Therian Prize: 5 (Therian Heat) (13 page)

Jake opened the front door for Ian then returned to the dining room. Before Heather could decipher his expression, he took her hand and said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything to them without asking you first. It was rude and it won’t happen again.”

Nate paused outside the grungy diner and calmed himself with a deep breath. A meeting with General Milliner was the last thing he needed today. General. Nate sneered. If James Milliner had ever belonged to a branch of the armed forces, those days were long past. Still, Milliner retained the calm expectancy of someone used to command. Well, Nate had authority too and more importantly he had something Milliner wanted. Or he
had
until that something spontaneously shifted and ran away.

And thanks to Heather’s impulsiveness he was under pressure from every direction. His hunters were restless, the other wolf alphas sensed discontent within Nate’s pack and Milliner grew bolder with each passing hour.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Nate put on his game face and walked into the diner. The semi-repulsive smell of fried food and layers of grime assaulted his nose as he visually scanned the red-and-white-striped booths. The waitresses wore poufed poodle skirts and saddle oxfords, with their hair pulled back into ponytails. Sixty years ago this place might have been charming. Now it was a sad reminder of how much the world had changed.

Milliner sat in a corner booth, devouring a massive hamburger. Nate crossed the diner and slipped into the booth facing the human. Dressed casually in jeans and a Western shirt, Milliner was easy to overlook at first glance. He was of medium height and average build, with close-clipped gray hair. But his light-blue eyes held both wisdom and ruthlessness. One long look into those eyes had convinced Nate that Milliner was not a man to screw with, despite his ordinary appearance.

Rather than bother with small talk, Nate sat back and waited for Milliner to speak.

“Have you made up your mind?” Milliner set down the half-eaten burger and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin.

Two days after Dhane’s disappearance, Milliner contacted Nate for the first time. The general casually explained that one of his partners had kidnapped Dhane without permission from the others. He insisted that Dhane was unharmed and asked if Nate would be interested in a trade.

Nate’s first reaction had been fury. He’d insisted on meeting Milliner in person, fully intending to beat the location of his son out of the worthless human. Milliner might be human but he was far from stupid. He’d insisted on meeting in a crowded food court where any disturbance would be recorded by the surveillance cameras.

“My offer expires today,” Milliner reminded. “Either we trade or the program moves forward with Dhane.”

“Trading one of my children for another isn’t much of a concession.” Nate folded his arms across his chest and glared. If he’d succeeded in locating Dhane, they wouldn’t be having this conversation. He’d have followed Milliner to a secluded location and ripped his throat out. But, despite considerable effort, Nate had failed to find the lab in which Dhane was being held.

“The program is designed for an undefined female. It has already been tested successfully. Heather will not be damaged by the formula. I can’t say the same about Dhane.”

Milliner’s flippancy was testing Nate’s control. He clenched his fists so hard his nails bit into his palms. “Who was it tested on? What do you consider success? How many Therians do you have trapped in your precious labs?”

“You know what you need to know.” Milliner straightened his spine and a muscle in his cheek twitched. Nate tensed as well, preparing for the next verbal jab. Then Milliner’s posture relaxed and he leaned back in the booth. “I’m a father too, so I’ll let you in on a little secret. Heather was given an earlier version of this formula and there were no ill effects—at least to her.” A knowing smile lifted one corner of Milliner’s mouth.

Nate scooted closer to the table as fury hazed his vision. “What the hell are you talking about? If you touched my daughter without my permission, I’ll rip out your heart and stuff it in your mouth.”

Milliner laughed and the gleam in his eyes fueled Nate’s violent impulses. “
We
didn’t give it to her. You did. One of our mutual acquaintances convinced you to inject her with the formula yourself. Should have known you couldn’t trust a cat.”

Nate felt his mouth gape and snapped his jaw shut. Milliner was talking about Osric, a tiger-shifter Nate had secretly aligned with six years ago. Well, “aligned” was probably too strong a word. They kept each other informed and occasionally pooled their resources as they worked toward common goals. That didn’t constitute much of an alliance. Nate had never trusted the cat, had never trusted
any
cat. “Osric was one of yours?”

“I told you my influence stretches further than you could possibly imagine.” Milliner’s smug smile gradually gave way to an ambitious glower.

“Did Osric tell you what that injection did to Carlos? I’ve never seen anything that twisted.”

“The formula has been refined several times since then. If current protocols are followed it’s perfectly safe.”

“Safe?” Nate scoffed. “I doubt you know the meaning of the word.”

“You don’t need to worry about what I know. You have a decision to make. Heather or Dhane? It’s that simple.”

Nate knew more about Milliner and his program than the general suspected. Long ago Nate had realized the importance of accurate information, so he’d recruited strategically placed personnel in each of the other Therian networks. Eli, Nate’s contact in Rocky Mountain Feline Network, had provided him with an in-depth background of Milliner and his partners. The cats had raided one of the project’s laboratories and convinced one of the doctors to trade information for amnesty. Their bold actions had only slowed the program’s progress rather than shutting it down. Still, Nate had benefited from their partial success.

So why had Osric been involved with… It didn’t matter. Osric was dead and Milliner was waiting for Nate’s answer.

With Bruce dead and Landon turned traitor, Dhane was Nate’s last hope for a successor. He had no plans to step down anytime soon but it was every alpha’s duty to secure the future for his pack. That’s what he’d hoped to accomplish with the challenge. He needed to trade Heather for Dhane. He’d explored every alternative and ultimately decided that he had no other choice. Even so, he hadn’t wanted to leave Heather at the mercy of Milliner. Contrary to popular belief, he loved his daughter with all his heart.

Nate knew about the formula, knew it was engineered for an undefined female. It had all been detailed in Eli’s report. If Heather were defined and mated, she would be safe from Milliner’s meddling. Worst case scenario, Milliner would kill Heather to punish Nate for tricking him. But Nate doubted Milliner would carelessly waste such a valuable asset. And that’s all Therians were to the backers—assets, possessions to be bartered, manipulated and exploited. Understanding the true nature of an enemy made that enemy easier to destroy.

“I intend to accept your offer and trade Heather for Dhane.” Nate carefully modulated his voice, keeping any hint of anxiety from revealing itself. “Unfortunately Heather took off last night. So I need a few days to—”

“Took off where? Why?” Milliner shoved his plate aside and rested his forearms on the table. His cold, blue gaze drilled into Nate’s. “Is there any possibility she found out what you intend?”

“No. She’s been skittish ever since her brother died.”

“Ever since you had him killed, don’t you mean?” Milliner arched his brow, accenting the challenge in his tone.

Nate pictured himself lunging across the table and clawing off the human’s face. Milliner was damn lucky they met in public. “This has nothing to do with Bruce.”

“But you just said Bruce was the cause of Heather’s skittishness.”

Nate ignored the provocation and remained outwardly calm. “I have half my pack out looking for her. It’s just a matter of time before she’s found.”

“Well, time isn’t something we have in abundance.” Milliner scooted out of the booth and stood. “Find her fast. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold off the others.” Without another word, he threw a few bills on the table and walked out of the diner.

* * * * *

Jake waited for Heather to react to his apology. He knew he’d upset her and didn’t want his lack of discretion to shatter the bond forming between them. The need to protect her had taken root when he first saw her in the alley behind his restaurant. She’d looked so fragile, so helpless. It would have been unthinkable for him to abandon someone in need. Protectiveness was a driving instinct. He would have reacted the same way regardless of who the abused person had been.

Still, his feelings for Heather were much more complex than protectiveness. He was physically attracted to her. There was no denying that. But he sensed an untapped potential, a wealth of possibilities she’d yet to explore. He wanted to assist her, empower her and watch that potential blossom into something extraordinary.

“Why did you do it?” She turned from him and crossed the living room, not waiting for his answer.

“Why did I tell Ian and Devon about the first injection?” He followed her to the floor-to-ceiling windows that dominated the outer wall. Aspen spread out before them, a compact rectangle in the valley below. Beyond the village rose Aspen Mountain, the ski runs barren stripes upon its majestic face.

She turned toward him, her features bathed in sunlight, thick-lashed eyes rivaling the sky. Even without makeup or elegant clothes, she was stunning. No wonder half the Canine Network was fighting over her.

“Do you really think what happened to Carlos is part of some international conspiracy? It makes you sound paranoid.”

He smiled. Her criticism was understandable. He’d been skeptical too until he’d seen the backers’ handiwork firsthand. “Is it hard to believe humans are trying to recreate and manipulate our abilities or are you reluctant to consider that your father is involved?”

“I’m not as naïve as you think. I’ve had a front row seat to many of my father’s darker moments. I know he’s ruthless.”

“Let’s go outside.” Needing to touch her, Jake held out his hand. “The view is even better from the deck.”

“Is it safe? What if someone sees me?”

“There’s no reason for the hunters to be looking for you in Aspen. Lexxie’s the only one who has any idea that you’d come here. Do you trust Lexxie?”

She nodded and slipped her hand into his. He led her back across the living room and out the side door between the kitchen and dining room. A multi-level, railed deck hugged two sides of the house, offering unobstructed views of the valley. An eating area complete with gas grill, smoker and table and chairs was situated on the upper level, while a semi-enclosed hot tub nestled on the smaller level below.

“Wow,” she whispered. “Just when I thought this place couldn’t get any more impressive.” She rested her hands on the wooden rail and turned her face to the sun. A breeze rippled through her unbound hair, beckoning his fingers. Sunlight brought out the red highlights, making the curly strands appear more copper than gold.

He wanted to bury his hands in her hair, holding her still while he ravaged her mouth. His tiger tossed his head, restless and hungry. “I meant what I said,” he digressed. “I shouldn’t have said anything to the others without asking you first.”

She looked at him, searched his gaze for a moment then returned her attention to the scenery. “You’re forgiven.” She sighed. “It’s not like anything we do can bring Carlos back.”

Moving up beside her, he rested his hands on the railing too. “I thought you didn’t know him well.”

“I didn’t.” Her fingers tightened and then released but she continued to stare straight ahead. “If his transformation was triggered by the injection, then I’m responsible for his death.”

“No, you’re not.” He lightly grasped her chin and turned her face toward him. “You did nothing wrong. It’s possible that your father didn’t even know what was in the injection.”

“Then why did he give it to me?” She shook her head, dislodging his fingers. “Never mind. That’s all in the past. I have enough problems here and now.”

He couldn’t argue with her logic so he let the subject drop. “I know your family history, but I don’t know that much about you. How do you spend your days? Have you ever thought of leaving Snowmass and making a life for yourself?”

“Not until recently.” Emotion thickened her voice but she rushed on before he could identify the specific feelings. “My father owns a bar called the Clubhouse. I manage the business side of things, inventory, payroll, that sort of thing.”

“I’ve heard of the Clubhouse.” Frequent fights, easy access to all sorts of drugs and pack-sanctioned prostitutes. Yeah, he’d heard all about the Clubhouse. He just couldn’t picture Heather in such a rough-and-tumble environment. “I didn’t realize your family owned it.”

“It’s technically owned by Blue River Pack, but it’s the alpha’s job to manage the place.”

“All the responsibility with none of the profit? That doesn’t seem quite fair.”

She looked up at him and smiled. “Why do you think Dad leaves the actual management to me?” Her smile faded as suddenly as it had appeared. Turning around, she leaned back against the railing and asked, “Were you here the night Bruce broke in? This is where all that took place, isn’t it?”