Therian Prisoner(52)
“Fuck you,” Kyle snapped.
“But isn’t that why you’re so pissed off?” Ian had the audacity to laugh.
“This isn’t funny, old man! You know damn well she’s been in love with you since she was a kid.”
“Ever think there might be a reason she can’t shake the attraction?”
Ian’s question made Erin look at Devon. “Is it true? Are you his mate?”
Devon jerked her arm out of her mother’s grasp. She had yet to discuss the possibility with Ian. There was no way she was going to debate it with her family. “Let him up. This isn’t why we’re here.”
Ian heaved himself off Kyle then extended his hand and helped the younger man to his feet. “My intentions toward your sister are honorable, Mr. Lashton. You have nothing to worry about.”
The assurance was tinged with enough mockery to make Kyle glare again. “If you hurt her, I’ll find a way to kill you. I don’t care how powerful you are.”
Ian grinned and looked at Devon. “That won’t be necessary.”
“What’s going on with the search?” Devon asked, more than ready for a different subject.
As Kyle calmed, his features returned to normal and the golden light in his eyes subsided. “We don’t know much more than Payne told Ian. It’s hard to track someone in midair.”
“They left nothing behind on the window?” Ian sounded doubtful. “What about the room in which Carly was being kept? There should be residual energy or echoes of thoughts and emotions.”
“That’s why you’re here. If we’re dealing with a raptor, you have the advantage over all of us.”
Ian turned to Devon and kissed her lightly on the mouth. “I shouldn’t be long. Are you okay here or would you rather come with me?”
“I’ll stay here.” She pushed to her toes and returned his kiss, feeling the need to stake her claim. “And don’t be distracted. I’m fine.”
He nodded then motioned for Kyle to lead the way.
Erin waited until the men had disappeared down the stairwell leading to the tunnels before she spoke again. “I don’t know how to react to this.” She searched Devon’s gaze for a long time before she asked, “You didn’t do this because of Lokesh, did you?”
“No.” She rubbed her forehead as she moved to the sofa and sat. “It wasn’t planned. It just sort of happened.”
Her mother sat beside her and took her hand. “Nothing ‘just sort of happens’ with Ian. Who was the aggressor?”
“I was.” She paused to make sure Erin accepted the statement before she went on. “Ian said Payne sensed a connection and it made Ian think about me differently than he’d allowed himself to think of me before.”
Erin rubbed her hand over her eyes, her head gently shaking. “He’s been through so much, survived so much. And there is such darkness inside him. I wanted someone…less complicated for my baby girl.”
Devon smiled. “I’ve always been attracted to complications. You shouldn’t be surprised.” She’d seen glimpses of Ian’s darkness, but he’d been nothing but gallant and caring with her. It was impossible to live as long as Ian had and not collect baggage. But as far as she could tell, Ian didn’t allow his past to control him.
“Do you want him to define you or is this just a romance?”
Devon didn’t miss the hopeful catch in her mother’s question. “Not yet and we’re not sure what this is.”
Erin shook her head again, her expression drawing tighter. “Well, you can’t be defined by anyone until we know what those bastards injected you with.”
“The formula had nothing to do with definition.” Even as the words passed her lips Devon knew it wasn’t true. When Carly realized Devon wasn’t defined, the doctor’s focus changed and so had the formula.
“Are you certain? Do you know what was in the injection?”
“Injections.” She looked away from her mother’s troubled gaze. It was hard to remain calm when every word she spoke compounded her mother’s pain. “I was injected six times and, judging from my body’s reaction, there were at least three different recipes.”
“Were you given the same thing as Dhane?”
Devon’s gaze snapped back to her mother’s. “Why? Is he all right?” She’d been so overwhelmed by her own recovery that she’d nearly forgotten about the young wolf-shifter.
“We took him to the Garrans’ clinic this morning.”
Dread dropped like a stone into the pit of Devon’s stomach. Paul Garran and his wife Lenore were both medical doctors. Their eldest son was a veterinarian and their two younger sons were research scientists. The Therian community relied on the family heavily and compensated them generously for their focus and dedication. Still, their time was extremely valuable, so only severe or unusual cases were taken to the Garrans’ clinic.