Therian Prisoner(53)
“Wasn’t Landon able to find a female to…give Dhane what he needed?”
“Dhane was saturated with enough energy to feed three full-grown men for a week and he mounted the she-wolf repeatedly. None of it helped. He’s stable—more or less. But he can’t release his shift. The Garrans are trying to figure out why.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Dhane had saved her life. Neither of them had any idea that a rescue party was on its way and still the young wolf-shifter had acted with bravery and honor.
“They’d like to run tests as soon as possible, though the results would have been more meaningful if—”
“If I hadn’t run off with Ian?”
Rather than respond to the question, Erin asked, “May I call them and let them know you’ll be over within the hour?”
The thought of having anyone poke and prod her left Devon feeling slightly nauseated, but it couldn’t be helped. Each successful assault began with dependable information and, unfortunately, the most dependable information available to the Therians was contained within Devon’s body.
“Make it an hour and a half and you’ve got a deal. I need to say hi to the cats.”
Erin finally relaxed and the sparkle returned to her eyes. “They missed you.”
“I missed them too.” Erin founded the sanctuary, but her obligations to the rebel cause left the everyday operations to Devon. “What’s gone on since I’ve been away?”
“Carmelita is definitely pregnant and Adonis is finally gaining weight.”
“That’s wonderful.” Devon smiled. She’d optimistically named the male lion Adonis, hoping he’d eventually live up to the name. He’d been in such sorry shape when he’d arrived, no one expected him to survive.
“We acquired a new tigress while you were gone. Look her over and let me know what you think. She’s eating well and seems to have adjusted to the new habitat, but she wants nothing to do with any of the other cats.”
“That’s not unusual, especially if she was abused.”
“I know, but there’s something about her that’s just…off.”
Devon nodded, thrilled by the prospect of returning to her familiar routine. “I’ll take a look.” They lapsed into silence for a moment then Devon said, “Talking with Ian has given me a new perspective on some of your legends.”
“He witnessed many of the events as they took place.” Erin smiled, clearly pleased by Devon’s interest. “That’s bound to make any story more interesting.”
“I knew you believed the stories were true, but I never thought about them as anything but legends.” She returned her mother’s smile and felt a rush of happiness. Things had grown so strained during her father’s illness, she was ready to feel comfortable with her mother again. “Once things settle down and I’ve readjusted to—everything, I’d like to study the sacred journals, maybe take them a little more seriously this time.”
Erin beamed. “The vault is always open to the future Historian.”
The phrase made Devon fidget. She was too anxious right now to think about what that would mean. Her mother was so immersed in Therian tradition and lore that she often seemed to belong to a different place and time. Devon wasn’t ready to consider a similar fate. She needed to figure out her place in the present before she opened herself completely to the past.
Erin gave Devon’s hand a squeeze. “I didn’t mean to scare you. There’s plenty of time to figure all this out.”
“Maybe, but tonight is just about over.” Devon pushed to her feet and rolled her shoulders. She was ready for bed, not another unwanted errand. “Call the Garrans and see if they’re willing to wait for me. I’ll go find Ian.”
* * * * *
Ian closed his eyes and poured energy into his empathic receptors. Wind whipped the curtains and stirred the air, making the small bedroom feel cool and clean. Fear and confusion pulsed from the unmade bed. Unfortunately he could sense little else. He moved closer to the window and carefully pressed his fingertips against a jagged piece of the broken glass. The faintest echo of emotion reached his mind, complex and convoluted. He could see long, silvery hair flowing in the wind and a supple female body outlined by dark clothing.
“It was definitely a woman,” he said without opening his eyes.
“The guard who watched them fly away was sure as well,” Kyle told him.
In other words, tell me something I don’t already know.
Ian opened his eyes and studied the window. The wooden frame had split with the force of the female’s arrival and broken glass still littered the floor. The cats had left everything undisturbed, likely due to Payne’s urging. On one of the lower spikes, created by the broken glass, Ian spotted a smear of blood. He touched the dark red mark with his fingertip, careful not to wipe away the entire smear.