“Sensitive? Payne?” Ava laughed. “Are we talking about the same person? Of all the Therians I’ve met, Payne is the most primal.”
“And his primal nature might well be where his sensitivity comes from. Don’t let the word confuse you. Payne is aware of things others cannot perceive. I guess humans would call him clairvoyant. He senses conflicts and connections long before anyone else is aware of them.”
“He sensed a connection between Devon and Ian?”
“He did and I’m not sure how I feel about it.”
“I thought you like Ian.”
“I do. But liking him, even trusting him, and wanting him as my daughter’s mate are two very different things. And to complicate matters even more, Devon has had a crush on Ian longer than I can remember. All he’ll have to do is smile at her and Devon will…” Erin’s thoughts trailed away as the possibilities became too upsetting to consider. “Ian has been through so much and Devon is so young. I’m not comfortable with the idea of them as a couple.”
“Then tell Kyle where she is and we’ll go get her.”
“It’s not that simple. Devon is obviously still upset about Kyle’s betrayal. She has chosen to confide in Ian and, regardless of my personal preferences, I have to honor her choice.”
“Is she emotionally stable enough right now to make her own decisions?”
“Payne told me to back off and let things unfold.” Erin sighed. It was not in her nature to stand idly by and allow events to happen. “If it weren’t important, he wouldn’t have meddled in another family’s business.”
“I only understand about half of this, so I’m not going to argue. I know you love Devon with all your heart and want only the best for her. That will have to be enough for me and my mate.” Ava motioned toward the journal Erin had been reading when she arrived. “Were you looking for something in particular?”
“Actually I was. I’ve been putting together a sort of index to make finding things easier and a phrase kept coming up. Guardian of the Ancients. At first I thought it was another way of referring to the Historians, but that seems unlikely now.”
“What do you think it means?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’ve found eight of Ian’s family members who were referred to by the title. My bloodline hosts the Historians, so this position is something else.”
“Ian has never mentioned it to you?”
Erin smiled and shook her head. “There are a great many things Ian has failed to mention to me if Payne’s premonition is accurate.” Erin reached over and squeezed Ava’s hand. “Tell Kyle to stop wasting Eli’s time and take you to bed.”
Ava returned the squeeze and whispered, “Gladly.”
* * * * *
Heather sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair back from Dhane’s pale face. She’d always been closest to Landon, but she loved each of her brothers dearly. “Who did this to him?” He moved restlessly, muttering under his breath as if he were trapped in a nightmare.
“Let Lexxie feed him and I’ll explain as well as I can.” Landon drew her away from the bed then out of the room, closing the door behind them.
Two Therian males were in the living room. Their conversation stopped abruptly when Landon led her into view. She didn’t recognize the burly, bearded man, but Jake was no stranger to her. “You’re a long way from home,” she said to the tiger-shifter. He owned an upscale restaurant and bar in the heart of Aspen. “What brings you so far from your territory?”
He just grinned, refusing to indulge her curiosity. “How’s Dhane?”
“Hopefully Lexxie can turn this around,” Landon replied, even though Jake had been looking at her when he’d asked the question.
“So who’s going to explain what the hell’s going on?” Heather shifted her gaze from her brother to Jake and back to the handsome tiger-shifter. “Where did you find Dhane and who screwed him up like this?”
“The cats raided a lab high in the mountains a few days ago,” Landon began. “They thought it was an Abolitionist outpost, but what they discovered was much more advanced and more dangerous.”
“I’ll bite. What did they discover?”
“A high-tech lab, complete with Therian test subjects.” Jake scooted to the edge of the couch, his dark gaze gleaming in the lamplight. She shouldn’t find his sleek good looks appealing, but this wasn’t the first time he’d caught her eye or ignited her imagination. He was so different from the hunters in her pack, more complex and mysterious. “The lab was liberated and then destroyed, but one of the doctors has provided us with information.”