Therian Prey Read online

  “It’s hitting you hard, and this is nothing to mess with. Therian heat can escalate until the person literally goes insane.”

  “Has that line ever worked for you before?”

  Ignoring her sarcasm, he peeled her hands off her legs then pulled her legs away from her chest. “I promised to protect you. If that means protecting you from your own fear, then so be it.” With a few quick yanks he had her beneath him on the seat, one arm pinned beside her, the other above her head. “I will not hurt you, but we’re out of time.”

  She whimpered as his face descended, more afraid of her reaction to him than she was of his kiss. His lips were warm and firm as they settled over hers. They rubbed and caressed for a long moment then parted, leading, as his tongue gently traced her lower lip.

  He pushed his taste into her mouth with the first pass of his tongue over hers, and she moaned deep in her throat. His scent was exciting, but his taste sank through her being like warm, spiced wine. This was dangerous! Addictive. She did not have sex with strangers, no matter how good they tasted.

  With a determined yank, she freed her arm from its trap at her side, but as soon as her hand found his shoulder, she forgot her purpose. His arm was thick with muscle, his shoulder impossibly broad. Rather than deepening the kiss as she’d expected, his lips moved to the corner of her mouth where he licked and nibbled with maddening patience.

  “We can’t do this.” The objection was more a reminder to her wayward body than a sincere protest for her companion. “I don’t want to do this.”

  He pushed up enough to meet her gaze. “You need this. We need this. The longer we wait, the harder it will be for me to maintain control, and I’m plenty hard already.” He rocked his hips forward, making it impossible for her to misunderstand his meaning.

  She took a deep breath and dragged her gaze away from his face. He was too damn tempting. “I’m feeling better. I think I can—”

  “You’re feeling better because I just kissed you, and my scent is sinking into your pores. It won’t last.” He released her other wrist and pushed his hand under her head, curving his fingers against her skull. “Has my kiss calmed you?” His ink-black gaze drilled into hers, demanding honesty.

  “Yes.” He loomed over her, larger than life and infinitely more dangerous. And yet she wasn’t afraid. He could have hurt her, could easily have forced his will on her. Instead he waited for her to accept the unbelievable truth. She was still struggling with most of it, but his kiss had definitely calmed her.

  “Then part your lips and stop arguing with me.” He added the last with the hint of a smile as his mouth returned to hers.

  Chapter Two

  Quinn trembled as his mouth moved over and against Carissa’s. Each time she gently brushed his tongue with hers his cat tossed its head and roared, demanding he shred her clothes and claim her soft body with the inescapable thrust of his cock. He held her arms down more to avoid her touch than to keep her from pushing him away.

  She responded readily now, matching the movements of his lips and tongue. He tried to take it slow, to savor the kiss as its own pleasure, not anticipate where it might lead.

  Suddenly she turned her face to the side, tearing her mouth away from his. “I can’t do this!”

  Damn it. They were back to the beginning. She bucked beneath him, inadvertently grinding her mound against his leg. The carnality of her movements sent blood flooding through his groin, compounding the pressure already gathered there. He’d never ached this badly, never needed a woman—no, he’d never needed this woman as badly as he needed her now. Instinctually he knew that no other female would ever satisfy him after he’d tasted this one.

  He shook away the fanciful thought. It was just the heat talking. A combination of chemicals designed to drive them crazy.

  “I need…” She turned her face into the seat and sobbed.

  “I know, love. Say the word and I’ll ease your pain.”

  “Please.” The word was muffled by the seat.

  “Do you want me to touch you?” He had to have her permission, wanted no doubt between them that this was interactive.

  “Yes!” Fury flashed in her bright-blue eyes. She was willing again, but she still wasn’t happy about it.

  Knowing damn well that was as good as it was going to get, he rocked back on his knee and carefully unzipped her pants.

  Her belly quivered and another sob escaped between her closely pressed lips. “I hate this.”

  “I know you do.” He paused and soothed her with another long kiss. “I didn’t do this to you. You have no idea how abhorrent I find that thought.”

  “But you can make it stop?” Her anger seemed to melt and she licked her lips.

  “I can bank the fire. Give you some time to think.”

  “I won’t lie here like a victim. I want to touch you too.” The admission sounded tentative and begrudging, as if she were still struggling with the fact.

  “Not this time. If you touch me, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop with just touching.”

  She nodded and buried her free hand in her hair. She stared up at him with tear-bright eyes, but deep in the shimmering blue burned a need every bit as demanding as his. He pushed her shirt up, exposing her belly while leaving her breasts covered. She seemed confused by the choice, but he knew each inch of bared skin would make her feel more vulnerable.

  He ran his fingers across her ribs, smiling when she bit back a giggle. Then one hand drew patterns on her silky skin while the other slipped inside her jeans. The denim was snug, even with the zipper down, so he accepted the inevitable. He had to pull them down.

  Slipping his arm back under her neck, he teased her mouth with his. “I have a problem,” he whispered against her lips then tugged on one side of her jeans. She lifted her hips and used her free hand to help him. They didn’t stop until the material bunched below her knees, a makeshift binding for her ankles. “Thank you.”

  He looked down her body and realized her panties hadn’t slid down with her jeans. Not sure if it was a blessing in disguise or just another annoying obstacle, he kissed his way down her body. She trembled a little more the closer he drew to her panties, but the scent of her arousal filled the air. Definitely a blessing.

  He kissed from hip bone to hip bone, occasionally touching her with the tip of his tongue.

  “Just touch me already! You’re driving me crazy.”

  Raising his head, he smiled. “Isn’t that the point?” He returned to her belly, easing the satin bikinis down by degrees. He paused at each increment and explored the newly exposed skin. God, she was soft and the earthy scent of her arousal was making him dizzy.

  Her thighs shook by the time he reached her mound. Rather than dragging her panties past the gentle protrusion, he pressed his mouth to her sex and blew hot breath through the soft material.

  She groaned then whimpered. Then her hands were there pulling her panties down to bunch about her ankles with her jeans. “It hurts. Do you understand? I ache so bad it hurts.” She rushed through the admission then collapsed back against the seat.

  Her knees were bent and the best access to her sex was from below. He touched her ass just to let her know where his hand was then traced the intriguing crease upward, and lust crashed over him. She was sopping wet and incredibly hot. He gently worked his finger back and forth, venturing deeper with each motion.

  Her belly tensed and she turned her face away again. Slowly he pushed his middle finger into her slick core and his cock bucked against the confines of his jeans. It was so easy to imagine how she’d feel if he… No! She’d given him permission to combat the pressure, nothing more.

  Unable to resist the temptation, he leaned down and found her clit with the tip of his tongue. She started, her hips jerking, inadvertently driving his tongue deeper into her folds. Her taste coated his tongue and her scent filled his head. He wanted more! He wanted to bury his face between her thighs and feel her come against his lips. Not yet. She wasn’t rea
dy for something that brazen.

  He moved his mouth to her belly and slid his finger in and out. She lasted all of three rotations and then her inner muscles clamped around his finger and she arched with a powerful orgasm. He slid his thumb up to her clit and kept the spasms going as long as he could. She started to relax then tensed again as an aftershock sneaked up on her.

  Through it all, he watched her face, captivated by the beauty of her surrender. She’d fought her need every step of the way, but in the end, she’d lost herself completely in the pleasure. And every tingle, every pulse played out across her expressive features, giving him a glimpse of what it would be like to claim her as his mate.

  His mate? What was wrong with him? She wasn’t meant for someone like him. Kyle never would have let him near her if he’d known she was in heat. If she was as important as Kyle thought, she would bond with an alpha, perhaps even a Prime.

  Slowly withdrawing his hand from between her thighs, he pulled her pants back into place before he looked into her eyes. “Any better?”

  She nodded, her face flushed, eyes still a little dazed.

  “Will you be all right for a while or would you like some more?” he asked with a playful grin.

  “I’m fine.” She wiggled out from under him and zipped up her pants. Without asking permission, she crawled into the front seat, giving him a delightful view of her denim-covered ass.

  He pushed open the door and sucked in a lungful of cool mountain air. Hoping she wasn’t watching, he quickly licked her cream from his fingers, needing the hormone-rich fluid more than she could possibly know. His erection was still painful, but there was no help for it. He couldn’t trust her to sit there quietly while he went into the trees and relieved the pressure. As if that would help anyway. He needed her, not some pointless release.

  “How long will this heat thing last?”

  With Carissa’s taste lingering on his tongue and her scent imprinted on his brain, Quinn started the truck and tried to steady his breathing. His efforts to bank her fire had only intensified the need raging through him. He wanted her naked and writhing beneath him as he rocked between her thighs. Instead, she sat beside him, flushed and tense, cautious even after his steely control. The hunger was guaranteed to return. Hopefully, they’d reach his cabin before the next wave hit.

  Driving up the banked trail and back onto the highway, he headed deeper into the mountains.

  He’d thought this would be a simple “find and retrieve” when Kyle asked for his help two days before. Kyle was more brother than friend. They’d known each other their entire lives. So when Kyle’s search went cold in the Colorado mountains, asking Quinn for assistance had been the obvious choice.

  “Fine.” She harrumphed, crossing her arms over her chest. “If we’re not going to talk about the alien that took over my body, at least tell me where we’re going and why you’re so damn sure it’s safer than my place.”

  He fought back a smile. He’d take a feisty female over a sullen one any day. “I’m not dodging your question. I’m just not sure how to tell you the specifics without explaining some basics first.”

  “While you’re figuring out the basics, give me back my phone so I can call my sister.”

  “Kyle said her calls are going straight to voicemail. Her battery is probably dead.” He dug her phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. She hesitated. The tension in her features made her dilemma obvious. “If you honestly think the police can help you, be my guest.”

  “They’d think I was crazy…or drunk,” she muttered then activated the phone. She tried her call twice before she powered down the phone with a sigh. “Straight to voicemail, just like you said.” She put the phone in her pocket and looked at him, her expression a combination of hostility and curiosity. “How do you know Osric?”

  God, she was gorgeous. With a distinct widow’s peak framing her forehead, her face took on an enticing heart shape. Her delicate features made her feisty personality even more surprising. The dim interior of the truck couldn’t hide the flash of her eyes, though shadows stole their bright blue color. “I don’t really know him. I’m here because Kyle asked for my help.”

  “Who is Kyle? You keep saying his name as if I should know who he is.”

  “He’s part of the larger picture. It’s best if we don’t get caught up in the details.”

  “Fine. Then what does Osric want with Ava?”

  “How much do you know about your father?”

  She pulled the seat belt away from her chest and glanced out the window. He had the irrational urge to stroke her velvety cheek. He knew how soft her skin was and wanted to explore her warmth and texture as she wiggled and arched beneath him.

  “He terrorized my mother and filled my childhood with fear.” Her hoarse admission sent a jolt of compassion through his lust and focused his attention on their conversation. “The only way to escape his abuse was to convince him we were dead.”

  And the bastard she’d just described had Ava. He hoped the realization would help her understand the seriousness of the situation. “How did you accomplish the disappearance? The age of electronic transactions and video surveillance has made disappearing a lot more complicated than it used to be.”

  “We had help.”

  “Who helped you?”

  Her eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. “It doesn’t matter.”

  She offered no more information and he didn’t pry. If he determined that past events directly related to the present circumstance, he’d revisit the subject later.

  “You promised to explain what this is all about,” she prompted.

  She’d already seen the wolves shift. It was going to take more than another transformation to make her understand. “Your mother was born into a close-knit society, one with strict rules and expectations.”

  “You make her sound Amish.”

  “There are similarities, but the structure in our world was developed by necessity, not a fervent belief in religious traditions.”

  “‘Our world’? Are you part of this ‘close-knit society’?” A note of mockery crept into her tone and he narrowed his gaze. Her rebelliousness challenged his animal nature. If she kept it up, they’d never make it to the cabin. He’d find another place to park and drag her into the backseat so they could finish what they’d started a few minutes ago.

  That wasn’t fair. She wasn’t an experienced Therian female issuing a sexual challenge. She was afraid and confused. And she knew nothing about their world. He raked his hair with his hand, determined not to give in to his frustration. “Kyle was supposed to do this. I’m a tracker, not a diplomat.”

  “Then why didn’t you go after Ava?”

  “You’d really rather be with the wolves right now?” Silence expanded as he fought for a simple way to explain all she needed to know.

  “How do I know you’re any better? You could be in this together for all I know.” Uncertainty trembled through her tone, but her gaze remained challenging.

  “In a way, I suppose we are. We’re all after the same thing. But the wolves will take it by force while my clan would rather give you a choice.”

  “Your clan? What does that mean?”

  He took a deep breath and repositioned his hands on the wheel. “We’re all part of the Therian nation. I’m felinethropic. The two in your house were lycanthropic.”

  “They were werewolves?”

  “Werewolves are different. They transform into a creature half human, half wolf. And they’re bound by the cycles of the moon. A Therian can shift at will from human into animal. We’re one or the other, not a mutated combination of both.”

  “You told Kyle you could still smell Osric. That doesn’t sound fully human to me.”

  There was so much to tell her, but he had to stay focused on the major issues. “There are exceptions. In our human form, we can often access animal abilities, increased speed, feline agility, ultra-sharp hearing, that sort of thing. And some Therians can manage partial
shifts. A wolf will manifest claws or—”

  “Felinethropic. You transform into some sort of cat?”

  He paused, trying to assess her reaction. Her expression was blank, her voice tense. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking. “My mother manifested as a black jaguar and my father as a cougar. I can shift into either, but I’m strongest in jaguar form. Your father is a tiger and your mother… Well, now that’s complicated.”

  One corner of her mouth twitched and she quickly looked out the side window. “Isn’t everything.” She wasn’t buying a word of it. How had she gone from shocked acceptance to amused denial in under a heartbeat?

  “They were both members of the Rocky Mountain Feline Network.”

  “That sounds like a motorcycle gang or an RV club.” She returned her gaze to his face. “I’ve thought of another possibility. You’re an illusionist, like one of those guys in Las Vegas. Good job, Quinn, your act is damn convincing.”

  “You’re not taking this seriously.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Did you really expect me to? I can’t explain how you turned those two into wolves, but the rest of this is just stupid. I’m almost twenty-five. Why haven’t I sensed my ‘animal nature’ before now?”

  “Therian females are born latent.” Why was he bothering? She wasn’t going to believe him until he gave her visible proof of his claims. Still, he wanted to offer her as much information as possible before the burning flared again. “It’s nature’s way of giving our race some sort of control over our future.”

  A bit of her amusement ebbed. “I don’t understand.”

  “Therian females can be ‘defined’ as any of the subcategories regardless of her parents.” He glanced at her then fixed his gaze on the road. “If one of the wolves had defined you—”

  “I’d turn into a wolf rather than a cat?”

  “Yes.” He sighed. She seemed to be listening, even if she wasn’t accepting what she heard.

  For a long time she said nothing. He thought she might have dismissed the story outright, and then she said, “Even if all this is true, which I seriously doubt. How does it explain Ava’s abduction?”