TherianPrey (19 page)

Light spilled out of the front window, silhouetting her body
as she stood in plain sight, holding back one side of the curtains. He hadn’t
told her to stay away from the windows, just to stay inside the cabin. His
jaguar roared in frustration, shoving Quinn’s thoughts deeper into the
background as he focused on his prey.

The wolf zigzagged through the trees, approaching from a
different angle. Quinn spotted him slinking toward the porch from the opposite
side of the front yard. The wolf used the yard’s natural slope to help him
build up speed as he ran toward the front of the house.

Quinn leapt onto the porch, ready to block the wolf’s path,
but the fool veered at the last minute and launched himself at the window.
Carissa screamed and scrambled back, the curtain swinging back into place,
muting the light.

The glow of Therian energy illuminated the wolf’s
predicament. He’d thrown all his strength into the daring move, triggering a
shift as he sailed through the air. His shoulder hit the bulletproof pane and
his momentum rebounded. He twisted, miraculously landing on his hands and knees
rather than his side.

Quinn pounced, knocking him over onto his back and pinning
him to the porch with his massive paws. The wolf-shifter shrieked, blocking his
face with his forearms. Quinn’s consciousness surged through his jaguar’s
bloodlust. The wolf was young, hardly more than a boy. Quinn bared his teeth
and growled. The wolf-shifter trembled beneath him, obviously terrified.

“Jenaro! As much as I hate to admit it, Dhane’s my brother.”
Swinging his head to the side, Quinn looked at Landon. He stood on the ground
on the other side of the porch rail, his pistol still in hand. “I’d rather not
have his blood on my hands.”

After pausing for another warning snarl, Quinn moved off the
boy and released his shift. Energy shot up his spine and spread over his body,
facilitating the transformation. It only took a moment for his body to reshape,
but for that moment he was vulnerable. If Landon hadn’t been standing there, he
never would have taken the chance.

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and he glanced
toward the window. Carissa peeked out, holding back the curtain only far enough
to provide a discreet opening.

Dhane struggled to his feet, bruised and winded. “What’s
that window made of?” He rubbed his shoulder as he backed away.

“Don’t make me chase you.” Landon’s voice snapped with
authority and annoyance. He tucked the pistol into the back of his pants, but
his gaze gleamed with golden light. “I’m not in the mood for games.”

Dhane squared his shoulders and indignation hardened his
features. “No, you’re in the mood to betray your pack. Father told me you’d
joined the rebels, but I refused to believe him.”

Landon jumped onto the porch, clearing the rail with an
effortless burst of strength. “Father and I have butted heads longer than
you’ve been alive.” Though Landon’s tone was steely, Quinn recognized the
familiar catch of regret. “I’ve bowed to his dictates out of respect and
tradition. But this is too important.”

“You’re a traitor, and you’re not my brother!” Dhane turned
and ran for the far side of the porch. Ignoring the stairs, he jumped off the
edge and shifted back into his wolf form.

“Damn, he’s fast.” Quinn watched the boy disappear into the
night.

Carissa pushed the curtain aside, her eyes wide with
uncertainty. “Aren’t you going after him?” Her voice was muffled by the window.

“It’s safe to come out now.” Quinn motioned her toward the door.
“And bring my pants, please.”

Landon chuckled, but his gaze kept drifting back toward the
trees where his brother had departed.

The front door opened and Carissa stepped out onto the
porch. She tossed Quinn his pants and he pulled them on before the conversation
resumed.

“That must happen to you a lot,” she mused, her gaze
drifting over his bare chest.

“Modesty is a human hang-up,” Landon told her. “Many
Therians only bother with clothes when humans are around.”

Her brow arched at the claim, but she only asked, “Why did
you let the boy go?”

Landon shrugged. The golden light had receded, returning his
eyes to their natural blue. “He can’t tell our father anything he doesn’t
already know.”

When Carissa’s only reply was a distracted nod, Quinn looked
at Landon and said, “I’m going to take Carissa out to the sanctuary. Your
father has obviously lost interest in waiting around for Osric.”

“Or Osric found Ava, so my father is free to pursue his own
agenda.”

Quinn looked at Carissa. Her face had drained of color and
she’d crossed her arms over her chest. He didn’t think Landon had meant to
upset her, but that was obviously the result. He wrapped his arm around her
shoulders and drew her against his side. “If anyone finds Ava, Kyle will call
me. He knows how worried you are about your sister.”

“Sorry,” Landon muttered. “I was just thinking out loud.”

She acknowledged the apology with a subtle nod, yet her body
remained tense and distrusting against his side. “If your pack is backing
Osric, why are you working for Kyle?”

Despite her sharp tone and the betrayal inferred by the
question, Landon didn’t flinch. “I work for Erin, not Kyle. Kyle might have the
title, but his mother wields the real power.” He didn’t give Carissa time to
respond. Turning back to Quinn, Landon said, “If you’re headed for the
sanctuary, I’ll release my men.”

“Thanks for coming. I know it hasn’t made things easier for
you.”

He shrugged, his gaze shifting back to Carissa. “My decision
was made long before tonight. The Omni Prime must be restored regardless of the
cost.”

* * * * *

Closing his eyes with a frustrated sigh, Gage eased his face
away from the rifle’s scope and switched on the safety. Another lost
opportunity. Damn it. Would the jaguar demon keep Carissa here at his cabin,
knowing his enemy had been driven away? Or would he feel violated by the
wolves’ infringement into his domain and head to a new location?

And more importantly, why had wolves been guarding the
perimeter? Watching wolves fight other wolves in defense of a feline-shifter
had seemed extremely odd.

Gage’s phone vibrated, drawing his attention away from the
possibilities. He pulled the device from his pocket and looked at the display.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath. Tossing a tarp over his rifle, he climbed
into the cab of his truck before he accepted the call.

“Bet you’ll never guess where I am.” Though he’d never
actually met Nehema, her soft, faintly raspy voice had become familiar over the
last few months. Not good, considering she only called when he’d screwed up.

“I have no idea, ma’am.” He tried not to sound defensive
even as his muscles tensed. “Is there some reason why I should?” Team Leader
was his direct supervisor, but Nehema made all the important decisions.

“I’m in front of your apartment building.”

His mouth dried out as he tried to swallow. He’d often
imagined their first meeting, tried to assign features to the sound of her
voice. His imagination failed him now, so he awkwardly cleared his throat. “If
I’d known you were coming—”

“I’d have baked a cake?” she jeered. “I was under the
impression that my operatives reported to me, not the other way around.”

He bit back the apology that sprung too easily to his lips.
If these fools would listen to him instead of mocking him, their objective
would have been reached by now.

“Where are you?” she asked after a long pause.

“I’m on a stakeout.”

Her exasperated harrumph filled his ear. “I guessed as much,
asshole. State your present location.”

“I’m at the jaguar’s cabin.”

“Did you not understand Team Leader’s directive?” He could
picture her lips thinning and her eyes narrowing. That’s how pissed-off people
always looked. “He told you to go home.”

“He told me to get some sleep and I did.”

A sharp laugh burst from the phone. “Is that how you’re
going to play this? A simple apology would have served you better.”

Apology? He had nothing to apologize for! The memory of
Carissa’s body jerking backward as his bullet drilled into her upper chest
proved otherwise. But that’s why he was out here! He wanted to atone for his
sin. He had to save Willona’s daughter and hopefully prove himself to his
supervisors in the process.

“My target is nearly recovered and something strange just
took place.” He spoke in a calm, clear voice.

“Explain.”

“A small pack of wolves made a charge for the cabin, but
they were driven off by other wolves.”

“The jaguar hired wolf guards?” She sounded doubtful.

“I have no idea why they acted in his defense, but they
attacked their own to protect the jaguar and my target.”

Another pause followed. Was she contemplating the
possibilities or deciding whether or not he was full of shit? “Are they still
at the cabin?”

“At the moment, but I suspect they won’t stay.”

“Consider our conversation postponed. Follow them discreetly
and report back any new developments.”

Relief tingled down his spine and he smiled. Despite Team
Leader’s best efforts, Gage was officially reinstated.

Chapter Eight

Carly loitered in the observation room, waiting for Osric’s
inevitable appearance. He’d returned to the compound twenty minutes ago, and he
always checked on the test subjects before he sought out the solitude of his
quarters. She couldn’t imagine why he stayed within the suffocating walls of
the compound at all. Unlike her, and the rest of the staff, he was free to come
and go as he pleased.

With a bored sigh, she turned her attention to the
surveillance monitors. The main monitor allowed onscreen manipulation of the
image while six smaller monitors offered thumbprints of the available camera
angles. At the moment, each of the six holding cells occupied the small
monitors and Devon’s cell was displayed on the main monitor. Devon’s cell spent
a lot of time on the main monitor. Her conditioning had progressed farther than
the other test subjects, but Carly suspected Osric also had a personal interest
in the young feline shifter.

The other test subjects were asleep on their bunks while
Devon sat, staring blindly into the darkness. She’d drawn her legs up to her
chest, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees. The position
made her look vulnerable—and defeated.

An unwanted pang of guilt compressed Carly’s heart. She’d
done this to Devon. Each successful test, each new level of conditioning,
eroded the young woman’s spirit. No. Devon wasn’t a woman. She was a genetically
advanced animal. She might look like a person, but she was ruled by instincts
rather than logic.

Carly had witnessed a display of Devon’s savagery not two
hours before. When she emerged from the drug-induced sexual frenzy, the
tempestuous creature had thrown a fit unlike anything Carly had ever seen.
Devon had smashed everything in her cell that wasn’t attached and screamed
obscenities in three languages. The guards had finally darted her when she made
no effort to calm down. Apparently the sedative was already wearing off, but
Carly had no idea how long Devon’s quiet would last.

The door slid open and Osric came up short in the doorway.
“What are you doing in here?”

She’d anticipated the question. She generally stuck to a
regimented routine and this was a deviation from the norm. “Devon had a violent
outburst earlier. I was just checking to make sure she was still calm.”

He moved into the room and closed the door behind him. “What
caused her outburst?”

“Without the treatment clouding her thinking, she wasn’t
happy about yesterday.”

“Letting the guards at her was your idea, not mine!”

Damn, he was defensive. “I wasn’t blaming you.” She took a
deep breath and emotionally braced for what she was about to do. “What’s the
matter?” She swiveled her chair to face him and crossed her legs. Her narrow
skirt crept up to mid-thigh. “You seem unusually tense.”

“There have been complications with my plans to capture the
twins.” His gaze traveled up her legs and lingered on her breasts before
finally connecting with her eyes. “I’ve depended too heavily on others and I’ve
been disappointed. As usual.” He paused for an unconvincing shrug then asked,
“What did the backers want? You’ve never been summoned before.”

She’d anticipated this question too. “They weren’t pleased
with some of my recent decisions. They disapproved of my allowing the guards
access to Devon and were even more disappointed that I…entertained myself with
Samuels. They reaffirmed my objectives, in no uncertain terms, and reminded me
that staff is not to interact with the test subjects for any reason. And
fraternizing is strictly forbidden.”

His lips bowed just a little and his shoulders relaxed.
“Doesn’t sound like Devon appreciated your thoughtfulness anyway. Were you
punished?” Excitement rippled through the question and his gaze zeroed in on
her mouth.

“They warned that any deviation from established protocol
would result in my immediate termination.”

“I see,” he grumbled.

“You sound disappointed.” She pushed to her feet and moved
closer. “What were you hoping they’d do?”

“Let you feel what it’s like to be a spectacle.” Their gazes
locked and desire began to smolder in the depths of his brown eyes. “You
completely disregarded Devon’s dignity when you allowed the guards to take
advantage of her condition.”

“What would have been a better solution? She was clearly in
need.”

He shrugged again. “A vibrator or a partner of her choosing,
one more familiar with Therian females.”

Someone like you?
She didn’t speak the question, knew
it would piss him off. It became more apparent with each passing day that he
had a thing for Devon. Carly couldn’t really blame him. Devon was gorgeous,
intelligent and spirited. But allowing him to dwell on the feisty shifter made
her less appealing, and that would never do.