her life. Yeah, nothing out of
the ordinary in that.

Except her sister was now an Omni Prime, some sort of super
shifter who had taken on the animal nature of six different men in an attempt
to free her true potential. A potential that existed in Ava as well, if she was
able to set aside reality as she knew it and embrace this strange new world.