TherianPromise (24 page)

Ava looked at the other shifters, suddenly understanding
what she was witnessing. Three men and a woman. They were strangers to her now,
but she would know them well by the time this scene took place.

“Are you ready, my love?” Kyle asked her, his voice hushed
and filled with love.

“Finally.” Her future self smiled. “I’m sorry this took so
long.”

“No.” Kyle reached over and took her hand. “You were right
to wait. Your certainty will make the bonding that much stronger. Besides,
you’ll always be worth the wait.”

“Will you go first or last?”

“Last.” A slow, sexy smile parted his lips. “Once our
bonding is complete, I won’t be able to hold back. I don’t particularly want an
audience for what I have planned.”

“I wouldn’t mind.” Payne’s tone was surprisingly playful.

“Not in your wildest dreams.” Kyle growled out a warning and
Payne laughed.

“If you two are finished posturing, I’m ready to begin.”

Ava felt the suction reverse, drawing her back into the
present. She quickly shifted her focus to the unfamiliar faces, doing her best
to memorize their features.

The return trip was far less gentle. Her consciousness was
hurtled back into her body and she arrived with a startled cry.

“Are you all right, love?” Now Kyle sounded scared.

Ava blinked until her eyes focused and then she smiled up at
him. “I’m fine. The ancients just wanted to silence my doubts once and for
all.”

“What happened? Where did you go?” Erin stood beside the
bed, still looking rather worried.

With Kyle’s help, Ava sat and shook off the last of the
muddle. She blew out a shaky breath then recalled the specifics of the vision.
“I saw myself, sometime in the future, preparing for the blood ritual. I was
sitting on an antique table with Kyle on one side and Payne on the other. There
were four other people there, three men and a woman. I don’t know them now, but
I will know them then.”

“Describe them,” Erin suggested. “Maybe we can tell you who
they are.”

Ava shook her head. “I don’t think it’s supposed to happen
like that. I’ll know them when I see them, and when I meet the last one, I’ll
know it’s time for the ritual.”

Kyle looked at his mother then back at Ava, clearly confused
by her explanation. “What were you two doing? Was this some sort of vision
quest?”

“Ava has been distracted by all the unknowns in her life. We
were trying to determine whether or not the ancients would accept her.” Erin
held up her journal and Kyle nodded.

“Did it work?” He looked at Ava and asked, “Were you able to
read the ancient language?”

“I think so.” She smiled at Erin, feeling hopeful for the
first time in days. “Were the words I spoke correct?”

“Absolutely.” She opened the book and held it so Ava could
see it. “Can you still read it?”

It was rather like looking through 3D glasses, but as soon
as the image focused, Ava was able to read every word.

“How far in the future was the vision?” Kyle stood and
helped Ava to her feet.

“I have no clue. We didn’t look significantly older, so I
suspect it was months not years from now. But I did apologize for making you
wait so long.”

“Wonderful,” he grumbled, and his mother laughed.

“The blood ritual has nothing to do with your personal
relationship,” Erin reminded them. “Were you still lovers or perhaps even
more?”

It was impossible to miss the hopeful catch in Erin’s voice.
“We were still together,” Ava assured her. “But I’m not sure if we were bonded
mates.”

Her answer seemed to please Kyle, but his gaze remained
thoughtful.

Erin stashed her journal back in her overnight bag then
motioned toward the door. “Dinner was ready awhile ago. I told them to start
without us.”

“I want to tell Carissa I was able to read the journal, but
the vision felt personal. I’d rather not share that information with anyone but
you two.”

They both nodded then Erin said, “I consider anything I hear
private unless I’m told otherwise.”

“Thank you.”

“We’ll be right there.” Kyle pulled Ava into his arms as his
mother slipped out of the room. “You’re really all right?”

“I’m fine. Honestly.”

He leaned down and kissed her, his lips warm and tender.
“Then don’t scare me like that again. I don’t like feeling helpless.”

She drew his mouth back to hers as a smile curved her lips.
She understood what he was feeling all too well.

* * * * *

Zophiel stared at her sister with a mixture of fear and
loathing. Nehema was weak and Zophiel had no tolerance for any form of
weakness. Zophiel liked to think blood ties accounted for something, but she
wouldn’t hesitate to end Nehema if her theatrics drew any more attention to
their operation.

If it had been Zophiel’s choice, their road to justice would
have been more direct. The atrocities perpetuated by Therian males had been
concealed and excused for centuries. Retribution was long overdue.

Nehema agreed with Zophiel that Therian males needed to be
punished, but Nehema was obsessed with “saving” innocent females. Zophiel’s
thinking was less complicated and much less forgiving. Any female who didn’t
openly rebel against the injustices was enabling her own mistreatment. If they
were foolish enough to allow their own abuse, who was she to interfere? Zophiel
preferred to focus on the males and let Nehema play hero with the females.

“Osric told that bitch everything,” Nehema lamented,
baby-blue eyes wild, pale features tinged with gray. Though Zophiel was older
than Nehema by almost ten years, Nehema had allowed herself to age while
Zophiel culled enough energy to maintain her youthful appearance. They now
looked more like mother and daughter than sisters. Another sign of Nehema’s
inevitable decline.

“We don’t know that for certain. All Barns said was Carly
spoke with Roberto after spending the night with Osric. Barns wasn’t able to
unscramble the transmission, so we have no idea what they said.”

“What else would Carly have told Roberto? The only thing
Osric knows that he hasn’t already told the backers is what he knows about
you.” Nehema wrung her hands and Zophiel wanted to shake her.

When Zophiel first learned that a Therian was assisting the
backers, she’d been appalled and enraged. Traitors existed in any society, but
this betrayal was exceptionally crass. She’d found out everything she could
about the traitor and set out to end his miserable life, but something about
Osric had been so dark and twisted that she’d decided to toy with him instead.

She arranged an “accidental” meeting then allowed him to
believe he pursued her. It had been many years since she indulged her sexual
appetites and Osric was perfect for her unconventional needs. He wasn’t afraid
of pain, enjoyed giving and receiving it to enhance his partner’s pleasure. And
he was oh so trainable.

Fascinated by his obsessive appetites, Zophiel cultivated
his devotion into something akin to worship. She was his guardian angel, his
provider, his Mistress. She used her empathic abilities to anticipate his every
need then amplified the pleasure, allowing her to fulfill his most twisted
desire. No one could satisfy him the way she did because no one else possessed
her abilities.

But if he displeased her in anyway, she would punish him
with pain every bit as intense as the pleasure. Then she would disappear for
weeks, sometimes months, leaving him aching for a level of satisfaction
impossible to attain without her.

Shaking away the distraction, she refocused on the present
complication. “The conversation Barns reported to you might not have had
anything to do with Osric.” If Carly were a more effective spy than they’d
thought, they would simply have to deal with her. All this worrying was a waste
of energy.

Nehema’s brow arched as a bit of her spirit returned. “If
the backers know about you, it’s only a matter of time before their
investigation leads them to me.”

“They already know who you are. If they’d wanted you dead,
you’d be dead.”

The reminder earned Zophiel an impatient glare. “The only
thing they can prove about me is that I’ve been helping females escape their
abusers.”

“Tell that to Gage Seaton.” Zophiel laughed. “I’m sure he’s
given the cats quite an earful by now.”

“
You
approved his actions. I had nothing to do with
it.”

“We know that, but Gage has no idea he was talking to me not
you.”

Nehema stomped her foot and started pacing, fists tightly
clenched at her sides. “You intentionally complicate things. I’ve done
everything I can to avoid violence, but you seem to crave it.”

Zophiel had had enough of Nehema’s denials. Their tactics
might differ, but they were both equally guilty in the eyes of the Therian nation.
“You’d rather kidnap children and terrorize adolescents with tales of demon
possession and evil spirits.”

“The spirits are real and you know it.” Her steps sped as
her agitation mounted. “How can you speak such blasphemy?”

Zophiel stepped in front of Nehema, grasped her shoulders
and gave her a good hard shake. “Snap out of it! Osric knows nothing but my
name and how to make me come. Even if he did run his mouth to Carly, we are not
in danger.”

“I want to believe it’s that simple, but things never work out
that well for us.”

Ignoring her sister’s pessimism, Zophiel went on. “Even if
the backers miraculously connect you and me, I’ll kill them long before they
harm either of us.”

Fear flickered in the depths of Nehema’s eyes. “Is violence
your solution for everything?”

“Pretty much.” Nehema gaped and Zophiel laughed. “Relax,
little sister. You’ll end up with an ulcer if you keep tying yourself in
knots.”

“We need to know how much the backers have pieced together,
which means you need to search one of their memories.”

Zophiel tensed as she searched the depths of her sister’s
gaze. “You know what happened last time I tried to probe that deeply. Do you
really want me to try again?”

Nehema sighed then squared her shoulders. “I don’t see that
we have any other choice. I will not allow us to be blindsided. It’s time for
the Angel of Justice to make another house call. I’ll let you choose which one
you visit.”

* * * * *

Ava’s vision left her with a sense of belonging that she’d
never experienced before. She’d always been close with her family, but the
safety precautions that shaped her childhood had kept her isolated from
everyone else.

To begin with, the easy camaraderie the Therians shared had
made Ava feel isolated and sad. But now there was no doubt left in her mind
that this was where she belonged and she would one day be as exceptional as the
others.

Her buoyant mood lasted through dinner and well into the
evening. Yet by the time Kyle made their excuses and led her upstairs, some of
her old uncertainty had starting bleeding through her newfound calm.

Kyle closed the door to their bedroom and leaned back
against the sturdy panel. “You’ve been talkative and smiling all evening. Why
are you so tense now?”

She averted her face as she considered the question. Trying to
think clearly while she looked at him was an utter waste of time. He attracted
her physically, challenged her mentally and complemented her emotionally. How
was she supposed to resist him?

Or why did she feel the need to try to push him away? Most
people spent their entire lives searching for that one special person who was
compatible with them in every way. If she’d been lucky enough to find hers, why
should she fight the attraction?

She licked her lips and glanced away, not sure she could
make him understand her hesitation. Not sure she understood it herself. “This
has always felt sort of…preordained.”

“Is that a bad thing?” His tone was quiet,
nonconfrontational.

“I hate being manipulated.” She looked at him, needing to
see his reaction to the statement.

His brows drew together and his lips thinned. “Do you feel
like I’ve manipulated you?”

She shook her head. He’d been nothing but gallant. “That’s
not what I meant.” She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off her boots.
“You haven’t had any more of a choice in this than I’ve had. I don’t blame you
for any of it.”

His gaze gleamed like expensive emeralds and the soft
lighting in the room accented the lighter streaks in his tawny hair. He watched
her with the lazy intensity of a predator that had already cornered his prey.
“Many things in a Therian’s life are triggered by instinct and seem
‘preordained’. I suppose I’m just used to being manipulated by forces more
powerful than myself.”

“Well, I don’t like it.” Before he could react to her
statement, she pulled her shirt off and let it drop from her fingers. “I won’t
pretend I don’t want you. Hypocrisy is not in my nature, but the vision gave me
a glimpse into the future. It assured me that this is my chosen path, but it
also gave me back control over when and with whom the bond is formed.” He
started to reply, but she unzipped her jeans and wiggled out of the snug denim.
“I know it’s your nature to take control and I’m not trying to change you. But
tonight I need to reclaim control over my desire.”

His gaze meandered from her face to the swell of her
breasts. “What’d you have in mind?”

“I want to make the decisions.” Adorned in her bra and
panties, she crept toward him, pulse increasing with each step. “I need you to
follow my lead. Just for tonight.”

His gaze locked with hers, fierce yet amazingly tender. “You
can have whatever you need, as long as I’m the one who gives it to you.”

“I don’t want anybody else.” She tugged his t-shirt out from
inside his jeans and slipped one hand under the soft cotton. “I don’t think I
never will. I just need to remain in control tonight, to know this is something
I’ve chosen.”